or　no　reason。　I　wondered　why　they　hadn't　screamed。

Their　killer　had　hurt　them；　there　had　been　blood　on　the　porch；　and　on　the　steps。　So　why　hadn't　they　screamed？

〃You　think　John　Coffey　really　killed　that　man　Wharton；　don't　you？〃　Janice　asked；　looking　back　from　the　window　at　last。　〃Not　that　it　was　an　accident；　or　anything　like　that；　you　think　he　used　Percy　Wetmore　on　Wharton　like　a　gun。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Why？〃

〃I　don't　know。'

〃Tell　me　again　about　what　happened　when　you　took　Coffey　off　the　Mile；　would　you？　Just　that　part。〃

So　I　did。　I　told　her　how　the　skinny　arm　shooting　out　from　between　the　bars　and　grabbing　John　's　bicep　had　reminded　me　of　a　snake…one　of　the　water　moccasins　we　were　all　scared　of　when　we　were　kids　swimming　in　the　river　…　and　how　Coffey　had　said　Wharton　was　a　bad　man。　Almost　whispering　it。

〃And　Wharton　said　。。。　？〃　My　wife　was　looking　out　the　window　again；　but　she　was　listening；　all　right。

〃Wharton　said；　'That's　right；　nigger；　bad　as　you'd　want。；　〃

〃And　that's　all。〃

〃Yes。　I　had　a　feeling　that　something　was　going　to　happen　right　then；　but　nothing　did。　Brutal　took　Wharton's　hand　off　John　and　told　him　to　lie　down；　which　Wharton　did。　He　was　out　on　his　feet　to　start　with。　Said　something　about　how　niggers　should　have　their　own　electric　chair；　and　that　was　all。　We　went　about　our　business。〃

〃John　Coffey　called　him　a　bad　man。〃

〃Yep。　Said　the　same　thing　about　Percy　once；　too。　Maybe　more　than　once。　I　can't　remember　exactly　when；　but　I　know　he　did。〃

〃But　Wharton　never　did　anything　to　John　Coffey　personally；　did　he？　Like　he　did　to　Percy；　I　mean。〃

〃No。　The　way　their　cells　were　…　Wharton　up　by　the　duty　desk　on　one　side；　John　down　a　ways　on　the　other　…　they　could　hardly　see　each