urney　over。　The　sheet　upon　which　we'd　laid　Del　had　been　stripped　（and　probably　incinerated）；　so　the　gurney's　black　leather　pads　were　visible。　〃Get　on；〃　I　told　John。　He　looked　at　me　doubtfully；　and　I　nodded　encouragement。　〃It'll　be　easier　for　you　and　no　harder　for　us。〃

〃Okay；　Boss　Edgebe。〃　He　sat　down；　then　lay　back；　looking　up　at　us　with　worried　brown　eyes。　His　feet；　clad　in　cheap　prison　slippers；　dangled　almost　all　the　way　to　the　floor。　Brutal　got　in　between　them　and　pushed　John　Coffey　along　the　dank　corridor　as　he　had　pushed　so　many　others。　The　only　difference　was　that　the　current　rider　was　still　breathing。　About　halfway　along　…　under　the　highway；　we　would　have　been；　and　able　to　hear　the　muffled　drone　of　passing　cars；　had　there　been　any　at　that　hour　…　John　began　to　smile。　〃Say；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　fun。〃　He　wouldn't　think　so　the　next　time　he　rode　the　gurney；　that　was　the　thought　which　crossed　my　mind。　In　fact；　the　next　time　he　rode　the　gurney；　he　wouldn't　think　or　feel　anything。　Or　would　he？　There　are　pieces　of　them　still　in　there；　he　had　said；　he　could　hear　them　screaming。

Walking　behind　the　others　and　unseen　by　them；　I　shivered。

〃I　hope　you　remembered　Aladdin；　Boss　Edgebe；〃　Brutal　said　as　we　reached　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel。

〃Don't　worry；〃　I　said。　Aladdin　looked　no　different　from　the　other　keys　I　carried　in　those　days　…　and　I　had　a　bunch　that　must　have　weighed　four　pounds　…　but　it　was　the　master　key　of　master　keys；　the　one　that　opened　everything。　There　was　one　Aladdin　key　for　each　of　the　five　cellblocks　in　those　days；　each　the　property　of　the　block　super。　Other　guards　could　borrow　it；　but　only　the　bull…goose　screw　didn't　have　to　sign　it　out。

There　was　a　steel…barred　gate　at　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel。　It　always　reminded　me　of　picture