a moment on his haggard face and then slipped off。
〃How you doing； Big John？〃 Brutal asked； climbing into the back of the truck again and retrieving his own blanket。
〃Fine； boss；〃 John said listlessly。 〃I's fine。〃
Brutal patted his knee。 〃We'll be back soon。 And when we get squared away； you know what？ I'm going to see you get a great big cup of hot coffee。 Sugar and cream； too。〃
You bet； I thought； going around to the passenger side of the cab and climbing in。 If we don't get arrested and thrown in jail ourselves first。
But I'd been living with that idea ever since we'd thrown Percy into the restraint room； and it didn't worry me enough to keep me awake。 I dozed off and dreamed of Calvary Hill。 Thunder in the west and a smell that might have been juniper berries。 Brutal and Harry and Dean and I were standing around in robes and tin hats like in a Cecil B。 DeMille movie。 We were Centurions； I guess。 There were three crosses； Percy Wetmore and Eduard Delacroix flanking John Coffey。 I looked down at my hand and saw I was holding a bloody hammer。
We got to get him down from there； Paul！ Brutal screamed。 We got to get him down！
Except we couldn't； they'd taken away the stepladder。 I started to tell Brutal this； and then an extra…hard bounce of the truck woke me up。 We were backing into the place where Harry had hidden the truck earlier on a day that already seemed to stretch back to the beginning of time。
The two of us got out and went around to the back。 Brutal hopped down all right； but John Coffey's knees buckled and he almost fell。 It took all three of us to catch him； and he was no more than set solid on his feet again before he went off into another of those coughing fits； this one the worst yet。 He bent over； th