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〃Shut up； you lugoon；〃 Percy said； but that was pretty much automatic。 He had his eye on the mouse。 He had re…holstered his baton and taken out one of his magazines； but now he tossed the magazine on the duty desk and pulled the baton out of its holster again。 He began tapping it casually against the knuckles of his left hand。
〃Son of a bitch；〃 Bill Dodge said。 〃I've never seen a mouse in here before。〃
〃Aw； he's sort of cute；〃 Dean said。 〃And not afraid at all。〃
〃How do you know？〃
〃He was in the other night。 Percy saw him； too。 Brutal calls him Steamboat Willy。〃
Percy kind of sneered at that； but for the time being said nothing。 He was tapping the baton faster now on the back of his hand。
〃Watch this；〃 Dean said。 〃He came all the way up to the desk before。 I want to see if he'll do it again。〃
It did； skirting wide of The Pres on its way； as if it didn't like the way our resident parricide smelled。 It checked two of the empty cells； even ran up onto one of the bare； unmattressed cots for a sniff； then came back to the Green Mile。 And Percy standing there the whole time； tapping and tapping； not talking for a change； wanting to make it sorry for ing back。 Wanting to teach it a lesson。
〃Good thing you guys don't have to put him in Sparky；〃 Bill said； interested in spite of himself。 〃You'd have a hell of a time getting the clamps and the cap on。〃
Percy said nothing still； but he very slowly gripped the baton between his fingers； the way a man would hold a good cigar。
The mouse stopped where it had before； no more than three feet from the duty desk； looking up at Dean like a prisoner before the bar。 It glanced up at Bill for a moment； then switched its attention back to Dean。 Percy it hardly seemed to notice at all。
〃He's a brave little barstid； I got to give him that；〃 Bill said。 He raised his voice a little。 〃Hey！ Hey！ Steamboat Willy！〃
The mouse flinched a little and fluttered its ears； but it didn't run； or even show any signs of wanting to。
〃Now watch this；〃 Dean said； remembering how Brutal had fed it some of his corned…beef sandwich。 〃I don't know if he'll do it again； but…〃
He broke off a piece of Ritz cracker and dropped it in front of the mouse。 It just looked with its sharp black eyes at the orangey fragment for a second or two； its filament…fine whiskers twitching as it sniffed。 Then it reached out； took the cracker in its paws； sat up； and began to eat。
〃Well。 I'll be shucked and boiled！〃 Bill exclaimed。 〃Eats as neat as a parson on parish house Saturday night！〃
〃Looks more like a nigger eating watermelon to me。〃。 Percy remarked； but neither guard paid him any mind。 Neither did The Chief or The Pres； for that matter。 The mouse finished the cracker but continued to sit； seemingly balanced on the talented coil of its tail； looking up at the giants in blue。
〃Lemme try；〃 Bill said。 He broke off another piece of cracker； leaned over the front of the desk； and dropped it carefully。 The mouse sniffed but did not touch。
〃Huh；〃 Bill said。 〃Must be full。〃
〃Nah；〃 Dean said； 〃he knows you're a floater； that's all。〃
〃Floater； am I？ I like that！ I'm here almost as much as Harry Terwilliger！ Maybe more！〃
〃Simmer down； old…timer； simmer down；〃 Dean said； grinning。 〃But watch and see if I'm not right。〃 He bombed another piece of cracker over the side。 Sure enough； the mouse picked that one up and began to eat again； still ignoring Bill Dodge's contribution pletely。 But before it had done more than take a preliminary nibble or two； Percy threw his baton at it； launching it like a spear。
The mouse was a small target； and give the devil his due…it was a wickedly good shot； and might have taken 〃Willy's〃 head clean off； if its reflexes hadn't been as sharp as shards of broken glass。 It ducked … yes； just as a human being would have … and dropped the chunk of cracker。 The heavy hickory baton passed over its head and spine close enough so its fur ruffled （that's what Dean said； anyway； and so I pass it on； although I'm not sure I really believe it）； then hit the green linoleum and bounced against the bars of an empty cell。 The mouse didn't wait to see if it was a mistake； apparently remembering a pressing engagement elsewhere； it turned and was off down the corridor toward the restraint room in a flash。
Percy roared with frustration … he knew how close he had e … and chased after it again。 Bill Dodge grabbed at his arm； probably out of simple instinct； but Percy pulled away from him。 Still； Dean said； it was probably that grab which saved Steamboat Willy's life； and it was still a near thing。 Percy wanted not just to kill the mouse but to squash it； so he ran in big； ical leaps； like a deer； stamping down with his heavy black workshoes。 The mouse barely avoided Percy's last two jumps； first zigging and then zagging。 It went under the door with a final flick of its long pink tail； and so long； stranger … it was gone。
〃Fuck！〃 Percy said； and slammed the flat of his hand against the door。 Then he began to sort through his keys； meaning to go into the restraint room and continue the chase。
Dean came down the corridor after him； deliberately walking slow in order to get his emotions under control。 Part of him wanted to laugh at Percy； he told me； but part of him wanted to grab the man； whirl him around； pin him against the restraint…room door； and whale the living daylights out of him。 Most of it； of course； was just being startled； our job on E Block was to keep rumpus to a minimum； and rumpus was practically Percy Wetmore's middle name。 Working with him was sort of like trying to defuse a bomb with somebody standing behind you and every now and then clashing a pair of cymbals together。 In a word； upsetting。 Dean said he could see that upset in Arlen Bitterbucks eyes 。。。 even in The President's eyes； although that gentleman was usually as cool as the storied cucumber。
And there was something else； as well。 In some part of his mind； Dean had already begun to accept the mouse as … well； maybe not as a friend； but as a part of life on the block。 That made what Percy had done and what he was trying to do not right。 Not even if it was a mouse he was trying to do it to。 And the fact that Percy would never understand how e it wasn't right was pretty much the perfect example of why he was all wrong for the job he thought he was doing。
By the time Dean reached the end of the corridor； he had gotten himself under control again； and knew how he wanted to handle the matter。 The one thing Percy absolutely couldn't stand was to look foolish； and we all knew it。
〃Coises； foiled again；〃 he said； grinning a little； kidding Percy along。
Percy gave him an ugly look and flicked his hair off his brow。 〃Match your mouth； Four…Eyes。 I'm riled。 Don't make it worse！〃
〃So it's moving day again； is it？〃 Dean said； not quite laughing 。。。 but laughing with his eyes。 〃Well； when you get everything out this time； would you mind mopping the floor？〃
Percy looked at the door。 Looked at his keys。 Thought about another long； hot； fruitless rummage in the room with the soft walls while they all stood around and watched him 。。。 The Chief and The Pres； too。
〃I'll be damned if I understand wha