第64部分(第2/5 页)

ow　I　lost　her；　how　she　ran　away　red　through　my　fingers　in　the　rain；　and　I　wait。　We　each　owe　a　death；　there　are　no　exceptions；　I　know　that；　but　sometimes；　oh　God；　the　Green　Mile　is　so　long。

Author's　Afterword

I　don't　think　I'd　want　to　do　another　serial　novel　（if　only　because　the　critics　get　to　kick　your　ass　six　times　instead　of　just　the　once）；　but　I　wouldn't　have　missed　the　experience　for　the　world。　As　I　write　this　afterword　on　the　day　before　Part　2　of　The　Green　Mile　is　to　be　published；　the　serialization　experiment　is　looking　like　a　success；　at　least　in　terms　of　sales。　For　that；　Constant　Reader；　I　want　to　thank　you。　And　something　a　bit　different　wakes　us　all　up　a　little；　maybe　…　lets　us　see　the　old　business　of　storytelling　in　a　new　way。　That's　how　it　worked　for　me；　anyway。

I　wrote　in　a　hurry　because　the　format　demanded　that　I　write　in　a　hurry。　That　was　part　of　the　exhilaration；　but　it　also　may　have　produced　a　number　of　anachronisms。　The　guards　and　prisoners　listen　to　Allen's　Alley　on　their　E　Block　radio；　and　I　doubt　if　Fred　Allen　was　actually　broadcasting　in　1932。　The　same　may　hold　true　for　Kay　Kyser　and　his　Kollege　of　Musical　Knowledge。　This　isn't　to　let　me　off　the　hook；　but　it　sometimes　seems　to　me　that　history　which　has　recently　fallen　over　the　horizon　is　harder　to　research　than　the　Middle　Ages　or　the　time　of　the　Crusades。　I　was　able　to　determine　that　Brutal　might　indeed　have　called　the　mouse　on　the　Mile　Steamboat　Willy　…　the　Disney　cartoon　had　been　in