s； and why I didn't see it then … it was too big； as central to our work as our respiration was to our lives。 It wasn't important that the floaters be good at 〃getting the talk started；〃 but it was vital for me and Harry and Brutal and Dean。。。 and it was one reason why Percy Wetmore was such a disaster。 The inmates hated him； the guards hated him 。。。 everyone hated him； presumably； except for his political connections； Percy himself； and maybe （but only maybe） his mother。 He was like a dose of white arsenic sprinkled into a wedding cake； and I think I knew he spelled disaster the start。 He was an accident waiting to happen。 As for the rest of us； we would have scoffed at the idea that we functioned most usefully not as the guards of the condemned but as their psychiatrists part of me still wants to scoff at that idea today … but we knew about getting the talk started 。 。 。 and without the talk； men facing Old Sparky had a nasty habit of going insane。
I made a note at the bottom of Brutal's report to talk to John Coffey … to try； at least … and then passed on to a note from Curtis Anderson； the warden's chief assistant。 It said that he； Anderson； expected a DOE order for Edward Delacrois （Anderson's misspelling； the man's name was actually Eduard Delacroix） very soon。 DOE stood for date of execution； and according to the note； Curtis had been told on good authority that the little Frenchman would take the walk shortly before Halloween … October 27th was his best guess；