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hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第22部分
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ded weˇd be polite no matter what。〃
¨Iˇll be polite；〃 Andrew said。 ¨But itˇs hard sometimes with Dave。 Papa； do you think he can really get him？ That it isnˇt just like a dream or something？〃
¨Letˇs not talk about it。〃
¨Have I said something wrong again？〃
¨No。 Only it always seems bad luck to talk that way。 We got it from the old fishermen。 I donˇt know what started it。〃
¨Iˇll be careful。〃
¨Hereˇs your drink； papa；〃 Tom said； handing it up from below。 The glass was wrapped in a triple thickness of paper towel with a rubber band around to hold the paper tight against the glass and keep the ice from melting。 ¨I put lime； bitters； and no sugar in it。 Is that how you want it？ Or can I change it？〃
¨Thatˇs fine。 Did you make it with coconut water？〃
¨Yes； and I made Eddy a whisky。 Mr。 Davis didnˇt want anything。 Are you staying up there； Andy？〃
¨No。 Iˇm coming down。〃
Tom climbed up and Andrew went down。
Looking back over the stern； Thomas Hudson noticed the line starting to slant up in the water。
¨Watch it； Roger；〃 he called。 ¨It looks like heˇs coming up。〃
¨Heˇs coming up！〃 Eddy yelled。 He had seen the slant in the line too。 ¨Watch your wheel。〃
Thomas Hudson looked down at the spool of the reel to see how much line there was to maneuver with。 It was not yet a quarter full and as he watched it started to whiz off and Thomas Hudson started backing； turning sharp toward the slant of the line； well under way as Eddy yelled； ¨Back on him； Tom。 The son of a bitch is coming up。 We ainˇt got no line to turn。〃
¨Keep your rod up；〃 Roger said to David。 ¨Donˇt let him get it down。〃 Then to Thomas Hudson； ¨Back on him all you can； Tom。 Youˇre going right。 Give her all sheˇll take。〃
Then； astern of the boat and off to starboard； the calm of the ocean broke open and the great fish rose out of it； rising； shining dark blue and silver； seeming to come endlessly out of the water； unbelievable as his length and bulk rose out of the sea into the air and seemed to hang there until he fell with a splash that drove the water up high and white。
¨Oh； God；〃 David said。 ¨Did you see him？〃
¨His swordˇs as long as I am；〃 Andrew said in awe。
¨Heˇs so beautiful；〃 Tom said。 ¨Heˇs much better than the one I had in the dream。〃
¨Keep backing on him；〃 Roger said to Thomas Hudson。 Then to David； ¨Try and get some line out of that belly。 He came up from way down and thereˇs a big belly of line and you can get some of it。〃
Thomas Hudson； backing fast onto the fish； had stopped the line going out and now David was lifting； lowering； and reeling； and the line was coming onto the reel in sweeps as fast as he could turn the reel handle。
¨Slow her down；〃 Roger said。 ¨We donˇt want to get over him。
¨Son of a bitchˇll weigh a thousand pounds；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Get that easy line in； Davy boy。〃
The ocean was flat and empty where he had jumped but the circle made where the water had been broken was still widening。
¨Did you see the water he threw when he jumped； papa？〃 young Tom asked his father。 ¨It was like the whole sea bursting open。〃
¨Did you see the way he seemed to climb up and up； Tom？ Did you ever see such a blue and that wonderful silver on him？〃
¨His sword is blue too；〃 young Tom said。 ¨The whole back of it is blue。 Will he really weigh a thousand pounds； Eddy？〃 he called down。
¨I think he will。 Nobody can say。 But heˇll weigh something awful。〃
¨Get all the line you can； Davy； now while itˇs cheap；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Youˇre getting it fine。〃
The boy was working like a machine again； recovering line from the great bulge of line in the water and the boat was backing so slowly that the movement was barely perceptible。
¨What will he do now； papa？〃 Tom asked his father。 Thomas Hudson was watching the slant of the line in the water and thinking it would be safer to go ahead just a little but he knew how Roger had suffered with so much line out。 The fish had only needed to make one steady rush to strip all the line from the reel and break off and now Roger was taking chances to get a reserve of line。 As Thomas Hudson watched the line； he saw that David had the reel nearly half full and that he was still gaining。
¨What did you say？〃 Thomas Hudson asked his boy Tom。
¨What do you think heˇll do now？〃
¨Wait a minute； Tom；〃 his father said and called down to Roger。 ¨Iˇm afraid weˇre going to get over him； kid。〃
¨Then put her ahead easy；〃 Roger said。
¨Ahead easy；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated。 David stopped getting in so much line but the fish was in a safer position。
Then the line started to go out again and Roger called up； ¨Throw her out；〃 and Thomas Hudson threw out the clutches and let the motors idle。
¨Sheˇs out；〃 he said。 Roger was bending over David and the boy was braced and holding back on the rod and the line was slipping steadily away。
¨Tighten on him a little bit； Davy；〃 Roger said。 ¨Weˇll make him work for it。〃
¨I donˇt want him to break；〃 David said。 But he tightened the drag。
¨He wonˇt break；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Not with that drag。〃
The line kept going out but the rod was bent heavier and the boy was braced back holding against the pressure with his bare feet against the wood of the stern。 Then the line stopped going out。
¨Now you can get some；〃 Roger told the boy。 ¨Heˇs circling and this is the in…turn。 Get back all you can。〃
The boy lowered and reeled； then lifted； let the rod straighten； lowered and reeled。 He was getting line beautifully again。
¨Am I doing all right？〃 he asked。
¨Youˇre doing wonderful；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨Heˇs hooked deep； Davy。 I could see when he jumped。〃
Then； while the boy was lifting； the line started to go out again。
¨Hell；〃 David said。
¨Thatˇs OK；〃 Roger told him。 ¨Thatˇs whatˇs supposed to happen。 Heˇs on the out…turn now。 He circled in toward you and you got line。 Now heˇs taking it back。〃
Steadily； slowly； with David holding him with all the strain the line would take； the fish took out all the line the boy had just recovered and a little more。 Then the boy held him。
¨All right。 Get to work on him；〃 Roger said quietly。 ¨He widened his circle a little bit but heˇs on the in…swing now。〃
Thomas Hudson was using the engines only occasionally now to keep the fish astern。 He was trying to do everything for the boy that the boat could do and he was trusting the boy and the fight to Roger。 As he saw it there was no other thing to do。
On the next circle the fish gained a little line again。 On the circle after that he gained too。 But the boy still had almost half the line on the reel。 He was still working the fish exactly as he should and delivering each time Roger asked him to do something。 But he was getting very tired and the sweat and salt water had made salty blotches on his brown back and shoulders。
¨Two hours even；〃 Eddy said to Roger。 ¨Howˇs your head； Davy？〃
¨All right。〃
¨Not ache？〃
The boy shook his head。
¨You better drink some water this time；〃 Eddy said。
David nodded and drank when Andrew put the glass to his lips。
¨How do you feel； Davy； really？〃 Roger asked him； bending close over him；
¨Fine。 All except my back and legs and arms。〃 He shut his eyes for an instant and held to the bucking of the rod as the line went out against the heavy drag。
¨I donˇt want to talk；〃 he said。
¨You can get some on him now；〃 Roger told him and the boy went back to work。
¨Davidˇs a saint and a martyr；〃 Tom said to his father。 ¨Boys donˇt have brothers like David。 Do you mind if I talk； papa？ Iˇm awfully nervous about this。〃
¨Go ahead and talk； Tommy。 Weˇre both worried。〃
¨Heˇs always been wonderful； you know；〃 Tom said。 ¨Heˇs not a damn genius nor an athlete like Andy。 Heˇs just wonderful。 I know you love him the most and thatˇs right because heˇs the best of us and I know this must be good for him or you wouldnˇt let him do it。 But it certainly makes me nervous。〃
Thomas Hudson put an arm around his shoulder and steered； looking astern with only one hand on the wheel。
¨The trouble is； Tommy； what it would do to him if we made him give it up。 Roger and Eddy know everything about what theyˇre doing and I know they love him and wouldnˇt have him do what he canˇt do。〃
¨But there is no limit with him； papa。 Truly。 Heˇll always do what he canˇt do。〃
¨You trust me and Iˇll trust Roger and Eddy。〃
¨All right。 But Iˇm going to pray for him now。〃
¨You do；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Why did you say I loved him the best？〃
¨You ought to。〃
¨Iˇve loved you the longest。〃
¨Letˇs not think about me nor you。 Letˇs both of us pray for Davy。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Now look。 We hooked him right at noon。 Thereˇs going to be some shade now。 I think weˇve got some already。 Iˇm going to work her around very softly and put Davy in the shade。〃
Thomas Hudson called down to Roger。 ¨If itˇs OK with you； Roge； Iˇd like to work her around slow and put Dave in the shade。 I donˇt think it will make any difference with the fish the way heˇs circling and weˇll be on his real course。〃
¨Fine；〃 Roger said。 ¨I should have thought of it。〃
¨There hasnˇt been any shade until now；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He worked the boat around so slowly； just swinging her on her stern； that they lost almost no line by the maneuver。 Davidˇs head and shoulders were now shaded by the aft part of the house。 Eddy was wiping the boyˇs neck and shoulders with a towel and putting alcohol on his back and on the back of his neck。
¨Howˇs that； Dave？〃 young Tom called down to him。
¨Wonderful；〃 David said。
¨I feel better about him now；〃 young Tom said。 ¨You know at school somebody said David was my half brother； not my real brother； and I told him we didnˇt have half brothers in our family。 I wish I didnˇt worry so much though； papa。〃
¨Youˇll get over it。〃
¨In a family like ours somebody has to worry；〃 young Tom said。 ¨But I never worry about you anymore。 Itˇs David now。 I guess I better make a couple of more drinks。 I can pray while I make th
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