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hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第42部分
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g your home。 She is your home。 Donˇt talk nor think nonsense about her。 She is not your trouble。 Youˇre making a little more sense； he told himself。 Although you donˇt make too damned much ashore。 All right； he told himself。 I have to make so much sense at sea that I donˇt want to make any ashore。
Ashore is a lovely place； he thought。 Today we would see just how lovely it could be。 After I see the goddamned Colonel； he thought。 Well I always enjoy seeing him because it builds up my morale。 Letˇs not go into the Colonel； he thought。 Thatˇs one of those things we are going to skip while we have a lovely day。 I will go to see him。 But I wonˇt go into him。 Enough has gone into him already that will never get out。 And enough has gone out of him that they will never get back in。 So I thought you werenˇt going to go into him。 Iˇm not。 Iˇm just going in to see him and report。
He finished the drink； lifted the cat off his lap； stood up and looked at the three paintings； and then went in and took a shower。 The water heater had only been on since the boys came in the morning and there was not much hot water。 But he soaped himself clean； scrubbed his head； and finished off with cold water。 He dressed in white flannel shirt； dark tie； flannel slacks； wool socks and his ten…year…old English brogues； a cashmere pullover sweater； and an old tweed jacket。 He rang for Mario。
¨Is Pedro here？〃
¨Yes； se？or。 He has the car outside。〃
¨Make me a Tom Collins with coconut water and bitters to take。 Put it in one of the cork holders。〃
¨Yes； se？or。 Donˇt you want a coat？〃
¨Iˇll take a coat to wear back if it gets cold。〃
¨Will you be back for lunch？〃
¨No。 Nor for dinner。〃
¨Do you want to see any of the cats before you go？ They are all out in the lee of the wind in the sun。〃
¨No。 I will see them tonight。 I want to bring them a present。〃
¨I go to make the drink。 It will take a moment for the coconut。〃
Now why in hell wouldnˇt you go to see the cats？ he asked himself。 I donˇt know； he answered。 That one I did not understand at all。 That was a new one。
Boise was following him； a little worried at this going away； but not panicky since there was no baggage and no packing。 ¨Maybe I did it for you； Boy；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Donˇt you worry。 Iˇll be back sometime tonight or in the morning。 With my ashes dragged； I hope。 Properly； I hope。 Then maybe we will make a little better sense around here。 V？monos a limpiar la escopeta。〃
He came out of the long； bright living room that still seemed enormous and down the stone steps into the even greater brightness of the Cuban winter morning。 The dogs played around his legs and the sad pointer came up grovelling and wagging his lowered head。
¨You poor miserable beast；〃 he said to the pointer。 He patted him and the dog fawned on him。 The other mongrel dogs were gay and prancing in the excitement of the cold and the wind。 There were some dead branches broken off the ceiba tree that grew out of the patio and they lay on the steps where they had fallen in the wind。 The chauffeur came from behind the car； shivering exaggeratedly； and said； ¨Good morning； Mr。 Hudson。 How was the voyage？〃
¨Good enough。 How are the Cars？〃
¨All in perfect shape。〃
¨Iˇll bet；〃 Thomas Hudson said in English。 Then to Mario； who came out of the house and down the steps to the car carrying the tall dark； rusty…colored drink； wrapped round with a sheet of moulded cork that came to within a half…inch of the rim of the glass； ¨Get a sweater for Pedro。 One of those that buttons in front。 From Mr。 Tomˇs clothes。 See that the steps are cleaned of this trash。〃
Thomas Hudson handed the drink to the chauffeur to hold and stooped to pet the dogs。 Boise was sitting on the steps； watching them with contempt。 There was Negrita； a small black bitch going gray with age； her tail curled over her back； her tiny feet and delicate legs almost sparkling as she played； her muzzle as sharp as a fox terrier and her eyes loving and intelligent。
He had seen her one night in a bar following some people out and asked what breed of dog she was。
¨Cuban；〃 the waiter said。 ¨Sheˇs been here four days。 She follows everyone out but they always shut the doors of their cars on her。〃
They had taken her home to the Finca and for two years she had not been in heat and Thomas Hudson had thought she was too old to breed。 Then； one day； he had to break her loose from a police dog and after that she had police dog pups； pups from a pit bull； pointer pups； and a wonderful unknown pup that was bright red and looked as though his father might have been an Irish setter except that he had the chest and shoulders of a pit bull and a tail that curled up over his back like Negritaˇs。
Now her sons were all around her and she was pregnant again。
¨Who did she breed with？〃 Thomas Hudson asked the chauffeur。
¨I donˇt know。〃
Mario； who came out with the sweater and gave it to the chauffeur； who took off his frayed uniform coat to put it on； said； ¨The father is the fighting dog in the village。〃
¨Well； goodbye； dogs；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨So long； Boy；〃 he said to the cat who came bounding down through the dogs to the car。 Thomas Hudson； sitting in the car now； holding the cork…wrapped drink； leaned out of the window and touched the cat who rose on his hind legs to push his head against his fingers。 ¨Donˇt worry； Boy。 Iˇll be back。〃
¨Poor Boise；〃 Mario said。 He picked him up and held him in his arms and the cat looked after the car as it turned； circling the flower bed； and went down the uneven gully…washed driveway until it was hidden by the hill slope and the tall mango trees。 Then Mario took the cat into the house and put him down and the cat jumped up onto the window sill and continued to look out at where the driveway disappeared under the hill。
Mario stroked him but the cat did not relax。
¨Poor Boise；〃 the tall Negro boy said。 ¨Poor； poor Boise。〃
In the car Thomas Hudson and the chauffeur went down the driveway and the chauffeur jumped out and unchained the gate and then climbed back in and drove the car through。 A Negro boy was coming up the street and he called to him to close the gate and the boy grinned and nodded his head。
¨He is a younger brother of Mario。〃
¨I know；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
They rolled through the squalor of the village side street and turned onto the central highway。 They passed the houses of the village； the two grocery stores open onto the street with their bars and rows of bottles flanked by shelves of canned goods； and then were past the last bar and the huge Spanish laurel tree whose branches spread all the way across the road and were rolling downhill on the old stone highway。 The highway ran downhill for three miles with big old trees on either side。 There were nurseries； small farms； large farms with their decrepit Spanish colonial houses that were being cut up into subdivisions； their old hilly pastures being cut by streets that ended at grassy hillsides； the grass brown from the drought。 The only green now on the land； in this country of so many greens； was along the watercourses where the royal palms grew tall and gray； their green tops slanted by the wind。 This was a dry norther； dry； hard； and cold。 The Straits of Florida had been chilled by the other northers that had come before it and there was no fog and no rain with this wind。
Thomas Hudson took a sip of the ice…cold drink that tasted of the fresh green lime juice mixed with the tasteless coconut water that was still so much more full…bodied than any charged water； strong with the real Gordonˇs gin that made it alive to his tongue and rewarding to swallow； and all of it tautened by the bitters that gave it color。 It tastes as good as a drawing sail feels； he thought。 It is a hell of a good drink。
The cork glass…holder kept the ice from melting and weakening the drink and he held it fondly in his hand and looked at the country as they drove into town。
¨Why donˇt you coast down here and save gas？〃
¨I will if you say；〃 the chauffeur answered。 ¨But this is government gas。〃
¨Coast for the practice；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Then you will know how to do it when it is our gas and not the governmentˇs。〃
They were down on the flat now where flower…growersˇ fields ran off the left and on the right were the houses of the basket…weavers。
¨I must get a basket…weaver to come up and mend the big mat in the living room where it is worn。〃
¨S？； se？or。〃
¨Do you know one？〃
¨S？； se？or。〃
The chauffeur； whom Thomas Hudson disliked very much for his general misinformation and stupidity； his conceit； his lack of understanding of motors； and his atrocious care of the cars and general laziness； was being very short and formal because of the reprimand about coasting。 With all his faults he was a splendid driver； that is； he was an excellent car handler with beautiful reflexes in the illogical and neurotic Cuban traffic。 Also he knew too much about their operations to be fired。
¨Are you warm enough with the sweater？〃
¨S？； se？or。〃
The hell with you； Thomas Hudson thought。 You keep that up and Iˇll ream you out good。
¨Was it very cold in your house last night？〃
¨It was terrible。 It was horroroso。 You canˇt imagine it； Mr。 Hudson。〃
Peace had been made and they were now crossing the bridge； where the trunk of the girl who had once been cut into six pieces by her policeman lover and the pieces wrapped in brown paper and scattered along the Central Highway； had been found。 The river was dry now。 But on that evening it had been running with water and cars had been lined up for half a mile in the rain while their drivers stared at the historic spot。
The next morning the papers published photographs of the torso on their front pages and one news story pointed out that the girl was undoubtedly a North American tourist since no one of that age living in the tropics could be so undeveloped physically。 How they had already arrived at her exact age Thomas Hudson never knew since the head was not discovered until some time later in the fishing port of Batabano。 But the torso； as shown in the front pages； did f
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