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hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第58部分
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¨Breast high？〃 Henry asked hopefully。
¨Donˇt mention that word to me。〃
¨But Tom； who killed the sailor and why？〃
¨Family trouble；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Did you ever see a man shot in the base of the spine for kindness？ Afterwards whoever did it was kind and shot him in the neck。〃
¨Maybe there were two；〃 said Ara。
¨Did you find the hulls？〃
¨No；〃 Ara said。 ¨I looked where they would be。 Even if it was a machine pistol it would not have thrown them further than I looked。〃
¨It could be the same methodical bastard that picked up the other ones。〃
¨Where would they go？〃 Ara asked。 ¨Where would they make for with the boats？〃
¨They have to go south；〃 Thomas said。 ¨You know damned well they canˇt go north。〃
¨And we？〃
¨Iˇm trying to think in their heads；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I havenˇt many facts to go on。〃
¨You have the deads and the boats gone；〃 Henry said。 ¨You can think it out； Tom。〃
¨And one known weapon and where did they lose their undersea boat and how many are they？ Stir that and add we couldnˇt raise Guant？namo last night and add how many keys there are south of here plus when we have to fill our tanks。 Add Peters and serve。〃
¨It will be all right； Tom。〃
¨Sure；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨All right and all wrong are identical twins in this business。〃
¨Youˇre confident we will get them though； arenˇt you？〃
¨Of course；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Now go and flag Willie in and let Antonio get started on his conches。 We will have chowder。 Ara； you load all the water you can in the next three hours。 Tell Antonio to go ahead on the motors。 I want to get out of here before dark。 Was there nothing on the island？ No pigs nor any fowl？〃
¨Nothing；〃 Ara told him。 ¨They took everything。〃
¨Well； they will have to eat them。 They have no feed for them and no ice。 They are Germans so they are capable and they can get turtle in these months。 I think we will find them at Lobos。 It is logical they should take Lobos。 Have Willie fill the ice…well with conches and we will take only enough water to the next key。〃
He stopped and reconsidered； ¨No； Iˇm sorry。 I was wrong。 Fill water until sundown and I will take her out at moonrise。 We lose three hours but we save six later on。〃
¨Did you taste the water？〃 Ara asked。
¨Yes；〃 he said。 ¨It was clean and good。 You were quite right。〃
¨Thank you；〃 Ara said。 ¨I will go now to call in Willie。 He has been diving many。〃
¨Tom；〃 Henry asked。 ¨Do you want me to stay with you or to carry water or what？〃
¨Carry water until you are too tired and then get some sleep。 I want you on the bridge with me tonight。〃
¨Can I bring you a shirt or a sweater？〃 Henry asked。
¨Bring me a shirt and one of the very light blankets；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I can sleep now in the sun and the sand is dry。 But later on it will be cool with the wind。〃
¨Isnˇt the sand wonderful？ Iˇve never known such dry or powdery sand。〃
¨The wind has beaten it for many years。〃
¨Will we get them； Tommy？〃
¨Of course；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨There is no doubt of it at all。〃
¨Please forgive me if I am ever stupid；〃 Henry said。
¨You were forgiven when you were born；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You are a very brave boy； Henry； and I am fond of you and trust you。 Youˇre not stupid either。〃
¨You truly think we will have a fight？〃
¨I know it。 Do not think about that。 Think about details。 Think about all the things you should do and how we should be a happy ship until we fight。 Iˇll think about the fight。〃
¨I will go and do my duty as well as I can；〃 Henry said。 ¨I wish we could practice the fight so I could do my part better。〃
Thomas Hudson said； ¨Youˇll do it all right。 I do not see any way that we can miss it。〃
¨Itˇs been so very long；〃 Henry said。
¨But everything is long；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 ¨And pursuit is the longest。〃
¨Get some sleep；〃 Henry said。 ¨You never sleep any more。〃
¨Iˇll sleep；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Where do you suppose they lost their own boat； Tom？〃 Ara asked。
¨They got these boats here and they did away with these people a week ago； say。 So they must be the one that Camag？ey claimed。 But they got somewhere close to here before they lost her。 They didnˇt sail any rubber boats into that wind。〃
¨Then they must have lost her east of here。〃
¨Naturally。 And they were damned well in the clear when they lost her；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨It was still a long way home；〃 Henry said。
¨It is going to be a longer way home now；〃 Ara said。
¨Theyˇre funny people；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Theyˇre all brave and some of them are so damned admirable。 Then they have mean ones like this。〃
¨We better go and do our work；〃 Ara said。 ¨We can talk tonight on watch to keep awake。 You get some rest； Tom。〃
¨Get some sleep；〃 Henry said。
¨Rest is as good as sleep。〃
¨No it isnˇt；〃 Ara said。 ¨You need sleep； Tom。〃
¨Iˇll try to get some；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 But when they were gone he could not sleep。
What did they have to do this rotten thing here for？ he thought。 We will get them anyway。 All these people would have done was tell us how many they were and how they were armed。 I suppose that was worth killing for； from their standpoint。 Especially if they thought of these people as Negroes。 But all that shows something about them。 To have killed like that they must have some plan and they must have some hope of being picked up。 Also there must have been dissension about the plan or they would not have done this murdering here of the sailor。 That could be an execution for anything； though。 He might have let her go down when she could have been kept up to make the try to get home。
Where does that bring us？ he thought。 You canˇt bank on that。 It is only a possibility。 But if it was true it would mean she went down in sight of land and fast。 That would mean they would not have much stuff。 Maybe the boy did not do it and was falsely accused。
You donˇt know how many boats they have because there could be a boat or two boats from here out turtling。 There is nothing to do but think around it and check your keys。
But suppose they have crossed the Old Bahama channel and hit the Cuban coast？ Sure； he thought。 Why didnˇt you think of that before？ Thatˇs the best thing for them to do。
If they do that they can make for home on a Spanish boat out of Havana。 There is a screening at Kingston。 But that is an easier chance to take and you know plenty of people have beaten it。 That damned Peters with his radio out。 FCC； he thought。 Frankly Canˇt Communicate。 Then we got the beauty big one and it was too much radio for him。 I donˇt know how he has fucked it。 But he couldnˇt get Guant？namo last night on our call hour and if he doesnˇt get her tonight we are on our own。 The hell with it； he thought。 There are worse places to be than on your own。 Get some sleep now； he said to himself。 There is nothing you can do now that is sounder than that。
He moved his shoulders against the sand and went to sleep with the roaring of the surf on the reef。
III
WHILE THOMAS HUDSON WAS ASLEEP he dreamed that his son Tom was not dead and that the other boys were all right and that the war was over。 He dreamed that Tomˇs mother was sleeping with him and she was sleeping on top of him as she liked to do sometimes。 He felt all of this and the tangibility of her legs against his legs and her body against his and her breasts against his chest and her mouth was playing against his mouth。 Her hair hung down and lay heavy and silky on his eyes and on his cheeks and he turned his lips away from her searching ones and took the hair in his mouth and held it。 Then with one hand he moistened the 。357 Magnum and slipped it easily and sound asleep where it should be。 Then he lay under her weight with her silken hair over his face like a curtain and moved slowly and rhythmically。
That was when Henry put the light blanket over him and Thomas Hudson said； asleep； ¨Thank you for being so moist and lovely and for pressing on me so hard。 Thank you for coming back so quickly and for not being too thin。〃
¨The poor son of a bitch；〃 Henry said and covered him carefully。 He went away carrying two wicker five…gallon demijohns on his shoulders。
¨I thought you wanted me thin； Tom；〃 the woman said in the dream。 ¨You said I felt like a young goat when I was thin and that nothing felt better than a young goat。〃
¨You；〃 he said。 ¨Whoˇs going to make love to who？〃
¨Both of us；〃 she said。 ¨Unless you want it differently。〃
¨You make love to me。 Iˇm tired。〃
¨Youˇre just lazy。 Let me take the pistol off and put it by your leg。 The pistolˇs in the way of everything。〃
¨Lay it by the bed；〃 he said。 ¨And make everything the way it should be。〃
Then it was all the way it should be and she said； ¨Should I be you or you be me？〃
¨You have first choice。〃
¨Iˇll be you。〃
¨I canˇt be you。 But I can try。〃
¨Itˇs fun。 You try it。 Donˇt try to save yourself at all。 Try to lose everything and take everything too。〃
¨All right。〃
¨Are you doing it？〃
¨Yes；〃 he said。 ¨Itˇs wonderful。〃
¨Do you know now what we have？〃
¨Yes；〃 he said。 ¨Yes I know。 Itˇs easy to give up。〃
¨Will you give up everything？ Are you glad I brought back the boys and that I come and be a devil in the night？〃
¨Yes。 Iˇm glad of everything and will you swing your hair across my face and give me your mouth please and hold me so tight it kills me？〃
¨Of course。 And youˇll do it for me？〃
When he woke he touched the blanket and he did not know； for an instant； that it was a dream。 Then he lay on his side and felt the pistol holster between his legs and how it was really and all the hollownesses in him were twice as hollow and there was a new one from the dream。 He saw it was still light and he saw the dinghy carrying water to his ship and he saw the white pounding of the surf on the reef。 He turned on his side and tucked the blanket around himself and slept on his arms。 He was asleep when they came to wake him and he had not dreamed at all this time。
IV
HE STEERED ALL THAT NIGH
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