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hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第67部分
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at。 He talks about everything and he would have mentioned it； the lightkeeper said。 Do you think we ought to go back and check with him？〃
¨No。 I think theyˇre down at Puerto Coco or else at Guillermo。〃
¨Thatˇs about where they would have reached with what wind they had。〃
¨Youˇre sure they couldnˇt have gone through the cut at night？〃
¨Not with the best pilot that ever lived。〃
¨Then we have to find them in the lee of Coco or down by Guillermo。 Letˇs get the anchor up and go。〃
It was a very dirty coast and he kept outside of everything and ran the edge of the hundred…fathom curve。 Inshore there was a low rocky coast and reefs and big patches of banks that came out dry with the low tide。 There was a four…man watch and Gil was on Thomas Hudsonˇs left。 Thomas Hudson looked toward the shore and saw the beginning of the green of the mangroves and thought； what a hell of a place to be now in this calm。 The clouds were piled high already and he thought the squalls would come out earlier。 There are about three places past Puerto Coco that I must search； he thought。 I had better hook her up a little more and get in there。
¨Henry；〃 he said。 ¨Steer 285 will you？ I want to go below and see Willie。 Sing out if you sight anything。 You donˇt need to watch inshore； Gil。 Take the starboard watch forward。 Thatˇs all too shallow inshore for them to be in there。〃
¨Iˇd like to watch inshore；〃 Gil said。 ¨If you donˇt mind； Tom。 Thereˇs that crazy channel that makes in almost against the beach and the guide could have taken them there and put them in the mangroves。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Iˇll send up Antonio。〃
¨I could see her mast in the mangroves with these big glasses。〃
¨I doubt it like hell。 But you might。〃
¨Please； Tom。 If you donˇt mind。〃
¨I agreed already。〃
¨Iˇm sorry； Tom。 But I thought a guide might take her in there。 We went in there once。〃
¨And we had to come out the same way we went in。〃
¨I know。 But if the wind failed them and they had to hide in a hurry。 We donˇt want to overrun them。〃
¨Right。 But we are a long way out for you to see a mast。 Besides they would probably cut mangroves to hide the mast from the air。〃
¨I know；〃 Gil said with Spanish stubbornness。 ¨But I have very good eyes and these are twelve…power glasses and it is calm so I see well and〃
¨I said it was OK before。〃
¨I know。 But I had to explain。〃
¨Youˇve explained；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And if you find a mast you can stick it up my ass with peanuts on it。〃
Gil felt a little hurt at this but he thought it was funny； especially about the peanuts； and he searched the mangroves until the big glasses almost pulled the eyes out of his head。
Below； Thomas Hudson was talking with Willie and watching the sea and the land。 It was always strange how much less you saw when you were down from the bridge； and； as long as things went well below； he felt a fool to be anywhere but at his post。 He tried always to keep the necessary contact and avoid the idiocy of the uninspecting inspection。 But he had delegated more and more authority to Antonio； who was a much better sailor than he was； and to Ara who was a much better man。 They are both better men than I am； he thought； and yet I still should be in command； using their knowledge and talent and their characters。
¨Willie；〃 he said。 ¨How are you really？〃
¨Iˇm sorry about acting like a fool。 But Iˇm sort of bad； Tom。〃
¨You know the rules about drinking；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨There arenˇt any。 I donˇt want to use chickenshit words like the honor system。〃
¨I know；〃 Willie said。 ¨You know Iˇm not a rummy。〃
¨We donˇt ship rummies。〃
¨Except Peters。〃
¨We didnˇt ship him。 They gave him to us。 He has his problems； too。〃
¨Old Angus is his problem；〃 Willie said。 ¨And his goddam problems get to be our problems too damn fast。〃
¨Weˇll skip him；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You have anything else eating you？〃
¨Just in general。〃
¨How？〃
¨Well Iˇm half crazy and youˇre half crazy and then weˇve got this crew of half saints and desperate men。〃
¨It isnˇt bad to be half saint and half desperate man。〃
¨I know it。 Itˇs wonderful。 But I was used to things being more regular。〃
¨Willie； thereˇs nothing eating you really。 The sun bothers your head and Iˇm sure drinking isnˇt good for it。〃
¨Iˇm sure； too；〃 Willie said。 ¨Iˇm not trying to be a fuck…up； Tom。 But did you ever go really crazy？〃
¨No。 I always missed it。〃
¨Itˇs a lot of bother；〃 Willie said。 ¨And however long it lasts； it lasts too long。 But Iˇll stop drinking。〃
¨No。 Just drink easy like you always did。〃
¨I was using the drinking to stave it off。〃
¨Weˇre always using drinking for something。〃
¨Sure。 But this wasnˇt any gag。 Do you think Iˇd lie to you； Tom？〃
¨We all lie。 But I donˇt think youˇd lie on purpose。〃
¨Go on up on your bridge；〃 Willie said。 ¨I see you watching the water all the time like it was some girl that was going to get away from you。 I wonˇt drink anything except sea water maybe and Iˇll help Ara break them to pieces and put them together again。〃
¨Donˇt drink； Willie。〃
¨If I said I wonˇt； I wonˇt。〃
¨I know。〃
¨Listen； Tom。 Can I ask you something？〃
¨Anything。〃
¨How bad is it with you？〃
¨I guess pretty bad。〃
¨Can you sleep？〃
¨Not much。〃
¨Last night？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨That was from walking the beach；〃 Willie said。 ¨Go on up and forget about me。 Iˇll be working with Ara at our trade。〃
XIII
THEY HAD SEARCHED THE BEACH for tracks at Puerto Coco and they searched the mangroves beyond with the dinghy。 There were some really good places for a turtle boat to hide。 But they found nothing and the squalls came out earlier with heavy rain that made the sea look as though it were leaping into the air in white； spurting jets。
Thomas Hudson had walked the beach and gone back inland behind the lagoon。 He had found the place where the flamingoes came at high tide and he had seen many wood ibis； the cocos that gave the key its name； and a pair of roseate spoon…bills working in the marl of the edge of the lagoon。 They were beautiful with the sharp rose of their color against the gray marl and their delicate； quick； forward…running movements； and they had the dreadful； hunger…ridden impersonality of certain wading birds。 He could not watch them long because he wanted to check in case the people they were looking for had left the boat in the mangroves and camped in the high ground to be clear of the mosquitoes。
He found nothing but the site of an old charcoal…burning and he came out onto the beach after the first squall hit and Ara had picked him up in the dinghy。
Ara loved running the outboard in the rain and a bad squall and he had told Thomas Hudson none of the searchers had found anything。 Everybody was on board but Willie who had taken the furthest stretch of beach beyond the mangroves。
¨And you？〃 Ara asked。
¨Me； nothing。〃
¨This rain will cool off Willie。 Iˇm going to get him when I put you on board。 Where do you think they are； Tom？〃
¨At Guillermo。 Thatˇs where Iˇd be。〃
¨Me too。 Thatˇs what Willie thinks； too。〃
¨How was he？〃
¨Heˇs trying hard； Tom。 You know Willie。〃
¨Yes；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 They came alongside and he climbed aboard。
Thomas Hudson watched Ara pivot the dinghy on her stern and go off into the white squall。 Then he called down for a towel and dried himself off on the stern。
Henry said； ¨Donˇt you want a drink； Tom？ You were really wet。〃
¨Iˇd like one。〃
¨Do you want straight rum？〃
¨Thatˇs nice；〃 Thomas Hudson answered。 He went below to get a sweatshirt and shorts and he saw that they were all cheerful。
¨We all had a straight rum；〃 Henry said and brought him a glass half…full。 ¨I donˇt think that way if you dry off quickly anyone can catch cold。 Do you？〃
¨Hi； Tom；〃 said Peters。 ¨Have you joined our little group of health drinkers？〃
¨When did you wake up？〃 Thomas Hudson asked him。
¨When I heard a gurgling noise。〃
¨Iˇll make a gurgling noise some night and see if that wakes you up。〃
¨Donˇt worry； Tom。 Willie does that for me every night。〃
Thomas Hudson decided not to drink the rum。 Then； seeing them all having had a drink and being cheerful and happy on an uncheerful errand； he thought it would be pompous and priggish not to take it。 He wanted it； too。
¨Split this with me；〃 he said to Peters。 ¨You are the only son of a bitch I ever knew that could sleep better with earphones on than without them。〃
¨That splitˇs nothing；〃 Peters said； entrenching himself in the retreat from formal discipline。 ¨That split doesnˇt give either of us anything。〃
¨Get one of your own； then；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I like the goddam stuff as well as you do。〃
The others were watching and Thomas Hudson could see Henryˇs jaw muscles twitching。
¨Drink it up；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And run all your mysterious machines tonight as well as you can。 For yourself and for the rest of us。〃
¨For all of us；〃 Peters said。 ¨Who is the hardest…working man on this ship？〃
¨Ara；〃 Thomas Hudson said and sipped the rum for the first time as he looked around。 ¨And every fucking body else on board。〃
¨Hereˇs to you； Tom；〃 Peters said。
¨Hereˇs to you；〃 Thomas Hudson said and felt the words die cold and stale in his mouth。 ¨To the earphone king；〃 he said； in order to recover something he had lost。 ¨To all gurgling noises；〃 he added； being now a long way ahead as he should have been at the start。
¨To my commander；〃 Peters said； running his string out too far。
¨Any way you want to take it；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨There are no articles that cover that with us。 But Iˇll settle for that。 Say it again。〃
¨To you； Tom。〃
¨Thanks；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But I will be a sad son of a bitch before I drink to you until all your radios and you are functioning。〃
Peters looked at him and into his face there came the discipline and into his body； which was in bad shape； the carriage of a man who had served three hitches in some
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