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hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第71部分
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¨Youˇre making a lot of conditions； Tom； with them eight or nine maybe and we three。 Who the hell knows we know they have the pilot anyway？〃
¨We know。〃
¨Letˇs not be so fucking noble。〃
¨I asked you if you wanted to come。〃
¨Iˇm coming；〃 Willie said。 ¨Only that Peters。〃
¨Peters will fight。 Send Antonio and Henry up； will you； please。〃
¨Do you think they are in there； Tom？〃 Antonio asked。
¨Iˇm pretty sure。〃
¨Canˇt I go with you； Tom？〃 Henry asked。
¨No。 She will only take three。 If anything happens to us； try and nail her with the 。50ˇs if she tries to come out on the first of the tide。 Afterwards youˇll find her in the long bay。 Sheˇll be damaged。 She probably wonˇt even be able to make it out。 Get a prisoner if you can and get into Cayo Franc？s and check in。〃
¨Couldnˇt I go in instead of Peters？〃 Henry asked。
¨No； Henry。 Iˇm sorry。 But he speaks German。 You have a good crew；〃 Thomas Hudson said to Antonio。 ¨If everything goes well with us Iˇll leave Willie and Peters on board with whatever there is and bring a prisoner back in the dinghy。〃
¨Our last prisoner didnˇt last very long。〃
¨Iˇll try and bring a good； strong； healthy one。 Go on down and see everything is secured。 I want to watch the flamingoes for a little while。〃
He stood on the flying bridge and watched the flamingoes。 It is not just their color； he thought。 Itˇs not just the black on that rose pink。 It is their size and that they are ugly in detail and yet perversely beautiful。 They must be a very old bird from the earliest times。
He did not watch them through the glasses because he did not want details now。 He wanted the roseate mass on the gray brown flat。 Two other flocks had come in now and the banks were colored in a way that he would not have dared to paint。 Or I would have dared to paint and would have painted； he thought。 It is nice to see flamingoes before you make this trip。 I better not give them time to worry or to think too much。
He climbed down from the bridge and said； ¨Gil； get up there and keep your glasses on the key。 Henry； if you hear a lot of noise and then the turtle boat should come out from behind the key； shoot her fucking bow off。 Everybody get up and glass where the survivors are and you can hunt them tomorrow。 Plug the dinghy where she is shot up and use her。 The turtle boat has a skiff and you can plug her up and use her too if we donˇt damage her too badly。〃
Antonio said； ¨Do you have any other orders？〃
¨Just keep your bowels open and try to lead clean lives。 Weˇll be back in a little while。 Come on； you two gentlemen bastards。 Letˇs go。〃
¨Grandmother always claimed I wasnˇt a bastard；〃 Peters said。 ¨She said I was the nicest…looking； most legitimate little baby in the county。〃
¨Mother claimed I wasnˇt a bastard； too；〃 Willie said。 ¨Where do you want us； Tom？〃
¨She trims best with you in the bow。 But Iˇll take the bow if you like。〃
¨Get in and steer her；〃 Willie said。 ¨You got a really good ship now。〃
¨I got my finger on my number；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Iˇm working up。 Come aboard； Mr。 Peters。〃
¨Happy to be on board； admiral；〃 Peters said。
¨Good hunting；〃 Henry said。
¨Drop dead；〃 Willie called。 The motor caught and they were off toward the silhouette of the key that was lower in the water now because of their lack of altitude。
¨Iˇm going alongside and weˇll board her without hailing。〃
The two men nodded； one amidships and one in the bow。
¨Get your junk hung。 I donˇt give a shit if it shows；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨I donˇt know where Iˇd hide it；〃 Peters said。 ¨I feel like one of grandmaˇs mules now。〃
¨Then be a mule。 Itˇs a fucking good animal。〃
¨Tom； do I have to remember all that shit about the pilot？〃
¨Remember it but use your head。〃
¨Well；〃 said Peters。 ¨We havenˇt any fucking troubles anymore。〃
¨We better all pipe down；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Weˇll all three board at the same time and if they are below； you ask them in Kraut to come out with their hands up。 We have to stop talking because they can hear voices a long way above the noise of an outboard。〃
¨What do we do if they donˇt come out？〃
¨Willie throws in a grenade。〃
¨What do we do if theyˇre on deck？〃
¨Sweep the deck according to our sectors。 Me the stern。 Peters amidships。 You the bow。〃
¨Then do I throw in a grenade？〃
¨Sure。 We ought to get woundeds that we can save。 Thatˇs why I brought the kit。〃
¨I thought that was for us。〃
¨Us too。 Now letˇs pipe down。 Do you have it clear？〃
¨Clearer than shit；〃 Willie said。
¨Has there been an issue of asshole corks？〃 Peters asked。
¨They dropped it from the plane this morning。 Didnˇt you get yours？〃
¨No。 But grandma always said I had the slowest digestion of any baby in the whole of the South。 They got one of my diapers in the Smithsonian Institute of the Confederacy。〃
¨Cut out the shit；〃 Willie said； leaning back in order not to talk loudly。 ¨Are we doing all this in daylight； Tom？〃
¨Now。〃
¨Iˇll be a sad son of a bitch；〃 said Willie。 ¨I have fallen among thieves and bastards。〃
¨Shut up； Willie； and letˇs see you fight。〃
Willie nodded his head and looked ahead with his good eye toward the green mangrove key which lay tiptoed on its brown red roots。
He only said one more thing before they rounded the point； ¨Theyˇve got good oysters on those roots。〃
Thomas Hudson nodded。
XVI
THEY SAW THE TURTLE BOAT when they rounded the point of the key and passed through the channel which separated it from another small key。 She was lying with her bow close in to shore and there were vines hanging from her mast and her deck was covered with new…cut mangrove branches。
Willie leaned back and with his voice almost against Peterˇs ear； said in a low voice； ¨Her skirlˇs missing。 Pass the word。〃
Peters leaned his blotched； freckled face back and said； ¨Her skiffˇs missing； Tom。 There must be some ashore。〃
¨Weˇll board her and sink her；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Same plan。 Pass the word。〃
Peters bent forward and spoke into Willieˇs ear and Willieˇs head started to shake。 Then he held up his hand with the familiar zero。 Zero as in asshole； Thomas Hudson thought。 They came up on her as fast as the little coffee mill of an engine would take them and Thomas Hudson put her smartly alongside without bumping。 Willie lifted the grapple over the gunwale of the turtle boat and pulled it fast and the three of them were on the deck almost at the same time。 Underneath their feet there were mangrove branches with their dead fresh smell and Thomas Hudson saw the vine draped mast as though now it were a dream again。 He saw the hatch open and a forward hatch open and covered with branches。 There was no one on deck。
Thomas Hudson waved Willie forward past this hatch and covered the other one with his submachine gun。 He checked that the safety lever was on full automatic。 Under his bare feet he could feel the hard roundness of the branches； the slipperiness of the leaves； and the heat of the wooden deck。
¨Tell them to come out with their hands up；〃 he said quietly to Peters。
Peters spoke in rough； throaty German。 Nobody answered and nothing happened。
Thomas Hudson thought； grandmaˇs boy has a good delivery； and he said； ¨Tell them again we give them ten seconds to come out。 We will treat them as prisoners of war。 Then count ten。〃
Peters spoke so it sounded like the voice of all German doom。 His voice holds up magnificently； Thomas Hudson thought； and turned his head fast to see if the skiff were in sight。 He could only see the brown roots and the green of the mangroves。
¨Count ten and put one in；〃 he said。 ¨Watch that fucking forward hatch； Willie。〃
¨Itˇs got those fucking branches covering it。〃
¨Push one in with your hands when Peters goes。 Donˇt throw it。〃
Peters reached ten and standing there； tall； loose…jointed like a pitcher on the mound； holding his submachine gun under his left arm； he pulled the pin of the grenade with his teeth； held it spurting smoke a moment as though he were warming it； and tossed it with the underhand motion of a Carl Mays into the darkness of the hatch。
As Thomas Hudson watched him； he thought； heˇs a great actor and he doesnˇt think there is anything down there。
Thomas Hudson hit the deck； covering the mouth of the hatch with his Thompson。 Peterˇs grenade exploded with a flashing crack and a roar and Thomas Hudson saw Willie opening the brush to drop a grenade in the forward hatch。 Then to the right of the mast； where the vines hung； he saw the muzzle of a gun come up from between the branches on the same hatch where Willie was working。 He fired at it but it fired five quick flashes； clattering like a childˇs rattle。 Then Willieˇs grenade went with a big flash and Thomas Hudson looked and saw Willie； in the scuppers； pull the pin on another grenade to throw in。 Peters was on his side with his head on the gunwale。 Blood was running from his head into the scuppers。
Willie threw and the grenade had a different sound because it rolled further into the boat before it burst。
¨Do you think there are any more of the cocksuckers？〃 Willie called。
¨Iˇll put one more in from here；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He ducked and ran to get out of any fire from the big hatch and pulled the pin on another grenade； gray； heavy； solid； and notched in the grip of his hand； and crossing forward of the hatch he rolled it down into the stern。 There was the crack； boom； and smoke where pieces of the deck came up。
Willie was looking at Peters and Tom came over and looked at him too。 He did not look very different than usual。
¨Well； weˇve lost our interpreter；〃 Willie said。 His good eye was twitching but his voice was the same。
¨Sheˇs settling fast；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨She was aground already。 But sheˇs going over on her beam ends now。〃
¨Weˇve got a lot of uncompleted business； Willie。〃
¨And we traded even。 One for one。 But we sunk the damned boat。〃
¨You better get the hell back to the ship and get back here with Ara and Henry。 Tell Antonio to bring her abreas
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