pbien.jaws-第13章

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　do　until　we　can　have　some　made　up。　I　don't　care。　One　way　or　another；　let's　get　the　goddam　beaches　closed。〃　Monday　morning；　Brody　arrived　at　the　office　a　little　after　seven。　〃Did　you　get　it？〃　he　said　to　Hendricks。
　　　　　　　〃It's　on　your　desk。〃
　　　　　　　〃Good　or　bad？　Never　mind。　I'll　go　see　for　myself。〃
　　　　　　　〃You　won't　have　to　look　too　hard。〃
　　　　　　　The　city　edition　of　the　New　York　Times　lay　in　the　center　of　Brody's　desk。　About　three　quarters　of　the　way　down　the　right…hand　column　on　page　one；　he　saw　the　headline：　SHARK　KILLS　TWO　ON　LONG　ISLAND　Brody　said；　〃Shit；〃　and　began　to　read。
　　　　　　　By　William　F。　Whitman　Special　to　The　New　York　Times　AMITY　L。I。　June　20　…　A　six…year…old　boy　and　a　65…year…old　man　were　killed　today　in　separate　shark　attacks　that　occurred　within　an　hour　of　each　other　near　the　beaches　of　this　resort　munity。
　　　　　　　Although　the　body　of　the　boy；　Alexander　Kintner；　was　not　found；　officials　said　there　was　no　question　that　he　was　killed　by　a　shark。　A　witness；　Thomas　Daguerre；　of　New　York；　said　he　saw　a　large　silver…　colored　object　rise　out　of　the　water　and　seize　the　boy　and　his　rubber　raft　and　disappear　into　the　water　with　a　splash。
　　　　　　　Amity　coroner　Carl　Santos　reported　that　traces　of　blood　found　on　shreds　of　rubber　recovered　later　left　no　doubt　that　the　boy　had　died　a　violent　death。
　　　　　　　At　least　fifteen　persons　witnessed　the　attack　on　Morris　Cater；　65；　which　took　place　at　approximately　2　p。m。　a　quarter　of　a　mile　down　the　beach　from　where　young　Kintner　was　attacked。
　　　　　　　Apparently；　Mr。　Cater　was　swimming　just　beyond　the　surf　line　when　he　was　suddenly　struck　from　behind。　He　called　out　for　help；　but　all　attempts　to　rescue　him　were　in　vain。
　　　　　　　〃I　went　in　up　to　my　waist　and　tried　to　get　to　him；〃　said　Amity　police　officer　Leonard　Hendricks；　who　was　on　the　beach　at　the　time；　〃but　the　fish　kept　hitting　him。〃
　　　　　　　Mr。　Cater；　a　jewelry　wholesaler　with　offices　at　1224　Avenue　of　the　Americas；　was　pronounced　dead　on　arrival　at　Southampton　Hospital。
　　　　　　　These　incidents　are　the　first　documented　cases　of　shark　attacks　on　bathers　on　the　Eastern　Seaboard　in　more　than　two　decades。　According　to　Dr。　David　Dieter；　an　ichthyologist　at　the　New　York　Aquarium　at　Coney　Island；　it　is　logical　to　assume　…　but　by　no　means　a　certainty　…　that　both　attacks　were　the　work　of　one　shark。
　　　　　　　〃At　this　time　of　year　in　these　waters；〃　said　Dr。　Dieter；　〃there　are　very　few　sharks。　It's　rare　at　any　time　of　year　for　sharks　to　e　so　close　to　the　beach。　So　the　chances　that　two　sharks　would　be　off　the　same　beach　at　virtually　the　same　time　…　and　would　each　attack　someone　…　are　infinitesimal。〃
　　　　　　　When　informed　that　one　witness　described　the　shark　that　attacked　Mr。　Cater　as　being　〃as　large　as　a　station　wagon；〃　Dr。　Dieter　said　the　shark　was　probably　a　〃great　white〃　（Carcharodon　carcharias）；　a　species　known　throughout　the　world　for　its　voraciousness　and　aggressiveness。
　　　　　　　In　1916；　he　said；　a　great　white　killed　four　bathers　in　New　Jersey　on　one　day　…　the　only　other　recorded　instance　of　multiple　shark…attack　fatalities　in　the　United　States　in　this　century。　Dr。　Dieter　attributed　the　attacks　to　〃bad　luck；　like　a　flash　of　lightning　that　hits　a　house。　The　shark　was　probably　just　passing　by。　It　happened　to　be　a　nice　day；　and　there　happened　to　be　people　swimming；　and　he　happened　to　e　along。　It　was　pure　chance。〃
　　　　　　　Amity　is　a　summer　munity　on　the　south　shore　of　Long　Island；　approximately　midway　between　Bridgehampton　and　East　Hampton；　with　a　wintertime　population　of　1；000。　In　the　summer；　the　population　increases　to　10；000。　Brody　finished　reading　the　article　and　set　the　paper　on　the　desk。　Chance；　that　doctor　said；　pure　chance。　What　would　he　say　if　he　knew　about　the　first　attack？　Still　pure　chance？　Or　would　it　be　negligence；　gross　and　unforgivable？　There　were　three　people　dead　now；　and　two　of　them　could　still　be　alive；　if　only　Brody　had。。。
　　　　　　　〃You've　seen　the　Times；〃　said　Meadows。　He　was　standing　in　the　doorway。
　　　　　　　〃Yeah；　I've　seen　it。　They　didn't　pick　up　the　Watkins　thing。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　know。　Kind　of　curious；　especially　after　Len's　little　slip　of　the　tongue。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　you　did　use　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did。　I　had　to。　Here。〃　Meadows　handed　Brody　a　copy　of　the　Amity　Leader。　The　banner　headline　ran　across　all　six　columns　of　page　one：　TWO　KILLED　BY　MONSTER　SHARK　OFF　AMITY　BEACH。　Below　that；　in　smaller　type；　a　subhead：　Number　of　Victims　of　Killer　Fish　Rises　to　Three。
　　　　　　　〃You　sure　get　your　news　up　high；　Harry。〃
　　　　　　　〃Read　on。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　read：　Two　summer　visitors　to　Amity　were　brutally　slain　yesterday　by　a　maneating　shark　that　attacked　them　as　they　frolicked　in　the　chill　waters　off　the　Scotch　Road　beach。
　　　　　　　Alexander　Kintner；　age　6；　who　lived　with　his　mother　in　the　Goose　Neck　Lane　house　owned　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Richard　Packer；　was　the　first　to　die　…　attacked　from　below　as　he　lay　on　a　rubber　raft。　His　body　has　not　been　found。
　　　　　　　Less　than　half　an　hour　later；　Morris　Cater；　65；　who　was　spending　the　weekend　at　the　Abelard　Arms　Inn；　was　attacked　from　behind　as　he　swam　in　the　gentle　surf　off　the　public　beach。
　　　　　　　The　giant　fish　struck　again　and　again；　savaging　Mr。　Cater　as　he　cried　for　help。　Patrolman　Len　Hendricks；　who　by　sheer　coincidence　was　taking　his　first　swim　in　five　years；　made　a　valiant　attempt　to　rescue　the　struggling　victim；　but　the　fish　gave　no　quarter。　Mr。　Cater　was　dead　by　the　time　he　was　pulled　clear　of　the　water。
　　　　　　　The　deaths　were　the　second　and　third　to　be　caused　by　shark　attack　off　Amity　in　the　past　five　days。
　　　　　　　Last　Wednesday　night；　Miss　Christine　Watkins；　a　guest　of　Mr。　and　Mr。　John　Foote　of　Old　Mill　Road；　went　for　a　swim　and　vanished。　Thursday　morning；　Police　Chief　Martin　Brody　and　Officer　Hendricks　recovered　her　body。　According　to　coroner　Carl　Santos；　the　cause　of　death　was　〃definitely　and　incontrovertibly　shark　attack。〃
　　　　　　　Asked　why　the　cause　of　death　was　not　made　public；　Mr。　Santos　declined　to　ment。　Brody　looked　up　from　the　paper　and　said；　〃Did　Santos　really　decline　to　ment？〃
　　　　　　　〃No。　He　said　nobody　but　you　and　I　had　asked　him　about　the　cause　of　death；　so　he　didn't　feel　pelled　to　tell　anybody。　As　you　can　see；　I　couldn't　print　that　response。　It　would　have　pinned　everything　on　you　and　me。　I　had　hoped　I　could　get　him　to　say　something　like；　'Her　family　requested　that　the　cause　of　death　be　kept　private；　and　since　there　was　obviously　no　crime　involved；　I　agreed；'　but　he　wouldn't。　I　can't　say　I　blame　him。〃
　　　　　　　〃So　what　did　you　do？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　tried　to　get　hold　of　Larry　Vaughan；　but　he　was　away　for　the　weekend。　I　thought　he'd　be　the　best　official　spokesman。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　when　you　couldn't　reach　him？〃
　　　　　　　〃Read。〃　It　was　understood；　however；　that　Amity　police　and　government　officials　had　decided　to　withhold　the　information　in　the　public　interest。　〃People　tend　to　overreact　when　they　hear　about　a　shark　attack；〃　said　one　member　of　the　Board　of　Selectmen。　〃We　didn't　want　to　start　a　panic。　And　we　had　an　expert's　opinion　that　the　odds　against　another　attack　were　astronomical。〃　〃Who　was　your　talkative　selectman？〃　asked　Brody。
　　　　　　　〃All　of　them　and　none　of　them；〃　said　Meadows。　〃It's　basically　what　they　all　said；　but　none　of　them　would　be　quoted。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　about　the　beaches　not　being　closed？　Did　you　go　into　that？〃
　　　　　　　〃You　did。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did？〃　Asked　why　he　had　not　ordered　the　beaches　closed　until　the　marauding　shark　was　apprehended；　Chief　Brody　said；　〃The　Atlantic　Ocean　is　huge。
　　　　　　　Fish　swim　in　it　and　move　from　place　to　place。　They　don't　always　stay　in　one　area；　especially　an　area　like　this　where　there　is　no　food　source。　What　were　we　going　to　do？　Close　the　Amity　beaches；　and　people　would　just　drive　up　to　East　Hampton　and　go　swimming　there。　And　there's　just　as　good　a　chance　that　they'd　get　killed　in　East　Hampton　as　in　Amity。〃　After　yesterday's　attacks；　however；　Chief　Brody　did　order　the　beaches　closed　until　further　notice。　〃Jesus；　Harry；〃　said　Brody；　〃you　really　put　it　to　me。　You've　got　me　arguing　a　case　I　don't　believe；　then　being　proved　wrong　and　forced　to　do　what　I　wanted　to　do　all　along。
　　　　　　　That's　a　pretty　shitty　trick。〃
　　　　　　　〃It　wasn't　a　trick。　I　had　to　have　someone　give　the　official　line；　and　with　Vaughan　away；　you　were　the　logical　one。　You　admit　that　you　agre