pbien.jaws-第22章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
〃I see。〃 Ellen put the stamps in her purse。 〃Well; maybe you're right。 Thanks; Minnie。〃 She turned and walked toward the door。
〃There'll be no mistaking it;〃 Minnie said to Ellen's back。
Ellen walked to Main Street and turned right; past a boutique and an antique shop。
She stopped at Amity Hardware and went inside。 There was no immediate response to the tinkle of the bell that the door struck as she opened it。 She waited for a few seconds; then called; 〃Albert?〃
She walked to the back of the store; to an open door that led to the basement。
She heard two men talking below。
〃I'll be right up;〃 called the voice of Albert Morris。 〃Here's a whole box of them;〃
Morris said to the other man。 〃Look through and see if you find what you want。〃
Morris came to the bottom of the stairs and started up … slowly and deliberately; one step at a time; holding on to the banister。 He was in his early sixties; and he had had a heart attack two years earlier。
〃Cleats;〃 he said when he reached the top of the stairs。
〃What?〃 said Ellen。
〃Cleats。 Fella wants cleats for a boat。 Size he's looking for; he must be the captain of a battleship。 Anyway; what can I do for you?〃
〃The rubber nozzle in my kitchen sink is all cracked。 You know; the kind with the switch for spraying。 I want to get a new one。〃
〃No problem。 They're up this way。〃 Morris led Ellen to a cabinet in the middle of the store。 〃This what you had in mind?〃 He held up a rubber nozzle。
〃Perfect。〃
〃Eighty cents。 Charge or cash?〃
〃I'll pay you for it。 I don't want you to have to write up a slip just for eighty cents。〃
〃Written 'em a lot smaller 'n that;〃 said Morris。 〃I could tell you stories that'd set your ears to ringing。〃
They walked across the narrow store to the cash register; and as he rang up the sale on the register; Morris said; 〃Lots of people upset about this shark thing。〃
〃I know。 You can't blame them。〃
〃They think the beaches oughta be opened up again。〃
〃Well; I。。。〃
〃You ask me; I think they're full of … pardon the expression … bull。 I think Martin's doing right。〃
〃I'm glad to know that; Albert。〃
〃Maybe this new fella can help us out。〃
〃Who's that?〃
〃This fish expert from up Massachusetts。〃
〃Oh yes。 I heard he was in town。〃
〃He's right here。〃
Ellen looked around and saw no one。 〃What do you mean?〃
〃Down cellar。 He's the one wants the cleats。〃 Just then; Ellen heard footsteps on the stairs。 She turned and saw Hooper ing through the door; and she suddenly felt a surge of girlish nervousness; as if she were seeing a beau she hadn't seen in years。 The man was a stranger; yet there was something familiar about him。
〃I found them;〃 said Hooper; holding up two large stainless…steel cleats。 He walked over to the counter; smiled politely at Ellen; and said to Morris; 〃These'll do fine。〃 He put the cleats on the counter and handed Morris a twenty…dollar bill。
Ellen looked at Hooper; trying to define her reminiscence。 She hoped Albert Morris would introduce them; but he seemed to have no intention of doing so。 〃Excuse me;〃 she said to Hooper; 〃but I have to ask you something。〃
Hooper looked at her and smiled again … a pleasant; friendly smile that softened the sharpness of his features and made his light blue eyes shine。 〃Sure;〃 he said。 〃Ask away。〃
〃You aren't by any chance related to David Hooper; are you?〃
〃He's my older brother。 Do you know David?〃
〃Yes;〃 said Ellen。 〃Or rather; I used to。 I went out with him a long time ago。
I'm Ellen Brody。 I used to be Ellen Shepherd。 Back then; I mean。〃
〃Oh sure。 I remember you。〃
〃You don't。〃
〃I do。 No kidding。 I'll prove it to you。 Let me see。。。 You wore your hair shorter then; sort of a pageboy。 You always wore a charm bracelet。 I remember that because it had a big charm that looked like the Eiffel Tower。 And you always used to sing that song … what was it called? … 'Sh…Boom;' or something like that。 Right?〃
Ellen laughed。 〃My heavens; you have quite a memory。 I'd forgotten that song。〃
〃It's screwy the things that impress kids。 You went out with David for what … two years?〃
〃Two summers;〃 Ellen said。 〃They were fun。 I hadn't thought about them much in the past few years。〃
〃Do you remember me?〃
〃Vaguely。 I'm not sure。 I remember David had a younger brother。 You must have been about nine or ten then。〃
〃About that; David's ten years older than I am。 An… other thing I remember: Everybody called me Matt。 I thought it sounded gown…up。 But you called me Matthew。
You said it sounded more dignified。 I was probably in love with you。〃
〃Oh?〃 Ellen reddened; and Albert Morris laughed。
〃At one time or another;〃 said Hooper; 〃I fell in love with all the girls David went out with。〃
〃Oh。〃 Morris handed Hooper his change; and Hooper said to Ellen; 〃I'm going down to the dock。 Can I drop you anywhere?〃
〃Thank you。 I have a car。〃 She thanked Morris; and; with Hooper behind her; walked out of the store。 〃So now you're a scientist;〃 she said when they were outside。
〃Kind of by accident。 I started out as an English major。 But then I took a course in marine biology to satisfy my science requirement; and … bingo! … I was hooked。〃
〃On what? The ocean?〃
〃No。 I mean; yes and no。 I was always crazy about the ocean。 When I was twelve or thirteen; my idea of a big time was to take a sleeping bag down to the beach and spend the night lying in the sand listening to the waves; wondering where they had e from and what fantastic things they had passed on the way。 What I got hooked on in college was fish; or; to be really specific; sharks。〃
Ellen laughed。 〃What an awful thing to fall in love with。 It's like having a passion for rats。〃
〃That's what most people think;〃 said Hooper; 〃But they're wrong。 Sharks have everything a scientist dreams of。 They're beautiful … God; how beautiful they are! They're like an impossibly perfect piece of machinery。 They're as graceful as any bird。 They're as mysterious as any animal on earth。 No one knows for sure how long they live or what impulses … except for hunger … they respond to。 There are more than two hundred and fifty species of shark; and every one is different from every other one。 Scientists spend their lives trying to find answers about sharks; and as soon as they e up with a nice; pat generalization; some… thing shoots it down。 People have been trying to find an effective shark repellent for over two thousand years。 They've never found one that really works。〃 He stopped; looked at Ellen; and smiled。 〃I'm sorry。 I don't mean to lecture。 As you can see; I'm an addict。〃
〃And as you can see;〃 said Ellen; 〃I don't know what I'm talking about。 I imagine you went to Yale。〃
〃Of course。 Where else? For four generations; the only male in our family who didn't go to Yale was an uncle of mine who got thrown out of Andover and ended up at Miami of Ohio。 After Yale; I went to graduate school at the University of Florida。 And after that; I spent a couple of years chasing sharks around the world。〃
〃That must have been interesting。〃
〃For me it was paradise。 It was like giving an alcoholic the keys to a distillery。 I tagged sharks in the Red Sea and dove with them off Australia。 The more I learned about them; the more I knew I didn't know。〃
〃You dove with them?〃
Hooper nodded。 〃In a cage mostly; but sometimes not。 I know what you must think。 A lot of people think I've got a death wish … my mother in particular。 But if you know what you're doing; you can reduce the danger to almost nil。〃
〃You must be the world's greatest living shark expert。〃
〃Hardly;〃 Hooper said with a laugh。 〃But I'm trying。 The one trip I missed out on; the one I would have given anything to go on; was Peter Gimbel's trip。 It was made into a movie。 I dream about that trip。 They were in the water with two great whites; the same kind of shark that's here now。〃
〃I'm just as glad y