pbien.jaws-第7章

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fisherman　dropped　his　overage　by　the　house。
　　　　　　　Thursday's　special　was　hamburger；　and　Brody　had　seen　enough　chopped　meat　for　one　day。
　　　　　　　〃Yours；〃　he　said。　〃Why　don't　we　order　out　from　Cy's？　We　can　eat　in　your　office。〃
　　　　　　　〃Fine　with　me；〃　said　Meadows。　〃What　do　you　want？　I'll　order　now。〃
　　　　　　　〃Egg　salad；　I　guess；　and　a　glass　of　milk。　I'll　be　right　there。〃　Brody　called　Ellen　to　tell　her　he　wouldn't　be　home　for　lunch。　Harry　Meadows　was　an　immense　man；　for　whom　the　act　of　drawing　breath　was　exertion　enough　to　cause　perspiration　to　dot　his　forehead。　He　was　in　his　late　forties；　ate　too　much；　chain…smoked　cheap　cigars；　drank　bonded　Bourbon；　and　was；　in　the　words　of　his　doctor；　the　Western　world's　leading　candidate　for　a　huge　coronary　infraction。
　　　　　　　When　Brody　arrived；　Meadows　was　standing　beside　his　desk；　waving　a　towel　at　the　open　window。　〃In　deference　to　what　your　lunch　order　tells　me　is　a　tender　stomach；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　trying　to　clear　the　air　of　essence　of　White　Owl。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　appreciate　that；〃　said　Brody。　He　glanced　around　the　small；　cluttered　room；　searching　for　a　place　to　sit。
　　　　　　　〃Just　throw　that　crap　off　the　chair　there；〃　Meadows　said。　〃They're　just　government　reports。　Reports　from　the　county；　reports　from　the　state；　reports　from　the　highway　mission　and　the　water　mission。　They　probably　cost　about　a　million　dollars；　and　from　an　informational　point　of　view　they　don't　amount　to　a　cup　of　spit。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　picked　up　the　heap　of　papers　and　piled　them　atop　a　radiator。　He　pulled　the　chair　next　to　Meadows'　desk　and　sat　down。
　　　　　　　Meadows　rooted　around　in　a　large　brown　paper　bag；　pulled　out　a　plastic　cup　and　a　cellophane…wrapped　sandwich；　and　slid　them　across　the　desk　to　Brody。　Then　he　began　to　unwrap　his　own　lunch；　four　separate　packages　which　he　opened　and　spread　before　himself　with　the　loving　care　of　a　jeweler　showing　off　rare　gems：　a　meatball　hero；　oozing　tomato　sauce；　a　plastic　carton　filled　with　oily　fried　potatoes；　a　dill　pickle　the　size　of　a　small　squash；　and　a　quarter　of　a　lemon　meringue　pie。　He　reached　behind　his　chair　and　from　a　small　refrigerator　withdrew　a　sixteen…ounce　can　of　beer。　〃Delightful；〃　he　said　with　a　smile　as　he　surveyed　the　feast　before　him。
　　　　　　　〃Amazing；〃　said　Brody；　stifling　an　acid　belch。　〃Absofuckinlutely　amazing。　I　must　have　had　about　a　thousand　meals　with　you；　Harry；　but　I　still　can't　get　used　to　it。〃
〃Everyone　has　his　little　quirks；　my　friend；〃　Meadows　said　as　he　lifted　his　sandwich。　〃Some　people　chase　other　people's　wives。　Some　lose　themselves　in　whiskey。　I　find　my　solace　in　nature's　own　nourishment。〃
　　　　　　　〃That'll　be　some　solace　to　Dorothy　when　your　heart　says；　'That's　enough；　buster；　adios。'〃
　　　　　　　〃We've　discussed　that；　Dorothy　and　I；〃　said　Meadows；　filtering　the　words　through　a　mouthful　of　bread　and　meat；　〃and　we　agree　that　one　of　the　few　advantages　man　has　over　other　animals　is　the　ability　to　choose　the　way　to　bring　on　his　own　death。　Food　may　well　kill　me；　but　it's　also　what　has　made　life　such　a　pleasure。　Besides；　I'd　rather　go　my　way　than　end　up　in　the　belly　of　a　shark。　After　this　morning；　I'm　sure　you'll　agree。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　was　in　the　midst　of　swallowing　a　bite　of　egg　salad　sandwich；　and　he　had　to　force　it　past　a　rising　gag。　〃Don't　do　that　to　me；〃　he　said。
　　　　　　　They　ate　in　silence　for　a　few　moments。　Brody　finished　his　sandwich　and　milk；　wadded　the　sandwich　wrapper　and　stuffed　it　into　the　plastic　cup。　He　leaned　back　and　lit　a　cigarette。　Meadows　was　still　eating；　but　Brody　knew　his　appetite　wouldn't　be　diminished　by　any　discussion。　He　recalled　a　time　when　Meadows　had　visited　the　scene　of　a　bloody　automobile　accident　and　proceeded　to　interview　police　and　survivors　while　sucking　on　a　coconut　Popsicle。　〃About　the　Watkins　thing；〃　Brody　said。　〃I　have　a　couple　of　thoughts；　if　you　want　to　hear　them。〃　Meadows　nodded。　〃First；　it　seems　to　me　that　the　cause　of　death　is　cut…anddried。　I've　already　talked　to　Santos；　and　…〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did；　too。〃
　　　　　　　〃So　you　know　what　he　thinks。　It　was　a　shark　attack；　clear　and　simple。　And　if　you'd　seen　the　body；　you'd　agree。　There's　just　no　…　〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did　see　it。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　was　astonished；　mostly　because　he　couldn't　imagine　how　anyone　who　had　seen　that　mess　could　be　sitting　there　now；　licking　lemon…pie　filling　off　his　fingers。　〃So　you　agree？〃
　　　　　　　〃Yes。　I　agree　that's　what　killed　her。　But　there　are　a　few　things　I'm　not　so　sure　of。〃
　　　　　　　〃Like　what？〃
　　　　　　　〃Like　why　she　was　swimming　at　that　time　of　night。　Do　you　know　what　the　temperature　was　at　around　midnight？　Sixty。　Do　you　know　what　the　water　temperature　was？　About　fifty。　You'd　have　to　be　out　of　your　mind　to　go　swimming　under　those　conditions。〃
　　　　　　　〃Or　drunk；〃　said　Brody；　〃which　she　probably　was。〃
　　　　　　　〃Maybe。　No；　you're　right　…　probably。　I've　checked　around　a　little；　and　the　Footes　don't　mess　with　grass　or　mescaline　or　any　of　that　stuff。　There's　one　other　thing　that　bothers　me；　though。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　was　annoyed。　〃For　Christ's　sake；　Harry；　stop　chasing　shadows。　Once　in　a　while；　people　do　die　by　accident。〃
　　　　　　　〃It's　not　that。　It's　just　that　it's　damn　funny　that　we've　got　a　shark　around　here　when　the　water's　still　this　cold。〃
　　　　　　　〃Is　it？　Maybe　there　are　sharks　who　like　cold　water。　Who　knows　about　sharks？〃
　　　　　　　〃There　are　some。　There's　the　Greenland　shark；　but　they　never　e　down　this　far；　and　even　if　they　did；　they　don't　usually　bother　people。　Who　knows　about　sharks？　I'll　tell　you　this：　At　the　moment　I　know　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　about　them　than　I　did　this　morning。
　　　　　　　After　I　saw　what　was　left　of　Miss　Watkins；　I　called　a　young　guy　I　know　up　at　the　Woods　Hole　Oceanographic　Institute。　I　described　the　body　to　him；　and　he　said　it's　likely　that　only　one　kind　of　shark　would　do　a　job　like　that。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　kind？〃
　　　　　　　〃A　great　white。　There　are　others　that　attack　people；　like　tigers　and　hammerheads　and　maybe　even　makos　and　blues；　but　this　fellow　Hooper　…　Matt　Hooper　…　told　me　that　to　cut　a　woman　in　half　like　that　you'd　have　to　have　a　fish　with　a　mouth　like　this〃　…　he　spread　his　hands　about　three　feet　apart　…　〃and　the　only　shark　that　grows　that　big　and　attacks　people　is　the　great　white。　There's　another　name　for　them。〃
　　　　　　　〃Oh？〃　Brody　was　beginning　to　lose　interest。　〃What's　that？〃
　　　　　　　〃Man…eater。　Other　sharks　kill　people　once　in　a　while；　for　all　sorts　of　reasons　…　hunger；　maybe；　or　confusion　or　because　they　smell　blood　in　the　water。　By　the　way；　did　the　Watkins　girl　have　her　period　last　night？〃
　　　　　　　〃How　the　hell　would　I　know？〃
　　　　　　　〃Just　curious。　Hooper　said　that's　one　way　to　guarantee　yourself　an　attack　if　there's　a　shark　around。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　did　he　say　about　the　cold　water？〃
　　　　　　　〃That　it's　quite　mon　for　a　great　white　to　e　into　water　this　cold。　Some　years　ago；　a　boy　was　killed　by　one　near　San　Francisco。　The　water　temperature　was　fifty…seven。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　sucked　a　long　drag　from　his　cigarette　and　said；　〃You've　really　done　a　lot　of　checking　into　this；　Harry。〃
　　　　　　　〃It　seemed　to　me　a　matter　of　…　shall　we　say　…　mon　sense　and　public　interest　to　determine　exactly　what　happened　and　the　chances　of　it　happening　again。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　did　you　determine　those　chances？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　did。　They're　almost　nonexistent。　From　what　I　can　gather；　this　was　a　real　freak　accident。　According　to　Hooper；　the　only　thing　good　about　great　whites　is　that　they're　scarce。　There's　every　reason　to　believe　that　the　shark　that　attacked　the　Watkins　girl　is　long　gone。　There　are　no　reefs　around　here。　There's　no　fish…processing　plant　or　slaughterhouse　that　dumps　blood　or　guts　into　the　water。　So　there's　nothing　at　all　to　keep　the　shark　interested。〃　Meadows　paused　and　looked　at　Brody；　who　returned　his　gaze　silently。　〃So　it　seems　to　me；　Martin；　that　there's　no　reason　to　get　the　public　all　upset　over　something　that's　almost　sure　not　to　happen　again。〃
　　　　　　　〃That's　one　way　to　look　at　it；　Harry。　Another　is　that　since　it's　not　likely　to　happen　again；　there's　no　harm　in　telling　people　that　it　did　happen　this　once。〃
　　　　　　　Meadows　sighed。　〃Journalistically；　you　may　be　right。　But　I　think　this　is　one　of　those　times；　Martin；　when　we　have　to　forget　the　book　and　think　of　what's　best　for　the　people。　I　don't　think　it　would　be　in　the　public　interest　to　spread　this　around。　I'm　not　thinki