hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第20章
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They came up over the side out of the dinghy。 The kids were wet and very excited and Roger was very shaken。 He went over and shook hands with Eddy and Eddy said； ¨We never should have let them get out like that on this tide。〃
Roger shook his head and put his arm around Eddy。
¨My fault；〃 Eddy said。 ¨I was born here。 Youˇre a stranger。 It wasnˇt your fault。 Iˇm the one thatˇs responsible。〃
¨You lived up to your responsibilities all right；〃 Roger said。
¨Hell；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Nobody could miss him at that range。〃
¨Could you see him； Dave？〃 Andrew asked very politely。
¨Only his fin till just at the end。 Then I could see him before Eddy hit him and he went down and then came out on his back。〃
Eddy was rubbing him with a towel and Thomas Hudson could see the goose pimples still over his legs and back and shoulders。
¨I never saw anything like when he came out of water and started to go on his back；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I never saw anything in the world like that。〃
¨You wonˇt see a lot of things like that；〃 his father told him。
¨He must have weighed eleven hundred pounds；〃 Eddy said。 ¨I donˇt think they make a bigger hammerhead。 Jesus； Roger； did you see that fin on him？〃
¨I saw it；〃 Roger said。
¨Do you think we can get him？〃 David asked。
¨Hell no；〃 Eddy said。 ¨He went down rolling over and over to hell knows where。 Heˇs down in eighty fathoms and the whole ocean will eat on him。 Heˇs calling them up now。〃
¨I wish we could have got him；〃 David said。
¨Take it easy； Davy boy。 You got the goose flesh on you still。〃
¨Were you very scared； Dave？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Yes；〃 David told him。
¨What were you going to do？〃 Tom asked； very respectfully。
¨I was going to throw the fish to him；〃 David said and as Thomas Hudson watched him the little sharp wave of pimples spread over his shoulders。 ¨Then I was going to hit him in the middle of his face with the grains。〃
¨Oh hell；〃 Eddy said and he turned away with the towel。 ¨What do you want to drink； Roger？〃
¨Have you got any hemlock？〃 Roger asked him。
¨Cut it out； Roger；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨We were all responsible。〃
¨Irresponsible。〃
¨Itˇs over。〃
¨All right。〃
¨Iˇll make some gin drinks；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Tom had a gin drink when it happened。〃
¨Itˇs still up there。〃
¨It wonˇt be any damn good now；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Iˇll make you a fresh one。〃
¨Youˇre pretty good； Davy；〃 young Tom told him very proudly。 ¨Wait till I tell the boys about this at school。〃
¨They wouldnˇt believe it；〃 David said。 ¨Donˇt tell them if Iˇm going there。〃
¨Why？〃 young Tom asked。
¨I donˇt know；〃 David said。 Then he started to cry like a little boy。 ¨Oh shit； I couldnˇt stand it if they didnˇt believe it。〃
Thomas Hudson picked him up and held him in his arms with his head against his chest and the other kids turned away and Roger looked away and then Eddy came out with three drinks with his thumb in one of them。 Thomas Hudson could tell heˇd had another one below。
¨Whatˇs the matter with you； Davy？〃 he asked。
¨Nothing。〃
¨Good；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Thatˇs the way I like to hear you talk； you damn old son of a bitch。 Get down and quit blubbering and let your old man drink。〃
David stood there standing very straight。
¨Is it OK to fish that part in low tide？〃 he asked Eddy。
¨Nothing will bother you；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Thereˇs morays。 But nothing big will come in。 They canˇt make it at low tide。〃
¨Can we go at low tide； papa？〃
¨If Eddy says so。 Eddyˇs the boss man。〃
¨Hell； Tom；〃 Eddy said； and he was very happy； his Mercurochromed lips were happy and his bloodshot eyes as happy as eyes could be。 ¨Anybody couldnˇt hit that damned no…good hammerhead with one of those things ought to throw the damn thing away before heˇd get in trouble with it。〃
¨You hit him plenty；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You hit him wonderfully。 I wish I could tell you how you hit him。〃
¨You donˇt have to tell me；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Iˇll see that old evil son of a bitch going on his back the rest of my life。 Did you ever see anything look more evil？〃
They sat there waiting for the lunch and Thomas Hudson was looking out to sea where Joseph had sculled out to where the shark had gone down。 Joseph was looking over the side of the dinghy into a water glass。
¨Can you see anything？〃 Thomas Hudson called to him。
¨Too deep； Mr。 Tom。 He went down right over the shelf。 Heˇs laying on the bottom now。〃
¨I wish we could have gotten his jaws；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Wouldnˇt you like to have them all bleached and hanging up； papa？〃
¨I think they would give me bad dreams；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Iˇm just as glad we havenˇt got them。〃
¨Theyˇd be a wonderful trophy；〃 young Tom said。 ¨That would be something to take to school。〃
¨Theyˇd belong to Dave if we had them；〃 Andrew said。
¨No。 Theyˇd belong to Eddy；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I believe heˇd give them to me if I asked him for them。〃
¨Heˇd give them to Dave；〃 Andrew said。
¨I donˇt think maybe you should go out again so soon； Dave；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨It wonˇt be till plenty of time after lunch；〃 David said。 ¨We have to wait for the low tide。〃
¨I mean goggle…fish so soon。〃
¨Eddy said it was all right。〃
¨I know。 But Iˇm still pretty spooked。〃
¨But Eddy knows。〃
¨You wouldnˇt like to just not go as a present to me？〃
¨Certainly； papa； if you want。 But I love it underwater。 I guess I love it more than anything。 And if Eddy says〃
¨OK；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨People arenˇt supposed to ask for presents anyway。〃
¨Papa； I didnˇt mean it like that。 I wonˇt go if you donˇt want me to。 Only Eddy said〃
¨What about a moray？ Eddy mentioned morays。〃
¨Papa； thereˇs always morays。 You taught me not to be afraid of morays and how to handle them and how to watch out for them and the kind of holes they live in。〃
¨I know。 And I let you go out there where that shark came。〃
¨Papa； we were all out there。 Donˇt make yourself some sort of special guilt about it。 I just went too far out and I lost that good yellowtail after Iˇd speared him and he bloodied the water and that called the shark。〃
¨Didnˇt he come just like a hound though？〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He was trying to get rid of the emotion。 ¨Iˇve seen them come at really great speed like that before。 There was one that used to live off Signal Rock that used to come that way on the smell of a bait。 Iˇm very ashamed I couldnˇt hit him。〃
¨You were shooting awfully close to him； papa；〃 young Tom said。
¨I was doing everything but hit him。〃
¨He wasnˇt coming for me； papa；〃 David said。 ¨He was coming for the fish。〃
¨Heˇd have taken you； though；〃 Eddy said。 He was setting the table。 ¨Donˇt ever fool yourself he wouldnˇt with that fish smell on you and the blood in the water。 Heˇd have hit a horse。 Heˇd have hit anything。 Good God； donˇt talk about it。 Iˇll have to have another drink。〃
¨Eddy；〃 David said。 ¨Will it really be safe on the low tide？〃
¨Sure。 Didnˇt I tell you so before？〃
¨You arenˇt making some sort of a point； are you？〃 Thomas Hudson asked David。 He had stopped looking out across the water and he was all right again。 He knew that what David was doing was what he should do no matter why he was doing it and he knew he had been selfish about it。
¨Papa； all I mean is that I love it better than anything else and itˇs such a wonderful day for it and we never know when it might blow〃
¨And Eddy says；〃 Thomas Hudson interrupted。
¨And Eddy says；〃 David grinned with him。
¨Eddy says the hell with all of you。 Come on and eat it up now before I throw it the hell overboard。〃 He stood there with the bowl of salad； the platter of browned fish； and the mashed potatoes。 ¨Whereˇs that Joe？〃
¨He went to look for the shark。〃
¨Heˇs crazy。〃
When Eddy went below and young Tom was passing the food； Andrew whispered to his father； ¨Papa； is Eddy a rummy？〃
Thomas Hudson was serving the cold； marinated potato salad covered with rough…ground black pepper。 He had shown Eddy how to ma
