hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第44章
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¨You have a throat mike； Boise；〃 he said。 ¨Do you love me？〃
The cat kneaded his chest softly with the claws just catching in the wool of the manˇs heavy blue jersey and he felt the catˇs long； lovingly spread weight and the purring under his fingers。
¨Sheˇs a bitch； Boise；〃 he told the cat and opened another letter。
The cat put his head under the manˇs chin and rubbed it there。
¨Theyˇll scratch the hell out of you； Boise；〃 the man said and stroked the catˇs head with the stubble of his chin。 ¨Womens donˇt like them。 Itˇs a shame you donˇt drink； Boy。 You do damned near everything else。〃
The cat had originally been named after the cruiser Boise but now； for a long time； the man had called him Boy for short。
He read the second letter through without comment and reached out and took a drink of the whisky and water。
¨Well；〃 he said。 ¨We arenˇt getting anywhere。 Iˇll tell you； Boy。 You read the letters and Iˇll lie on your chest and purr。 How would you like that？〃
The cat put his head up to rub against the manˇs chin and the man rubbed against it pushing his beard stubble down between the catˇs ears and along the back of his head and between his shoulder blades while he opened the third letter。
¨Did you worry about us； Boise； when the blow came up？〃 he asked。 ¨I wish you could have seen us come into the mouth of the harbor with the sea breaking over the Morro。 Youˇd have been spooked； Boy。 We came in in a bloody； huge； breaking sea like a damn surfboard。〃
The cat lay； contentedly； breathing in rhythm with the man。 He was a big cat； long and loving； the man thought； and poor from much night hunting。
¨Did you do any good while I was away； Boy？〃 He had laid the letter down and was stroking the cat under the blanket。 ¨Did you get many？〃 The cat rolled on his side and offered his stomach to be caressed the way he had done when he was a kitten； in the time when he had been happy。 The man put his arms around him and held him tight against his chest； the big cat on his side； his head under the manˇs chin。 Under the pressure of the manˇs arms he turned suddenly and lay flat against the man； his claws dug into the sweater； his body pressed tight。 He was not purring now。
¨Iˇm sorry； Boy；〃 the man said。 ¨Iˇm awfully sorry。 Let me read this other damned letter。 Thereˇs nothing we can do。 You donˇt know anything to dodo you？〃
The cat lay against him； heavy and unpurring and desperate。 The man stroked him and read the letter。 ¨Just take it easy； Boy；〃 he said。 ¨There isnˇt any solution。 If I ever find any solution Iˇll tell you。〃
By the time he had finished the third and longest letter the big black and white cat was asleep。 He was asleep in the position of the Sphinx； but with his head lowered in the manˇs chest。
Iˇm awfully glad； the man thought。 I ought to undress and take a bath and go to bed properly but there will be no hot water and I wouldnˇt sleep in a bed tonight。 Too much movement。 The bed would throw me。 Probably wonˇt sleep here either with that old beast on me。
¨Boy；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇm going to lift you off so I can lie on my side。〃
He lifted the heavy limp weight of the cat； that came alive suddenly in his hands； and then was limp again； and laid him by his side； then turned over to rest on his right elbow。 The cat lay along his back。 He had resented it while he was being moved but now he was asleep again； curled up against the man。 The man took the three letters and read them through for the second time。 He decided not to read the papers and reached up and put the light out and lay on his side； feeling the touch of the catˇs body against his buttocks。 He lay with his two arms around a pillow and his head on another pillow。 Outside the wind was blowing hard and the floor of the room still had some of the motion of the flying bridge。 He had been on the bridge nineteen hours before they had come in。
He lay there and tried to sleep； but he could not。 His eyes were very tired and he did not want the light on； nor to read； so he lay there and waited for morning。 Through the blankets he could feel the matting； made to the measure of the big room； that had been brought from Samoa on a cruiser six months before Pearl。 It covered all the tiled floor of the room； but where the French doors opened onto the patio it had been bent back and buckled by the movement of the doors and he could feel the wind get under it and billow it as the wind came in under the gap below the door frames。 He thought this wind would blow from the northwest at least another day； then go into the north and finally blow itself out from the northeast。 That was the way it moved in winter but it might stay in the northeast for several days； blowing hard； before it settled into the brisa which was the local name for the northeast trade wind。 Blowing at gale force out of the northeast against the Gulf Stream it made a very heavy sea； one of the heaviest he had ever seen anywhere； and he knew no Kraut would surface in it。 So； he thought； we will be ashore at least four days。 Then they will be up for sure。
He thought about this last trip and how the blow had caught them sixty miles down the coast and thirty offshore and the punishing trip in when he had decided to come into Havana rather than Bah？a Honda。 He had punished her all right。 He had punished her plenty and there were several things he would have to check。 It probably would have been better to put in at Bah？a Honda。 But they had been in there too much lately。 He had been out twelve days； too； expecting to be out not more than ten。 He was low on certain things and he could not be at all sure of the duration of this blow； so he had made the decision to come into Havana and had taken the beating。 In the morning he would bathe； shave； clean up； and go in and make his report to the Naval Attach？。 They might have wanted him to stay down the coast。 But he knew nothing would surface in this weather； it was impossible for them to。 That was all there was to it； really。 If he was right on that； the rest of it would be OK although things were not always that simple。 They certainly were not。
The floor hardened against his right hip and his thigh and right shoulder； so he lay on his back now and rested against the muscles of his shoulders； drawing his knees up under the blanket and letting his heels push against the blanket。 This took some of the tiredness out of his body and he put his left hand on the sleeping cat and stroked him。
¨You relax awfully well； Boy； and you sleep good；〃 he said to the cat。 ¨I guess it isnˇt too bad； then。〃
He thought of letting some of the other cats out so he would have them to talk to and for company now that Boise was asleep。 But he decided against it。 It would hurt Boise and make him jealous。 Boise had been outside the house waiting for them when they had driven up in the station wagon。 He had been terribly excited and had been underfoot during the unloading； greeting everyone and slipping in and out each time a door was opened。 He had probably waited outside every night since they left。 From the time he had orders to go； the cat knew it。 Certainly he could not tell about orders； but he knew the first symptoms of preparation； and； as they proceeded through the various phases to the final disorder of the people sleeping in the house （he always had them sleep in by midnight when leaving before daylight）； the cat became steadily more upset and nervous until； finally when they loaded to leave； he was desperate and they had to be careful to lock him in so that he would not follow down the drive； into the village； and out onto the highway。
One time on the Central Highway he had seen a cat that had been hit by a car and the cat； fresh hit and dead； looked exactly like Boy。 His back was black and his throat； chest； and forefeet were white and there was the black mask across his face。 He knew it couldnˇt be Boy because it was at least six miles from the farm； but it had made him feel sick inside and he had stopped the car and gone back and lifted the cat and made sure it was not Boy and then laid him by the side of the road so nothing else would run over him。 The cat was in good c
