hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第56章
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¨Letˇs meet them another time；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Okay； chief；〃 Archer said。 ¨Iˇll come up to your place when the joint closes。〃
¨The Floridita。〃
¨Thatˇs what I meant。〃
¨Iˇm getting stupid。〃
¨Itˇs just sheepherderˇs madness；〃 Archer said。 ¨Do you want me to bring any of these characters？〃
¨No。 Not unless you want to very much。 Some of my mob may be around。〃
¨I should think you bastards wouldnˇt want to see each other ashore。〃
¨Sometimes they get sort of lonesome。〃
¨What they ought to do is net them all and lock them up。〃
¨Theyˇd get out。〃
¨Go on；〃 Archer said。 ¨Youˇre late at the place。〃
Fred Archer went in the door opposite the code room and Thomas Hudson walked down the hall and walked down the stairs instead of taking the elevator。 Outside it was so bright the glare hurt his eyes and it was still blowing heavily from the north…northwest。
He got into the car and told the chauffeur to go up OˇReilly to the Floridita。 Before the car circled the Plaza in front of the Embassy building and the Ayuntamiento and turned into OˇReilly he saw the size of the waves in the mouth of the harbor and the heavy rise and fall of the channel buoy。 In the mouth of the harbor the sea was very wild and confused and clear green water was breaking over the rock at the base of the Morro； the tops of the seas blowing white in the sun。
It looks wonderful； he said to himself。 It not only looks wonderful； it is wonderful。 Iˇm going to have a drink on it。 Christ； he thought； I wish I were as solid as Freddy Archer thinks I am。 Hell； I am as solid。 I always go and I always want to go。 What the hell more do they want？ For you to eat Torpex for breakfast？ Or stick it under your armpits like tobacco？ That would be a hell of a good way to get jaundice； he thought。 What do you suppose made you think of that？ Are you getting spooky； Hudson？ I am not； he said。 I have certain unavoidable reactions。 Many of them have not been classified。 Especially not by me。 I would just like to be as solid as Freddy thinks instead of being human。 I think you have more fun as a human being even though it is much more painful。 It is goddamned painful right about now。 It would be nice to be like they think； though。 All right now。 Donˇt think about that either。 If you donˇt think about it； it doesnˇt exist。 The hell it doesnˇt。 But thatˇs the system Iˇm going on； he thought。
The Floridita was open now and he bought the two papers that were out； Crisol and Alerta； and took them to the bar with him。 He took his seat on a tall bar stool at the extreme left of the bar。 His back was against the wall toward the street and his left was covered by the wall behind the bar。 He ordered a double frozen daiquiri with no sugar from Pedrico； who smiled his smile which was almost like the rictus on a dead man who has died from a suddenly broken back； and yet was a true and legitimate smile； and started to read Crisol。 The fighting was in Italy now。 He did not know the country where the Fifth Army was fighting but he knew the country on the other side where the Eighth Army was and he was thinking about it when Ignacio Natera Revello came into the bar and stood beside him。
Pedrico set out a bottle of Victoria Vat； a glass with large chunks of ice in it； and a bottle of Canada Dry soda in front of Ignacio Natera Revello and he made a highball hurriedly and then turned toward Thomas Hudson； looking at him through his green…tinted； hornrimmed glasses and feigning to have just seen him。
Ignacio Natera Revello was tall and thin； dressed in a white linen countrymanˇs shirt； white trousers； black silk socks； well…shined； old brown English brogues； and he had a red face； a yellow； toothbrushy moustache and nearsighted； bloodshot eyes that the green glasses protected。 His hair was sandy and brushed stiffly down。 Seeing his eagerness for the highball； you might think it was his first of the day。 It was not。
¨Your ambassador is making an ass of himself；〃 he said to Thomas Hudson。
¨Iˇll be a sad son of a bitch；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨No。 No。 Be serious。 Let me tell you。 Now this is absolutely between you and me。〃
¨Drink up。 I donˇt want to hear about it。〃
¨Well； you should hear about it。 And you should do something about it。〃
¨Arenˇt you cold？〃 Thomas Hudson asked him。 ¨In that shirt and the light trousers？〃
¨Iˇm never cold。〃
Youˇre never sober either； Thomas Hudson thought。 You start to drink in that little bar by the house and by the time you come here for the first one of the day youˇre potted。 You probably didnˇt even notice the weather when you dressed。 Yes； he thought。 And what about yourself？ What time of day did you take your first drink this morning and how many have you had before this first one？ Donˇt you cast the first stone at any rummies。 Itˇs not rummies； he thought。 I donˇt mind him being a rummy。 It is just that he is a damned bore。 You donˇt have to pity bores and you do not have to be kind to them。 Come on； he said。 Youˇre going to have fun today。 Relax and enjoy it。
¨Iˇll roll you for this one；〃 he said。
¨Very well；〃 said Ignacio。 ¨You roll。〃
He rolled three kings in one； stood on them； naturally； and won。
That was pleasant。 It couldnˇt make the drink taste any better。 But it was a pleasant feeling to roll three kings in one and he enjoyed winning from Ignacio Natera Revello because he was a snob and a bore and winning from him gave him some useful significance。
¨Now weˇll roll for this one；〃 Ignacio Natera Revello said。 Heˇs the type of snob and bore； that you always think of by all his three names； Thomas Hudson thought； just as you think of him as a snob and a bore。 Itˇs probably like people who put III after their names。 Thomas Hudson the third。 Thomas Hudson the turd。
¨Youˇre not Ignacio Natera Revello the third are you by any chance？〃
¨Of course not。 You know my fatherˇs name very well。〃
¨Thatˇs right。 Of course I do。〃
¨You know both my brothersˇ names。 You know my grandfatherˇs name。 Donˇt be silly。〃
¨Iˇll try not to be；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Iˇll try quite hard。〃
¨Do；〃 Ignacio Natera Revello said。 ¨It will be good for you。〃
Concentrating； working the leather cup in his best form； doing his hardest and best work of the morning； he rolled four jacks all day。
¨My poor dear friend；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He shook the dice in the heavy leather cup and loved the sound of them。 ¨Such kind good dice。 Such rich…feeling and laudable dice；〃 he said。
¨Go on and throw them and donˇt be silly。〃
Thomas Hudson rolled out three kings and a pair of tens on the slightly dampened bar。
¨Want to bet？〃
¨We have a bet；〃 Ignacio Natera Revello said。 ¨The second round of drinks。〃
Thomas Hudson shook the dice lovingly again and rolled a queen and a jack。
¨Want to bet now？〃
¨The odds are still greatly in your favor。〃
¨OK。 Iˇll just take the drinks then。〃
He rolled a king and an ace； feeling them come out of the shaker solidly and proudly。
¨You lucky sod。〃
¨Another double frozen daiquiri without sugar and whatever Ignacio wants；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He was beginning to feel fond of Ignacio。
¨Look； Ignacio；〃 he said。 ¨I never heard of anyone looking at the world through green…colored glasses。 Rose colored； yes。 Green colored； no。 Doesnˇt it give everything a sort of grassy look？ Donˇt you feel as though you were on the turf？ Do you never feel as though you had been turned out to pasture？〃
¨This is the most restful tint for the eyes。 Itˇs been proven by the greatest optometrists。〃
¨Do you run around much with the greatest optometrists？ They must be a pretty wild bunch。〃
¨I donˇt know any optometrists personally except my own。 But he is familiar with the findings of the others。 He is the best in New York。〃
¨I want to know the best in London。〃
¨I know the best optometrist in London。 But the very best is in New York。 Iˇll be glad to give you a card to him。〃
¨Letˇs roll for this one。〃
¨Very well。 You roll back to me。〃
Thomas Hudson picked up the leather cup and felt the heavy confident weight of
