hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第58章
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s so big。 She said she could get her for me。 But she canˇt get her for Henry because sheˇs spooked of his size and his weight and things sheˇs heard。 But Henry doesnˇt want anything else now because the two tomatoes topped him off。 So now itˇs this little girl and heˇs in love with her。 Just like that。 In love with her。 Heˇs probably forgotten about it now and is banging the tomatoes again right now。 Heˇs got to eat； though； and weˇre going to meet at the Basque Bar。〃
¨Make him eat；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨You canˇt make him do anything。 You can。 But I canˇt。 But Iˇll beg him to eat。 Iˇll plead with him to eat。 Iˇll set him an example by eating。〃
¨Get Paco to make him eat。〃
¨Wouldnˇt you think he would be hungry after that？〃
¨Wouldnˇt you？ˇ
Just then the biggest man that Thomas Hudson knew； and the most cheerful and with the widest shoulders and the best manners came in through the door of the bar with a smile on his face； which was beading with sweat even on the cold day。 His hand was out in greeting。 He was so big he made everyone at the bar look stunted and he had a lovely smile。 He was dressed in old blue trousers； a Cuban countrymanˇs shirt； and rope…soled shoes。 ¨Tom；〃 he said。 ¨You bastard。 Weˇve been in search of the lovelies。〃
His handsome face； as soon as he was out of the wind； sweated even more。
¨Pedrico。 Iˇll have one of those； too。 The double size。 Or larger if you make them。 Imagine seeing you here； Tom。 And Iˇve forgotten。 Hereˇs Honest Lil。 Come over here； my beauty。〃
Honest Lil had come in the other door。 She looked her best when sitting at the far end of the bar when you saw only her lovely dark face and the grossness that had come over her body was hidden by the polished wood of the bar。 Now； coming toward the bar from the door； there was no hiding her body； so she propelled it； swaying； to the bar as rapidly as she could without visibly hurrying and got up onto the stool Thomas Hudson had occupied。 This moved him one stool to the right and gave her the covered left flank。
¨Hello； Tom；〃 she said and kissed Thomas Hudson。 ¨Henry is terrible。〃
¨Iˇm not at all terrible； my beauty；〃 Henry told her。
¨Youˇre terrible；〃 she told him。 ¨Every time I see you； you are more terrible。 Thomas； you protect me from him。〃
¨Whatˇs he being terrible about？〃
¨He wants a little tiny girl that he is crazy for and the little tiny girl canˇt go with him。 But she wouldnˇt go anyway because she is frightened of him because he is so big and weighs two hundred and thirty pounds。〃
Henry Wood blushed； sweat visibly； and took a big sip of his drink。
¨Two hundred and twenty…five；〃 he said。
¨What did I tell you？〃 the dark boy said。 ¨Isnˇt that exactly what I told you？〃
¨Just what business is it of yours to be telling anyone anything？〃 Henry asked him。
¨Two tramps。 Two tomatoes。 Two broken…down waterfront broads。 Two cunts with but a single thought： the rent。 We lay them。 We trade cunts and re…lay them。 Itˇs strictly from wet decks。 I say one friendly understanding word now and I am not a gentleman。〃
¨They werenˇt really awfully good； were they？〃 Henry said； blushing again。
¨Awfully good？ We ought to have poured gasoline on them and set them on fire。〃
¨How horrible；〃 Honest Lil said。
¨Listen； lady；〃 the dark boy said。 ¨I am horrible。〃
¨Willie；〃 Henry said。 ¨Do you want the key to Sin House and go over and see if everything is all right？〃
¨I do not；〃 the dark boy said。 ¨I have a key to Sin House as you have evidently forgotten and I do not want to go over there and see if everything is all right。 The only way everything is all right there is whenever you or I kick those cunts into the street。〃
¨But suppose we canˇt get anything else？〃
¨We have got to get something else。 Lillian； why donˇt you get off that stool and onto that telephone。 Forget that little dwarf。 Get that gnome out of your mind； Henry。 You keep on with things like that and youˇll be psycho。 I know。 Iˇve been psycho。〃
¨Youˇre psycho now；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。
¨Maybe I am； Tom。 You should know。 But I donˇt fuck gnomes。〃 （He pronounced the word Guhnomays。） ¨If Henry has to have a guhnomay thatˇs his business。 But I donˇt believe he has to have one any more than he has to have one…armed women or one…legged women。 Let him forget the goddam guhnomay and get Lillian there onto the telephone。〃
¨Iˇll take any good girls we can get；〃 Henry said。 ¨I hope youˇre not mixed up； Willie？〃
¨We donˇt want good girls；〃 Willie said。 ¨You start on that； right away youˇll get psycho in a different way。 Am I right； Tommy？ Good girls is the most dangerous thing of all。 Besides they will get you either on a contributing to delinquency or on a rape or attempted rape。 Out with that good girls stuff。 We want whores。 Nice； clean； attractive； interesting； inexpensive whores。 That can fuck。 Lillian； what is keeping you away from that telephone？〃
¨One thing is that a man is using it and another is waiting by the cigar counter for him to finish；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Youˇre a bad boy； Willie。〃
¨Iˇm a horrible boy；〃 Willie said。 ¨Iˇm the worst goddam boy youˇll ever know。 But Iˇd like us to get better organized than we are now。〃
¨Weˇre going to have a drink or so；〃 Henry said。 ¨Then Iˇm sure Lillian will find someone that she knows。 Wonˇt you； my beauty？〃
¨Of course；〃 Honest Lil said in Spanish。 ¨Why couldnˇt I？ But I want to telephone from a telephone in a booth。 Not from here。 It isnˇt proper to call from here and it isnˇt fitting。〃
¨A delay；〃 Willie said。 ¨All right。 I accept it。 Just another delay。 Letˇs drink then。〃
¨What the hell have you been doing？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Tommy； I love you；〃 Willie said。 ¨What the hell have you been doing yourself？〃
¨I had a few with Ignacio Natera Revello。〃
¨That sounds like an Italian cruiser；〃 Willie said。 ¨Wasnˇt there an Italian cruiser named that？〃
¨I donˇt think so。〃
¨It sounds like it； anyway。〃
¨Let me see the tabs；〃 Henry said。 ¨How many were there； Tom？〃
¨Ignacio took them。 I won them from him rolling。〃
¨How many were there really？〃 Henry asked。
¨I think four。〃
¨What did you drink before that？〃
¨A Tom Collins coming in。〃
¨And at home？〃
¨Plenty。〃
¨Youˇre just a damned rummy；〃 Willie said。 ¨Pedrico； three more double frozen daiquiris and whatever the lady wants。〃
¨Un highbalito con agua mineral；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Tommy； come and sit with me at the other end of the bar。 They donˇt like me to sit at this end of the bar。〃
¨The hell with them；〃 Willie said。 ¨Great friends like us that never see each other and then we canˇt have a drink with you at this end of the bar。 The hell with that。〃
¨Iˇm sure youˇre all right here； beauty；〃 Henry said。 Then he saw two planter friends of his farther down the bar and went to speak to them without waiting for his drink。
¨Heˇs off now；〃 Willie said。 ¨Heˇll forget about the guhnomay now。〃
¨Heˇs very distrait；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Heˇs awfully distrait。〃
¨Itˇs the life we lead；〃 Willie said。 ¨Just the ceaseless pursuit of pleasure for pleasureˇs sake。 Goddammit； we ought to pursue pleasure seriously。〃
¨Tomˇs not distrait；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Tom is sad。〃
¨Cut out that shit；〃 Willie said to her。 ¨What are you pissed off about？ First somebody is distrait。 Then somebody is sad。 Before that Iˇm horrible。 So what？ Where does a cunt like you get off criticizing people all the time？ Donˇt you know youˇre supposed to be gay？〃
Honest Lil began to cry； real tears； bigger and wetter than any in the movies。 She could always cry real tears any time she wanted to or needed to or was hurt。
¨That cunt cries bigger tears than mother used to make；〃 Willie said。
¨Willie； you shouldnˇt call me that。〃
¨Cut it out； Willie；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Willie； you are a cruel wicked boy and I hate you；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨I donˇt know why men like Thomas Hudson and Henry go around with you。 You are wicked and you talk vile。〃
¨Youˇre a lady
