hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第65章
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get money for water since water is the one great necessity。 Everything else is necessary。 But water there is no substitute for and you cannot do without some water。 So they can always get money to bring water。 So there will never be a proper aqueduct。〃
¨Iˇm not sure I follow you completely。〃
¨S？； hombre。 They can always get money for an aqueduct because an aqueduct is absolutely necessary。 Therefore they cannot afford an aqueduct。 Would you kill the goose that lays the golden aqueduct？〃
¨Why not build the aqueduct and make some money out of it and find another truco？〃
¨Thereˇs no trick like water。 You can always get money for the promise to produce water。 No politician would destroy a truco like that by building an adequate aqueduct。 Aspirant politicians occasionally shoot one another in the lowest levels of politics。 But no politician would so strike at the true basis of political economy。 Let me propose a toast to the Custom House； a lottery racket； the free numbers racket； the fixed price of sugar； and the eternal lack of an aqueduct。〃
¨Prosit；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Youˇre not German； are you？〃
¨No。 American。〃
¨Then let us drink to Roosevelt； Churchill； Batista； and the lack of an aqueduct。〃
¨To Stalin。〃
¨Certainly。 To Stalin； Central Hershey； marijuana； and the lack of an aqueduct。〃
¨To Adolphe Luque。〃
¨To Adolph Luque； to Adolf Hitler； to Philadelphia； to Gene Tunney； to Key West； and to the lack of an aqueduct。〃
Honest Lil came in to the bar from the ladies room while they were talking。 She had repaired her face and she was not crying but you could see she had been hit。
¨Do you know this gentleman？〃 Thomas Hudson said to her； introducing his new friend； or his old friend newly found。
¨Only in bed；〃 the gentleman said。
¨C？llate；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Heˇs a politician；〃 she explained to Thomas Hudson； ¨Muy hambriento en este momento。〃
¨Thirsty；〃 the politician corrected。 ¨And at your orders；〃 he said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨What will you have？〃
¨A double frozen daiquiri without sugar。 Should we roll for them？〃
¨No； Let me buy them。 I have unlimited credit here。〃
¨Heˇs a good man；〃 Honest Lil said to Thomas Hudson in a whisper while the other was attracting the attention of the nearest barman。 ¨A politician。 But very honest and very cheerful。〃
The man put his arm around Lil。 ¨Youˇre thinner every day； mi vida；〃 he said。 ¨We must belong to the same political party。〃
¨To the aqueduct；〃 Thomas Hudson said；
¨My God； no。 What are you trying to do？ Take the bread out of our mouths and put water in？〃
¨Letˇs drink to when the puta guerra will finish；〃 Lil said；
¨Drink。〃
¨To the black market；〃 the man said。 ¨To the cement shortage。 To those who control the supply of black beans。〃
¨Drink；〃 Thomas Hudson said and added； ¨To rice。〃
¨To rice；〃 the politician said。 ¨Drink。〃
¨Do you feel better？〃 Honest Lil asked。
¨Sure。〃
He looked at her and saw she was going to start to cry again。
¨You cry again；〃 he said； ¨and Iˇll break your jaw。〃
There was a lithographed poster behind the bar of a politician in white suit and the slogan ¨Un Alcalde Mejor；〃 a better mayor。 It was a big poster and the better mayor stared straight into the eyes of every drinker。
¨To Un Alcalde Peor；〃 the politician said。 ¨To A Worse Mayor。〃
¨Will you run？〃 Thomas Hudson asked him。
¨Absolutely。〃
¨Thatˇs wonderful；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Letˇs draw up our platform。〃
¨It isnˇt difficult；〃 the candidate said。 ¨Un Alcalde Peor。 Weˇve got a winning slogan。 What do we need a platform for？〃
¨We ought to have a platform；〃 Lil said。 ¨Donˇt you think so； Tom？s？〃
¨I think so。 What about Down with the Rural Schools？〃
¨Down；〃 said the candidate。
¨Menos guaguas y peores；〃 Honest Lil suggested。
¨Good。 Fewer and worse buses。〃
¨Why not do away with transport entirely？〃 suggested the candidate。 ¨Es m？s sencillo。〃
¨Okay；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Cero transporte。〃
¨Short and noble；〃 the candidate said。 ¨And it shows we are impartial。 But we could elaborate it。 What about Cero transporte a？reo； terrestre； y mar？timo？〃
¨Wonderful。 Weˇre getting a real platform。 How do we stand on leprosy？〃
¨Por una lepra m？s grande para Cuba；〃 said the candidate。
¨Por el c？ncer cubano；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Por una tuberculosis ampliada； adecuada； y permanente para Cuba y los cubanos；〃 said the candidate。 ¨Thatˇs a little bit long but it will sound good on the radio。 Where do we stand on syphilis； my coreligionists？〃
¨Por una s？filis criolla cien por cien。〃
¨Good；〃 said the candidate。 ¨Down with Penicilina and other tricks of Yanqui Imperialism。〃
¨Down；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨It seems to me as though we ought to drink something；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨How does it seem to you； correligionarios？〃
¨A magnificent idea；〃 said the candidate。 ¨Who but you could have had an idea like that？〃
¨You；〃 Honest Lil said。
¨Attack my credit；〃 the candidate said。 ¨Letˇs see how my credit stands up under really heavy fire。 Bar…chap； bar…fellow； boy： the same all around。 And for this political associate of mine： without sugar。〃
¨Thatˇs an idea for a slogan；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Cubaˇs Sugar for Cubans。〃
¨Down with the Colossus of the North；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Down；〃 repeated the others。
¨We need more domestic slogans； more municipal slogans。 We shouldnˇt get too much into the international field while we are fighting a war and are still allies。〃
¨Still I think we ought to Down the Colossus of the North；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Itˇs really an ideal time while the Colossus is fighting a global war。 I think we ought to down him。〃
¨Weˇll down him after Iˇm elected。〃
¨To Un Alcalde Peor；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨To All of Us。 To the party；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 He raised his glass。
¨We must remember the circumstances of the founding of the party and write out the manifesto。 Whatˇs the date anyway？〃
¨The twentieth。 More or less。〃
¨The twentieth of what？〃
¨The twentieth more or less of February。 El grito de La Floridita。〃
¨Itˇs a solemn moment；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Can you write； Honest Lil？ Can you perpetuate all this？〃
¨I can write。 But I canˇt write right now。〃
¨There are a few more problems we have to take a stand on；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Listen； Colossus of the North； why donˇt you buy this round？ Youˇve seen how valiant my credit is and how he stands up to the attack。 But thereˇs no need to kill the poor bird when we know heˇs losing。 Come on； Colossus。〃
¨Donˇt call me Colossus。 Weˇre against the damn Colossus。〃
¨All right； governor。 What do you do； anyway？〃
¨Iˇm a scientist。〃
¨Sobre todo en la cama；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨He made extensive studies in China。〃
¨Well； whatever you are； buy this one；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨And letˇs get on with the platform。〃
¨What about the Home？〃
¨A sacred subject。 The Home enjoys equal dignity with religion。 We must be careful and subtle。 What about this： Abajo los padres de familias？〃
¨It has dignity。 But why not just： Down with the Home？〃
¨Abajo el Home。 Itˇs a beautiful sentiment but many might confuse it with b？isbol。〃
¨What about Little Children？〃
¨Suffer them to come unto me once they are of electoral age；〃 said the Alcalde Peor。
¨What about divorce？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Another touchy problem；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Bastante espinoso。 How do you feel about divorce？〃
¨Perhaps we shouldnˇt take up divorce。 It conflicts with our campaign in favor of the Home。〃
¨All right； letˇs drop it。 Now let me see〃
¨You canˇt；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Youˇre cockeyed。〃
¨Donˇt criticize me； woman；〃 the Alcalde Peor told her。 ¨One thing we must do。〃
¨What？〃
¨Orinar。〃
¨I agree；〃 Thomas Hudson heard himself saying。 ¨It is basic。〃
¨As basic as the lack of the aqueduct。 It is founded on water。〃
¨Itˇs founded on alcohol。〃
¨Only a small percentage in comparison with the water
