hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第66章
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¨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。 Water is the basic thing。 You are a scientist。 What percentage of water are we composed of？〃
¨Eighty…seven and three…tenths；〃 said Thomas Hudson； taking a chance and knowing he was wrong。
¨Exactly；〃 said the Alcalde Peor； ¨Should we go while we can still move？〃
In the menˇs room a calm and noble Negro was reading a Rosicrucian pamphlet。 He was working on the weekly lesson of the course he was taking。 Thomas Hudson greeted him with dignity and his greeting was returned in kind。
¨Quite a chilly day； sir；〃 the attendant with the religious literature observed。
¨It is indeed chilly；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨How are your studies progressing？〃
¨Very well； sir。 As well as can be expected。〃
¨Iˇm delighted；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 Then to the Alcalde Peor； who was having certain difficulties； ¨I belonged to a club in London once where half the members were trying to urinate and the other half were trying to stop。〃
¨Very good；〃 said the Alcalde Peor； completing his chore； ¨What did they call it； El Club Mundial？〃
¨No。 As a matter of fact； Iˇve forgotten the name of it。〃
¨Youˇve forgotten the name of your club？〃
¨Yes。 Why not？〃
¨I think we better go get another one。 How much does this urination cost？〃
¨Whatever you wish； sir。〃
¨Let me get them；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I love to buy them。 Itˇs like flowers。〃
¨Could it have been the Royal Automobile Club？〃 the Negro asked； standing proffering a towel。
¨It could not have been。〃
¨Iˇm sorry； sir；〃 the student of Rusicrucian said。 ¨I know thatˇs one of the biggest clubs in London。〃
¨Thatˇs right；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨One of the biggest。 Now buy yourself something very handsome with this。〃 He gave him a dollar。
¨Why did you give him a peso？〃 the Alcalde Peor asked him as they were outside the door and back to the noise of the bar； the restaurant； and the traffic on the street outside。
¨I have no real use for it。〃
¨Hombre；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Are you feeling all right？ Do you feel OK？〃
¨Quite；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Iˇm quite OK； thank you very much。〃
¨How was the trip？〃 Honest Lil asked from her stool at the bar。 Thomas Hudson looked at her and saw her again for the first time。 She looked considerably darker and much wider。
¨It was a nice trip；〃 he said。 ¨You always meet interesting people when you travel。〃
Honest Lil put her hand on his thigh and squeezed it and he was looking down the bar； away from Honest Lil； past the Panama hats； the Cuban faces； and the moving dice cups of the drinkers and out the open door into the bright light of the square； when he saw the car pull up and the doorman opened the rear door； his cap in his hand； and she got out。
It was her。 No one else got out of a car that way； practically and easily and beautifully and at the same time as though she were doing the street a great favor when she stepped on it： Everyone had tried to look like her for many years and some came quite close。 But when you saw her； all the people that looked like her were only imitations。 She was in uniform now and she smiled at the doorman and asked him a question and he answered happily and nodded his head and she started across the sidewalk and into the bar。 There was another woman in uniform behind her。
Thomas Hudson stood up and he felt as though his chest was being constricted so that he could not breathe。 She had seen him and she was walking down the gap between the people at the bar and the tables toward him。 The other woman was following behind her。
¨Excuse me；〃 he said to Honest Lil and to the Alcalde Peor。 ¨I have to see a friend。〃
They met halfway down the free corridor between the bar and the tables and he was holding her in his arms。 They were both holding hard and tight as people can hold and he was kissing her hard and well and she was kissing him and feeling both his arms with her hands。
¨Oh you。 You。 You；〃 she said。
¨You devil；〃 he said。 ¨How did you get here？〃
¨From Camag？ey； of course。〃
People were looking at them and he picked her off her feet and held her tight against him and kissed her once more then put her down and took her hand and started for a table in the corner。
¨We canˇt do that here；〃 he said。 ¨Weˇll get arrested。〃
¨Letˇs get arrested；〃 she said。 ¨This is Ginny。 Sheˇs my secretary。〃
¨Hi； Ginny；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Letˇs get this mad woman behind that table。〃
Ginny was a nice； ugly girl。 They were both wearing the same uniform； officersˇ blouses without insignia； shirts and ties； skirts； stockings； and brogues。 They had overseas caps and a patch on their left shoulders he had not seen before。
¨Take your cap off； devil。〃
¨Iˇm not supposed to。〃
¨Take it off。〃
¨All right。〃
She took it off and lifted her face and shook her hair loose and moved her head back and looked at him and he saw the high forehead； the magic rolling line of the hair that was the same silvery ripe…wheat color as always； the high cheekbones with the hollows just below them； the hollows that could always break your heart； the slightly flattened nose； and the mouth he had just left that was disarranged by the kissing； and the lovely chin and throat line。
¨How do I look？〃
¨You know。〃
¨Did you ever kiss anybody in these clothes before？ Or scratch yourself on army buttons？〃
¨No。〃
¨Do you love me？〃
¨I always love you。〃
¨No。 Do you love me right now。 This minute。〃
¨Yes；〃 he said and his throat ached。
¨Thatˇs good；〃 she said。 ¨It would be pretty awful for you if you didnˇt。〃
¨How long are you here for？〃
¨Just today。〃
¨Let me kiss you。〃
¨You said weˇd be arrested。〃
¨We can wait。 What do you want to drink？〃
¨Do they have good champagne？〃
¨Yes。 But thereˇs an awfully good local drink。〃
¨There must be。 About how many of them have you had？〃
¨I donˇt know。 About a dozen。〃
¨You only look tight around the eyes。 Are you in love with anyone？〃
¨No。 You？〃
¨Weˇll have to see。 Where is your bitch of a wife？〃
¨In the Pacific。〃
¨I wish she was。 About a thousand fathoms deep。 Oh； Tommy； Tommy； Tommy； Tommy； Tommy。〃
¨Are you in love with anyone？〃
¨Iˇm afraid so。〃
¨You bastard。〃
¨Isnˇt it terrible？ The first time I ever meet you since I went away and youˇre not in love with anyone and Iˇm in love with someone。〃
¨You went away？〃
¨Thatˇs my story。〃
¨Is he nice？〃
¨Heˇs nice； this one； like children are nice。 Iˇm very necessary to him。〃
¨Where is he？〃
¨Thatˇs a military secret。〃
¨Is that where youˇre going？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨What are you？〃
¨Weˇre USO。〃
¨Is that the same as OSS？〃
¨No； goofy。 Donˇt pretend to be stupid and donˇt be stuffy just because I love someone。 You never consult me when you fall in love with people。〃
¨How much do you love him？〃
¨I didnˇt say I loved him。 I said I was in love with him。 I wonˇt even be in love with him today if you donˇt want。 Iˇm only here for a day。 I donˇt want not to be polite。〃
¨Go to hell；〃 he said。
¨How would it be if I took the car and went to the hotel？〃 Ginny asked。
¨No； Ginny。 Weˇre going to have some champagne first。 Do you have a car？〃 she asked Thomas Hudson。
¨Yeah。 Outside on the square。〃
¨Can we drive out to your place？〃
¨Of course。 We can eat and then go out。 Or I can pick up something for us to eat out there。〃
¨Werenˇt we lucky that we could get here？〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨How did you know anyone was here？〃
¨A boy at the field at Camag？ey told me you might be here。 If we didnˇt find you； we were going to see Havana。〃
¨We can see Havana。〃
¨No；〃 she said。 ¨Ginny can see it。 Do you know anybody who could take Ginny out？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨We have to get back to Camag？ey tonight。〃
¨What time does your plane leave？〃
¨Six oˇclock； I think。〃
¨Weˇll fix everything up；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
A man
