hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第70章
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¨Se？or；〃 he said。 ¨Pardon me。 May I speak to you in the kitchen？〃
¨Excuse me please； darling。〃
¨I suppose itˇs something mysterious；〃 she said and poured her glass full of wine。
¨Se？or；〃 the boy said。 ¨The Lieutenant spoke in castellano and he said for to come in immediately repeat immediately。 He said you would know where and that it was a business matter。 I did not wish to call on our phone and I called from the village。 Then they told me you were here。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Thank you very much。 Please fry some eggs for the se？orita and me and tell the chauffeur to have the car ready。〃
¨Yes sir；〃 the boy said。
¨What was it； Tom？〃 she asked。 ¨Is it bad？〃
¨I have to go to work。〃
¨But you said you wouldnˇt have to with this wind。〃
¨I know it。 But itˇs out of my hands。〃
¨Do you want me to stay here？〃
¨You can stay and read Tomˇs letters if you like and the chauffeur will take you to your plane。〃
¨All right。〃
¨You can take the letters with you； too； if you want and any pictures or anything you see。 Go through my desk。〃
¨You are changed。〃
¨Maybe a little；〃 he said。
¨Go out to the studio and look at any of the stuff；〃 he said。 ¨There are some good ones from before we started this project。 Take anything you like。 Thereˇs a good one of you。〃
¨Iˇll take it；〃 she said。 ¨Youˇre awfully good when youˇre good。〃
¨Read the letters from her if you like。 Some of them are museum pieces。 Take any along that are comic enough。〃
¨You sound as though I travelled with a trunk。〃
¨You can read them and then drop them out of the John in the plane。〃
¨All right。〃
¨Iˇll try to get back before you go。 But donˇt count on it。 If I have to use the chauffeur Iˇll send a taxi to take you to the hotel or the airport。〃
¨Good。〃
¨The boy will look after you。 He can do any pressing for you and you can use any clothes of mine or anything you find around。〃
¨Good。 Will you try to love me； Tom； and not let anything like that last one ruin it？〃
¨Sure。 They donˇt mean anything and you pointed out I couldnˇt help it。〃
¨Try and not be able to help it。〃
¨Itˇs out of my hands。 Take any books you want or anything you find around the joint and give my eggs or one anyway to Boise。 He likes them cut up small。 I better shove。 Thereˇs been a time lag on this already。〃
¨Goodbye； Tom；〃 she said。
¨Goodbye； devil； and take good care。 This is probably nothing anyway。〃
He was gone out the door。 But the cat had slipped through it with him and was looking up at him。
¨Itˇs all right； Boise；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇll be back before we shove。〃
¨Where do we go？〃 the driver asked him。
¨Town。〃
I canˇt believe thereˇs any business with this heavy sea。 But maybe they found something。 Maybe one is in trouble somewhere。 Christ； I hope we make it this time。 I want to remember to make out one of those pocket wills and leave her the joint。 Must remember to get it witnessed at the Embassy and leave it in the safe。 She certainly took it awfully well。 But then it hasnˇt really hit her yet。 I wish I could help her when it hits her。 I wish I could be some real good to her。 Maybe I can if we get by this one and the next one and the next one。
Letˇs get by this one first。 I wonder if sheˇll take the stuff。 I hope she will and that sheˇll remember to give Boise the egg。 He gets hungry when the weatherˇs cold。
The boys wonˇt be hard to find and she can take another beating before we haul her out。 One more anyway。 One for sure。 Weˇll gamble on it。 There are spares for nearly everything。 Whatˇs one more beating if we get to close？ It would have been nice to have stayed in。 Maybe it would have been。 The hell it would have been。
Get it straight。 Your boy you lose。 Love you lose。 Honor has been gone for a long time。 Duty you do。
Sure and whatˇs your duty？ What I said Iˇd do。 And all the other things you said youˇd do？
In the bedroom of the farmhouse； now； the room that looked like the Normandie； she was lying on the bed with the cat named Boise beside her。 She had not been able to eat the eggs and the champagne had no taste。 She had cut up all the eggs for Boise and pulled open one desk drawer and seen the boyˇs handwriting on the blue envelopes and the censor stamp and then she had gone over and lain face down on the bed。
¨Both of them；〃 she said to the cat； who was happy from the eggs and from the smell of the woman who lay beside him。
¨Both of them；〃 she said。 ¨Boise； tell me。 What are we going to do about it？〃
The cat purred imperceptibly。
¨You donˇt know either；〃 she said。 ¨And neither does anyone else。〃
Part III
AT SEA
I
THERE WAS A LONG WHITE BEACH with coconut palms behind it。 The reef lay across the entrance to the harbor and the heavy east wind made the sea break on it so that the entrance was easy to see once you had opened it up。 There was no one on the beach and the sand was so white that it hurt his eyes to look at it。
The man on the flying bridge studied the shore。 There were no shacks where the shacks should have been and there were no boats anchored in the lagoon that he could see。
¨Youˇve been in here before；〃 he said to his mate。
¨Yes。〃
¨Werenˇt the shacks over there？〃
¨They were over there and it shows a village on the chart。〃
¨They sure as hell arenˇt here now；〃 the man said。 ¨Can you make out any boats up in the mangroves？〃
¨Thereˇs nothing that I can see。〃
¨Iˇm going to take her in and anchor；〃 the man said。 ¨I know this cut。 Itˇs about eight times as deep as it looks。〃
He looked down into the green water and saw the size of the shadow of his ship on the bottom。
¨Thereˇs good holding ground east from where the village used to be；〃 his mate said。
¨I know。 Break out the starboard anchor and stand by。 Iˇm going to lay off there。 With this wind blowing day and night there will be no insects。〃
¨No sir。〃
They anchored and the boat； not big enough to be called a ship except in the mind of the man who was her master； lay with her bow into the wind with the waves breaking white and green on the reef。
The man on the bridge watched that she swung well and held solidly。 Then he looked ashore and cut his motors。 He continued to look at the shore and he could not figure it out at all。
¨Take three men in and have a look；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇm going to he down a while。 Remember youˇre scientists。〃
When they were scientists no weapons showed and they wore machetes and wide straw hats such as Bahaman spongers wear。 These the crew referred to as ¨sombreros cient？ficos。〃 The larger they were the more scientific they were considered。
¨Someone has stolen my scientific hat；〃 a heavy…shouldered Basque with thick eyebrows that came together over his nose said。 ¨Give me a bag of frags for scienceˇs sake。〃
¨Take my scientific hat；〃 another Basque said。 ¨Itˇs twice as scientific as yours。〃
¨What a scientific hat；〃 the widest of the Basques said。 ¨I feel like Einstein in this one。 Thomas； can we take specimens？〃
¨No；〃 the man said。 ¨Antonio knows what I want him to do。 You keep your damned scientific eyes open。〃
¨Iˇll look for water。〃
¨Itˇs behind where the village was；〃 the man said。 ¨See how it is。 We had probably better fill。〃
¨H2O；〃 the Basque said。 ¨That scientific stuff。 Hey； you worthless scientist。 You hat stealer。 Give us four five…gallon jugs so we wonˇt waste the trip。〃
The other Basque put four wicker…covered jugs in the dinghy。
The man heard them talking。 ¨Donˇt hit me in the back with that damned scientific oar。〃
¨I do it only for science。〃
¨Fornicate science and his brother。〃
¨Scienceˇs sister。〃
¨Penicilina is her name。〃
The man watched them rowing toward the too white beach。 I should have gone in； he thought。 But I was up all night and Iˇve steered twelve hours。 Antonio can size it up as well as I can。 But I wonder what the hell has happened。
He looked once at the reef and then at the shore and at the current of clean water running against the side and making little eddies in the lee。 Then h
