hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第72章
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¨Donˇt answer；〃 he said to the pistol。 ¨Lie there good and I will see you kill something better than land crabs when the time comes。〃
II
HE WAS LYING THERE looking out at the line of the surf and he had it pretty well thought out by the time he saw Ara and Henry coming down the beach。 He saw them and then looked away from them and out to sea again。 He had tried not to think about it and to relax but it had been impossible。 Now he would relax until they came and he would think of nothing but the sea on the reef。 But there was not time。 They came too fast。
¨What did you find？〃 he asked Ara who sat down by the gray driftwood。 Henry sat beside him。
¨I found one。 A young man。 Dead。〃
¨He was a German all right；〃 Henry said。 ¨He only had on shorts and he had very long hair； blond and sun…streaked； and he was face down in the sand。〃
¨Where was he shot？〃
¨At the base of the spine and in the back of the neck；〃 Ara said。 ¨Rematado。 Here are the bullets。 I washed them。〃
¨Yes；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨I have four like them。〃
¨Theyˇre 9mm Luger arenˇt they？〃 Henry asked。 ¨Itˇs the same caliber as our 。38ˇs。〃
¨These with the black ends are for the machine pistol；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Thanks for digging them out； doctor。〃
¨At your orders；〃 Ara said。 ¨The neck one had gone clean through and I found it in the sand。 Henry cut out the other one。〃
¨I didnˇt mind it；〃 Henry said。 ¨The wind and the sun had sort of dried him。 It was like cutting into a pie。 He wasnˇt like those in there。 Why did they kill him； Tom？〃
¨I donˇt know。〃
¨What do you think？〃 Ara asked。 ¨Did they come in here to make repairs？〃
¨No。 Theyˇve lost their boat。〃
¨Yes；〃 Ara said。 ¨They took the boats。〃
¨Why was the sailor killed？〃 Henry asked。 ¨You forgive me if I donˇt sound too intelligent； Tom。 But you know how much I want to do what I can and Iˇm so happy we have contact。〃
¨We havenˇt contact；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But Christ weˇve got a lovely scent。〃
¨Breast high？〃 Henry asked hopefully。
¨Donˇt mention that word to me。〃
¨But Tom； who killed the sailor and why？〃
¨Family trouble；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Did you ever see a man shot in the base of the spine for kindness？ Afterwards whoever did it was kind and shot him in the neck。〃
¨Maybe there were two；〃 said Ara。
¨Did you find the hulls？〃
¨No；〃 Ara said。 ¨I looked where they would be。 Even if it was a machine pistol it would not have thrown them further than I looked。〃
¨It could be the same methodical bastard that picked up the other ones。〃
¨Where would they go？〃 Ara asked。 ¨Where would they make for with the boats？〃
¨They have to go south；〃 Thomas said。 ¨You know damned well they canˇt go north。〃
¨And we？〃
¨Iˇm trying to think in their heads；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I havenˇt many facts to go on。〃
¨You have the deads and the boats gone；〃 Henry said。 ¨You can think it out； Tom。〃
¨And one known weapon and where did they lose their undersea boat and how many are they？ Stir that and add we couldnˇt raise Guant？namo last night and add how many keys there are south of here plus when we have to fill our tanks。 Add Peters and serve。〃
¨It will be all right； Tom。〃
¨Sure；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨All right and all wrong are identical twins in this business。〃
¨Youˇre confident we will get them though； arenˇt you？〃
¨Of course；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Now go and flag Willie in and let Antonio get started on his conches。 We will have chowder。 Ara； you load all the water you can in the next three hours。 Tell Antonio to go ahead on the motors。 I want to get out of here before dark。 Was there nothing on the island？ No pigs nor any fowl？〃
¨Nothing；〃 Ara told him。 ¨They took everything。〃
¨Well； they will have to eat them。 They have no feed for them and no ice。 They are Germans so they are capable and they can get turtle in these months。 I think we will find them at Lobos。 It is logical they should take Lobos。 Have Willie fill the ice…well with conches and we will take only enough water to the next key。〃
He stopped and reconsidered； ¨No； Iˇm sorry。 I was wrong。 Fill water until sundown and I will take her out at moonrise。 We lose three hours but we save six later on。〃
¨Did you taste the water？〃 Ara asked。
¨Yes；〃 he said。 ¨It was clean and good。 You were quite right。〃
¨Thank you；〃 Ara said。 ¨I will go now to call in Willie。 He has been diving many。〃
¨Tom；〃 Henry asked。 ¨Do you want me to stay with you or to carry water or what？〃
¨Carry water until you are too tired and then get some sleep。 I want you on the bridge with me tonight。〃
¨Can I bring you a shirt or a sweater？〃 Henry asked。
¨Bring me a shirt and one of the very light blankets；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I can sleep now in the sun and the sand is dry。 But later on it will be cool with the wind。〃
¨Isnˇt the sand wonderful？ Iˇve never known such dry or powdery sand。〃
¨The wind has beaten it for many years。〃
¨Will we get them； Tommy？〃
¨Of course；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨There is no doubt of it at all。〃
¨Please forgive me if I am ever stupid；〃 Henry said。
¨You were forgiven when you were born；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You are a very brave boy； Henry； and I am fond of you and trust you。 Youˇre not stupid either。〃
¨You truly think we will have a fight？〃
¨I know it。 Do not think about that。 Think about details。 Think about all the things you should do and how we should be a happy ship until we fight。 Iˇll think about the fight。〃
¨I will go and do my duty as well as I can；〃 Henry said。 ¨I wish we could practice the fight so I could do my part better。〃
Thomas Hudson said； ¨Youˇll do it all right。 I do not see any way that we can miss it。〃
¨Itˇs been so very long；〃 Henry said。
¨But everything is long；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 ¨And pursuit is the longest。〃
¨Get some sleep；〃 Henry said。 ¨You never sleep any more。〃
¨Iˇll sleep；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Where do you suppose they lost their own boat； Tom？〃 Ara asked。
¨They got these boats here and they did away with these people a week ago； say。 So they must be the one that Camag？ey claimed。 But they got somewhere close to here before they lost her。 They didnˇt sail any rubber boats into that wind。〃
¨Then they must have lost her east of here。〃
¨Naturally。 And they were damned well in the clear when they lost her；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨It was still a long way home；〃 Henry said。
¨It is going to be a longer way home now；〃 Ara said。
¨Theyˇre funny people；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Theyˇre all brave and some of them are so damned admirable。 Then they have mean ones like this。〃
¨We better go and do our work；〃 Ara said。 ¨We can talk tonight on watch to keep awake。 You get some rest； Tom。〃
¨Get some sleep；〃 Henry said。
¨Rest is as good as sleep。〃
¨No it isnˇt；〃 Ara said。 ¨You need sleep； Tom。〃
¨Iˇll try to get some；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 But when they were gone he could not sleep。
What did they have to do this rotten thing here for？ he thought。 We will get them anyway。 All these people would have done was tell us how many they were and how they were armed。 I suppose that was worth killing for； from their standpoint。 Especially if they thought of these people as Negroes。 But all that shows something about them。 To have killed like that they must have some plan and they must have some hope of being picked up。 Also there must have been dissension about the plan or they would not have done this murdering here of the sailor。 That could be an execution for anything； though。 He might have let her go down when she could have been kept up to make the try to get home。
Where does that bring us？ he thought。 You canˇt bank on that。 It is only a possibility。 But if it was true it would mean she went down in sight of land and fast。 That would mean they would not have much stuff。 Maybe the boy did not do it and was falsely accused。
You donˇt know how many boats they have because there could be a boat or two boats from here out turtling。 There is nothing t
