hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第75章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
by your aviation。 Three days before you arrived here。 Are they friends of yours？〃
¨You signalled them； of course？〃
¨Naturally。 And I have heard nothing。〃
¨Can you send three messages for me？〃
¨Of course。 Send them in as soon as they are ready。〃
¨I will start to load gas and ice and put the supplies aboard。 Was there anything in them you can use？〃
¨I donˇt know。 There is a list。 I signed for it but I could not read it in English。〃
¨Didnˇt they send any chickens or turkeys？〃
¨Yes；〃 the Lieutenant said。 ¨I was saving them for a surprise。〃
¨Weˇll split them；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Weˇll split the beer； too。〃
¨Let my people help you load the gas and ice。〃
¨Good。 Thank you very much。 I would like to be gone in two hours。〃
¨I understand。 Our relief has been put off another month。〃
¨Again？〃
¨Again。〃
¨How do your people take it？〃
¨Theyˇre all here on a disciplinary basis。〃
¨Thank you very much for your help。 The whole world of science is grateful。〃
¨Guant？namo； too？〃
¨Guant？namo； the Athens of science。〃
¨I think they may have holed up somewhere。〃
¨So do I；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨The shelters were of coconut palm and they were still green。〃
¨Tell me anything else。〃
¨I donˇt know anything else。 Send in the messages。 I donˇt want to come on board to take up any of your time or be a nuisance。〃
¨If anything perishable comes out while I am gone； use it before it spoils。〃
¨Thank you。 Iˇm sorry your pig committed such suicide。〃
¨Thank you；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨We all have our small problems。〃
¨Iˇll tell the men not to come on board but only to help load at the stern and help alongside。〃
¨Thank you；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Can you remember anything more about the turtle boats？〃
¨They were typical。 One was almost exactly the same as the other。 They looked as though they had been built by the same builder。 They turned the point of the reef and made to tack in here。 Then they ran before the wind for Cayo Cruz。〃
¨Inside the reef？〃
¨Inside until they were out of sight。〃
¨And the sub off Cayo Sal？〃
¨Stayed on the surface and shot it out with the blimp。〃
¨Iˇd stay in a state of defense if I were you。〃
¨I am；〃 the Lieutenant said。 ¨Thatˇs why you havenˇt seen anybody。〃
¨I saw the birds moving。〃
¨The poor birds；〃 the Lieutenant said。
VI
THEY WERE RUNNING TO THE WESTWARD inside the reef with the wind astern。 The tanks had been filled； the ice stowed； and below one watch was picking and cleaning chickens。 The other was cleaning weapons。 The canvas that shielded the flying bridge to waist height was laced on and the two long boards that announced in twelve…inch block letters the scientific mission of the boat were in place。 Looking over the side watching the depth of water Thomas Hudson saw the patches of chicken feathers floating out onto the following sea。
¨Take her in just as close as we can get without hitting any of those sandbars；〃 he told Ara。 ¨You know this coast。〃
¨I know itˇs no good；〃 Ara said。 ¨Where are we going to anchor？〃
¨I want to check up at the head of Cayo Cruz。〃
¨We can check there but I donˇt think it will be much use。 You donˇt think they would stay there； do you？〃
¨No。 But there might be fishermen in there who would have seen them。 Or charcoal burners。〃
¨I wish this wind would fail；〃 Ara said。 ¨Iˇd like to have a couple of days of flat calm。〃
¨Itˇs squally over Romano。〃
¨I know。 But this wind blows through here like through a pass in the mountains。 Weˇll never catch them if this wind keeps up。〃
¨Weˇve been right so far；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And maybe weˇll get some luck。 They could have taken Lobos and used the radio there to call up that other sub to take them off。〃
¨That shows they didnˇt know the other sub was there。〃
¨Must be。 They move a lot in ten days。〃
¨When they want to；〃 Ara said。 ¨Letˇs stop thinking； Tom。 It gives me a headache。 Iˇd rather handle gas drums。 You think and tell me where you want me to steer。〃
¨Just as she goes and watch for that no…good Minerva。 Keep well inside of that and outside the sand…spits。〃
¨Good。〃
Do you suppose she lost her radio when she got smacked？ Thomas Hudson thought。 She must have had an emergency radio that she could have used。 But Peters never picked her up on the UHF after she was smacked。 Still； that doesnˇt necessarily prove anything。 Nothing proves anything except that those two boats were seen on the course we are on three days ago。 Did I ask him if they had their dinghys on deck？ No； I forgot to。 But they must have because he said they were ordinary Bahaman turtling boats except for the shelters they had rigged with the palm branches。
How many people？ You donˇt know。 Any wounded？ You donˇt know。 How armed？ All you know is a machine pistol。 Their course？ We are on it until now。
Maybe we will find something between Cayo Cruz and M？gano； he thought。 What youˇll probably find is lots of willets and iguana tracks in the sand toward the water hole。
Well； it keeps your mind off things。 What things？ There arenˇt any things any more。 Oh yes； there are。 There is this ship and the people on her and the sea and the bastards you are hunting。 Afterwards you will see your animals and go into town and get drunk as you can and your ashes dragged and then get ready to go out and do it again。
Maybe this time you will get these characters。 You did not destroy their undersea boat but you were faintly instrumental in its destruction。 If you can round up the crew； it will be extremely useful。
Then why donˇt you care anything about anything？ he asked himself。 Why donˇt you think of them as murderers and have the righteous feelings that you should have？ Why do you just pound and pound on after it like a riderless horse that is still in the race？ Because we are all murderers； he told himself。 We all are on both sides； if we are any good； and no good will come of any of it。
But you have to do it。 Sure； he said。 But I donˇt have to be proud of it。 I only have to do it well。 I didnˇt hire out to like it。 You did not even hire out； he told himself。 That makes it even worse。
¨Let me take her； Ara；〃 he said。
Ara gave him the wheel。
¨Keep a good lookout to starboard。 But donˇt let the sun bund you。〃
¨Iˇll get my glasses。 Look； Tom。 Why donˇt you let me steer and get a good four…man lookout up here？ Youˇre tired and you didnˇt rest at all at the key。〃
¨We donˇt need a four…man lookout in here。 Later on we will。〃
¨But youˇre tired。〃
¨Iˇm not sleepy。 Look； if they run nights along here close in to shore they are going to get in trouble。 Then they will have to lay up to make repairs and we will find them。〃
¨Thatˇs no reason for you never to rest； Tom。〃
¨Iˇm not doing it to show off；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨No one has ever thought so。〃
¨How do you feel about these bastards？〃
¨Only that we will catch them and kill what is necessary and bring the others in。〃
¨What about the massacre？〃
¨I donˇt say we would have done the same thing。 But they thought it was necessary。 They did not do it for pleasure；〃 Ara said。
¨And their dead man？〃
¨Henry has wanted to kill Peters several times。 I have wanted to kill him myself sometimes。〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson agreed。 ¨It is not an uncommon feeling。〃
¨I donˇt think of any of these things and so I donˇt worry。 Why donˇt you not worry； and read when you relax the way you always did？〃
¨Iˇm going to sleep tonight。 After we anchor Iˇll read and then sleep。 Weˇve gained four days on them； though it does not show。 Now we must search carefully。〃
¨We will get them or we will drive them into other peopleˇs hands；〃 Ara said。 ¨What difference does it make？ We have our pride but we have another pride people know nothing of。〃
¨That is what I had forgotten；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨It is a pride without vanity；〃 Ara continued。 ¨Failure is its brother and shit is its sister and death is its wife。〃
¨It must be a big pride。〃
¨It is；〃 Ara said。 ¨You m
