hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第9章
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lights。 He looked much better than Thomas Hudson had expected him to look after hearing the stories all day and Thomas Hudson thought he must have gotten some sleep。 Thomas Hudson remembered； then； that he had been sleeping at Bobbyˇs。
¨Iˇd try Nembutal；〃 Frank told him very confidentially。 ¨Unless sheˇs allergic to it。〃
¨I donˇt see why sheˇs so dissatisfied；〃 Fred Wilson told him。 ¨Why youˇre quite a fine…looking physical specimen。 You really look pretty damned good。 Iˇll bet youˇre the terror of the Racquet Club。 What does it cost you to keep in that wonderful shape？ Look at him； Frank。 Did you ever see as expensive a looking top of a man as that？〃
¨You made a mistake though； governor；〃 Frank told him。 ¨Youˇre wearing the wrong end of your pajamas。 Frankly Iˇve never seen a man wearing that bottom part before。 Do you really wear that to bed？〃
¨Canˇt you filthy…mouthed swine let a lady sleep？〃 the man said。
¨Why donˇt you just go down below；〃 Frank said to him。 ¨Youˇre liable to get in trouble around here using all those epithets。 You havenˇt got your chauffeur here to look after you。 Does your chauffeur always take you to school？〃
¨He doesnˇt go to school； Frank；〃 Fred Wilson said； putting aside his guitar。 ¨Heˇs a big grown…up boy。 Heˇs a businessman。 Canˇt you recognize a big businessman？〃
¨Are you a businessman； sonny？〃 Frank asked。 ¨Then you know itˇs good business for you to run along down into your cabin。 There isnˇt any good business for you up here。〃
¨Heˇs right；〃 Fred Wilson said。 ¨You havenˇt any future around with us。 Just go down to your cabin。 Youˇll get used to the noise。〃
¨You filthy swine；〃 the man said and looked at them all。
¨Just take that beautiful body down below； will you？〃 Wilson said。 ¨Iˇm sure youˇll get the lady to sleep。〃
¨You swine；〃 the man said。 ¨You rotten swine。〃
¨Canˇt you think up any other names？〃 Frank said。 ¨Swineˇs getting awfully dull。 You better go down below before you catch cold。 If I had a wonderful chest like that I wouldnˇt risk it out here on a windy night like this。〃
The man looked at them all as though he were memorizing them。
¨Youˇll be able to remember us；〃 Frank told him。 ¨If not Iˇll remind you any time I see you。〃
¨You filth；〃 the man said and turned and went below。
¨Who is he？〃 Johnny Goodner asked。 ¨Iˇve seen him somewhere。〃
¨I know him and he knows me；〃 Frank said。 ¨Heˇs no good。〃
¨Canˇt you remember who he is？〃 Johnny asked。
¨Heˇs a jerk；〃 Frank said。 ¨What difference does it make who he is outside of that？〃
¨None； I guess；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You two certainly swarmed on him。〃
¨Thatˇs what youˇre supposed to do with a jerk。 Swarm on him。 We werenˇt really rude to him。〃
¨I thought you made your lack of sympathy clear；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨I heard a dog barking；〃 Roger said。 ¨The flares probably scared his dog。 Letˇs cut the flares out。 I know youˇre having fun； Frank。 Youˇre getting away with murder and nothing badˇs happened。 But why terrify the poor bloody dog？〃
¨That was his wife barking；〃 Frank said cheerily。 ¨Letˇs shoot one into his cabin and illuminate the whole domestic scene。〃
¨Iˇm getting the hell out of here；〃 Roger said。 ¨You joke the way I donˇt like。 I donˇt think jokes with motorcars are funny。 I donˇt think drunken flying is funny。 I donˇt think scaring dogs is funny。〃
¨Nobodyˇs keeping you；〃 Frank said。 ¨Lately youˇre a pain in the ass to everybody anyway。〃
¨Yes？〃
¨Sure。 You and Tom christing around。 Spoiling any fun。 All you reformed bastards。 You used to have plenty of fun。 Now nobody can have any。 You and your brand new social conscience。〃
¨So itˇs social conscience if I think it would be better not to set Brownˇs dock on fire？〃
¨Sure。 Itˇs just a form of it。 Youˇve got it bad。 I heard about you on the coast。〃
¨Why donˇt you take your pistol and go play somewhere else？〃 Johnny Goodner said to Frank。 ¨We were all having fun till you got so rough。〃
¨So youˇve got it； too；〃 Frank said。
¨Take it a little easy；〃 Roger warned him。
¨Iˇm the only guy here still likes to have any fun；〃 Frank said。 ¨All you big overgrown religious maniacs and social workers and hypocrites〃
¨Captain Frank；〃 Rupert leaned down over the edge of the dock。
¨Rupertˇs my only friend；〃 Frank looked up。 ¨Yes； Rupert？〃
¨Captain Frank； what about Commissioner？〃
¨Weˇll burn him； Rupert old boy。〃
¨God bless you； Captain Frank；〃 Rupert said。 ¨Care for any rum？〃
¨Iˇm fine； Rupert；〃 Frank told him。 ¨Everybody down now。〃
¨Everybody down；〃 Rupert ordered。 ¨Down flat。〃
Frank fired over the edge of the dock and the flare lit on the graveled walk just short of the Commissionerˇs porch and burned there。 The boys on the dock groaned。
¨Damn；〃 Rupert said。 ¨You nearly made her。 Bad luck。 Reload； Captain Frank。〃
The lights went on in the cockpit of the cruiser astern of them and the man was out there again。 This time he had a white shirt and white duck trousers on and he wore sneakers。 His hair was combed and his face was red with white patches。 The nearest man to him in the stern was John； who had his back to him； and next to John was Roger who was just sitting there looking gloomy。 There was about three feet of water between the two sterns and the man stood there and pointed his finger at Roger。
¨You slob；〃 he said。 ¨You rotten filthy slob。〃
Roger just looked up at him with a surprised look。
¨You mean me； donˇt you？〃 Frank called to him。 ¨And itˇs swine； not slob。〃
The man ignored him and went on at Roger。
¨You big fat slob；〃 the man almost choked。 ¨You phony。 You faker。 You cheap phony。 You rotten writer and lousy painter。〃
¨Who are you talking to and about what？〃 Roger stood up。
¨You。 You slob。 You phony you。 You coward。 Oh you slob。 You filthy slob。〃
¨Youˇre crazy；〃 Roger said quietly。
¨You slob；〃 the man said across the space of water that separated the two boats the same way someone might speak insultingly to an animal in one of those modern zoos where no bars； but only pits； separate the visitors from the beasts。 ¨You phony。〃
¨He means me；〃 Frank said happily。 ¨Donˇt you know me？ Iˇm the swine。〃
¨I mean you；〃 the man pointed his finger at Roger。 ¨You phony。〃
¨Look；〃 Roger said to him。 ¨Youˇre not talking to me at all。 Youˇre just talking to be able to repeat back in New York what you said to me。〃
He spoke reasonably and patiently as though he really wanted the man to understand and shut up。
¨You slob；〃 the man shouted； working himself further and further into this hysteria he had even dressed up for。 ¨You rotten filthy phony。〃
¨Youˇre not talking to me；〃 Roger repeated to him very quietly now and Thomas Hudson saw that he had decided。 ¨So shut up now。 If you want to talk to me get up on the dock。〃
Roger started up for the dock and； oddly enough； the man came climbing up on the dock as fast as you please。 He had talked himself into it and worked himself up to it。 But he was doing it。 The Negroes fell back and then closed in around the two of them leaving plenty of room。
Thomas Hudson didnˇt know what the man expected to happen when he got up on the dock。 No one said anything and there were all those black faces around him and he took a swing at Roger and Roger hit him in the mouth with a left and his mouth started to bleed。 He swung at Roger again and Roger hooked him hard to the right eye twice。 He grabbed hold of Roger and Rogerˇs sweatshirt tore when he dug the man in the belly hard with his right and then pushed him away and slapped him hard across the face backhand with his open left hand。
None of the Negroes had said a word。 They just kept the two men surrounded and gave them plenty of room。 Someone； Tom thought it was Johnˇs boy Fred； had turned the dock lights on and you could see well。
Roger went after the man and hooked him three times fast to the head high up。 The man grabbed him and his sweatshirt tore again as he pushed him away and jabbed him twice in the
