hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第91章
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The good； brave； worthless son of a bitch； Thomas Hudson thought。 Old Willie。 He made up my mind for me when I was starting to put things off。 I would rather have a good Marine； even a ruined Marine； than anything in the world when there are chips down。 And we have chips down now。 Good luck； Mr。 Willie； he thought。 And donˇt drop dead。
¨How are you； Henry？〃 he asked softly。
¨Fine； Tom。 It was very gallant of Willie to go in； donˇt you think？〃
¨He never even heard of the word；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨He just conceived it to be his duty。〃
¨Iˇm sorry we havenˇt been friends。〃
¨Everybody is friends when things are bad enough。〃
¨Iˇm going to be friends from now on。〃
¨Weˇre all going to do a lot of things from now on；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I wish from now on would start。〃
XVIII
THEY WERE LYING ON THE HOT DECK watching the line of the key。 The sun was strong on their backs but the wind cooled them。 Their backs were nearly as brown as the sea Indian women they had seen this morning on the outer key。 That seemed as long ago as all his life； Thomas Hudson thought。 That and the open sea and the long breaking reefs and the dark depthless tropic sea beyond were as far away as all of his life was now。 We could have just gone up the open sea with this breeze and made Cayo Franc？s and Peters would have answered their blinker and we all would have had cold beer tonight。 Donˇt think about it； boy； he thought。 This is what you had to do。
¨Henry；〃 he said。 ¨How are you doing？〃
¨Splendidly； Tom；〃 Henry said very softly。 ¨A frag couldnˇt blow up from getting too hot in the sun could it？〃
¨Iˇve never seen it。 But it can increase their potency。〃
¨I hope Araˇs got some water；〃 Henry said。
¨Donˇt you remember them putting it in？〃
¨No； Tom。 I was looking after my own equipment and I didnˇt notice。〃
Then against the wind they heard the noise of the outboard on the dinghy。 Thomas Hudson turned his head carefully and saw her round the point。 The dinghy was riding high and Ara was in the stern。 He could see the width of his shoulders and his black head at this distance。 Thomas Hudson turned his head again to watch the key and he saw a night heron rise from the trees in the center and fly away。 Then he saw two wood ibis rise and wheel and fly off with quick…flapping； then coasting； then quick…flapping wing beats downwind toward the little key。
Henry had watched them； too； and he said； ¨Willie must be getting pretty well in。〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨They came off the high ridge in the center of the key。〃
¨Then nobody else was there。〃
¨Not if it was Willie who scared them。〃
¨Thatˇs about where Willie would be by now if he didnˇt have too bad going。〃
¨Keep down low now when Ara comes。〃
Ara brought the dinghy along the careened lee of the turtle boat and put the grapnel aboard against the gunwale。 He climbed carefully aboard with the ease of a bear。 He had a water bottle and a bottle of tea in an old gin bottle each tied to a piece of heavy fishing line that suspended them over his neck。 He crawled up to lie beside Thomas Hudson。
¨What about some of the damn water？〃 Henry asked。
Ara laid his stuff down beside Thomas Hudsonˇs； untied the water bottle from the fish line and crawled carefully along the slanted deck above the two hatches to where Henry was stationed。
¨Drink it；〃 he said。 ¨Donˇt try to bathe with it。〃
He slapped Henry on the back and crawled back to lie beside Thomas Hudson。
¨Tom；〃 he said； speaking very low。 ¨We saw nothing。 I landed Willie on the far side almost directly opposite us and went out to the ship。 There I went aboard on the lee side away from the key。 I explained everything to Antonio and he understood well。 Then I filled the outboard with gas and filled the reserve can and brought out the iced tea and the water。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 He dropped down the deck a little way and took a long pull at the bottle of iced tea。
¨Thank you very much for the tea。〃
¨It was Antonio thought of it。 We forgot certain things in our hurry at the start。〃
¨Move down toward the stern so you can cover it。〃
¨Yes； Tom；〃 Ara said。
They lay there in the sun and the wind and each one watched the key。 Occasionally a bird； or a pair of birds would fly up； and they knew these birds had been frightened either by Willie or by the others。
¨The birds must make Willie angry；〃 Ara said。 ¨He didnˇt think about that when he went in。〃
¨He might just as well be sending up balloons；〃 Thomas Hudson answered。
He was thinking and he turned to look over his shoulder。
He did not like any of it now。 There were too many birds getting up from the key。 And what reason now had they to believe that the others were in there now？ Why would they have gone in there in the first place？ Lying on the deck he had a hollow feeling in his chest that both he and Willie had been deceived。 Maybe they havenˇt sucked us in。 But it does not look good with so many birds getting up； he thought。 Another pair of wood ibis rose not far from the shore and Thomas Hudson turned to Henry and said； ¨Get down in the forward hatch； Henry； please； and keep watch inland。〃
¨Itˇs awfully messy in there。〃
¨I know。〃
¨All right； Tom。〃
¨Leave your frags and clips。 Just take a frag in your pocket and the ni？o。〃
Henry eased himself down into the hatch and looked out toward the inside keys that masked the channel。 His expression had not changed。 But he was tight…lipped keeping it in order。
¨Iˇm sorry about it； Henry；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him。 ¨Itˇs just the way it has to be for a while。〃
¨I donˇt mind it；〃 Henry said。 Then the studied severity of his face cracked and he smiled his wonderful good smile。 ¨Itˇs that it isnˇt exactly the way I would plan to spend a summer。〃
¨Me either。 But things donˇt look so open and shut right now。〃
A bittern came out from the mangroves and Thomas Hudson heard it squawk and watched its nervous swooping flight downwind。 Then he settled down to trace Willieˇs progress along the mangroves by the rising and the flight of the birds。 When the birds stopped rising he was sure he was headed back。 Then after a time they were being put up again and he knew Willie was working out the windward curve of the key。 After three…quarters of an hour he saw a great white heron rise in panic and start its slow heavy wing…beats to windward and he said to Ara； ¨Heˇll be out now。 Better go down to the point and pick him up。〃
¨I see him；〃 Ara said in a moment。 ¨He just waved。 Heˇs lying down just in from the beach。〃
¨Go get him and bring him back lying down。〃
Ara slid back down to the dinghy with his weapon and with a couple of frags in his pockets。 He got into the stern of the dinghy and cast her off。
¨Toss me the tea bottle； will you； Tom？〃
Ara caught it using both hands for surety instead of the one…hand catch he would usually have made。 He enjoyed catching frags one…handed and the hardest way possible just as he enjoyed crimping detonator caps with his teeth。 But this tea was for Willie and he appreciated what Willie had been through； even though there were no results and he placed the bottle carefully under the stern and hoped it was still cool。
¨What do you think； Tom？〃 Henry asked。
¨Weˇre fucked。 For the moment。〃
In a little while the dinghy was alongside and Willie was lying in the bottom with the bottle of tea in both hands。 His hands and face were scratched and bloody； although he had washed them with sea water； and one sleeve was torn off his shirt。 His face was bulging with mosquito bites and there were lumps from mosquito bites wherever his flesh was bare。
¨Thereˇs not a goddam thing； Tom；〃 he said。 ¨They never were on that key。 You and I werenˇt too damned smart。〃
¨No。〃
¨What do you think？〃
¨They went inside after they grounded。 Whether for keeps or to make a recon of the channels I donˇt know。〃
¨Do you think they saw us board？〃
¨They could have seen everything or nothing。 Theyˇre pretty low in the water to see。〃
¨They ought to have heard it downwind。〃
¨They shoul
