hemingway, ernest - garden of eden-第31章

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〃No；〃　the　girl　said。　〃She　went　off　on　her　bike。〃
〃My　God；〃　David　said。　〃She　hasn't　ridden　a　bike　since　we　bought　the　Bug。〃
〃That's　what　she　said。　She's　taking　it　up　again。　Did　you　have　a　good　morning？〃
〃I　don't　know。　I'll　know　tomorrow。〃
〃Are　you　eating　breakfast？〃
〃I　don't　know。　It's　late。〃
〃I　wish　you　would。〃
〃I'll　go　in　and　get　cleaned　up；〃　he　told　her。
He　had　taken　a　shower　and　was　shaving　when　Catherine　came　in。　She　was　wearing　an　old　Grau　du　Roi　shirt　and　short　linen　slacks　chopped　off　below　the　knees　and　she　was　hot　and　her　shirt　was　wet　through。
〃It's　wonderful；〃　she　said。　〃But　I'd　forgotten　what　it　does　to　your　upper　thighs　when　you　climb。〃
〃Did　you　ride　very　far；　Devil？〃
〃Six　kilometers；〃　she　said。　〃It　was　nothing　but　I'd　forgotten　about　the　c6tes。〃
〃It's　awfully　hot　to　ride　now　unless　you　go　in　the　very　early　mornings；〃　David　said。　〃I'm　glad　you　started　again　though。〃
She　was　under　the　shower　now　and　when　she　came　out　she　said；　〃Now　see　how　dark　we　are　together。　We're　just　the　way　we　planned。〃
〃You're　darker。〃
〃Not　much。　You're　terribly　dark　too。　Look　at　us　together。〃　They　looked　at　each　other　standing　touching　in　the　long　mirror　on　the　door。
〃Oh　you　like　us；〃　she　said。　〃That's　nice。　So　do　I。　Touch　here　and　see。〃
She　stood　very　straight　and　he　put　his　hand　on　her　breasts。
〃I'll　put　on　one　of　my　tight　shirts　so　you　can　tell　what　I　think


'74　'75
。　。


about　things；〃　she　said。　〃Isn't　it　funny　our　hair　hasn't　any　color　at　all　when　it's　wet？　It's　pale　as　seaweed。〃

She　took　a　comb　and　combed　her　hair　straight　back　so　it　looked　as　though　she　had　just　come　out　of　the　sea。

〃I'm　going　to　wear　mine　this　way　now　again；〃　she　said。　〃Like　Grau　du　Roi　and　here　in　the　spring。〃

〃I　like　it　across　your　forehead。〃

〃I'm　tired　of　that。　But　I　can　do　it　if　you　like。　Do　you　think　we　could　go　into　town　and　have　breakfast　at　the　cafe？〃

〃Haven't　you　had　breakfast？〃

〃I　wanted　to　wait　for　you。〃

〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　go　in　and　get　breakfast。　I'm　hungry　too。

They　had　a　very　good　breakfast　of　cafe　au　lait；　brioche　and　strawberry　jam　and　oeufs　au　plat　avec　jambon　and　when　they　were　finished　Catherine　asked；　〃Would　you　come　over　with　me　to　Jean's？　It's　the　day　I　go　to　get　my　hair　washed　and　I'm　going　to　have　it　cut。〃

〃I'll　wait　here　for　you。〃

〃Wouldn't　you　please　come？　You　did　it　before　and　it　wasn't　bad　for　anybody。〃

〃No；　Devil。　I　did　once　but　that　was　just　once。　Like　getting　tattooed　or　something。　Don't　ask　me　to。〃

〃It　doesn't　mean　anything　except　to　me。　I　want　us　to　be　just　the　same。

〃We　can't　be　the　same。〃

〃Yes　we　could　if　you'd　let　us。

〃I　really　don't　want　to　do　it。〃

〃Not　if　I　say　it's　all　I　want？〃

〃Why　can't　you　want　something　that　makes　sense？〃

〃I　do。　But　I　want　us　to　be　the　same　and　you　almost　are　and　it　wouldn't　be　any　trouble　to　do。　The　sea's　done　all　the　work。〃

〃Then　let　the　sea　do　it。〃

〃I　want　it　for　today。〃
〃Then　you'll　be　happy　I　suppose。
〃I'm　happy　now　because　you're　going　to　do　it　and　I'll　stay　happy。　You　love　how　I　look。　You　know　you　do。　Think　of　it　that　way。
〃It's　silly。〃
〃No　it　isn't。　Not　when　it's　you　and　you　do　it　to　please　me。〃
〃How　badly　will　you　feel　if　I　don't？〃
〃I　don't　know。　But　very。〃
〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃It　really　means　all　that　to　you？〃
〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Oh；　thank　you。　It　won't　take　very　long　this　time。　I　told　Jean　we'd　be　there　and　he's　staying　open　for　us。〃
〃Are　you　always　that　confident　I'll　do　things？〃
〃I　knew　you　would　if　you　knew　how　much　I　wanted　it。〃
〃I　wanted　very　much　not　to。　You　shouldn't　ask　it。〃
〃You　won't　care。　It's　nothing　and　afterwards　it　will　be　fun。　Don't　worry　about　Marita。〃
〃What　about　her？〃
〃She　said　that　if　you　wouldn't　do　it　for　me　to　ask　you　if　you'd　do　it　for　her。〃
〃Don't　make　things　up。〃
〃No。　She　said　it　this　morning。〃


〃I　wish　you　could　see　yourself；〃　Catherine　said。
〃I'm　glad　I　can't。〃
〃I　wish　you'd　looked　in　the　glass。〃
〃I　couldn't。〃
〃Just　look　at　me。　That's　how　you　are　and　I　did　it　and　there's　nothing　you　can　do　now。　That's　how　you　look。〃
〃We　couldn't　really　have　done　that；〃　David　said。　〃I　couldn't　look　the　way　you　do。〃
'Well；　we　did；〃　Catherine　said。　〃And　you　do。　So　you　better　start　to　like　it。〃　xx
〃We　can't　have　done　that；　Devil。〃

176　'77
。

〃Yes　we　did。　You　knew　it　too。　You　just　wouldn't　look。　And　we　re　damned　now。　I　was　and　now　you　are。　Look　at　me　and　see　how　much　you　like　it。〃
David　looked　at　her　eyes　that　he　loved　and　at　her　dark　face　and　the　incredibly　flat　ivory　color　of　her　hair　and　at　how　happy　she　looked　and　he　began　to　realize　what　a　completely　stupid　thing　he　had　permitted。
Chapter　Twenty…two

HE　DID　NOT　THINK　that　he　could　go　on　with　the　story　that　morning　and　for　a　long　time　he　could　not。　But　he　knew　that　he　must　and　finally　he　had　started　and　they　were　following　the　spoor　of　the　elephant　on　an　old　elephant　trail　that　was　a　hard　packed　worn　road　through　the　forest。　It　looked　as　though　elephants　had　travelled　it　ever　since　the　lava　had　cooled　from　the　mountain　and　the　trees　had　first　grown　tall　and　close。　Juma　was　very　confident　and　they　moved　fast。　Both　his　father　and　Juma　seemed　very　sure　of　themselves　and　the　going　on　the　elephant　road　was　so　easy　that　Juma　gave　him　the　。303　to　carry　as　they　went　on　through　the　broken　light　of　the　forest。　Then　they　lost　the　trail　in　smoking　piles　of　fresh　dung　and　the　flat　round　prints　of　a　herd　of　elephants　that　had　come　onto　the　elephant　road　from　the　heavy　forest　on　the　left　of　the　trail。　Juma　had　taken　the　。303　from　David　angrily。　It　was　afternoon　before　they　had　worked　up　to　the　herd　and　around　it　seeing　the　gray　bulks　through　the　trees　and　the　movement　of　the　big　ears　and　the　searching　trunks　coiling　and　uncoiling；　the　crash　of　branches　broken；　the　crash
I　78　'79
。　。
of　trees　pushed　over　and　the　rumbling　in　the　bellies　of　the　elephants　and　the　slap　and　thud　of　the　dung　falling。

They　had　found　the　trail　of　the　old　bull　finally　and　when　it　turned　off　onto　a　smaller　elephant　road　Juma　had　looked　at　David's　father　and　grinned　showing　his　filed　teeth　and　his　father　had　nodded　his　head。　They　looked　as　though　they　had　a　dirty　secret；　just　as　they　had　looked　when　he　had　found　them　that　night　at　the　shamba。

It　was　not　very　long　before　they　came　on　the　secret。　It　was　off　to　the　right　in　the　forest　and　the　tracks　of　the　old　bull　led　to　it。　It　was　a　skull　as　high　as　David's　chest　and　white　from　the　sun　and　the　rains。　There　was　a　deep　depression　in　the　forehead　and　ridges　ran　from　between　the　bare　white　eye　sockets　and　flared　out　in　empty　broken　holes　where　the　tusks　had　been　chopped　away。　Juma　pointed　out　where　the　great　elephant　they　were　trailing　had　stood　while　he　looked　down　at　the　skull　and　where　his　trunk　had　moved　it　a　little　way　from　the　place　it　had　rested　on　the　ground　and　where　the　points　of　his　tusks　had　touched　the　ground　beside　it。　He　showed　David　the　single　hole　in　the　big　depression　in　the　white　bone　of　forehead　and　then　the　four　holes　close　together　in　the　bone　around　the　ear　hole。　He　grinned　at　David　and　at　his　father　and　took　a　。303　solid　from　his　pocket　and　fitted　the　nose　into　the　hole　in　the　bone　of　the　forehead。

〃Here　is　where　Juma　wounded　the　big　bull；〃　his　father　said。　〃This　was　his　asizari。　His　friend；　really；　because　he　was　a　big　bull　too。　He　charged　and　Juma　knocked　him　down　and　finished　him　in　the　ear。〃

Juma　was　pointing　out　the　scattered　bones　and　how　the　big　bull　had　walked　around　among　them。　Juma　and　David's　father　were　both　very　pleased　with　what　they　had　found。

〃How　long　do　you　suppose　he　and　his　friend　had　been　together？〃　David　asked　his　father。

〃I　haven't　the　faintest　idea；〃　his　father　said。　〃Ask　Juma。〃

〃You　ask　him　please。〃

His　father　and　Juma　spoke　together　and　Juma　had　looked　at　David　and　laughed。

〃Probably　four　or　five　times　your　life　he　says；〃　David's　father　told　him。　〃He　doesn't　know　or　care　really。〃

I　care；　David　thought。　I　saw　him　in　the　moonlight　and　he　was　alone　but　I　had　Kibo。　Kibo　has　me　too。　The　bull　wasn't　doing　anyone　any　harm　and　now　we've　tracked　him　to　where　he　came　to　see　his　dead　friend　and　now　we're　going　to　kill　him。　It's　my　fault。　I　betrayed　him。

Now　Juma　had　worked　out　the　trail　and　motioned　to　his　father　and　they　started　on。

M