hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第25节
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Steadily； slowly； with David holding him with all the strain the line would take； the fish took out all the line the boy had just recovered and a little more。 Then the boy held him。
¨All right。 Get to work on him；〃 Roger said quietly。 ¨He widened his circle a little bit but heˇs on the in…swing now。〃
Thomas Hudson was using the engines only occasionally now to keep the fish astern。 He was trying to do everything for the boy that the boat could do and he was trusting the boy and the fight to Roger。 As he saw it there was no other thing to do。
On the next circle the fish gained a little line again。 On the circle after that he gained too。 But the boy still had almost half the line on the reel。 He was still working the fish exactly as he should and delivering each time Roger asked him to do something。 But he was getting very tired and the sweat and salt water had made salty blotches on his brown back and shoulders。
¨Two hours even；〃 Eddy said to Roger。 ¨Howˇs your head； Davy？〃
¨All right。〃
¨Not ache？〃
The boy shook his head。
¨You better drink some water this time；〃 Eddy said。
David nodded and drank when Andrew put the glass to his lips。
¨How do you feel； Davy； really？〃 Roger asked him； bending close over him；
¨Fine。 All except my back and legs and arms。〃 He shut his eyes for an instant and held to the bucking of the rod as the line went out against the heavy drag。
¨I donˇt want to talk；〃 he said。
¨You can get some on him now；〃 Roger told him and the boy went back to work。
¨Davidˇs a saint and a martyr；〃 Tom said to his father。 ¨Boys donˇt have brothers like David。 Do you mind if I talk； papa？ Iˇm awfully nervous about this。〃
¨Go ahead and talk； Tommy。 Weˇre both worried。〃
¨Heˇs always been wonderful； you know；〃 Tom said。 ¨Heˇs not a damn genius nor an athlete like Andy。 Heˇs just wonderful。 I know you love him the most and thatˇs right because heˇs the best of us and I know this must be good for him or you wouldnˇt let him do it。 But it certainly makes me nervous。〃
Thomas Hudson put an arm around his shoulder and steered； looking astern with only one hand on the wheel。
¨The trouble is； Tommy； what it would do to him if we made him give it up。 Roger and Eddy know everything about what theyˇre doing and I know they love him and wouldnˇt have him do what he canˇt do。〃
¨But there is no limit with him； papa。 Truly。 Heˇll always do what he canˇt do。〃
¨You trust me and Iˇll trust Roger and Eddy。〃
¨All right。 But Iˇm going to pray for him now。〃
¨You do；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Why did you say I loved him the best？〃
¨You ought to。〃
¨Iˇve loved you the longest。〃
¨Letˇs not think about me nor you。 Letˇs both of us pray for Davy。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Now look。 We hooked him right at noon。 Thereˇs going to be some shade now。 I think weˇve got some already。 Iˇm going to work her around very softly and put Davy in the shade。〃
Thomas Hudson called down to Roger。 ¨If itˇs OK with you； Roge； Iˇd like to work her around slow and put Dave in the shade。 I donˇt think it will make any difference with the fish the way heˇs circling and weˇll be on his real course。〃
¨Fine；〃 Roger said。 ¨I should have thought of it。〃
¨There hasnˇt been any shade until now；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He worked the boat around so slowly； just swinging her on her stern； that they lost almost no line by the maneuver。 Davidˇs head and shoulders were now shaded by the aft part of the house。 Eddy was wiping the boyˇs neck and shoulders with a towel and putting alcohol on his back and on the back of his neck。
¨Howˇs that； Dave？〃 young Tom called down to him。
¨Wonderful；〃 David said。
¨I feel better about him now；〃 young Tom said。 ¨You know at school somebody said David was my half brother； not my real brother； and I told him we didnˇt have half brothers in our family。 I wish I didnˇt worry so much though； papa。〃
¨Youˇll get over it。〃
¨In a family like ours somebody has to worry；〃 young Tom said。 ¨But I never worry about you anymore。 Itˇs David now。 I guess I better make a couple of more drinks。 I can pray while I make them。 Do you want one； papa？〃
¨Iˇd love one。〃
¨Eddy probably needs one pretty badly；〃 the boy said。 ¨It must be nearly three hours。 Eddyˇs only had one drink in three hours。 Iˇve certainly been remiss about things。 Why do you suppose Mr。 Davis wouldnˇt take one； papa？〃
¨I didnˇt think he would take one while David was going through all that。〃
¨Maybe he will now Daveˇs in the shade。 Iˇll try him now anyway。〃
He went below。
¨I donˇt think so； Tommy；〃 Thomas Hudson heard Roger say。
¨You havenˇt had one all day； Mr。 Davis；〃 Tom urged。
¨Thanks； Tommy；〃 Roger said。 ¨You drink a bottle of beer for me。〃 Then he called up to the wheel。 ¨Put her ahead a little easy； Tom。 Heˇs coming better on this tack。〃
¨Ahead a little easy；〃 Thomas Hudson repeated。
The fish was still circling deep； but in the direction the boat was headed now he was shortening the circle。 It was the direction he wanted to move in。 Now； too； it was easier to see the slant of the line。 It was easier to see its true slant much deeper in the dark water with the sun behind the boat and Thomas Hudson felt safer steering with the fish。 He thought how fortunate it was that the day was calm for he knew David could never have taken the punishment that he would have had if he were hooked to such a fish in even a moderate sea。 Now that David was in the shade and the sea stayed calm he began to feel better about it all。
¨Thanks； Tommy；〃 he heard Eddy say and then the boy climbed up with his paper…wrapped glass and Thomas Hudson tasted； took a swallow and felt the cold that had the sharpness of the lime； the aromatic varnishy taste of the Angostura and the gin stiffening the lightness of the ice…cold coconut water。
¨Is it all right； papa？〃 the boy asked。 He had a bottle of beer from the icebox that was perspiring cold drops in the sun。
¨Itˇs excellent；〃 his father told him。 ¨You put in plenty of gin too。〃
¨I have to；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Because the ice melts so fast。 We ought to have some sort of insulated holders for the glasses so the ice wouldnˇt melt。 Iˇm going to work out something at school。 I think I could make them out of cork blocks。 Maybe I can make them for you for Christmas。〃
¨Look at Dave now；〃 his father said。
David was working on the fish as though he had just started the fight。
¨Look how sort of slab…sided he is；〃 young Tom said。 ¨His chest and his back are all the same。 He looks sort of like he was glued together。 But heˇs got the longest arm muscles you could ever see。 Theyˇre just as long on the back of his arms as on the front。 The biceps and the triceps I mean。 Heˇs certainly built strangely； papa。 Heˇs a strange boy and heˇs the best damn brother you can have。〃
Down in the cockpit Eddy had drained his glass and was wiping Davidˇs back with a towel again。 Then he wiped his chest and his long arms。
¨You all right； Davy？〃
David nodded。
¨Listen；〃 Eddy told him； ¨Iˇve seen a grown man； strong； shoulders like a bull； yellow…out and quit on half the work youˇve put in on that fish already。〃
David kept on working。
¨Big man。 Your Dad and Roger both know him。 Trained for it。 Fishing all the time。 Hooked the biggest goddam fish a man ever hooked and yellowed out and quit on him just because he hurt。 Fish made him hurt so he quit。 You just keep it steady； Davy。〃
David did not say anything。 He was saving his breath and pumping； lowering； raising； and reeling。
¨This damn fish is so strong because heˇs a he；〃 Eddy told him。 ¨If it was a she it would have quit long ago。 It would have bust its insides or its heart or burst its roe。 In this kind of fish the he is the strongest。 In lots of other fish itˇs the she that is strongest。 But not with broadbill。 Heˇs awfully strong； Davy。 But youˇll get him。〃
The line started to go out again and David shut his eyes a moment； braced his bare feet against the wood； hung back against the rod； and rested。
¨Thatˇs right； Davy；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Only work when youˇre working。 Heˇs just circling。 But the drag makes him work for it and itˇs tiring him all the time。〃
Eddy turned his head and looked below and Thomas Hudson knew from the way he squinted his eyes that he was looking at the big brass clock on the cabin wall。
¨Itˇs five over three； Roger；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇve been with him three hours and five minutes； Davy old boy。〃
They were at the point where David should have started to gain line。 But instead the line was going out steadily。
¨Heˇs sounding again；〃 Roger said。 ¨Watch yourself； Davy。 Can you see the line OK； Tom？〃
¨I can see it OK；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 It was not yet at a very steep slant and he could see it a long way down in the water from the top of the house。
¨He may want to go down to die；〃 Thomas Hudson told his oldest boy； speaking very low。 ¨That would ruin Dave。〃
Young Tom shook his head and bit his lips。
¨Hold him all you can； Dave；〃 Thomas Hudson heard Roge
