hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第30节
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¨No。 Iˇm all right from last week。〃
¨Got plenty of it here if you want it。 OK。 Now； you； Lucius； whatˇs your trouble？ What you spending money on now？〃
Thomas Hudson walked back along the dock where the Negroes were laughing at what the wind was doing to the girlsˇ and the womenˇs cotton dresses and then up the coral road to the Ponce de Le？n。
¨Tom；〃 Mr。 Bobby said。 ¨Come in and sit down。 By God whereˇve you been？ Weˇre just swept out and sheˇs officially open。 Come on and have the best one of the day。〃
¨Itˇs pretty early。〃
¨Nonsense。 Thatˇs good imported beer。 Weˇve got Dogˇs Head ale too。〃 He reached into a tub of ice； opened a bottle of Pilsner； and handed it to Thomas Hudson。 ¨You donˇt want a glass； do you？ Put that down and then decide if you want a drink or not。〃
¨I wonˇt work then。〃
¨Who gives a damn？ You work too much as it is。 You got a duty to yourself； Tom。 Your one and only life。 You canˇt just paint all the time。〃
¨We were in the boat yesterday and I didnˇt work。〃
Thomas Hudson was looking at the big canvas of the waterspouts that hung on the wall at the end of the bar。 It was a good painting； Thomas Hudson thought。 As good as he could do as of today； he thought。
¨I got to hang her higher；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Some gentleman got excited last night and tried to climb into the skiff。 I told him it would cost him ten thousand dollars if he put his foot through her。 Constable told him the same。 Constableˇs got an idea for one he wants you to paint to hang in his home。〃
¨What is it？〃
¨Constable wouldnˇt say。 Just that he had a very valuable idea he had intention to discuss with you。〃
Thomas Hudson was looking at the canvas closely。 It showed certain signs of wear。
¨By God； she sure stands up；〃 Bobby said proudly。 ¨The other night a gentleman let out a shout and threw a full mug of beer at the column of one of the waterspouts trying to break it down。 You wouldnˇt have known sheˇd ever been hit。 Never dented her。 Beer run off her like water。 By God； Tom； you sure painted her solid。〃
¨Sheˇll only take about so much though。〃
¨By God；〃 said Bobby。 ¨I ainˇt seen nothing faze her yet。 But Iˇm going to hang her higher just the same。 That gentleman last night worried me。〃
He handed Thomas Hudson another bottle of ice…cold Pilsner。
¨Tom； I want to tell you how sorry I am about the fish。 I know Eddy since we were boys and I never heard him lie。 About anything important； I mean。 I mean if you asked him to tell you something true。〃
¨It was a hell of a thing。 Iˇm not going to tell anybody about it。〃
¨Thatˇs the right way；〃 Bobby said。 ¨I just wanted you to know how sorry I was。 Why donˇt you finish that beer and have a drink？ We donˇt want to start feeling sad this early。 What would make you feel good？〃
¨I feel good enough。 Iˇm going to work this afternoon and I donˇt want to get logy。〃
¨Oh well； if I canˇt break you out maybe somebody will come in that I can。 Look at that damn yacht。 She must have taken a beating coming across with that shallow draft。〃
Thomas Hudson looked out the open door and saw the handsome； white； houseboat type craft coming up the channel。 She was one of the type that chartered out of a Mainland port to go down through the Florida Keys and on a day such as yesterday； calm and flat； she could have crossed the Gulf Stream without incident。 But today she must have taken a beating with her shallow draft and so much superstructure。 Thomas Hudson wondered that she had been able to come in over the bar with the sea that was running。
The houseboat ran up the harbor a little further to anchor and Thomas Hudson and Bobby watched her from the doorway； all white and brass and everyone that showed on her in whites。
¨Customers；〃 Mr。 Bobby said。 ¨Hope theyˇre nice people。 We havenˇt had a full…sized yacht in here since the tuna run was over。〃
¨Who is she？〃
¨I never seen her before。 Pretty boat； all right。 Certainly not built for the Gulf； though。〃
¨She probably left at midnight when it was calm and this hit her on the way over。〃
¨Thatˇs about it；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Must have been some rolling and some crashing。 Itˇs really blowing。 Well； weˇll see who they are shortly。 Tom； let me make you something； boy。 You make me nervous not drinking。〃
¨All right。 Iˇll have a gin and tonic。〃
¨No tonic water。 Joe took the last case up to the house。〃
¨A whisky sour then。〃
¨With Irish whisky and no sugar；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Three of them。 Here comes Roger。〃 Thomas Hudson saw him through the open door。
Roger came in。 He was barefooted； wore a faded pair of dungarees； and an old striped fishermanˇs shirt that was shrunken from washings。 You could see the back muscles move under it as he leaned forward and put his arms on the bar。 In the dim light of Bobbyˇs； his skin showed very dark and his hair was salt… and sun…streaked。
¨Theyˇre still sleeping；〃 he said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨Somebody beat up Eddy。 Did you see？〃
¨He was having fights all last night；〃 Bobby told him。 ¨They didnˇt amount to anything。〃
¨I donˇt like things to happen to Eddy；〃 Roger said。
¨Wasnˇt anything bad； Roger；〃 Bobby assured him。 ¨He was drinking and fighting people who wouldnˇt believe him。 Nobody did anything wrong to him。〃
¨I feel bad about David；〃 Roger said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨We shouldnˇt have ever let him do it。〃
¨Heˇs probably all right；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨He was sleeping well。 But it was my responsibility。 I was the one to call it off。〃
¨No。 You trusted me。〃
¨The father has the responsibility；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨And I turned it over to you when I had no right to。 It isnˇt anything to delegate。〃
¨But I took it；〃 Roger said。 ¨I didnˇt think it was harming him。 Neither did Eddy。〃
¨I know；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I didnˇt think it was either。 I thought something else was at stake。〃
¨So did I；〃 Roger said。 ¨But now I feel selfish and guilty as hell。〃
¨Iˇm his father；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨It was my fault。〃
¨Damn bad thing about that fish；〃 Bobby said； handing them the whisky sours and taking one himself。 ¨Letˇs drink to a bigger one。〃
¨No；〃 Roger said。 ¨I donˇt want to ever see a bigger one。〃
¨Whatˇs the matter with you； Roger？〃 Bobby asked。
¨Nothing；〃 Roger said。
¨Iˇm going to paint a couple of pictures of him for David。〃
¨Thatˇs wonderful。 Do you think you can get it？〃
¨With luck； maybe。 I can see it and I think I know how to do it。〃
¨You can do it all right。 You can do anything。 I wonder whoˇs on the yacht？〃
¨Look； Roger； youˇve been walking your remorse all over the island〃
¨Barefooted；〃 he said。
¨I just brought mine down here by way of Captain Ralphˇs run…boat。〃
¨I couldnˇt walk mine out and Iˇm certainly not going to try to drink it out；〃 Roger said。 ¨This is a mighty nice drink though； Bobby。〃
¨Yes sir；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Iˇll make you another one。 Get that old remorse on the run。〃
¨I had no business gambling with a kid；〃 Roger said。 ¨Somebody elseˇs boy。〃
¨It depends on what you were gambling for。〃
¨No； it doesnˇt。 You shouldnˇt gamble with kids。〃
¨I know。 I know what I was gambling for。 It wasnˇt a fish； either。〃
¨Sure；〃 Roger said。 ¨But it was the one you didnˇt need to do it to。 The one you didnˇt need to ever let anything like that happen to。〃
¨Heˇll be fine when he wakes up。 Youˇll see。 Heˇs a very intact boy。〃
¨Heˇs my goddamed hero；〃 Roger said。
¨Thatˇs a damned sight better than when you used to be your own goddamed hero。〃
¨Isnˇt it？〃 Roger said。 ¨Heˇs yours； too。〃
¨I know it；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Heˇs good for both of us。〃
¨Roger；〃 Mr。 Bobby said。 ¨Are you and Tom any sort of kin？〃
¨Why？〃
¨I thought you were。 You donˇt look too different。〃
¨Thanks；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Thank him yourself； Roger。〃
¨Thank you very much； Bobby；〃 Roger said。 ¨Do you really think I look like this combination man and painter？〃
¨You look like quarter brothers and the boys look like both of you。〃
¨Weˇre no kin；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨We just used to live in the same town and make some of the same mistakes。〃
¨Well； the hell with it；〃 Mister Bobby said。 ¨Drink up and quit all this remorse talk。 It donˇt sound good this time of day in a bar。 I got remorse from Negroes； mates on charter boats； cooks off yachts； millionaires and their wives； big rum runners； grocery store people； one…eyed men off turtle boats； sons of bitches； anybody。 Donˇt letˇs have no morning remorse。 A big wind is the time to drink。 Weˇre through with remorse。 That remorse is old stuff anyway。 Since they got the radio everybody just listens to the BBC。 There ainˇt no time and no room for remorse。〃
¨Do you listen to it； Bobby？〃
¨Just to Big Ben。 The rest of it makes me restless。〃
¨Bobby；〃 Roger said。 ¨Youˇre a great and good man。〃
¨Neither。 But Iˇm certainly pleased to see you looking more cheerful。〃
¨I am；〃 said Roger。 ¨What sort of people do you think weˇll get off that yacht？〃
¨Customers；〃 s
