hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第52节
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trictly from wet decks。 I say one friendly understanding word now and I am not a gentleman。〃
¨They werenˇt really awfully good； were they？〃 Henry said； blushing again。
¨Awfully good？ We ought to have poured gasoline on them and set them on fire。〃
¨How horrible；〃 Honest Lil said。
¨Listen； lady；〃 the dark boy said。 ¨I am horrible。〃
¨Willie；〃 Henry said。 ¨Do you want the key to Sin House and go over and see if everything is all right？〃
¨I do not；〃 the dark boy said。 ¨I have a key to Sin House as you have evidently forgotten and I do not want to go over there and see if everything is all right。 The only way everything is all right there is whenever you or I kick those cunts into the street。〃
¨But suppose we canˇt get anything else？〃
¨We have got to get something else。 Lillian； why donˇt you get off that stool and onto that telephone。 Forget that little dwarf。 Get that gnome out of your mind； Henry。 You keep on with things like that and youˇll be psycho。 I know。 Iˇve been psycho。〃
¨Youˇre psycho now；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。
¨Maybe I am； Tom。 You should know。 But I donˇt fuck gnomes。〃 （He pronounced the word Guhnomays。） ¨If Henry has to have a guhnomay thatˇs his business。 But I donˇt believe he has to have one any more than he has to have one…armed women or one…legged women。 Let him forget the goddam guhnomay and get Lillian there onto the telephone。〃
¨Iˇll take any good girls we can get；〃 Henry said。 ¨I hope youˇre not mixed up； Willie？〃
¨We donˇt want good girls；〃 Willie said。 ¨You start on that； right away youˇll get psycho in a different way。 Am I right； Tommy？ Good girls is the most dangerous thing of all。 Besides they will get you either on a contributing to delinquency or on a rape or attempted rape。 Out with that good girls stuff。 We want whores。 Nice； clean； attractive； interesting； inexpensive whores。 That can fuck。 Lillian； what is keeping you away from that telephone？〃
¨One thing is that a man is using it and another is waiting by the cigar counter for him to finish；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Youˇre a bad boy； Willie。〃
¨Iˇm a horrible boy；〃 Willie said。 ¨Iˇm the worst goddam boy youˇll ever know。 But Iˇd like us to get better organized than we are now。〃
¨Weˇre going to have a drink or so；〃 Henry said。 ¨Then Iˇm sure Lillian will find someone that she knows。 Wonˇt you； my beauty？〃
¨Of course；〃 Honest Lil said in Spanish。 ¨Why couldnˇt I？ But I want to telephone from a telephone in a booth。 Not from here。 It isnˇt proper to call from here and it isnˇt fitting。〃
¨A delay；〃 Willie said。 ¨All right。 I accept it。 Just another delay。 Letˇs drink then。〃
¨What the hell have you been doing？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Tommy； I love you；〃 Willie said。 ¨What the hell have you been doing yourself？〃
¨I had a few with Ignacio Natera Revello。〃
¨That sounds like an Italian cruiser；〃 Willie said。 ¨Wasnˇt there an Italian cruiser named that？〃
¨I donˇt think so。〃
¨It sounds like it； anyway。〃
¨Let me see the tabs；〃 Henry said。 ¨How many were there； Tom？〃
¨Ignacio took them。 I won them from him rolling。〃
¨How many were there really？〃 Henry asked。
¨I think four。〃
¨What did you drink before that？〃
¨A Tom Collins coming in。〃
¨And at home？〃
¨Plenty。〃
¨Youˇre just a damned rummy；〃 Willie said。 ¨Pedrico； three more double frozen daiquiris and whatever the lady wants。〃
¨Un highbalito con agua mineral；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Tommy； come and sit with me at the other end of the bar。 They donˇt like me to sit at this end of the bar。〃
¨The hell with them；〃 Willie said。 ¨Great friends like us that never see each other and then we canˇt have a drink with you at this end of the bar。 The hell with that。〃
¨Iˇm sure youˇre all right here； beauty；〃 Henry said。 Then he saw two planter friends of his farther down the bar and went to speak to them without waiting for his drink。
¨Heˇs off now；〃 Willie said。 ¨Heˇll forget about the guhnomay now。〃
¨Heˇs very distrait；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Heˇs awfully distrait。〃
¨Itˇs the life we lead；〃 Willie said。 ¨Just the ceaseless pursuit of pleasure for pleasureˇs sake。 Goddammit； we ought to pursue pleasure seriously。〃
¨Tomˇs not distrait；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Tom is sad。〃
¨Cut out that shit；〃 Willie said to her。 ¨What are you pissed off about？ First somebody is distrait。 Then somebody is sad。 Before that Iˇm horrible。 So what？ Where does a cunt like you get off criticizing people all the time？ Donˇt you know youˇre supposed to be gay？〃
Honest Lil began to cry； real tears； bigger and wetter than any in the movies。 She could always cry real tears any time she wanted to or needed to or was hurt。
¨That cunt cries bigger tears than mother used to make；〃 Willie said。
¨Willie； you shouldnˇt call me that。〃
¨Cut it out； Willie；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Willie； you are a cruel wicked boy and I hate you；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨I donˇt know why men like Thomas Hudson and Henry go around with you。 You are wicked and you talk vile。〃
¨Youˇre a lady；〃 Willie said。 ¨You shouldnˇt says things like that。 Vile is a bad word。 Itˇs like spit on the end of your cigar。〃
Thomas Hudson put his hand on the boyˇs shoulder。
¨Drink up； Willie。 Nobodyˇs feeling too good。〃
¨Henryˇs feeling good。 I could tell him what you told me and then heˇd feel awful。〃
¨You asked me。〃
¨That isnˇt what I mean。 Why donˇt you split your goddam grief？ Why did you keep that by yourself the last two weeks？〃
¨Grief doesnˇt split。〃
¨A grief hoarder；〃 Willie said。 ¨I never thought youˇd be a goddamned grief hoarder。〃
¨I donˇt need any of this； Willie；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him。 ¨Thank you very much； though。 You donˇt have to work on me。〃
¨OK。 Hoard it。 But itˇll do you no damn good。 I tell you I was brought up on the goddamned stuff。〃
¨So was I；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨No shit。〃
¨Were you really？ Then maybe your own systemˇs best。 You were getting to look pretty screwy； though。〃
¨Thatˇs just from drinking and being tired and not relaxed yet。〃
¨You hear from your woman？〃
¨Sure。 Three letters。〃
¨Howˇs that going？〃
¨Couldnˇt be worse。〃
¨Well；〃 Willie said。 ¨There we are。 You might as well hoard it so as to have something。〃
¨Iˇve got something。〃
¨Sure。 Your cat Boise loves you。 I know that。 Iˇve seen that。 How is the screwy old bastard？〃
¨Just as screwy。〃
¨He beats the shit out of me；〃 Willie said。 ¨He does。〃
¨He certainly sweats things out。〃
¨Doesnˇt he； though？ ？ If I suffered like that cat does Iˇd be nuts。 What are you drinking； Thomas？〃
¨Another one of those。〃
Willie put his arm around Honest Lilˇs ample waist。 ¨Listen； Lilly；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇre a good girl。 I didnˇt mean to get you sore。 It was my fault。 I was feeling emotional。〃
¨You wonˇt talk that way any more？〃
¨No。 Not unless I get emotional。〃
¨Hereˇs yours；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him。 ¨Hereˇs to you； you son of a bitch。〃
¨Now youˇre talking；〃 Willie said。 ¨Now youˇve got the old pecker pointed north。 We ought to have that cat Boise here。 Heˇd be proud of you。 See what I meant by sharing it？〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I see。〃
¨All right；〃 Willie said。 ¨Weˇll drop it。 Put out your can； here comes the garbage man。 Look at that damn Henry。 Get a load of him。 What do you suppose makes him sweat like that on a cold day like today？〃
¨Girls；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨He is obsessed with them。〃
¨Obsessed；〃 Willie said。 ¨You bore a hole in his head anywhere you want with a half…inch bit and women would run out。 Obsessed。 Why donˇt you get a word that would fit it？〃
¨Obsessed is a strong word in Spanish anyway。〃
¨Obsessed？ Obsessed is nothing。 If I get time this afternoon Iˇll think up the word。〃
¨Tom； come down to the other end of the bar where we can talk and I can be comfortable。 Will you buy me a sandwich？ Iˇve been out all morning with Henry。〃
¨Iˇm going to the Basque Bar；〃 Willie said。 ¨Bring him over there； Lil。〃
¨All right；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Or Iˇll send him。〃
She made her stately progress to the far end of the bar； speaking to many of the men she passed and smiling at others。 Everyone treated her with respect。 Nearly everyone she spoke to had loved her at some time in the last twenty…five years。 Thomas Hudson went down to the far end of the bar； taking his bar checks with him； as soon as Honest Lil had seated herself and smiled at him。 She had a beautiful smile and wonderful dark eyes and lovely black hair。 When it would begin to show white at the roots along the line of her forehead and along the line of her part； she would ask Thomas Hudson for money to have it fixed and when she came back from having it dyed it was as glossy and natural…looking and lovely as a young girlˇs hair。 She had a skin that was as smooth as olive…colored ivory； if there were olive…covered ivory； with a slightly smoky roselike cast。 Actually； the color always reminded Thomas Hudson of well…seasoned mahagua lumber when it i
