hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第6节
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ng and I buy them。 Makes me feel like a damned potentate。 But all thatˇs a perversion。 Just this long； drooping； uninspiring； unstuffed； unpromising old chile with the brown chupango sauce is the best。 You bastard；〃 he blew out through his pursed tongue again； ¨I got too much of you that time。〃
He took a really long pull at the Tom Collins。
¨They give me a reason for drinking；〃 he explained。 ¨Have to cool my damned mouth。 What are you having？〃
¨I might take one more gin and tonic。〃
¨Boy；〃 Johnny called。 ¨One more gin and tonic for Bwana MˇKubwa。〃
Fred； one of the island boys Johnnyˇs captain had hired； brought in the drink。
¨Here it is； Mr。 Tom。〃
¨Thank you； Fred；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨The Queen； God bless her；〃 and they drank。
¨Whereˇs the old whoremaster？〃
¨Up at his house。 Heˇll be down。〃
He ate some more of the chile without commenting on it； finished his drink； and said； ¨How are you really； old Tom？〃
¨OK；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Iˇve learned how to live by myself pretty well and I work hard。〃
¨Do you like it here？ I mean for all the time。〃
¨Yes。 I got sick of moving around with it。 Iˇd rather have it here。 I get along well enough here； Johnny。 Pretty damn well。〃
¨Itˇs a good place；〃 said Johnny。 ¨Itˇs a good place for a guy like you thatˇs got some sort of inner resources。 Hell of a place for a guy like me that keeps chasing it or running away from it。 Is it true that Rogerˇs gone Red on us？〃
¨So theyˇre saying that already。〃
¨Thatˇs what I heard on the coast。〃
¨What happened to him out there？〃
¨I donˇt know all of it。 But it was something pretty bad。〃
¨Really bad？〃
¨Theyˇve got different ideas of whatˇs bad out there。 It wasnˇt St。 Quentin quail if thatˇs what you mean。 Anyway out there with that climate and the fresh vegetables and everything itˇs like the size of their football players。 Hell； girls fifteen look twenty…four。 At twenty…four theyˇre Dame May Whitty。 If youˇre not a marrying man you better look at their teeth pretty close。 And of course you canˇt tell a damn thing from their teeth。 And theyˇve all got mothers and fathers or one or the other and theyˇre all hungry。 Climate gives them appetite； too； of course。 Trouble is； people get enthusiastic sometimes and donˇt ask for their driving licenses or their social security cards。 I think they ought to measure it by size and weight and general capabilities and not just by age。 Wreaks too many injustices just going by age。 All around。 Precocity isnˇt penalized in any other sport。 Other way around。 Apprentice allowance claimed would be the fairest。 Same as racing。 They had me pretty well boxed on that rap。 But that wasnˇt what they got old Roger on。〃
¨What did they get me on？〃 Roger Davis asked。
He had dropped down from the dock onto the deck in his rope…soled shoes without making any noise and he stood there looking awfully big in a sweatshirt three sizes too large for him and a pair of tight old dungarees。
¨Hi；〃 said Johnny。 ¨Didnˇt hear you ring。 I was telling Tom I didnˇt know what they got you on but that it wasnˇt jailbait。〃
¨Good；〃 said Roger。 ¨Letˇs drop the subject。〃
¨Donˇt be so powerful；〃 Johnny said。
¨Iˇm not being powerful；〃 Roger said。 ¨I asked politely。 Do you drink on this boat？〃 He looked at the cabin cruiser that lay with her stern toward them。 ¨Whoˇs that？〃
¨The people at the Ponce。 Didnˇt you hear？〃
¨Oh；〃 said Roger。 ¨Well； letˇs have a drink anyway even though they have set us a bad example。〃
¨Boy；〃 Johnny called。 Fred came out of the cabin。 ¨Yes sir；〃 he said。
¨Enquire what the pleasure of these Sahibs is。〃
¨Gentlemen？〃 Fred asked。
¨Iˇll take whatever Mr。 Tom is drinking；〃 Roger said。 ¨Heˇs my guide and counselor。〃
¨Many boys at camp this year？〃 Johnny asked。
¨Just two so far；〃 Roger said。 ¨My counselor and I。〃
¨My counselor and me；〃 Johnny said。 ¨How the hell do you write books？〃
¨I can always hire someone to put in the grammar。〃
¨Or get someone free；〃 Johnny said。 ¨Iˇve been talking with your counselor。〃
¨Counselor says heˇs quite happy and contented here。 Heˇs hit the beach for good。〃
¨You ought to see the place；〃 Tom told him。 ¨He lets me come in for a drink once in a while。〃
¨Womens？〃
¨No womens。〃
¨What do you boys do？〃
¨Iˇve been doing it all day。〃
¨But you were here before。 What did you do then？〃
¨Swim； eat； drink。 Tom works； read； talk； read； fish； fish； swim； drink； sleep〃
¨No womens？〃
¨Still no womens。〃
¨Sounds unhealthy to me。 Sort of unwholesome atmosphere。 You boys smoke much opium？〃
¨Tom？〃 Roger asked。
¨Only the best；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Got a nice stand of marijuana planted？〃
¨Any planted； Tom？〃 Roger asked。
¨Was a bad year；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Rain gave the crop hell。〃
¨Whole thing sounds unwholesome；〃 Johnny drank。 ¨Only saving aspect is you still take a drink。 You boys gone in for religion？ Has Tom Seen The Light？〃
¨Tom？〃 Roger asked。
¨Relations with the Deity about the same；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Cordial？〃
¨We are tolerant；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Practice any faith you wish。 Got a ball field up the island where you can practice。〃
¨Iˇll give the Deity a fast one high and inside if he crowds the plate；〃 Roger said。
¨Roger；〃 said Johnny reproachfully。 ¨Itˇs after dark。 Didnˇt you see twilight fall and dusk set in and darkness come？ And you a writer。 Never a good idea to speak slightingly of the Deity after dark。 Heˇs liable to be right behind you with his bat poised。〃
¨Iˇll bet heˇd crowd the plate； too；〃 Roger said。 ¨Iˇve seen him crowding it lately。〃
¨Yes sir；〃 Johnny said。 ¨And heˇd step into your fast one and knock your brains out。 Iˇve seen him hit。〃
¨Yes； I guess you have；〃 Roger agreed。 ¨So has Tom and so have I。 But Iˇd still try and get my fast ball by him。〃
¨Letˇs cut out the theological discussion；〃 Johnny said。 ¨And get something to eat。〃
¨That decrepit old man you keep to tool this thing around the ocean still know how to cook？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Chowder；〃 Johnny said。 ¨And a yellow rice tonight with plover。 Golden plover。〃
¨You sound like a damned Interior decorator；〃 Tom said。 ¨Thereˇs no gold on them this time of year； anyway。 Whereˇd you shoot the plover？〃
¨On South Island when we went in to anchor and swim。 I whistled the flock back twice and kept knocking them down。 Thereˇs two apiece。〃
It was a fine night and after they had eaten dinner they sat out in the stern with coffee and cigars； and a couple of other people； both worthless sporting characters； came over from one of the other boats with a guitar and a banjo and the Negroes gathered on the dock and there was some sporadic singing。 In the dark； up on the dock； the boys would lead off with a song and then Fred Wilson； who had the guitar； would sing and Frank Hart would fake along on the banjo。 Thomas Hudson could not sing； so he sat back in the dark and listened。
There was quite a lot of celebration going on at Bobbyˇs place and you could see the lights from the open door over the water。 The tide was still ebbing strong； and out where the light shone fish were jumping。 They were gray snappers mostly； Tom thought； feeding on the bait fish that fell out with the tide。 A few Negro boys were fishing with hand lines and you could hear them talking and cursing softly when they lost a fish； and hear the snappers flopping on the dock when they landed one。 There were big snappers out there and the boys were baiting them up with chunks of marlin meat from a fish one of the boats had brought in early that afternoon and that had already been hung up； photographed； weighed； and butchered。
There was quite a crowd on the dock now with the singing and Rupert Pinder； a very big Negro who was said to have once carried a piano on his back； unaided； from the Government dock all the way up the Kingˇs Highway to the old club that the hurricane blew away； and who fancied himself as a fighting man； called down from the dock； ¨Captain John； boys say they getting thirsty。〃
¨Buy something inexpensive and healthful； Rupert。〃
¨Yes sir； Captain John。 Rum。〃
¨Thatˇs what I had in mind；〃 John said。 ¨Why not try for a demijohn？ Better value； I think。〃
¨Many thanks； Captain John；〃 Rupert said。 Rupert moved off through the crowd which thinned rapidly and fell in behind him。 Thomas Hudson could see them all heading toward Royˇs place。
Just then； from one of the boats tied up at Brownˇs dock； a rocket rose with a whoosh high into the sky and burst with a pop to light up the channel。 Another went whooshing up at an angle and burst； this time； just over the near end of their dock。
¨Damn；〃 said Fred Wilson。 ¨We should have sent over to Miami for some。〃
The night was lighted now with rockets whishing and popping and； in the light； Rupert and his followers were coming back out onto the dock； Rupert carrying a big wicker demijohn on his shoulder。
Someone fired a rocket from one of the boats and it burst just over
