hemingway, ernest - men without women-第9节
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¨Itˇs pretty hot；〃 the man said。
¨Letˇs drink beer。〃
¨Dos cervezas；〃 the man said into the curtain。
¨Big ones？〃 a woman asked from the doorway。
¨Yes。 Two big ones。〃
The woman brought two glasses of beer and two felt pads。 She put the felt pads and the beer glasses on the table and looked at the man and the girl。 The girl was looking off at the line of hills。 They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry。
¨They look like white elephants；〃 she said。
¨Iˇve never seen one。〃 The man drank his beer。
¨No； you wouldnˇt have。〃
¨I might have；〃 the man said。 ¨Just because you say I wouldnˇt have doesnˇt prove anything。〃
The girl looked at the bead curtain。 ¨Theyˇve painted something on it；〃 she said。 ¨What does it say？〃
¨Anis del Toro。 Itˇs a drink。〃
¨Could we try it？〃
The man called ¨Listen〃 through the curtain。
The woman came out from the bar。
¨Four reales。〃
¨We want two Anis del Toros。〃
¨With water？〃
¨Do you want it with water？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 the girl said。 ¨Is it good with water？〃
¨Itˇs all right。〃
¨You want them with water？〃 asked the woman。
¨Yes； with water。〃
¨It tastes like liquorice；〃 the girl said and put the glass down。
¨Thatˇs the way with everything。〃
¨Yes；〃 said the girl。 ¨Everything tastes of liquorice。 Especially all the things youˇve waited so long for； like absinthe。〃
¨Oh； cut it out。〃
¨You started it；〃 the girl said。 ¨I was being amused。 I was having a fine time。〃
¨Well； letˇs try and have a fine time。〃
¨All right。 I was trying。 I said the mountains looked like white elephants。 Wasnˇt that bright？〃
¨That was bright。〃
¨I wanted to try this new drink。 Thatˇs all we do； isnˇt itlook at things and try new drinks？〃
¨I guess so。〃
The girl looked across at the hills。
¨Theyˇre lovely hills；〃 she said。 ¨They donˇt really look like white elephants。 I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees。〃
¨Should we have another drink？〃
¨All right。〃
The warm wind blew the bead curtain against the table。
¨The beerˇs nice and cool；〃 the man said。
¨Itˇs lovely；〃 the girl said。
¨Itˇs really an awfully simple operation； Jig；〃 the man said。 ¨Itˇs not really an operation at all。〃
The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on。
¨I know you wouldnˇt mind it； Jig。 Itˇs really not anything。 Itˇs just to let the air in。〃
The girl did not say anything。
¨Iˇll go with you and Iˇll stay with you all the time。 They just let the air in and then itˇs all perfectly natural。〃
¨Then what will we do afterwards？〃
¨Weˇll be fine afterwards。 Just like we were before。〃
¨What makes you think so？〃
¨Thatˇs the only thing that bothers us。 Itˇs the one thing thatˇs made us unhappy。〃
The girl looked at the bead curtain； put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads。
¨And you think then weˇll be all right and be happy。〃
¨I know we will。 You donˇt have to be afraid。 Iˇve known lots of people that have done it。〃
¨So have I；〃 said the girl。 ¨And afterward they were all so happy。〃
¨Well；〃 the man said； ¨if you donˇt want to you donˇt have to。 I wouldnˇt have you do it if you didnˇt want to。 But I know itˇs perfectly simple。〃
¨And you really want to？〃
¨I think itˇs the best thing to do。 But I donˇt want you to do it if you donˇt really want to。〃
¨And if I do it youˇll be happy and things will be like they were and youˇll love me？〃
¨I love you now。 You know I love you。〃
¨I know。 But if I do it； then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants； and youˇll like it？〃
¨Iˇll love it。 I love it now but I just canˇt think about it。 You know how I get when I worry。〃
¨If I do it you wonˇt ever worry？〃
¨I wonˇt worry about that because itˇs perfectly simple。〃
¨Then Iˇll do it。 Because I donˇt care about me。〃
¨What do you mean？〃
¨I donˇt care about me。〃
¨Well； I care about you。〃
¨Oh； yes。 But I donˇt care about me。 And Iˇll do it and then everything will be fine。〃
¨I donˇt want you to do it if you feel that way。〃
The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station。 Across； on the other side； were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro。 Far away； beyond the river； were mountains。 The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees。
¨And we could have all this；〃 she said。 ¨And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible。〃
¨What did you say？〃
¨I said we could have everything。〃
¨We can have everything。〃
¨No； we canˇt。〃
¨We can have the whole world。〃
¨No； we canˇt。〃
¨We can go everywhere。〃
¨No； we canˇt。 It isnˇt ours any more。〃
¨Itˇs ours。〃
¨No； it isnˇt。 And once they take it away； you never get it back。〃
¨But they havenˇt taken it away。〃
¨Weˇll wait and see。〃
¨Come on back in the shade；〃 he said。 ¨You mustnˇt feel that way。〃
¨I donˇt feel any way；〃 the girl said。 ¨I just know things。〃
¨I donˇt want you to do anything that you donˇt want to do〃
¨Nor that isnˇt good for me；〃 she said。 ¨I know。 Could we have another beer？〃
¨All right。 But youˇve got to realize〃
¨I realize；〃 the girl said。 ¨Canˇt we maybe stop talking？〃
They sat down at the table and the girl looked across at the hills on the dry side of the valley and the man looked at her and at the table。
¨Youˇve got to realize；〃 he said； ¨that I donˇt want you to do it if you donˇt want to。 Iˇm perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you。〃
¨Doesnˇt it mean anything to you？ We could get along。〃
¨Of course it does。 But I donˇt want anybody but you。 I donˇt want anyone else。 And I know itˇs perfectly simple。〃
¨Yes； you know itˇs perfectly simple。〃
¨Itˇs all right for you to say that； but I do know it。〃
¨Would you do something for me now？〃
¨Iˇd do anything for you。〃
¨Would you please please please please please please please stop talking？〃
He did not say anything but looked at the bags against the wall of the station。 There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights。
¨But I donˇt want you to；〃 he said； ¨I donˇt care anything about it。〃
¨Iˇll scream；〃 the girl said。
The woman came out through the curtains with two glasses of beer and put them down on the damp felt pads。
¨The train comes in five minutes；〃 she said。
¨What did she say？〃 asked the girl。
¨That the train is coming in five minutes。〃
The girl smiled brightly at the woman； to thank her。
¨Iˇd better take the bags over to the other side of the station；〃 the man said。 She smiled at him。
¨All right。 Then come back and weˇll finish the beer。〃
He picked up the two heavy bags and carried them around the station to the other tracks。 He looked up the tracks but could not see the train。 Coming back； he walked through the bar…room； where people waiting for the train were drinking。 He drank an Anis at the bar and looked at the people。 They were all waiting reasonably for the train。 He went out through the bead curtain。 She was sitting at the table and smiled at him。
¨Do you feel better？〃 he asked。
¨I feel fine；〃 she said。 ¨Thereˇs nothing wrong with me。 I feel fine。〃
THE KILLERS
THE door of Henryˇs lunch…room opened and two men came in。 They sat down at the counter。
¨Whatˇs yours？〃 George asked them。
¨I donˇt know；〃 one of the men said。 ¨What do you want to eat； Al？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 said Al。 ¨I donˇt know what I want to eat。〃
Outside it was getting dark。 The street light came on outside the window。 The two men at the counter read the menu。 From the other end of the counter Nick Adams watched them。 He had been talking to George when they came in。
¨Iˇll have a roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and mashed potatoes；〃 the first man said。
¨It isnˇt ready yet。〃
¨What the hell do you put it on the card for？〃
¨Thatˇs the dinner；〃 George explained。 ¨You can get that at six oˇclock。〃
George looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter。
¨Itˇs five oˇclock。〃
¨The clock says twenty minutes past five；〃 the second man said。
¨Itˇs twenty minutes fast。〃
¨Oh； to hell with the clock；〃 the first man said。 ¨What have you got to eat？〃
¨I can give you any kind of sandwiches；〃 George said。 ¨You can have ham and eggs； bacon and eggs； liver and bacon； or a steak。〃
¨Give me chicken croquettes with green peas and cream sauce and mashed potatoes。〃
¨Thatˇs the dinner。〃
¨Everything we wantˇs the dinner； eh？〃 Thatˇs the way you work it。〃
¨I can give you ham and eggs； bacon and eggs； liver〃
¨Iˇll take ham and eggs；〃 the man called Al said。 He wore a derby hat and a black overcoat buttoned across the chest。 His face was small and white and he had ti
