hemingway, ernest - garden of eden-第31节

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〃Can　we　start　again　the　way　I'd　planned　things？〃

〃I　don't　think　so。

〃Then　why　did　you　come　in　here？〃

〃This　is　where　I　belong。〃

〃No　other　reason？〃

'94　'95
。

〃I　thought　you　might　be　lonely。〃
〃I　was。〃
〃Everybody's　lonely；〃　David　said。
〃It's　terrible　to　be　in　bed　together　and　be　lonely。〃
〃There　isn't　any　solution；〃　David　said。　〃All　your　plans　and　schemes　are　worthless。〃
〃I　didn't　give　it　a　chance。〃
〃It　was　all　crazy　anyway。　I'm　sick　of　crazy　things。　You're　not　the　only　one　gets　broken　up。
〃I　know。　But　can't　we　try　it　again　just　once　more　and　I　really　be　good？　I　can。　I　nearly　was。
〃I'm　sick　of　all　of　it；　Devil。　Sick　all　the　way　through　me。〃
〃Wouldn't　you　try　it　just　once　more　for　her　and　for　me　both？〃
〃It　doesn't　work　and　I'm　sick　of　it。〃
〃She　said　you　had　a　fine　day　and　that　you　were　really　cheerful　and　not　depressed。　Won't　you　try　it　once　more　for　both　of　us？　I　want　it　so　much。〃
〃You　want　everything　so　much　and　when　you　get　it　it's　over　and　you　don't　give　a　damn。〃
〃I　was　just　overconfident　this　time　and　then　I　get　insufferable。　Please　can　we　try　it　again？〃
〃Let's　go　to　sleep；　Devil；　and　not　talk　about　it。
〃Kiss　me　again　please；〃　Catherine　said。　〃I'll　go　to　sleep　because　I　know　you'll　do　it。　You　always　do　everything　I　want　because　you　really　want　to　do　it　too。〃
〃You　only　want　things　for　you；　Devil。〃
〃That's　not　true；　David。　Anyway　I　am　you　and　her。　That's　what　I　did　it　for。　I'm　everybody。　You　know　about　that　don't　you？〃
〃Go　to　sleep；　Devil。〃
〃I　will。　But　would　you　please　kiss　me　again　first　so　that　we　won't　be　lonely？〃
Chapter　Twenty…　four





IN　THE　MORNING　he　was　on　the　far　slope　of　the　mountain　again。　The　elephant　was　no　longer　travelling　as　he　had　been　but　was　moving　aimlessly　now；　feeding　occasionally　and　David　had　known　they　were　getting　dose　to　him。　He　tried　to　remember　how　he　had　felt。　He　had　no　love　for　the　elephant　yet。　He　must　remember　that。　He　had　only　a　sorrow　that　had　come　from　his　own　tiredness　that　had　brought　an　understanding　of　age。　Though　being　too　young；　he　had　learned　how　it　must　be　to　be　too　old。　He　was　lonesome　for　Kibo　and　thinking　of　Juma　killing　the　elephant's　friend　had　turned　him　against　Juma　and　made　the　elephant　his　brother。　He　knew　then　how　much　it　meant　to　him　to　have　seen　the　elephant　in　the　moonlight　and　for　him　to　have　followed　him　with　Kibo　and　come　close　to　him　in　the　clearing　so　that　he　had　seen　both　of　the　great　tusks。　But　he　did　not　know　that　nothing　would　ever　be　as　good　as　that　again。　Now　he　knew　they　would　kill　the　elephant　and　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　about　it。　He　had　betrayed　the　elephant　when　he　had　gone　back　to　tell　them　at　the　shamba。　They　would　kill　me　and　they　would　kill　Kibo　too

196　'97
。　。


if　we　had　ivory；　he　had　thought　and　known　it　was　untrue。　Prob　ably　the　elephant　is　going　to　find　where　he　was　born　now　and　they'll　kill　him　there。　That's　all　they'd　need　to　make　it　perfect。　They'd　like　to　have　killed　him　where　they　killed　his　friend。　That　would　be　a　big　joke。　That　would　have　pleased　them。　The　god　damned　friend　killers。

They　had　moved　to　the　edge　of　thick　cover　now　and　the　elephant　was　close　ahead。　David　could　smell　him　and　they　could　all　hear　him　pulling　down　branches　and　the　snapping　that　they　made。　His　father　put　his　hand　on　David's　shoulder　to　move　him　back　and　have　him　wait　outside　and　then　he　took　a　big　pinch　of　ashes　from　the　pouch　in　his　pocket　and　tossed　it　in　the　air。　The　ash　barely　slanted　toward　them　as　it　fell　and　his　father　nodded　at　Juma　and　bent　down　to　follow　him　into　the　thick　cover。　David　watched　their　backs　and　their　asses　go　in　and　out　of　sight。　He　could　not　hear　them　move。

David　had　stood　still　and　listened　to　the　elephant　feeding。　He　could　smell　him　as　strongly　as　he　had　the　night　in　the　moonlight　when　he　had　worked　up　close　to　him　and　had　seen　his　wonderful　tusks。　Then　as　he　stood　there　it　was　silent　and　he　could　not　smell　the　elephant。　Then　there　had　been　a　high　squealing　and　smash　ing　and　a　shot　by　the　。303　then　the　heavy　rocking　double　report　of　his　father's　。4　50；　then　the　smashing　and　crashing　had　gone　on　going　steadily　away　and　he　had　gone　into　the　heavy　growth　and　found　Juma　standing　shaken　and　bleeding　from　his　forehead　all　down　over　his　face　and　his　father　white　and　angry。

〃He　went　for　Juma　and　knocked　him　over；〃　his　father　had　said。　〃Juma　hit　him　in　the　head。〃

〃Where　did　you　hit　him？〃

〃Where　I　fucking　well　could；〃　his　father　had　said。　〃Get　on　the　fucking　blood　spoor。〃

There　was　plenty　of　blood。　One　stream　as　high　as　David's　head　that　had　squirted　bright　on　trunks　and　leaves　and　vines　and　another　much　lower　that　was　dark　and　foul　with　stomach　content。

〃Lung　and　gut　shot；〃　his　father　said。　〃We'll　find　him　down　or　anchored&mdash；I　hope　the　hell；〃　he　added。

They　found　him　anchored；　in　such　suffering　and　despair　that　he　could　no　longer　move。　He　had　crashed　through　the　heavy　cover　where　he　had　been　feeding　and　crossed　a　path　of　open　forest　and　David　and　his　father　had　run　along　the　heavily　splashed　blood　trail。　Then　the　elephant　had　gone　on　into　thick　forest　and　David　had　seen　him　ahead　standing　gray　and　huge　against　the　trunk　of　a　tree。　David　could　only　see　his　stern　and　then　his　father　moved　ahead　of　him　and　he　followed　and　they　came　alongside　the　elephant　as　though　he　was　a　ship　and　David　saw　the　blood　coming　from　his　Ranks　and　running　down　his　sides　and　then　his　father　raised　his　rifle　and　fired　and　the　elephant　turned　his　head　with　the　great　tusks　moving　heavy　and　slow　and　looked　at　them　and　when　his　father　fired　the　second　barrel　the　elephant　seemed　to　sway　like　a　felled　tree　and　came　smashing　down　toward　them。　But　he　was　not　dead。　He　had　been　anchored　and　now　he　was　down　with　his　shoulder　broken。　He　did　not　move　but　his　eye　was　alive　and　looked　at　David。　He　had　very　long　eyelashes　and　his　eye　was　the　most　alive　thing　David　had　ever　seen。

〃Shoot　him　in　the　ear　hole　with　the　three　oh　three；〃　his　father　said。　〃Go　on。〃

〃You　shoot　him；〃　David　had　said。

Juma　had　come　up　limping　and　bloody；　the　skin　of　his　fore　head　hanging　down　over　his　left　eye；　the　bone　of　his　nose　showing　and　one　ear　torn　and　had　taken　the　rifle　from　David　without　speaking　and　pushed　the　muzzle　almost　into　the　ear　hole　and　fired　twice　jerking　the　bolt　and　driving　it　forward　angrily。　The　eye　of　the　elephant　had　opened　wide　on　the　first　shot　and　then　started　to　glaze　and　blood　came　out　of　the　ear　and　ran　in　two　bright　streams　down　the　wrinkled　gray　hide。　It　was　a　different　colored　blood　and　David　had　thought　I　must　remember　that　and　he　had　but　it　had　never　been　of　any　use　to　him。　Now　all　the
198　'99
。　。


dignity　and　majesty　and　all　the　beauty　was　gone　from　the　elephant　and　he　was　a　huge　wrinkled　pile。

〃Well　we　got　him；　Davey；　thanks　to　you；〃　his　father　had　said。　〃Now　we'd　better　get　a　fire　going　so　I　can　put　Juma　back　together　again。　Come　here　you　bloody　Humpty　Dumpty。　Those　tusks　will　keep。〃

Juma　had　come　to　him　grinning　bringing　the　tail　of　the　elephant　that　had　no　hairs　on　it　at　all。　They　had　made　a　dirty　joke　and　then　his　father　had　begun　to　speak　rapidly　in　Swahili：

How　far　to　water？　How　far　will　you　have　to　go　to　get　people　to　get　those　tusks　out　of　here？　How　are　you；　you　worthless　old　pig　fucker？　What　have　you　broken？

Then　with　the　answers　known　his　father　had　said；　〃You　and　I　will　go　back　to　get　the　packs　where　we　dropped　them　when　we　went　in　after　him。　Juma　can　get　wood　and　have　the　fire　ready。　The　medical　kit　is　in　my　pack。　We　have　to　get　the　packs　before　it's　dark。　He　won't　infect。　It's　not　like　claw　wounds。　Let's　go。〃

His　father　had　known　how　he　had　felt　about　the　elephant　and　that　night　and　in　the　next　few　days　he　had　tried　if　not　to　convert　him　to　bring　him　back　to　the　boy　he　had　been　before　he　had　come　to　the　knowledge　that　he　hated　elephant　hunting。　David　had　put　no　statement　of　his　father's　intention；　which　had　never　been　stated；　in　the　story　but　had　only　used　the　happenings；　the　disgusts；　the　events　and　feelings　of　the　butchering；　and　the　work　of　chopping　out　the　tusks　and　of　the　rough　surgery　on　Juma　disguised　by　mockery　and　railery　to　keep　the　pain　in　contempt　and　reduce　its　stature　since　there　were　no　drugs。　The　added　responsibility　David　was　given　and　the　trust　that　was　offered　him　and　not　accepted　he　had　put　in　the　story　without　pointing　their　significance。　He　had　tried　to　make　the　elephant　alive　beneath　the　tree　anchored　in　his　final　anguish　and　drowning　in　the　blood　that　had　flowed　so　many　times　before　but　always　staunched　and　now　was　rising　in　him　so　he　could　not　breathe；　the　great　heart　pumping　it　to　drown　him　as　he　watched　the　man　who　came

to　finish　him。　David　had　been　so　proud　the　elephant　had　scented　Juma　and　charged　him　instantly。　He　would　have　killed　Juma　if　his　father　had　not　fired　into　him　so　that　he　had　thrown　Juma　into　the　trees　with　his　trunk　and　charged　on　with　the　death　in　him；　feeling　it　as　only　another　wound　until　the　blood　welled　up　and　he　could　not　breathe　against　it。　That　evening　as　David　had　sat　by　the　fire　he　had　looked　at　Juma　with　his　stitched　up　face　and　his　broken　ribs　that　he　tried　to　breathe　without　and　wondered　if　the　elephant　had　recognized　him　when　he　had　tried　to　kill　him。　He　hoped　he　had。　The　elephant　was　his　hero　now　as