the red one(红色的那人)-第20章
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〃Bruce Cadogan Cavendish；〃 Slim growled morosely。 〃Go on；
Percival； with your princesses and the roofs of kings。〃
〃Oh； I was a rare young devil；〃 Percival obliged； 〃after I played ducks
and drakes at home and sported out over the world。 And I was some
figure of a man before I lost my shape … polo； steeple… chasing； boxing。 I
won medals at buckjumping in Australia； and I held more than several
swimming records from the quarter of a mile up。 Women turned their
heads to look when I went by。 The women！ God bless them！〃
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THE RED ONE
And Fatty； alias Percival Delaney； a grotesque of manhood； put his
bulgy hand to his puffed lips and kissed audibly into the starry vault of the
sky。
〃And the Princess！〃 he resumed； with another kiss to the stars。 〃She
was as fine a figure of a woman as I was a man； as high… spirited and
courageous； as reckless and dare…devilish。 Lord； Lord； in the water she
was a mermaid； a sea…goddess。 And when it came to blood； beside her I
was parvenu。 Her royal line traced back into the mists of antiquity。
〃She was not a daughter of a fair…skinned folk。 Tawny golden was
she； with golden…brown eyes； and her hair that fell to her knees was blue…
black and straight； with just the curly tendrilly tendency that gives to
woman's hair its charm。 Oh； there were no kinks in it； any more than
were there kinks in the hair of her entire genealogy。 For she was
Polynesian； glowing； golden； lovely and lovable； royal Polynesian。〃
Again he paused to kiss his hand to the memory of her； and Slim； alias
Bruce Cadogan Cavendish； took advantage to interject：
〃Huh！ Maybe you didn't shine in scholarship； but at least you
gleaned a vocabulary out of Oxford。〃
〃And in the South Seas garnered a better vocabulary from the lexicon
of Love；〃 Percival was quick on the uptake。
〃It was the island of Talofa；〃 he went on； 〃meaning love； the Isle of
Love； and it was her island。 Her father； the king； an old man； sat on his
mats with paralysed knees and drank squareface gin all day and most of
the night； out of grief； sheer grief。 She； my princess； was the only issue；
her brother having been lost in their double canoe in a hurricane while
coming up from a voyage to Samoa。 And among the Polynesians the royal
women have equal right with the men to rule。 In fact； they trace their
genealogies always by the female line。〃
To this both Chauncey Delarouse and Bruce Cadogan Cavendish
nodded prompt affirmation。
〃Ah；〃 said Percival； 〃I perceive you both know the South Seas；
wherefore； without undue expenditure of verbiage on my part； I am
assured that you will appreciate the charm of my princess； the Princess
Tui…nui of Talofa； the Princess of the Isle of Love。〃
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THE RED ONE
He kissed his hand to her； sipped from his condensed milk can a man…
size drink of druggist's alcohol； and to her again kissed her hand。
〃But she was coy； and ever she fluttered near to me but never near
enough。 When my arm went out to her to girdle her； presto； she was not
there。 I knew； as never before； nor since； the thousand dear and
delightful anguishes of love frustrated but ever resilient and beckoned on
by the very goddess of love。〃
〃Some vocabulary；〃 Bruce Cadogan Cavendish muttered in aside to
Chauncey Delarouse。 But Percival Delaney was not to be deterred。 He
kissed his pudgy hand aloft into the night and held warmly on。
〃No fond agonies of rapture deferred that were not lavished upon me
by my dear Princess； herself ever a luring delight of promise flitting just
beyond my reach。 Every sweet lover's inferno unguessed of by Dante
she led me through。 Ah！ Those swooning tropic nights； under our palm
trees； the distant surf a langourous murmur as from some vast sea shell of
mystery； when she； my Princess； all but melted to my yearning； and with
her laughter； that was as silver strings by buds and blossoms smitten； all
but made lunacy of my lover's ardency。
〃It was by my wrestling with the champions of Talofa that I first
interested her。 It was by my prowess at swimming that I awoke her。 And
it was by a certain swimming deed that I won from her more than
coquettish smiles and shy timidities of feigned retreat。
〃We were squidding that day； out on the reef … you know how；
undoubtedly； diving down the face of the wall of the reef； five fathoms； ten
fathoms； any depth within reason； and shoving our squid…sticks into the
likely holes and crannies of the coral where squid might be lairing。 With
the squid…stick； bluntly sharp at both ends； perhaps a foot long； and held
crosswise in the hand； the trick was to gouge any lazying squid until he
closed his tentacles around fist； stick and arm。 … Then you had him； and
came to the surface with him； and hit him in the head which is in the
centre of him； and peeled him off into the waiting canoe。 。 。 。 And to think
I used to do that！〃
Percival Delaney paused a moment； a glimmer of awe on his rotund
face； as he contemplated the mighty picture of his youth。
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〃Why； I've pulled out a squid with tentacles eight feet long； and done it
under fifty feet of water。 I could stay down four minutes。 I've gone down；
with a coral…rock to sink me； in a hundred and ten feet to clear a fouled
anchor。 And I could back…dive with a once… over and go in feet…first from
eighty feet above the surface … 〃
〃Quit it； delete it； cease it；〃 Chauncey Delarouse admonished testily。
〃Tell of the Princess。 That's what makes old blood leap again。 Almost
can I see her。 Was she wonderful？〃
Percival Delaney kissed unutterable affirmation。
〃I have said she was a mermaid。 She was。 I know she swam thirty…
six hours before being rescued； after her schooner was capsized in a
double…squall。 I have seen her do ninety feet and bring up pearl shell in
each hand。 She was wonderful。 As a woman she was ravishing；
sublime。 I have said she was a sea…goddess。 She was。 Oh； for a Phidias
or a Praxiteles to have made the wonder of her body immortal！
〃And that day； out for squid on the reef； I was almost sick for her。
Mad … I know I was mad for her。 We would step over the side from the
big canoe； and swim down； side by side； into the delicious depths of cool
and colour； and she would look at me； as we swam； and with her eyes
tantalize me to further madness。 And at last； down； far down； I lost
myself and reached for her。 She eluded me like the mermaid she was；
and I saw the laughter on her face as she fled。 She fled deeper； and I
knew I had her for I was between her and the surface； but in the muck
coral sand of the bottom she made a churning with her squid stick。 It was
the old trick to escape a shark。 And she worked it on me； rolling the
water so that I could not see her。 And when I came up； she was there
ahead of me； clinging to the side of the canoe and laughing。
〃Almost I would not be denied。 But not for nothing was she a
princess。 She rested her hand on my arm and compelled me to listen。
We should play a game； she said； enter into a competition for which
should get the more squid； the biggest squid； and the smallest squid。
Since the wagers were kisses； you can well imagine I went down on the
first next dive with soul aflame。
〃I got no squid。 Never again in all my life have I dived for squid。
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Perhaps we were five fathoms down and exploring the face of the reefwall
for lurking places of our prey； when it happened。 I had found a likely lair
and just proved it empty； when I felt or sensed the nearness of something
inimical。 I turned。 There it was； alongside of me； and no mere fish…
shark。 Fully a dozen feet in length； with the unmistakable
phosphorescent cat's eye gleaming like a drowning star； I knew it for what
it was； a tiger shark。
〃Not ten feet to the right； probing a coral fissure with her squid stick；
was the Princess； and the tiger shark was heading directly for her。 My
totality of thought was precipitated to consciousness in a single all…
embracing flash。 The man…eater must be deflected from her； and what
was I； except a mad lover who would gladly fight and die； or more gladly
fight and live； for his beloved？ Remember； she was the woman
wonderful； and I was aflame for her。
〃Knowing fully the peril of my act； I thrust the blunt…sharp end of my
squid…stick into the side of the shark； much as one would attract a passing
acquaintance with a thumb…nudge in the ribs。 And the man…eater turned
on me。 You know the South Seas； and you know that the tiger shark； like
the bald…face grizzly of Alaska； never gives trail。 The combat； fathoms
deep under the sea； was on … if by combat may be named such a one…sided
struggle。
〃The Princess unaware； caught her squid and rose to the surface。 The
man…eater rushed me。 I
