hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第26章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
¨Fuck oblivion；〃 said Roger。
XI
LUNCH WAS EXCELLENT； the steak was browned outside and striped by the grill。 A knife slipped through the outer part and inside the meat was tender and juicy。 They all dipped up juice from their plates and put it on the mashed potatoes and the juice made a lake in their creamy whiteness。 The lima beans； cooked in butter； were firm； the cabbage lettuce was crisp and cold and the grapefruit was chilly cold。
Everyone was hungry with the wind and Eddy came up and looked in while they were eating。 His face looked very bad and he said； ¨What the hell do you think of meat like that？〃
¨Itˇs wonderful；〃 young Tom said。
¨Chew it good；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Donˇt waste that eating it fast。〃
¨You canˇt chew it much or itˇs gone；〃 young Tom told him。
¨Have we got dessert； Eddy？〃 David asked。
¨Sure。 Pie and ice cream。〃
¨Oh boy；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Two pieces？〃
¨Enough to founder you。 Ice creamˇs as hard as a rock。〃
¨What kind of pie？〃
¨Loganberry pie。〃
¨What kind of ice cream？〃
¨Coconut。〃
¨Whereˇd we get it？〃
¨Run…boat brought it。〃
They drank iced tea with the meal and Roger and Thomas Hudson had coffee after the dessert。
¨Eddyˇs a wonderful cook；〃 Roger said。
¨Some of itˇs appetite。〃
¨That steak wasnˇt appetite。 Nor that salad。 Nor that pie。〃
¨He is a fine cook；〃 Thomas Hudson agreed。 ¨Is the coffee all right？〃
¨Excellent。〃
¨Papa；〃 young Tom asked； ¨if the people on the yacht go to Mr。 Bobbyˇs can we go down and practice Andy being a rummy on them？〃
¨Mr。 Bobby might not like it。 He might get in bad with Constable。〃
¨Iˇll go down and tell Mr。 Bobby and Iˇll speak to Constable。 Heˇs a friend of ours。〃
¨All right。 You tell Mr。 Bobby and keep a look out for when the yacht people show up。 What will we do about Dave？〃
¨Canˇt we carry him？ Heˇd look good that way。〃
¨Iˇll put on Tomˇs sneakers and walk；〃 David said。 ¨Have you got it worked out； Tommy？〃
¨We can make it up as we go along；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Can you still turn your eyelids inside out？〃
¨Oh sure；〃 said David。
¨Donˇt do it now； please；〃 Andrew said。 ¨I donˇt want to be sick right after lunch。〃
¨For a dime Iˇd make you throw up now； horseman。〃
¨No please donˇt。 Later on I wonˇt mind。〃
¨Do you want me to go with you？〃 Roger asked young Tom。
¨Iˇd love it；〃 young Tom said。 ¨We can work it out together。〃
¨Letˇs go then；〃 Roger said。 ¨Why donˇt you take a nap； Davy？〃
¨I might；〃 said David。 ¨Iˇll read till I go to sleep。 What are you going to do； papa？〃
¨Iˇm going to work in the lee out on the porch。〃
¨Iˇll lie out there on the cot and watch you work。 Will you mind？〃
¨No。 Make me work better。〃
¨Weˇll be back；〃 Roger said。 ¨What about you； Andy？〃
¨Iˇd like to come and study it。 But I think I better not because the people might be there。〃
¨Thatˇs smart；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Youˇre smart； horseman。〃
They went off and Thomas Hudson worked all afternoon。 Andy watched for a while and then went out somewhere and David watched and read and did not talk。
Thomas Hudson wanted to paint the leap of the fish first because painting him in the water was going to be much more difficult and he made two sketches； neither of which he liked； and finally a third one that he did like。
¨Do you think that gets it； Davy？〃
¨Gee； papa； it looks wonderful。 But water comes up with him when he comes out； doesnˇt it？ I mean not just when he splashed back。〃
¨It must；〃 his father agreed。 ¨Because he has to burst the surface。〃
¨He came up so long。 A lot must have come up。 I suppose it really drips off him or pours off him if you could see it fast enough。 Is he on his way up or on his way down？〃
¨This is just the sketch。 I thought of him as just at the top。〃
¨I know itˇs just the sketch； papa。 You forgive me if I butt in。 I donˇt mean to act as though I knew。〃
¨I like you to tell me。〃
¨You know whoˇd know would be Eddy。 He sees faster than a camera and he remembers。 Donˇt you think Eddy is a great man？〃
¨Of course he is。〃
¨Practically nobody knows about Eddy。 Tommy does； of course。 I like Eddy better than anybody except you and Mr。 Davis。 He cooks just like he loved it and he knows so much and can do anything。 Look what he did with the shark and look how he went overboard yesterday after the fish。〃
¨And last night people beating him up because they didnˇt believe him。〃
¨But； papa； Eddy isnˇt tragic。〃
¨No。 Heˇs happy。〃
¨Even today after he was all beaten up he was happy。 And Iˇm sure he was happy that he went in after him。〃
¨Of course。〃
¨I wish Mr。 Davis was happy the way Eddy is。〃
¨Mr。 Davis is more complicated than Eddy。〃
¨I know it。 But I can remember when he used to be careless happy。 I know Mr。 Davis very well； papa。〃
Heˇs pretty happy now。 I know heˇs lost the carelessness though。〃
¨I didnˇt mean a bad carelessness。〃
¨I didnˇt； either。 But there is some sort of a sureness that heˇs lost。〃
¨I know it；〃 David said。
¨I wish heˇd find it。 Maybe heˇll find it when he writes again。 You see Eddyˇs happy because he does something well and does it every day。〃
¨I guess Mr。 Davis canˇt do his every day the way you do and Eddy does。〃
¨No； And there are other things。〃
¨I know。 I know too much for a kid； papa。 Tommy knows twenty times as much as I do and knows the damndest things and they donˇt hurt him。 But everything I know hurts me。 I donˇt know why it should； either。〃
¨You mean that you feel it。〃
¨I feel it and it does something to me。 Itˇs like a vicarious sin。 If there is any such thing。〃
¨I see。〃
¨Papa； you excuse me for talking seriously。 I know it isnˇt polite。 But I like to sometimes because there is so much we donˇt know and then when we do know； it comes so fast it goes over you like a wave。 The way the waves are today。〃
¨You can always ask me anything； Davy。〃
¨I know。 Thank you very much。 Iˇll wait； I guess； on some things。 Thereˇs some I guess you can only learn for yourself probably。〃
¨Do you think we better do this ˉrummyˇ business with Tom and Andy at Bobbyˇs？ Remember I got in trouble about the man saying you were always drunk。〃
¨I rememberwhen heˇd seen me drunk on wine twice in three yearsbut letˇs not talk about it。 This at Mr。 Bobbyˇs will be a good alibi in case I ever did drink。 If I did it twice with that man I might do it three times。 No； I think this is a good thing to do； papa。〃
¨Have you done it lately； the pretend…rummy scene？〃
¨Tom and I do some pretty good ones。 But with Andy theyˇre much better。 Andyˇs sort of a genius on them。 He can do horrible ones。 Mine are sort of special。〃
¨What have you done lately？〃 Thomas Hudson went on drawing。
¨Did you ever see me do the idiot brother？ The mongolian idiot？〃
¨Never。〃
¨How do you like it now； Davy？〃 Thomas Hudson showed him the sketch。
¨Itˇs fine；〃 David said。 ¨Now I see what you were after。 Itˇs when he hangs in the air just before he falls。 Can I really have the painting； papa？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨Iˇll take care of it。〃
¨Thereˇll be two。〃
¨Iˇll only take one to school and Iˇll keep one at home at motherˇs。 Or would you rather keep it here？〃
¨No。 She might like it。 Tell me about some others that you did；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨We used to have some awful ones on trains。 Trains are the best because of the sort of people I guess。 You donˇt get those sort of people concentrated almost anywhere except on trains。 And then they canˇt get away。〃
Thomas Hudson heard Roger talking in the other room and started to clean up and put away his gear。 Young Tom came in and said； ¨How are you； papa？ Did you work well？ May I see it？〃
Thomas Hudson showed him the two sketches and he said； ¨I like them both。〃
¨Do you like one better than the other？〃 David asked him。
¨No。 Theyˇre both fine；〃 he said。 Thomas Hudson could see he was in a hurry and that his mind was on something。
¨How is it coming？〃 David asked him。
¨Itˇs terrific；〃 young Tom said。 ¨It will be wonderful if we do it right。 Theyˇre all down there now and weˇve been working on them all afternoon。 We saw Mr。 Bobby and Constable before they came。 The way itˇs been so far is that Mr。 Davis is sodden and Iˇve been trying to dissuade him。〃
¨You didnˇt overdo it？〃
¨Hell no；〃 young Tom said。 ¨You ought to have seen Mr。 Davis。 Every drink made a difference in him。 But only imperceptibly。〃
¨What was he drinking？〃
¨Tea。 Bobbyˇs got it in a rum bottle。 Heˇs got a gin bottle fixed with water for Andy。〃
¨How did you try to dissuade Mr。 Davis？〃
¨I pled with him。 But so they couldnˇt hear me。 Mr。 Bobbyˇs in it； too； but heˇs using real liquor。〃
¨We better get down there；〃 David said。 ¨Before Mr。 Bobby gets too far ahead。 Howˇs Mr。 Davis feeling？〃
¨Wonderful。 Heˇs a great； great artist； Dave。〃
¨Whereˇs Andy？〃
¨Downstairs practicing part of it in front of a mirror。〃
¨Is Eddy going to be in it？〃
¨Eddy and Joseph are both going to be in it。〃
¨Theyˇll never remember。〃
¨They only have one line。〃
¨Eddy can remember one line but I donˇt know about Joseph。〃
¨He just repeats it after Eddy。〃
¨Is Constable in it？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨How many of them are there？〃
¨Seven with two girls。 One nice…looking and one wonderful。 Sheˇs sorry for Mr。 Davis already。〃
¨Oh boy；〃 said David。 ¨Letˇs go。〃
¨Howˇre you going to get down there？〃 young Tom asked David。
¨Iˇll carry him；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Please； papa； let me wear sneakers；〃 David said。 ¨Let me wear Tommyˇs sneakers。 Iˇll walk on the side of my feet and it wonˇt hurt them and it will look good。〃
¨All right。 We might as well go。 Whereˇs Roger？〃
¨Heˇs having a quick one with Eddy for his art；〃 young Tom said。 ¨He was at bat a long time on that tea； papa。〃
The wind was still blowing hard outside when they went into the Ponce de Le？n。 The people from the yacht were at the bar drinking rum swizzles。 They were a nice…looking lot of people； tanned and dressed in whites； and they were polite and made room at the bar。 Two men and a girl were at one end where the slot machine was and three men and the other girl were at the other end nearest the door。 It was the lovely…looking girl who was at the slot machine end。 But the other girl was awfully nice…looking； too。 Roger； Thomas Hudson； and the boys came in straight。 David even tried not to limp。
Mr。 Bobby looked at Roger and said； ¨You back？〃
Roger nodded hopelessly and Bobby put the rum bottle and a glass on the bar in front of him。
Roger reached for it and didnˇt say anything。
¨You drinking； Hudson？〃 Bobby said to Thomas Hudson。 His face was stern and righteous。 Thomas Hudson nodded。 ¨You ought to cut it out；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Thereˇs a goddam limit to everything。〃
¨I just want a little rum； Bobby。〃
¨That stuff heˇs drinking？〃
¨No。 Bacardi。〃
Mr。 Bobby poured a glass and handed it to Thomas Hudson。
¨Take it；〃
