hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第62章
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He saw the dinghy coming through the rain and the white drifted water that curled and blew under the lash of the wind。 They were both thoroughly wet when they came aboard。 They had not used their raincoats but had kept them wrapped around their ni？os。
¨Hi； Tom；〃 Willie said。 ¨Nothing but a wet ass and a hungry gut。〃
¨Take these children；〃 Ara said and handed the wrapped submachine guns aboard。
¨Nothing？〃
¨Nothing multiplied by ten；〃 Willie said。 He was standing on the stern dripping and Thomas Hudson called to Gil to bring two towels。
Ara pulled the dinghy in by her painter and climbed aboard。
¨Nothing of nothing of nothing；〃 he said。 ¨Tom； do we get overtime for rain？〃
¨We ought to clean those weapons right away；〃 Willie said。
¨Weˇll get dry first；〃 Ara said。 ¨Iˇm wet enough。 First I could never get wet and now I have gooseflesh even on my ass。〃
¨Tom；〃 Willie said。 ¨You know those sons of bitches can sail in these squalls if they reef down and have the balls to。〃
¨I thought of that too。〃
¨I think they lay up in the daytime with the calm and then run with these afternoon squalls。〃
¨Where do you put them？〃
¨I donˇt put them past Guillermo。 But they could be。〃
¨Weˇll start at daylight and catch them at Guillermo tomorrow。〃
¨Maybe weˇll find them and maybe theyˇll be gone。〃
¨Sure。〃
¨Why the hell havenˇt we got radar？〃
¨What good would it do us right now？ What do you see in the screen； Willie？〃
¨Iˇll pipe the hell down；〃 Willie said。 ¨Excuse me； Tom。 But chasing something with UHF that hasnˇt got a radio 。。。 ？〃
¨I know；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨But do you want to chase any better than weˇve been chasing？〃
¨Yes。 Is that OK？〃
¨OK。〃
¨I want to catch the sons of bitches and kill every one of them。〃
¨What good would that do？〃
¨You donˇt remember the massacre？〃
¨Donˇt give me any of that massacre shit； Willie。 Youˇve been around too long for that。〃
¨OK。 I just want to kill them。 Is that all right？〃
¨Itˇs better than the massacre thing。 But I want prisoners from a U…boat operating in these waters who can talk。〃
¨That last one you had didnˇt talk much。〃
¨No。 Neither would you if you were up the creek like he was。〃
¨OK；〃 Willie said。 ¨Can I draw a slug of the legal？〃
¨Sure。 Get on dry shorts and a shirt and donˇt make trouble。〃
¨With nobody？〃
¨Grow up；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Drop dead；〃 Willie said and grinned。
¨Thatˇs the way I like you；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 ¨Keep it that way。〃
XIV
THAT NIGHT THERE WAS HEAVY LIGHTNING and thunder and it rained until about three oˇclock in the morning。 Peters could get nothing on the radio and they all slept hot and muggy until the sand flies came out after the rain stopped and wakened them； one after the other。 Thomas Hudson pumped Flit down below and there was coughing and then less restless moving and slapping。
He waked Peters by Flitting him thoroughly and Peters shook his head with the earphones on and said softly； ¨Iˇve been trying hard； Tom； all the time。 But thereˇs nothing。〃
Thomas Hudson looked at the glass with a torch and it was rising。 That will give them a breeze； he thought。 Well； they canˇt say they havenˇt had luck again。 Now I must figure that。
He went back to the stern and sprayed all the Flit he could into the cabin without waking the people。
He sat in the stern and watched the night clear and flitted himself occasionally。 They were short of repellent but had plenty of Flit。 It burned where a man had been sweating but it was better than sand flies。 Their effect differed from mosquitoes in that you could not hear them before they hit and there was an instant itching from the bite。 The bites made a swelling about the size of a very small pea。 In some places on the coast and on the keys； they were more virulent than in others。 At least their bites seemed to be much more annoying。 But； he thought； that could be the condition that our hides are in and how much they are burned and toughened。 I do not know how the natives stand them。 They have to be hardy people to live on this coast and in the Bahamas when the trades arenˇt blowing。
He sat in the stern watching and listening。 There were two planes； high in the sky； and he listened to the throbbing of the motors until they no longer could be heard。
Big bombers going to Camag？ey on the way to Africa or going straight through to somewhere and nothing to do with us。 Well； he thought； they are not bothered by sand flies。 Neither am I。 The hell with them。 The hell with them and the hell Iˇm not。 But Iˇd like to get some daylight and get out of here。 Weˇve checked all the way up to the end of the point； thanks to Willie； and Iˇll run the little channel right along the edge of the bank。 Thereˇs only one bad place and with the morning light I can see it OK even in a calm。 Then weˇll be at Guillermo。
They were underway at daylight and Gil； who had the best eyes； was watching the green shore line with the twelve…power glasses。 They were close enough to shore for him to see a cut mangrove branch。 Thomas Hudson was steering。 Henry was watching out to sea。 Willie was backing up Gil。
¨Theyˇre past this part； anyway；〃 Willie said。
¨But we have to check；〃 Ara said。 He was backing up Henry。
¨Sure；〃 Willie said。 ¨I was just commenting。〃
¨Whereˇs that Dawn Patrol from that damned Molasses ship at Cayo Franc？s？〃
¨They donˇt patrol on Sundays； do they？〃 Willie asked。 ¨This must be a Sunday。〃
¨Thereˇs going to be a breeze；〃 Ara said。 ¨Look at the cirrus。〃
¨Iˇm afraid of one thing；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨That theyˇve gone in through the pass at Guillermo。〃
¨Weˇll have to see。〃
¨Letˇs hook the hell up and get there；〃 Willie said。 ¨This is getting on my nerves。〃
¨Thatˇs the impression I get sometimes；〃 Henry said。
Willie looked at him and spat over the side。 ¨Thank you； Henry；〃 he said。 ¨Thatˇs the impression I wish to give。〃
¨Break it up；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨See that big coral head to starboard thatˇs just awash？ Thatˇs what we have to not hit。 On the inside； gentlemen； is Guillermo。 See how green she is and full of promise？〃
¨One more goddam key；〃 Willie said。
¨Can you make out any smoke from charcoal burning？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
Gil swept it very carefully and said； ¨No； Tom。〃
¨The way it rained last night there wouldnˇt be any smoke；〃 Willie said。
¨Youˇre wrong for once； boy；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Maybe。〃
¨No。 It could rain like hell all night and not put one of those big burnings out。 Iˇve seen it rain three days and hardly bother one。〃
¨You know more about them than me；〃 Willie said。 ¨OK； there could be smoke。 I hope there is。〃
¨Thatˇs a bad shoal；〃 Henry said。 ¨I donˇt believe they could run in those squalls along here。〃
In the morning light they could see four terns and two gulls working around the shoal。 They had found something and were diving。 The terns were crying and the gulls were screaming。
¨What are they into； Tom？〃 Henry asked。
¨I donˇt know。 It looks like a school of bait fish that is too deep for them to work。〃
¨Those poor bastard birds have to get up earlier in the morning than we do to make a living；〃 Willie said。 ¨People donˇt appreciate the work they put in。〃
¨How are you going to run； Tom？〃 Ara asked。
¨Just as close in to the bank as I can and right up to the head of the key。〃
¨Are you going to check that half…moon key with the wreck？〃
¨Iˇll make a turn around it close in and everybody glass it。 Then Iˇll anchor in the bight inside the tip of Guillermo。〃
¨Weˇll anchor；〃 Willie said。
¨Thatˇs implied。 Why do you get so ornery this early in the morning？〃
¨Iˇm not ornery。 Iˇm just admiring the ocean and this beautiful coast Columbus first cast his eyes on。 Iˇm lucky I didnˇt serve under that Columbus。〃
¨I always thought you did；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨I read a book about him in the hospital at San Diego；〃 Willie said。 ¨Iˇm an authority on him and he had a worse fucked…up outfit than this one。〃
¨This isnˇt a fucked…up outfit。〃
¨No；〃 said Willie。 ¨Not yet。〃
¨OK； Columbus boy。 Do you see that wreck that bears about twenty degrees to starboard？〃
¨Thatˇs for your starboard watch to see；〃 Willie said。 ¨But I can see it OK with my one eye that works and there is a booby bird from the Bahamas perched on it。 Heˇs probably come to reinforce us。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Heˇs what we need。〃
¨I probably could have been a great ornithologist；〃 Willie said。 ¨Grandma used to raise chickens。〃
¨Tom；〃 Ara said。 ¨Do you think we can work a little closer in？ The tide is high now。〃
¨Sure；〃 Thomas Hudson answered。 ¨Ask Antonio to get up in the bow and let me know how much water I have。〃
¨Youˇve got plenty of water； Tom；〃 Antonio called。 Right in to shore。 You know this channel。〃
¨I know。 I just wanted to be sure。〃
¨Do you want me to take her？〃
¨Thanks；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨I do not。〃
¨Now we can see the high ground beautifully；〃 Ara said。 ¨You take all of her； Gil。 Iˇll just back you up。 Glass her really well。〃
¨Who takes the first quarter of the sea？〃 Willie asked。 ¨How come you switched on me； anyway？〃
¨When Tom asked you to look at the wreck。 We switch automatically。 When you went to starboard I went to port。〃
¨Thatˇs too nautical for me；〃 Willie said。 ¨When you want to be nautical； be right or not at all。 Why donˇt you say right or left the same as in steering？〃
¨It was you who said the starboard watch；〃 Henry said。
¨Thatˇs right。 And from now on Iˇm going to say downstairs and upstairs and the front and the back of the boat。〃
¨Willie； get over with Gil and Ara and glass the beach； will you please？〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨The beach and carry it up to the first third of the key。〃
¨Yes； Tom；〃 Willie said。
It was easy to see if there was anyone living on Cayo Guillermo on this which was the windward side for nearly all of the year。 But there was nothing showing as they moved close in along the coast。 They came abeam of the point and Thomas Hudson said； ¨Iˇll circle the half…moon key as close as I can and you all glass it。 If you notice anything we can stand by and put the dinghy in。〃
The breeze was starting to rise and the sea was beginning to move but it did not break yet on the shoals because of the high tide。 Thomas Hudson looked ahead at the small rocky key。 He knew there was a sunken wreck at the western end of it but it showed only as a red brown bulge with this high tide。 There was a shallow bank and a sandy beach on the inside of this key but he would not see the beach until he had rounded the wreck。
¨Thereˇs somebody living on the key；〃 Ara said。 ¨I see smoke。〃
¨Right；〃 said Willie。 ¨Itˇs on the leeward side and the wind is carrying it to the west。〃
¨The smoke is about at the center of where the beach should be；〃 Gil said。
¨Can you see a mast？〃
¨No mast；〃 Gil said。
¨They could step the goddam mast daytimes；〃 Willie said。
¨Go to your stat
