hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第66章
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side？ He must have heard the outboard。 Maybe he was asleep。 The outboard makes very little noise anyway。
There are too many whys in this business； he thought； and I am not at all sure I have it figured properly。 Maybe I should not have jumped the boat。 But I think I had to do that。 We sunk the boat and lost Peters and killed one man。 That is not very brilliant but it still adds up。
He heard the hum of the outboard and turned his head。 He saw her coming around the point but he could only see one man in her。 It was Ara in the stern。 But he noticed she was loaded deep and he realized that Willie and Henry must be lying flat。 Willieˇs really smart； he thought。 Now the people on the key donˇt know but that there may be only one man in the dinghy and they will see it is a different man from the one that took her away。 I donˇt know whether that is smart or not。 But Willie must have figured it。
The dinghy came up in the lee of the turtle boat and Thomas Hudson saw Araˇs great chest； his long arms； and his brown face that was serious now； and he could see the nervous twitching of his legs。 Henry and Willie lay flat with their heads on their arms。
When the dinghy came into the lee of the turtle boat that was careened away from the key and Ara held the rail； Willie turned on his side and said； ¨Get aboard； Henry； and crawl up there with Tom。 Ara will hand you your junk。 Youˇve got Petersˇ junk too。〃
Henry climbed cautiously up the steep deck on his belly。 He took one look at Peters as he crawled by him。
¨Hi； Tom；〃 he said。
Thomas Hudson put his hand on Henryˇs arm and said softly； ¨Get up in the bow and keep absolutely flat。 Donˇt let anything show over the gunwale。〃
¨Yes； Tom；〃 the big man said； and began inching down to crawl up to the bow。 He had to crawl over Petersˇ legs and he picked up his submachine gun and clips and stuck the clips in his belt。 He felt in Petersˇ pockets for frags and hung them on his belt。 He patted Peters on the legs and holding the two submachine guns by the muzzles he crawled up to his post in the bow。
Thomas Hudson saw him look down into the blasted forward hatch as he crawled up the steep deck over the broken mangroves。 His face gave no sign of what he saw there。 When he was under the lee of the gunwale； he put the two submachine guns by his right hand and then tested the functioning of Petersˇ gun and put in a fresh clip。 He laid the other clips along the gunwale and unhooked the grenades from his belt and laid them out within reach。 When he saw him in position and looking out at the greenness of the key； Thomas Hudson turned his head and spoke to Willie who was lying in the bottom of the dinghy with his good and his bad eye shut against the sun。 He was wearing a faded khaki shirt with sleeves and ragged shorts and he had a pair of sneakers on。 Ara was sitting in the stern and Thomas Hudson noticed his thatch of black hair and the way his big hands gripped the gunwale。 His legs were still jumping but Thomas Hudson had known for a long time how nervous he always was before action and how beautiful he was once things started。
¨Willie；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You have anything figured？〃
Willie opened his good eye and kept his bad eye closed against the sun。
¨I ask permission to go in on the far side of the key and see what the hell gives。 We canˇt let them get out of here。〃
¨Iˇll go in with you。〃
¨No； Tommy。 I know this shit and itˇs my trade。〃
¨I donˇt want you to go in alone。〃
¨Thatˇs the only way on this。 You trust me； Tommy。 Ara will come back here and back up your play if I flush them。 He can come in and pick me up on the beach if there isnˇt any trouble。〃
He had both eyes open and he was looking hard at Thomas Hudson the way a man looks who is trying to sell an appliance to someone who should really have it if they can afford it。
¨Iˇd rather go in with you。〃
¨Too fucking much noise； Tom。 I tell you truly I know this shit good。 Iˇm a fucking expert。 Youˇll never find anybody like me。〃
¨OK。 Go in；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But bust up their skiff。〃
¨What the hell you think Iˇm going to do？ Go in there and jerk off？〃
¨If youˇre going in； you better get in。〃
¨Tom。 Now youˇve got two traps set。 The ship and here。 Ara makes you mobile。 You have one expendable； medically discharged Marine to lose。 Whatˇs holding you up？〃
¨You talking so much；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Get the hell in and shit bless you。〃
¨Drop dead；〃 Willie told him。
¨You sound in good shape；〃 Thomas Hudson said and explained rapidly in Spanish to Ara what they were going to do。
¨Donˇt bother；〃 Willie said。 ¨I can talk to him lying down。〃
Ara said； ¨Iˇll be right back； Tom。〃
Thomas Hudson watched him yank the motor alive and watched the dinghy move out with Araˇs broad back and black head in the stern and Willie lying in the bottom。 He had turned around so that his head was close to Araˇs feet and he could talk to him。
The good； brave； worthless son of a bitch； Thomas Hudson thought。 Old Willie。 He made up my mind for me when I was starting to put things off。 I would rather have a good Marine； even a ruined Marine； than anything in the world when there are chips down。 And we have chips down now。 Good luck； Mr。 Willie； he thought。 And donˇt drop dead。
¨How are you； Henry？〃 he asked softly。
¨Fine； Tom。 It was very gallant of Willie to go in； donˇt you think？〃
¨He never even heard of the word；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨He just conceived it to be his duty。〃
¨Iˇm sorry we havenˇt been friends。〃
¨Everybody is friends when things are bad enough。〃
¨Iˇm going to be friends from now on。〃
¨Weˇre all going to do a lot of things from now on；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I wish from now on would start。〃
XVIII
THEY WERE LYING ON THE HOT DECK watching the line of the key。 The sun was strong on their backs but the wind cooled them。 Their backs were nearly as brown as the sea Indian women they had seen this morning on the outer key。 That seemed as long ago as all his life； Thomas Hudson thought。 That and the open sea and the long breaking reefs and the dark depthless tropic sea beyond were as far away as all of his life was now。 We could have just gone up the open sea with this breeze and made Cayo Franc？s and Peters would have answered their blinker and we all would have had cold beer tonight。 Donˇt think about it； boy； he thought。 This is what you had to do。
¨Henry；〃 he said。 ¨How are you doing？〃
¨Splendidly； Tom；〃 Henry said very softly。 ¨A frag couldnˇt blow up from getting too hot in the sun could it？〃
¨Iˇve never seen it。 But it can increase their potency。〃
¨I hope Araˇs got some water；〃 Henry said。
¨Donˇt you remember them putting it in？〃
¨No； Tom。 I was looking after my own equipment and I didnˇt notice。〃
Then against the wind they heard the noise of the outboard on the dinghy。 Thomas Hudson turned his head carefully and saw her round the point。 The dinghy was riding high and Ara was in the stern。 He could see the width of his shoulders and his black head at this distance。 Thomas Hudson turned his head again to watch the key and he saw a night heron rise from the trees in the center and fly away。 Then he saw two wood ibis rise and wheel and fly off with quick…flapping； then coasting； then quick…flapping wing beats downwind toward the little key。
Henry had watched them； too； and he said； ¨Willie must be getting pretty well in。〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨They came off the high ridge in the center of the key。〃
¨Then nobody else was there。〃
¨Not if it was Willie who scared them。〃
¨Thatˇs about where Willie would be by now if he didnˇt have too bad going。〃
¨Keep down low now when Ara comes。〃
Ara brought the dinghy along the careened lee of the turtle boat and put the grapnel aboard against the gunwale。 He climbed carefully aboard with the ease of a bear。 He had a water bottle and a bottle of tea in an old gin bottle each tied to a piece of heavy fishing line that suspended them over his neck。 He crawled up to lie beside Thomas Hudson。
¨What about some of the damn water？〃 Henry asked。
Ara laid his stuff down beside Thomas Hudsonˇs； untied the water bottle from the fish line and crawled carefully along the slanted deck above the two hatches to where Henry was stationed。
¨Drink it；〃 he said。 ¨Donˇt try to bathe with it。〃
He slapped Henry on the back and crawled back to lie beside Thomas Hudson。
¨Tom；〃 he said； speaking very low。 ¨We saw nothing。 I landed Willie on the far side almost directly opposite us and went out to the ship。 There I went aboard on the lee side away from the key。 I explained everything to Antonio and he understood well。 Then I filled the outboard with gas and filled the reserve can and brought out the iced tea and the water。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 He dropped down the deck a little way and took a long pull at the bottle of iced tea。
¨Thank you very much for the tea。〃
¨It was Antonio thought of it。 We forgot certain things in our hurry at the start。〃
¨Move down toward the stern so you can cover it。〃
¨Yes； Tom；〃 Ara said。
They lay there in the sun and the wind and each one watched the key。 Occasionally a bird； or a pair of birds would fly up； and they knew these birds had been frightened either by Willie or by the others。
¨The birds must make Willie angry；〃 Ara said。 ¨He didnˇt think about that when he went in。〃
¨He might just as well be sending up balloons；〃 Thomas Hudson answered。
He was thinking and he turned to look over his shoulder。
He did not like any of it now。 There were too many birds getting up from the key。 And what reason now had they to believe that the others were in there now？ Why would they have gone in there in the first place？ Lying on the deck he had a hollow feeling in his chest that both he and Willie had been deceived。 Maybe they havenˇt sucked us in。 But it does not look good with so many birds getting up； he thought。 Another pair of wood ibis rose not far from the shore and Thomas Hudson turned to Henry and said； ¨Get down in the forward hatch； Henry； please； and keep watch inland。〃
¨Itˇs awfully messy in there。〃
¨I know。〃
¨All right； Tom。〃
¨Leave your frags and clips。 Just take a frag in your pocket and the ni？o。〃
Henry eased himself down into the hatch and looked out toward the inside keys that masked the channel。 His expression had not changed。 But he was tight…lipped keeping it in order。
¨Iˇm sorry about it； Henry；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him。 ¨Itˇs just the way it has to be for a while。〃
¨I donˇt mind it；〃 Henry said。 Then the studied severity of his face cracked and he smiled his wonderful good smile。 ¨Itˇs that it isnˇt exactly the way I would plan to spend a summer。〃
¨Me either。 But things donˇt look so open and shut right now。〃
A bittern came out from the mangroves and Thomas Hudson heard it squawk and watched its nervous swooping flight downwind。 Then he settled down to trace Willieˇs progress along the mangroves by the rising and the flight of the birds。 When the birds stopped rising he was sure he was headed back。 Then af
