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Coming。 Is it nice？ you ask me。 Yes sir； itˇs nice。〃
¨Weˇll have to figure out plenty of things for them to do to have fun。〃
¨No； Mr。 Tom；〃 Joseph said。 ¨We ought to figure out how to save them from their own fearsome projects。 Eddy can help us。 He knows them better than me。 Iˇm their friend and that makes it difficult。〃
¨Howˇs Eddy？〃
¨Heˇs been drinking a little in anticipation of the Queenˇs birthday。 Heˇs in tip…top shape。〃
¨I better get down to Mr。 Bobbyˇs while heˇs still in that evil mood。〃
¨He asked for you； Mr。 Tom。 Mr。 Bobbyˇs a gentleman if there ever was a gentleman and sometimes that trash comes in on yachts gets him worn down。 He was wore down almighty thin when I left。〃
¨What were you doing there？〃
¨I went for Coca…Cola and I stayed to keep my hand in shooting a stick of pool。〃
¨Howˇs the table？〃
¨Worse。〃
¨Iˇll go down；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨I want to take a shower and change。〃
¨Iˇve got them laying out for you on the bed；〃 Joseph told him。 ¨You want another gin and tonic？〃
¨No thanks。〃
¨Mr。 Rogerˇs in on the boat。〃
¨Good。 Iˇll get hold of him。〃
¨Will he be staying here？〃
¨Maybe。〃
¨Iˇll make up a bed for him anyway。〃
¨Good。〃
III
THOMAS HUDSON TOOK A SHOWER； scrubbing his head with soap and then rinsing under the prickling drive of the sharp； jetted shower。 He was a big man and he looked bigger stripped than he did in his clothes。 He was very tanned and his hair was faded and streaked from the sun。 He carried no extra weight and on the scales he saw that he weighed 192 pounds。
I should have gone swimming before I took the shower； he thought。 But I had a long swim this morning before I started work and Iˇm tired now。 There will be plenty of swimming when the boys come。 And Rogerˇs here too。 Thatˇs good。
He put on a clean pair of shorts and an old Basque shut and moccasins and went out the door and down the slope and through the gate in the picket fence onto the white glare of the sun…bleached coral of the Kingˇs Highway。
Ahead a very erect…walking old Negro in a black alpaca coat and pressed dark trousers came out of one of the unpainted board shacks along the road that was shaded by two tall coconut palms and turned into the highway ahead of him。 Thomas Hudson saw his fine black face as he turned。
From behind the shack a childˇs voice came in an old English tune singing mockingly；
¨Uncle Edward came from Nassau
Some candy for to sell
I buy some and P。H。 buy some
and the candy give us hell〃
Uncle Edward turned his fine face； looking as sad as it was angry； in the bright afternoon light。
¨I know you；〃 he said。 ¨I canˇt see you but I know who you are。 Iˇll report you to Constable。〃
The childˇs voice went on； rising clear and gay；
¨Oh Edward
Oh Edward
Buff； rough； tough Uncle Edward
Your candy rotten。〃
¨Constable going to hear about this；〃 Uncle Edward said。 ¨Constable know what steps to take。〃
¨Any rotten candy today； Uncle Edward？〃 the childˇs voice called。 He was careful to keep out of sight。
¨Man is persecuted；〃 Uncle Edward said aloud as he walked on。 ¨Man has his robe of dignity plucked at and destroyed。 Oh； Good Lord； forgive them for they know not what they do。〃
Ahead down the Kingˇs Highway there was more singing coming from the rooms up above the Ponce de Le？n。 A Negro boy slipped by hurrying along the coral road。
¨Been a fight； Mr。 Tom；〃 he said。 ¨Or something。 Gentleman offˇn a yacht been throwing things out of a window。〃
¨What things； Louis？〃
¨Any kind of things； Mr。 Tom。 Gentleman throw anything he can get his hands on。 Lady try to stop him he say he going to throw the lady； too。〃
¨Whereˇs the gentleman from？〃
¨Big man from up north。 Claims he can buy and sell the whole island。 Guess he could get it pretty cheap if he keeps throwing it around the way heˇs doing。〃
¨Constable taken any action； Louis？〃
¨No sir； Mr。 Tom。 Nobody has called in Constable yet。 But way everybody figures； Constableˇs time is coming。〃
¨You with them； Louis？ I wanted to get some bait for tomorrow。〃
¨Yes sir； Iˇll get your bait； Mr。 Tom。 Donˇt worry about bait。 I been with them right along。 They hired me to take them bonefishing this morning and I been with them ever since。 Only they ainˇt been bonefishing。 No sir。 Unless throwing plates and cups and mugs and chairs and every time Mr。 Bobby brings him the bill he tears up the bill and tells Mr。 Bobby heˇs a robbing thieving bastard and a crook is bonefishing。〃
¨Sounds like a difficult gentleman； Louis。〃
¨Mr。 Tom； heˇs the damnedest gentleman you ever saw before or since。 He had me singing for them。 You know I canˇt sing good like Josey but I sing as good as I can and sometimes I sing better than I can。 Iˇm singing good as I can。 You know how it is。 You heard me sing。 All he wants to hear is that mama donˇt want no peas no rice no coconut oil song。 Over and over。 Itˇs an old song and I get tired so I said to him； ˉSir I know new songs。 Good songs。 Fine songs。 And I know old songs such as the loss of John Jacob Astor on the Titanic when sunk by an iceberg and I would be glad to sing them rather than that no peas no rice song if you so wish。ˇ I said it polite and pleasant as you want。 As you know I would say it。 So this gentleman say； ˉListen you ignorant black little bastard I own more stores and factories and newspapers than John Jacob Astor had pots to； you know the word； in； and Iˇll take you and shove your head in those pots if you try to tell me what I want to hear。ˇ So then his lady said； ˉDarling； do you really have to be so rude to the boy？ I thought he sang very well and I would like to hear some of the new songs。ˇ And the gentleman said； ˉListen you。 You wonˇt hear them and he wonˇt sing them。ˇ Mr。 Tom； heˇs a strange gentleman。 But his lady just said； ˉOh darling； you are difficult。ˇ Mr。 Tom； heˇs difficulter than a diesel engine is to a newborn tree monkey out of its motherˇs womb。 Excuse me if I talk too much。 This has aroused me。 Heˇs got her feeling very bad。〃
¨What are you going to do about them now； Louis？〃
¨I been to get conch pearls；〃 he said。
They had stopped in the shade of a palm while he had been talking and he brought out a quite clean cloth from his pocket and unfolded it to show a half dozen of the shiny； nacreous pink； unpearllike pearls that are sometimes found in conches by the natives when they clean them and that no woman Thomas Hudson had ever known except Queen Mary of England has ever cared for as a gift。 Of course Thomas Hudson could not think that he knew Queen Mary except through the papers and in pictures and a profile of her in The New Yorker but the fact that she liked conch pearls made him feel that he knew her better than he knew many other people he had known for a long time。 Queen Mary liked conch pearls and the island was celebrating her birthday tonight； he thought； but he was afraid conch pearls would not make the gentlemanˇs lady feel very much better。 Then； too； it Was always possible that Queen Mary said she liked them to please her subjec