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！
darkness under the rock； garfish； attracted by the light； held themselves against the current。 Thin and long； shining as green as the water； only their tails moving； they were not feeding； nor playing； only holding themselves there in the fascination of the light。
Johnny Goodnerˇs cruiser； Narwhal； where they were waiting for Roger Davis； was headed into the ebbing tide and astern of her in the same slip； made fast so that the two cabin cruisers lay stern to stern； was the boat of the party that had been at Bobbyˇs place all day。 Johnny Goodner sat in a chair in the stern with his feet on another chair and a Tom Collins in his right hand and a long； green Mexican chile pepper in his left。
¨Itˇs wonderful；〃 he said。 ¨I bite just a little piece and it sets my mouth on fire and I cool it with this。〃
He took the first bite； swallowed； blew out； ¨thew！〃 through rolled tongue； and took a long swallow of the tall drink。 His full lower lip licked his thin Irish upper lip and he smiled with his gray eyes。 His mouth was sliced upwards at the corners so it always looked as though he were about to smile； or had just smiled； but his mouth told very little about him unless you noticed the thinness of the upper lip。 His eyes were what you needed to watch。 He was the size and build of a middleweight gone a little heavy； but he looked in good shape lying there relaxed and that is how a man looks bad who is really out of shape。 His face was brown but peeling across the nose and the forehead that went back with his receding hairline。 He had a scar on his chin that could have been taken for a dimple if it had been just a little closer to the center and his nose had been just perceptibly flattened across the bridge。 It wasnˇt a flat nose。 It just looked as though it had been done by a modern sculptor who worked directly in the stone and had taken off just the shadow of a chip too many。
¨Tom； you worthless character； what have you been doing？〃
¨Working pretty steadily。〃
¨You would；〃 he said and took another bite of the chile。 It was a very wrinkled and droopy chile about six niches long。
¨Only the first one hurts；〃 he said。 ¨Itˇs like love。〃
¨The hell it is。 Chiles can hurt both ways。〃
¨And love？〃
¨The hell with love；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨What a sentiment。 What a way to talk。 What are you getting to be？ A victim of sheepherderˇs madness on this island？〃
¨No sheep here； Johnny。〃
¨Stone…crab herderˇs madness then；〃 Johnny said。 ¨We donˇt want to have you have to be netted or anything。 Try one of these chiles。〃
¨I have；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Oh I know your past；〃 he said。 ¨Donˇt pull your illustrious past on me。 You probably invented them。 I know。 Probably the man who introduced them into Patagonia on Yak…back。 But I represent modern times。 Listen Tommy。 I have these chiles stuffed with salmon。 Stuffed with bacalao。 Stuffed with Chilean bonito。 Stuffed with Mexican turtledovesˇ breasts。 Stuffed with turkey meat and mole。 Theyˇll stuff them with anything and I buy them。 Makes me feel like a damned potentate。 But all thatˇs a perversion。 Just this long； drooping； uninspiring； unstuffed； unpromising old chile with the brown chupango sauce is the best。 You bastard；〃 he blew out through his pursed tongue again； ¨I got too much of you that time。〃
He took a really long pull at the Tom Collins。
¨They give me a reason for drinking；〃 he explained。 ¨Have to cool my damned mouth。 What are you having？〃
¨I might take one more gin and tonic。〃
¨Boy；〃 Johnny called。 ¨One more gin and tonic for Bwana MˇKubwa。〃
Fred； one of the island boys Johnnyˇs captain had hired； brought in the drink。
¨Here it is； Mr。 Tom。〃
¨Thank you； Fred；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨The Queen； God bless her；〃 and they drank。
¨Whereˇs the old whoremaster？〃
¨Up at his house。 Heˇll be down。〃
He ate some more of the chile without commenting on it； finished his drink； and said； ¨How are you really； old Tom？〃
¨OK；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Iˇve learned how to live by myself pretty well and I work hard。〃
¨Do you like it here？ I mean for all the time。〃
¨Yes。 I got sick of moving around with it。 Iˇd rather have it here。 I get along well enough here； Johnny。 Pretty damn well。〃
¨Itˇs a good place；〃 said Johnny。 ¨Itˇs a good place for a guy like you thatˇs got some sort of inner resources。 Hell of a place for a guy like me that keeps chasing it or running away from it。 Is it true that Rogerˇs gone Red on us？〃
¨So theyˇre saying that already。〃
¨Thatˇs what I heard on the coast。〃
¨What happened to him out there？〃
¨I donˇt know all of it。 But it was something pretty bad。〃
¨Really bad？〃
¨Theyˇve got different ideas of whatˇs bad out there。 It wasnˇt St。 Quentin quail if thatˇs what you mean。 Anyway out there with that climate and the fresh vegetables and everything itˇs like the size of their football players。 Hell； girls fifteen look twenty…four。 At twenty…four theyˇre Dame May Whitty。 If youˇre not a marrying man you better look at their teeth pretty close。 And of course you canˇt tell a damn thing from their teeth。 And theyˇve all got mothers and fathers or one or the other and theyˇre all hungry。 Climate gives them appetite； too； of course。 Trouble is； people get enthusiastic sometimes and donˇt ask for their driving licenses or their social security cards。 I think they ought to measure it by size and weight and general capabilities and not just by age。 Wreaks too many injustices just going by age。 All around。 Precocity isnˇt penalized in any other sport。 Other way around。 Apprentice allowance claimed would be the fairest。 Same as racing。 They had me pretty well boxed on that rap。 But that wasnˇt what they got old Roger on。〃
¨What did they get me on？〃 Roger Davis asked。
He had dropped down from the dock onto the deck in his rope…soled shoes without making any noise and he stood there looking awfully big in a sweatshirt three sizes too large for him and a pair of tight old dungarees。
¨Hi；〃 said Johnny。 ¨Didnˇt hear you ring。 I was telling Tom I didnˇt know what they got you on but that it wasnˇt jailbait。〃
¨Good；〃 said Roger。 ¨Letˇs drop the subject。〃
¨Donˇt be so powerful；〃 Johnny said。
¨Iˇm not being powerful；〃 Roger said。 ¨I asked politely。 Do you drink on this boat？〃 He looked at the cabin cruiser that lay with her stern toward them。 ¨Whoˇs that？〃
¨The people at the Ponce。 Didnˇt you hear？〃
¨Oh；〃 said Roger。 ¨Well； letˇs have a drink anyway even though they have set us a bad example。〃
¨Boy；〃 Johnny called。 Fred came out of the cabin。 ¨Yes sir；〃 he said。
¨Enquire what the pleasure of these Sahibs is。〃
¨Gentlemen？〃 Fred asked。
¨Iˇll take whatever Mr。 Tom is drinking；〃 Roger said。 ¨Heˇs my guide and counselor。〃
¨Many boys at camp this year？〃 Johnny asked。
¨Just two so far；〃 Roger said。 ¨My counselor and I。〃
¨My counselor and me；〃 Johnny said。 ¨How the hell do you write books？〃
¨I can always hire someone to put in the grammar。〃
¨Or get someone free；〃 Johnny said。 ¨Iˇve been talking with