苗疆小说网

第8章 The Sharks Attack（第1页）

Hedidnotneedacompasstotellhimwheresouthwestwas。Heonlyneededthefeelofthetradewindandthedrawingofthesail。Ibetterputasmalllineoutwithaspoononitandtryandgetsomethingtoeatanddrinkforthemoisture。Buthecouldnotfindaspoonandhissardineswererotten。Sohehookedapatchofyellowgulfweedwiththegaffastheypassedandshookitsothatthesmallshrimpsthatwereinitfellontotheplankingoftheskiff。Thereweremorethanadozenofthemandtheyjumpedandkickedlikesandfleas。Theoldmanpinchedtheirheadsoffwithhisthumbandforefingerandatethemchewinguptheshellsandthetails。Theywereverytinybutheknewtheywerenourishingandtheytastedgood。

Theoldmanstillhadtwodrinksofwaterinthebottleandheusedhalfofoneafterhehadeatentheshrimps。Theskiffwassailingwellconsideringthehandicapsandhesteeredwiththetillerunderhisarm。Hecouldseethefishandhehadonlytolookathishandsandfeelhisbackagainstthesterntoknowthatthishadtrulyhappenedandwasnotadream。Atonetimewhenhewasfeelingsobadlytowardtheend，hehadthoughtperhapsitwasadream。Thenwhenhehadseenthefishcomeoutofthewaterandhangmotionlessintheskybeforehefell，hewassuretherewassomegreatstrangenessandhecouldnotbelieveit。Thenhecouldnotseewell，althoughnowhesawaswellasever。

Nowheknewtherewasthefishandhishandsandbackwerenodream。Thehandscurequickly，hethought。Ibledthemcleanandthesaltwaterwillhealthem。Thedarkwaterofthetruegulfisthegreatesthealerthatthereis。AllImustdoiskeeptheheadclear。Thehandshavedonetheirworkandwesailwell。Withhismouthshutandhistailstraightupanddownwesaillikebrothers。Thenhisheadstartedtobecomealittleunclearandhethought，ishebringingmeinoramIbringinghimin?IfIweretowinghimbehindtherewouldbenoquestion。Norifthefishwereintheskiff，withalldignitygone，therewouldbenoquestioneither。Buttheyweresailingtogetherlashedsidebysideandtheoldmanthought，lethimbringmeinifitpleaseshim。Iamonlybetterthanhimthroughtrickeryandhemeantmenoharm。

Theysailedwellandtheoldmansoakedhishandsinthesaltwaterandtriedtokeephisheadclear。Therewerehighcumuluscloudsandenoughcirrusabovethemsothattheoldmanknewthebreezewouldlastallnight。Theoldmanlookedatthefishconstantlytomakesureitwastrue。Itwasanhourbeforethefirstsharkhithim。

Thesharkwasnotanaccident。Hehadcomeupfromdeepdowninthewaterasthedarkcloudofbloodhadsettledanddispersedinthemiledeepsea。Hehadcomeupsofastandabsolutelywithoutcautionthathebrokethesurfaceofthebluewaterandwasinthesun。Thenhefellbackintotheseaandpickedupthescentandstartedswimmingonthecoursetheskiffandthefishhadtaken。

Sometimeshelostthescent。Buthewouldpickitupagain，orhavejustatraceofitandheswamfastandhardonthecourse。HewasaverybigMakosharkbuilttoswimasfastasthefastestfishintheseaandeverythingabouthimwasbeautifulexcepthisjaws。

Hisbackwasasblueasaswordfishsandhisbellywassilverandhishidewassmoothandhandsome。Hewasbuiltasaswordfishexceptforhishugejawswhichweretightshutnowasheswamfast，justunderthesurfacewithhishighdorsalfinknifingthroughthewaterwithoutwavering。Insidethecloseddoublelipofhisjawsallofhiseightrowsofteethwereslantedinwards。Theywerenottheordinarypyramid-shapedteethofmostsharks。Theywereshapedlikeamansfingerswhentheyarecrispedlikeclaws。Theywerenearlyaslongasthefingersoftheoldmanandtheyhadrazor-sharpcuttingedgesonbothsides。Thiswasafishbuilttofeedonallthefishesinthesea，thatweresofastandstrongandwellarmedthattheyhadnootherenemy。Nowhespeededupashesmelledthefresherscentandhisbluedorsalfincutthewater。

Whentheoldmansawhimcomingheknewthatthiswasasharkthathadnofearatallandwoulddoexactlywhathewished。Hepreparedtheharpoonandmadetheropefastwhilehewatchedthesharkcomeon。Theropewasshortasitlackedwhathehadcutawaytolashthefish。

Theoldmansheadwasclearandgoodnowandhewasfullofresolutionbuthehadlittlehope。Itwastoogoodtolast，hethought。Hetookonelookatthegreatfishashewatchedthesharkclosein。Itmightaswellhavebeenadream，hethought。IcannotkeephimfromhittingmebutmaybeIcangethim。Dentuso，hethought。Badlucktoyourmother。

Thesharkclosedfastasternandwhenhehitthefishtheoldmansawhismouthopenandhisstrangeeyesandtheclickingchopoftheteethashedroveforwardinthemeatjustabovethetail。Thesharksheadwasoutofwaterandhisbackwascomingoutandtheoldmancouldhearthenoiseofskinandfleshrippingonthebigfishwhenherammedtheharpoondownontothesharksheadataspotwherethelinebetweenhiseyesintersectedwiththelinethatranstraightbackfromhisnose。Therewerenosuchlines。Therewasonlytheheavysharpblueheadandthebigeyesandtheclicking，thrustingall-swallowingjaws。Butthatwasthelocationofthebrainandtheoldmanhitit。Hehititwithhisbloodmushedhandsdrivingagoodharpoonwithallhisstrength。Hehititwithouthopebutwithresolutionandcompletemalignancy。

Thesharkswungoverandtheoldmansawhiseyewasnotaliveandthenheswungoveronceagain，wrappinghimselfintwoloopsoftherope。Theoldmanknewthathewasdeadbutthesharkwouldnotacceptit。Then，onhisback，withhistaillashingandhisjawsclicking，thesharkplowedoverthewaterasaspeed-boatdoes。Thewaterwaswhitewherehistailbeatitandthree-quartersofhisbodywasclearabovethewaterwhentheropecametaut，shivered，andthensnapped。Thesharklayquietlyforalittlewhileonthesurfaceandtheoldmanwatchedhim。Thenhewentdownveryslowly。

“Hetookaboutfortypounds，”theoldmansaidaloud。Hetookmyharpoontooandalltherope，hethought，andnowmyfishbleedsagainandtherewillbeothers。

Hedidnotliketolookatthefishanymoresincehehadbeenmutilated。Whenthefishhadbeenhititwasasthoughhehimselfwerehit。

ButIkilledthesharkthathitmyfish，hethought。AndhewasthebiggestdentusothatIhaveeverseen。AndGodknowsthatIhaveseenbigones。

Itwastoogoodtolast，hethought。IwishithadbeenadreamnowandthatIhadneverhookedthefishandwasaloneinbedonthenewspapers。

“Butmanisnotmadefordefeat，”hesaid。“Amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated。”IamsorrythatIkilledthefishthough，hethought。NowthebadtimeiscomingandIdonotevenhavetheharpoon。Thedentusoiscruelandableandstrongandintelligent。ButIwasmoreintelligentthanhewas。Perhapsnot，hethought。PerhapsIwasonlybetterarmed。

“Dontthink，oldman，”hesaidaloud。“Sailonthiscourseandtakeitwhenitcomes。”

ButImustthink，hethought。BecauseitisallIhaveleft。Thatandbaseball。IwonderhowthegreatDiMaggiowouldhavelikedthewayIhithiminthebrain?Itwasnogreatthing，hethought。Anymancoulddoit。Butdoyouthinkmyhandswereasgreatahandicapasthebonespurs?Icannotknow。IneverhadanythingwrongwithmyheelexceptthetimethestingraystungitwhenIsteppedonhimwhenswimmingandparalyzedthelowerlegandmadetheunbearablepain。

“Thinkaboutsomethingcheerful，oldman，”hesaid。“Everyminutenowyouareclosertohome。Yousaillighterforthelossoffortypounds。”

Heknewquitewellthepatternofwhatcouldhappenwhenhereachedtheinnerpartofthecurrent。Buttherewasnothingtobedonenow。

“Yesthereis，”hesaidaloud。“Icanlashmyknifetothebuttofoneoftheoars。”

Sohedidthatwiththetillerunderhisarmandthesheetofthesailunderhisfoot。

“Now，”hesaid。“Iamstillanoldman。ButIamnotunarmed。”

Thebreezewasfreshnowandhesailedonwell。Hewatchedonlytheforwardpartofthefishandsomeofhishopereturned。

Itissillynottohope，hethought。BesidesIbelieveitisasin。Donotthinkaboutsin，hethought。Thereareenoughproblemsnowwithoutsin。AlsoIhavenounderstandingofit。

IhavenounderstandingofitandIamnotsurethatIbelieveinit。Perhapsitwasasintokillthefish。IsupposeitwaseventhoughIdidittokeepmealiveandfeedmanypeople。Buttheneverythingisasin。Donotthinkaboutsin。Itismuchtoolateforthatandtherearepeoplewhoarepaidtodoit。Letthemthinkaboutit。Youwereborntobeafishermanasthefishwasborntobeafish。SanPedrowasafishermanaswasthefatherofthegreatDiMaggio。

Buthelikedtothinkaboutallthingsthathewasinvolvedinandsincetherewasnothingtoreadandhedidnothavearadio，hethoughtmuchandhekeptonthinkingaboutsin。Youdidnotkillthefishonlytokeepaliveandtosellforfood，hethought。Youkilledhimforprideandbecauseyouareafisherman。Youlovedhimwhenhewasaliveandyoulovedhimafter。Ifyoulovehim，itisnotasintokillhim。Orisitmore?

“Youthinktoomuch，oldman，”hesaidaloud。