苗疆小说网

第6章 Tired of the Old Man（第2页）

Hedidnottrulyfeelgoodbecausethepainfromthecordacrosshisbackhadalmostpassedpainandgoneintoadullnessthathemistrusted。ButIhavehadworsethingsthanthat，hethought。Myhandisonlycutalittleandthecrampisgonefromtheother。Mylegsareallright。AlsonowIhavegainedonhiminthequestionofsustenance。

ItwasdarknowasitbecomesdarkquicklyafterthesunsetsinSeptember。Helayagainstthewornwoodofthebowandrestedallthathecould。Thefirststarswereout。HedidnotknowthenameofRigelbuthesawitandknewsoontheywouldallbeoutandhewouldhaveallhisdistantfriends。

“Thefishismyfriendtoo，”hesaidaloud。“Ihaveneverseenorheardofsuchafish。ButImustkillhim。Iamgladwedonothavetotrytokillthestars。”

Imagineifeachdayamanmusttrytokillthemoon，hethought。Themoonrunsaway。Butimagineifamaneachdayshouldhavetotrytokillthesun?Wewerebornlucky，hethought。

Thenhewassorryforthegreatfishthathadnothingtoeatandhisdeterminationtokillhimneverrelaxedinhissorrowforhim。Howmanypeoplewillhefeed，hethought。Butaretheyworthytoeathim?No，ofcoursenot。Thereisnooneworthyofeatinghimfromthemannerofhisbehaviorandhisgreatdignity。

Idonotunderstandthesethings，hethought。Butitisgoodthatwedonothavetotrytokillthesunorthemoonorthestars。Itisenoughtoliveontheseaandkillourtruebrothers。

Now，hethought，Imustthinkaboutthedrag。Ithasitsperilsanditsmerits。ImaylosesomuchlinethatIwilllosehim，ifhemakeshiseffortandthedragmadebytheoarsisinplaceandtheboatlosesallherlightness。Herlightnessprolongsbothoursufferingbutitismysafetysincehehasgreatspeedthathehasneveryetemployed。Nomatterwhatpassesmustgutthedolphinsohedoesnotspoilandeatsomeofhimtobestrong。

NowIwillrestanhourmoreandfeelthatheissolidandsteadybeforeImovebacktothesterntodotheworkandmakethedecision。Inthemeantimecanseehowheactsandifheshowsanychanges。Theoarsareagoodtrick;butithasreachedthetimetoplayforsafety。HeismuchfishstillandIsawthatthehookwasinthecornerofhismouthandhehaskepthismouthtightshut。Thepunishmentofthehookisnothing。Thepunishmentofhunger，andthatheisagainstsomethingthathedoesnotcomprehend，iseverything。Restnow，oldman，andlethimworkuntilyournextdutycomes。

Herestedforwhathebelievedtobetwohours。Themoondidnotrisenowuntillateandhehadnowayofjudgingthetime。Norwashereallyrestingexceptcomparatively。Hewasstillbearingthepullofthefishacrosshisshouldersbutheplacedhislefthandonthegunwaleofthebowandconfidedmoreandmoreoftheresistancetothefishtotheskiffitself。

HowsimpleitwouldbeifIcouldmakethelinefast，hethought。Butwithonesmalllurchhecouldbreakit。Imustcushionthepullofthelinewithmybodyandatalltimesbereadytogivelinewithbothhands。

“Butyouhavenotsleptyet，oldman，”hesaidaloud。“Itishalfadayandanightandnowanotherdayandyouhavenotslept。Youmustdeviseawaysothatyousleepalittleifheisquietandsteady。Ifyoudonotsleepyoumightbecomeunclearinthehead。”

Imclearenoughinthehead，hethought。Tooclear。Iamasclearasthestarsthataremybrothers。StillImustsleep。Theysleepandthemoonandthesunsleepandeventheoceansleepssometimesoncertaindayswhenthereisnocurrentandaflatcalm。

Butremembertosleep，hethought。Makeyourselfdoitanddevisesomesimpleandsurewayaboutthelines。Nowgobackandpreparethedolphin。Itistoodangeroustorigtheoarsasadragifyoumustsleep。

Icouldgowithoutsleeping，hetoldhimself。Butitwouldbetoodangerous。

Hestartedtoworkhiswaybacktothesternonhishandsandknees，beingcarefulnottojerkagainstthefish。Hemaybehalfasleephimself，hethought。

ButIdonotwanthimtorest。Hemustpulluntilhedies。

Backinthesternheturnedsothathislefthandheldthestrainofthelineacrosshisshouldersanddrewhisknifefromitssheathwithhisrighthand。Thestarswerebrightnowandhesawthedolphinclearlyandhepushedthebladeofhisknifeintohisheadanddrewhimoutfromunderthestern。Heputoneofhisfeetonthefishandslithimquicklyfromtheventuptothetipofhislowerjaw。Thenheputhisknifedownandguttedhimwithhisrighthand，scoopinghimcleanandpullingthegillsclear。Hefeltthemawheavyandslipperyinhishandsandheslititopen。Thereweretwoflyingfishinside。Theywerefreshandhardandhelaidthemsidebysideanddroppedthegutsandthegillsoverthestern。Theysankleavingatrailofphosphorescenceinthewater。Thedolphinwascoldandaleprousgray-whitenowinthestarlightandtheoldmanskinnedonesideofhimwhileheheldhisrightfootonthefishshead。Thenheturnedhimoverandskinnedtheothersideandcuteachsideofffromtheheaddowntothetail。

Heslidthecarcassoverboardandlookedtoseeiftherewasanyswirlinthewater。Buttherewasonlythelightofitsslowdescent。Heturnedthenandplacedthetwoflyingfishinsidethetwofilletsoffishandputtinghisknifebackinitssheath，heworkedhiswayslowlybacktothebow。Hisbackwasbentwiththeweightofthelineacrossitandhecarriedthefishinhisrighthand。

Backinthebowhelaidthetwofilletsoffishoutonthewoodwiththeflyingfishbesidethem。Afterthathesettledthelineacrosshisshouldersinanewplaceandhelditagainwithhislefthandrestingonthegunwale。Thenheleanedoverthesideandwashedtheflyingfishinthewater，notingthespeedofthewateragainsthishand。Hishandwasphosphorescentfromskinningthefishandhewatchedtheflowofthewateragainstit。Theflowwaslessstrongandasherubbedthesidesofhishandagainsttheplankingoftheskiff，particlesofphosphorusfloatedoffanddriftedslowlyastern。

“Heistiringorheisresting，”theoldmansaid。“Nowletmegetthroughtheeatingofthisdolphinandgetsomerestandalittlesleep。”

Underthestarsandwiththenightcolderallthetimeheatehalfofoneofthedolphinfilletsandoneoftheflyingfish，guttedandwithitsheadcutoff。

“Whatanexcellentfishdolphinistoeatcooked，”hesaid。“Andwhatamiserablefishraw。Iwillnevergoinaboatagainwithoutsaltorlimes。”

IfIhadbrainsIwouldhavesplashedwateronthebowalldayanddrying，itwouldhavemadesalt，hethought。ButthenIdidnothookthedolphinuntilalmostsunset。Stillitwasalackofpreparation。ButIhavecheweditallwellandIamnotnauseated。

Theskywascloudingovertotheeastandoneafteranotherthestarsheknewweregone。Itlookednowasthoughheweremovingintoagreatcanyonofcloudsandthewindhaddropped。