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第6章 Tired of the Old Man（第2页）

“Howdoyoufeel，fish?”

heaskedaloud.“IfeelgoodandmylefthandisbetterandIhavefoodforanightandaday.Pulltheboat，fish.”

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.