Youdidnotstaylong,themanthought.Butitisrougherwhereyouaregoinguntilyoumaketheshore.HowdidIletthefishcutmewiththatonequickpullhemade?Imustbegettingverystupid.OrperhapsIwaslookingatthesmallbirdandthinkingofhim.NowIwillpayattentiontomyworkandthenImusteatthetunasothatIwillnothaveafailureofstrength.
「IwishtheboywerehereandthatIhadsomesalt,」hesaidaloud.
Shiftingtheweightofthelinetohisleftshoulderandkneelingcarefullyhewashedhishandintheoceanandhelditthere,submerged,formorethanaminutewatchingthebloodtrailawayandthesteadymovementofthewateragainsthishandastheboatmoved.
「Hehasslowedmuch,」hesaid.
Theoldmanwouldhavelikedtokeephishandinthesaltwaterlongerbuthewasafraidofanothersuddenlurchbythefishandhestoodupandbracedhimselfandheldhishandupagainstthesun.Itwasonlyalineburnthathadcuthisflesh.Butitwasintheworkingpartofhishand.Heknewhewouldneedhishandsbeforethiswasoverandhedidnotliketobecutbeforeitstarted.
「Now,」hesaid,whenhishandhaddried,「Imusteatthesmalltuna.Icanreachhimwiththegaffandeathimhereincomfort.」
Hekneltdownandfoundthetunaunderthestemwiththegaffanddrewittowardhimkeepingitclearofthecoiledlines.Holdingthelinewithhisleftshoulderagain,andbracingonhislefthandandarm,hetookthetunaoffthegaffhookandputthegaffbackinplace.Heputonekneeonthefishandcutstripsofdarkredmeatlongitudinallyfromthebackoftheheadtothetail.Theywerewedge-shapedstripsandhecutthemfromnexttothebackbonedowntotheedgeofthebelly.Whenhehadcutsixstripshespreadthemoutonthewoodofthebow,wipedhisknifeonhistrousers,andliftedthecarcassofthebonitobythetailanddroppeditoverboard.
「Idon』tthinkIcaneatanentireone,」hesaidanddrewhisknifeacrossoneofthestrips.Hecouldfeelthesteadyhardpullofthelineandhislefthandwascramped.Itdrewuptightontheheavycordandhelookedatitindisgust.
「Whatkindofahandisthat,」hesaid.「Crampthenifyouwant.Makeyourselfintoaclaw.Itwilldoyounogood.」
Comeon,hethoughtandlookeddownintothedarkwaterattheslantoftheline.Eatitnowanditwillstrengthenthehand.Itisnotthehand』sfaultandyouhavebeenmanyhourswiththefish.Butyoucanstaywithhimforever.Eatthebonitonow.
Hepickedupapieceandputitinhismouthandcheweditslowly.Itwasnotunpleasant.
Chewitwell,hethought,andgetallthejuices.Itwouldnotbehadtoeatwithalittlelimeorwithlemonorwithsalt.
「Howdoyoufeel,hand?」heaskedthecrampedhandthatwasalmostasstiffasrigormortis.「I』lleatsomemoreforyou.」
Heatetheotherpartofthepiecethathehadcutintwo.Hecheweditcarefullyandthenspatouttheskin.
「Howdoesitgo,hand?Orisittooearlytoknow?」
Hetookanotherfullpieceandchewedit.
「Itisastrongfull-bloodedfish,」hethought.「Iwasluckytogethiminsteadofdolphin.Dolphinistoosweet.Thisishardlysweetatallandallthestrengthisstillinit.」
Thereisnosenseinbeinganythingbutpracticalthough,hethought.IwishIhadsomesalt.AndIdonotknowwhetherthesunwillrotordrywhatisleft,soIhadbettereatitallalthoughIamnothungry.Thefishiscalmandsteady.IwilleatitallandthenIwillbeready.
「Bepatient,hand,」hesaid.「Idothisforyou.」
IwishIcouldfeedthefish,hethought.Heismybrother.ButImustkillhimandkeepstrongtodoit.Slowlyandconscientiouslyheateallofthewedge-shapedstripsoffish.
Hestraightenedup,wipinghishandonhistrousers.「Now,」hesaid.「Youcanletthecordgo,hand,andIwillhandlehimwiththerightarmaloneuntilyoustopthatnonsense.」Heputhisleftfootontheheavylinethatthelefthandhadheldandlaybackagainstthepullagainsthisback.
「Godhelpmetohavethecrampgo,」hesaid.「BecauseIdonotknowwhatthefishisgoingtodo.」
Butheseemscalm,hethought,andfollowinghisplan.Butwhatishisplan,hethought.Andwhatismine?MineImustimprovisetohisbecauseofhisgreatsize.IfhewilljumpIcankillhim.
Buthestaysdownforever.ThenIwillstaydownwithhimforever.
Herubbedthecrampedhandagainsthistrousersandtriedtogentlethefingers.Butitwouldnotopen.Maybeitwillopenwiththesun,hethought.Maybeitwillopenwhenthestrongrawtunaisdigested.IfIhavetohaveit,Iwillopenit,costwhateveritcosts.ButIdonotwanttoopenitnowbyforce.Letitopenbyitselfandcomebackofitsownaccord.AfterallIabuseditmuchinthenightwhenitwasnecessarytofreeanduntiethevariouslines.
Helookedacrosstheseaandknewhowalonehewasnow.Buthecouldseetheprismsinthedeepdarkwaterandthelinestretchingaheadandthestrangeundulationofthecalm.Thecloudswerebuildingupnowforthetradewindandhelookedaheadandsawaflightofwildducksetchingthemselvesagainsttheskyoverthewater,thenblurring,thenetchingagainandheknewnomanwaseveraloneonthesea.
Hethoughtofhowsomemenfearedbeingoutofsightoflandinasmallboarandknewtheywererightinthemonthsofsuddenbadweather.Butnowtheywereinhurricanemonthsand,whentherearenohurricanes,theweatherofhurricanemonthsisthebestofalltheyear.
Ifthereisahurricaneyoualwaysseethesignsofitintheskyfordaysahead,ifyouareatsea.Theydonotseeitashorebecausetheydonotknowwhattolookfor,hethought.Thelandmustmakeadifferencetoo,intheshapeoftheclouds.Butwehavenohurricanecomingnow.
HelookedattheskyandsawthewhitecumulusbuiltlikefriendlypilesoficecreamandhighabovewerethethinfeathersofthecirrusagainstthehighSeptembersky.
「Lightbrisa,」hesaid.「Betterweatherformethanforyou,fish.」
Hislefthandwasstillcramped,buthewasunknottingitslowly.