Thenthelinewouldnotcomeinanymoreandheheldituntilhesawthedropsjumpingfromitinthesun.Thenitstartedoutandtheoldmankneltdownandletitgogrudginglybackintothedarkwater.
「Heismakingthefarpartofhiscirclenow,」hesaid.ImustholdallIcan,hethought.Thestrainwillshortenhiscircleeachtime.PerhapsinanhourIwillseehim.NowImustconvincehimandthenImustkillhim.
Butthefishkeptoncirclingslowlyandtheoldmanwaswetwithsweatandtireddeepintohisbonestwohourslater.Butthecirclesweremuchshorternowandfromthewaythelineslantedhecouldtellthefishhadrisensteadilywhileheswam.
Foranhourtheoldmanhadbeenseeingblackspotsbeforehiseyesandthesweatsaltedhiseyesandsaltedthecutoverhiseyesandonhisforehead.Hewasnotafraidoftheblackspots.Theywerenormalatthetensionthathewaspullingontheline.Twice,though,hehadfeltfaintanddizzyandthathadworriedhim.
「Icouldnotfailmyselfanddieonafishlikethis,」hesaid.「NowthatIhavehimcomingsobeautifully,Godhelpmeendure.I』llsayahundredOurFathersandahundredHailMarys.ButIcannotsaythemnow.
Considerthemsaid,hethought.I』llsaythemlater.Justthenhefeltasuddenbangingandjerkingonthelineheheldwithhistwohands.Itwassharpandhard-feelingandheavy.
Heishittingthewireleaderwithhisspear,hethought.Thatwasboundtocome.Hehadtodothat.ItmaymakehimjumpthoughandIwouldratherhestayedcirclingnow.Thejumpswerenecessaryforhimtotakeair.Butafterthateachonecanwidentheopeningofthehookwoundandhecanthrowthehook.
「Don』tjump,fish,」hesaid.「Don』tjump.」
Thefishhitthewireseveraltimesmoreandeachtimeheshookhisheadtheoldmangaveupalittleline.
Imustholdhispainwhereitis,hethought.Minedoesnotmatter.Icancontrolmine.Buthispaincoulddrivehimmad.
Afterawhilethefishstoppedbeatingatthewireandstartedcirclingslowlyagain.Theoldmanwasgaininglinesteadilynow.Buthefeltfaintagain.Heliftedsomeseawaterwithhislefthandandputitonhishead.Thenheputmoreonandrubbedthebackofhisneck.
「Ihavenocramps,」hesaid.「He』llbeupsoonandIcanlast.Youhavetolast.Don』tevenspeakofit.」
Hekneeledagainstthebowand,foramoment,slippedthelineoverhisbackagain.I』llrestnowwhilehegoesoutonthecircleandthenstandupandworkonhimwhenhecomesin,hedecided.
Itwasagreattemptationtorestinthebowandletthefishmakeonecirclebyhimselfwithoutrecoveringanyline.Butwhenthestrainshowedthefishhadturnedtocometowardtheboat,theoldmanrosetohisfeetandstartedthepivotingandtheweavingpullingthatbroughtinallthelinehegained.
I』mtirederthanIhaveeverbeen,hethought,andnowthetradewindisrising.Butthatwillbegoodtotakehiminwith.Ineedthatbadly.
「I』llrestonthenextturnashegoesout,」hesaid.「Ifeelmuchbetter.ThenintwoorthreeturnsmoreIwillhavehim.」
Hisstrawhatwasfaronthebackofhisheadandhesankdownintothebowwiththepullofthelineashefeltthefishturn.
Youworknow,fish,hethought.I』lltakeyouattheturn.
Theseahadrisenconsiderably.Butitwasafair-weatherbreezeandhehadtohaveittogethome.
「I』lljuststeersouthandwest,」hesaid.「Amanisneverlostatseaanditisalongisland.」
Itwasonthethirdturnthathesawthefishfirst.
Hesawhimfirstasadarkshadowthattooksolongtopassundertheboatthathecouldnotbelieveitslength.
「No,」hesaid.「Hecan』tbethatbig.」
Buthewasthatbigandattheendofthiscirclehecametothesurfaceonlythirtyyardsawayandthemansawhistailoutofwater.Itwashigherthanabigscythebladeandaverypalelavenderabovethedarkbluewater.Itrakedbackandasthefishswamjustbelowthesurfacetheoldmancouldseehishugebulkandthepurplestripesthatbandedhim.Hisdorsalfinwasdownandhishugepectoralswerespreadwide.
Onthiscircletheoldmancouldseethefish』seyeandthetwograysuckingfishthatswainaroundhim.Sometimestheyattachedthemselvestohim.Sometimestheydartedoff.Sometimestheywouldswimeasilyinhisshadow.Theywereeachoverthreefeetlongandwhentheyswamfasttheylashedtheirwholebodieslikeeels.
Theoldmanwassweatingnowbutfromsomethingelsebesidesthesun.Oneachcalmplacidturnthefishmadehewasgaininglineandhewassurethatintwoturnsmorehewouldhaveachancetogettheharpoonin.
ButImustgethimclose,close,close,hethought.Imustn』ttryforthehead.Imustgettheheart.
「Becalmandstrong,oldman,」hesaid.
Onthenextcirclethefish』sbeckwasoutbuthewasalittletoofarfromtheboat.Onthenextcirclehewasstilltoofarawaybuthewashigheroutofwaterandtheoldmanwassurethatbygainingsomemorelinehecouldhavehimalongside.
Hehadriggedhisharpoonlongbeforeanditscoiloflightropewasinaroundbasketandtheendwasmadefasttothebittinthebow.
Thefishwascominginonhiscirclenowcalmandbeautifullookingandonlyhisgreattailmoving.Theoldmanpulledonhimallthathecouldtobringhimcloser.Forjustamomentthefishturnedalittleonhisside.Thenhestraightenedhimselfandbegananothercircle.
「Imovedhim,」theoldmansaid.「Imovedhimthen.」