IhavenounderstandingofitandIamnotsurethatIbelieveinit.Perhapsitwasasintokillthefish.IsupposeitwaseventhoughIdidittokeepmealiveandfeedmanypeople.Buttheneverythingisasin.Donotthinkaboutsin.Itismuchtoolateforthatandtherearepeoplewhoarepaidtodoit.Letthemthinkaboutit.Youwereborntobeafishermanasthefishwasborntobeafish.SanPedrowasafishermanaswasthefatherofthegreatDiMaggio.
Buthelikedtothinkaboutallthingsthathewasinvolvedinandsincetherewasnothingtoreadandhedidnothavearadio,hethoughtmuchandhekeptonthinkingaboutsin.Youdidnotkillthefishonlytokeepaliveandtosellforfood,hethought.Youkilledhimforprideandbecauseyouareafisherman.Youlovedhimwhenhewasaliveandyoulovedhimafter.Ifyoulovehim,itisnotasintokillhim.Orisitmore?
「Youthinktoomuch,oldman,」hesaidaloud.
Butyouenjoyedkillingthedentuso,hethought.Helivesonthelivefishasyoudo.Heisnotascavengernorjustamovingappetiteassomesharksare.Heisbeautifulandnobleandknowsnofearofanything.
「Ikilledhiminself-defense,」theoldmansaidaloud.「AndIkilledhimwell.」
Besides,hethought,everythingkillseverythingelseinsomeway.Fishingkillsmeexactlyasitkeepsmealive.Theboykeepsmealive,hethought.Imustnotdeceivemyselftoomuch.
Heleanedoverthesideandpulledlooseapieceofthemeatofthefishwherethesharkhadcuthim.Hecheweditandnoteditsqualityanditsgoodtaste.Itwasfirmandjuicy,likemeat,butitwasnotred.TherewasnostringinessinitandheknewthatitwouldbringthehighestpriceInthemarket.Buttherewasnowaytokeepitsscentoutofthewaterandtheoldmanknewthataveryhadtimewascoming.
Thebreezewassteady.Ithadbackedalittlefurtherintothenorth-eastandheknewthatmeantthatitwouldnotfalloff.Theoldmanlookedaheadofhimbuthecouldseenosailsnorcouldheseethehullnorthesmokeofanyship.TherewereonlytheflyingfishthatwentupfromhisbowsailingawaytoeithersideandtheyellowpatchesofGulfweed.Hecouldnotevenseeabird.
Hehadsailedfortwohours,restinginthesternandsometimeschewingabitofthemeatfromthemarlin,tryingtorestandtobestrong,whenhesawthefirstofthetwosharks.
「Ay,」hesaidaloud.Thereisnotranslationforthiswordandperhapsitisjustanoisesuchasamanmightmake,involuntarily,feelingthenailgothroughhishandsandintothewood.
「Galanos,」hesaidaloud.Hehadseenthesecondfinnowcomingupbehindthefirstandhadidentifiedthemasshovel-nosedsharksbythebrown,triangularfinandthesweepingmovementsofthetail.Theyhadthescentandwereexcitedandinthestupidityoftheirgreathungertheywerelosingandfindingthescentintheirexcitement.Buttheywereclosingallthetime.
Theoldmanmadethesheetfastandjammedthetiller.Thenhetookuptheoarwiththeknifelashedtoit.Helifteditaslightlyashecouldbecausehishandsrebelledatthepain.Thenheopenedandclosedthemonitlightlytoloosenthem.Heclosedthemfirmlysotheywouldtakethepainnowandwouldnotflinchandwatchedthesharkscome.Hecouldseetheirwide,flattened,shovel-pointedheadsnowandtheirwhitetippedwidepectoralfins.Theywerehatefulsharks,badsmelling,scavengersaswellaskillers,andwhentheywerehungrytheywouldbiteatanoarortherudderofaboat.Itwasthesesharksthatwouldcuttheturtles』legsandflippersoffwhentheturtleswereasleeponthesurface,andtheywouldhitamaninthewater,iftheywerehungry,evenifthemanhadnosmelloffishbloodnoroffishslimeonhim.
「Ay,」theoldmansaid.「Galanos.Comeongalanos.」
Theycame.ButtheydidnotcomeastheMakohadcome.Oneturnedandwentoutofsightundertheskiffandtheoldmancouldfeeltheskiffshakeashejerkedandpulledonthefish.Theotherwatchedtheoldmanwithhisslittedyelloweyesandthencameinfastwithhishalfcircleofjawswidetohitthefishwherehehadalreadybeenbitten.Thelineshowedclearlyonthetopofhisbrownheadandbackwherethebrainjoinedthespinalcordandtheoldmandrovetheknifeontheoarintothejuncture,withdrewit,anddroveitinagainintotheshark』syellowcat-likeeyes.Thesharkletgoofthefishandsliddown,swallowingwhathehadtakenashedied.
Theskiffwasstillshakingwiththedestructiontheothersharkwasdoingtothefishandtheoldmanletgothesheetsothattheskiffwouldswingbroadsideandbringthesharkoutfromunder.Whenhesawthesharkheleanedoverthesideandpunchedathim.Hehitonlymeatandthehidewassethardandhebarelygottheknifein.Theblowhurtnotonlyhishandsbuthisshouldertoo.Butthesharkcameupfastwithhisheadoutandtheoldmanhithimsquarelyinthecenterofhisflat-toppedheadashisnosecameoutofwaterandlayagainstthefish.Theoldmanwithdrewthebladeandpunchedthesharkexactlyinthesamespotagain.Hestillhungtothefishwithhisjawshookedandtheoldmanstabbedhiminhislefteye.Thesharkstillhungthere.
「No?」theoldmansaidandhedrovethebladebetweenthevertebraeandthebrain.Itwasaneasyshotnowandhefeltthecartilagesever.Theoldmanreversedtheoarandputthebladebetweentheshark』sjawstoopenthem.Hetwistedthebladeandasthesharkslidloosehesaid,「Goon,galano.Slidedownamiledeep.Goseeyourfriend,ormaybeit』syourmother.」
Theoldmanwipedthebladeofhisknifeandlaiddowntheoar.Thenhefoundthesheetandthesailfilledandhebroughttheskiffontohercourse.