「Halffish,」hesaid.「Fishthatyouwere.IamsorrythatIwenttoofarout.Iruinedusboth.Butwehavekilledmanysharks,youandI,andruinedmanyothers.Howmanydidyoueverkill,oldfish?Youdonothavethatspearonyourheadfornothing.」
Helikedtothinkofthefishandwhathecoulddotoasharkifhewereswimmingfree.Ishouldhavechoppedthebillofftofightthemwith,hethought.Buttherewasnohatchetandthentherewasnoknife.
ButifIhad,andcouldhavelashedittoanoarbutt,whataweapon.Thenwemighthavefoughtthemtogether.Whatwillyoudonowiftheycomeinthenight?Whatcanyoudo?
「Fightthem,」hesaid.「I』llfightthemuntilIdie.」
Butinthedarknowandnoglowshowingandnolightsandonlythewindandthesteadypullofthesailhefeltthatperhapshewasalreadydead.Heputhistwohandstogetherandfeltthepalms.Theywerenotdeadandhecouldbringthepainoflifebysimplyopeningandclosingthem.Heleanedhisbackagainstthesternandknewhewasnotdead.Hisshoulderstoldhim.
IhaveallthoseprayersIpromisedifIcaughtthefish,hethought.ButIamtootiredtosaythemnow.Ibettergetthesackandputitovermyshoulders.
Helayinthesternandsteeredandwatchedfortheglowtocomeinthesky.Ihavehalfofhim,hethought.MaybeI』llhavethelucktobringtheforwardhalfin.Ishouldhavesomeluck.No,hesaid.Youviolatedyourluckwhenyouwenttoofaroutside.
「Don』tbesilly,」hesaidaloud.「Andkeepawakeandsteer.Youmayhavemuchluckyet.」
「I』dliketobuysomeifthere』sanyplacetheysellit,」hesaid.
WhatcouldIbuyitwith?heaskedhimself.CouldIbuyitwithalostharpoonandabrokenknifeandtwobadhands?
「Youmight,」hesaid.「Youtriedtobuyitwitheighty-fourdaysatsea.Theynearlysoldittoyoutoo.」
Imustnotthinknonsense,hethought.Luckisathingthatcomesinmanyformsandwhocanrecognizeher?Iwouldtakesomethoughinanyformandpaywhattheyasked.IwishIcouldseetheglowfromthelights,hethought.Iwishtoomanythings.ButthatisthethingIwishfornow.Hetriedtosettlemorecomfortablytosteerandfromhispainheknewhewasnotdead.
Hesawthereflectedglareofthelightsofthecityatwhatmusthavebeenaroundteno』clockatnight.Theywereonlyperceptibleatfirstasthelightisintheskybeforethemoonrises.Thentheyweresteadytoseeacrosstheoceanwhichwasroughnowwiththeincreasingbreeze.Hesteeredinsideoftheglowandhethoughtthatnow,soon,hemusthittheedgeofthestream.
Nowitisover,hethought.Theywillprobablyhitmeagain.Butwhatcanamandoagainsttheminthedarkwithoutaweapon?
Hewasstiffandsorenowandhiswoundsandallofthestrainedpartsofhisbodyhurtwiththecoldofthenight.IhopeIdonothavetofightagain,hethought.IhopesomuchIdonothavetofightagain.
Butbymidnighthefoughtandthistimeheknewthefightwasuseless.Theycameinapackandhecouldonlyseethelinesinthewaterthattheirfinsmadeandtheirphosphorescenceastheythrewthemselvesonthefish.Heclubbedatheadsandheardthejawschopandtheshakingoftheskiffastheytookholdbelow.Heclubbeddesperatelyatwhathecouldonlyfeelandhearandhefeltsomethingseizetheclubanditwasgone.
Hejerkedthetillerfreefromtherudderandbeatandchoppedwithit,holdingitinbothhandsanddrivingitdownagainandagain.Buttheywereuptothebownowanddrivinginoneaftertheotherandtogether,tearingoffthepiecesofmeatthatshowedglowingbelowtheseaastheyturnedtocomeoncemore.
Onecame,finally,againsttheheaditselfandheknewthatitwasover.Heswungthetilleracrosstheshark』sheadwherethejawswerecaughtintheheavinessofthefish』sheadwhichwouldnottear.Heswungitonceandtwiceandagain.Heheardthetillerbreakandhelungedatthesharkwiththesplinteredbutt.Hefeltitgoinandknowingitwassharphedroveitinagain.Thesharkletgoandrolledaway.Thatwasthelastsharkofthepackthatcame.Therewasnothingmoreforthemtoeat.
Theoldmancouldhardlybreathenowandhefeltastrangetasteinhismouth.Itwascopperyandsweetandhewasafraidofitforamoment.Buttherewasnotmuchofit.
Hespatintotheoceanandsaid,「Eatthat,galanos.Andmakeadreamyou』vekilledaman.」
Heknewhewasbeatennowfinallyandwithoutremedyandhewentbacktothesternandfoundthejaggedendofthetillerwouldfitintheslotoftherudderwellenoughforhimtosteer.Hesettledthesackaroundhisshouldersandputtheskiffonhercourse.Hesailedlightlynowandhehadnothoughtsnoranyfeelingsofanykind.Hewaspasteverythingnowandhesailedtheskifftomakehishomeportaswellandasintelligentlyashecould.Inthenightsharkshitthecarcassassomeonemightpickupcrumbsfromthetable.Theoldmanpaidnoattentiontothemanddidnotpayanyattentiontoanythingexceptsteering.Heonlynoticedhowlightlyandbowwelltheskiffsailednowtherewasnogreatweightbesideher.
She』sgood,hethought.Sheissoundandnotharmedinanywayexceptforthetiller.Thatiseasilyreplaced.
Hecouldfeelhewasinsidethecurrentnowandhecouldseethelightsofthebeachcoloniesalongtheshore.Heknewwherehewasnowanditwasnothingtogethome.
Thewindisourfriend,anyway,hethought.Thenheadded,sometimes.Andthegreatseawithourfriendsandourenemies.Andbed,hethought.Bedismyfriend.Justbed,hethought.Bedwillbeagreatthing.Itiseasywhenyouarebeaten,hethought.Ineverknewhoweasyitwas.Andwhatbeatyou,hethought.
「Nothing,」hesaidaloud.「Iwentouttoofar.」