Theiridescentbubbleswerebeautiful.Buttheywerethefalsestthingintheseaandtheoldmanlovedtoseethebigseaturtleseatingthem.Theturtlessawthem,approachedthemfromthefront,thenshuttheireyessotheywerecompletelycarapacedandatethemfilamentsandall.Theoldmanlovedtoseetheturtleseatthemandhelovedtowalkonthemonthebeachafterastormandhearthempopwhenhesteppedonthemwiththehornysolesofhisfeet.
Helovedgreenturtlesandhawk-billswiththeireleganceandspeedandtheirgreatvalueandhehadafriendlycontemptforthehuge,stupidloggerheads,yellowintheirarmour-plating,strangeintheirlove-making,andhappilyeatingthePortuguesemen-of-warwiththeireyesshut.
Hehadnomysticismaboutturtlesalthoughhehadgoneinturtleboatsformanyyears.Hewassorryforthemall,eventhegreattrunkbacksthatwereaslongastheskiffandweighedaton.Mostpeopleareheartlessaboutturtlesbecauseaturtle』sheartwillbeatforhoursafterhehasbeencutupandbutchered.Buttheoldmanthought,Ihavesuchahearttooandmyfeetandhandsareliketheirs.Heatethewhiteeggstogivehimselfstrength.HeatethemallthroughMaytobestronginSeptemberandOctoberforthetrulybigfish.
Healsodrankacupofsharkliveroileachdayfromthebigdrumintheshackwheremanyofthefishermenkepttheirgear.Itwasthereforallfishermenwhowantedit.Mostfishermenhatedthetaste.Butitwasnoworsethangettingupatthehoursthattheyroseanditwasverygoodagainstallcoldsandgrippesanditwasgoodfortheeyes.
Nowtheoldmanlookedupandsawthatthebirdwascirclingagain.
「He』sfoundfish,」hesaidaloud.Noflyingfishbrokethesurfaceandtherewasnoscatteringofbaitfish.Butastheoldmanwatched,asmalltunaroseintheair,turnedanddroppedheadfirstintothewater.Thetunashonesilverinthesunandafterhehaddroppedbackintothewateranotherandanotherroseandtheywerejumpinginalldirections,churningthewaterandleapinginlongjumpsafterthebait.Theywerecirclingitanddrivingit.
Iftheydon』ttraveltoofastIwillgetintothem,theoldmanthought,andhewatchedtheschoolworkingthewaterwhiteandthebirdnowdroppinganddippingintothebaitfishthatwereforcedtothesurfaceintheirpanic.
「Thebirdisagreathelp,」theoldmansaid.Justthenthesternlinecametautunderhisfoot,wherehehadkeptaloopoftheline,andhedroppedhisoarsandfelttileweightofthesmalltuna』sshiveringpullasheheldthelinefirmandcommencedtohaulitin.Theshiveringincreasedashepulledinandhecouldseethebluebackofthefishinthewaterandthegoldofhissidesbeforeheswunghimoverthesideandintotheboat.Helayinthesterninthesun,compactandbulletshaped,hisbig,unintelligenteyesstaringashethumpedhislifeoutagainsttheplankingoftheboatwiththequickshiveringstrokesofhisneat,fast-movingtail.Theoldmanhithimontheheadforkindnessandkickedhim,hisbodystillshuddering,undertheshadeofthestern.
「Albacore,」hesaidaloud.「He』llmakeabeautifulbait.He』llweightenpounds.」
Hedidnotrememberwhenhehadfirststartedtotalkaloudwhenhewasbyhimself.Hehadsungwhenhewasbyhimselfintheolddaysandhehadsungatnightsometimeswhenhewasalonesteeringonhiswatchinthesmacksorintheturtleboats.Hehadprobablystartedtotalkaloud,whenalone,whentheboyhadleft.Buthedidnotremember.Whenheandtheboyfishedtogethertheyusuallyspokeonlywhenitwasnecessary.Theytalkedatnightorwhentheywerestorm-boundbybadweather.Itwasconsideredavirtuenottotalkunnecessarilyatseaandtheoldmanhadalwaysconsidereditsoandrespectedit.Butnowhesaidhisthoughtsaloudmanytimessincetherewasnoonethattheycouldannoy.
「IftheothersheardmetalkingoutloudtheywouldthinkthatIamcrazy,」hesaidaloud.「ButsinceIamnotcrazy,Idonotcare.Andtherichhaveradiostotalktothemintheirboatsandtobringthemthebaseball.」
Nowisnotimetothinkofbaseball,hethought.Nowisthetimetothinkofonlyonething.ThatwhichIwasbornfor.Theremightbeabigonearoundthatschool,hethought.Ipickeduponlyastragglerfromthealbacorethatwerefeeding.Buttheyareworkingfaroutandfast.Everythingthatshowsonthesurfacetodaytravelsveryfastandtothenorth-east.Canthatbethetimeofday?OrisitsomesignofweatherthatIdonotknow?
Hecouldnotseethegreenoftheshorenowbutonlythetopsofthebluehillsthatshowedwhiteasthoughtheyweresnow-cappedandthecloudsthatlookedlikehighsnowmountainsabovethem.Theseawasverydarkandthelightmadeprismsinthewater.Themyriadflecksoftheplanktonwereannullednowbythehighsunanditwasonlythegreatdeepprismsinthebluewaterthattheoldmansawnowwithhislinesgoingstraightdownintothewaterthatwasamiledeep.
Thetuna,thefishermencalledallthefishofthatspeciestunaandonlydistinguishedamongthembytheirpropernameswhentheycametosellthemortotradethemforbaits,weredownagain.Thesunwashotnowandtheoldmanfeltitonthebackofhisneckandfeltthesweattrickledownhisbackasherowed.
Icouldjustdrift,hethought,andsleepandputabightoflinearoundmytoetowakeme.Buttodayiseighty-fivedaysandIshouldfishthedaywell.
Justthen,watchinghislines,hesawoneoftheprojectinggreensticksdipsharply.