Ihateacramp,hethought.Itisatreacheryofone』sownbody.Itishumiliatingbeforeotherstohaveadiarrhoeafromptomainepoisoningortovomitfromit.Butacramp,hethoughtofitasacalambre,humiliatesoneselfespeciallywhenoneisalone.
Iftheboywereherehecouldrubitformeandloosenitdownfromtheforearm,hethought.Butitwillloosenup.
Then,withhisrighthandhefeltthedifferenceinthepullofthelinebeforehesawtheslantchangeinthewater.Then,asheleanedagainstthelineandslappedhislefthandhardandfastagainsthisthighhesawthelineslantingslowlyupward.
「He』scomingup,」hesaid.「Comeonhand.Pleasecomeon.」
Thelineroseslowlyandsteadilyandthenthesurfaceoftheoceanbulgedaheadoftheboatandthefishcameout.Hecameoutunendinglyandwaterpouredfromhissides.Hewasbrightinthesunandhisheadandbackweredarkpurpleandinthesunthestripesonhissidesshowedwideandalightlavender.Hisswordwasaslongasabaseballbatandtaperedlikearapierandherosehisfulllengthfromthewaterandthenre-enteredit,smoothly,likeadiverandtheoldmansawthegreatscythe-bladeofhistailgounderandthelinecommencedtoraceout.
「Heistwofeetlongerthantheskiff,」theoldmansaid.Thelinewasgoingoutfastbutsteadilyandthefishwasnotpanicked.Theoldmanwastryingwithbothhandstokeepthelinejustinsideofbreakingstrength.Heknewthatifhecouldnotslowthefishwithasteadypressurethefishcouldtakeoutallthelineandbreakit.
HeisagreatfishandImustconvincehim,hethought.Imustneverlethimlearnhisstrengthnorwhathecoulddoifhemadehisrun.IfIwerehimIwouldputineverythingnowandgountilsomethingbroke.But,thankGod,theyarenotasintelligentaswewhokillthem;Althoughtheyaremorenobleandmoreable.
Theoldmanhadseenmanygreatfish.Hehadseenmanythatweighedmorethanathousandpoundsandhehadcaughttwoofthatsizeinhislife,butneveralone.Nowalone,andoutofsightofland,hewasfasttothebiggestfishthathehadeverseenandbiggerthanhehadeverheardof,andhislefthandwasstillastightasthegrippedclawsofaneagle.
Itwilluncrampthough,hethought.Surelyitwilluncramptohelpmyrighthand.Therearethreethingsthatarebrothers:thefishandmytwohands.Itmustuncramp.Itisunworthyofittobecramped.Thefishhadslowedagainandwasgoingathisusualpace.
Iwonderwhyhejumped,theoldmanthought.Hejumpedalmostasthoughtoshowmehowbighewas.Iknownow,anyway,hethought.IwishIcouldshowhimwhatsortofmanIam.Butthenhewouldseethecrampedhand.LethimthinkIammoremanthanIamandIwillbeso.IwishIwasthefish,hethought,witheverythinghehasagainstonlymywillandmyintelligence.
Hesettledcomfortablyagainstthewoodandtookhissufferingasitcameandthefishswamsteadilyandtheboatmovedslowlythroughthedarkwater.Therewasasmallsearisingwiththewindcomingupfromtheeastandatnoontheoldman』slefthandwasuncramped.
「Badnewsforyou,fish,」hesaidandshiftedthelineoverthesacksthatcoveredhisshoulders.
Hewascomfortablebutsuffering,althoughhedidnotadmitthesufferingatall.
「Iamnotreligious,」hesaid.「ButIwillsaytenOurFathersandtenHailMarysthatIshouldcatchthisfish,andIpromisetomakeapilgrimagetotheVirginofCobreifIcatchhim.Thatisapromise.」
Hecommencedtosayhisprayersmechanically.Sometimeshewouldbesotiredthathecouldnotremembertheprayerandthenhewouldsaythemfastsothattheywouldcomeautomatically.HailMarysareeasiertosaythanOurFathers,hethought.
「HailMaryfullofGracetheLordiswiththee.Blessedartthouamongwomenandblessedisthefruitofthywomb,Jesus.HolyMary,MotherofGod,prayforussinnersnowandatthehourofourdeath.Amen.」Thenheadded,「BlessedVirgin,prayforthedeathofthisfish.Wonderfulthoughheis.」
Withhisprayerssaid,andfeelingmuchbetter,butsufferingexactlyasmuch,andperhapsalittlemore,heleanedagainstthewoodofthebowandbegan,mechanically,toworkthefingersofhislefthand.
Thesunwashotnowalthoughthebreezewasrisinggently.
「Ihadbetterre-baitthatlittlelineoutoverthestern,」hesaid.「IfthefishdecidestostayanothernightIwillneedtoeatagainandthewaterislowinthebottle.Idon』tthinkIcangetanythingbutadolphinhere.ButifIeathimfreshenoughhewon』tbebad.Iwishaflyingfishwouldcomeonboardtonight.ButIhavenolighttoattractthem.AflyingfishisexcellenttoeatrawandIwouldnothavetocuthimup.Imustsaveallmystrengthnow.Christ,Ididnotknowhewassobig.」
「I』llkillhimthough,」hesaid.「Inallhisgreatnessandhisglory.」
Althoughitisunjust,hethought.ButIwillshowhimwhatamancandoandwhatamanendures.
「ItoldtheboyIwasastrangeoldman,」hesaid.「NowiswhenImustproveit.」
Thethousandtimesthathehadproveditmeantnothing.Nowhewasprovingitagain.Eachtimewasanewtimeandheneverthoughtaboutthepastwhenhewasdoingit.
Iwishhe』dsleepandIcouldsleepanddreamaboutthelions,hethought.Whyarethelionsthemainthingthatisleft?Don』tthink,oldman,hesaidtohimself,Restgentlynowagainstthewoodandthinkofnothing.Heisworking.Workaslittleasyoucan.
Itwasgettingintotheafternoonandtheboatstillmovedslowlyandsteadily.Buttherewasanaddeddragnowfromtheeasterlybreezeandtheoldmanrodegentlywiththesmallseaandthehurtofthecordacrosshisbackcametohimeasilyandsmoothly.
Onceintheafternoonthelinestartedtoriseagain.Butthefishonlycontinuedtoswimataslightlyhigherlevel.Thesunwasontheoldman』sleftarmandshoulderandonhisback.Soheknewthefishhadturnedeastofnorth.