「Theymusthavetakenaquarterofhimandofthebestmeat,」hesaidaloud.「IwishitwereadreamandthatIhadneverhookedhim.I』msorryaboutit,fish.Itmakeseverythingwrong.」Hestoppedandhedidnotwanttolookatthefishnow.Drainedofbloodandawashhelookedthecolourofthesilverbackingofaminorandhisstripesstillshowed.
「Ishouldn』thavegoneoutsofar,fish,」hesaid.「Neitherforyounorforme.I』msorry,fish.」
Now,hesaidtohimself.Looktothelashingontheknifeandseeifithasbeencut.Thengetyourhandinorderbecausetherestillismoretocome.
「IwishIhadastonefortheknife,」theoldmansaidafterhehadcheckedthelashingontheoarbutt.「Ishouldhavebroughtastone.」Youshouldhavebroughtmanythings,hethought.Butyoudidnotbringthem,oldman.Nowisnotimetothinkofwhatyoudonothave.Thinkofwhatyoucandowithwhatthereis.
「Yougivememuchgoodcounsel,」hesaidaloud.「I』mtiredofit.」
Heheldthetillerunderhisarmandsoakedbothhishandsinthewaterastheskiffdroveforward.
「Godknowshowmuchthatlastonetook,」hesaid.
「Butshe』smuchlighternow.」Hedidnotwanttothinkofthemutilatedunder-sideofthefish.Heknewthateachofthejerkingbumpsofthesharkhadbeenmeattornawayandthatthefishnowmadeatrailforallsharksaswideasahighwaythroughthesea.
Hewasafishtokeepamanallwinter,hethoughtDon』tthinkofthat.Justrestandtrytogetyourhandsinshapetodefendwhatisleftofhim.Thebloodsmellfrommyhandsmeansnothingnowwithallthatscentinthewater.Besidestheydonotbleedmuch.Thereisnothingcutthatmeansanything.Thebleedingmaykeeptheleftfromcramping.
WhatcanIthinkofnow?hethought.Nothing.Imustthinkofnothingandwaitforthenextones.Iwishithadreallybeenadream,hethought.Butwhoknows?Itmighthaveturnedoutwell.
Thenextsharkthatcamewasasingleshovelnose.Hecamelikeapigtothetroughifapighadamouthsowidethatyoucouldputyourheadinit.Theoldmanlethimhitthefishandthendrovetheknifeontheoardonintohisbrain.Butthesharkjerkedbackwardsasherolledandtheknifebladesnapped.
Theoldmansettledhimselftosteer.Hedidnotevenwatchthebigsharksinkingslowlyinthewater,showingfirstlife-size,thensmall,thentiny.Thatalwaysfascinatedtheoldman.Buthedidnotevenwatchitnow.
「Ihavethegaffnow,」hesaid.「Butitwilldonogood.Ihavethetwooarsandthetillerandtheshortclub.」
Nowtheyhavebeatenme,hethought.Iamtoooldtoclubsharkstodeath.ButIwilltryitaslongasIhavetheoarsandtheshortclubandthetiller.
Heputhishandsinthewateragaintosoakthem.Itwasgettinglateintheafternoonandhesawnothingbuttheseaandthesky.Therewasmorewindintheskythantherehadbeen,andsoonhehopedthathewouldseeland.
「You』retired,oldman,」hesaid.「You』retiredinside.」
Thesharksdidnothithimagainuntiljustbeforesunset.
Theoldmansawthebrownfinscomingalongthewidetrailthefishmustmakeinthewater.Theywerenotevenquarteringonthescent.Theywereheadedstraightfortheskiffswimmingsidebyside.
Hejammedthetiller,madethesheetfastandreachedunderthestemfortheclub.Itwasanoarhandlefromabrokenoarsawedofftoabouttwoandahalffeetinlength.Hecouldonlyuseiteffectivelywithonehandbecauseofthegripofthehandleandhetookgoodholdofitwithhisrighthand,flexinghishandonit,ashewatchedthesharkscome.Theywerebothgalanos.
Imustletthefirstonegetagoodholdandhithimonthepointofthenoseorstraightacrossthetopofthehead,hethought.
Thetwosharksclosedtogetherandashesawtheonenearesthimopenhisjawsandsinkthemintothesilversideofthefish,heraisedtheclubhighandbroughtitdownheavyandslammingontothetopoftheshark』sbroadhead.Hefelttherubberysolidityastheclubcamedown.Buthefelttherigidityofbonetooandhestruckthesharkoncemorehardacrossthepointofthenoseashesliddownfromthefish.
Theothersharkhadbeeninandoutandnowcameinagainwithhisjawswide.Theoldmancouldseepiecesofthemeatofthefishspillingwhitefromthecornerofhisjawsashebumpedthefishandclosedhisjaws.Heswungathimandhitonlytheheadandthesharklookedathimandwrenchedthemeatloose.Theoldmanswungtheclubdownonhimagainasheslippedawaytoswallowandhitonlytheheavysolidrubberiness.
「Comeon,galano,」theoldmansaid.「Comeinagain.」
Thesharkcameinarushandtheoldmanhithimasheshuthisjaws.Hehithimsolidlyandfromashighupashecouldraisetheclub.Thistimehefelttheboneatthebaseofthebrainandhehithimagaininthesameplacewhilethesharktorethemeatloosesluggishlyandsliddownfromthefish.
Theoldmanwatchedforhimtocomeagainbutneithersharkshowed.Thenhesawoneonthesurfaceswimmingincircles.Hedidnotseethefinoftheother.
Icouldnotexpecttokillthem,hethought.Icouldhaveinmytime.ButIhavehurtthembothbadlyandneitheronecanfeelverygood.IfIcouldhaveusedabatwithtwohandsIcouldhavekilledthefirstonesurely.Evennow,hethought.
Hedidnotwanttolookatthefish.Heknewthathalfofhimhadbeendestroyed.Thesunhadgonedownwhilehehadbeeninthefightwiththesharks.
「Itwillbedarksoon,」hesaid.「ThenIshouldseetheglowofHavana.IfIamtoofartotheeastwardIwillseethelightsofoneofthenewbeaches.」
Icannotbetoofaroutnow,hethought.Ihopenoonehasbeentooworried.Thereisonlytheboytoworry,ofcourse.ButIamsurehewouldhaveconfidence.Manyoftheolderfishermenwillworry.Manyotherstoo,hethought.Iliveinagoodtown.
Hecouldnottalktothefishanymorebecausethefishhadbeenruinedtoobadly.Thensomethingcameintohishead.