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第9章 Final Fight（第1页）

Heputhishandsinthewateragaintosoakthem。Itwasgettinglateintheafternoonandhesawnothingbuttheseaandthesky。Therewasmorewindintheskythantherehadbeen，andsoonhehopedthathewouldseeland。

“Youretired，oldman，”hesaid。“Youretiredinside。”

Thesharksdidnothithimagainuntiljustbeforesunset。

Theoldmansawthebrownfinscomingalongthewidetrailthefishmustmakeinthewater。Theywerenotevenquarteringonthescent。Theywereheadedstraightfortheskiffswimmingsidebyside。

Hejammedthetiller，madethesheetfastandreachedunderthesternfortheclub。Itwasanoarhandlefromabrokenoarsawedofftoabouttwoandahalffeetinlength。Hecouldonlyuseiteffectivelywithonehandbecauseofthegripofthehandleandhetookgoodholdofitwithhisrighthand，flexinghishandonit，ashewatchedthesharkscome。Theywerebothgalanos。

Imustletthefirstonegetagoodholdandhithimonthepointofthenoseorstraightacrossthetopofthehead，hethought。

Thetwosharksclosedtogetherandashesawtheonenearesthimopenhisjawsandsinkthemintothesilversideofthefish，heraisedtheclubhighandbroughtitdownheavyandslammingontothetopofthesharksbroadhead。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。Thesunhadgonedownwhilehehadbeeninthefightwiththeshark。

“Itwillbedarksoon，”hesaid。“ThenIshouldseetheglowofHavana。IfIamtoofartotheeastwardIwillseethelightsofoneofthenewbeaches。”

Icannotbetoofaroutnow，hethought。Ihopenoonehasbeentooworried。Thereisonlytheboytoworry，ofcourse。ButIamsurehewouldhaveconfidence。Manyoftheolderfishermenwillworry。Manyotherstoo，hethought。Iliveinagoodtown。

Hecouldnottalktothefishanymorebecausethefishhadbeenruinedtoobadly。Thensomethingcameintohishead。

“Halffish，”hesaid。“Fishthatyouwere。IamsorrythatIwenttoofarout。Iruinedusboth。Butwehavekilledmanysharks，youandI，andruinedmanyothers。Howmanydidyoueverkill，oldfish?Youdonothavethatspearonyourheadfornothing。”

Helikedtothinkofthefishandwhathecoulddotoasharkifhewereswimmingfree。Ishouldhavechoppedthebillofftofightthemwith，hethought。Buttherewasnohatchetandthentherewasnoknife。

ButifIhad，andcouldhavelashedittoanoarbutt，whataweapon。Thenwemighthavefoughtthemtogether。Whatwillyoudonowiftheycomeinthenight?Whatcanyoudo?“Fightthem，”hesaid。“IllfightthemuntilIdie。”

Butinthedarknowandnoglowshowingandnolightsandonlythewindandthesteadypullofthesailhefeltthatperhapshewasalreadydead。Heputhistwohandstogetherandfeltthepalms。Theywerenotdeadandhecouldbringthepainoflifebysimplyopeningandclosingthem。Heleanedhisbackagainstthesternandheknewhewasnotdead。Hisshoulderstoldhim。

IhaveallthoseprayersIpromisedifIcaughtthefish，hethought。ButIamtootiredtosaythemnow。Ibettergetthesackandputitovermyshoulders。

Helayinthesternandsteeredandwatchedfortheglowtocomeinthesky。Ihavehalfofhim，hethought。MaybeIllhavethelucktobringtheforwardhalfin。Ishouldhavesomeluck。No，hesaid。Youviolatedyourluckwhenyouwenttoofaroutside。

“Dontbesilly，”hesaidaloud。“Andkeepawakeandsteer。Youmayhavemuchluckyet。”

“Idliketobuysomeiftheresanyplacetheysellit，”hesaid。

WhatcouldIbuyitwith?Heaskedhimself。CouldIbuyitwithalostharpoonandabrokenknifeandtwobadhands?“Youmight，”hesaid。“Youtriedtobuyitwitheighty-fourdaysatsea。Theynearlysoldittoyoutoo。”

Imustnotthinknonsense，hethought。Luckisathingthatcomesinmanyformsandwhocanrecognizeher?Iwouldtakesomethoughinanyformandpaywhattheyasked。IwishIcouldseetheglowfromthelights，hethought。Iwishtoomanythings。ButthatisthethingIwishfornow。Hetriedtosettlemorecomfortablytosteerandfromhispainheknewhewasnotdead。

Hesawthereflectedglareofthelightsofthecityatwhatmusthavebeenaroundtenoclockatnight。Theywereonlyperceptibleatfirstasthelightisintheskybeforethemoonrises。Thentheyweresteadytoseeacrosstheoceanwhichwasroughnowwiththeincreasingbreeze。Hesteeredinsideoftheglowandhethoughtthatnow，soon，hemusthittheedgeofthestream。

Nowitisover，hethought。Theywillprobablyhitmeagain。Butwhatcanamandoagainsttheminthedarkwithoutaweapon?

Hewasstiffandsorenowandhiswoundsandallofthestrainedpartsofhisbodyhurtwiththecoldofthenight。IhopeIdonothavetofightagain，hethought。IhopesomuchIdonothavetofightagain。

Butbymidnighthefoughtandthistimeheknewthefightwasuseless。Theycameinapackandhecouldonlyseethelinesinthewaterthattheirfinsmadeandtheirphosphorescenceastheythrewthemselvesonthefish。Heclubbedatheadsandheardthejawschopandtheshakingoftheskiffastheytookholdbelow。Heclubbeddesperatelyatwhathecouldonlyfeelandhearandhefeltsomethingseizetheclubanditwasgone。

Hejerkedthetillerfreefromtherudderandbeatandchoppedwithit，holdingitinbothhandsanddrivingitdownagainandagain。Buttheywereuptothebownowanddrivinginoneaftertheotherandtogether，tearingoffthepiecesofmeatthatshowedglowingbelowtheseaastheyturnedtocomeoncemore。

Onecame，finally，againsttheheaditselfandheknewthatitwasover。Heswungthetilleracrossthesharksheadwherethejawswerecaughtintheheavinessofthefishsheadwhichwouldnottear。Heswungitonceandtwiceandagain。Heheardthetillerbreakandhelungedatthesharkwiththesplinteredbutt。Hefeltitgoinandknowingitwassharphedroveitinagain。Thesharkletgoandrolledaway。Thatwasthelastsharkofthepackthatcame。Therewasnothingmoreforthemtoeat。

Theoldmancouldhardlybreathenowandhefeltastrangetasteinhismouth。Itwascopperyandsweetandhewasafraidofitforamoment。Buttherewasnotmuchofit。

Hespatintotheoceanandsaid，“Eatthat，Galanos。Andmakeadreamyouvekilledaman。”