第10章 The Old Mans Return[第1页/共7页]

“Plenty,”the old man said.

“How is he?”one of the fishermen shouted.

“Sleeping,”the boy called.He did not care that they saw him crying.“ Let no one disturb him.”

That afternoon there was a party of tourists at the Terrace and looking down in the water among the empty beer cans and dead barracudas a woman saw a great long white spine with a huge tail at the end that lifted and swung with the tide while the east wind blew a heavy steady sea outside the entrance to the harbor.

“No.Afterwards I will see what he can eat.”

“Damn my fish,”the boy said and he started to cry again.

“I do not care.I caught two yesterday.But we will fish together now for I still have much to learn.”

“What will your family say?”

The boy did not go down.He had been there before and one of the fishermen was looking after the skiff for him.

“Get that well too,”the boy said.“Lie down,old man, and I will bring you your clean shirt.And something to eat.”“Bring any of the papers of the time that I was gone,”the old man said.

He could feel he was inside the current now and he could see the lights of the beach colonies along the shore.He knew where he was now and it was nothing to get home.

“Thanks,”the boy said.