emb.seethemdie-第3部分

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　〃Never　mind　what　he's　looking　for。　Go　get　Sixto　and　Papa。
　Tell　them　I'm　waiting；　and　tell　them　I'm　getting　slightly　p。o。'd。　Now　move。〃
　〃Don't　get　excited；〃　Cooch　said；　but　he　moved　up　the　street　quickly；　passing　the　drunken　sailor　who　had　headed　back　towards　the　luncheonette。　The　sailor　was　in　that　sort　of　haze　where　everything　seems　to　involve　a　decision　meriting　vast　concentration　and　deliberation。　He　stopped　at　each　building；　studied　the　numerals；　shook　his　head　solemnly；　and　finally　wound　up　in　front　of　the　luncheonette　again；　still　shaking　his　head。　He　studied　the　sign；　considered　the　vast　symbolism　in　the　words　LUIS　LUNCHEONETTE；　pondered　this　symbolism　for　a　while；　shook　his　head　again；　and　was　beginning　to　retrace　his　steps　down　the　street　when　Zip　said；　〃Help　you；　sailor？〃
　〃Huh？〃　the　sailor　asked。
　〃You　look　lost；〃　Zip　said。　His　manner　was　quite　pleasant。　He　grinned　warmly　and　the　sailor　responded　to　the　grin　immediately；　the　lost　wanderer　accepting　the　first　friendly　hand。
　〃Listen；〃　he　said　drunkenly；　〃where's　La　。。。　La　Galli。。。　La　。。。　Listen；　I　was　talking　to　a　guy　inna　bar　downtown；　you　know？　An'　we　began　discussin'。。。〃　He　stopped　and　studied　Zip　with　drunkenly　profound　narrowness。　〃Listen；　how　old　are　you？〃
　〃Seventeen；〃　Zip　said。
　〃Oh。〃
　The　sailor　tabulated　this　silently；　his　mind　whirring。　He　nodded。　〃Okay；　then。　I　didn't　wanna　impair　the　morals　of　a　。。。　so　this　guy　an'　me；　we　were　discussin'　。。。　well；　I　was　sorta　expressin'　my　desire　for　sorta　climbin'　into　bed　with　a　female；　you　know？　A　girl。　You　know？〃
　〃So　he　sent　you　up　here？〃
　〃Yeah。　No。　Yeah；　yeah；　he　did。　He　said　there　was　a　place　up　here　called　。。。　ah。。。　La　Gallina。〃　He　pronounced　the　word　with　a　Western　twang　that　brought　a　new　smile　to　Zip's　mouth。
　〃La　Gallina；　yes；〃　Zip　said；　giving　it　the　proper　Spanish　pronunciation。
　〃Yeah；〃　the　sailor　said；　nodding；　〃where　he　said　I　could　get　anything　I　want。　Now　how　about　that？〃
　〃He　was　right；〃　Zip　answered。
　〃So　here　I　am；〃　the　sailor　said。　He　paused。　〃Where　is　it？〃
　〃Right　down　the　street　there。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　the　sailor　said；　nodding。　〃Thank　you　ver'　much。〃　He　started　off　down　the　street　again。
　〃Don't　mention　it；〃　Zip　said；　smiling。　He　stared　after　the　sailor　for　a　few　moments；　and　then　went　into　the　luncheonette。　〃Give　me　a　cup　of　coffee；　Luis；〃　he　said。
　The　sailor　went　down　the　street；　studying　each　doorway　as　he　had　before。　He　stopped　suddenly；　looked　at　the　lettering　on　the　plate…glass　window　of　a　bar；　and　muttered；　〃La　Gallina；　I'll　be　damned。　Feller　was　right。〃　He　walked　directly　to　the　front　door；　not　expecting　it　to　be　locked；　trying　to　open　it；　and　then　discovering　that　it　was　locked；　immensely　annoyed　that　the　knob　had　resisted　his　hand。　He　backed　away　from　the　door　and　yelled；　〃Hey！　Hey；　wake　up！　Wake　up；　goddamnit！　I'm　here！〃
　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃　Luis　said。
　〃Sailor　out　there；〃　Zip　said；　grinning。
　Luis　came　from　behind　the　counter。　Up　the　street；　the　sailor…was　still　shouting　at　the　top　of　his　lungs。
　〃You！〃　Luis　said。　〃Quiet；　quiet。〃
　The　sailor　turned。　〃You　talking　to　me；　mate？〃
　〃Si；　I'm　talking　to　you；　mate。　Stop　the　racket。　This　is　Sunday　morning。　People　like　to　sleep；　you　know？　You　wake　them　up。〃
　〃Well；　hell；　thass　what　I'm　trying　to　do；　you　know。〃
　〃Why　you　trying　to　wake　them　up　for？〃
　'〃Cause　I　wanna　go　to　bed。〃
　〃That　makes　sense；　all　right；〃　Luis　said；　nodding　patiently。　〃Are　you　drunk？〃
　〃Me？〃　the　sailor　said。　〃Me？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Hell；　no。〃
　〃You　look　perhaps　a　little　drunk。〃
　The　sailor　walked　to　where　Luis　was　standing；　put　his　hands　on　his　hips　and　said；　〃Well；　maybe　I　am　perhaps　a　li'l　drunk。　So　ain't　you　never　been　perhaps　a　li'l　drunk？〃
　〃I　have　been　a　little　drunk；〃　Luis　said；　〃and　I　have　been　a　lot　drunk。　e。　I'll　make　you　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　〃Whuffor？〃
　〃What　for？〃　Luis　shrugged　and　walked　into　the　luncheonette。　The　sailor　followed　him。　〃Because　I　like　sailors；〃　Luis　said。　〃I　used　to　be　a　sailor　myself　once。〃
　〃Did　you　find　it；　pal？〃　Zip　interrupted。
　〃Yeah。　It's　closed。〃
　〃I　coulda　told　you　that。〃
　〃So　why　dinn　you？〃
　〃You　didn't　ask。〃
　〃Oh；　you're　one　of　those　guys；〃　the　sailor　said。
　〃Which　guys？〃　Zip　asked；　and　he　stiffened　suddenly　on　the　counter　stool；　as　if　expecting　an　attack。
　〃The　guys　you　got　to　ask。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Zip　answered。　〃I'm　one　of　those　guys。　So　what？〃
　Rapidly；　perhaps　because　he　sensed　Zip's　sudden　belligerence；　perhaps　because　he　simply　wanted　to　switch　the　conversation　back　to　himself；　Luis　said；　〃Yes；　I　was　in　the　Navy　from　1923　to　1927。　Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Was　you　on　a　ship？〃　the　sailor　asked。　If　he　had　detected　any　challenge　in　Zip's　voice；　he　was　studiously　ignoring　it。　Either　that；　or　he　was　too　drunk　to　have　noticed。
　〃A　man　who　has　not　been　on　a　ship　is　not　a　sailor。〃　He　looked　over　at　the　bubbling　Silexes。　〃The　coffee　is　almost　ready。〃
　〃What　kind　of　a　ship？〃
　〃A　garbage　scow；〃　Zip　said　quickly；　and　he　grinned。
　〃Never　mind　this　smart　one。　I　was　on　a　mine　sweep。〃
　〃What　was　your　rate？〃　the　sailor　asked　suspiciously。
　〃You　never　heard　of　Rear　Admiral　Luis　Amandez？〃　Zip　asked；　mock　surprise　spreading　over　his　uneven　features。
　〃I　was　a　steward's　mate；〃　Luis　answered　with　dignity。　〃And　you　shut　up；　you　little　snotnose。〃
　〃Wha'd　he　say　your　name　was？　Louise？〃
　〃Yeah；　that's　right；〃　Zip　answered；　chuckling。　〃This　here　is　Aunt　Louise。〃
　〃Louise？　Yeah？〃
　〃No；　Luis。　Luis。〃
　〃No；　Louise；〃　Zip　insisted。
　〃Are　you　a　Mexican；　Louise？〃　the　sailor　asked。
　〃No。〃　Luis　shook　his　head。　〃Puerto　Rican。〃
　〃Well；　that's　the　same　thing；　ain't　it？〃
　〃Well…〃　Luis　thought　for　a　moment；　and　then　shrugged　resignedly。　〃Si；　the　same　thing。〃
　〃What　part　of　Mehico　you　from？〃　the　sailor　asked　obliviously。
　〃The　part　down　in　the　Caribbean；〃　Luis　said　dryly。
　〃The　annex；〃　Zip　put　in。　〃South。　You　know？〃
　〃And　whereabouts　in　Puerto　Rico？〃
　〃A　town　called　Cabo　Rojo；　do　you　know　it？〃
　〃I　only　know　Tia　Juana；〃　the　sailor　said；　〃and　I　ain't　even　been　there。　Closest　I　ever　got　was　San　Diego。〃
　〃Here；〃　Luis　said；　pouring　a　cup　of　coffee。　〃Drink　this。〃
　〃Where's　mine？〃　Zip　asked。
　〃I　have　only　two　hands。〃　He　finished　pouring　the　sailor's　coffee；　and　then　poured　a　cup　for　Zip。
　〃What　brung　you　all　the　way　here　from　Puerto　Rico？〃　the　sailor　asked。
　〃Work；〃　Luis　said。　〃A　man　has　to　work；　you　know。〃
　〃Where　you　from；　sailor？〃　Zip　asked。
　〃Fletcher；〃　the　sailor　said。　〃That's　in　Colorado。〃
　〃I　never　heard　of　it。〃
　〃It's　there；　all　right。〃
　The　three　fell　silent。
　Zip　and　the　sailor　sipped　at　their　coffee。　Luis　got　to　work　behind　the　counter。　There　seemed　to　be　nothing　more　to　say　to　each　other。　The　three；　after　all；　had　very　little　in　mon。　One　had　inquired　about　the　whereabouts　of　a　bar…quasi…whorehouse。　The　other　had　told　him　where　it　was。　The　third　had　served　them　both　coffee。　One　was　in　his　early　fifties；　the　other　was　perhaps　twenty…two；　and　the　third　was　seventeen。　One　was　born　in　Puerto　Rico；　the　other　in　Fletcher；　Colorado；　and　the　third　was　a　native　of　the　city。　Thus　divided　by　time　and　space　and　natural　inclination；　there　was　nothing　each　could　say　to　the　other　at　the　moment；　and　so　they　fell　silent。
　And　yet；　within　the　silence；　their　thoughts　ran　in　strangely　similar　patterns　so　that；　if　the　thoughts　had　been　voiced；　each　would　have　instantly　understood　…　or　thought　he'd　understood　…　the　other。
　Luis　had　begun　thinking　about　why　he'd　e　to　the　mainland；　about　why　he'd　left　the　place　of　his　birth。　He　had　told　the　sailor　he　had　e　here　to　work；　and　yet　he　knew　it　was　something　more　than　that。　It　was　not　to　work；　it　was　to　begin。　He　had　lived　on　the　island　with　a　wife　and　three　children；　and　the　island　…　despite　his　love　for　it　…　had　meant　primarily　one　thing；　and　that　thing　was　hunger。　Constant　hunger。　Hunger　that　lingered　through　the　cane…cutting　season　because　you　could　not　spend　all　of　your　earnings　while　the　season　was　in　swing；　you　had　to　save　some　for　the　empty　days　ahead。　There　was　not　much　to　hold　and　not　much　to　save。　You　fished　in　the　off　season；　and　sometimes　your　haul　was　good　…　but　most　of　the　time　you　were　hungry。　And　being　hungry；　even　knowing　that　everyone　else　around　you　was　hungry；　being　hungry　somehow　reduced　you　t