ch.nakedcamethemanatee-第20部分

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　〃Horny？〃　Fay　said。　〃Booger？　Are　you　projecting；　Jake？〃
　The　women　looked　at　each　other。　〃He's　so　rude；〃　Britt　said。　〃Somebody　ought　to　give　him　a　well…placed　kick。〃
　Fay　stepped　into　the　boat。　〃Not　me。　It's　too　easy。〃　She　turned　the　key　to　start　the　engine；　and　switched　on　the　VHP　radio。　Britt　untied　the　bow　line　and　hopped　aboard。
　〃Jake；　grab　the　stern　and　push　us　off；　will　you？〃　said　Fay。
　He　handed　the　canister　to　Fay　and　she　stowed　it　in　the　starboard　locker。　He　unwrapped　the　line　from　the　cleat　and　put　a　foot　on　the　gunwale。　The　boat　moved　out　fast；　until　his　legs　couldn't　split　any　farther。　He　splashed　face　first　into　the　oily　bay　water；　got　a　noseful；　and　came　up　coughing。　Time　to　cut　back　on　the　Grolsch；　he　thought。　A　plastic　Winn…Dixie　bag　was　plastered　over　his　forehead　and　ear。
　Fay　pulled　it　off　and　put　it　in　the　bucket　she　had　for　such　purposes。　〃Good　thing　you　found　this　bag。　It　might　have　gotten　wrapped　around　the　prop。〃　She　grinned。　〃You　need　to　step　decisively　when　getting　into　a　boat；　Jake。〃
　Jake　smoothed　his　hair　back　and　looked　up　into　her　green　eyes。　The　bay　paled　and　grayed　in　parison。
　〃There's　a　ladder　on　the　stern；〃　she　said。
　〃Listen　to　this；〃　said　Britt。　She　was　pointing　at　the　VHF。　〃There's　a　wounded　manatee。〃
　Fay　got　on　the　radio　and　requested　further　information。　The　captain　came　back　with　a　description　of　a　long　jagged　scar　across　the　upper　back。
　〃It's　Booger！〃　said　Fay。　〃We　have　to　find　him　fast。〃　Jake　moved　around　toward　the　stern。　He　heard　the　location…north　of　Mattheson　Hammock。
　〃Thanks；　Captain。　I'll　take　care　of　it。　Let's　go！〃　yelled　Fay。　She　hit　the　throttle　as　Jake　took　the　first　step　up　the　ladder。　His　foot　slipped　off　the　stainless…steel　rung；　and　his　225　pounds　dragged　by　one　arm；　on　the　side　with　the　bad　shoulder。　The　prop　was　churning　a　few　feet　from　his　dangling　legs。　He　tried　to　yell　above　the　engine。　〃Fay；　stop。　FAY！〃　he　screamed。　Neither　she　nor　Britt　heard。
　Jake　let　go　and　fell　backward；　tried　to　yell　an　obscenity；　but　a　wave　choked　him　off。　He　sculled　in　place　with　one　hand　while　he　watched　the　boat　speed　away　in　the　distance。
　Jake　started　the　short　swim　back　to　the　dock。　He　figured　he'd　wait　there。　Fay　would　turn　the　boat　around　as　soon　as　she　noticed　he　was　gone。　She　would　feel　terrible。　Maybe　he　could　convince　her　to　go　out　for　a　drink　to　make　up　for　it。
　
　Fay　headed　toward　Mattheson　Hammock　at　top　speed。　The　outlandish　thought　that　Booger's　injury　had　something　to　do　with　Granny's　death　hovered　in　her　mind。　It　was　more　a　feeling　than　a　thought；　like　the　sixth　sense　Granny　had　always　talked　about。　It　was　beyond　logic。　Fay　had　always　believed　the　minds　of　animals　were　badly　underestimated。　Someday　the　true　potentials　would　be　revealed；　and　humans　would　feel　ashamed　of　their　ignorant　practices　of　slavery　and　butchery。
　Fay　slowed　the　boat　as　she　neared　the　location。　〃I'll　watch　starboard。　Britt；　take　port。〃　She　cut　the　engine　to　an　idle　and　they　drifted。
　〃Look；〃　Britt　hollered。　She　pointed　at　a　half…moon　shadow　just　visible　under　the　edge　of　a　dock。　〃There　he　is；　just　behind　that　black　Cigarette　boat。〃　Britt　blew　out　some　air。　〃That's　Joey　G。's　dock。　I　don't　think　we　should　get　any　closer。〃
　Fay　turned　to　ask　Jake。　〃Where's　Jake？〃　〃Probably　stopped　off　for　another　beer。〃　Fay　didn't　take　time　to　ask　what　she　meant。　Booger　moved　out　from　under　the　dock。　He　raised　his　head。　His　round　black　eyes　stared　into　Fay's。　He　did　a　couple　slow　logrolls　on　the　surface　between　them　and　the　Cigarette。
　〃What's　the　matter　with　him？〃　asked　Britt。
　〃Must　be　his　equilibrium　is　off。　There's　a　gash　in　his　jowl。　It　looks　like　a　bullet　wound；　for　heaven's　sake。〃
　Booger　started　smashing　his　tail　flat　on　the　surface　of　the　water　and　angling　his　body　toward　the　Cigarette。　He　smashed　and　angled；　smashed　and　angled。
　〃I　don't　know　what　he's　doing；〃　Fay　said。　She　pulled　the　boat　closer　and　idled。　〃Somebody　really　tore　up　the　hull　of　that　boat。　I　hope　they　didn't　kill　any　coral。〃
　Booger　smashed　the　water　hard。　Spray　flew　into　the　boat　and　drenched　Britt　from　the　shoulders　down。　〃Damn！〃　she　yelled。　〃Booger　is　going　nuts。　What's　his　problem？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　I　have　a　bad　feeling。〃
　Britt　heard　a　sound　and　turned。　Fay　looked　at　her　face　and　did　likewise。　On　the　dock　behind　them　was　a　pudgy；　balding　man　and　a　muscular；　dark…haired　man　with　a　scorpion　tattoo　on　his　arm。　She　recognized　him。　〃Hector；〃　she　said。
　〃Joey　G。；〃　said　Britt；　waving　a　hand　at　the　fat　one。　〃I　thought　you　were　in　Fiji。〃
　Hector　lifted　his　other　arm　from　his　side　and　pointed　an　Uzi　their　way。
　〃Damn；〃　said　Britt。　〃Double　damn。〃
　〃Pull　your　boat　up　to　the　dock；　ladies；〃　said　Joey　G。　〃We　need　to　talk。〃
　Fay　remembered　the　canister　in　the　starboard　locker：　big　trouble。　She　saw　the　throttle　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye；　and　thought　about　slamming　it　forward。　These　guys　were　probably　bluffing　。。。　but　then　she　thought　better。　It　was　Miami。
　She　shifted　into　reverse　to　maneuver　into　the　spot　and　saw　Booger　hide　himself　back　under　the　dock。　She　couldn't　risk　Britt's　life。　She'd　have　to　wing　it；　pick　the　right　moment　to　make　a　move。
　
　11。　WHERE　ARE　YOU　DYING　TONIGHT？…John　Dufresne
　In　Biscayne　Bay：　Call　me　Booger。　Now　it　is　November　in　my　soul　and　twilight　in　my　heart。　Light　is　leaving　me。　And　hope。　It　is　this　blackness　above　all　that　appalls　me。　The　blackness　to　e；　the　blackness　of　this　loathsome　hull　above　me；　and　the　inky　black　hearts　of　those　Stygian　scoundrels　who　took　Ma　from　me；　the　dark…plexioned；　cloven…footed　desperado　who　fired　the　bullet　into　my　snout　and　that　pink　and　squabby　venom　spouter　who　steered　this　floating　coffin。　The　pair　of　them　are　madness…maddened；　blackness…blackened。　They　have　all　that　is　bloody　on　their　minds。　What　lunatic　vision　is　it　that　drives　these　blackguards？　What　furious　passion？　What　unimaginable　fear　has　freed　them　from　the　irons　of　civility？　Loosed　their　bonds　of　horror？　Nothing　so　simple　as　greed。　Not　that。　We　see　differently；　they　and　I。　They　have　their　colors；　I　my　grays。　But　blackness　we　share。　Blackness；　agent　of　the　mind；　not　the　eye。　We　all　see　black　alike。　And　it's　blackness　where　our　fates　will　meet。　I　have　a　plan。
　
　At　the　Chapel　of　Our　Lady　of　Perpetual　Sorrow　and　Everlasting　Anguish：　Monsignor　Armand　Turgeon　celebrated　the　funeral　mass　for　his　friend　and　patron　Marion　McAlister　Williams。　He　praised　her　generous　philanthropy；　her　unconventional　but　enthusiastic　faith；　her　tenacious　efforts　to　save　the　Everglades　from　the　ravages　of　Big　Sugar　and　the　Corps　of　Engineers；　to　save　the　wildness　that　was　Florida　from　the　teeming　masses　breathing　free；　flushing　waste　into　the　bay；　and　paving　the　earth。　Father　Turgeon　suggested　that　after　death　we　return　to　what　we　were　before　birth…washed　in　the　precious　blood　of　the　Lord　and　rocked　in　His　mighty　arms。　He　looked　out　at　the　assembled　mourners；　at　the　politicians；　the　curious；　looked　into　the　glassy　eyes　and　disinterested　faces　of　these　waking　dreamers　who　fend　off　their　fears　with　distraction。　He　told　them　that　our　longing　to　survive　is　vanity　only。　Even　God；　he　said；　envies　our　mortality。
　Jake　Lassiter　hadn't　heard　a　word　the　reverend　said。　He'd　spent　the　morning　at　the　library；　trying　to　keep　his　mind　off　Fay　and　Britt　and　where　they　might　be　and　in　how　many　pieces。　He　looked　up　〃manatee〃　in　the　dictionary　and　learned　that　it　es　from　the　Cariban　manati；　which　means　breast；　and　for　some　reason　he　found　the　revelation　distressing　and　depressing。　He　couldn't　stop　himself　from　thinking　about　that　sea　cow　Booger；　and　about　Fay　and　Britt。　What　kind　of　man　beholds　a　hulking　sausage…shaped；　beaver…tailed；　cleft…lipped　creature　and　decides　to　name　it　for　the　female　breast？　A　man　too　long　at　sea；　perhaps。　But　still。　Jake　reminded　himself　where　he　was。　He　studied　the　Stations　of　the　Cross　on　the　stained…glass　window。　Veronica　wipes　the　face　of　Jesus。　He　stared　at　the　crucifix　suspended　above　the　altar；　thought　Jesus　looked　like　the　daring　young　man　on　the　flying　trapeze。　Jake　couldn't　stop　his　obsessive　thoughts：　beaver；　sausage；　tail；　lips；　cleavage；　breast。　What　was　worse；　he'd　also　read　that　a　manatee's　breasts　were　situated　under　the　flippers；　where　appendage　meets　torso。　Jake　c