Hedidnotneedacompasstotellhimwheresouthwestwas.Heonlyneededthefeelofthetradewindandthedrawingofthesail.Ibetterputasmalllineoutwithaspoononitandtryandgetsomethingtoeatanddrinkforthemoisture.Buthecouldnotfindaspoonandhissardineswererotten.Sohehookedapatchofyellowgulfweedwiththegaffastheypassedandshookitsothatthesmallshrimpsthatwereinitfellontotheplankingoftheskiff.Thereweremorethanadozenofthemandtheyjumpedandkickedlikesandfleas.Theoldmanpinchedtheirheadsoffwithhisthumbandforefingerandatethemchewinguptheshellsandthetails.Theywereverytinybutheknewtheywerenourishingandtheytastedgood.
Theoldmanstillhadtwodrinksofwaterinthebottleandheusedhalfofoneafterhehadeatentheshrimps.TheskiffwassailingwellconsideringthehandicapsandhesteeredwiththetillerunderhisarHecouldseethefishandhehadonlytolookathishandsandfeelhisbackagainstthesterntoknowthatthishadtrulyhappenedandwasnotadreaAtonetimewhenhewasfeelingsobadlytowardtheend,hehadthoughtperhapsitwasadreaThenwhenhehadseenthefishcomeoutofthewaterandhangmotionlessintheskybeforehefell,hewassuretherewassomegreatstrangenessandhecouldnotbelieveit.Thenhecouldnotseewell,althoughnowhesawaswellasever.
NowheknewtherewasthefishandhishandsandbackwerenodreaThehandscurequickly,hethought.IbledthemcleanandthesaltwaterwillhealtheThedarkwaterofthetruegulfisthegreatesthealerthatthereis.AllImustdoiskeeptheheadclear.Thehandshavedonetheirworkandwesailwell.Withhismouthshutandhistailstraightupanddownwesaillikebrothers.Thenhisheadstartedtobecomealittleunclearandhethought,ishebringingmeinoramIbringinghimin?IfIweretowinghimbehindtherewouldbenoquestion.Norifthefishwereintheskiff,withalldignitygone,therewouldbenoquestioneither.Buttheyweresailingtogetherlashedsidebysideandtheoldmanthought,lethimbringmeinifitpleaseshiIamonlybetterthanhimthroughtrickeryandhemeantmenohar
Theysailedwellandtheoldmansoakedhishandsinthesaltwaterandtriedtokeephisheadclear.Therewerehighcumuluscloudsandenoughcirrusabovethemsothattheoldmanknewthebreezewouldlastallnight.Theoldmanlookedatthefishconstantlytomakesureitwastrue.Itwasanhourbeforethefirstsharkhithi
Thesharkwasnotanaccident.Hehadcomeupfromdeepdowninthewaterasthedarkcloudofbloodhadsettledanddispersedinthemiledeepsea.Hehadcomeupsofastandabsolutelywithoutcautionthathebrokethesurfaceofthebluewaterandwasinthesun.Thenhefellbackintotheseaandpickedupthescentandstartedswimmingonthecoursetheskiffandthefishhadtaken.
Sometimeshelostthescent.Buthewouldpickitupagain,orhavejustatraceofitandheswamfastandhardonthecourse.HewasaverybigMakosharkbuilttoswimasfastasthefastestfishintheseaandeverythingabouthimwasbeautifulexcepthisjaws.
Hisbackwasasblueasaswordfishsandhisbellywassilverandhishidewassmoothandhandsome.Hewasbuiltasaswordfishexceptforhishugejawswhichweretightshutnowasheswamfast,justunderthesurfacewithhishighdorsalfinknifingthroughthewaterwithoutwavering.Insidethecloseddoublelipofhisjawsallofhiseightrowsofteethwereslantedinwards.Theywerenottheordinarypyramid-shapedteethofmostsharks.Theywereshapedlikeamansfingerswhentheyarecrispedlikeclaws.Theywerenearlyaslongasthefingersoftheoldmanandtheyhadrazor-sharpcuttingedgesonbothsides.Thiswasafishbuilttofeedonallthefishesinthesea,thatweresofastandstrongandwellarmedthattheyhadnootherenemy.Nowhespeededupashesmelledthefresherscentandhisbluedorsalfincutthewater.
Whentheoldmansawhimcomingheknewthatthiswasasharkthathadnofearatallandwoulddoexactlywhathewished.Hepreparedtheharpoonandmadetheropefastwhilehewatchedthesharkcomeon.Theropewasshortasitlackedwhathehadcutawaytolashthefish.
Theoldmansheadwasclearandgoodnowandhewasfullofresolutionbuthehadlittlehope.Itwastoogoodtolast,hethought.Hetookonelookatthegreatfishashewatchedthesharkclosein.Itmightaswellhavebeenadream,hethought.IcannotkeephimfromhittingmebutmaybeIcangethiDentuso,hethought.Badlucktoyourmother.
Thesharkclosedfastasternandwhenhehitthefishtheoldmansawhismouthopenandhisstrangeeyesandtheclickingchopoftheteethashedroveforwardinthemeatjustabovethetail.Thesharksheadwasoutofwaterandhisbackwascomingoutandtheoldmancouldhearthenoiseofskinandfleshrippingonthebigfishwhenherammedtheharpoondownontothesharksheadataspotwherethelinebetweenhiseyesintersectedwiththelinethatranstraightbackfromhisnose.Therewerenosuchlines.Therewasonlytheheavysharpblueheadandthebigeyesandtheclicking,thrustingall-swallowingjaws.Butthatwasthelocationofthebrainandtheoldmanhitit.Hehititwithhisbloodmushedhandsdrivingagoodharpoonwithallhisstrength.Hehititwithouthopebutwithresolutionandcompletemalignancy.
Thesharkswungoverandtheoldmansawhiseyewasnotaliveandthenheswungoveronceagain,wrappinghimselfintwoloopsoftherope.Theoldmanknewthathewasdeadbutthesharkwouldnotacceptit.Then,onhisback,withhistaillashingandhisjawsclicking,thesharkplowedoverthewaterasaspeed-boatdoes.Thewaterwaswhitewherehistailbeatitandthree-quartersofhisbodywasclearabovethewaterwhentheropecametaut,shivered,andthensnapped.ThesharklayquietlyforalittlewhileonthesurfaceandtheoldmanwatchedhiThenhewentdownveryslowly.
“Hetookaboutfortypounds,”theoldmansaidaloud.Hetookmyharpoontooandalltherope,hethought,andnowmyfishbleedsagainandtherewillbeothers.
Hedidnotliketolookatthefishanymoresincehehadbeenmutilated.Whenthefishhadbeenhititwasasthoughhehimselfwerehit.
ButIkilledthesharkthathitmyfish,hethought.AndhewasthebiggestdentusothatIhaveeverseen.AndGodknowsthatIhaveseenbigones.
Itwastoogoodtolast,hethought.IwishithadbeenadreamnowandthatIhadneverhookedthefishandwasaloneinbedonthenewspapers.
“Butmanisnotmadefordefeat,”hesaid.“Amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated.”IamsorrythatIkilledthefishthough,hethought.NowthebadtimeiscomingandIdonotevenhavetheharpoon.Thedentusoiscruelandableandstrongandintelligent.ButIwasmoreintelligentthanhewas.Perhapsnot,hethought.PerhapsIwasonlybetterarmed.
“Dontthink,oldman,”hesaidaloud.“Sailonthiscourseandtakeitwhenitcomes.”
ButImustthink,hethought.BecauseitisallIhaveleft.Thatandbaseball.IwonderhowthegreatDiMaggiowouldhavelikedthewayIhithiminthebrain?Itwasnogreatthing,hethought.Anymancoulddoit.Butdoyouthinkmyhandswereasgreatahandicapasthebonespurs?Icannotknow.IneverhadanythingwrongwithmyheelexceptthetimethestingraystungitwhenIsteppedonhimwhenswimmingandparalyzedthelowerlegandmadetheunbearablepain.
“Thinkaboutsomethingcheerful,oldman,”hesaid.“Everyminutenowyouareclosertohome.Yousaillighterforthelossoffortypounds.”
Heknewquitewellthepatternofwhatcouldhappenwhenhereachedtheinnerpartofthecurrent.Buttherewasnothingtobedonenow.
“Yesthereis,”hesaidaloud.“Icanlashmyknifetothebuttofoneoftheoars.”
Sohedidthatwiththetillerunderhisarmandthesheetofthesailunderhisfoot.
“Now,”hesaid.“Iamstillanoldman.ButIamnotunarmed.”
Thebreezewasfreshnowandhesailedonwell.Hewatchedonlytheforwardpartofthefishandsomeofhishopereturned.
Itissillynottohope,hethought.BesidesIbelieveitisasin.Donotthinkaboutsin,hethought.Thereareenoughproblemsnowwithoutsin.AlsoIhavenounderstandingofit.
IhavenounderstandingofitandIamnotsurethatIbelieveinit.Perhapsitwasasintokillthefish.IsupposeitwaseventhoughIdidittokeepmealiveandfeedmanypeople.Buttheneverythingisasin.Donotthinkaboutsin.Itismuchtoolateforthatandtherearepeoplewhoarepaidtodoit.Letthemthinkaboutit.Youwereborntobeafishermanasthefishwasborntobeafish.SanPedrowasafishermanaswasthefatherofthegreatDiMaggio.
Buthelikedtothinkaboutallthingsthathewasinvolvedinandsincetherewasnothingtoreadandhedidnothavearadio,hethoughtmuchandhekeptonthinkingaboutsin.Youdidnotkillthefishonlytokeepaliveandtosellforfood,hethought.Youkilledhimforprideandbecauseyouareafisherman.Youlovedhimwhenhewasaliveandyoulovedhimafter.Ifyoulovehim,itisnotasintokillhiOrisitmore?
“Youthinktoomuch,oldman,”hesaidaloud.
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