rm.thenightboat-第12部分

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r　by　the　British；　who'd　fought　the　Caribs　to　make　a　go　of　sugar　and　tobacco　plantations。　The　French　had　attacked　when　the　plantations　had　proven　profitable。　And　so　on　in　a　spiral　of　naval　and　diplomatic　warfare；　until　finally　the　British　seized　it　as　a　permanent　possession。　Some　of　the　old　plantation　great　houses　still　stood　in　the　deep　jungle　although　now　they　were　cracked　mounds　of　rubble　through　which　the　vines　and　growth　had　reclaimed　their　own　territory。　When　Moore　wandered　these　old　plantation　houses　through　the　long　corridors　and　empty；　ghostly　rooms；　he　thought　sometimes　he　could　feel　how　it　must　have　been：　the　land　barons　gazing　out　over　their　sloping　fields　to　the　seas　beyond；　the　schooners　with　billowing　sails　slipping　across　the　ocean　to　take　on　new　cargoes　for　mother　England。　Coquina　had　been　a　good　and　inexpensive　investment　for　the　British；　until　the　Caribs　had　rebelled　and　killed　most　of　the　plantation　owners。
　　The　island　was　so　named　because　it　was　shaped　like　a　coquina's　shell；　also　because　the　beaches　were　filled　with　the　little　clamlike　sand…diggers。　They　were　thrown　up　by　the　surge　of　the　surf　and　then　would　rapidly　scurry　down　again　into　the　safety　of　the　wet　sand；　their　paths　marked　only　by　bursting　bubbles　of　air。
　　And　now；　over　two　hundred　years　since　the　French　and　British　had　battled　here；　Coquina　was　home　to　David　Moore。　Perhaps　it　would　not　be　home　forever；　but　for　now　it　was　good　enough。
　　God；　how　the　years　have　passed；　he　thought　as　he　drove　into　the　Square。　Rapidly　flashing　by　in　swirls　of　color；　of　experience；　of　memories　he　kept　close　to　his　chest　like　a　deck　of　cards。　In　the　space　of　seven　years；　everything　had　changed　and　the　changes　had　led　him　here。　His　mind　sheered　away　from　the　old　vision：　riotous　gray　waves；　soaring　whitecaps；　a　storm　that　had　swept　up　without　warning；　thunderclouds　torn　from　the　sky　above　the　Atlantic　into　Chesapeake　Bay。　The　ragged　images　tortured　him；　filled　him　with　a　sense　of　dull；　throbbing　rage　and　left　him　with　the　knowledge　that　at　any　given　instant；　the　security　and　hope　of　a　man's　life　could　fall　away　like　rotten　flooring。
　　〃You　okay？〃　Kip　asked；　gently　touching　Moore's　arm。　〃You　just　passed　my　office。　Slow　down。〃
　　Moore　shook　himself　from　the　memories。　〃Sure。　Guess　I　wasn't　thinking。〃
　　He　turned　the　pickup　around　and　parked　in　front　of　Kip's　office。
　　〃You　had　your　breakfast？〃　Kip　asked。
　　〃Not　yet。〃
　　〃e　on　in　and　I'll　throw　something　on　the　griddle。〃　He　opened　the　door　and　Moore　followed　him　inside。　Kip's　office　was　piled　high　with　varied　and　assorted　things…there　was　scarcely　room　to　turn　around。　There　was　a　desk　and　a　reading　lamp；　a　few　chairs；　a　bookshelf　with　legal　volumes；　behind　the　desk　a　locked　gun　cabinet；　faced　with　glass；　holding　two　rifles。　On　a　wall　hung　framed　certificates　of　merit　from　Kingston；　and　there　was　also　a　crayon　drawing　of　a　scene　in　Coquina　harbor…the　trading　vessels　with　masts　like　telephone　poles　and　all　of　them　colored　a　different　hue…done　by　Kip's　five…year…old　daughter；　Mindy。　Gunmetal…gray　filing　cabinets　stood　against　the　opposite　wall　next　to　a　storage　closet；　another　door　with　an　inset　of　glass　at　eye…level　led　back　to　two　cells。
　　Kip　drew　open　the　blinds；　sunlight　flooded　in。　He　slid　a　couple　of　the　windows　open　so　the　sea…breezes　could　enter；　and　then　he　went　to　the　far　side　of　the　room。　There　was　a　small　sink　with　a　shelf　above　it　holding　a　few　plates　and　cups　as　well　as　a　hot　plate；　which　Kip　plugged　into　a　wall　socket；　and　a　portable　icebox。　He　rummaged　in　the　icebox；　found　a　couple　of　eggs；　and　knifed　strips　from　a　slab　of　bacon。
　　Moore　settled　himself　into　a　chair　before　the　constable's　desk　and　ran　a　hand　across　his　face。　He　sighed　wearily。
　　〃What's　wrong　with　you？〃　Kip　asked　him。　〃You　not　getting　enough　sleep？〃　He　threw　the　bacon　into　a　skillet　he　had　placed　on　the　hot　plate。　He　smiled。　〃I　understand　your　problem；　my　friend。　You　had　too　much　pany　last　night。〃
　　〃How'd　you　hear　about　that？〃
　　〃I'm　supposed　to　know　everything　that　goes　on　around　here。〃　Kip　picked　up　two　of　the　cups；　saw　that　they　were　clean　but　rinsed　them　anyway。　He　filled　a　teakettle　and　waited　for　the　bacon　to　crisp。　〃You　ought　to　stop　living　out　of　damned　cans　like　you　do；　David。　It's　no　trouble　for　Myra　to　set　an　extra　place。〃
　　〃She'd　strangle　you　if　she　heard　you　say　that。〃
　　〃Possibly。〃　The　bacon　was　curling；　the　scent　of　it　wafted　about　the　office。　One　of　Kip's　duties　as　constable　was　to　keep　whatever　prisoners　he　had　confined　in　good　health；　which　meant　feeding　them　three　times　a　day；　and　on　his　budget　he　couldn't　afford　to　send　out　for　food。　〃I　made　a　call　to　my　cousin　Cyril　in　Kingston　yesterday　evening；〃　he　said　after　a　pause。
　　〃And。。。？〃
　　〃He　couldn't　offer　any　suggestions；　he　thought　I　was　joking　at　first；　and　I　had　a　bad　time　convincing　him。　In　any　event；　Cyril's　promised　to　pass　the　information　along　to　the　Daily　Gleaner。〃　Kip　forked　the　bacon　out　of　the　skillet　and　onto　the　plates；　he　cracked　the　eggs　and　let　them　fry。
　　〃It　bothers　me。〃　Moore　said　quietly。
　　〃What　does？〃
　　〃The　submarine。　What　made　it　go　down？　And　what　about　the　crew？〃
　　Kip　looked　over　his　shoulder　as　he　lifted　out　the　fried　eggs。　〃What　about　the　crew？〃
　　〃I　wonder。。。　what　kind　of　men　they　were；　and　how　did　they　e　to　be　so　far　away　from　home。。。〃
　　〃Well；　there　were　a　lot　of　U…boats　patroling　the　Caribbean　in　the　early　part　of　the　war；〃　Kip　reminded　him。　〃You　needn't　be　concerned　about　the　crew。　Most　likely　they're　old　men　relaxing　in　slippers　by　their　hearths；　puffing　their　pipes；　sipping　their　steins　of　beer；　and　swapping　war　stories。　Here。　Take　this　while　I　do　the　tea。〃
　　Moore　took　the　plate。　〃But　the　hatches　are　sealed。　How　could　they　have　gotten　out？〃
　　Kip　shrugged。　〃All　those　old　crates　had　to　have　an　emergency　hatch　of　some　kind。　I　don't　know；　I'm　certainly　not　an　expert。　Are　you　going　to　stare　at　that　egg　or　eat　it？〃
　　Moore　probed　it　with　his　fork。　〃I'm　not　sure；　I　think　I　might　be　safer　just　staring。〃
　　The　kettle　whistled。　Kip　poured　water　over　a　teabag　in　each　cup　and　offered　one　to　Moore；　then　he　sat　down　behind　his　desk　and　began　to　eat。　〃I'm　more　concerned　with　the　present；〃　he　said；　in　a　graver　tone。　〃I'll　be　going　by　to　see　the　Kephas　woman；　and　I'm　not　quite　sure　what　to　say　to　her。　Damn　it！　The　chances　of　an　accident　like　that　happening　to　her　husband　are　one　in　a　million。〃　His　jaw　clenched。　〃Boniface　worries　me。　Oh；　he's　pretty　much　harmless；　but　a　lot　of　people　on　Coquina　pay　him　heed。　I　don't　want　him　stirring　up　trouble　over　the　submarine。　You've　heard　those　drums　going　out　in　the　jungle　as　many　times　as　I　have；　God　only　knows　what　he's　up　to　during　those　ceremonies。　And　of　course　there's　no　legal　action　I　could　take；　if　I　wanted　to…which　I　don't。　I　don't　care　what　gods　the　islanders　pray　to；　I　just　don't　want　undue　and　irrational　fears　taking　over。〃　He　picked　at　his　egg　and　then　shoved　his　plate　away。　〃I　wish　to　God　Boniface　had　stayed　in　Haiti　where　he　belonged。〃
　　〃Why　didn't　he？〃
　　Kip　drank　down　the　rest　of　his　tea。　〃Local　trouble。〃　He　began　to　roll　a　cigarette　for　himself；　using　an　island…grown　tobacco。　〃A　feud　between　him　and　another　voodoo　priest…a　houngan…over　territorial　rights；　I　suppose。　From　what　I　gather　there　was　a　lot　of　bad　stuff　going　on；　Boniface's　home　was　burned　down　and　his　family　chased　off　into　the　jungle。　Not　long　after　that　the　other　houngan　was　found　in　the　Port…au…Prince　bay；　weighted　down　by　a　gutfull　of　nails。　The　police　got　on　the　track　but　nothing　was　ever　proven；　you　know　how　those　things　go。　But　this　houngan　was　supposed　to　have　had　some　powerful　friends；　and　they　went　hunting　Boniface's　head。　One　way　or　another　he　got　out　of　Haiti　and　wandered　around　the　Caribbean　for　a　while。　He　settled　here　just　before　the　war。　Some　day　I'd　like　to　find　out　just　how　many　skeletons　I　can　pull　from　his　closet。　Which　brings　us　to　that　damned　hulk。　I'd　love　to　donate　it　to　Langstree　to　be　hammered　into　scrap；　but　some　museum　curator　would　probably　slit　my　throat。　Now；　with　the　thing　in　my　harbor。。。　something's　got　to　be　done。〃　He　lit　the　cigarette　and　stood　up；　taking　the　two　plates　over　to　the　sink。
　　Moore　got　up　and　went　to　the　door。　〃I've　got　things　of　my　own　to　do。　Shutters　and　drainpipes　still　need　some　patching。〃
　　Kip　walked　out　to　the　truck　with　him；　and　they　exchanged　a　few　more　ments　about　the　ferocity　of　the　storm　that　had　just　passed。　Kip　could　only　think　of　one　thing：　he　dreaded　the　way　the　Kephas　woman　would　stare　at　him　when　he　said；　I'm　sorry；　there's　nothing　I　could　have　done；　it　was　an　unavoidable　accident。　Unavoidable？
　　Moore　swung　up　into　the　truck　and　started　the　engine；　waving　back　at　his　friend。　He　drove　along　the　street　toward　the　Indigo　Inn。　After　he　was　out　of　sight；　Kip　turned　toward　the　flat　blue…green　expanse　of　the　harbor；　watching　the　thing　that　grew　across　the　sandbar　like　a　cancer。
　　He　drew　on　his　cigarette；　exhaled　smoke。　A　trawler　was　moving　out　through　the　passage；　with　a　gang　of　men　on　its　starboard　deck　making　sure　they　cleared　the　submarine's　bulk。　Far　out　at　sea；　an　industry　freighter　was　swinging　in　to　take　on　a　load　of　fish；　coconuts；　or　tobacco。
　　It　would　take　three　trawlers　to　break　it　off　the　bar　and　guide　it；　he　decided。　Langstree　would　scream　like　hell；　but　that　was　something　Kip　had　encountered　before。　He　closed　and　locked　the　office　door　and　in　another　moment　was　in　his　jeep；　driving　out　of　the　Square　toward　the　harbor　below。
　　　
　　　Six
　　
　　A　SWIRL　OF　dark　smoke　from　straining　diesel　engines　stained　the　blue　of　the　afternoon　sky。　The　men　on　the　trawlers'　decks　called　back　and　forth　to　each　other　as　they　yanked　at　thick　hawsers　and　cables；　securing　them　around　heavy…duty　cleats　and　bollards。　Lines　drew　tight；　ing　up　out　of　the　sea　with　a　popping　sound；　sending　droplets　of　water　flying。　Someone　called　out；　〃Pull！　Break　her　ass；　there！〃
　　Timbers　creaked；　the　noise　of　diesels　mounted；　their　vibrations　pounding　decks　and　churning　the　guts　of　the　blacks　who　worked　there。　Sweat　rolled　off　their　backs　beneath　the　hot　sun。　〃Give　'er　more；〃　the　captain　of　the　Hellie　shouted　out；　the　stub　of　a　Brazilian　cigar　clenched　firmly　in　his　teeth。　〃e　on；　mon！〃　Water　boiled　at　th