“I never knew,” Roger said. “Everybody claimed they were good and then everybody was busted. I didn’t have any money when they all had it. Then when I had some was when things were really bad. But people didn’t always seem as goddamned mean and evil though.”
“You’ve been going around with awful people, too.”
“I see some good ones once in a while.”
“Not very many.”
“Sure I do. You don’t know all my friends.”
“You run with a pretty seedy lot.”
“Whose friends were those tonight? Your friends or my friends?”
“Our friends. They’re not so bad. They’re worthless but they’re not really evil.”
“No,” said Roger. “I guess not. Frank is pretty bad. Bad enough. I don’t think he’s evil though. But there’s a lot of stuff I can’t take anymore. And he and Fred eviled up awfully fast.”
“I know about good and evil. I’m not trying to misunderstand nor play dumb.”
“I don’t know much about good because I’ve always been a failure at it. That evil is my dish. I can recognize that old evil.”
“I’m sorry tonight turned out so lousy.”
“I’m just feeling low.”
“Do you want to turn in? You better sleep here.”
“Thanks. I will if you don’t mind. But I think I’ll go in the library and read for a while. Where are those Australian stories you had the last time I was here?”
“Henry Lawson’s?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll get them.”
Thomas Hudson went to bed and when he woke in the night the light was still on in the library.
When Thomas Hudson woke there was a light east breeze blowing and out across the flats the sand was bone white under the blue sky and the small high clouds that were traveling with the wind made dark moving patches on the green water. The wheel of the wind charger was turning in the breeze and it was a fine fresh-feeling morning.
Roger was gone and Thomas Hudson breakfasted by himself and read the Mainland paper that had come across yesterday. He had put it away without reading it to save it for breakfast.
“What time the boys coming in?” Joseph asked.
“Around noon.”
“They’ll be here for lunch though?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Roger was gone when I came,” Joseph said. “He didn’t have any breakfast.”
“Maybe he’ll be in now.”
“Boy said he see him go off sculling in the dinghy.”
After Thomas Hudson had finished breakfast and the paper he went out on the porch on the ocean side and went to work. He worked well and was nearly finished when he heard Roger come in and come up the stairs.
Roger looked over his shoulder and said, “It’s going to be good.”
“Maybe.”
“Where did you see those waterspouts?”
“I never saw these. These are some I’m doing to order. How’s your hand?”
“Still puffy.”
Roger watched him work and he did not turn around.
“If it wasn’t for the hand that would all seem just like a nasty dream.”
“Pretty nasty one.”
“Do you suppose that guy really did come out with a shotgun?”
“I don’t know,” Thomas Hudson said. “And I don’t care.”
“Sorry,” Roger said. “Want me to go?”
“No. Stick around. I’m about through. I won’t pay any attention to you.”
“They got away at first light,” Roger said. “I saw them go.”
“What were you doing up then?”
“I couldn’t sleep after I stopped reading and I wasn’t very good company for myself so I went down to the docks and sat around with some of the boys. The Ponce never did close up. I saw Joseph.”
“Joseph said you were out sculling.”
“Right-hand sculling. Trying to exercise it out. I did too. Feel fine now.”
“That’s about all I can do now,” Thomas Hudson said and started to clean up and put the gear away. “The kids will be just about taking off now.” He looked at his watch. “Why don’t we just have a quick one?”
“Fine. I could use one.”
“It isn’t quite twelve.”
“I don’t think that makes any difference. You’re through working and I’m on a vacation. But maybe we better wait till twelve if that’s your rule.”
“All right.”
“I’ve been keeping that rule too. It’s an awful nuisance some mornings when a drink would make you feel all right.”
“Let’s break it,” Thomas Hudson said. “I get awfully excited when I know I’m going to see them,” he explained.
“I know.”
“Joe,” Roger called. “Bring the shaker and rig for martinis.”
“Yes
“What did you rig so early for? Do you think we are rummies?”
“No sir, Mr. Roger. I figured that was what you were saving that empty stomach for.”
“Here’s to us and the kids,” Roger said.
“They ought to have fun this year. You better stay up here too. You can always get away to the shack if they get on your nerves.”
“I’ll stay up here part of the time if I don’t bother you.”
“You don’t bother me.”
“It will be wonderful to have them.”
It was too. They were good kids and now they had been at the house for a week. The tuna run was over and there were few boats at the island now and the life was slow and normal again and the weather was early summer.
The boys slept on cots on the screened porch and it is much less lonely sleeping when you can hear children breathing when you wake in the night. The nights were cool from the breeze that came across the banks and when the breeze fell it would be cool from the sea.