Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven

It's past one o'clock in the morning.Dr. Saunders was sitting in a folding canvas chair.The captain fell asleep in the cabin, and Fred moved his mattress to the front of the cabin.The night was very still and the stars were shining brightly.Under the bath of starlight, the shape of the island is clearly defined in this dark night.The remoteness of space is insignificant compared with the remoteness of time.Although he had only sailed forty-five miles, the doctor already felt that Takara was far away.On the other side of the world is London.For a moment, he thought of Piccadilly Circus in London, the dazzling lights, the crowded buses, cars, taxis, and the crowds of people rushing out and flooding the street when the theater closed.In his day, there was an area in central London known as the Front.It is a high street north of Piccadilly Circus, joining Shaftesbury Street and Charing Cross Street.Every day after eleven o'clock, dense crowds come and go.This is all before the war.There was an air of adventure in the air, his eyes met Fred's, and then... the doctor smiled, he had no regrets about the past, he hadn't regretted anything.Then, his erratic thoughts flew to a bridge in Fuzhou.The bridge spans the Minjiang River. Standing on the bridge, you can see fishermen sitting in barges under the bridge, fishing with cormorants.On the bridge, rickshaws and coolies carrying heavy loads passed by, and countless Chinese people passed by here.Looking downstream along the Minjiang River, Chinatown is on the right side of the bank, where there are many temples and densely packed houses.

There were no lights on the schooner.And the reason why the doctor can see it hidden in the night is only because he knows it stops there.It was very quiet on board.There is a cargo hold opened with pearl oysters, and there are several wooden beds on the side of the cabin, and the seriously ill diver is lying on one of the beds.Doctors take human life very lightly.This is not surprising.After spending so long in a place like China, where people are overcrowded and life is cheap, who would value life any more?The diver was a Japanese, perhaps a Buddhist.Will his soul reincarnate after his death?Look at this sea: the waves come and go, and although the waves behind are caused by the waves in front and inherit the shape and trajectory of the former, they are still different waves.And every day spent traveling around the world is not just a repetition of yesterday.In the same way life is unique, though the wishes and customs of those now alive have already determined the disposition of posterity.This is a very reasonable view, but it is hard to believe.However, just imagine that in the long river of time, after spending so much effort, going through so many things, and encountering so many incredible dangers, human beings who were finally born from the ancient soil were actually suffering from Freund's dysentery. What could be more unbelievable than to die meaninglessly of bacilli?For this point, Dr. Saunders felt incomprehensible, but he felt that it was common sense; life was indeed meaningless, but he had long been accustomed to all futility.What about the soul?This is a problem.When matter dissolves, will the soul attached to matter also cease to exist?

On that beautiful night, the doctor's thoughts wandered aimlessly, like seagulls circling on the sea, flying up and down with the sea wind—he couldn't stop, he could only let his imagination run wild. There was the sound of dragging footsteps at the entrance of the cabin, and the captain came out.Even in this dark night, his striped pajamas are still very eye-catching. "Is it the captain?" "It's me, I want to come up and get some air," he sat down on the chair next to the doctor, "Have you smoked today?" "Ok." "I've never smoked opium, although I know a lot of people who like it. It doesn't seem to do any harm, and they say it cures stomach troubles. I know one guy, though, who was completely killed by opium. .

"He used to be a captain in Butterfield, and he traded around the Yangtze. He had everything in those days, and he was doing very well. They took him very seriously, and sent him home to quit opium, and when he got back, he started smoking again. .In the end, I worked as a dealer in a fan stall, and I was always hanging around the pier in Shanghai, begging for fifty cents." They were silent for a while.Captain Nichols smoked a heather pipe. "See Fred?" "Sleeping on the deck." "It's strange that the papers are missing. He must have wanted us to see something."

"Where do you think the papers went?" "Throw it away." "Why exactly?" The captain smiled slightly. "Believe it or not, I don't know any more than you do." "I have lived in the East for a long time, and I know the truth of not being nosy." However, the captain seemed eager to talk about this topic.He slept well for three or four hours, but he didn't have any stomach problems at all, which made him feel refreshed. "It's a strange thing, but doctor, I'm just like you, I will never be nosy. I once said that if you are not curious, you will not be deceived. And if you encounter an opportunity to make money, do it quickly." The captain pulled out pipe, said, "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"of course not." "It went something like this. I was in Sydney, and I was out of work for two years. But I must tell you that I was no loafer, and it was really bad luck. I was a first-class sailor, experienced at sea, and well-versed in any ship. It’s no problem, whether it’s a steamboat or a sailboat, you’re all handy. You must be thinking, the threshold of my house is going to be broken, right? In fact! I have a wife, and I couldn’t live anymore. My wife I can only go out to help. She gives me a house and food, which is fine, but asking her to give me fifty cents to watch a movie and drink two glasses of wine is no way, and she can nag to death You. I tell you, I didn't like that at all, but there was nothing else to do but make do. You never married, did you?"

"No." "I won't blame you. Women and money are a pair. It would be fatal to separate them! I have been married for twenty years, and there is nothing but nagging in my life. My wife is from a very good family background. That's when it all started, she felt marrying me was a lowering of her status. Her dad was a big clothier in Liverpool and she was thinking about that all the time. She blamed me for not having a job, saying I liked hanging out on the beach, Said I was lazy and idle, and said I never wanted to work and work to feed me, it was so disgusting. She said if I didn't find a job soon, she would throw me out and let me live on my own Self-defeating. To be honest, sometimes I really have to hold myself back, or I would have punched her in the jaw. She is a lady, but no one knows how 'lady' she is better than me. You know Sydney ?"

"Unfamiliar, I've never been there." "I was sitting one evening in a bar by the harbour, which I frequent. I hadn't had a drink all day, I was thirsty, I was suffering from indigestion, and I was very depressed. I directed I couldn’t count the boats with two hands, not to mention one hand, but I ended up with nothing in my pocket, and I couldn’t go home. Once I got home, my mother-in-law would definitely not let me go. She gave me a small piece of cold mutton for my supper, knowing that my stomach would kill me if I ate it, and then she started, ladylike, but condescending, with a sting in her words that was awful. Can you figure it out? She doesn't speak loudly, but she doesn't stop for a moment. If I get mad at her, and to hell with her, she'll hold her head up and say to me, 'Please watch your words, Captain. .I married, maybe just an ordinary sailor, but I still deserve to be treated like a lady.'”

Captain Nichols lowered his voice and leaned close to the doctor's ear. "It's really indecent to say that, if you know what I mean. It's just between the two of us: When you're with women, you get dizzy and you'll never understand what they're doing. Whether you Believe it or not, I have run away from home four times. We always think that this is the case, women should understand what we mean, don't you think?" "That's right." "But they'll never understand. She finds me every time. Of course one time she knows where I'm going and it's easy to find me, but the other times she doesn't know at all. She couldn't find me at all, because it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then one day, she appeared in front of me, very calm, as if she had just seen me yesterday, not surprised at all, nor No 'how are you' look, not at all. She'd say to me 'Captain, I think you should shave' or 'Captain, your trousers are ugly'. That sort of thing, whatever Whoever came to me is enough to break people."

Captain Nichols was silent for a while, his eyes scanning the sea.On such a clear night, it was easy to see that thin, clear horizon. "But this time, I managed to get rid of her. She doesn't know where I am, and she can't find me. But I tell you, if she came across the ocean in a small boat, I would not I'll be surprised. She'll be well-groomed and well-groomed, but I'll say she's always looked very ladylike. When she's on board she'll just say to me: 'Captain, what cheap cigarettes are you smoking? You know, I can't stand anything other than Player's Navy Cut.' And then my nerves go up. Just read that and you'll understand, that's how I get my indigestion. I remember going to Singapore once Seeking a doctor, that doctor was highly recommended to me by others. He wrote a lot of things in the medical record, you know what doctors do, and then he made a big cross. I felt uncomfortable looking at the cross, so I asked Him: 'I said doctor, what does the cross mean?' 'Oh,' he said, 'if there is any sign of family discord, I will draw a cross.' 'I see,' I said, 'Doctor , you hit the nail on the head, I'm a perfect match for the fork.' He's a smart guy, but he can't do anything about my indigestion."

"Socrates has the same troubles as you, Captain, but I don't know that he has indigestion because of it." "Who is he?" "An honest man." "I guess his marriage did him quite well." "Actually, quite the opposite." "A lot of things have to be settled with the situation. If you are too picky, you can't do anything." The doctor secretly smiled inwardly.It amused the Doctor to think that such a mean and lying rascal should be so henpecked.The captain's trembling heart outweighed his vile and vulgar exterior.The doctor wondered to himself what the lady looked like. "Tell you about Blake," the captain continued, lighting his pipe again, "and then, I was sitting in the bar and I said 'good evening' to one or two lads, and they responded. I said 'good evening', and then looked away. Looking at them like that, I can guess that they were thinking: It's that lazy guy again, wandering around begging for drinks, I won't be fooled by him. Doctor, You don't know how bad I was. It's a huge insult to someone who has had a good time like me. When a person knows that you have no money, they take their wallets very seriously Tight, I'm afraid you'll get his idea, it's too bad. The boss gave me a contemptuous look, and I can guess what he's going to say. He'll ask me what I want, and when I say wait a while, He would say, go out and think it over. I started chatting with one or two guys I didn't know, but they were very cold, and I told a joke or two, but I couldn't make them laugh. You could tell I had stepped in. That's when I saw an acquaintance come in. His name was Ryan, and he was a bully, one of those Australian street thugs. He had something to do with the police, so you had to Please him. He always has a lot of money, and I asked him to borrow five shillings before. I thought he probably didn't want to see me, so I pretended not to recognize him, and continued talking, and watched from the corner of my eye. Him. He looked around and walked straight up to me. "'Good evening, Captain.' he said to me very kindly. 'How is your time going?' "'It sucks,' I replied. "'Still looking for work?' "'Yeah,' I said. "'What would you like to have?' he asked. "Then we each had a beer. It almost saved my life. But I don't believe in pie in the sky. I really want a beer very badly, and I know that Ryan will not buy me a drink for nothing .He seems like a really warm guy, he'll pat you on the back like an old friend, he's always there for you when you tell a joke, like you're going to burst out laughing. And he'll say things like 'Hey, this part Where did you hide all the time?" or "My wife is wonderful, if you have a chance to see my children", or something like that. But in fact, he has been watching you, his eyes, can you See you through. He's fooled a lot of fools with that trick. 'Ryan's one of the nicest guys', they say. But doctor, I'm not stupid at all, and you don't think I am. A gullible man. I said to myself over a beer, 'Keep your eyes open, man, he must be up to something.' But even though I thought that, I didn't show it. I told him After telling a story or two, he was rocked with laughter. "'You're very interesting, Captain,' said he. 'When they say great old friend, they mean a man like you. We'll have another beer after we've finished our beer, and I'd like to hear you talk all night.' When I finished I saw him about to ask for another. 'Listen to me, Bill.' He said, but my name is Tom, but I didn't say anything, and I knew he was trying to be nice.' Listen to me Say, Bill,' he said, 'there's too many people here to hear what he's saying, and who knows if someone's overhearing us. So I've got an idea.' He called the boss: 'Listen to me , George, come here for a while.' So the boss came trotting over. 'Listen, George, my friend and I want to find a quiet place to catch up. Is your room available now?' "'My office? Sure, you're more than welcome, just walk over.' "'That would be great. Bring us some more beers.' "We made our way around the crowd and into the boss's office, and George brought the beer himself and gave me a special nod. After he was gone, Ryan closed the door. He took a look at the windows to make sure they were all shut. He said he didn't want drafts anyway. I don't know what he's trying to do, but I think it's better to open the sunroof. "'Listen, Ryan,' said I, 'I'm so sorry I never paid you back your five shillings. I always remember, but I'm barely getting by now.' "'Don't mention that,' said he. 'It's only five shillings. I know you, Bill, and you're a good fellow. What's the use of money if you can't help a friend when he's down?' "'I'll help you too, Ryan, if it's different,' I said, imitating him. You'd probably think we were brothers if you heard our conversation." Captain Nichols chuckled as he recalled the scene.He takes great pleasure in admiring his own bad deeds. "'Cheers! Cheers!' I said. "So we had a drink. 'Listen, Bill,' he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, 'I've asked you before, and you've been told you're a first-class sailor, haven't you?' 'There's no one like me I said. 'I'm sure if you can't find work it's more luck than bad sailing.' 'That's right,' I said. 'I've got a surprise for you, Bill. ’ He said, ‘I have a job here for you.’ ‘No problem,’ I said, ‘whatever it is.’ ‘That’s right,’ he said, ‘I know you Reliable.' "'What kind of work?' I asked. "He gave me a look. Although he kept smiling at me like we were long lost brothers and he loved me very, very much, but his eyes were very serious and I could tell it wasn't a joke. Just for fun. "'Are you tight-lipped?' he asked me. "'As tight as a clamshell,' I said. "'That's all right,' said he. 'What do you think of this? Take a clean little pearling schooner, the kind of brig you get on Thursday Island and Darwin Harbour, and go round the islands for a few minutes. months.' "'Sounds good,' I said. "'That's your job.' "'Trade?' I asked. "'No, it's just sightseeing.'" Captain Nichols snickered. "I almost laughed out loud when he said that. But I know you have to be cautious, and some people don't have a sense of humor, so I kept my face like a judge. He gave me another look. I could see that it wouldn't be easy to deal with if he was offended. "'Well,' said he, 'I know a lad who works so hard and wants to go out and relax. His father's an old friend of mine, and I do this to please him, understand? High, all in all very influential.' "He had another beer and I kept watching him but didn't say a word, not a single word. "'The old man is very fond of the child, after all, he is an only child. I can understand that I have children too, and if one of them has a big toe pain, I can worry about it all day.' "'You don't have to tell me,' said I, 'I have a daughter myself.' "'Only child?' he asked. "I nodded. "'Children are a gift,' said he, 'and nothing makes a man happier.' "'Indeed it is,' said I. "'The boy has been very delicate,' said he, shaking his head, 'with bad lungs, and the doctor said the best thing to do would be to go out to sea in a sailboat for a while. His father would not let him go in an old boat, and he heard that the A brig was nice, so I bought it. That's it, you can go where you want, it's free. He wants the kid to have a lot of easy days. You don't have to rush at all, you can choose well Depending on the weather, if you arrive at a pleasant island, you should stay for a few days before leaving. It is said that there are dozens of such islands between Australia and China.' "'Thousands,' I said. "'That kid needs to be quiet, that's the key, his dad doesn't want you to take him somewhere with a lot of people.' "'That's all right,' I said, looking as innocent as a newborn, 'how long?' "'That's not very clear to me,' said he. 'It depends on the boy's body. Maybe two or three months, maybe a year.' "'I see,' I said, 'and what about the pay?' "'Two hundred guineas on departure, and two hundred guineas on return.' "'Five hundred gold now, and I'll do it,' said I. He said nothing, but gave me a contemptuous look. He gave me his chin, alas, like a haughty beauty. To say I have What's his specialty, that's a quick brain. He can make me miserable if he wants to, and I know that, and I have a hunch he'll probably do it if I'm not a little more careful. ...so I shrugged like I didn't care and laughed. 'I don't care about money,' I said, 'money means nothing to me, it's always been that way, otherwise I would be number one in Australia by now rich man. Just do what you say. Do your best for your friends.' "'You're a nice fellow, Bill,' he said. "'Where's the brig now?' said I, 'I'd like to see it.' "'It's fine. A friend of mine has just brought it over from Thursday Island for trade. It's stunning, but not in Sydney, parked a few miles off the coast.' "'Where's the crew?' "'A few niggers in Torres Strait, they brought it. You just get on board and go.' "'When do you want me to go?' "'Now.' "'Now?' I was kind of surprised, 'You mean tonight?' "'Yes. I have a car at the end of the street to take you to the boat.' "'What's the haste?' I said, smiling, but having another look at him, he must have seen that I thought the matter suspicious. "'His father is a busy man, and he always does things in such a hurry.' "'Politician?' I asked. "It's fair to say that at this point I've started to put things together. "'My aunt,' said Ryan. "'But I have a wife and a child,' said I, 'and if I go away without a word, my wife will ask everywhere for me, and if I can't be found, she'll call the police.' "He gave me a sharp look when I said that and I knew he wanted nothing to do with the police. "'It's kind of weird that a master sailor just disappears like that, I mean, I'm not an Aussie or a Kenaka that nobody cares about. Of course I don't know if anyone will say anything to me. I'm interested in where it's going, but now that the election is coming up, there's always someone who likes to meddle.' "I couldn't help but think it was a good move to bring the election out, but he showed nothing at all. His ugly face was just a blank mask, and you couldn't see anything from his face. Can't read it. "'I'll go to her myself,' said he. "I have a small calculation in my heart, how can I let such a good opportunity go for nothing? "'Tell her the first mate on a steamboat broke her neck while she was out, and they took me with her, and I don't have time to go home, and I'll get in touch with her when I get to Cape Town .' "'That's it,' said he. "'If she makes a scene and makes trouble, take her to Cape Town and give her five pounds. That's not much money.' "He laughed and said honestly he would do it. "We each finished our glasses afterwards. "'Then,' he said, 'we'll go if you're ready.' He glanced at his watch. 'Meet me at the corner of Market Street in half an hour, and I'll drive up, and you just jump in. You go out first, don't go through the bar door, there is a back door at the end of the passage, you go out from there, you go out to the street.' "'All right,' I said, and took up my hat. "'There's one thing I want to warn you about,' he said as I was about to go, 'and remember it now and in the future. If you don't want to get stabbed in the back and shot in the stomach, you'd better not play any tricks ,Understand?' "He said it lightheartedly, but I'm no fool and I knew he meant it. "'Don't worry about that,' said I, 'you treat me like a gentleman, and I won't let you down.' Then I asked, pretending to be very casual, 'Is that young man on board?' "'No, come later.' "I left the bar and went to the street. I walked to the designated place. It was only two hundred yards from the bar, but Ryan asked me to wait for half an hour, which means he had to meet someone first to report to meet me. I couldn't help thinking what if I told the police they were suspicious and they followed Ryan's car and searched the brig, so what? But I figured what good would the police do me? civic duty is a good thing in itself, and I don't mind maintaining a close relationship with the police, but if I call the police, I'll get a knife in the stomach and lose the four hundred pounds. But I think, in the end Better not to play tricks with Ryan because I saw a looming figure across the street who seemed to be following me. I walked up to him and he walked away. I was back where I was standing, He reappeared, still standing in the shadows. The whole thing was weird. I was angry that Ryan didn't trust me enough. If you're going to trust someone, trust him with all your heart. I said it should be like this. Doc, you have to understand that I am not dissatisfied because this thing is weird, I have seen enough weird things in my life, and there is nothing that makes me make a fuss." Dr. Sanders smiled.He began to understand Captain Nichols.He can't bear to live a well-behaved and honest life every day. In his eyes, it is just a bunch of boring trifles. His life needs more exciting spices, so he must do some bad deeds to comfort him. His nerves depressed by indigestion.When he touched something bad, his blood flow quickened, his spirits revived, and his whole body boiled with it.His vigilance must have been formed then to protect himself from harm, and it was this vigilance that lessened the pain of his dreadful indigestion.What the Doctor may lack in empathy, he makes up for in an uncanny tolerance.He believes that evaluations such as praise or condemnation have nothing to do with him.He knows who is a saint and who is a villain, but in his eyes, there is no difference between the two, anyway, he treats them with indifference and detachment. "I can't help laughing when I think about it now," the captain went on. "Standing there waiting, and then went out to sea with no change of clothes, razor, or toothbrush. No one likes I am like this, I have planned to do it, but I don’t care.” "Indeed," said the doctor. "Then I imagined the look on my wife's face when she got the news from Ryan that I was going to sea. I could quite picture her jumping on the next boat for Cape Town. But She couldn't find me this time. I got rid of her. Who would have thought that I was worrying about this kind of life and couldn't go on for a day, but something like this happened? I can only say, this It's God's favor." "The way he cares for people is always unpredictable." "Don't I know? I was brought up a Baptist. 'Not a sparrow will fall to the ground if your father won't'--you know what that means, I've seen it And again and again. I waited there for a good half an hour and then I saw a car coming towards me and pulled up beside me. 'Come in.' Ryan said. And off we went. Sydney The road was really rough, we bumped all the way up and down like a cork floating in water. He was driving very fast. "'What about the food?' I asked Ryan. "'It's all on board,' said he, 'and there will be enough to feed you for three months.' "I don't know where he's going. It's too dark to see out of the window. It's probably midnight. "'Here we go,' he said, stopping the car, 'get out.' "I got out of the car and he got out of the car. He turned off the lights and it was pitch black and you couldn't see anything, but I knew it was close to the sea. He turned on a flashlight. "'Come with me,' said he, 'and watch your way.' "We walked for a while, kind of down a path. I usually walk pretty steady, but two or three times that day I nearly fell over. 'It would be fun if I broke my leg here.' I said to myself Said. When I got to the end of the path, I was not happy at all. I felt that the beach was right under my feet, and I could see the sea ahead, but I couldn't see anything else. Ryan whistled and the sea There was a shout, but very low, if you know what I mean, and then Ryan flicked the flashlight to show the crew where we were. There was the sound of the oars paddling in the dark, and after a while Then I saw some niggers coming in the boat. Ryan and I got into the boat, and the boatman turned back in the boat. If I had twenty pounds on me, I wouldn't bet on myself We shall never see Australia again. Happy Australia! After about ten minutes of paddling, I think, we were under the brig. "'What do you think of it?' asked Ryan as we boarded. "'Not very clear,' said I, 'and I'll tell you in the morning.' "'You were adrift in the sea in the morning,' said Ryan. "'When will the poor weak boy come?' I said. "'It's coming soon,' said Ryan. 'You go to the cabin first, light the lights, and look around. We'll have a beer later. Here's a box of matches.' "'It suits me,' I said, and stepped down from the cabin. "I can't see very clearly, but I still know how to get there by intuition. I didn't rush down, and quietly glanced behind me, trying to see what he was up to. Sure enough, he took the flashlight and shook it three or four times.' Hey,' I said to myself, 'somebody's watching.' But I'm not sure if that person is on the shore or at sea. Then Ryan got down from the cabin, and I looked around. He took out two A bottle of beer, one for himself and one for me. "'The moon is coming up soon,' said he, 'and the breeze is pleasant.' "'Sailing now?' I said. "'The sooner the better. When the boy is in the boat, just go straight on, understand?' "'Listen, Ryan,' I said, 'I haven't got anything, not even a razor.' "'Then grow your beard, Bill,' he said. 'Don't stop anywhere until you get to New Guinea. If you want to go to Merauke, that's all right.' "'Going to Dutch land, is that what you mean?' He nodded. 'Look, Ryan,' I said, 'I'm not a freshman, and I can't help but wonder what the hell is going on. .Why don't you just tell me what's going on.' "'I say Bill, my friend,' he said kindly, 'you just drink your drink and ask nothing else. I can't help you think, but just believe what you hear, or I'll God swears he will gouge your eyes out himself.' "'That's straightforward enough,' I said with a smile. "'You're lucky,' he said. "He took a swig of his beer. So did I. "'Have you got a lot of wine?' I said. "'That's enough for you. I know you don't drink too much, or I wouldn't have given you the job.' "'Indeed,' said I, 'I like a little beer, but know enough is enough. Where's the money?' "'I have it,' said he, 'for you before disembarking.' "We sat and talked. I asked him what kind of people the crew was, and other similar questions. He asked me if I had driven all night, and I said no, but I can sail with my eyes closed. Then I suddenly heard a sound. My ears are so sharp that I can hardly hear it wrong. "'There's a ship coming,' I said. "'It's about time,' he said, 'and it's time for me to go home to my wife and kids.' "'Shouldn't we better go on deck?' I said. "'No,' he said. "'All right,' I said. "We just sat there and listened to what was going on outside. It was like a dinghy bumped against the side of the brig while mooring, and then someone came on board. He came out of the cabin, a well-groomed A young man. A blue serge suit, shirt, tie, brown shoes, nothing like him now. "'This is Fred,' said Ryan, looking at me. "'Fred Blake,' said the young man. "'This is Captain Nichols, a first-class sailor, and he can be trusted.' "The kid gave me a look, and I returned the look. I gotta say, he's not at all frail, he looks healthy. He's a little bit nervous. But if I say it, he's scared. . "'It's unlucky for you to be so infirm,' I said very kindly, 'but believe me, the fresh air at sea will do you good. Nothing keeps a lad in good health like a voyage at sea.' "I've never seen anyone blush more than he did when I said that. Ryan looked at him, then at me, and laughed. Then he said he should get off the boat He took the money out of his girdle and paid it to me. Two hundred gold pounds! I haven't touched gold in ages! Only banks have this stuff. In my opinion, whoever wants this The kid standing there is flying away, and this person is a very powerful person. "'Ryan, give me the belt, too,' I said, 'I can't keep all that money lying around.' "'Well,' said he, 'take your belts, too. Good luck to you.' Before I could say anything more, he had left the cabin, jumped out of the boat, and took the boat that was waiting below. , sailed away in a flash. They didn't give me any chance to see the people in the boat." "and then?" "I wrapped the gold pound in my girdle and wrapped it around me." "That amount must be enough for you." "When we got to Merauke, we bought a few boxes. I hid my money and no one knew where. But if it goes on like this, the money I can take with me won't feel like I have it around my waist There are so many." "how do I say this?" "We sailed all the way up the coast, of course, just out in the open. The weather was nice, the wind a little bit, stuff like that. And then I said to the kid, 'Playing cribbage?' You know, gotta find something Things to pass the time. I knew he was rich, so I thought, why not make some more money off him? I've been playing cribbage all my life, so I think I got a good deal.但是，你能想象吗，离开悉尼后，我一次都没有赢过！那牌像中了邪似的。我已经输了七英镑了，真的。而且不是因为他玩得好，而是他手气太他妈的好了。” “也许他玩得比你以为的要好。” “你都不敢相信，我可是克里比奇牌的专家，没什么我不会的。你以为我要是看出他玩得好还会和他玩吗？他就是运气好。不过运气可不是一辈子的事，风水总要轮流转，到时我一定连本带利一并赢回来！这事虽然让人很窝火，不过我并不担心。” “他说过自己的事情吗？” “一点儿也没。不过我前前后后串起来想了想，大概猜到了是怎么回事。” "Oh!" “背后肯定跟政府有关，否则我把自己的帽子吃下去。如果不是这样的话，赖安是不会掺和的。现在的政府在新南威尔士的统治并不稳定，占议会席位也少，命悬一线，情况并不乐观。很快就要选举了，他们大概以为自己还能当选，如果这时爆出丑闻，那可不得了。我猜这件事有可能会对选举产生影响，也有可能不会，但他们可不会冒这个险。我猜弗瑞德一准儿是某个大人物的儿子。” “例如首相，或者差不多地位的人？你是这个意思吗？部长里有谁姓布莱克的？” “布莱克可不是他的真名。大概是个部长，弗瑞德估计是他的儿子或者侄子，反正不管怎样，要是事情曝光，他的位子就难保了，所以我认为，他们一致认为弗瑞德最好消失几个月，避避风头。” “你觉得他犯了什么事？” “要我说的话，谋杀。” “他还只是个孩子。” “那也能判绞刑了。”