Read Online Lights Out by Peter Abrahams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Peter Abrahams
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what?”
“Borrowing from Evelyn’s father. Isn’t that embarrassing?”
“You’ve gone dainty on me, Eddie. There’s nothing embarrassing about it. Got to have money in business. You get it where you can, at the lowest price.”
“Did the plane come from Evelyn’s father too?”
“Every dickhead developer in South Florida’s got a plane, Eddie.” Jack rose. “Enough theory. I’ll show you the main attraction.”
They walked down a path lined with sun-bleached conch shells to a shed by the beach. Jack came out with masks, fins, snorkels, tossed a set to Eddie, led him onto the dock. A silver-and-blue cruiser was tied up along one side; thirty-five feet or so, with tuna tower, portable compressor, dive platform. Eddie absorbed all that without really looking. What caught his eye was the name written on the stern in fresh black paint: Fearless .
Jack put his arm around Eddie’s neck, squeezed hard. “Of course I remember, asshole. What do you take me for?”
Eddie put his arm around his brother, squeezed back.
They boarded Fearless . Jack led him below, pointing out the electronics, the tank racks, the twin Westerbeke diesels. Then they rode out half a mile and anchored. “Wait till you see this,” Jack said. Eddie had done a lot of diving, but all inlakes and ponds. He donned his gear and followed Jack over the side.
First time in the islands, first time on a plane, first time on a coral reef. It lay on a bed of white sand about fifty feet below and sprouted up almost to the surface. Eddie took a breath and dove down, reached the bottom in eight or nine kicks. Even at fifty feet, the water was warm and shining with light. Tiny fish darted over the coral, wearing camouflage that would work only in a jewel box. Eddie took in a mouthful of salt water and realized he was smiling. He bit down on the mouthpiece.
They dove: two land creatures as at home in the water as land creatures can be. They didn’t stop until the sun sank toward the horizon, first reddening the sea, then darkening it. After, in the boat, they watched the sun disappear, leaving radiant traces on the surface of the water, in the sky, on their retinas. Then, quite suddenly, it was night.
“Not bad, huh?” said Jack.
“Not bad.”
“It goes on for miles up and down the shore. Sometimes better. Brad’s got a big New York outfit handling the advertising. Every diver in the world’s going to know about this place in six months. Nondivers, too. We’re designing an underwater observatory—you won’t even have to get wet.”
Was this another joke? Eddie looked at his brother. It was too dark to tell.
The radio crackled. “Galleon Beach to Fearless . Come in, Fearless . Over.” It was Evelyn.
Jack spoke. “Fearless here.”
“You forgot to say over . Over.”
“Over,” said Jack, laughing.
Evelyn was laughing too. “Dinner is almost over. Over.”
They ate sandwiches in the bar, Eddie and Jack at one table, the Packers at another. Baloney and cheese slices on white: the cook was arriving the next day. It didn’t matter. Eddie ate until there was nothing left.
“Stay for a drink?” said Evelyn. The Packers had a bottle of Wild Turkey on their table.
“Or two,” added Packer. “Then maybe Evelyn’ll get out her scissors.”
“Thanks,” said Eddie. “Some other time.”
Jack stayed for a drink. Eddie walked up the beach to the old fish camp—a go-cart track in the plan—where the previous staff had lived. There were a number of cabins but only two were habitable, Jack’s on the beach, the other under a tall spreading tree farther inland. A light was on in the second cabin, and a human silhouette moved behind the shade. Eddie entered the cabin on the beach.
He felt for the light switch, switched on an unshaded ceiling bulb. It spread a weak yellow glow, almost brown at the edges but strong enough to illuminate the peeling paint on the walls, the pile of laundry on the floor, and the two beds, one with a
“Borrowing from Evelyn’s father. Isn’t that embarrassing?”
“You’ve gone dainty on me, Eddie. There’s nothing embarrassing about it. Got to have money in business. You get it where you can, at the lowest price.”
“Did the plane come from Evelyn’s father too?”
“Every dickhead developer in South Florida’s got a plane, Eddie.” Jack rose. “Enough theory. I’ll show you the main attraction.”
They walked down a path lined with sun-bleached conch shells to a shed by the beach. Jack came out with masks, fins, snorkels, tossed a set to Eddie, led him onto the dock. A silver-and-blue cruiser was tied up along one side; thirty-five feet or so, with tuna tower, portable compressor, dive platform. Eddie absorbed all that without really looking. What caught his eye was the name written on the stern in fresh black paint: Fearless .
Jack put his arm around Eddie’s neck, squeezed hard. “Of course I remember, asshole. What do you take me for?”
Eddie put his arm around his brother, squeezed back.
They boarded Fearless . Jack led him below, pointing out the electronics, the tank racks, the twin Westerbeke diesels. Then they rode out half a mile and anchored. “Wait till you see this,” Jack said. Eddie had done a lot of diving, but all inlakes and ponds. He donned his gear and followed Jack over the side.
First time in the islands, first time on a plane, first time on a coral reef. It lay on a bed of white sand about fifty feet below and sprouted up almost to the surface. Eddie took a breath and dove down, reached the bottom in eight or nine kicks. Even at fifty feet, the water was warm and shining with light. Tiny fish darted over the coral, wearing camouflage that would work only in a jewel box. Eddie took in a mouthful of salt water and realized he was smiling. He bit down on the mouthpiece.
They dove: two land creatures as at home in the water as land creatures can be. They didn’t stop until the sun sank toward the horizon, first reddening the sea, then darkening it. After, in the boat, they watched the sun disappear, leaving radiant traces on the surface of the water, in the sky, on their retinas. Then, quite suddenly, it was night.
“Not bad, huh?” said Jack.
“Not bad.”
“It goes on for miles up and down the shore. Sometimes better. Brad’s got a big New York outfit handling the advertising. Every diver in the world’s going to know about this place in six months. Nondivers, too. We’re designing an underwater observatory—you won’t even have to get wet.”
Was this another joke? Eddie looked at his brother. It was too dark to tell.
The radio crackled. “Galleon Beach to Fearless . Come in, Fearless . Over.” It was Evelyn.
Jack spoke. “Fearless here.”
“You forgot to say over . Over.”
“Over,” said Jack, laughing.
Evelyn was laughing too. “Dinner is almost over. Over.”
They ate sandwiches in the bar, Eddie and Jack at one table, the Packers at another. Baloney and cheese slices on white: the cook was arriving the next day. It didn’t matter. Eddie ate until there was nothing left.
“Stay for a drink?” said Evelyn. The Packers had a bottle of Wild Turkey on their table.
“Or two,” added Packer. “Then maybe Evelyn’ll get out her scissors.”
“Thanks,” said Eddie. “Some other time.”
Jack stayed for a drink. Eddie walked up the beach to the old fish camp—a go-cart track in the plan—where the previous staff had lived. There were a number of cabins but only two were habitable, Jack’s on the beach, the other under a tall spreading tree farther inland. A light was on in the second cabin, and a human silhouette moved behind the shade. Eddie entered the cabin on the beach.
He felt for the light switch, switched on an unshaded ceiling bulb. It spread a weak yellow glow, almost brown at the edges but strong enough to illuminate the peeling paint on the walls, the pile of laundry on the floor, and the two beds, one with a
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