thought of Rhode Island. Parker said, “Cute little state. First time I heard of it, I was running a charter boat in the Gulf, had a couple of Texans on board. One says to the other, ‘I hear you picked up that land next to yours. You must have quite a spread now.’ The other one says, ‘Middling. Just over two and a half Rhode Islands.’ ”
Schuyler laughed. Elsie said, “They don’t really.”
Dick said to her, “He’s only here summers with his bullshit.”
“You mean Rhode Island gets bigger during the winter?” Schuyler said. He and Parker laughed.
“We’re leaving before long,” Dick said. “I’m going to pull a few pots and go to bed.”
Schuyler and Elsie followed him to his house.
May was in her garden. Elsie waved and followed Dick toward the wharf. Schuyler went over to May and introduced himself. He got his camera going and pointed it at the ramshackle shed Dick had rigged. It had a wood roof, but the siding was mostly old sheets of canvas and vinyl.
Dick shouted to Schuyler, “Don’t go in there!”
May yelled down to Dick, “When do you want your supper?”
“When I get back.” Dick cranked the outboard and cast off. Elsie jumped in. “Can’t you wait a second?” Dick started down the creek.
Elsie said, “Are you going to be like this the whole trip?”
Dick didn’t answer. They got going faster when they passed Sawtooth Point. Dick couldn’t believe Schuyler had made so much money just taking pictures that he could have bought the Wedding Cake.
Elsie got cheerful when Dick pulled a pot and a huge eel wascurled up in it—made a big S from one corner of the parlor to the other. When Dick swung the pot up, the eel squeezed out between the slats. Three feet long and as thick as his forearm and it was flowing through a chink the width of his thumb. Elsie zoomed in on it with her camera. Dick turned the pot so the eel fell inside the boat. The eel wiggled between Elsie’s feet as she filmed the rest of the junk in the pot—a large whelk, a starfish, and a spider crab. Dick turned the whelk so Elsie could film the single moist foot as it sucked itself into its shell.
“Fruits de mer,”
Elsie said. “Two of ’em, anyway.”
Dick rebaited the pot. “The lobster have mostly gone from in here. Used to be you could make a living from within sight of land. Now you got to go way the hell out.”
“But I get the feeling you like going to sea,” Elsie said. “You like being way out there.”
“That’s right,” Dick said. “I like the time out there. I hope having movie cameras along doesn’t screw it up.”
Elsie lowered her camera and looked hurt.
“I don’t mean you,” Dick said. “I mean that recording everything, having those things whirring like clocks … that might change the nature of time.”
“Oh shit,” Elsie said. “I wish I’d got that part. I suppose I shouldn’t ask you to say it again.”
“Schuyler have rules?” Dick said. He threw the pot over. He thought he’d better not let her get him talking again.
“There are rules,” Elsie said. “I’m not sure what Schuyler’s relation is to them.”
When they got back, May was serving hamburgers and peas to the boys and Schuyler. Dick said, “Hope you didn’t mind being left. Be sure you get to Parker’s boat.”
May served Elsie and Dick. Schuyler said, “We had a very pleasant time.”
After Schuyler and Elsie left, Dick went into the bedroom and set his alarm for two. May came in and sat on the bed. “He seems nice,” she said. Dick snorted. “I hope you’ll get along with them,” she said. “It certainly beats spending time with Parker and his crew.”
“I am his crew,” Dick said.
“I mean his pot-head college boys. That man and the Buttrick girl are just a nicer sort.”
“Right this minute I’m not looking to improve my social life,” Dick said.
“I wonder sometimes if you’ll be able to fit in with anyone even after you have your own boat.” She
Schuyler laughed. Elsie said, “They don’t really.”
Dick said to her, “He’s only here summers with his bullshit.”
“You mean Rhode Island gets bigger during the winter?” Schuyler said. He and Parker laughed.
“We’re leaving before long,” Dick said. “I’m going to pull a few pots and go to bed.”
Schuyler and Elsie followed him to his house.
May was in her garden. Elsie waved and followed Dick toward the wharf. Schuyler went over to May and introduced himself. He got his camera going and pointed it at the ramshackle shed Dick had rigged. It had a wood roof, but the siding was mostly old sheets of canvas and vinyl.
Dick shouted to Schuyler, “Don’t go in there!”
May yelled down to Dick, “When do you want your supper?”
“When I get back.” Dick cranked the outboard and cast off. Elsie jumped in. “Can’t you wait a second?” Dick started down the creek.
Elsie said, “Are you going to be like this the whole trip?”
Dick didn’t answer. They got going faster when they passed Sawtooth Point. Dick couldn’t believe Schuyler had made so much money just taking pictures that he could have bought the Wedding Cake.
Elsie got cheerful when Dick pulled a pot and a huge eel wascurled up in it—made a big S from one corner of the parlor to the other. When Dick swung the pot up, the eel squeezed out between the slats. Three feet long and as thick as his forearm and it was flowing through a chink the width of his thumb. Elsie zoomed in on it with her camera. Dick turned the pot so the eel fell inside the boat. The eel wiggled between Elsie’s feet as she filmed the rest of the junk in the pot—a large whelk, a starfish, and a spider crab. Dick turned the whelk so Elsie could film the single moist foot as it sucked itself into its shell.
“Fruits de mer,”
Elsie said. “Two of ’em, anyway.”
Dick rebaited the pot. “The lobster have mostly gone from in here. Used to be you could make a living from within sight of land. Now you got to go way the hell out.”
“But I get the feeling you like going to sea,” Elsie said. “You like being way out there.”
“That’s right,” Dick said. “I like the time out there. I hope having movie cameras along doesn’t screw it up.”
Elsie lowered her camera and looked hurt.
“I don’t mean you,” Dick said. “I mean that recording everything, having those things whirring like clocks … that might change the nature of time.”
“Oh shit,” Elsie said. “I wish I’d got that part. I suppose I shouldn’t ask you to say it again.”
“Schuyler have rules?” Dick said. He threw the pot over. He thought he’d better not let her get him talking again.
“There are rules,” Elsie said. “I’m not sure what Schuyler’s relation is to them.”
When they got back, May was serving hamburgers and peas to the boys and Schuyler. Dick said, “Hope you didn’t mind being left. Be sure you get to Parker’s boat.”
May served Elsie and Dick. Schuyler said, “We had a very pleasant time.”
After Schuyler and Elsie left, Dick went into the bedroom and set his alarm for two. May came in and sat on the bed. “He seems nice,” she said. Dick snorted. “I hope you’ll get along with them,” she said. “It certainly beats spending time with Parker and his crew.”
“I am his crew,” Dick said.
“I mean his pot-head college boys. That man and the Buttrick girl are just a nicer sort.”
“Right this minute I’m not looking to improve my social life,” Dick said.
“I wonder sometimes if you’ll be able to fit in with anyone even after you have your own boat.” She
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