Fire Down Below Page #2

...hello there.

If I knew you were wearing

your Paris clothes...

...Id have had the bridal suite

cleaned up.

Sun lounge is on A-deck.

What happened

to your gentleman friend?

I left him in the hotel.

Any other questions?

I might think of some

from time to time.

WI'll you do me a favor?

Occupy yourself

with your own business.

I dont think I'mm going to care

for your attitude very much.

All right. I dont think I even care

for my attitude very much.

Yeah, well, I'll...

...show you where you can keep

your things.

Well, its nothing much...

- ... but if theres anything you want...

- I don't want anything.

That port engine again.

Its that port engine again.

Lets see what we can do with it.

You know, when I get rich,

Im going to buy myself a crowbar...

...and come aboard this boat

and beat that port engine to scrap.

I hung around the house

for three months...

...after I got back from Korea,

doing nothing.

And my father read me

the riot act.

Hes a big man in the community,

my father.

Said it gave him a bad name, having

a son who was turning into a bum.

So I went to New York

and met a guy I used to know there...

...went to college with.

He had a 30-foot sloop.

He was looking to take someone

to the Caribbean...

...so we had a drink,

and I signed on.

- Just like that?

- Just like that.

The Caribbean seemed like

a nice, long distance from Indiana.

Came down here and I liked it,

and my pal went home. I met Felix.

We had some laughs.

He had a little money, I had dough...

...and one night we were drunk,

and we bought this boat.

When it runs,

its a pretty good little boat.

- Two and a half years?

- Yep.

Cant think of a better way

to spend two and a half years.

- What happens when you tire of this?

- Well, I'll move on.

I told my father the day I saw

the first white hair on my head...

...Id come back home.

It hasn't shown yet.

What a country America is.

All the luxuries.

- Even rebellion.

- I got an idea.

Hey, Felix?

How much longer

we gonna be here?

Seven years and two months.

Good, weve got time for a swim.

How about it?

- Arent there any sharks?

- Well, of course.

Why not?

- Everybody works but Father.

- Thats right. That's the general idea.

Do the guests have everything

they want? Cocktails?

- Just ring the bell.

- No cocktails.

Ask the lady.

No cocktails.

I was glad to see you swim so well.

Its a pretty sight,

you handsome young people...

...cleaving through the warm water

with a nice, steady, eight-beat crawl.

Where did you learn? Berlin?

What do they use in those

swimming pools, blood?

Wait a minute. What is this?

Whats it for, persecution or fun?

- For fun.

- Well, youre crazy. Leave her alone.

Whats the matter, you appointed

yourself her new protector?

Go to the end of the line, kid.

Its a long, long line.

- Let up on her.

- She doesnt need protection.

She can take care of herself with

any weapon youd care to mention.

Ask the MPs name in Berlin.

Ask about the gun

they found in her bag.

I dont know what's wrong with him.

I'vve never seen him like this before.

Dont worry. It wI'll blow over.

No guns allowed on this boat, madam.

We have a naval limitation treaty

with the Algonquin Indians.

Youre crazy. Anything you don't like,

you just throw into the sea!

I turn the other cheek.

Careful, Ive only got two cheeks.

Why dont you stop them.

Not for the time being, maam.

Ain't no quarrel of mine.

I'll let them work off

a little bad blood first.

Hell kI'll him!

Stop it. Stop it!

Now you just calm down a little,

then we all stop choking our friends...

...and we continue this cruise

on a nice, peaceful basis.

All right, Jimmy Jean,

you can let go.

The wars over.

- Is that a promise?

- Thats a promise.

See?

A thousand dollars for carrying you

just isnt enough.

- Im sorry.

- You play rough, don't you?

For a minute, I thought

you were trying to kI'll me.

Dont be sI'lly. All over?

All over.

We ought to do this more often.

Breaks up the trip,

entertainment for the ladies.

Greco-Roman style wrestling,

college rules.

Any time we get bored

with each other...

...I'll just remember to throw something

of madame's in the sea.

Whats going on there?

Carnival time.

- Mardi gras. You ever been to one?

- No.

- Well, do you like to dance?

- Sometimes.

Well, how about that.

Do you want to go take a look at it?

No.

Come on,

I'll take care of you.

You wont get mixed up

in anything you don't want.

Perhaps some other time.

We dont guarantee

there wI'll be another time, lady.

This is a luxury cruise, but we only

furnish one Mardi gras per trip.

Yeah, come on, lets go.

These things can be fun, you know.

Whatever you say.

You want to go, Felix?

I have to be in the mood

for a Mardi gras.

I'll see how I feel when we dock.

Irena?

Irena?

I cant stand waifs. Come on.

You hate me. Why?

- Drink your rum.

- What have women done to you?

I dont regard women in the plural.

I regard women one by one.

What have they done to you?

Some of them have done good,

some of them have done bad.

Drink your rum.

- Have you ever been married?

- Yes.

- For a quick six months.

- What happened?

I deserted her.

Why?

She was the most desertable woman

on the North American continent.

She was pretty. Beautiful.

Maybe even as beautiful as you.

I had a wonderful time with her.

Six months.

- TI'll I got to know her.

- Is that why you came down here?

- Thats one of the reasons, yeah.

- Are you wanted by the police?

Oh, I wouldnt go so far

as to say that.

Put it this way, if I presented myself

to the police, they would not reject me.

No, no, none of that.

Lets not fool ourselves.

Lets not sit laughing it up

like two nice people out on a date...

...on a Saturday night.

Were not nice people.

And were not out on any date.

Youre a tricky bit of cargo...

...that I contracted to carry

from one island to another.

A danger to navigation.

Lets keep the channel clear.

Dont worry about me.

I'vve had enough trouble as it is.

I'll bet you have.

Im not asking for any pity.

I don't want to bother you.

Youre stuck with me for a little while,

and I'mm stuck with you.

But we dont have to make it

any worse than it already is.

Tell me what you want me to do,

and I'll do it.

Keep away from Tony, thats all.

He's not for the likes of you.

- Why not?

- Ive known women like you.

Youve had bad luck.

Youre pretty enough to make

everybody you touch pay for it.

What makes you think

hed be interested?

I saw that gay frolic

on the beach today.

A siren should have gone off

for Tony right then:

'EEnemy approaching, take cover. "'

Hes a big boy.

He can take care of himself.

Nobody can take care of themselves,

so stay away from him.

Stop probing him with those

sad, pitiful, calculating dark eyes...

...and keep those

sweet, poisonous hands off him.

Youve got nothing for him.

He came down here

to sow a few wild oats, thats all.

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