Spartina by John D. Casey Page B

white water-jet a wide berth. People were diving off her transom now that the tide was in.
    He found Elsie. He said, “If you and your friend Schuyler want to take some pictures, I’ve got an idea for you. You and him bring your movie camera along when Parker and I go out for swordfish. We’ll be out five, six days. We’ll take you two along if Schuyler will pay for a spotter plane. The plane runs fifty bucks an hour. We’ll leave at midnight, start our own watch at dawn. Use the plane after the sun’s up. Take a two-hour break for when the tide’s running strong. Use the plane another couple of hours in the afternoon if it’s still calm. What do you think? If we use the plane it’s pretty sure we’ll get some fish.”
    Elsie said, “Parker’s boat? I don’t know about Parker.”
    “Parker’s got his arm in a cast, so …”
    “If Schuyler pays for the plane, who gets the fish?”
    “Schuyler gets the pictures, we get the fish. The pilot gets his fifty an hour, but he gets a hundred bonus for each fish. What Parker and me’ll do is pay the bonus out of the fish. That’s as good as we can go.”
    Elsie laughed. “What’s Parker going to say to this?”
    “You talk to Schuyler. I’ll talk to Parker. You won’t likely get on any other boat. Right now the water’s right. The weather’s right. You can’t find swordfish if there’s overcast or too much chop. There’s no guarantee it’ll be this good again all summer.”
    Elsie said, “Okay. I’ll bring Schuyler over now. But Dick—” She paused.
    “What’s that?”
    “I don’t know. I’m just worried when someone like you hangs around with Parker.”
    Dick said, “I have my doubts about your friend Schuyler. We’re not getting married—we’re going out for a few days to stick some fish and haul some pots.”
    Elsie went off. Dick knew what she was talking about. He would have worried the same as her if he wasn’t so sure the tide was running his way.
    The gas lamp was out now. Just the candle lamps were burning. By the waning moon Dick could see the partygoers were diving in naked. Let them have their summer fun. He’d send Charlie and Tom to clean up the island. This summer was going to see his boat. He could just make out heads bobbing in the water. They weren’t so noisy now, just splashing and giggling. Some flood tide of money and fun had brought them to Sawtooth Point and Sawtooth Island. He wasn’t going to back off. Just another fishery.

D ick had forgot how antsy he got the day before he put to sea. May had forgot too. She’d used to leave the house. Now he was barking at her, in between trips to the boat. He must have gone back and forth a half-dozen times.
    Next to last time he found Schuyler, Elsie, and Parker on deck. Not doing anything, just gabbing. Once in a while either Schuyler or Elsie would lift up the camera each of them had strapped on. Dick muttered by them. Parker was bullshitting Schuyler. Tales of the high seas. Dick laid his harpoon up by the bow pulpit, but Schuyler wanted him to bring it over and talk about it. Schuyler and Elsie both raised their cameras. Dick pointed to the tufted wand sticking toward him from the camera pack. “That thing the microphone?”
    “Yes,” Elsie said. “What’s that in your hand?”
    “Jesus, Elsie, you’ve seen a harpoon.…”
    “Explain how it works.”
    “You’ll get to see how it works. That is, if we ever get going.”
    “Dick. Come on.”
    “When we’re steaming somewhere with nothing much to do—”
    Schuyler said, “Captain Parker tells me you got mad at the phone company once, you tore your phone off the wall and threw it out in the middle of Route One.”
    Dick said, “You worried about your camera?”
    Elsie said, “Oh, for God’s sakes!” Schuyler laughed.
    Dick put his harpoon by the bow pulpit, pigeon-holed his charts and notes in the wheelhouse, then moved around checking the bait barrels and spare pots. Schuyler asked Parker what he