ALBACORA 49 



called a suite but was no bigger than a full-sized Amer- 

 ican bathroom. I hurried in and slammed the door. 

 After one step, my feet flew out from under me and I 

 fell heavily. Something exploded in my hip. I was too 

 stunned to scream. I twisted over on my stomach. Pain 

 knifed through my whole body. I groaned a little and 

 then I muttered to myself between clenched teeth. 

 *'Damn it," I said. "There goes the fishing." 



I was lying little more than a step away from the 

 door, so by fighting against the pain and forcing for- 

 ward on my stomach, I moved myself close enough to 

 reach the door. Then I rested, trying to breathe deeply 

 and wondering where "Uncle Lou" was, and if he was 

 going to linger all night on the dock with Luis Rivas. 



Standing as straight as I possibly can manage, I'm 

 only five feet tall. Fishing has put muscles into my back 

 but it has not lengthened my arms. When I reached up 

 toward the doorknob, it was beyond me. I tried to rise, 

 tried to draw my knees under me. The pain was mad- 

 dening. I had to lie still for a long time fighting against 

 it. Then I tried for the doorknob once again. Still it 

 remained past the limit of my reach. 



"God," I thought, "where are they all? What's keep- 

 ing them? Where's Lou? What could hurt me as much 

 as this? What have I done?" 



I forced myself to keep reaching for the doorknob. 

 The pains turned unbearably fierce whenever I moved, 

 but I had to get help. I don't know exactly how long 



