(131)LISTEN TO THE WISE-MAN
Katuna’d never seen so many fish, all kick and fight gone
from them, a silver surrender. Like a gift from the gods, he thought, and it
would take him a year to pull as much from the river. But the village wise-man
shook his head and pronounced the river sick.
(132)DYNAMITE FISHING
‘Like shooting fish in a barrel,’ Jess laughed. ‘Easy as
that. Easier. Just light the fuse, count to ten, then toss it into the water.
Fingers in your ears and your head ducked. The air all sudden shock and shook.
Another slow count of ten’ll bring them to the surface.’
(133)THE DEAD RIVER
The smell was the first we had of it. So strong it made
children retch and dogs dropped their tails turning their heads this way and
that with a fearful look in their eyes. Then, cresting the hill, we could see.
The whole river turned silver and still and rotting.
(134)CHIP-SHOP FISH
‘Dinnae like fish,’ Tam said. ‘Except chip-shop fish, done in
a beer batter, fried tae a crisp in deep oil. Chips oan the side and peas that
is called ‘mushy’. Everythin’ wrapped in newspaper and us sittin’ on the end o’
the pier, tastin’ the sea in oor every breath.’
(135)HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE
Once I caught seven. In the one afternoon. All silver and
kicking and making a splash in a yellow plastic bucket. I threw them back at
the end of the day. All except one that my dad would later buy off me for the
price of a pack of cigarettes.
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