For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead.He was not afraid of the black spots. They were normal at the tension that he was pulling on the line.Twice,though,he had felt faint and dizzy and that had worried him.
“Keep my head clear,”he said against the wood of the bow.“ I am a tired old man.But I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work.”
When he thought that he knew that he was not being clear-headed and he thought he should chew some more of the dolphin.But I can't,he told himself.It is better to be light-headed than to lose your strength from nausea.And I know I cannot keep it if I eat it since my face was in it.I will keep it for an emergency until it goes bad.But it is too late to try for strength now through nourishment.You're stupid, he told himself.Eat the other flying fish.
“You better be fearless and confident yourself, old man,”he said.“ You're holding him again but you cannot get line.But soon he has to circle .”
I must hold his pain where it is,he thought.Mine does not matter.I can control mine.But his pain could drive him mad.