“People fall overboard, and sometimes it takes a while to swing around and get to ’em.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Whatever you say. But I still need a man who knows something about fishing. Or at least about boats.”

Brody looked across his desk at Hooper. The last thing he wanted was to spend days on a boat with Hooper, especially in a situation in which Hooper would outrank him in knowledge, if not authority. He could send Hooper alone and stay ashore himself. But that, he felt, would be capitulating, admitting finally and irrevocably his inability to face and conquer the strange enemy that was waging war on his town.

Besides, maybe—over the course of a long day on a boat—Hooper might make a slip that would reveal what he had been doing last Wednesday, the day it rained. Brody was becoming obsessed with finding out where Hooper was that day, for whenever he allowed himself to consider the various alternatives, the one on which his mind always settled was the one he most dreaded. He wanted to know that Hooper was at the movies, or playing backgammon at the Field Club, or smoking dope with some hippie, or laying some Girl Scout. He didn’t care what it was, as long as he could know that Hooper had not been with Ellen. Or that he had been. In that case …? The thought was still too wretched to cope with.

He cupped his hand over the mouthpiece and said to Hooper, “Do you want to come along? He needs a mate.”

“He doesn’t even have a mate? What a half-assed operation.”

“Never mind that. Do you want to come or not?”

“Yes,” said Hooper. “I’ll probably live to regret it, but yes. I want to see that fish, and I guess this is my only chance.”

Brody said to Quint, “Okay, I’ve got your man.”

“Does he know boats?”

“He knows boats.”

“Monday morning, six o’clock. Bring whatever you want to eat. You know how to get here?”

“Route 27 to the turnoff for Promised Land, right?”

“Yeah. It’s called Cranberry Hole Road. Straight into town. About a hundred yards past the last houses, take a left on a dirt road.”

“Is there a sign?”

“No, but it’s the only road around here. Leads right to my dock.”

“Yours the only boat there?”

“Only one. It’s called the Orca.”

“All right. See you Monday.”

“One more thing,” said Quint. “Cash. Every day. In advance.”

“Okay, but how come?”

“That’s the way I do business. I don’t want you falling overboard with my money.”

“All right,” said Brody. “You’ll have it.” He hung up and said to Hooper, “Monday, six A.M., okay?”

“Okay.”

Meadows said, “Do I gather from your conversation that you’re going, too, Martin?”

Brody nodded. “It’s my job.”

“I’d say it’s a bit beyond the call.”

“Well, it’s done now.”

“What’s the name of his boat?” asked Hooper.

“I think he said Orca,” said Brody. “I don’t know what it means.”