Say, what did you guys figure out on that gray cod, that Pacific Cod, I didn't give it to you as a freebie, did I?"

"No, no, we'll take it this time. Have to take a few cents off, though, take it for thirty cents a pound," the radio crackles. "Thirty cents," Mad Jack squints figuring and scratching at his brambly beard. "Yeah, well, that's sure less than our Black Cod at $1.40 a pound, but hell, they were easy to catch, might be worth getting as a kicker on top of the black cod sometimes." They signal off and Mad Jack rejoins the party. "Well, guys, I guess I have to go out again. Jeeze, this fishin' business is tough work. I have to go pick up a check for $50,000. I hope I can lift it." The little room erupts in laughter. "Give the skipper a drink, there, Billy Goat, to build up his strength," says Hallie adjusting his ball cap again and going through the motions of winding up for a pitch. "And, say, speaking of fat checks, I mean chicks, I mean checks, I'd like to go along with ya and pick up Molly for a little spin, what d'ya say, Cap?"

"Hell, yeah, bring her to the party. She's invited. Definitely." "Yeah, bring her to the party!"

all the crew yells as one.

"Say, what happened to you two last night, Hallie?" asks Lockjaw over the golf ball sized wad of chewing tobacco bulging out his lower lip. His nose broken long ago points at Hallie beneath a bald forehead. "Oh, nothin," Hallie says lightly, adjusting his ball cap and shadow boxing with Billy Goat. "C'mon," Toasty jeers, "we know better than that. "What gives? Did you get laid or not?"

"Well, it's like this. We were drinkin' in her room, you know--not supposed to, she could get fired, but we were--and I started getting friendly with her, we were getting pretty plastered, you know, and she asks what it's like way out on the water. And so I told her how it was last week in that real shitty weather we had, you know. I told her what it's like when the whole bait shed smells like cut-up fish and you have to always be leaning against something because the boat is rocking back and forth, back and forth," and he makes motions in the air with his hands like a boat, "just rocking up and down, and back and forth, and up and back and on and on and everything has to be tied down or it tips over because a wave will come and lift the boat and nearly tip it over sideways and then it sets it down in the trough and rocks it just as steep the other way, back and forth, back and forth, and how every single wave is a struggle against your will because the boat will rock and rock and rock and rock, back