Captains of the Sands Read Online Free PDF

to eat and a place to spend the night. Now, in the middle of the warehouse, Legless was making fun of Cat, who’d wasted awhole day stealing a wine-colored ring of no real value, a fake stone, with fake beauty too.
    It had been a week before that Cat had told half the world:
    “I’ve seen a ring, you guys, that even a bishop doesn’t wear. A nice big ring, fine for my finger. Real fine. You’ll see when I bring it back…”
    “Where’s the showcase?”
    “On a sucker’s finger. A fat guy who gets on the Brotas streetcar at the Baixa dos Sapateiros every day.”
    And Cat didn’t rest until he got it in the crush of a streetcar at seven o’clock in the evening, pulling the ring off the man’s finger, sneaking away in the confusion because the owner had noticed it right away. He proudly displayed the ring on his middle finger. Legless laughed:
    “Risking jail for a piece of junk! An ugly thing…”
    “What’s it to you? I like it and that’s that.”
    “You’re a real jackass. The pawnbroker won’t give you a penny for it.”
    “But it looks nice on my finger. I’m fixing to gobble up something nice with it.”
    They were naturally talking about women in spite of the fact that the oldest was only sixteen. They’d learned the mysteries of sex at an early age.
    Pedro Bala, who was coming in, broke up the start of a fight. Big João left the Professor reading to go over to the leader. Legless was laughing to himself, muttering about the ring. Pedro called him and went with him and Big João to the corner where the Professor was.
    “Come here, Professor.”
    The four sat down. Legless lighted the butt of an expensive cigar, savoring it. Big João was peering at the piece of sea that could be seen through the door, beyond the sand. Pedro spoke:
    “González at the ‘14’ spoke to me today…”
    “Does he want more gold chains? The last time…” Legless cut in.
    “No. He wants hats. But only felt. Straw’s no good, he says there’s no market for it. And also…”
    “What else?” Legless interrupted again.
    “If it’s been worn a lot it’s no good.”
    “He wants a lot. If he paid something it would be worth it…”
    “You know, Legless, he keeps his mouth shut. Maybe he doesn’t pay good, but he’s tight-lipped. You can’t get anything out of him, not even with a hook.”
    “He pays rotten too. And it’s in his own interest not to say anything. If he was to open his mouth to everybody there’s no kind of influence would keep him out of the pokey…”
    “O.K., Legless, if you don’t want a piece of the action, beat it, but let us get our things straight.”
    “I’m not saying I’m not in. I’m just saying that working for a thieving foreigner is a bad deal. But if you want to…”
    “He says he’ll pay better this time. Something to make it worthwhile. But only felt hats, in good shape and new. You, Legless, can take some guys and get it done. Tomorrow night González is sending over a clerk from the ‘14’ to bring the dough and take the bonnets.”
    “The movies are a good place,” the Professor said, turning to Legless.
    “The Vitória’s a good spot…” and Legless made a disdainful gesture. “Just go into the lobby and a hat is guaranteed…All fat cats there.”
    “They’ve also got guards all over the place.”
    “Are you worried about guards? Now if it was a cop…Guards are only for playing hide-and-seek. Will you come with me, Professor?”
    “I’ll come. I even need a hat myself.”
    Pedro Bala spoke:
    “Pick whoever you want, Legless. This is your show. Except for João and the Cat. I’ve got something for them to do tomorrow…” He turned to Big João. “Something with God’s-Love.”
    “He already told me. And he say’s he’s coming over at night for some
capoeira
.”
    Pedro turned to Legless, who was already leaving to go arrange with Lollipop for the formation of the group going after hats the following day:
    “Hey, Legless, tell them