Though,consumedwiththehotfireofhispurpose,AhabinallhisthoughtsandactionseverhadinviewtheultimatecaptureofMobyDick;thoughheseemedreadytosacrificeallmortalintereststothatonepassion;neverthelessitmayhavebeenthathewasbynatureandlonghabituationfartooweddedtoafierywhaleman’sways,altogethertoabandonthecollateralprosecutionofthevoyage.
Itwouldberefiningtoomuch,perhaps,evenconsideringhismonomania,tohintthathisvindictivenesstowardstheWhiteWhalemighthavepossiblyextendeditselfinsomedegreetoallspermwhales,andthatthemoremonstersheslewbysomuchthemorehemultipliedthechancesthateachsubsequentlyencounteredwhalewouldprovetobethehatedonehehunted.
Butifsuchanhypothesisbeindeedexceptionable,therewerestilladditionalconsiderationswhich,thoughnotsostrictlyaccordingwiththewildnessofhisrulingpassion,yetwerebynomeansincapableofswayinghim.
ToaccomplishhisobjectAhabmustusetools;andofalltoolsusedintheshadowofthemoon,menaremostapttogetoutoforder.
Heknew,forexample,thathowevermagnetichisascendencyinsomerespectswasoverStarbuck,yetthatascendencydidnotcoverthecompletespiritualmananymorethanmerecorporealsuperiorityinvolvesintellectualmastership;fortothepurelyspiritual,theintellectualbutstandinsortofcorporealrelation.
Starbuck’sbodyandStarbuck’scoercedwillwereAhab’s,solongasAhabkepthismagnetatStarbuck’sbrain;stillheknewthatforallthisthechiefmate,inhissoul,abhorredhiscaptain’squest,andcouldhe,wouldjoyfullydisintegratehimselffromit,orevenfrustrateit.
DuringthatlongintervalStarbuckwouldeverbeapttofallintoopenrelapsesofrebellionagainsthiscaptain’sleadership,unlesssomeordinary,prudential,circumstantialinfluenceswerebroughttobearuponhim.
Notonlythat,butthesubtleinsanityofAhabrespectingMobyDickwasnowaysmoresignificantlymanifestedthaninhissuperlativesenseandshrewdnessinforeseeingthat,forthepresent,thehuntshouldinsomewaybestrippedofthatstrangeimaginativeimpiousnesswhichnaturallyinvestedit;thatthefullterrorofthevoyagemustbekeptwithdrawnintotheobscurebackground(forfewmen’scourageisproofagainstprotractedmeditationunrelievedbyaction);thatwhentheystoodtheirlongnightwatches,hisofficersandmenmusthavesomenearerthingstothinkofthanMobyDick.
Forhowevereagerlyandimpetuouslythesavagecrewhadhailedtheannouncementofhisquest;yetallsailorsofallsortsaremoreorlesscapriciousandunreliable-theyliveinthevaryingouterweather,andtheyinhaleitsfickleness-andwhenretainedforanyobjectremoteandblankinthepursuit,howeverpromissoryoflifeandpassionintheend,itisaboveallthingsrequisitethattemporaryinterestsandemploymentsshouldinterveneandholdthemhealthilysuspendedforthefinaldash.
GrantingthattheWhiteWhalefullyincitestheheartsofthismysavagecrew,andplayingroundtheirsavagenessevenbreedsacertaingenerousknight-errantisminthem,still,whilefortheloveofittheygivechasetoMobyDick,theymustalsohavefoodfortheirmorecommon,dailyappetites.
ForeventhehighliftedandchivalricCrusadersofoldtimeswerenotcontenttotraversetwothousandmilesoflandtofightfortheirholysepulchre,withoutcommittingburglaries,pickingpockets,andgainingotherpiousperquisitesbytheway.
Hadtheybeenstrictlyheldtotheironefinalandromanticobject-thatfinalandromanticobject,toomanywouldhaveturnedfromindisgust.
Theymayscorncashnow;butletsomemonthsgoby,andnoperspectivepromiseofittothem,andthenthissamequiescentcashallatoncemutinyinginthem,thissamecashwouldsooncashierAhab.
Havingimpulsively,itisprobable,andperhapssomewhatprematurelyrevealedtheprimebutprivatepurposeofthePequod’svoyage,Ahabwasnowentirelyconsciousthat,insodoing,hehadindirectlylaidhimselfopentotheunanswerablechargeofusurpation;andwithperfectimpunity,bothmoralandlegal,hiscrewifsodisposed,andtothatendcompetent,couldrefuseallfurtherobediencetohim,andevenviolentlywrestfromhimthecommand.
Fromeventhebarelyhintedimputationofusurpation,andthepossibleconsequencesofsuchasuppressedimpressiongainingground,Ahabmustofcoursehavebeenmostanxioustoprotecthimself.
Thatprotectioncouldonlyconsistinhisownpredominatingbrainandheartandhand,backedbyaheedful,closelycalculatingattentiontoeveryminuteatmosphericinfluencewhichitwaspossibleforhiscrewtobesubjectedto.
Forallthesereasonsthen,andothersperhapstooanalytictobeverballydevelopedhere,Ahabplainlysawthathemuststillinagooddegreecontinuetruetothenatural,nominalpurposeofthePequod’svoyage;observeallcustomaryusages;andnotonlythat,butforcehimselftoevinceallhiswellknownpassionateinterestinthegeneralpursuitofhisprofession.
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