Thepeeledwhitebodyofthebeheadedwhaleflasheslikeamarblesepulchre;thoughchangedinhue,ithasnotperceptiblylostanythinginbulk.Itisstillcolossal.
Slowlyitfloatsmoreandmoreaway,thewaterroundittornandsplashedbytheinsatiatesharks,andtheairabovevexedwithrapaciousflightsofscreamingfowls,whosebeaksarelikesomanyinsultingponiardsinthewhale.Thevastwhiteheadlessphantomfloatsfurtherandfurtherfromtheship,andeveryrodthatitsofloats,whatseemsquareroodsofsharksandcubicroodsoffowls,augmentthemurderousdin.
Beneaththeuncloudedandmildazuresky,uponthefairfaceofthepleasantsea,waitedbythejoyousbreezes,thatgreatmassofdeathfloatsonandon,tilllostininfiniteperspectives.
Inlifebutfewofthemwouldhavehelpedthewhale,Iween,ifperadventurehehadneededit;butuponthebanquetofhisfuneraltheymostpiouslydopounce.Oh,horriblevulturismofearth!
Espiedbysometimidman-of-warorblunderingdiscovery-vesselfromafar,whenthedistanceobscuringtheswarmingfowls,neverthelessstillshowsthewhitemassfloatinginthesun,andthewhitesprayheavinghighagainstit;straightwaythewhale’sunharmingcorpse,withtremblingfingersissetdowninthelog-shoals,rocks,andbreakershereabout:beware!
Andforyearsafterwards,perhaps,shipsshuntheplace;leapingoveritassillysheepleapoveravacuum,becausetheirleaderoriginallyleapedtherewhenastickwasheld.
There’syourlawofprecedents;there’syourutilityoftraditions;there’sthestoryofyourobstinatesurvivalofoldbeliefsneverbottomedontheearth,andnownotevenhoveringintheair!There’sorthodoxy!
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