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Itshouldnothavebeenomittedthatprevioustocompletelystrippingthebodyoftheleviathan,hewasbeheaded.
Now,thebeheadingoftheSpermWhaleisascientificanatomicalfeat,uponwhichexperiencedwhalesurgeonsverymuchpridethemselves:andnotwithoutreason.
Considerthatthewhalehasnothingthatcanproperlybecalledaneck;onthecontrary,wherehisheadandbodyseemtojoin,there,inthatveryplace,isthethickestpartofhim.
Remember,also,thatthesurgeonmustoperatefromabove,someeightortenfeetinterveningbetweenhimandhissubject,andthatsubjectalmosthiddeninadiscolored,rolling,andoftentimestumultuousandburstingsea.
Bearinmind,too,thatundertheseuntowardcircumstanceshehastocutmanyfeetdeepintheflesh;andinthatsubterraneousmanner,withoutsomuchasgettingonesinglepeepintotheever-contractinggashthusmade,hemustskillfullysteerclearofalladjacent,interdictedparts,andexactlydividethespineatacriticalpointhardbyitsinsertionintotheskull.
Doyounotmarvel,then,atStubb’sboast,thathedemandedbuttenminutestobeheadaspermwhale?
Whenfirstsevered,theheadisdroppedasternandheldtherebyacabletillthebodyisstripped.
Thatdone,ifitbelongtoasmallwhaleitishoistedondecktobedeliberatelydisposedof.
But,withafullgrownleviathanthisisimpossible;forthespermwhale’sheadembracesnearlyonethirdofhisentirebulk,andcompletelytosuspendsuchaburdenasthat,evenbytheimmensetacklesofawhaler,thiswereasvainathingastoattemptweighingaDutchbarninjewellers’scales.
ThePequod’swhalebeingdecapitatedandthebodystripped,theheadwashoistedagainsttheship’sside-abouthalfwayoutofthesea,sothatitmightyetingreatpartbebuoyedupbyitsnativeelement.
Andtherewiththestrainedcraftsteeplyleaningoverit,byreasonoftheenormousdownwarddragfromthelowermast-head,andeveryyard-armonthatsideprojectinglikeacraneoverthewaves;there,thatblood-drippingheadhungtothePequod’swaistlikethegiantHolofernes’sfromthegirdleofJudith.
Whenthislasttaskwasaccomplisheditwasnoon,andtheseamenwentbelowtotheirdinner.
Silencereignedoverthebeforetumultuousbutnowdeserteddeck.
Anintensecoppercalm,likeauniversalyellowlotus,wasmoreandmoreunfoldingitsnoiselessmeasurelessleavesuponthesea.
Ashortspaceelapsed,andupintothisnoiselessnesscameAhabalonefromhiscabin.
Takingafewturnsonthequarter-deck,hepausedtogazeovertheside,thenslowlygettingintothemain-chainshetookStubb’slongspadestillremainingthereafterthewhale’sdecapitationandstrikingitintothelowerpartofthehalf-suspendedmass,placeditsotherendcrutchwiseunderonearm,andsostoodleaningoverwitheyesattentivelyfixedonthishead.
Itwasablackandhoodedhead;andhangingthereinthemidstofsointenseacalm,itseemedtheSphynx’sinthedesert.
“Speak,thouvastandvenerablehead,”mutteredAhab,“which,thoughungarnishedwithabeard,yethereandtherelookesthoarywithmosses;speak,mightyhead,andtellusthesecretthingthatisinthee.
Ofalldivers,thouhastdivedthedeepest.
Thatheaduponwhichtheuppersunnowgleams,hasmovedamidthisworld’sfoundations.
Whereunrecordednamesandnaviesrust,anduntoldhopesandanchorsrot;whereinhermurderousholdthisfrigateearthisballastedwithbonesofmillionsofthedrowned;there,inthatawfulwater-land,therewasthymostfamiliarhome.
Thouhastbeenwherebellordiverneverwent;hastsleptbymanyasailor’sside,wheresleeplessmotherswouldgivetheirlivestolaythemdown.
Thousaw’stthelockedloverswhenleapingfromtheirflamingship;hearttohearttheysankbeneaththeexultingwave;truetoeachother,whenheavenseemedfalsetothem.
Thousaw’stthemurderedmatewhentossedbypiratesfromthemidnightdeck;forhourshefellintothedeepermidnightoftheinsatiatemaw;andhismurderersstillsailedonunharmed-whileswiftlightningsshiveredtheneighboringshipthatwouldhavebornearighteoushusbandtooutstretched,longingarms.Ohead!
thouhasseenenoughtosplittheplanetsandmakeaninfidelofAbraham,andnotonesyllableisthine!”
“Sailho!”criedatriumphantvoicefromthemain-mast-head.
“Aye?Well,now,that’scheering,”criedAhab,suddenlyerectinghimself,whilewholethunder-cloudssweptasidefromhisbrow.
“Thatlivelycryuponthisdeadlycalmmightalmostconvertabetterman.-Whereaway?”
“Threepointsonthestarboardbow,sir,andbringingdownherbreezetous!
“Betterandbetter,man.WouldnowSt.Paulwouldcomealongthatway,andtomybreezelessnessbringhisbreeze!ONature,andOsoulofman!
howfarbeyondallutteranceareyourlinkedanalogies;notthesmallestatomstirsorlivesonmatter,buthasitscunningduplicateinmind.”
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