TheseasonfortheLineatlengthdrewnear;andeverydaywhenAhab,comingfromhiscabin,casthiseyesaloft,thevigilanthelmsmanwouldostentatiouslyhandlehisspokes,andtheeagermarinersquicklyruntothebraces,andwouldstandtherewithalltheireyescentrallyfixedonthenaileddoubloon;impatientfortheordertopointtheship’sprowfortheequator.
Ingoodtimetheordercame.Itwasharduponhighnoon;andAhab,seatedinthebowsofhishigh-hoistedboat,wasabouttakinghiswonteddailyobservationofthesuntodeterminehislatitude.
Theskylookslacquered;cloudstherearenone;thehorizonfloats;andthisnakednessofunrelievedradianceisastheinsufferablesplendorsofGod’sthrone.
So,swinginghisseatedformtotherolloftheship,andwithhisastrological-lookinginstrumentplacedtohiseye,heremainedinthatpostureforsomemomentstocatchthepreciseinstantwhenthesunshouldgainitsprecisemeridian.
Meantimewhilehiswholeattentionwasabsorbed,theParseewaskneelingbeneathhimontheship’sdeck,andwithfacethrownuplikeAhab’s,waseyeingthesamesunwithhim;onlythelidsofhiseyeshalfhoodedtheirorbs,andhiswildfacewassubduedtoanearthlypassionlessness.
Atlengththedesiredobservationwastaken;andwithhispenciluponhisivoryleg,Ahabsooncalculatedwhathislatitudemustbeatthatpreciseinstant.
Thenfallingintoamoment’srevery,heagainlookeduptowardsthesunandmurmuredtohimself:“Thousea-mark!thouhighandmightyPilot!
Theseeyesofminelookintotheveryeyethatisevennowbeholdinghim;aye,andintotheeyethatisevennowequallybeholdingtheobjectsontheunknown,thithersideofthee,thousun!”
Thengazingathisquadrant,andhandling,oneaftertheother,itsnumerouscabalisticalcontrivances,heponderedagain,andmuttered:“Foolishtoy!
babies’playthingofhaughtyAdmirals,andCommodores,andCaptains;theworldbragsofthee,ofthycunningandmight;butwhatafterallcanstthoudo,buttellthepoor,pitifulpoint,wherethouthyselfhappenesttobeonthiswideplanet,andthehandthatholdsthee:no!notonejotmore!
Thoucanstnottellwhereonedropofwateroronegrainofsandwillbeto-morrownoon;andyetwiththyimpotencethouinsultestthesun!Science!
Cursethee,thouvaintoy;andcursedbeallthethingsthatcastman’seyesalofttothatheaven,whoselivevividnessbutscorcheshim,astheseoldeyesareevennowscorchedwiththylight,Osun!
Levelbynaturetothisearth’shorizonaretheglancesofman’seyes;notshotfromthecrownofhishead,asifGodhadmeanthimtogazeonhisfirmament.Cursethee,thouquadrant!”
dashingittothedeck,“nolongerwillIguidemyearthlywaybythee;thelevelship’scompass,andtheleveldeadreckoning,bylogandbyline;THESEshallconductme,andshowmemyplaceonthesea.
Aye,”lightingfromtheboattothedeck,“thusItrampleonthee,thoupaltrythingthatfeeblypointestonhigh;thusIsplitanddestroythee!”
Asthefranticoldmanthusspokeandthustrampledwithhisliveanddeadfeet,asneeringtriumphthatseemedmeantforAhab,andafatalisticdespairthatseemedmeantforhimself—thesepassedoverthemute,motionlessParsee’sface.
Unobservedheroseandglidedaway;while,awestruckbytheaspectoftheircommander,theseamenclusteredtogetherontheforecastle,tillAhab,troubledlypacingthedeck,shoutedout—”Tothebraces!Uphelm!—squarein!”
Inaninstanttheyardsswunground;andastheshiphalf-wheeleduponherheel,herthreefirm-seatedgracefulmastserectlypoiseduponherlong,ribbedhull,seemedasthethreeHoratiipirouettingononesufficientsteed.
Standingbetweentheknight-heads,StarbuckwatchedthePequod’stumultuousway,andAhab’salso,ashewentlurchingalongthedeck.
“Ihavesatbeforethedensecoalfireandwatcheditallaglow,fullofitstormentedflaminglife;andIhaveseenitwaneatlast,down,down,todumbestdust.Oldmanofoceans!
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