Andnowthatatthepropertimeandplace,aftersolongandwideapreliminarycruise,Ahab,-allotherwhalingwatersswept-seemedtohavechasedhisfoeintoanoceanfold,toslayhimthemoresecurelythere;now,thathefoundhimselfhardbytheverylatitudeandlongitudewherehistormentingwoundhadbeeninflicted;nowthatavesselhadbeenspokenwhichontheverydayprecedinghadactuallyencounteredMobyDick;-andnowthatallhissuccessivemeetingswithvariousshipscontrastinglyconcurredtoshowthedemoniacindifferencewithwhichthewhitewhaletorehishunters,whethersinningorsinnedagainst;nowitwasthattherelurkedasomethingintheoldman’seyes,whichitwashardlysufferableforfeeblesoulstosee.
Astheunsettingpolarstar,whichthroughthelivelong,arctic,sixmonths’nightsustainsitspiercing,steady,centralgaze;soAhab’spurposenowfixedlygleameddownupontheconstantmidnightofthegloomycrew.
Itdomineeredabovethemso,thatalltheirbodings,doubts,misgivings,fears,werefaintohidebeneaththeirsouls,andnotsproutforthasinglespearorleaf.
Alike,joyandsorrow,hopeandfear,seemedgroundtofinestdust,andpowdered,forthetime,intheclampedmortarofAhab’sironsoul.
Butdidyoudeeplyscanhiminhismoresecretconfidentialhourswhenhethoughtnoglancebutonewasonhim;thenyouwouldhaveseenthatevenasAhab’seyessoawedthecrew’s,theinscrutableParsee’sglanceawedhis;orsomehow,atleast,insomewildway,attimesaffectedit.
Suchanadded,glidingstrangenessbegantoinvestthethinFedallahnow;suchceaselessshudderingsshookhim;thatthemenlookeddubiousathim;halfuncertain,asitseemed,whetherindeedhewereamortalsubstance,orelseatremulousshadowcastuponthedeckbysomeunseenbeing’sbody.
Hewouldstandstillforhours:butneversatorleaned;hiswanbutwondrousevesdidplainlysay-Wetwowatchmenneverrest.
Nor,atanytime,bynightordaycouldthemarinersnowstepuponthedeck,unlessAhabwasbeforethem;eitherstandinginhispivot-hole,orexactlypacingtheplanksbetweentwoundeviatinglimits,-themain-mastandthemizen;orelsetheysawhimstandinginthecabin-scuttle,-hislivingfootadvanceduponthedeck,asiftostep;hishatslouchedheavilyoverhiseyes;sothathowevermotionlesshestood,howeverthedaysandnightswereaddedon,thathehadnotswunginhishammock;yethiddenbeneaththatslouchinghat,theycouldnevertellunerringlywhether,forallthis,hiseyeswerereallyclosedattimes;orwhetherhewasstillintentlyscanningthem;nomatter,thoughhestoodsointhescuttleforawholehouronthestretch,andtheunheedednight-dampgatheredinbeadsofdewuponthatstone-carvedcoatandhat.
Theclothesthatthenighthadwet,thenextday’ssunshinedrieduponhim;andso,dayafterday,andnightafternight;hewentnomorebeneaththeplanks;whateverhewantedfromthecabinthatthinghesentfor.
Heateinthesameopenair;thatis,histwoonlymeals,-breakfastanddinner:supperhenevertouched;norreapedhisbeard;whichdarklygrewallgnarled,asunearthedrootsoftreesblownover,whichstillgrowidlyonatnakedbase,thoughperishedintheupperverdure.
Butthoughhiswholelifewasnowbecomeonewatchondeck;andthoughtheParsee’smysticwatchwaswithoutintermissionashisown;yetthesetwoneverseemedtospeak-onemantotheother-unlessatlongintervalssomepassingunmomentousmattermadeitnecessary.
Thoughsuchapotentspellseemedsecretlytojointhetwain;openly,andtotheawe-struckcrew,theyseemedpole-likeasunder.
Ifbydaytheychancedtospeakoneword;bynight,dumbmenwereboth,sofarasconcernedtheslightestverbalinterchange.
Attimes,forlongesthours,withoutasinglehail,theystoodfarpartedinthestarlight;Ahabinhisscuttle,theParseebythemain-mast;butstillfixedlygazinguponeachother;asifintheParseeAhabsawhisforethrownshadow,inAhabtheParseehisabandonedsubstance.
Andyet,somehow,didAhab-inhisownproperself,asdaily,hourly,andeveryinstant,commandinglyrevealedtohissubordinates,-Ahabseemedanindependentlord;theParseebuthisslave.
-andallthroughtheday,tillaftersunsetandaftertwilight,thesamevoiceeveryhour,atthestrikingofthehelmsman’sbell,washeard-“Whatd’yesee?-sharp!sharp!”
Butwhenthreeorfourdayshadslidedby,aftermeetingthechildren-seekingRachel;andnospouthadyetbeenseen;themonomaniacoldmanseemeddistrustfulofhiscrew’sfidelity;atleast,ofnearlyallexceptthePaganharpooneers;heseemedtodoubt,even,whetherStubbandFlaskmightnotwillinglyoverlookthesighthesought.
Butifthesesuspicionswerereallyhis,hesagaciouslyrefrainedfromverballyexpressingthem,howeverhisactionsmightseemtohintthem.
andwithhisownhandsheriggedanestofbasketedbowlines;andsendingahandaloft,withasinglesheavedblock,tosecuretothemainmasthead,hereceivedthetwoendsofthedownwardreevedrope;andattachingonetohisbasketprepared,pinfortheotherend,inordertofastenitattherail.
Thisdone,withthatendyetinhishandandstandingbesidethepin,helookedrounduponhiscrew,sweepingfromonetotheother;pausinghisglancelonguponDaggoo,Queequeg,Tashtego;butshunningFedallah;andthensettlinghisfirmrelyingeyeuponthechiefmate,said,-“Taketherope,sir-Igiveitintothyhands,Starbuck.”
Thenarranginghispersoninthebasket,hegavethewordforthemtohoisthimtohisperch,Starbuckbeingtheonewhosecuredtheropeatlast;andafterwardsstoodnearit.
Andthus,withonehandclingingroundtheroyalmast,Ahabgazedabroadupontheseaformilesandmiles,-aheadastern,thisside,andthat,-withinthewideexpandedcirclecommandedatsogreataheight.
Wheninworkingwithhishandsatsomeloftyalmostisolatedplaceintherigging,whichchancestoaffordnofoothold,thesailoratseaishoisteduptothatspot,andsustainedtherebytherope;underthesecircumstances,itsfastenedendondeckisalwaysgiveninstrictchargetosomeonemanwhohasthespecialwatchofit.
Becauseinsuchawildernessofrunningrigging,whosevariousdifferentrelationsaloftcannotalwaysbeinfalliblydiscernedbywhatisseenofthematthedeck;andwhenthedeck-endsoftheseropesarebeingeveryfewminutescastdownfromthefastenings,itwouldbebutanaturalfatality,if,unprovidedwithaconstantwatchman,thehoistedsailorshouldbysomecarelessnessofthecrewbecastadriftandfallallswoopingtothesea.
SoAhab’sproceedingsinthismatterwerenotunusual;theonlystrangethingaboutthemseemedtobe,thatStarbuck,almosttheoneonlymanwhohadeverventuredtoopposehimwithanythingintheslightestdegreeapproachingtodecision-oneofthosetoo,whosefaithfulnessonthelook-outhehadseemedtodoubtsomewhat;itwasstrange,thatthiswastheverymanheshouldselectforhiswatchman;freelygivinghiswholelifeintosuchanotherwisedistrustedperson’shands.
Now,thefirsttimeAhabwasperchedaloft;erehehadbeentheretenminutes;oneofthosered-billedsavagesea-hawkswhichsooftenflyincommodiouslycloseroundthemannedmast-headsofwhalemenintheselatitudes;oneofthesebirdscamewheelingandscreamingroundhisheadinamazeofuntrackablyswiftcirclings.
Thenitdartedathousandfeetstraightupintotheair;thenspiralizeddownwards,andwenteddyingagainroundhishead.
Butwithhisgazefixeduponthedimanddistanthorizon,Ahabseemednottomarkthiswildbird;nor,indeed,wouldanyoneelsehavemarkeditmuch,itbeingnouncommoncircumstance;onlynowalmosttheleastheedfuleyeseemedtoseesomesortofcunningmeaninginalmosteverysight.
“Yourhat,yourhat,sir!”suddenlycriedtheSicilianseaman,whobeingpostedatthemizen-mast-head,stooddirectlybehindAhab,thoughsomewhatlowerthanhislevel,andwithadeepgulfofairdividingthem.
Butalreadythesablewingwasbeforetheoldman’seyes;thelonghookedbillathishead:withascream,theblackhawkdartedawaywithhisprize.
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