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TheGhosthasattainedthesouthernmostpointofthearcsheisdescribingacrossthePacific,andisalreadybeginningtoedgeawaytothewestandnorthtowardsomeloneisland,itisrumoured,whereshewillfillherwater-casksbeforeproceedingtotheseason’shuntalongthecoastofJapan.
Thehuntershaveexperimentedandpractisedwiththeirriflesandshotgunstilltheyaresatisfied,andtheboat-pullersandsteerershavemadetheirspritsails,boundtheoarsandrowlocksinleatherandsennitsothattheywillmakenonoisewhencreepingontheseals,andputtheirboatsinapple-pieorder—touseLeach’shomelyphrase.
Hisarm,bytheway,hashealednicely,thoughthescarwillremainallhislife.
ThomasMugridgelivesinmortalfearofhim,andisafraidtoventureondeckafterdark.
Therearetwoorthreestandingquarrelsintheforecastle.
Louistellsmethatthegossipofthesailorsfindsitswayaft,andthattwoofthetelltaleshavebeenbadlybeatenbytheirmates.
HeshakeshisheaddubiouslyovertheoutlookforthemanJohnson,whoisboat-pullerinthesameboatwithhim.
Johnsonhasbeenguiltyofspeakinghismindtoofreely,andhascollidedtwoorthreetimeswithWolfLarsenoverthepronunciationofhisname.
Johansenhethrashedontheamidshipsdecktheothernight,sincewhichtimethematehascalledhimbyhispropername.
ButofcourseitisoutofthequestionthatJohnsonshouldthrashWolfLarsen.
LouishasalsogivenmeadditionalinformationaboutDeathLarsen,whichtallieswiththecaptain’sbriefdescription.
WemayexpecttomeetDeathLarsenontheJapancoast.
“Andlookoutforsqualls,”isLouis’sprophecy,“fortheyhateoneanotherlikethewolfwhelpstheyare.”
DeathLarsenisincommandoftheonlysealingsteamerinthefleet,theMacedonia,whichcarriesfourteenboats,whereastherestoftheschoonerscarryonlysix.
Thereiswildtalkofcannonaboard,andofstrangeraidsandexpeditionsshemaymake,rangingfromopiumsmugglingintotheStatesandarmssmugglingintoChina,toblackbirdingandopenpiracy.
YetIcannotbutbelieveforIhaveneveryetcaughthiminalie,whilehehasacyclopædicknowledgeofsealingandthemenofthesealingfleets.
Asitisforwardandinthegalley,soitisinthesteerageandaft,onthisveritablehell-ship.
Menfightandstruggleferociouslyforoneanother’slives.
ThehuntersarelookingforashootingscrapeatanymomentbetweenSmokeandHenderson,whoseoldquarrelhasnothealed,whileWolfLarsensayspositivelythathewillkillthesurvivoroftheaffair,ifsuchaffaircomesoff.
Hefranklystatesthatthepositionhetakesisbasedonnomoralgrounds,thatallthehunterscouldkillandeatoneanothersofarasheisconcerned,wereitnotthatheneedsthemaliveforthehunting.
Iftheywillonlyholdtheirhandsuntiltheseasonisover,hepromisesthemaroyalcarnival,whenallgrudgescanhesettledandthesurvivorsmaytossthenon-survivorsoverboardandarrangeastoryastohowthemissingmenwerelostatsea.
Ithinkeventhehuntersareappalledathiscold-bloodedness.
Wickedmenthoughtheybe,theyarecertainlyverymuchafraidofhim.
ThomasMugridgeiscur-likeinhissubjectiontome,whileIgoaboutinsecretdreadofhim.
Hisisthecourageoffear,—astrangethingIknowwellofmyself,—andatanymomentitmaymasterthefearandimpelhimtothetakingofmylife.
Mykneeismuchbetter,thoughitoftenachesforlongperiods,andthestiffnessisgraduallyleavingthearmwhichWolfLarsensqueezed.
OtherwiseIaminsplendidcondition,feelthatIaminsplendidcondition.
Mymusclesaregrowingharderandincreasinginsize.
Myhands,however,areaspectacleforgrief.
Theyhaveaparboiledappearance,areafflictedwithhang-nails,whilethenailsarebrokenanddiscoloured,andtheedgesofthequickseemtobeassumingafungoidsortofgrowth.
Also,Iamsufferingfromboils,duetothediet,mostlikely,forIwasneverafflictedinthismannerbefore.
Iwasamused,acoupleofeveningsback,byseeingWolfLarsenreadingtheBible,acopyofwhich,afterthefutilesearchforoneatthebeginningofthevoyage,hadbeenfoundinthedeadmate’ssea-chest.
IwonderedwhatWolfLarsencouldgetfromit,andhereadaloudtomefromEcclesiastes.
Icouldimaginehewasspeakingthethoughtsofhisownmindashereadtome,andhisvoice,reverberatingdeeplyandmournfullyintheconfinedcabin,charmedandheldme.
Hemaybeuneducated,buthecertainlyknowshowtoexpressthesignificanceofthewrittenword.
Icanhearhimnow,asIshallalwayshearhim,theprimalmelancholyvibrantinhisvoiceasheread:
“Igatheredmealsosilverandgold,andthepeculiartreasureofkingsandoftheprovinces;Igatmemensingersandwomensingers,andthedelightsofthesonsofmen,asmusicalinstruments,andthatofallsorts.
“SoIwasgreat,andincreasedmorethanallthatwerebeforemeinJerusalem;alsomywisdomreturnedwithme.
“ThenIlookedonalltheworksthatmyhandshadwroughtandonthelabourthatIhadlabouredtodo;andbehold,allwasvanityandvexationofspirit,andtherewasnoprofitunderthesun.
“Allthingscomealiketoall;thereisoneeventtotherighteousandtothewicked;tothegoodandtotheclean,andtotheunclean;tohimthatsacrificeth,andtohimthatsacrificethnot;asisthegood,soisthesinner;andhethatsweareth,ashethatfearethanoath.
“Thisisanevilamongallthingsthataredoneunderthesun,thatthereisoneeventuntoall;yea,alsotheheartofthesonsofmenisfullofevil,andmadnessisintheirheartwhiletheylive,andafterthattheygotothedead.
“Fortohimthatisjoinedtoallthelivingthereishope;foralivingdogisbetterthanadeadlion.
“Forthelivingknowthattheyshalldie;butthedeadknownotanything,neitherhavetheyanymoreareward;forthememoryofthemisforgotten.
“Alsotheirlove,andtheirhatred,andtheirenvy,isnowperished;neitherhavetheyanymoreaportionforeverinanythingthatisdoneunderthesun.”
“Thereyouhaveit,Hump,”hesaid,closingthebookuponhisfingerandlookingupatme.
“ThePreacherwhowaskingoverIsraelinJerusalemthoughtasIthink.Youcallmeapessimist.Isnotthispessimismoftheblackest?
—‘Allisvanityandvexationofspirit,’‘Thereisnoprofitunderthesun,’‘Thereisoneeventuntoall,’tothefoolandthewise,thecleanandtheunclean,thesinnerandthesaint,andthateventisdeath,andanevilthing,hesays.
ForthePreacherlovedlife,anddidnotwanttodie,saying,‘Foralivingdogisbetterthanadeadlion.’
Hepreferredthevanityandvexationtothesilenceandunmovablenessofthegrave.
AndsoI.Tocrawlispiggish;buttonotcrawl,tobeastheclodandrock,isloathsometocontemplate.
Itisloathsometothelifethatisinme,theveryessenceofwhichismovement,thepowerofmovement,andtheconsciousnessofthepowerofmovement.
Lifeitselfisunsatisfaction,buttolookaheadtodeathisgreaterunsatisfaction.”
“YouareworseoffthanOmar,”Isaid.“He,atleast,afterthecustomaryagonizingofyouth,foundcontentandmadeofhismaterialismajoyousthing.”
“WhowasOmar?”WolfLarsenasked,andIdidnomoreworkthatday,northenext,northenext.
InhisrandomreadinghehadneverchancedupontheRubáiyát,anditwastohimlikeagreatfindoftreasure.
MuchIremembered,possiblytwo-thirdsofthequatrains,andImanagedtopieceouttheremainderwithoutdifficulty.
Wetalkedforhoursoversinglestanzas,andIfoundhimreadingintothemawailofregretandarebellionwhich,forthelifeofme,Icouldnotdiscovermyself.
PossiblyIrecitedwithacertainjoyousliltwhichwasmyown,for—hismemorywasgood,andatasecondrendering,veryoftenthefirst,hemadeaquatrainhisown—herecitedthesamelinesandinvestedthemwithanunrestandpassionaterevoltthatwaswell-nighconvincing.
Iwasinterestedastowhichquatrainhewouldlikebest,andwasnotsurprisedwhenhehitupontheonebornofaninstant’sirritability,andquiteatvariancewiththePersian’scomplacentphilosophyandgenialcodeoflife:
“What,withoutasking,hitherhurriedWhence?
And,withoutasking,Whitherhurriedhence!
Oh,manyaCupofthisforbiddenWine
Mustdrownthememoryofthatinsolence!”
“Great!”WolfLarsencried.“Great!That’sthekeynote.Insolence!Hecouldnothaveusedabetterword.”
InvainIobjectedanddenied.Hedelugedme,overwhelmedmewithargument.
“It’snotthenatureoflifetobeotherwise.
Life,whenitknowsthatitmustceaseliving,willalwaysrebel.Itcannothelpitself.
ThePreacherfoundlifeandtheworksoflifeallavanityandvexation,anevilthing;butdeath,theceasingtobeabletobevainandvexed,hefoundanevilerthing.
Throughchapterafterchapterheisworriedbytheoneeventthatcomethtoallalike.
SoOmar,soI,soyou,evenyou,foryourebelledagainstdyingwhenCookysharpenedaknifeforyou.
Youwereafraidtodie;thelifethatwasinyou,thatcomposesyou,thatisgreaterthanyou,didnotwanttodie.
Youhavetalkedoftheinstinctofimmortality.
Italkoftheinstinctoflife,whichistolive,andwhich,whendeathloomsnearandlarge,masterstheinstinct,socalled,ofimmortality.
Itmastereditinyou(youcannotdenyit),becauseacrazyCockneycooksharpenedaknife.
“Youareafraidofhimnow.Youareafraidofme.Youcannotdenyit.
IfIshouldcatchyoubythethroat,thus,”—hishandwasaboutmythroatandmybreathwasshutoff,—“andbegantopressthelifeoutofyouthus,andthus,yourinstinctofimmortalitywillgoglimmering,andyourinstinctoflife,whichislongingforlife,willflutterup,andyouwillstruggletosaveyourself.Eh?Iseethefearofdeathinyoureyes.Youbeattheairwithyourarms.
Youexertallyourpunystrengthtostruggletolive.
Yourhandisclutchingmyarm,lightlyitfeelsasabutterflyrestingthere.
Yourchestisheaving,yourtongueprotruding,yourskinturningdark,youreyesswimming.‘Tolive!Tolive!Tolive!’
youarecrying;andyouarecryingtolivehereandnow,nothereafter.Youdoubtyourimmortality,eh?Ha!ha!Youarenotsureofit.Youwon’tchanceit.Thislifeonlyyouarecertainisreal.Ah,itisgrowingdarkanddarker.
Itisthedarknessofdeath,theceasingtobe,theceasingtofeel,theceasingtomove,thatisgatheringaboutyou,descendinguponyou,risingaroundyou.Youreyesarebecomingset.Theyareglazing.Myvoicesoundsfaintandfar.Youcannotseemyface.Andstillyoustruggleinmygrip.Youkickwithyourlegs.
Yourbodydrawsitselfupinknotslikeasnake’s.Yourchestheavesandstrains.Tolive!Tolive!Tolive—”
Iheardnomore.Consciousnesswasblottedoutbythedarknesshehadsographicallydescribed,andwhenIcametomyselfIwaslyingonthefloorandhewassmokingacigarandregardingmethoughtfullywiththatoldfamiliarlightofcuriosityinhiseyes.
“Well,haveIconvincedyou?”hedemanded.“Heretakeadrinkofthis.Iwanttoaskyousomequestions.”
Irolledmyheadnegativelyonthefloor.“Yourargumentsaretoo—er—forcible,”Imanagedtoarticulate,atcostofgreatpaintomyachingthroat.
“You’llbeallrightinhalf-an-hour,”heassuredme.“AndIpromiseIwon’tuseanymorephysicaldemonstrations.Getupnow.Youcansitonachair.”
And,toythatIwasofthismonster,thediscussionofOmarandthePreacherwasresumed.Andhalfthenightwesatupoverit.
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