CHAPTER70TheSphynx

itshouldnothavebeenomittedthatprevioustocompletelystrippingthebodyoftheleviathan,hewasbeheaded.now,thebeheadingofthespermwhaleisascientificanatomicalfeat,uponwhichexperiencedwhalesurgeonsverymuchpridethemselves:andnotwithoutreason.

considerthatthewhalehasnothingthatcanproperlybecalledaneck;onthecontrary,wherehisheadandbodyseemtojoin,there,inthatveryplace,isthethickestpartofhim.remember,also,thatthesurgeonmustoperatefromabove,someeightortenfeetinterveningbetweenhimandhissubject,andthatsubjectalmosthiddeninadiscoloured,rolling,andoftentimestumultuousandburstingsea.bearinmind,too,thatundertheseuntowardcircumstanceshehastocutmanyfeetdeepintheflesh;andinthatsubterraneousmanner,withoutsomuchasgettingonesinglepeepintotheever-contractinggashthusmade,hemustskilfullysteerclearofalladjacent,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.andtherewiththestrainedcraftsteeplyleaningovertoit,byreasonoftheenormousdownwarddragfromthelowermast-head,andeveryyard-armonthatsideprojectinglikeacraneoverthewaves;there,thatblood-drippingheadhungtothepequod'swaistlikethegiantholofernes'sfromthegirdleofjudith.

whenthislasttaskwasaccomplisheditwasnoon,andtheseamenwentbelowtotheirdinner.silencereignedoverthebeforetumultuousbutnowdeserteddeck.anintensecoppercalm,likeauniversalyellowlotus,wasmoreandmoreunfoldingitsnoiselessmeasurelessleavesuponthesea.

ashortspaceelapsed,andupintothisnoiselessnesscameahabalonefromhiscabin.takingafewturnsonthequarter-deck,hepausedtogazeovertheside,thenslowlygettingintothemain-chainshetookstubb'slongspade—stillremainingthereafterthewhale'sdecapitation—andstrikingitintothelowerpartofthehalf-suspendedmass,placeditsotherendcrutch-wiseunderonearm,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!thouhastseenenoughtosplittheplanetsandmakeaninfidelofabraham,andnotonesyllableisthine!

"sailho!"criedatriumphantvoicefromthemainmast-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."