CHAPTER69TheFuneral

"haulinthechains!letthecarcasegoastern!"

thevasttackleshavenowdonetheirduty.thepeeledwhitebodyofthebeheadedwhaleflasheslikeamarblesepulchre;thoughchangedinhue,ithasnotperceptiblylostanythinginbulk.itisstillcolossal.slowlyitfloatsmoreandmoreaway,thewaterroundittornandsplashedbytheinsatiatesharks,andtheairabovevexedwithrapaciousflightsofscreamingfowls,whosebeaksarelikesomanyinsultingponiardsinthewhale.thevastwhiteheadlessphantomfloatsfurtherandfurtherfromtheship,andeveryrodthatitsofloats,whatseemsquareroodsofsharksandcubicroodsoffowls,augmentthemurderousdin.forhoursandhoursfromthealmoststationaryshipthathideoussightisseen.beneaththeuncloudedandmildazuresky,uponthefairfaceofthepleasantsea,waftedbythejoyousbreezes,thatgreatmassofdeathfloatsonandon,tilllostininfiniteperspectives.

there'samostdolefulandmostmockingfuneral!thesea-vulturesallinpiousmourning,theair-sharksallpunctiliouslyinblackorspeckled.inlifebutfewofthemwouldhavehelpedthewhale,iween,ifperadventurehehadneededit;butuponthebanquetofhisfuneraltheymostpiouslydopounce.oh,horriblevultureismofearth!fromwhichnotthemightiestwhaleisfree.

noristhistheend.desecratedasthebodyis,avengefulghostsurvivesandhoversoverittoscare.espiedbysometimidman-of-warorblunderingdiscovery-vesselfromafar,whenthedistanceobscuringtheswarmingfowls,neverthelessstillshowsthewhitemassfloatinginthesun,andthewhitesprayheavinghighagainstit;straightwaythewhale'sunharmingcorpse,withtremblingfingersissetdowninthelog—shoals,rocks,andbreakershereabouts:beware!andforyearsafterwards,perhaps,shipsshuntheplace;leapingoveritassillysheepleapoveravacuum,becausetheirleaderoriginallyleapedtherewhenastickwasheld.there'syourlawofprecedents;there'syourutilityoftraditions;there'sthestoryofyourobstinatesurvivalofoldbeliefsneverbottomedontheearth,andnownotevenhoveringintheair!there'sorthodoxy!

thus,whileinlifethegreatwhale'sbodymayhavebeenarealterrortohisfoes,inhisdeathhisghostbecomesapowerlesspanictoaworld.

areyouabelieveringhosts,myfriend?thereareotherghoststhanthecock-laneone,andfardeepermenthandoctorjohnsonwhobelieveinthem.