CHAPTER119TheCandles

warmestclimesbutnursethecruellestfangs:thetigerofbengalcrouchesinspicedgrovesofceaselessverdure.skiesthemosteffulgentbutbasketthedeadliestthunders:gorgeouscubaknowstornadoesthatneverswepttamenorthernlands.so,too,itis,thatintheseresplendentjapaneseseasthemarinerencountersthedirestofallstorms,thetyphoon.itwillsometimesburstfromoutthatcloudlesssky,likeanexplodingbombuponadazedandsleepytown.

towardseveningofthatday,thepequodwastornofhercanvas,andbare-poledwaslefttofightatyphoonwhichhadstruckherdirectlyahead.whendarknesscameon,skyandsearoaredandsplitwiththethunder,andblazedwiththelightning,thatshowedthedisabledmastsflutteringhereandtherewiththeragswhichthefirstfuryofthetempesthadleftforitsaftersport.

holdingbyashroud,starbuckwasstandingonthequarter-deck;ateveryflashofthelightningglancingaloft,toseewhatadditionaldisastermighthavebefallentheintricatehamperthere;whilestubbandflaskweredirectingthemeninthehigherhoistingandfirmerlashingoftheboats.butalltheirpainsseemednaught.thoughliftedtotheverytopofthecranes,thewindwardquarterboat(ahab's)didnotescape.agreatrollingsea,dashinghighupagainstthereelingship'shighteeteringside,stoveintheboat'sbottomatthestern,andleftitagain,alldrippingthroughlikeasieve.

"badwork,badwork!mr.starbuck,"saidstubb,regardingthewreck,"buttheseawillhaveitsway.stubb,forone,can'tfightit.yousee,mr.starbuck,awavehassuchagreatlongstartbeforeitleaps,allroundtheworlditruns,andthencomesthespring!butasforme,allthestartihavetomeetit,isjustacrossthedeckhere.butnevermind;it'sallinfun:sotheoldsongsays;"—(sings.)

oh!jollyisthegale,

andajokeristhewhale,

a'flourishin'histail,

suchafunny,sporty,gamy,jesty,joky,hoky-pokylad,istheocean,oh!

thescudallaflyin'

that'shisfliponlyfoamin'

whenhestirsinthespicin',—

suchafunny,sporty,gamy,jesty,joky,hoky-pokylad,istheocean,oh!

thundersplitstheships,

butheonlysmackshislips,

atastin'ofthisflip,

suchafunny,sporty,gamy,jesty,joky,hoky-pokylad,istheocean,oh!

"avaststubb,"criedstarbuck,"letthetyphoonsing,andstrikehisharphereinouring;butifthouartabravemanthouwiltholdthypeace."

"butiamnotabraveman;neversaidiwasabraveman;iamacoward;andisingtokeepupmyspirits.anditellyouwhatitis,mr.starbuck,there'snowaytostopmysinginginthisworldbuttocutmythroat.andwhenthat'sdone,tentooneisingyethedoxologyforawind-up."

"madman!lookthroughmyeyesifthouhastnoneofthineown."

"what!howcanyouseebetterofadarknightthananybodyelse,nevermindhowfoolish?"

"here!"criedstarbuck,seizingstubbbytheshoulder,andpointinghishandtowardstheweatherbow,"markestthounotthatthegalecomesfromtheeastward,theverycourseahabistorunformobydick?theverycourseheswungtothisdaynoon?nowmarkhisboatthere;whereisthatstove?inthesternsheets,man;whereheiswonttostand—hisstandpointisstove,man!nowjumpoverboard,andsingaway,ifthoumust!

"idon'thalfunderstandye:what'sinthewind?"

"yes,yes,roundthecapeofgoodhopeistheshortestwaytonantucket,"soliloquizedstarbucksuddenly,heedlessofstubb'squestion."thegalethatnowhammersatustostaveus,wecanturnitintoafairwindthatwilldriveustowardshome.yonder,towindward,allisblacknessofdoom;buttoleeward,homeward—iseeitlightensupthere;butnotwiththelightning."

atthatmomentinoneoftheintervalsofprofounddarkness,followingtheflashes,avoicewasheardathisside;andalmostatthesameinstantavolleyofthunderpealsrolledoverhead.

"who'sthere?"

"oldthunder!"saidahab,gropinghiswayalongthebulwarkstohispivot-hole;butsuddenlyfindinghispathmadeplaintohimbyelbowedlancesoffire.

now,asthelightningrodtoaspireonshoreisintendedtocarryofftheperilousfluidintothesoil;sothekindredrodwhichatseasomeshipscarrytoeachmast,isintendedtoconductitintothewater.butasthisconductormustdescendtoconsiderabledepth,thatitsendmayavoidallcontactwiththehull;andasmoreover,ifkeptconstantlytowingthere,itwouldbeliabletomanymishaps,besidesinterferingnotalittlewithsomeoftheing,andmoreorlessimpedingthevessel'swayinthewater;becauseofallthis,thelowerpartsofaship'slightning-rodsarenotalwaysoverboard;butaregenerallymadeinlongslenderlinks,soastobethemorereadilyhauledupintothechainsoutside,orthrowndownintothesea,asoccasionmayrequire.

"therods!therods!"criedstarbucktothecrew,suddenlyadmonishedtovigilancebythevividlightningthathadjustbeendartingflambeaux,tolightahabtohispost."aretheyoverboard?dropthemover,foreandaft.quick!"

"avast!"criedahab;"let'shavefairplayhere,thoughwebetheweakerside.yeti'llcontributetoraiserodsonthehimmalehsandandes,thatalltheworldmaybesecured;butoutonprivileges!letthembe,sir."

"lookaloft!"criedstarbuck."thecorpusants!thecorpusants!"

alltheyard-armsweretippedwithapallidfire;andtouchedateachtri-pointedlightning-rod-endwiththreetaperingwhiteflames,eachofthethreetallmastswassilentlyburninginthatsulphurousair,likethreegiganticwaxtapersbeforeanaltar.

"blasttheboat!letitgo!"criedstubbatthisinstant,asaswashingseaheavedupunderhisownlittlecraft,sothatitsgunwaleviolentlyjammedhishand,ashewaspassingalashing."blastit!"—butslippingbackwardonthedeck,hisupliftedeyescaughttheflames;andimmediatelyshiftinghistonehecried—"thecorpusantshavemercyonusall!"

tosailors,oathsarehouseholdwords;theywillswearinthetranceofthecalm,andintheteethofthetempest;theywillimprecatecursesfromthetopsailyard-arms,whenmosttheyteeterovertoaseethingsea;butinallmyvoyagings,seldomhaveiheardacommonoathwhengod'sburningfingerhasbeenlaidontheship;whenhis"mene,mene,tekelupharsin"hasbeenwovenintotheshroudsandthecordage.

whilethispallidnesswasburningaloft,fewwordswereheardfromtheenchantedcrew;whoinonethickclusterstoodontheforecastle,alltheireyesgleaminginthatpalephosphorescence,likeafarawayconstellationofstars.relievedagainsttheghostlylight,thegiganticjetnegro,oo,loomeduptothricehisrealstature,andseemedtheblackcloudfromwhichthethunderhadcome.thepartedmouthoftashtegorevealedhisshark-whiteteeth,whichstrangelygleamedasiftheytoohadbeentippedbycorpusants;whilelitupbythepreternaturallight,queequeg'stattooingburnedlikesatanicblueflamesonhisbody.

thetableauallwanedatlastwiththepallidnessaloft;andoncemorethepequodandeverysoulonherdeckswerewrappedinapall.amomentortwopassed,whenstarbuck,goingforward,pushedagainstsomeone.itwasstubb."whatthinkestthounow,man;iheardthycry;itwasnotthesameinthesong."

"no,no,itwasn't;isaidthecorpusantshavemercyonusall;andihopetheywill,still.butdotheyonlyhavemercyonlongfaces?—havetheynobowelsforalaugh?andlookye,mr.starbuck—butit'stoodarktolook.hearme,then:itakethatmast-headflamewesawforasignofgoodluck;forthosemastsarerootedinaholdthatisgoingtobechocka'blockwithspermoil,d'yesee;andso,allthatspermwillworkupintothemasts,likesapinatree.yes,ourthreemastswillyetbeasthreespermaceticandles—that'sthegoodpromisewesaw."

atthatmomentstarbuckcaughtsightofstubb'sfaceslowlybeginningtoglimmerintosight.glancingupwards,hecried:"see!see!"andoncemorethehightaperingflameswerebeheldwithwhatseemedredoubledsupernaturalnessintheirpallor.

"thecorpusantshavemercyonusall,"criedstubb,again.

atthebaseofthemainmast,fullbeneaththedoubloonandtheflame,theparseewaskneelinginahab'sfront,butwithhisheadbowedawayfromhim;whilenearby,fromthearchedandoverhanginging,wheretheyhadjustbeenengagedsecuringaspar,anumberoftheseamen,arrestedbytheglare,nowcoheredtogether,andhungpendulous,likeaknotofnumbedwaspsfromadrooping,orchardtwig.invariousenchantedattitudes,likethestanding,orstepping,orrunningskeletonsinherculaneum,othersremainedrootedtothedeck;butalltheireyesupcast.

"aye,aye,men!"criedahab."lookupatit;markitwell;thewhiteflamebutlightsthewaytothewhitewhale!handmethosemainmastlinksthere;iwouldfainfeelthispulse,andletminebeatagainstit;bloodagainstfire!so.

thenturning—thelastlinkheldfastinhislefthand,heputhisfootupontheparsee;andwithfixedupwardeye,andhigh-flungrightarm,hestooderectbeforetheloftytri-pointedtrinityofflames.

"oh!thouclearspiritofclearfire,whomontheseseasiaspersianoncedidworship,tillinthesacramentalactsoburnedbythee,thattothishouribearthescar;inowknowthee,thouclearspirit,andinowknowthatthyrightworshipisdefiance.toneitherlovenorreverencewiltthoubekind;ande'enforhatethoucanstbutkill;andallarekilled.nofearlessfoolnowfrontsthee.iownthyspeechless,placelesspower;buttothelastgaspofmyearthquakelifewilldisputeitsunconditional,unintegralmasteryinme.inthemidstofthepersonifiedimpersonal,apersonalitystandshere.thoughbutapointatbest;whencesoe'ericame;wheresoe'erigo;yetwhileiearthlylive,thequeenlypersonalitylivesinme,andfeelsherroyalrights.butwarispain,andhateiswoe.comeinthylowestformoflove,andiwillkneelandkissthee;butatthyhighest,comeasmeresupernalpower;andthoughthoulaunchestnaviesoffull-freightedworlds,there'sthatinherethatstillremainsindifferent.oh,thouclearspirit,ofthyfirethoumadestme,andlikeatruechildoffire,ibreatheitbacktothee.

[sudden,repeatedflashesoflightning;thenineflamesleaplengthwisetothricetheirpreviousheight;ahab,withtherest,closeshiseyes,hisrighthandpressedharduponthem.]

"iownthyspeechless,placelesspower;saidinotso?norwasitwrungfromme;nordoinowdroptheselinks.thoucanstblind;buticanthengrope.thoucanstconsume;buticanthenbeashes.takethehomageofthesepooreyes,andshutter-hands.iwouldnottakeit.thelightningflashesthroughmyskull;mineeye-ballsacheandache;mywholebeatenbrainseemsasbeheaded,androllingonsomestunningground.oh,oh!yetblindfold,yetwillitalktothee.lightthoughthoube,thouleapestoutofdarkness;butiamdarknessleapingoutoflight,leapingoutofthee!thejavelinscease;openeyes;see,ornot?thereburntheflames!oh,thoumagnanimous!nowidogloryinmygenealogy.butthouartbutmyfieryfather;mysweetmother,iknownot.oh,cruel!whathastthoudonewithher?thereliesmypuzzle;butthineisgreater.thouknowestnothowcameye,hencecallestthyselfunbegotten;certainlyknowestnotthybeginning,hencecallestthyselfunbegun.iknowthatofme,whichthouknowestnotofthyself,oh,thouomnipotent.thereissomeunsuffusingthingbeyondthee,thouclearspirit,towhomallthyeternityisbuttime,allthycreativenessmechanical.throughthee,thyflamingself,myscorchedeyesdodimlyseeit.oh,thoufoundlingfire,thouhermitimmemorial,thoutoohastthyincommunicableriddle,thyunparticipatedgrief.hereagainwithhaughtyagony,ireadmysire.leap!leapup,andlickthesky!ileapwiththee;iburnwiththee;wouldfainbeweldedwiththee;defyinglyiworshipthee!"

"theboat!theboat!"criedstarbuck,"lookatthyboat,oldman!"

ahab'sharpoon,theoneforgedatperth'sfire,remainedfirmlylashedinitsconspicuouscrotch,sothatitprojectedbeyondhiswhale-boat'sbow;buttheseathathadstoveitsbottomhadcausedthelooseleathersheathtodropoff;andfromthekeensteelbarbtherenowcamealevelledflameofpale,forkedfire.asthesilentharpoonburnedtherelikeaserpent'stongue,starbuckgraspedahabbythearm—"god,godisagainstthee,oldman;forbear!'tisanillvoyage!illbegun,illcontinued;letmesquaretheyards,whilewemay,oldman,andmakeafairwindofithomewards,togoonabettervoyagethanthis."

overhearingstarbuck,thepanic-strickencrewinstantlyrantothebraces—thoughnotasailwasleftaloft.forthemomentalltheaghastmate'sthoughtsseemedtheirs;theyraisedahalfmutinouscry.butdashingtherattlinglightninglinkstothedeck,andsnatchingtheburningharpoon,ahabwaveditlikeatorchamongthem;swearingtotransfixwithitthefirssailorthatbutcastloosearope'send.petrifiedbyhisaspect,andstillmoreshrinkingfromthefierydartthatheheld,themenfellbackindismay,andahabagainspoke:—

"allyouroathstohuntthewhitewhaleareasbindingasmine;andheart,soul,andbody,lungsandlife,oldahabisbound.andthatyemayknowtowhattunethisheartbeats;lookyehere;thusiblowoutthelastfear!"andwithoneblastofhisbreathheextinguishedtheflame.