Moby Dick Page #5

Yes, sir, we did.

Then why don't you obey?

We will, sir, as soon as it sinks in.

Sort of bowled us over, Captain.

Weather's good, ship ain't sinking!

No one's lost overboard!

Got a fine harvest here.

Don't see no reason to leave.

I do not give reasons, Mr. Stubb.

I give orders.

Now, Captain, we're good men.

Our blood's up, that's all.

We've been killing!

A hard thing to stop killing

when you've been killing steady, sir.

We've been killing so fast,

our blood's so high...

we wouldn't have heard the last trump.

Then hear me now:

Come aboard.

All right, my hearties. Wake up!

Bestir yourselves.

This is an evil voyage, I tell you.

If Ahab has his way...

thee, nor me, nor any member

of this ship's company...

will ever see home again.

Come now, Mr. Starbuck.

You're just plain gloomy.

Moby Dick may be big,

but he ain't that big.

I do not fear Moby Dick.

I fear the wrath of God.

The wrath of God?

It is our task in life to kill whales...

and furnish up their oil

for the lamps of the world.

If we perform that task well

and faithfully...

we do a service to mankind

that pleases Almighty God.

Aye.

Ahab would deny all that.

He has taken us from the rich harvest

we were reaping...

to satisfy his lust for vengeance.

He is twisting that which is holy...

into something dark and purposeless.

He is a champion of darkness.

Ahab's red flag challenges the heavens.

Now, sir, if it's like that,

I don't wonder at you, a religious man...

being a mite downcast.

On the other hand,

don't much see what you can do about it.

Listen to this.

"A captain who, from private motives...

"employs his vessel to another purpose

than that intended by the owners...

"is answerable to the charge

of usurpation...

"and his crew is morally

and legally entitled...

"to employ forceful means

in wresting his command from him."

That's a mouthful. I swear.

"Wrest his command from him "?

-Does that mean take over?

-lt does, Mr. Flask.

You ain't proposing we do any such thing?

You're in dangerous waters, Mr. Starbuck.

Helm hard over. Come about.

Do thee not see...

that by serving Ahab

we share in his blasphemy?

Will thee risk that...

or stand with me and invoke the law?

Pardon me, sir, this is my watch.

Captains can't break the law.

They is the law, as far as I'm concerned.

Aye, and Ahab's a real fine captain, too.

Why, there ain't a man aboard,

except you maybe...

wouldn't rather be kicked by him

than be knighted by the Queen of England.

I'm done, then.

Go write thy last will and testament.

Aye, and do it laughing, sir.

A laugh's the best answer

to all that's strange in life.

As we steered out toward Bikini...

Ahab kept to his cabin

and was rarely seen.

The mastheads were empty

against the sky.

No cry of "There she blows! "

was to entice us...

from his single purpose.

So, in April, with a new moon...

we entered those waters...

where Ahab hoped to find the white whale.

Lookouts, bestir yourselves!

Lookouts up!

Look alive, lads!

That gold belongs

to him with the sharpest eye.

That coin's worth $16.

I'll be first to sight the white whale.

Rum for me if I win the coin,

enough to dive into and never reach bottom.

Man overboard!

Off the main yard.

Sea boat's crew away.

Not a sign of him.

Yeah. Sea just swallowed him up.

Queer.

April 19, 1842.

Ahab's chart shows Moby Dick

and the new moon rising together.

Nut the moon's lost his horns...

and there ain't no sign

of the white whale yet.

Seven days and seven nights on watch.

He ain't gone below, eats on deck,

sleeps standing up.

How much longer can he hold?

Nothing moves.

Nothing.

Since the lookout fell into the sea...

the wind don't move, the tide don't move.

Nothing.

Even the sun's nailed to the sky...

Like that gold doubloon's

nailed to the mast.

You, lad, pull that gold coin off the mast.

Throw it over the side.

Pay the sea a ransom.

Maybe it'll come back to life

and bring us a wind.

Manxman, stop.

A cool wind.

You, Manxman, stop!

Queequeg, what are you doing?

See tomorrow here. Bones tell everything.

Queequeg, what's the matter?

What do you see?

Get carpenter.

What do you want the carpenter for?

Carpenter.

Here.

-What can I do for you?

-How much you build coffin for?

Coffin?

$2 would do nicely.

-Hold on.

-Build coffin. 6 feet, 7 inch.

Clean wood.

Make like best boat. Caulk and tar seams.

No water come in.

Carve chief's feather on lid.

-6 feet 7 inches, it'll be.

-Queequeg, what's all this about?

Money yours. Sea chest yours.

My harpoon yours.

Goodbye.

What?

Queequeg, what are you talking about?

Queequeg, listen to me!

Say something.

-What are we going to do?

-There's only one thing to do:

build him his coffin.

You've got to eat.

A drink of water, then.

Queequeg, if you go on like this,

I shall be very angry.

Queequeg, I absolutely forbid you to die.

Such behavior simply isn't Christian.

In fact, it's downright pagan

and heathenish.

Remember our oath?

You promised to go where I go,

eat what I eat...

ship on my ship.

I hold you to your promise, Queequeg.

I've seen this before, lad.

One day, for no reason,

they know that death is near.

They give away all their belongings

and say goodbye.

Then they sit down to wait...

and they just die.

Mr. Starbuck, sir, Captain wants you.

Sir?

Mr. Starbuck, new orders.

We remain here until eight bells tonight...

at which time we'll lower whaleboats...

kedge the ship north...

and row out of these waters.

Aye, aye, sir. At eight bells.

I'm beating a march to you, Queequeg.

Get along.

Get along quiet now, Queequeg.

You follow the tide. It knows where to go.

You get along with it.

It'll take you, Queequeg. Get along.

Rig-a-dig.

Rig-a-dig.

He won't listen.

Queequeg's going away.

Know where he's going?

Way, way up to Kokovoko.

Back to Kokovoko, where he came from.

Queequeg, don't.

-There she blows!

-Queequeg, listen to me. Don't.

Off the starboard beam!

It's him.

I know it's him.

Is it real?

Do you see it, too?

Aye, we all see it.

But that don't mean it's real, necessarily.

Clear away the boats.

Lower for him now, sir? At night?

Lower away.

Away boat's crews.

He's sounded.

Ship oars.

He's near.

He's very near.

Be ready for him.

He breaches!

The birds, they go.

God, I'll lose him.

Without a wind, we'll lose him!

That ain't no whale.

That a great white god.

About! Back to the ship!

We'll tie on and row for a wind.

Long days and nights

we strained at the oars...

while the white whale swam freely on...

widening the waters between himself

and Ahab 's vengeance.

A cloud on the starboard beam.

Steer for the cloud, men. Bring her around.

For the cloud! Starboard!

Pull quick!

Pull us into it, boys. Quick.

Pull!

That's it!

You raised the white whale first.

The gold doubloon is yours.

Go on. Take it, sailor.

Wait now. Listen.

This man has his Spanish gold ounce.

You shall have yours.

When Moby Dick is struck and killed...

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