The Ghost Ship Page #2

Remember, I'm like Shakespeare.

With a grain of salt.

I like the old man.

He seems a good skipper.

- I've sailed with him before.

- No, I mean it.

I like the way he talks.

The things he has to say.

I don't know. I just stick to my job here.

I don't mix with the officers.

But I'll be glad to teach you Latin

or take money away from you at cards.

All right. I'll look in on you

after my watch.

Okay, I gotcha.

One forty-two.

One forty-two, sir.

Everything gone well

on your watch, Mr. Merriam?

Everything's fine, sir.

But I think I'll have that hook secured

before I go below.

- We might run into a sea.

- That's fresh paint, Mr. Merriam.

A line will mar it.

- I like a neat ship.

- Yes, sir.

Want that hook made fast, mister?

Might be hard to do if it gets sloppy.

No, Boats. Not yet. Paint's too wet.

Lights are bright, sir.

Better turn in, Tom.

Get some sleep before your watch.

Okay.

Haven't you deck officers

any regard for life and limb?

- Why, that's all right.

- All right?

Why, you fellows could kill a guy

with that. You better secure it.

It's freshly painted.

We don't want to mar the paint.

You'll mar somebody's skull

if you don't do something.

I'll speak to the captain.

- Excuse me, sir...

- lf you want to discuss...

...the hook with me, I've already

given my considered opinion...

...as to the danger involved.

On the bridge. The hook.

Look out! Heads!

- Look out.

- John. John.

You men there, get in and get that hook.

Make fast this end.

I'll fasten it around the hook.

Lower away on that winch.

- I can't. The cable's fouled.

- Get out there and grab that hook.

Put a stopper on that hook, Mr. Merriam.

Well, back to the black hole of Calcutta.

What are you thinking about,

Mr. Merriam?

I think I can tell you.

You're thinking about the hook.

You've made up your mind

that I was negligent.

- That's about it, isn't it?

- Yes, sir, I was thinking that.

You have no right to think that,

you know.

- The responsibility is yours.

- Mine?

I don't see that, sir.

I warned you about the hook.

- I told you twice about it.

- Exactly.

That's what I referred to.

You almost forced me into a position

where I had to show my authority...

...even though it put me in the wrong.

- I didn't see it that way.

But granted I was wrong, sir,

I don't see how you risked...

...the lives of John and the other men.

- I have rights over their lives, Mr. Merriam.

Remember the first day

you came into my office?

- Only vaguely.

- I told you...

...you had no right to kill that moth...

...because its safety

did not depend on you.

I have the right to do

what I want with the crew...

...because their safety

depends on me.

I stand ready any hour of the day

or night to give my life for their safety...

...and for the safety of this vessel.

And because I do, I have

certain rights of risk over them.

- Now do you understand?

- Yes, sir, I think I understand.

You must understand.

It's the first thing you have

to learn about authority.

This liniment should

have penetrated by now, Peter.

It's always worked like magic

on cows and horses.

And it's the only thing that ever cured

my old man's lumbago.

It's the liniment plus a kind of hypnotism

or something I got in my hands.

There. How is that?

You feel okay now, don't you?

It's the other side

where the pain is, Jim.

You mean to tell me you've just been

laying there letting me rub on this side...

...when it's there?

Mr. Merriam. I was working on him...

...but I just touched him there,

and he passed right out.

Has he ever complained

of pain here before?

Panama calling Altair.

Is the patient under anesthetic?

Altair to Panama. Patient is asleep,

breathing very heavily.

If the patient is completely anesthetized,

you may proceed.

Are you ready?

Altair to Panama. We are ready.

Panama to Altair.

Captain Stone will bring his right hand

to the point which we have already...

...established as the region

of the appendix.

Place the point of the scalpel

exactly on this spot.

Make the incision.

Incise to a depth of one-quarter inch.

Continue with the incision vertically,

4 inches.

Have you made the incision?

Panama to Altair,

have you made the incision?

Altair to Panama, wait a minute.

We're not ready yet.

Altair to Panama, we are ready.

Please repeat.

Make an incision a quarter

of an inch deep.

Four inches on the vertical line

already described.

Altair to Panama,

the incision has been made.

You're not doing so good

with that, Louie.

The Greek says you got

to be a Greek to play on it.

How do I know I ain't?

How do you know you ain't gonna catch

appendicitis from it?

I heard it's catching.

Wonder how they're getting on.

Me, I've got magnetic hands.

Healing hands.

Still I wouldn't want to be

in the captain's shoes.

It ain't easy.

Hello, Panama. Hello.

Government hospital, Panama.

Dr. Ostglow. Steamship Altair.

Radio operator speaking.

Altair, come in.

Hello, doctor...

...the patient is breathing normally,

heartbeat is good.

Thank you, Dr. Ostglow.

We will continue to follow

with instructions.

Compliments of Captain Stone,

thank you again. Altair signing off.

Tertius, well done. You're a gent.

And you'll be a scholar

if you hang around me.

- Give me a cigarette, will you?

- Sure.

Thanks.

He'll live, God willing.

And no thanks to the captain.

Sparks...

...let's not say anything about this.

- What do you mean?

I mean, let's not tell anyone

the captain didn't do the operation.

- You're crazy.

- But you know how it is.

Some guys don't like the sight of blood

and things like that.

Okay, if you want it that way.

But me...

...l'd like to hear the next conversation

you have with the captain.

One of those talks

he gives on authority.

Mark.

- Can I see you for a moment?

- Yes, sir.

Mr. Merriam, I want

to thank you for yesterday.

That's all right, sir.

- I'd like to thank you and explain.

- You don't have to explain, sir.

There are a lot of people

squeamish about blood.

I'm not squeamish, Mr. Merriam.

I'm not afraid of anything but failure.

That's why I didn't go

through with the operation.

I'm a sea captain.

I know my profession.

But I'm not a doctor,

and I might have failed.

- You see that, don't you, Tom?

- Of course I do, sir.

I knew you'd see it.

Just as I knew the first time I saw you

that you were the man for me.

A man who'd think as I think.

I've not been disappointed.

Oh, hiya, Tertius.

You haven't said anything, Sparks...

...about my having performed

the operation, have you?

I just thought I'd remind you.

- Been talking with the captain again?

- Yeah.

- He's been talking about authority?

- That's right.

He made a lot of sense.

There's something in what he says.

Wasn't much sense

in what he did yesterday.

- He explained all that.

- Yeah, I'll bet.

He's a smooth man with the words,

the captain.

Now, wait a minute, Sparks.

You've got him all wrong.

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