CHAPTER 124 The Needle

Nextmorningthenot-yet-subsidedsearolledinlongslowbillowsofmightybulk,andstrivinginthePequod'sgurglingtrack,pushedheronlikegiants'palmsoutspread.Thestrong,unstaggeringbreezeaboundedso,thatskyandairseemedvastoutbellyingsails;thewholeworldboomedbeforethewind.Muffledinthefullmorninglight,theinvisiblesunwasonlyknownbythespreadintensityofhisplace;wherehisbayonetraysmovedoninstacks.Emblazonings,asofcrownedBabyloniankingsandqueens,reignedovereverything.Theseawasasacrucibleofmoltengold,thatbubblinglyleapswithlightandheat.

Longmaintaininganenchantedsilence,Ahabstoodapart;andeverytimetheteteringshiploweringlypitcheddownherbowsprit,heturnedtoeyethebrightsun'sraysproducedahead;andwhensheprofoundlysettledbythestern,heturnedbehind,andsawthesun'srearwardplace,andhowthesameyellowrayswereblendingwithhisundeviatingwake.

"Ha,ha,myship!thoumightestwellbetakennowforthesea-chariotofthesun.Ho,ho!allyenationsbeforemyprow,Ibringthesuntoye!Yokeonthefurtherbillows;hallo!atandem,Idrivethesea!"

Butsuddenlyreinedbackbysomecounterthought,hehurriedtowardsthehelm,huskilydemandinghowtheshipwasheading.

"East-sou-east,sir,"saidthefrightenedsteersman.

"Thouliest!"smitinghimwithhisclenchedfist."HeadingEastatthishourinthemorning,andthesunastern?"

Uponthiseverysoulwasconfounded;forthephenomenonjustthenobservedbyAhabhadunaccountablyescapedeveryoneelse;butitsveryblindingpalpablenessmusthavebeenthecause.

Thrustinghisheadhalfwayintothebinnacle,Ahabcaughtoneglimpseofthecompasses;hisupliftedarmslowlyfell;foramomenthealmostseemedtostagger.StandingbehindhimStarbucklooked,andlo!thetwocompassespointedEast,andthePequodwasasinfalliblygoingWest.

Buterethefirstwildalarmcouldgetoutabroadamongthecrew,theoldmanwitharigidlaughexclaimed,"Ihaveit!Ithashappenedbefore.Mr.Starbuck,lastnight'sthunderturnedourcompasses—that'sall.Thouhastbeforenowheardofsuchathing,Itakeit."

"Aye;butneverbeforehasithappenedtome,sir,"saidthepalemate,gloomily.

Here,itmustneedsbesaid,thataccidentslikethishaveinmorethanonecaseoccurredtoshipsinviolentstorms.Themagneticenergy,asdevelopedinthemariner'sneedle,is,asallknow,essentiallyonewiththeelectricitybeheldinheaven;henceitisnottobemuchmarvelledat,thatsuchthingsshouldbe.Instanceswherethelightninghasactuallystruckthevessel,soastosmitedownsomeofthesparsandrigging,theeffectupontheneedlehasattimesbeenstillmorefatal;allitsloadstonevirtuebeingannihilated,sothatthebeforemagneticsteelwasofnomoreusethananoldwife'sknittingneedle.Butineithercase,theneedleneveragain,ofitself,recoverstheoriginalvirtuethusmarredorlost;andifthebinnaclecompassesbeaffected,thesamefatereachesalltheothersthatmaybeintheship;evenwerethelowermostoneinsertedintothekelson.

Deliberatelystandingbeforethebinnacle,andeyeingthetranspointedcompasses,theoldman,withthesharpofhisextendedhand,nowtooktheprecisebearingofthesun,andsatisfiedthattheneedleswereexactlyinverted,shoutedouthisordersfortheship'scoursetobechangedaccordingly.Theyardswerehardup;andoncemorethePequodthrustherundauntedbowsintotheopposingwind,forthesupposedfaironehadonlybeenjugglingher.

Meanwhile,whateverwerehisownsecretthoughts,Starbucksaidnothing,butquietlyheissuedallrequisiteorders;whileStubbandFlask—whoinsomesmalldegreeseemedthentobesharinghisfeelings—likewiseunmurmuringlyacquiesced.Asforthemen,thoughsomeofthemlowlyrumbled,theirfearofAhabwasgreaterthantheirfearofFate.Butaseverbefore,thepaganharpooneersremainedalmostwhollyunimpressed;orifimpressed,itwasonlywithacertainmagnetismshotintotheircongenialheartsfrominflexibleAhab's.

Foraspacetheoldmanwalkedthedeckinrollingreveries.Butchancingtoslipwithhisivoryheel,hesawthecrushedcoppersight-tubesofthequadranthehadthedaybeforedashedtothedeck.

"Thoupoor,proudheaven-gazerandsun'spilot!yesterdayIwreckedthee,andto-daythecompasseswouldfainhavewreckedme.So,so.ButAhabislordoverthelevelloadstoneyet.Mr.Starbuck—alancewithoutapole;atop-maul,andthesmallestofthesail-maker'sneedles.Quick!"

Accessory,perhaps,totheimpulsedictatingthethinghewasnowabouttodo,werecertainprudentialmotives,whoseobjectmighthavebeentorevivethespiritsofhiscrewbyastrokeofhissubtileskill,inamattersowondrousasthatoftheinvertedcompasses.Besides,theoldmanwellknewthattosteerbytranspointedneedles,thoughclumsilypracticable,wasnotathingtobepassedoverbysuperstitioussailors,withoutsomeshudderingsandevilportents.

"Men,"saidhe,steadilyturninguponthecrew,asthematehandedhimthethingshehaddemanded,"mymen,thethunderturnedoldAhab'sneedles;butoutofthisbitofsteelAhabcanmakeoneofhisown,thatwillpointastrueasany."

Abashedglancesofservilewonderwereexchangedbythesailors,asthiswassaid;andwithfascinatedeyestheyawaitedwhatevermagicmightfollow.ButStarbucklookedaway.

Withablowfromthetop-maulAhabknockedoffthesteelheadofthelance,andthenhandingtothematethelongironrodremaining,badehimholditupright,withoutitstouchingthedeck.Then,withthemaul,afterrepeatedlysmitingtheupperendofthisironrod,heplacedthebluntedneedleendwiseonthetopofit,andlessstronglyhammeredthat,severaltimes,thematestillholdingtherodasbefore.Thengoingthroughsomesmallstrangemotionswithit—whetherindispensabletothemagnetizingofthesteel,ormerelyintendedtoaugmenttheaweofthecrew,isuncertain—hecalledforlinenthread;andmovingtothebinnacle,slippedoutthetworeversedneedlesthere,andhorizontallysuspendedthesail-needlebyitsmiddle,overoneofthecompass-cards.Atfirst,thesteelwentroundandround,quiveringandvibratingateitherend;butatlastitsettledtoitsplace,whenAhab,whohadbeenintentlywatchingforthisresult,steppedfranklybackfromthebinnacle,andpointinghisstretchedarmtowardsit,exclaimed,—"Lookye,foryourselves,ifAhabbenotlordofthelevelloadstone!ThesunisEast,andthatcompassswearsit!"

Oneafteranothertheypeeredin,fornothingbuttheirowneyescouldpersuadesuchignoranceastheirs,andoneafteranothertheyslunkaway.

Inhisfieryeyesofscornandtriumph,youthensawAhabinallhisfatalpride.