Chapter 118 113．If you want to be good at it, you should sharpen your tool first

Seeing that it is getting closer to the Japanese archipelago. The closer he was to the Japanese archipelago, the more tense Captain Ahab's heart became, and at the same time, the more uneasy he became. He knew in his heart that there might suddenly be a moment when that big white ghost would jump up in the sea beside him. That's when the real mission of the voyage really comes. A bloody battle is inevitable. Thinking of a duel, Captain Ahab couldn't help but feel agitated, but at the same time he was a little uneasy. He had been looking forward to that battle for a long time, but he was worried that he would not win.

"I have to prepare for this battle early." Captain Ahab thought to himself. The first is weapons. The sun was over the old blacksmith's head, but Beth paid no attention to it, and kept busy by his fire. The fire is booming, and sparks are flying. Captain Ahab walked up to the old blacksmith with a small rust-colored leather bag in his hand. Seeing that he was busy, Captain Ahab said nothing. Captain Ahab stood not far from the furnace, looking at Beth, seemingly preoccupied. Both didn't notice Captain Ahab's arrival, and kept beating on the anvil. Sparks burst out around him, and some splashed directly to Captain Ahab's side.

"Hi, I say Beth." Captain Ahab spoke. "Look at the sparks you shot, like petrels flying around you, it's a good sign." "Yes, Captain, the good omens belong to us all." "That's wrong. Your good omen may not be a good omen for everyone. Otherwise, among these sparks, how could it just not burn you?" Said Captain Ahab to Beth. "My whole body has been burned by these things, captain, so I am not afraid. You are different. If you are burned suddenly, I am afraid you will not be able to bear it." "Okay, let's stop talking about this. I said Boss. You work endlessly all day long without any other things. Aren't you bored? I'm really surprised. If I were like this, I'm afraid I would have gone crazy gone."

"I'm used to it, Captain, I've been here for many years." "What are you doing now?" "Welding a gun head, sir. Look at it, it's full of cracks and scars." "Can you make it as good as it was?" "No problem, sir." Boss said proudly. "So can you restore anything else that's been traumatized?" Captain Ahab asked tentatively. "I can do all but one thing, sir." "Very well, then, Perth." Ahab stepped forward and put his hands on the blacksmith's shoulders. "Please take a look at my forehead, can you mend them?"

Captain Ahab was referring to the wrinkles on his forehead, but in fact, the deeper meaning was referring to his own mind. "If you could, I'd put my head on your anvil and let you bang it and let my head taste your hammer." Captain Ahab added. The old blacksmith helplessly spread his hands: "But, Mr. Captain, that's exactly what I was saying." "Yeah, people just can't mend their own minds and wounds, otherwise... well, let's not talk about this, what are you doing now?" "I'm shooting the boss, sir." "Don't do anything else, but give me a javelin first. I want a javelin, the kind that once you stick it in a whale, the guy can't run away again."

"That needs good materials." "What do you think this is?" Captain Ahab shook open his little leather pouch, and poured out a heap of horseshoes and nail-heads and feet. "This is a good thing, the best and the hardest." "I have collected this for a long time. Give me a javelin quickly. I want one twisted with twelve prongs. Come on, let's hurry up, and I will pull the bellows for you." After a while of busy work, twelve forks were punched out. After Captain Ahab tried them one by one, he asked the old blacksmith to work on one of them again. After that, he welded his own javelin himself.

Fedala stepped out from one side and stood behind Captain Ahab and Both the blacksmith. Facing the fire, he shrugged his shoulders and lowered his head, not knowing whether he was afraid of the fire or hated it. When the forging was finished, the old blacksmith plunged the red tip of the gun straight into a bucket of cold water next to it. It didn't matter this time, the hot water vapor rushed up immediately, and rushed straight to the face of Captain Ahab who was next to him. Captain Ahab blinked in pain, and the old blacksmith was so frightened that he apologized. "Could this gun be used to deal with the white whale?"

The old blacksmith thought of a way to talk to Captain Ahab. "Yes, it is to deal with the white devil. This time, I want to let it taste the power of this gun." Captain Ahab looked solemn and powerful. "Now you build the hook, with my razor." Captain Ahab gave the order. "But you don't need this razor? What a pity." "Say no more, from now on I will not shave, eat, or pray until..." Captain Ahab stopped and didn't say anything. In fact, no one knew what his so-called "until" was. After a while, the gun hook was ready. Just when the old blacksmith asked Captain Ahab to stay away so that he could temper the hook of the gun, Ahab spoke to others.

"Queequeg, Tustego, big man, will you quench my spear hook with your own blood?" "Of course, Captain." The three people who have been lying on the side watching said. "Ok." Captain Ahab stabbed the three men three times with his hook, and Captain Ahab's hook quenched the fire with blood. "I am not baptizing you in the name of heaven, but in the name of the devil." Captain Ahab spoke to his weapon.