Chapter 6 Chapter Six

The Surprise was anchored in a forty-fathom bay on the north side of the island, Cumbrian Sound, the only sheltered anchorage in the country.Jack Aubrey sat in an armchair on the quarterdeck with the awning propped over his head, digesting his lunch of lobster soup, three types of fish, roast lamb shoulder, and walrus steak seared to perfection. Gaze upon the now-familiar shores of Juan Hernandez Island.Not two hawses away from him was a gorgeous meadow, with two streams running through the wonderful soft green, on which he had pitched his tent until this morning.The meadow was like a theater, surrounded by a border of green forest, and behind the forest were strange and steep barren stone mountains--mostly they were black cliffs, but where grass and trees could grow, they were draped. With a layer of green.These green vegetation do not have the unusually dense overgrowth of the tropics, but have the elegance of the grass and trees in County Clare.On a nearby cliff he saw Stephen and Martin climbing the goat trail, while Patin, Bunton, and Karami watched over them in fear.Patin was Stephen's servant, brave and good at climbing cliffs, and he was tall because he was brought up eating seabird eggs; Follow Stephen and Martin, tell them not to step on the air, not to look down the mountain.Stephen and Martin heard that there is a special kind of hummingbird on this island. The male hummingbird has bright pink feathers, and the female hummingbird has bright green feathers.So, since the patients recovered, the time they didn't sleep, except for the ferns and epiphytes of Juan Hernandez, was spent combing and raking the whole island, hoping to find the nests of hummingbirds.

From a valley beyond the East Bay came the crackling of gunfire.There was Howard of the Marine Corps, some American officers, and a group of sailors who had been cleared ashore, and they roamed the island with shotguns, shooting anything they saw that moved.Only a small group of skilled sailors were allowed to go ashore, and they had until now been busy with the urgent task of refitting the ship, and had hardly an hour to spare.It's just a small group of sailors, because for most of the people on the frigate, the holidays are over since last night's cannon drills, and they've been busy dismantling the bivouac this morning - all the patients with severe sepsis, There were other patients, all of whom had spacious grounds, so dismantling the hospital tent was a very laborious task—they were also busy transporting fresh water, firewood, dried fish, and other supplies to the ship.There was a clear view of the Pacific Ocean from Sugarloaf Peak, where he had stationed lookout posts.In addition to all these there were perhaps twenty others on the island, but they had little time left, and they all had to return to the ship before the afternoon watch was over.Although the wind had remained south-southeast and therefore the tide had little momentum, he was ready to weigh anchor at that time and sail as fast and as straight as he could for the Galapagos while the tide was clear of the sheltered anchorage.It might have been a good thing they hadn't found the Norfolk on Juan Hernandez, since so many of the "Wonders" were now out of action.Nor did they find the slightest trace of the Norfolk having been there, but that meant nothing, for the Norfolk could have been at Maas-a-Fouai, a hundred miles to the west. La had fresh water added, or was refurbished in Valparaiso as planned.They did not find the "Norfolk".He sailed slowly, and was obliged to remain on the island for a long time, to recover the sick and wounded, and to repair the ship.But even so, he was still satisfied.Assuming that the "Norfolk" is indeed in the Pacific Ocean, and is not still sailing against the westerly wind at high latitudes in the south, then it is clear that the mission of the "Norfolk" is to advance steadily along the coastlines of Chile and Peru, Hearing against the wind at night, and searching for British whalers by day.So if he rushed to the Galapagos, he would probably be there first, or find it in the whaling waters, or at least learn something about it.

It was not all that satisfied him.Although after the refurbishment, there is hardly a piece of canvas left, and there are not a hundred three-inch nails left, but the warship is now fully equipped and very dry; fresh water, fuel, dried cod, and salted sea lions are abundantly stored. Personnel have also become significantly healthier.They only buried two people, and that was at sea, near Diego Ramírez; the others, although they had experienced the violent storms and endless cold of the ocean at sixty degrees south latitude, were still alive. The island's fresh vegetables, fresh meat, warm climate, and simple comforts made them magically recover again.And they were so united now through all they had been through together, that dreadful voyage that had turned even the most incorrigible of the Defender's crew into sailors. The Defenders were unconsciously speaking the voices of the Surprised—the old distinctions, the old animosities gone—and they were not only much more efficient than they had been, but they were also much easier to command.For a long time since the South Atlantic, grid panels have not been erected.Only one person still stands out, and that's the ridiculously short, ventriloquist barber Compton, who's still blah blah blah.Then there's the ordnance officer.He wasn't part of the Defenders, but he was also a newcomer, and he didn't fit in.He's drinking and probably going crazy.Jack had seen plenty of crazy naval officers.Although on a warship, the captain has great power, but no matter who he is, as long as he is appointed or protected by the commission, as long as he does not violate the Navy Punishment Regulations, then the captain is powerless against his behavior of destroying himself step by step. And this Horner had never violated the Navy's disciplinary code; though he was a sullen and savage beast, he was a conscientious beast, and he'd been doing his duty, but Jack didn't like him anyway.On the other hand, the Candidates—what a success they've grown up, what a delightful bunch of young people they've been.Rarely had he seen such a likable, cheerful group of candidates.Maybe it's because of learning Greek.While Boyle broke three ribs while rounding Cape Horn, Williamson lost two toes and both earlobes to chilblain, and Karami's head, which was infected with sepsis, is now as light as an egg Bald, yet they performed surprisingly well.Now they were having a particularly good time on Juan Hernandez Island, where they were hunting goats with a pack of large wild dogs, more or less tame.He smiled, but his pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a musket shot and Blakeney's voice.Blakeney, acting signalman among the cadets, said, "Sir, Sugar Loaf is signaling. There's a boat."

It was indeed a ship, but the whirling breeze on the hills turned the rest of the pennant perpendicular to the ship.Can't wait for the signal flag to return to normal, Jack ran up the forecastle, took a breath, and called out to Sugarloaf, "Whaler?" The mountain passed down."Where are you going?" he asked, but could not hear their answer, but saw their outstretched arms pointing emphatically to the leeward.So Jack climbed up to the top beam of the foremast and told Blakeney to follow him with his binoculars.He searched the foggy edge of the northern seas, but found nothing but a school of whales spouting five miles away. "Your Excellency," cried Blakeney from the topyard, "the signal flag is coming straight up now. I can read most of it without a book. The ship's bearing is a few leagues north-northeast—can't see." Clear those digits, sir—heading west."

There are some very responsible people on the mountain, there is Watley, the helmsman, and two middle-aged second-class sailors.To sailors, a sailing ship means one thing, and that is a brig.The frigate was, of course, a ship, and since the signals they had sent indicated that the ship out of his sight was not a whaler--a whaler was immediately identifiable by its mast-tower watchtower, so it Possibly the Norfolk.Most likely the Norfolk. "Mr. Blakeney," he said, "take the binoculars and run up to Sugarloaf Peak to see its sails, course, bearings, and immediately come down with the men and all. If you don't want to spend your life on the island , you must return as soon as possible. In this soft wind, once we are on the leeward side, we will not be able to sail back to the island against the wind." Then, raising his voice, he called aft: "Hi, Mr. Horney .All ready to weigh anchor, please."

Everyone on board, even some ashore, had been waiting for orders since Sugarloaf began to answer the captain's call.Before the Sail Master had time to issue an order, the deck became busy like an overturned ant nest.But they were busy with purpose, the capstan rod was hastily fitted, fastened, secured with cables, the mast-man ran to loosen the bow chain; , where the heavy, damp, stiff, and heavy stern hawser brought up was reeled up.A sudden order to heave anchor was not enough to make the Surprise dizzy, and though she looked busy, she might have seemed frantic to one who had never been at sea, the Surprise But still found enough time to raise the sailing flag on the bow of the ship, and fired another cannon to attract the attention of others.

The sound of the cannon stopped Stephen and Martin, and before they had time to calm their terrified souls, and before they could begin to ponder the reason for the sound, they were turned and hastily hurried down the goat trail, which had just A section of the road that took half an hour to climb was now covered in five minutes.Neither Bunton nor Karami were willing to listen to any of Stephen's and Martin's speculations, to hear any comment about hummingbirds, about rash unnecessary haste, or about beetles left in gray water keel woods, not at all. listen.And though it was a long way, though it had to go through the sandalwood groves and round the walrus cove—Martin cried out in pain as he was carried past by his trotting entourage: "This is the island. The only place where the clams can be found”—but they got the two they were protecting in time to the beach where the last three wounded and sick were being sent aboard the red dhow in the care of Higgins .Of the three wounded, one had a broken leg, one had an amputated arm from gangrene caused by frostbite, and the last suffered from tertiary syphilis which had nothing to do with the voyage, and the syphilis had been in the Acquired behind a hedge of sweat trees, now developing into final generalized paralysis.Meanwhile, the windlass master's fife was slowly dying down, the after-anchor cable of the "Surprise" was hanging straight, and it was time to say those ritual words: "Straight up and down, Your Excellency", and then Yes, "anchor is ready" followed by a tense time as the anchor dragged a bit and one wondered if it had stuck in a bad place.The fife sounded, and the men pushed hard, but the windlass capstan turned more and more slowly.The hunting group came back in a small boat, and the sailors also threw themselves on the windlass crossbar. "Push hard and lift the anchor." Said the sail master.He felt a tremor in the deep water premonitory of looseness, and the windlass capstan began to turn again, its pawls making a melodious click-click, and the starboard main anchor rose slowly through the muddy mud. . "Push, I see the main anchor." However, the position of the main anchor on the starboard side was at the stern of the frigate, and the anchor chain was pulled from a porthole in the junior officer's room, although the "surprise" was satisfied to see that the main anchor was already hanging. In the air, they also need to pull it to the bow direction.A difficult task, as the main anchor on the starboard side weighed thirty-one hundredweight, was made more difficult now that they had to draw the ship across the cove with winches at the same time to pull up the forward anchor. Another anchor.A flurry of intense activity began, and to the tune of "All aboard for Turtle Country," the windlass capstan kept turning, and the sailmaster and his mates hopped up and down the sides of the ship's gunwale. Jumping in and out, like a group of impatient apes.

It was some time before Jack had time to say, "You're here, Doc. You're here, Mr. Martin. I'm sorry I had to take you back from your botanical investigations, but I'm glad to see you did." The ship. The enemy may be to our lee—we must set sail at once, and besides, the wind is always south, and whoever stays is likely to stay here for a long time. Mr. Mowett, I see everyone Are you all on board?" "No, sir," said Movitt. "The Ordnance Officer, his wife, and Hou Long are still on shore." "Mr. Horner?" Jack called. "God is my life, I would have sworn he was coming in a boat. Give him another shot."

They fired three shots in all at him, with long intervals between each shot, while the Surprise continued to move in the cove; Hanging straight in the water, the ordnance officer arrived at the landing site, and arrived at the landing site alone. "What the hell is he up to? Where the hell are they? Picking flowers?" said Jack, glancing angrily at the clear sea, which had just been ruffled by a much-desired breeze that went in the same direction as the tide. "Send a scooter to fetch them. Yes, Mr. Hora, is there anything?" "I beg your pardon, my lord," said the sailmaster, "but the windlass is having an old trouble."

"Red hell and bloody death," said Jack. "Quickly release the big wheel." They quickly let go of the big wheel, relieving the tension on the anchor chain, and Jack climbed to the side of the ratchet iron wheel under the winch rod.Indeed.One of the pawls had lost its tine, and the other was twisted, and might break at any moment; and if it should break while the hawser was bouncing tight, any surge of the sea, any jolt of the ship, would Send enormous force to the capstan rods, reverse the windlass capstans, and slam the sailors like skittles—and bloody skittles at that. "Shall I set up the furnace, my lord?" Mowit asked.

Sooner or later it would have to be done; the new pawls would have to be filed and hammered and properly tempered and installed, which would take hours, so they would miss not only the tide but the blowing of the pennants, There is a possibility of increasing soft winds. "No," said Jack, "we'll heave anchor with the voyol rope to the tackle winch." He saw the frightened look on the sailmaster's face as he spoke.Mr. Hora, who has served on modern warships, has never weighed Vojol at anchor.In fact, it's an outdated practice.But Jack, as a midshipman, had sailed under very conservative, very outdated captains; and it so happened that his first warship, the Sophie, an old brig, had been Just use Voyol thick rope habitually.Almost without a pause, Jack immediately called the candidates. "I'm going to show you how to heave an anchor with a voyol," he said, "and watch. You don't see it very often, but it may be important for you not to miss one." tide." They followed him down to the breakwater.There he commented: "This is a different Vojol rope, Bunton, go ahead with the 'Sophie'." This is because Bunton has removed the big iron block of the single come out. "Now, watch, he made it to the hawse--he passed the tackle through it--and the tackle was drawn to his capstan, and the fixed part of the capstan was roped to the bitt. Thus You have a mechanism that pulls the weight directly with the pulley, instead of a fixed length of rope. Got it?" They got it.But the iron block of Voyol's thick rope had not been used for a long time, and it broke under the tension.They had to use a variety of substitutes, and when the anchor chain was really vertical, and when Jack returned to the deck again, the single-seater was already hanging empty on the side of the ship, driving the single-seater. The sailors are already busy at their respective posts.As he walked towards the stern, he saw Maitland talking to Mowett.Movitt came up to him, took off his hat, and said in a strangely formal tone: "Your Excellency, the Ordnance Officer is on board. He was on board alone. He said Holon was a deserter - didn't want to go back The warship's gone—and said Mrs. Horner was with him. He said they wanted to stay on the island. He hurt his leg in the woods, and now he's down below." The atmosphere is very strange.Jack resisted his first instinct and looked around the quarterdeck.Most of the officers were present.No expression on anyone's face is completely natural.Two of the sailors in the single-seater were also cleaning the slings very close by, and they looked deeply agitated, as if they were afraid of something.Obviously someone on board knew something, and obviously no one was going to tell him, not even Maturin's face was expressionless.Decisions had to be made immediately, and he had to make them himself.In normal circumstances deserters must be caught; example is the most important thing.But now the situation is very special.With so many caves and deep valleys in this island, it might take a week to search the whole island—a week at this juncture, and the ship already seen might be an enemy ship!As he thought back and forth, he wanted to say: "Did the ordnance officer say he wanted to chase them, did he say he wanted to get his wife back?" But then he realized that the answer to this question was already contained in Mowett's narrative.This question is pointless.At any rate, his mind was clear and at peace; he said, "Heavy anchor," adding, "We'll deal with deserters later, if possible. Go on, Mr. Maitland." "Climb to the mast," cried Maitland.The sailors mounted the yard. "Take up the sail and spread the sail." They dropped the halyards and tucked the sail under their arms. "Leave the sail. Buckle the sheet." The sail dropped.The port watch took up the sheet for the foremast totopsail, the starboard watch took the sheet for the brigade, and the midshipmen and off-duty men took the sheet for the mizzensail.Then, a little ahead of orders, they went up to the hoist lines and hoisted the yards; followed by the topsails, all set to leeward again, while the Surprise moved easily past the port main anchor. above, pulling it up without hindrance, and they all ran back to the windlass again, and brought in the anchor chain.Without thinking, the sailors completed these actions with ease, which was obtained after long-term operation.But at the same time no one said a word, and they set out to sea in such haste that there might be a fight soon, but there was none of the pleasant excitement in sight. Most of them saw the Ordnance Officer come aboard, saw his terrible, sunken face, and his blood-spattered clothes; some heard his savage, stiff voice as he reported to the officer of the watch; The sailors driving the single-seater boat told others how he knelt on the beach to wash his hands and hair. When the ship left the leeward side of the island completely, it raised the upper and lower wing sails and adjusted its course to intercept the strange ship.Blakeney had taken her bearings carefully, and he could see that the ship was tacking to port, or at least one compass point to leeward, with all gaff and topmast hoisted. sail. The J. Ronky was making eight knots now, and Jack hoped to see her masthead on the horizon by evening, and then be ready to furl all but the staysails before dark. , Lurks at night, as if hiding below the sea level, and then suddenly appears in front of it with full sail at dawn. From the transom of the mainmast he scanned the far sea with his glass, twenty degrees to starboard, the rafters of the foremast topsail.Below him he heard urgent whispers in the foremast, the speakers not noticing him, though their voices were not much higher than a whisper.They were distraught; a navigator's assistant and an ordnance officer's wife eloped to warm, cheery islands could not account for their disquiet.Saw whales again; a large school of whales spouting for less than a mile; he had never seen so many of them together—must have exceeded two hundred. "Innocent blood under the sun," said a voice in the foremast.He is Vincent, a lay missionary from the western countryside. "Innocent blood my asshole," said another, who might have been Phelps. And behind the whale, far behind the whale, there was a dim light that was certainly not a whale's spout.He focused the binoculars on it—it was the strange ship, and it kept going, keeping its course.Only the masts were visible, of course, not the hull, but it was definitely there.He turned his head, bent down, and called to the deck.His cry was absurdly restrained, as if it could be heard by a distant ship: "On deck, lower the topmast." He climbed down slowly, ordering them to keep the Surprise undetected, but still on course parallel to the strange ship, and he went into the main cabin.He was largely an appendage of his own ship, and although his life was relatively isolated from others, he felt the atmosphere of the ship very strongly.He was also in harmony with the atmosphere, for his intense anticipation for tomorrow morning had now subsided unexpectedly a lot.Evidently, his mood did not prevent him from taking all necessary measures; and he and the navigator charted a very precisely calculated course.The portholes were put on before dark, and there was not a single light on board.Half an hour after the sun had set, the ship turned five and a half compass points to the north, and in a steady breeze brought up her speed to seven knots, perhaps again if more sails were necessary. Improve by two quarters.He said to Mowett: "It would be inhuman to harass poor Honer this evening. Let's just assume he's sick and let his oldest assistant report. His name is Wilkins, isn't he? He's a Very solid guy. I'm not worried about the condition of the guns, but we may need to load more, especially if we're lucky tomorrow." Then, back in the cabin, he continued to write on his staccato letter to Sophie, while the warship sailed smoothly through the moonless night, the swell following behind it made it roll back and forth slowly and easily Then, the rhythmic hum of its rigging carried to the cabin, a pervasive and comfortable sound that mingled with the sound of running water on both sides of the ship.Jack wrote: "Although the captain and the ship are married, his relationship with the ship is like that of some other husbands and wives: some things he is the last to know. This matter is certainly better than the eye. It's more complicated than what I've seen, at least more complicated than what I've seen. People are shocked, I'd even say sad, but the kind of things people say alone can't lead to this result-a commissioned officer's wife leaves A navigator's assistant deserted him. I hate and distrust storytellers, and I don't like captains who listen to them, let alone those who encourage them. Captain. Take Movitt, Killick, and Bunton, three men who have sailed with me countless times, and though I am sure they all knew very well what was going on, but I Equally sure, they wouldn't tell me if I didn't ask straight up, but I wouldn't ask either. There's only one person I can ask decently as a friend, and that's Stephen, and I say no Will he tell me the truth." He paused--a long, long pause--and called, "Kirik, Kirik, come here. Give my regards to the doctor, if He is willing to play a little music, and I am willing to serve him.” After speaking, he took the violin out of the case and began to tune, a burst of squeak, squeak, and sigh-like sounds formed a satisfying strange pattern, and put His mind was directed elsewhere. They played Scarlatti's D minor, they passed a set of variations on a Haydn theme to each other, and added certain pleasant improvisations, which carried his mind farther; But the mood of neither of them was completely occupied by the music. When Killick came in with wine and biscuits, Jack said: "We have to go to bed early. It is possible that we will find the 'Norfolk' tomorrow. Not quite It's possible, but not impossible. But before I go to bed, I want to ask you something. My question may not be appropriate, and I won't be offended if you don't answer it. What do you think of the desertion incident?" "Listen, my dear," said Stephen, "it's embarrassing to ask a doctor about anyone on board, because almost everyone is his patient at some point, and a doctor shouldn't Talk about his patients like a priest shouldn't talk about his confessors, thank goodness I hope not. I won't tell you what I think about this desertion, so I won't tell you I What do you think about those parties; but if you want, I will tell you what most people think, but I will not guarantee whether these thoughts are right or wrong, nor will I mix my own opinions, let alone add any private knowledge I may have." "Please, Stephen." "Well, it is like this. It is generally believed that for a long time, Hou Long has been Mrs. Horner's lover, and Horner discovered it almost a week ago..." "Any man would be mad if he knew about it," said Jack. "...he took them, under the pretense of having a private conversation with them, to a remote part of the island, where he beat them to death. He had a club with him, and he was very strong. They said he took the two bodies Dragged over a cliff and pushed off. Everyone felt sorry for Mrs. Horner, she was so young, and besides, she had a good temper, a good heart, and never complained. To a certain extent, they also felt sorry for Holon, but first of all Think he shouldn't be on board at all, think he's a wretch. They feel Horner, however, is intolerably provoked; and though they don't like him, they feel he has a right to do so." "Probably they do," said Jack. "And if I knew anything about the Navy, I don't think they'd give him away. They wouldn't give a shred of evidence. Investigations would be utterly useless. Thank you, Stephen. That's exactly what I want to know, and If I were smarter, I probably shouldn't have asked you. I'll just take it for what it seems, put an R under poor Hou Long's name, and try to be as calm as I can Horner." It turned out that there was no difficulty in facing Horner calmly.At the end of the midnight watch they saw the lights of the strange ship, a ray of light, though only a slight one, and further westward than they should have been.By the wee hours of the morning they had seen the strange ship itself, calmly keeping its course under the low gray sky.Jack came on deck in his pajamas, but Horner was earlier than him.The armory officer was in clean white canvas trousers and a new checked shirt, clumsy with a bruised or sprained leg, but with his customary sullen dexterity he lumbered about the cannon, Checking equipment, sights, and emanating cables.He came up to the cannons on the quarterdeck, and there was a strong, stiff embarrassment, which he obviously didn't feel embarrassed at all.He saluted the captain by touching the brim of his hat, and stood there with the night-glass in his hand.Jack turned wholeheartedly to the ship they were chasing—he had been in the Navy for more than twenty years, and he was for the most part a marauder of the seas who would become a Absolutely unoccupied—now he said in the most natural voice in the world: "Good morning, Ordnance Officer. I'm afraid it's unlikely you'll spend your ammunition this morning." The rising sun proved him right.The sun shows a group of people with relaxed attitudes, some with beards and some smoking cigars, holding the side of a strange boat.The United States Navy, for all its lax discipline, sometimes bordering on democracy, never went to such extremes.In fact, the ship they were chasing turned out to be the Estrella Pola, a Spanish merchant ship sailing from Lima on its way to the Platte River and Old Spain.She was perfectly willing to lay at her ease, and though she could give the Surprise nothing but a few yards of canvas in exchange for her iron bars, it was generous with its information.Of course, the "Norfolk" has entered the Pacific Ocean, and it went smoothly around Cape Horn.It adds fresh water at Valparaiso and needs little to no renovations.That was good, because everyone knew that Valparaiso had very little, and what he had was of poor quality, and that it was expensive and took a long time to arrive.Having replenished her fresh water, she set out and captured several British whalers. The Estrella had heard of a whaling ship burning near Robles Rock like a gigantic torch at night. The Estrella also exchanged signals with another whaling ship, the Acapuco, which was being sent to America as a capture ship.It was a stout ship, but slow like all whalers. The Estrella could give her the fore and main topsails and still go twice as fast.They were met below the Tropic of Cancer, two hundred leagues north-northeast, a long way from here. The Estrella was glad to take the Surprise's letter to Europe, and wished her a happy voyage.The two ships each hoisted their lowered topsails and separated from each other, shouting polite farewell words.Half a mile away, the last Spanish word to be heard was "". "What does that mean?" asked Captain Aubrey. "Hopefully nothing new comes out," Stephen said. "New things are inherently bad things." The Amazed were delighted that their letters had been taken to the Old World; they were grateful for the half canvas; and they bid farewell to the Estrella with sincere goodwill.And yet they had looked forward to the night with great eagerness, and had been delighted at the sight of its lights during the midnight watch, and now the Estrella could not but be an anticlimax, a bitter disappointment.Knowing that the Norfolk had rounded Cape Horn - much before they did - and had captured the British whalers they had been sent to protect Yes, and there was a strong sense of shame.Many of the Surprises have friends and relatives involved in the South China Sea fishing industry, so they feel this pain very keenly, especially Mr Allen.He had always been a stern officer, never smiled when he was on duty, but he was not a rough man, for he never abused a sailor, nor harassed a sailor insolently, but he was strict, very strict indeed; and now he was even more strict.He was in charge of the afternoon watch that day, the sky became cloudy and it began to rain lightly; , turn the sail, and then furl the sail. 他和杰克进行了长时间的商讨，他们两人断定，根据“艾斯特雷亚”号提供的信息，最好的航线是驶向陆地，离回家的捕鲸船路径越近越好。这不是“惊奇”号去加拉帕戈斯群岛的直接航线，但是，航行官坚持说，他们不会损失多少时间——加拉帕戈斯群岛既宽又长——因为沿着海岸线向北的寒流，裹挟着海狮、企鹅，差不多一直延续到赤道那么远，寒流几乎是整个智利和秘鲁的长度。艾伦的道理和他在这片海域多年的经验，在杰克看来是有说服力的，现在军舰穿过忧郁的小雨，尽可能地转向东北偏东方向。 这是一段令人忧郁而心神不定的航程。他们已经摆脱了一个倒霉的人，可怜的侯隆——现在他们就是这么称呼他的——可他们又添了个更加糟糕的人，这个人必定会给他们带来厄运。候补生们可怜地深受影响——荷纳太太一直待他们很好，除此之外，他们也和成年人一样，一直对她的美貌感触颇深——杰克突然改变了他们的住处，让他们和他的秘书沃德，还有希金斯以及那个高个子美国候补生一起吃饭。沃德不愿意和他们做伴在的速度是八节，尽管他们现在都两眼通红，像老鼠一样安静，可再让他们和荷纳待在一起，是件无法容忍的事情。 军械官用酗酒的方式庆祝了自己的自由。他强迫自己的一个助手陪他喝酒，在座的还有更加情愿得多的理发师康普顿，康普顿是舰上唯一勉强可以称为他密友的人物。荷纳的食物储备很充足，他还剩有三个淡水桶的西班牙白兰地，他们一直喝到半夜值班岗的时间，那时候甲板上的水兵们恐怖地听见，荷纳用粗哑的声音在唱“早来也罢，晚来也罢，我总会在六月享受玫瑰花”。 一天又一天，“惊奇”号驶过翻腾的海面，军舰沉重地劳作着。而每天晚上，荷纳都坐下来和理发师一起喝酒，可以听到理发师用尖厉的腹语一遍遍重复自己的保留节目，紧接着是微醺的、变得喜欢倾诉的荷纳低沉、闹嚷的声调。这声调震惊了甲板上的人们，也震惊了军舰下层的人们。即便等到一个晴朗的中午，等到“惊奇”号抵达凉爽的、天蓝色的秘鲁海流，等到它转向北方，在右舷正横方向非常非常遥远地望见安第斯山脉嶙峋的、在晴空中闪耀白光的线条，舰上的情绪仍然没有变化。水兵们抑郁、沉默；他们觉得康普顿简直是疯了，竟然和军械官开怀对饮。某天晚上他们见到他满脸是血地跑上甲板，军械官在后面追着，不过他们一点也不觉得惊奇。荷纳绊了一跤摔倒了，他们把烂醉的荷纳抬起来送到下面。康普顿只是摔破了嘴，鼻子流着血，可他害怕得站都站不稳了，他对给他擦血的人说：“我就说了句她怀着孩子。” 第二天，军械官派人来说他希望见马图林医生。马图林在自己的卧舱里接待了他。军械官的动作完全平稳，但他和人没有目光的接触；他的面色很苍白，晒黑的肤色显出了赭色——一种暗淡的赭色——而斯蒂芬的印象是，他充满了一种几乎无法控制的狂怒。“我是来见你的，大夫。”他说。斯蒂芬鞠了一躬，但没有回答。“她生病的时候怀着孩子。”军械官突然说。 “听着，荷纳先生，”斯蒂芬说，“你在谈论你的妻子，而我必须告诉你，我不能和任何人讨论我的病人。” “她怀着孩子，可你对她用了器械。” “关于这件事，我对你没什么可说的。” The door opened.帕丁迅速地走了进来，他围拢双臂，从背后抱起了荷纳。帕丁比荷纳还要高大，而且要强壮得多。 “好了，把他放下吧，帕丁。”斯蒂芬说。 “荷纳先生，请坐到那把椅子上去。你的头脑不安定，你最近情绪很激动，心烦意乱，这我可以理解。你需要吃药。把它喝下去吧。”他在葡萄酒杯里倒了半杯自己的鸦片酊，递了过去，说道：“我不会假装不知道你的意思，可你必须明白，我一辈子从来都没在那种意义下使用过器械，而且以后也决不会那么做。” 他怀着真挚的善意说了这番话，或许这种善意比明显的事实本身更具有穿透力，军械官喝下了递给他的药水。 这么大的剂量，本来应该足以让十多个不习惯这种药水的人平静下来，但同一天下午，希金斯跑来见斯蒂芬，希金斯的样子与其说是惊慌，不如说是极度恐惧。“他说我对她用了器械——噢，阁下，你得保护我——我是你的助手——我是你的下手——你得保护我。他尊敬你，他一点也不尊敬我。”这是真话。希金斯的饶舌重复得过多了，他的贪婪也变得过于赤裸了，他愚蠢到竟然去欺压看护兵，而看护兵却是下层甲板水兵中颇有名望的医学先知，看护兵揭露了希金斯的很多丑事，私下里还给别人看了他陈腐的蠖螋和破旧的锹螂。况且说到底，斯蒂芬给普莱斯做的开颅手术，已经把希金斯在牙齿方面可能拥有的一丁点成就差不多抹光了。 “你最好躲着他，等他平静下来再说。”斯蒂芬说。“你可以呆在伤病室里，给伤病员们念念书。我会叫帕丁陪你坐上一两天的。你得和军械官礼貌地说话，也许送他一件小礼物。你有点轻率，损害了他的善意，你得想办法跟他和解。” “噢，阁下，我会给他半个畿尼的——一个畿尼——我会给他两个畿尼的，我发誓——除了睡觉，我不会离开伤病室的，你不用担心，阁下，睡觉的时候我四面都是吊床，而且大个子美国候补生就睡在门边。” 然而星期五还是出事了。那是个乌云密布的凄惨日子，斯蒂芬和马丁正在解剖一只鹈鹕。军舰正沿着肥腻的洋流航行，企鹅、海豚和各种各样的海豹、海狮、海熊常常在其中出没，洋流中同时还有数量多得令人难以置信的大群鲲鱼一类的小鱼，天上则飞着大量以它们为食的鸟类。海军陆战队的霍华德射下了很多动物，这只鹈鹕就是其中之一。马丁说，“他们说的'约拿的提升'是什么意思？” 斯蒂芬还没来得及回答，霍华德就走下来告诉他们，有一头奇怪的、巨大的东西，游到了射程之内，它看上去很像一头海象。他开了枪，不过只射中了它旁边的幼崽，因为在关键时刻，一阵水雾飘到了他和猎物之间。要是他们见到那东西就好了；它非常奇妙，就像个人一样，只不过比人要大，它的颜色可以说是灰色。他真希望他们见到了那东西。 “霍华德先生，我知道你的用意是好的，”斯蒂芬说，“可是让我恳求你不要过度射杀动物，不要超过我们能收集，解剖的限度，也不要超过大家能吃掉的限度。” “噢，大夫，你向来不是个喜欢打猎的人。”霍华德大笑着说。“嗨，要是你喜欢打猎的话，在这片水域里你可以整天不停地开枪；现在一群鹭鸶正在飞过去，我左右开弓，玩得正开心呢。我得马上回去了；我叫了两个人给我上膛。” “约拿的提升，你是说？”斯蒂芬说，“大概这是他们的行话，是说—个大家不喜欢的人，或者一个倒霉的人，被推到海里去了。” “噢，肯定不会吧。”马丁说，他不清楚最近的动态，“我听他们在这么说希金斯先生。” “真的吗？”斯蒂芬说。“求你拉着皮，等我回来。” 希金斯不在伤病室里，也不在他的卧舱，而且斯蒂芬寻找他的时候，留意到一些人在交换意味深长的目光。他把看护兵叫到一边，说道，“听着，杰米·普拉特，你是什么时间最后见到他的？” “喔，阁下，”杰米说，“他不敢到厕所去，你知道，他要么用瓶子，要么用罐子。可昨天晚上他肚子咕噜噜要拉稀，就到船头去了，那时候天已经完全黑了。我再也没见过他。我以为他可能和你在一起，要么在他卧舱里，要么在缆绳舱里。我听说他在那儿有个躲的地方，因为他非常害怕某个先生，可以这么说。” “要真是躲在下层的话，全体集合的时候他肯定会回自己岗位的。” 鼓声响了起来，甲板上的那些隔板全都消失了，护卫舰可以从船头望到船尾，它已经做好了战斗准备，而所有的水兵都跑到了各自的岗位上。莫维特迅速巡视了一遍，准备对舰长说，“所有水兵都在岗位上，处于戒备状态，阁下，请。”他看见掌帆长在船首楼上，船匠和助手们在抽水机旁和翼舱里，军械官和他手下的军士、助手们在弹药库里各自的岗位上。不过，等他走到阴暗的下层，看见斯蒂芬、马丁和看护兵都站着准备好照顾伤兵，斯蒂芬却说：“阁下，我必须报告，我的助手希金斯先生缺岗。” 没有进行大炮演习就结束了全体集合。鼓手们敲起了解散鼓，杰克命令彻底搜查下层平台和储备舱。希金斯有可能在缆绳舱里，躲在大圈的缆索中生了病，或者有可能从某个升降口失足掉了下去。在迅速降临的暮色中——低低的云雾已经开始飘过高处的索具——人们点起了灯笼，开始了这一定要走的必要过场。可他们的心思不在这儿。当然他们的心思不在这儿，因为他们明确地知道有人给了希金斯一个约拿的提升，再说这也不是什么重大损失。在哀鸣开始的时候，他们全都匆匆地回到了甲板上，挤作一团地站着。 这哀鸣是种音量巨大的、悠缓的、绝望悲哀的哞——哞——哞，有时候音调会变得高起来，变成尖叫，就连船上最老的水兵，也从没听过海上传来这样的声音，而且这声音围绕着军舰，离两边的舷侧都很靠近，有时候可以分辨出一个形体，可从来也看不清楚。不管怎么说，也没几个人敢看。 “那会是个什么东西呢？”杰克问。 “我说不准，”斯蒂芬说，“可能就是那个东西，它的幼崽挨了一枪。也许那个幼崽受伤了，也可能现在死了。” 声音变得更响了，响得几乎令人难以忍受，随后又在垂死的呜咽中停了下来。“莫维特先生，”杰克用极其不安的口气说，“船已经彻底搜查过了吗？” “我不能完全肯定，阁下。”莫维特说，他在哀鸣声中把声音提高，而哀鸣现在转到了左舷方向，“我马上去问问。”他问的所有问题，得到的答复都是一样的：是的，每个地方都仔细检查过了；不，阁下，再下去查一遍也没有用。对他说这些话的人，都是负责的委任军官们和军士们，有时候他们是在对他当面撒谎。不过他清楚，而且他们也清楚，不可能再让水兵们到军舰上比较偏远、比较黑暗、比较僻静的地方再搜索一遍了。 “上帝是我的生命，”杰克叫道，他看见沙漏已经流空了，而即使在激烈的海战中，即使军舰的船底凿穿，沉到了海下，这个半小时的沙漏瓶也一直是宗教般按时翻转的，“上帝是我的生命，你到底在想什么呢？翻转沙漏，敲钟。” 当值的海军陆战队员翻转了沙漏，不情愿地走向船首。八遍迟疑的钟声，四处响彻着号叫。 “布置值班岗哨。”杰克说，“朱达斯神甫啊，你们都站在这儿干什么？莫维特先生，今晚熄灯之后，住舱甲板上允许挂灯笼。纠察长，留心这件事。” 他停下来想看看值班水兵是否确实集合起来了。有一会儿工夫他觉得可能连这都做不到了，这是因为，虽然他经常见到水兵们惊慌不安，心神不定，但他从没见过他们这样害怕，也没见过他们这样垂头丧气。不过大部分军官都在甲板上，而迟钝的、完全没有想象力的亚当斯先生，还急切地和斯蒂芬、马丁讨论着瓶装淡啤酒的储藏问题，他的在场，帮助麦特兰先生完成了自己的任务。一等到点名结束，杰克就走进了大舱，双手背在身后，沿着横跨船身的方向来回踱起步来；同时，可怕的大声哀鸣一直围绕着军舰。 “传话请大夫来。”他终于说。斯蒂芬进来之后，他说：“我听说马丁问起过你约拿的提升。我知道大家在议论些什么，我也一直在考虑。这种局面不能再继续下去了，请告诉我，因为大家都认为军械官犯下了大罪，你是否可以正式判定他是疯子，必须把他拘禁起来。” “我不能这样做。许多人干过大家说他干的那种事，可还是被当成精神正常的人。我既不能根据假设，也不能根据非常强烈的怀疑，甚至不能根据合乎法律的证据，就正式判定他是疯子。我必须尽可能地检查他的心志，必须了解他干这件事的时候是否合乎理性。从不可靠的、独立完成的检查，也会产生知识的微弱亮光，我至少必须凭借这亮光去了解真相。” “检查？”杰克说，“很好。”他摇了摇铃说，“传唤军械官。” 他们坐在那儿沉思着，而号叫声朝船头的方向移去。他们说话的时候，外面的叫声变小了，可现在又变成了比以前更高的尖叫。“那会是个什么东西呢？”杰克又问，他非常不安。 “我肯定说不准。”斯蒂芬说，一边画了个十字。“大概是某种海牛，不过纬度完全不对。上帝保佑我们抵御邪恶。” “阿门。”杰克说，这时候门打开了。惊恐的基里克几乎说不出话来。“军械官上吊了。”他喘着气吐出了一句。 “你把他放下来了吗？”杰克叫道。 斯蒂芬从基里克神思恍惚的表情里看出了答案，他推开基里克，朝船头方向跑去，一边跑一边叫上了邦敦和掌帆长的一个助手。 “把他抬起来，等我割断绳子。”他说。 他们把他放在小床上，闻讯赶来的马丁看见他躺在那儿，看见斯蒂芬坐在他的头边。“还有希望，对吗？”马丁说，一边看着那张黝黑、鼓胀、毫无表情的脸。“肯定没有脱臼的问题？” “没有跌下来，也没有脱臼。”斯蒂芬说。 “那肯定还有希望。我知道有人上吊了二十分钟，还是用妥善的办法救活过来了。哟，他还暖和！你摸到脉搏了吗？” “有可能摸得到。” “你什么时候给他放血？我不是想指挥你怎么做，马图林，可他是不是得马上放血？” “我觉得这种情况放血不是个办法。”斯蒂芬说，过了一会儿，他又继续说。“你以前救活过一心想自杀的人吗？你见过那种人脸上的绝望吗——等他意识到自己没有成功——还要再来一遍？在我看来，为别人做决定是件奇怪的事。是活着还是去死，这肯定是每个人和他自己的创造者或者毁灭者之间的事情。” “我不能认为你是正确的。”马丁说，然后他阐述起相反的观点来。 “你当然很令人信服地说明了自己一方的观点。”斯蒂芬说。他站起身来，把耳朵靠在军械官的胸口上，然后又瞪大眼睛，在蜡烛光下盯着胸口。“可是不管怎么说，他现在已经超出了我能够干预的范围。愿上帝安息他的灵魂。” 马丁摇了摇头说：“我不能给他行基督徒的葬礼了，可惜。”过了一会儿，他又说：“哀鸣停止了。” “你说话的时候就停了，五分钟以前。”斯蒂芬说，“我看最好的办法是去叫他的助手们来，他们会把他缝在吊床里，脚上再挂个炮弹。我会守着他到天亮的，早上头一件事，就是送他到海里去，这样就不会再烦扰水兵们了，因为我得告诉你，在这种紧张气氛下，最迷信的那些水兵非常可能会日渐憔悴，就像被诅咒的黑人那样。” 不过早上头一件事，或者更确切地说，早上头一件事之前的事，是“惊奇”号派人到桅顶去，查看刚刚照亮的海面上有些什么东西。虽然海面提供的礼物非常非常罕见，最近这些日子大家又这么心神不定，但水兵们还是飞快地爬上桅顶，因为护卫舰曾经就在大炮射程之内，发现过对手或者可以捕获的航船。一年三百六十四个早上都可能什么也没有，或者只有一艘遥远的渔船，但总可能会有罕见的黎明，而这个黎明就是其中之一。“嗨，船”的尖声喊叫打断了所有磨砂和打孔的响声隆隆的动作。 “哪个方向？”当值的航行官喊道。 “正对风眼的方向，阁下。”嘹望说，“只升起了中桅帆，我看是艘捕鲸船。” 几分钟后，等天光很快地扩散开来，等最后的星星在西面渐渐熄灭，军舰改变航向的六十四度大转弯，还有年轻的伯伊尔响亮的声音，也把杰克从焦虑不安的睡眠中惊醒了。伯伊尔说：“艾伦先生值班，阁下，西南偏南方向有一艘航船，我们觉得它是捕鲸船。” 他来到甲板上的时候，已经是清新明亮的早晨了，“惊奇”号正在左舷抢风行驶。航行官显得有些紧张地说：“我已经擅自改变了航线，阁下，因为它可能是艘美国船，也可能是我们的正在返航的捕鲸船。” “你做得很对，艾伦先生。”杰克说，一边盯着他们追赶的那艘船的中桅帆——在清晰的海平线上，那些中桅帆露出了一丝痕迹，“你做得很对。那时候一刻也不能浪费，得接二连三地抢风调向，拼命驾船，我们才有可能弥补这么大的下风劣势。” “还有一件事，阁下，”艾伦低声说，“皮尔土和阿普江”——两个直布罗陀的疯子，就是他们把缝在吊床里的军械官放在跳板上的——“不太明白我们的做法，船抢风转向的时候，他们把荷纳先生放下了海。” “也许这样最好。”杰克说，一边摇了摇头。“也许……喂，船头的大桅张帆索。艾伦先生，我看它会磨损前桅和大桅的上桅帆。” 等太阳离开海面有一巴掌高的时候，他又回到了甲板上，他站在那儿，一只手臂勾住迎风面后桅中桅杆的后支索。“惊奇”号已经完成了它早晨的仪式，现在所有人和舰长一起正投入到追逐的任务中去。他们要尽可能快地驾驶它，但不想过分危及它宝贵的圆材、帆布和索具。他们的猎物扯着一半的中桅帆，离他们有十三四英里远，要不是因为护卫舰顶风，在午饭的时候就可以赶上它了；不过它们肯定在晚上彼此错过了，现在“惊奇”号直接面对着风吹来的方向。因此它只得迎风斜驶，在增强的大风里顶着逆浪，而且它必须在日落之前补足距离。不然没有月光的夜晚会让捕鲸船从视野中消失。这是可以做到的，可这需要非常高超的航海技术，需要非常细致地了解船的性能，需要非常特别地把上风舵调整到精确的位置。 这样做并不是徒劳的。“惊奇”号正在用每一种可能的赛船策略，去缩短和被追逐者的距离；最熟练的舵手们，成对地在舵轮上掌着舵，铁了心不想增加哪怕一英寸的偏航，他们不停地寻找办法把它转到更靠近风的方向；而同时，满怀期待的水兵们，执行了杰克命令的哪怕最微小的风帆调整，他们的操作惊人地完美，那是长期的训练和强烈的热忱换来的。从杰克那方面说，他也感到了和船的完美联系。抢风行船是他和它可以做得非常出色的事情。他站在那儿，随着甲板的颠簸而摇摆的时候，感到了它最细微的偏转或者停顿。他穿着蓝色的旧外套，因为虽然他们距离赤道很近，早晨还是很凛冽，而浪花，以及“惊奇”号每次撞上大浪时扫向船尾方向的大片海水，就更加凛冽了。海水让他新刮了胡须的脸泛出光鲜的粉红。他从桅顶上可以看出，捕鲸船是英国造的。他确信这艘船是被美国人捕获的，他没有说一句话，他的信念就传达给了全船的人。所有老“惊奇”人都知道，只要不列颠的航船被敌人占据二十四小时以上，俘虏它的人就不需要礼貌地鞠着躬把它交还给船主，同时希望得到一块表示感谢的金属牌；在这种情况下重新俘虏的航船已经变成了获救船，只比捕获船稍差一点，或者在某些情况下更好、更直接。 斯蒂芬很迟才来到坡度很陡的甲板上——南希·道森为水兵们中午的掺水淡酒而演奏的短笛把他吵醒了——他对四周的印象是，到处充满了蓝色。在这么多日子的阴天之后，现在蓝天上只有几朵很高的白云；海洋是深蓝色的，点缀着白浪；就连鼓起的风帆那巨大凹陷的阴影部分，也是蓝色的空气。“下午好，大夫，”杰克叫道——蓝色外套和闪烁的明亮的蓝眼睛——“来看看我们追逐的船吧。” 斯蒂芬慢慢走向船尾方向，他一路上被很多人搀扶。这些人是活泼的海军陆战队员们，以及所有没有值班任务的水兵们，他们沿着栏杆排着，好用自己的重量让船更加稳定。斯蒂芬一边走，一边感到气氛完全变了：大家的心思完全放在了追逐上面，他们渴望、急切、兴奋，过去发生的事情，甚至连昨天发生的事情，都全部留在了背后，远远地留在早已消失的尾波里。 “它在那儿。”杰克说，他朝左舷正横方向点了点头，从那儿可以看见，捕鲸船朝东南方向行驶着，它正右舷抢风，扯着所有的上桅帆。 “可是，你几乎和它完全背道而驰。”斯蒂芬说，“这是什么追逐阿？” “哦，它很关心自己朝南的进程，你看到没有，”杰克说，“它差不多每隔两小时就会转向下风。它现在右舷抢风，这你是可以看见的。可是把船转向下风，是要花费时间的，而且不管怎么说，我不想引起它的怀疑，所以我们不改变方向——我们尽可能朝南航行，不过走在另一条路上。我看它就像没出生的婴儿一样无知。它把我们当成了西班牙人。我们要把所有的脏东西放在那上面，去鼓励它这么想。” 斯蒂芬向上看去，在搜索了一阵之后，他发现一小片麻纱布，大小和中等的茶盘差不多，在两根缆索的结合处飘动，他还发现了几根凌乱的缩帆带。“可是，下次它转向下风的时候，我们的航道看上去会很像平行线，不过实际上我们在会合，因为我们更靠近迎风的方向，而且驶得也更快。我估计，要是一切都顺利的话——要是我们不折断什么桅杆的话——那么等它再抢风航行四段路程之后，或者相当于我们抢风航行两段路程之后，我们就应该有上风优势了。” “你是说你要捕获它，我猜想？” “这确实是我大致的想法。” “你怎么知道那是艘合法的捕获船？” “它是不列颠造的，虽然指挥它的人驾驶技术还算过得去，但他不像个驾驶它已经有一年左右的人。船上水手的技术也很差，而捕鲸船上的水手应该是很强的。他们转向下风花了很长时间。下一次他们弯腿的时候，你可以从我的望远镜里看看。每件事都说明它是捕获船，可能就是好心的西班牙人说的那艘'阿卡普科'号。” “那你希望什么时候追上它？” “算了，”杰克说，“我们还是不要试探命运吧。我只说，要是一切顺利——要是我们不折断什么桅杆，而且你也看见了，微风在增强呢……” “风现在已经这么大了，与其说像是微风，不如说更像暴风。” “……那我们可能，要是走运的话，在天暗之前就可以和它旗语交谈了。” 说到这儿，下级军官室午餐的鼓声敲响了，于是他们道了别，这是因为，杰克想留在甲板上吃基里克带来的三明治。午餐吃得匆匆忙忙，大多数军官，包括美国上尉在内，都匆匆吞下他们的食物，生怕错过了片刻的追逐过程，不过，大家还是聊了几句。从他们的交谈中可以了解到，在差不多三遍钟的时候，捕鲸船扯起了所有的上桅帆，而“惊奇”号没有跟着扯起那些最上帆，部分的原因是怕最上帆无法承受，但更大的原因是不想显得在追逐它——他们还说，捕鲸船当然输得很惨，它可怕地落到了下风——他们说不管是谁在驾驶它，他肯定不是什么完人——他们又说，最让莫维特高兴的事，就是回想起他们在胡安·赫南戴斯岛明智地花费了时间，把军舰尽可能倾倒到一侧进行了清理。军舰上凡是他们够得着的黄铜部件都弄干净了，当时觉得很痛苦，可回想起来却神奇地感到愉，陕。 随后，下级军官室只剩下军需官、随军教士和军医，继续对付一个长长的灰色布丁。布丁才吃了不到一半，是用海象的板油做的，上面点缀着胡安·赫南戴斯岛的浆果。斯蒂芬评论道：“我见过的很多例子，说明水兵们是轻浮易变的一群人，可没有哪个比得上今天这个例子。你只要想想上一个星期，想想在昨天一系列事件中达到高潮的那整个星期一想想昨天才发生的事情——想想那些沉默、焦虑、几乎可以说是鬼魂附身的脸，他们不仅没有通常的大笑，甚至连俏皮话、小聪明也没有，再想想大家对即将来临、无可逃避的厄运的预感，你再比较一下今天这种轻快的嬉笑、活泼的眼神、一蹦三跳的步态，你禁不住要问自己，这些人是否仅仅是毫无责任感的、爱耍孩子脾气的无聊之徒呢……” “你自己才是无聊之徒呢。”下级军官室的管家在门的另一边嘟囔着说，他正在和基里克喝军官们喝剩的葡萄酒。 “……或者见风使舵的人。可随后你想到，同样的这些人环绕了整个水陆形成的地球，有时候航行还是在非常艰苦的状况下完成的，这又说明他们有某种坚定恒常的品质。” “我听说他们的轻浮归因于这样的事实：在他们和永恒之间只有九英寸的木板。”马丁说。 “九英寸？”军需官说，他开怀大笑起来。“哟，要是有了九英寸木板你就轻浮，那要是在一艘老式轻型护卫舰里你会怎么样呢？变成一个热气球，毫无疑问。上帝啊——我的乖乖，'晾奇'号船底有些部分，你用一把修笔刀就可以轻松地凿透。九英寸！噢，上帝，哈，哈，哈！” “阁下，阁下，”卡拉米叫道，他跑了进来，站在斯蒂芬的椅子跟前，“捕鲸船收起了上桅帆——我们马上就要改变航向了，我们肯定要在这班值岗期间赶上它了。阁下，求你”——他温柔亲切地看着斯蒂芬，说道——“我可以要一片布丁吗？一直追船，我饿得可厉害了。” 实际上远没有等这班值岗结束，“惊奇”号就赶上了它。捕鲸船是倒霉的“阿卡普科”号，它完全被西班牙的舰旗蒙骗了，舰旗是两艘船相隔两英里远的时候，杰克下命令升起来的。捕鲸船降下了前桅中桅帆，顶风停船，而被俘的美国水兵们在沉默的苦恼中站着，同时“惊奇”号在“阿卡普科”号船头对面占据了扫射的位置，迅速伸出了偏舷各炮，把假旗换成了真旗，叫它投降。 一点抵抗的可能性都没有，它的指挥官没有任何异议地照办了。他是个戴眼镜的、忧伤的年轻人，名叫卡勒博·基尔，是“诺尔福克”号舰长的外甥。“诺尔福克”号捕获了很多捕鲸船，尽管烧了几艘，它还是没有足够的军官来把其他的带回去。 “惊奇”人对基尔先生非常友好，他们也本该如此，因为他非但没有做任何伤害他们的事情，而且由于他信任别人的天性，他们没有付出多少代价就得到了一艘捕获船，船上载满的白油和鲸脑油大部分来自其他捕鲸船，艾伦先生估计这些可以值十万美元。 “非常好，这是肯定的。”杰克·奥布雷说，一边对他的报告微笑着。“而且上帝知道，我不是个把十万美元随便送人的人。可是船匠和掌帆长还有更好的消息：'阿卡普科'号塞满了，塞满了圆材、索具、帆布，足够在海上游弋三年用的。它才出航了六个月，几乎没用掉任何东西。” 下级军官室对基尔先生很友好，其他“惊奇”人对他的船员也很好。这些船员中包括“阿卡普科”号的一些水手，他们急于要避免别人指控他们为外国人服役，支持国王的敌人，于是，有关“诺尔福克”号过去和将来行动的所有事情，凡是他们知道的，他们全都说了出来。然而，是卡勒博·基尔的情报让杰克心里除去了最令人苦恼的焦虑。基尔是个读书人，在所有人当中他和马丁、斯蒂芬最合得来。不过，他的兴趣和人更有关联，他更感兴趣的是原始状态的人，而不是植物和野兽。他迷恋于高贵的野蛮人这样一种想法，去了很多美洲土著生活的地方，尽量地去了解他们在战争或和平期间的社会结构，了解他们的律法、习俗和历史。一天下午，“惊奇”号仍在尽可能地搬运“阿卡普科”号上的东西，仍在尽量把自己的甲板之间塞满，而劳伦斯先生在和杰克吃饭，同时基尔、马丁、斯蒂芬三个人喝着马德拉葡萄酒，在下级军官室里逗留。“被俘当然让我极其难堪，”他评论说，“可是，或许从纯粹私人的角度来看，被派去指挥这艘不幸的船，让我更加难堪。因为从我们航程的一开始，我就一心一意想去看马尔盖萨斯。阁下，它对我来说，一点也不比你的见血封喉树、你的两趾的树懒、渡渡鸟、孤栖鸟更不重要，尤其是华希伐，我舅父一直把它称为天堂。”“他叫它天堂，真的？”斯蒂芬问，他想起从“达奈伊”号邮船上找到的信中用了同样的短语。“是的，阁下。也许不是正统的长老会的天堂，可它如此适意，如此令人愉快，他甚至想在那儿设立一个殖民地。事实上，他身边还带了一些移住民。我听到过很多关于岛民体制的描述，这些描述彼此不同，而且经常混乱不清，不过所有的描述都说它尤其注重各种禁忌或者说塔布，说它注重亲缘关系；都说他们非同寻常地友善，非同寻常地英俊，他们唯一的缺点是食人肉，另外就是无限制的婚前私通。可这