第56章

“Well？”askedMac，foritwashewhostillsurvivedinthatshamblesofacabin。

“It’sdone；they’realldead。”answeredCarthew。

“Christ！”saidtheIrishman，andfainted。

Theginwasfoundinthedeadcaptain’scabin；itwasbroughtondeck，andallhandshadadram，andattackedtheirfarthertask。Thenightwascome，themoonwouldnotbeupforhours；alampwassetonthemainhatchtolightAmaluashewasheddowndecks；andthegalleylanternwastakentoguidetheothersintheirgraveyardbusiness。Holdorsen，Hemstead，Trent，andGoddedaalwerefirstdisposedof，thelaststillbreathingashewentovertheside；Wallenfollowed；andthenWicks，steadiedbythegin，wentaloftwithaboathookandsucceededindislodgingHardy。TheChinamanwastheirlasttask；heseemedtobelight-headed，talkedaloudinhisunknownlanguageastheybroughthimup，anditwasonlywiththesplashofhissinkingbodythatthegibberishceased。

Brown，bycommonconsent，wasleftalone。Fleshandbloodcouldgonofurther。

Allthistimetheyhadbeendrinkingundilutedginlikewater；

threebottlesstoodbroachedindifferentquarters；andnonepassedwithoutagulp。Tommycollapsedagainstthemainmast；Wicksfellonhisfaceonthepoopladderandmovednomore；Amaluhadvanishedunobserved。Carthewwasthelastafoot：hestoodswayingatthebreakofthepoop，andthelantern，whichhestillcarried，swungwithhismovement。Hisheadhummed；itswarmedwithbrokenthoughts；memoryofthatday’sabominationsflaredupanddieddownwithinhimlikethelightofalampinastrongdraught。Andthenhehadadrunkard’sinspiration。

“Theremustbenomoreofthis。”hethought，andstumbledoncemorebelow。

TheabsenceofHoldorsen’sbodybroughthimtoastand。Hestoodandstaredattheemptyfloor，andthenrememberedandsmiled。Fromthecaptain’sroomhetooktheopencasewithonedozenandthreebottlesofgin，putthelanterninside，andwalkedprecariouslyforth。Macwasoncemoreconscious，hiseyeshaggard，hisfacedrawnwithpainandflushedwithfever；

andCarthewrememberedhehadneverbeenseento，hadlaintherehelpless，andwassotolieallnight，injured，perhapsdying。Butitwasnowtoolate；reasonhadnowfledfromthatsilentship。IfCarthewcouldgetondeckagain，itwasasmuchashecouldhope；andcastingontheunfortunateaglanceofpity，thetragicdrunkardshoulderedhiswayupthecompanion，droppedthecaseoverboard，andfellinthescuppershelpless。

Withthefirstcolourintheeast，Carthewawokeandsatup。A

whilehegazedatthescrollofthemorningbankandthesparsandhangingcanvasofthebrig，likeamanwhowakesinastrangebed，withachild’ssimplicityofwonder。Hewonderedaboveallwhatailedhim，whathehadlost，whatdisfavourhadbeendonehim，whichheknewheshouldresent，yethadforgotten。Andthen，likeariverburstingthroughadam，thetruthrolledonhimitsinstantaneousvolume：hismemoryteemedwithspeechandpicturesthatheshouldneveragainforget；andhesprangtohisfeet，stoodamomenthandtobrow，andbegantowalkviolentlytoandfrobythecompanion。Ashewalked，hewrunghishands。“God——God——God。”hekeptsaying，withnothoughtofprayer，utteringamerevoiceofagony。

Thetimemayhavebeenlongorshort，itwasperhapsminutes，perhapsonlyseconds，ereheawoketofindhimselfobserved，andsawthecaptainsittingupandwatchinghimoverthebreakofthepoop，astrangeblindnessasoffeverinhiseyes，ahaggardknotofcorrugationsonhisbrow。Cainsawhimselfinamirror。Foraflashtheylookeduponeachother，andthenglancedguiltilyaside；andCarthewfledfromtheeyeofhisaccomplice，andstoodleaningonthetaffrail。

Anhourwentby，whilethedaycamebrighter，andthesunroseanddrankuptheclouds：anhourofsilenceintheship，anhourofagonybeyondnarrationforthesufferers。Brown’sgabblingprayers，thecriesofthesailorsintherigging，strainsofthedeadHemstead’sminstrelsy，rantogetherinCarthew’smind，withsickeningiteration。Heneitheracquittednorcondemnedhimself：hedidnotthink，hesuffered。Inthebrightwaterintowhichhestared，thepictureschangedandwererepeated：thebaresarkrageofGoddedaal；theblood-redlightofthesunsetint

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