"Yea, quiet." Not "Yea, sir." Not "Yea, Captain." The self clinging to
integrity will snatch at trivia. But for Ben there was a kind of
upside-down shame in reflecting that anyone else aboard who omitted the
formula of humility would very quickly be instructed with a rope's end.
And so, Ben Cory thought, it seems Ben Cory doth care about the opinion
of others, be they only the rats aboard a pirate ketch, the which would
be dem'd good and comical--could I be telling it to Ru before the fire
in Uncle John's library, and sweet Kate maybe bringing us a plate of----
"Ben, who's aloft?"
"Manuel."
"Have you chanced to look aft, the last half-hour, boy?"
"No. Watching the bow, so to keep the bearing you ordered."
"Then give me the helm, and take this glass"--Shawn's voice was rising
curiously--"and look well abaft, and tell me what you see at all."
"Where away?"
"God damn it," said Shawn, still rather softly, "find it yourself!" He
thrust the spyglass into Ben's hand and snatched the tiller, humming in
his teeth and not pleasantly.
Ben searched the northwestern arc, and found nothing but empty sea.
Something to throw him off his guard?--he lowered the glass quickly, but
Shawn was not even watching him. Shawn was staring forward, head high,
the moon's whiteness displaying his face, cold and suffering and proud.
"I don't find anything."
"Look again."
"I see the stars, a quiet sea, and not another thing."
"Judah!" Marsh hurried aft. "Take the glass, Mr. Marsh. See what you can
find to the northwest."
Ben stood away from them. He saw Marsh stiffen with uneasiness or
bewilderment; fidget, and mutter, and rub the glass with an end of his
shirt. "Mr. Shawn, sir, my one glim a'n't too sharp."
Shawn immensely filled his lungs and slowly let the breath go. "You too
maybe?... Well--it may be gone." It might be easier, Ben thought, to
endure the ache of waiting if Shawn himself would look aft again, but he
would not.
"Was it a sail, Captain?"
"It wasn't the Lamb of God walking upon the waters, Mr. Marsh. I am
changing course two points. Sou'-sou'east, d'you hear? Call that fool
Manuel from aloft, who wouldn't be seeing the entire Royal Navy and it
half a mile to wind'ard. He and Dummy will make ready to haul me the
tack--will you move, man?" Marsh vanished forward; Ben heard his thin
snarl crying Manuel down from the masthead. "Well, Cory?--get to the
mizzen, damn you!" Ready in his place--what else?--Ben presently heard
Marsh's advisory shout. "Cory, Mother of God, can't _you_ speak up like
a seaman?"
"Ready!"
"_Lee-oh!_" The _Diana_ answered calmly, undismayed. "Trim her!" Ben had
already done so, handily. "Will you sheet her in, you bloody farmer? Oh,
dear Mother of God, for _men_ to sail with me!..." Undismayed, the
_Diana_ settled to her new course under the friendly wind. A small
maneuver--a crew of boys could have done it in this soft landsman's
weather. Ben knew that Shawn had no cause to rave at his part in it;
knew also in a moment that the crying voice climbing from the region of
the helm was no longer concerned with him. "Speak plainer! I cannot hear
you.... Oh, but I will go alone if I must. Have I not alway gone alone?
Have I not alway made mine own law--as I am directed, as I am
directed--but thou knowest I am compassed about.... Plainer! Speak
_plain_!--or send me a wind and not this damned crawling breeze! Am I to
meet them in a bloody calm?... Then, most soberly and quietly: "Ben--aft
with you!"
Ben returned aft, being on duty and having perhaps no choice. "Am I to
take the helm again?"
"First look, only once more. Man dear, don't you see?--it could be I'm
growing old and foolish, but--but for all you hate me, you can't call me
fool, Beneen, you can't do that."
"I never have."
"Then look once more--the way I might've been deceived--the way the
Devil's minions are in the thing tonight, now that's no lie. I waited
too long, so I did. I cast about, while time wasted, praying for the
easier course--a fleet--men enough--seeing I could not have the support
of those who should have understood me. I prayed for the easier course,
so I did, but I tell you now, Beneen, a man must never do that."