Ностромо
Chapter 7
“Perhapsmylastwordstoher,”hehadsaid,pressingMrs.Gould’shand.
TheCapataznevercheckedhisspeed.Attheheadofthewharfvaguefigureswithriflesleapttotheheadofhishorse;otherscloseduponhim—cargadoresofthecompanypostedbyCaptainMitchellonthewatch.Atawordfromhimtheyfellbackwithsubservientmurmurs,recognizinghisvoice.Attheotherendofthejetty,nearacargocrane,inadarkgroupwithglowingcigars,hisnamewaspronouncedinatoneofrelief.MostoftheEuropeansinSulacowerethere,ralliedroundCharlesGould,asifthesilveroftheminehadbeentheemblemofacommoncause,thesymbolofthesupremeimportanceofmaterialinterests.Theyhadloadeditintothelighterwiththeirownhands.NostromorecognizedDonCarlosGould,athin,tallshapestandingalittleapartandsilent,towhomanothertallshape,theengineer-in-chief,saidaloud,“Ifitmustbelost,itisamilliontimesbetterthatitshouldgotothebottomofthesea.”
MartinDecoudcalledoutfromthelighter,“Aurevoir,messieurs,tillweclasphandsagainoverthenew-bornOccidentalRepublic.”Onlyasubduedmurmurrespondedtohisclear,ringingtones;andthenitseemedtohimthatthewharfwasfloatingawayintothenight;butitwasNostromo,whowasalreadypushingagainstapilewithoneoftheheavysweeps.Decouddidnotmove;theeffectwasthatofbeinglaunchedintospace.AfterasplashortwotherewasnotasoundbutthethudofNostromo’sfeetleapingabouttheboat.
