Ностромо
Chapter 7
Itshallbetalkedaboutwhenthelittlechildrenaregrownupandthegrownmenareold.Aha!theMonteristsmustnotgetholdofit,Iamtold,whateverhappenstoNostromotheCapataz;andtheyshallnothaveit,Itellyou,sinceithasbeentiedforsafetyroundNostromo’sneck.”
“Iseeit,”murmuredDecoud.Hesaw,indeed,thathiscompanionhadhisownpeculiarviewofthisenterprise.
Nostromointerruptedhisreflectionsuponthewaymen’squalitiesaremadeuseof,withoutanyfundamentalknowledgeoftheirnature,bytheproposaltheyshouldslipthelongoarsoutandsweepthelighterinthedirectionoftheIsabels.Itwouldn’tdofordaylighttorevealthetreasurefloatingwithinamileorsooftheharbourentrance.Thedenserthedarknessgenerally,thesmarterwerethepuffsofwindonwhichhehadreckonedtomakehisway;buttonightthegulf,underitsponchoofclouds,remainedbreathless,asifdeadratherthanasleep.
DonMartin’ssofthandssufferedcruelly,tuggingatthethickhandleoftheenormousoar.Hestucktoitmanfully,settinghisteeth.He,too,wasinthetoilsofanimaginativeexistence,andthatstrangeworkofpullingalighterseemedtobelongnaturallytotheinceptionofanewstate,acquiredanidealmeaningfromhisloveforAntonia.Foralltheirefforts,theheavilyladenlighterhardlymoved.Nostromocouldbeheardswearingtohimselfbetweentheregularsplashesofthesweeps.“Wearemakingacrookedpath,”hemutteredtohimself.
