Ностромо
Chapter 8
Heknewnowwherehewas,andhehopedtorunthesinkinglighterashoreintheshallowcovewherethehigh,cliff-likeendoftheGreatIsabelisdividedintwoequalpartsbyadeepandovergrownravine.
Decoudpumpedwithoutintermission.Nostromosteeredwithoutrelaxingforasecondtheintense,peeringeffortofhisstare.Eachofthemwasasifutterlyalonewithhistask.Itdidnotoccurtothemtospeak.Therewasnothingincommonbetweenthembuttheknowledgethatthedamagedlightermustbeslowlybutsurelysinking.Inthatknowledge,whichwaslikethecrucialtestoftheirdesires,theyseemedtohavebecomecompletelyestranged,asiftheyhaddiscoveredintheveryshockofthecollisionthatthelossofthelighterwouldnotmeanthesamethingtothemboth.Thiscommondangerbroughttheirdifferencesinaim,inview,incharacter,andinposition,intoabsoluteprominenceintheprivatevisionofeach.Therewasnobondofconviction,ofcommonidea;theyweremerelytwoadventurerspursuingeachhisownadventure,involvedinthesameimminenceofdeadlyperil.Thereforetheyhadnothingtosaytoeachother.Butthisperil,thisonlyincontrovertibletruthinwhichtheyshared,seemedtoactasaninspirationtotheirmentalandbodilypowers.
TherewascertainlysomethingalmostmiraculousinthewaytheCapatazmadethecovewithnothingbuttheshadowyhintoftheisland’sshapeandthevaguegleamofasmallsandystripforaguide.
