Ностромо
Chapter 8
Atthatthoughthehadseen,likethebeginningofanotherdream,avisionofsteepandtidelessshores,withdarkpinesontheheightsandwhitehouseslowdownnearaverybluesea.Hesawthequaysofabigport,wherethecoastingfeluccas,withtheirlateensailsoutspreadlikemotionlesswings,enterglidingsilentlybetweentheendoflongmolesofsquaredblocksthatprojectangularlytowardseachother,huggingaclusterofshippingtothesuperbbosomofahillcoveredwithpalaces.Herememberedthesesightsnotwithoutsomefilialemotion,thoughhehadbeenhabituallyandseverelybeatenasaboyononeofthesefeluccasbyashort-necked,shavenGenoese,withadeliberateanddistrustfulmanner,who(hefirmlybelieved)hadcheatedhimoutofhisorphan’sinheritance.Butitismercifullydecreedthattheevilsofthepastshouldappearbutfaintlyinretrospect.Underthesenseofloneliness,abandonment,andfailure,theideaofreturntothesethingsappearedtolerable.But,what?Return?Withbarefeetandhead,withonecheckshirtandapairofcottoncalzonerosforallworldlypossessions?
TherenownedCapataz,hiselbowsonhiskneesandafistdugintoeachcheek,laughedwithself-derision,ashehadspatwithdisgust,straightoutbeforehimintothenight.Theconfusedandintimateimpressionsofuniversaldissolutionwhichbesetasubjectivenatureatanystrongchecktoitsrulingpassionhadabitternessapproachingthatofdeathitself.Hewassimple.
