Титаник
Chapter 5
ItisnovoicelesssolitudethroughwhichtheTitanicgoesonherway.Itisfullofwhispers,summonses,questions,narratives;fullofinformationtothelisteningear.Highupontheboatdeckthelittlewhitehousetowhichthewiresstraggledownfromtheloopedthreadsbetweenthemastheadsisfullofthevoicesofinvisibleshipsthatarecomingandgoingbeyondthehorizon.Thewirelessimpulseistoodelicatetobeusedtoactuateaneedlelikethatoftheordinarytelegraph;alittlevoiceisgiventoit,andwiththisitspeakstotheoperatorwhositswiththetelephonecapstrappedoverhisears;awhining,buzzingvoice,speakingnotinwordsbutinrhythms,correspondingtothedotsanddashesmadeonpaper,outofwhichawholealphabethasbeenevolved.Andthewirelessisthegreatestgossipintheworld.Itrepeatseverythingithears;ittellsthelistenereveryoneelse’sbusiness;itspeakstohimoftheaffairsofotherpeopleaswellashisown.Itisanever-presenteavesdropper,andtellsyouwhatotherpeoplearesayingtooneanotherinexactlythesamevoiceinwhichtheyspeaktoyou.Whenitissendingyourmessagesitshouts,splittingtheairwithcracklingflashesofforkedbluefire;butwhenithasanythingtosaytoyouitwhispersinyourearinwhining,insinuatingconfidence.Andyoumustlistenattentivelyandwithamindconcentratedonyourownbusinessifyouaretoreceivefromitwhatconcernsyou,andrejectwhatdoesnot;foritisnotalwaystheloudestwhisperthatisthemostimportant.
