Chapter 13

           Theend,whenitcame,wasasgradualaseverythingelsehadbeensincethefirstimpact.Justastherewasnoonemomentatwhicheveryoneintheshiprealizedthatshehadsuffereddamage;justastherewasnoonemomentwhenthewholeofhercompanyrealizedthattheymustleaveher;justastherewasnoonemomentwhenallintheshipunderstoodthattheirliveswereinperil,andnomomentwhentheyallknewshemustsink;sotherewasnoonemomentatwhichallthoseleftonboardcouldhavesaid,“Sheisgone.”Atonemomentthefloorofthebridge,wheretheCaptainstood,wasawash;thenextawavecamealongandcovereditwithfourfeetofwater,inwhichtheCaptainwasforamomentwashedaway,althoughhestruggledbackandstoodthereagain,uptohiskneesinwater.“Boys,youcandonomore,”heshouted,“lookoutforyourselves!”Standingnearhimwasafiremanand­strangejuxtaposition­twounclaimedsolitarylittlechildren,scarcemorethanbabies.Thefiremanseizedoneinhisarms,theCaptainanother;anotherwavecameandtheywereafloatindeepwater,strikingoutovertherailofthebridgeawayfromtheship.

           Theslopeofthedeckincreased,andtheseacamewashingupagainstitaswaveswashagainstasteepshore.Andthenthathelplessmassofhumanitywasstrickenatlastwiththefearofdeath,andbegantoscramblemadlyaft,awayfromthechasmofwaterthatkeptcreepingupandupthedecks.Thenastrangethinghappened.Theywhohadbeenwaitingtosinkintotheseafoundthemselvesrisingintotheairastheslopeofthedecksgrewsteeper.