the rail and was swimming below us in the deep somewhere. In the last hours of night a curtain of black rain swept us and the men turned on their stomachs in the ash-laden downpour. Around the stern, ballast stones from the hull of a sailing ship popped out of the black waves and rolled around, and I dodged one to look over the rail, and I saw John bringing them up by the armful and throwing them onto the ship.
There’s my little vandal
, John said to me when he climbed aboard. I still didn’t know the Idiot had ruined his logbook. I thought he meant that I had bruised the book by shoving it across the galley table. I hung my head and helped him collect the ballast stones in a pile.
The circle of stones gave off a faint light, and I thought St. Elmo’s fire or phosphorus fog. Out of thedull light two faint figures took shape, two men in gray rags putting out their hands as if to get warmth from the bluish lit stones.
No you don’t, you don’t run, Vandalboy
, said John. He had me by the arm as I backed away from the odd conjuring going on. He said he wanted me to meet some friends of his from the
Thomas Hyde
, the ship whose stones he had fetched for this.
John
, said one of the figures.
I should have known it was you
.
Hello Eiphey
, said John.
Who’s that with you?
and Eiphey said it was Oliver Griggs, the second mate.
John
, said Oliver Griggs, and John said
Mr. Griggs
.
Eiphey asked John if John was still fishing with Mr. Watt, and John said if you could call a crew of criminals, mutants, idiots, freaks, and murderers a fishing crew, then he probably was.
Just like the old days
, said Eiphey, and John said he guessed so.
Everybody considered the pale fire coming off the stones.
So how is Mr. Watt?
said Eiphey, and John said he thought Mr. Watt’s eyes were giving out, that it was getting nearly impossible for him to read the charts.
A small rough sea from the squall struck the shipand the ballast stones shifted so that the gray figures flickered and became even fainter for a moment.
I guess you’re wondering about your girlfriend
, Eiphey said, and John said he was hoping maybe Eiphey had heard something from, well, down there.
Eiphey told him there was nothing new. He said
You still hear the shark story now and then but really nothing else
. He said
Sorry
.
It’s all right
, said John,
I have all the time in the world to keep looking
. John said he had just gotten more nets to help him look and that Black Master Chief Harold was working on a new engine to pull an even bigger net.
I heard something
, said Oliver Griggs.
You, Mr. Griggs?
said John.
Don’t tell it
, said Eiphey.
What do you mean, don’t tell it?
said John, and Eiphey said he only meant for Oliver Griggs to tell it if he was sure it was a true thing he was telling.
No offense, Oliver
, said Eiphey.
I know what you’re saying, Eiphey Deacon
, said Oliver Griggs.
I know what your meaning is: can a mutineer speak the truth, right? Well, to hell with you
.
That’s not what I meant
, said Eiphey.
Sure it is
, said Oliver Griggs.
Tell it
, said John.
What difference would it make?
said Oliver Griggs.
Do you think I’m worried about being caught in a lie? What can be done to me that hasn’t been done? Already my soul just stones scattered on the ocean floor. I’m not afraid of you anymore, Eiphey Deacon, or you either, John, so fucking big. Throw my stones back over the side, just don’t insult me
.
Speak
, said John.
Don’t get your hopes up, John
, said Eiphey Deacon.
It’s a grim story I’ve heard several ways. Oliver’s version we got from a man we found hugging a cask adrift the Horn. He was delirious
.
Tell it, damn you both
, said John.
I won’t be insulted
, said Oliver Griggs.
Throw his stones over, Fishboy
, John said.
You won’t do it, thinking I might know something
, said Oliver Griggs.
Over the side, Fishboy
, said John.
Breathe your last free air ever, Oliver Griggs
, said John.
I had never seen
There’s my little vandal
, John said to me when he climbed aboard. I still didn’t know the Idiot had ruined his logbook. I thought he meant that I had bruised the book by shoving it across the galley table. I hung my head and helped him collect the ballast stones in a pile.
The circle of stones gave off a faint light, and I thought St. Elmo’s fire or phosphorus fog. Out of thedull light two faint figures took shape, two men in gray rags putting out their hands as if to get warmth from the bluish lit stones.
No you don’t, you don’t run, Vandalboy
, said John. He had me by the arm as I backed away from the odd conjuring going on. He said he wanted me to meet some friends of his from the
Thomas Hyde
, the ship whose stones he had fetched for this.
John
, said one of the figures.
I should have known it was you
.
Hello Eiphey
, said John.
Who’s that with you?
and Eiphey said it was Oliver Griggs, the second mate.
John
, said Oliver Griggs, and John said
Mr. Griggs
.
Eiphey asked John if John was still fishing with Mr. Watt, and John said if you could call a crew of criminals, mutants, idiots, freaks, and murderers a fishing crew, then he probably was.
Just like the old days
, said Eiphey, and John said he guessed so.
Everybody considered the pale fire coming off the stones.
So how is Mr. Watt?
said Eiphey, and John said he thought Mr. Watt’s eyes were giving out, that it was getting nearly impossible for him to read the charts.
A small rough sea from the squall struck the shipand the ballast stones shifted so that the gray figures flickered and became even fainter for a moment.
I guess you’re wondering about your girlfriend
, Eiphey said, and John said he was hoping maybe Eiphey had heard something from, well, down there.
Eiphey told him there was nothing new. He said
You still hear the shark story now and then but really nothing else
. He said
Sorry
.
It’s all right
, said John,
I have all the time in the world to keep looking
. John said he had just gotten more nets to help him look and that Black Master Chief Harold was working on a new engine to pull an even bigger net.
I heard something
, said Oliver Griggs.
You, Mr. Griggs?
said John.
Don’t tell it
, said Eiphey.
What do you mean, don’t tell it?
said John, and Eiphey said he only meant for Oliver Griggs to tell it if he was sure it was a true thing he was telling.
No offense, Oliver
, said Eiphey.
I know what you’re saying, Eiphey Deacon
, said Oliver Griggs.
I know what your meaning is: can a mutineer speak the truth, right? Well, to hell with you
.
That’s not what I meant
, said Eiphey.
Sure it is
, said Oliver Griggs.
Tell it
, said John.
What difference would it make?
said Oliver Griggs.
Do you think I’m worried about being caught in a lie? What can be done to me that hasn’t been done? Already my soul just stones scattered on the ocean floor. I’m not afraid of you anymore, Eiphey Deacon, or you either, John, so fucking big. Throw my stones back over the side, just don’t insult me
.
Speak
, said John.
Don’t get your hopes up, John
, said Eiphey Deacon.
It’s a grim story I’ve heard several ways. Oliver’s version we got from a man we found hugging a cask adrift the Horn. He was delirious
.
Tell it, damn you both
, said John.
I won’t be insulted
, said Oliver Griggs.
Throw his stones over, Fishboy
, John said.
You won’t do it, thinking I might know something
, said Oliver Griggs.
Over the side, Fishboy
, said John.
Breathe your last free air ever, Oliver Griggs
, said John.
I had never seen
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