Rites of Passage: With an introduction by Robert McCrum (Sea Trilogy) by Golding William

Author:Golding, William [Golding, William]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780571297245
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2013-11-04T16:00:00+00:00

BETA

Wrong again, Talbot! Learn another lesson, my boy! You fell at that fence! Never again must you lose yourself in the complacent contemplation of a first success! Captain Anderson did not come down. He sent a messenger. I was just writing the sentence about the splinter when there came a knock at the door and who should appear but Mr Summers! I bade him enter, sanded my page—imperfectly as you can see—closed and locked my journal, stood up and indicated my chair. He declined it, perched himself on the edge of my bunk, laid his cocked hat on it and looked thoughtfully at my journal.

“Locked, too!”

I said nothing but looked him in the eye, smiling slightly. He nodded as if he understood—which indeed I think he did.

“Mr Talbot, it cannot be allowed to continue.”

“My journal, you mean?”

He brushed the jest aside.

“I have looked in on the man by the captain’s orders.”

“Colley? I looked in on him myself. I agreed to, you remember.”

“The man’s reason is at stake.”

“All for a little drink. Is there still no change?”

“Phillips swears he has not moved for three days.”

I made a perhaps unnecessarily blasphemous rejoinder. Summers took no notice of it.

“I repeat, the man is losing his wits.”

“It does indeed seem so.”

“I am to do what I can, by the captain’s orders, and you are to assist me.”

“I?”

“Well. You are not ordered to assist me but I am ordered to invite your assistance and profit by your advice.”

“Upon my soul, the man is flattering me! Do you know, Summers, I was advised myself to practise the art! I little thought to find myself the object of such an exercise!”

“Captain Anderson feels that you have a social experience and awareness that may make your advice of value.”

I laughed heartily and Summers joined in.

“Come Summers! Captain Anderson never said that!”

“No, sir. Not precisely.”

“Not precisely indeed! I tell you what, Summers—”

I stopped myself in time. There were many things I felt like saying. I could have told him that Captain Anderson’s sudden concern for Mr Colley began not at any moment of appeal by me but at the moment when he heard that I kept a journal intended for influential eyes. I could have given my opinion that the captain cared nothing for Colley’s wits but sought cunningly enough to involve me in the events and so obscure the issue or at the very least soften what might well be your lordship’s acerbity and contempt. But I am learning, am I not? Before the words reached my tongue I understood how dangerous they might be to Summers—and even to me.

“Well, Mr Summers, I will do what I can.”

“I was sure you would agree. You are co-opted among us ignorant tars as the civil power. What is to be done?”

“Here we have a parson who—but come, should we not have co-opted Miss Granham? She is the daughter of a canon and might be presumed to know best how to handle the clergy!”

“Be serious, sir and leave her to Mr Prettiman.

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