Scene 2 - The deck of the Sallv Forth, anchored in the Thames estuary. One year later. Evening. While secretly drinking from the rum bottle, the crew goes about its tasks, the cook fishing over the railing, two sailors splicing lines, etc. Marlow is seated front stage right, with his back to what is going on, weaving at a hand loom with a shuttle. A full moon hangs in the sky. Wash hangs on a line, including a red nightshirt. Rising to his feet, MARLOW goes to the railing and stands looking at the moon
MARLOW
(no music written yet)
WHAT A MOON THERE IS TONIGHT, LADS,
SHINING SILVER HIGH ABOVE
AND THE LINE TWIST SKY AND WATER
JOINS THEM, LUMINOUS, IN LOVE.
(sighing, MARLOW returns to his loom and
continues weaving.)
SAILOR 1
FINE FOR 'IM TO SPEAK 0' LOVERS
WI' HIS OWN DEAR BRIDE ABOARD
SAILOR 2
OUT 0' SIXTY MILLION BRITONS
'E'S THE ONLY ONE WHAT'S SCORED
COOK
WE BEEN ANCHORED 'ERE TWO MONTHS NOW
WI' A EMPTY CARGO HOLD
RUMOURS SAY THEY'RE SELLIN' SALLY
SELLIN' SALLY CAUSE SHE'S OLD.
CREW
BITCHIN'S ALL THE PLEASURE LEFT US
THAT AN' DRINKIN' PLANTER'S RUM
WHEN THE OWNERS SELL OLD SALLY
WHERE'S THE NEXT DRINK COMIN’ FROM?
SAILOR 1
CAP'N'S STRICT, BUT EVEN-HANDED
‘E'S A GOOD ‘UN CAP'N IS
SCRIMPS AND SAVES TO PAY OUR WAGES
WEAVIN' ON THAT SAIL OF 'IS.
SAILOR 2
THAT'S A SAIL 'E'S WEAVING ON THERE?
SAILOR 1
WHA' THE DEVIL ‘AD YA GUESSED?
SAILOR 2
KEPT IMAGININ’ A SHROUD! DAMN!
MUS’ BE JUST A MITE DEPRESSED.
CREW
BITCHIN'S ALL THE PLEASURE LEFT US
THAT AN' DRINKIN' PLANTER'S RUM
WHEN THE BASTARDS SELL OUR SALLY
WHERE'S THE NEXT DRINK COMIN' FROM?
SAILOR 1
(climbs drunkenly on a box)
FOR OUR FATE I BLAME 'ER 'IGHNESS
NEVER WED NOR RIGHTLY WOOED
LONG AS SHE REMAINS A MAIDEN
ENGLAND WILL BE ROYALLY SCREWED!
(falls off box laughing)
Marlow reprimands the sailors over their disrespect for the queen and they apologize. But their attention is taken by the cook who’s trying to reel in a large fish he’s hooked. Suddenly there is a loud splash as the line breaks and the pole snaps upward. The cook stares into the water, incredulous. He tells them something large and white has just snapped their supper off the line. Marlow and his wife will be dining on hardtack and limeade again.
Enter an angry MRS. MARLOW. She tells Marlow she’s not eating tack and limeade again, in fact she’s leaving the ship. Marlow tries to calm her, but she won’t be pacified.
MRS. MARLOW
I'm fed up. Fed up, do you hear?
I’M FED UP
I'M FED UP WITH HARDTACK AND LIMEADE
WITH LIVING THIS STUPID LIFE AT SEA
BUT MOST OF ALL, DEAR CAPTAIN MARLOW
I'M FED UP WITH VIRGINITY.
MARLOW
But Peaches, before we married you were so proud of
being a virgin.
MRS MARLOW
Yes. But who knew you expected your wife ever to remain one?
YOU TOLD ME YOU NEVER WOULD MARRY
A WOMAN WHO'D SLEPT WITH OTHER MEN
WELL, LET ME SAY, DEAR CAPTAIN MARLOW
I'D DONE SO AGAIN AND AGAIN.
MRS MARLOW
I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF LYING IN MY HAMMOCK ALL THE NIGHT
WITH NO ONE THERE TO HONOR ME,
NO ARMS TO HOLD ME TIGHT
THE ONLY SOUND TO FILL MY EARS THE CREAKING OF THE SHIP
THE SNORING OF THE CREW, THE FLUSHING OF THE BLOODY LOO
I'M FED UP PROMOTING A HYMEN
THAT NEVER DID COME ABOARD THIS SHIP
BUT MOST OF ALL, DEAR HUSBAND MARLOW
I'M FED UP WITH YOUR EGO TRIP.
MARLOW
Dearest, the crew....
MRS MARLOW
I WANT YOUR CREW TO KNOW IT'S NOT THEIR CAPTAIN THAT I
BLAME
FOR LONELY NIGHTS THAT TORTURE ME AND FILL MY HEART
WITH SHAME
THE ONE RESPONSIBLE IS SHE WHO DRESSES ALL IN WHITE --
YOU KNOW JUST WHO I MEAN: HER MAJESTY,
THE VIRGIN QUEEN.
I'M LEAVING FOR LONDON THIS MINUTE
MY LAWYER WILL SHORTLY RING YOUR BELL
HE'LL HELP ME FIND SOME WAY TO SCREW YOU
TILL, CAPTAIN, YOU'RE FED UP AS WELL!
MARLOW
Calm yourself, my dear. I'll row you to shore in the morning, if you feel you must go.
MRS MARLOW
I'll row myself -- Lord knows I could use some exercise!
Mrs. Marlow steps through the railing and disappears out of sight down a ladder. The others resume their activities. Suddenly from O.S. a faint scream and splash. The cook, sneaking a swig of rum, stares over the railing, his face a mask of horror. Marlow thinks he heard a cry. Cook tries to reassure Marlow that it was nothing but a seagull. His legs rubber, cook flings the rum bottle overboard and goes off to make supper. Marlow starts to philosophize aloud regarding what just happened with his wife.
MARLOW
You see, lads, this loom can be said to
represent Life.
The weft is Destiny, and this shuttle that I throw
through the weft is Necessity. Uh...wait a minute. I
think I've got it wrong.
SAILOR 1
With all respect, sir, my first wife did a bit
o'
weavin' and she always called those fixed thread the
warp. The others were the woof.
MARLOW
The woof? Then which is the weft?
SAILOR 1
The woof is the weft, sir. That which you were calling
the weft is the warp.
MARLOW
I see. Then tell me: if the woof is the weft, and the
weft is the warp, which is Free Will?
SAILOR 1
I'd hazard, sir, that the woof is Free Will.
Woof 'as
a certain free ring to it, as in runnin', jumpin', and' woofin'.
Marlow feels he’s going mad. He tells the crew that the fault for England’s woes is not the queen, but he himself. He’s to blame that the queen is still a maid. The crew is amazed at his words. Taking the shuttle in both hands he shakes it.
MARLOW
Ye Gods! If only I were as strong and quick as this shuttle,
I would see to it my queen was properly served. Do you see
this shuttle, sirs? It is not Free Will. It is not Fate, not Necessity.
It is....
(MARLOW thrusts the shuttle through the
web, misses the catch, and it clatters
across the deck and through the railing)
...overboard!
(They listen for the splash, but hear
only a thump)
Peering overboard they see a large white shape, pull it onto the deck, and discover that it’s a white whale. Its hump indicates it’s a sperm whale, an extinct species. The sailors EXIT and Marlow recalls a white sperm that lived back in his great, great grandfather’s time nearly two centuries ago. The whale begins to come to and Marlow helps it up. He steps back and the magnificent whale stands upright.
MARLOW
My God! Who are you?
MOBY
Call me Moby.