Chapter 18: His Mark

Though the owners object at first to his paganism, Queequeg impresses them with his skill by hitting a tiny spot of tar on the water with a harpoon. They give him the ninetieth lay, “more than ever was given a harpooneer yet out of Nantucket.” Bildad tries to convert Queequeg to Christianity, but Peleg tells him to give up: “Pious harpooneers never make good voyagers—it takes the shark out of ’em; no harpooneer is worth a straw who ain’t pretty sharkish.” Peleg reminds Bildad that, at sea, practical concerns shove religious matters aside. 


A huge white whale in the depths of the ocean.


Charged by Yojo, Queequeg’s wooden idol, to seek a ship for the two men, Ishmael lights upon the Pequod, a ship “with an old fashioned claw-footed look about her” and “apparelled like any barbaric Ethiopian emperor, his neck heavy with pendants of polished ivory.” Ishmael also calls the Pequod a “cannibal of a craft” because it is bejeweled with whale parts. On board, he makes a deal with Peleg and Bildad, the ship’s Quaker owners, who are characterized as conniving cheapskates and bitter taskmasters. Although Quakers are generally pacifists, these two have dedicated their life to the bloody slaughter of whales. Evaluating what lay Ishmael should receive (his portion of the ship’s profits and his only wages), Peleg finally gives him the 300th lay. At this time, Ishmael also learns that the ship’s captain is the mysterious Ahab, named after a wicked biblical king. Although Ahab has been moody and secretive since losing his leg in an encounter with the great white whale Moby Dick, Bildad and Peleg believe in his competence and they believe him harmless, since he has a young wife and an infant child waiting for him at home.

 


Ishmael and Queequeg settle at the Try-Pots for the night, an inn owned by the cousin of the Spouter-Inn’s owner. Ishmael is disturbed by an old topmast above the inn that looks ominously like a gallows. Everything on Nantucket is touched by the sea: the milk tastes of fish, and the innkeeper’s wife wears a necklace of fish vertebrae. The two friends have a supper of hearty chowder.




OK so that was a slightly childish title. This is in fact the 14th chapter of Moby Dick - Nantucket. Please give it a listen and enjoy the heck out of it.

 Chapter 13 it is!

It's been a while but here's the next chapter from Moby Dick, Queequeg and co head aboard a passenger amidst a terrible storm! 



Viking Helmet with wings


A short excerpt from the novel and audiobook by Shona Richmond, look her up on Audible or Amazon.

 

 I've been a busy boy narrating a series of books  by Shona Richmond based in Norse and Viking mythology. It's a fascinating series exploring the escapades lof the Raghnall family, a dynasty of Irish-Gaelic warriors struggling to emerge victorious in a blood-thirsty era of survival and empire building.



Canon cinema camera

I made this short film in lockdown while bored!! Was quite tricky setting up the camera and sound and then doing the lines etc but fun and it kept me entertained for an afternoon.




 I recently stayed in a disused church in the south west of England - Church Camping or Champing as it's affectionally known. You can find out more at champing.co.uk but in short it's a way of raising money to fund the maintenance of these buildings. 

Captain keeping guard in the church!

It was a fairly cordial event really, a camp bed was provided along with a kettle and some hot drinks and candles. The bed was by a large leaded window and hd a row of candles on the sill. I decided before I got there that I might do some recording while I was there, and what better to record than Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven? 

I arrived in the mid afternoon and parked up adjacent to the church. I settled in and took the dog for a walk, and by 7.30pm it was getting dark. By 8pm it was pretty much pitch black in the church. I set up my mic and recorder and recited the poem, and shortly after, the heavens opened - that was probably the best bit, the sound of wind, rain and distant thunder while lurking quietly in an ancient church with just my dog Captain for company!

I literally slept on someone's grave...

Below is a the audio recording and below that is a video I also made while there.


It's here, my latest audiobook, The Encore, by Lauren Holmes. I'm so pumped when a book goes on sale, it feels like I've really achieved something! It's quite an interesting concept for a novel - a distant planet, analogous to Earth, is in dire trouble, the ecology of the planet is collapsing due to an invasive new plant species. They've tried everything they can to stop the total destruction of their world, and are forced to look elsewhere to find the skills and talent needed to find solutions. They need people who can think outside the box and be creative and inventive. 
Enter Earth's Connor Kane, not an entirely willing participant in this strange planet's struggle, but he's given no choice but to roll up his sleeves and do what he does best - unlock people's potential!
Have a listen to the first 5 minutes below and checkout the book on Audible.