Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad (novels in english txt) đ
- Author: Joseph Conrad
Book online «Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad (novels in english txt) đ». Author Joseph Conrad
âThis devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, and I believe they were sworn to secrecy. Their talk, however, was the talk of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the world. To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe. Who paid the expenses of the noble enterprise I donât know; but the uncle of our manager was leader of that lot.
âIn exterior he resembled a butcher in a poor neighbourhood, and his eyes had a look of sleepy cunning. He carried his fat paunch with ostentation on his short legs, and during the time his gang infested the station spoke to no one but his nephew. You could see these two roaming about all day long with their heads close together in an everlasting confab.
âI had given up worrying myself about the rivets. Oneâs capacity for that kind of folly is more limited than you would suppose. I said Hang!â âand let things slide. I had plenty of time for meditation, and now and then I would give some thought to Kurtz. I wasnât very interested in him. No. Still, I was curious to see whether this man, who had come out equipped with moral ideas of some sort, would climb to the top after all and how he would set about his work when there.â
IIâOne evening as I was lying flat on the deck of my steamboat, I heard voices approachingâ âand there were the nephew and the uncle strolling along the bank. I laid my head on my arm again, and had nearly lost myself in a doze, when somebody said in my ear, as it were: âI am as harmless as a little child, but I donât like to be dictated to. Am I the managerâ âor am I not? I was ordered to send him there. Itâs incredible.ââ ââ ⊠I became aware that the two were standing on the shore alongside the forepart of the steamboat, just below my head. I did not move; it did not occur to me to move: I was sleepy. âIt is unpleasant,â grunted the uncle. âHe has asked the Administration to be sent there,â said the other, âwith the idea of showing what he could do; and I was instructed accordingly. Look at the influence that man must have. Is it not frightful?â They both agreed it was frightful, then made several bizarre remarks: âMake rain and fine weatherâ âone manâ âthe Councilâ âby the noseââ âbits of absurd sentences that got the better of my drowsiness, so that I had pretty near the whole of my wits about me when the uncle said, âThe climate may do away with this difficulty for you. Is he alone there?â âYes,â answered the manager; âhe sent his assistant down the river with a note to me in these terms: âClear this poor devil out of the country, and donât bother sending more of that sort. I had rather be alone than have the kind of men you can dispose of with me.â It was more than a year ago. Can you imagine such impudence!â âAnything since then?â asked the other hoarsely. âIvory,â jerked the nephew; âlots of itâ âprime sortâ âlotsâ âmost annoying, from him.â âAnd with that?â questioned the heavy rumble. âInvoice,â was the reply fired out, so to speak. Then silence. They had been talking about Kurtz.
âI was broad awake by this time, but, lying perfectly at ease, remained still, having no inducement to change my position. âHow did that ivory come all this way?â growled the elder man, who seemed very vexed. The other explained that it had come with a fleet of canoes in charge of an English half-caste clerk Kurtz had with him; that Kurtz had apparently intended to return himself, the station being by that time bare of goods and stores, but after coming three hundred miles, had suddenly decided to go back, which he started to do alone in a small dugout with four paddlers, leaving the half-caste to continue down the river with the ivory. The two fellows there seemed astounded at anybody attempting such a thing. They were at a loss for an adequate motive. As to me, I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time. It was a distinct glimpse: the dugout, four paddling savages, and the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of homeâ âperhaps; setting his face towards the depths of the wilderness, towards his empty and desolate station. I did not know the motive. Perhaps he was just simply a fine fellow who stuck to his work for its own sake. His name, you understand, had not been pronounced once. He was âthat man.â The half-caste, who, as far as I could see, had conducted a difficult trip with great prudence and pluck, was invariably alluded to as âthat scoundrel.â The âscoundrelâ had reported that the âmanâ had been very illâ âhad recovered imperfectly.â ââ ⊠The two below me moved away then a few paces, and strolled back and forth at some little distance. I heard: âMilitary postâ âdoctorâ âtwo hundred milesâ âquite alone nowâ âunavoidable delaysâ ânine monthsâ âno newsâ âstrange rumours.â They approached again, just as the manager was saying, âNo one, as far as I
Comments (0)