The Great Lines 



tinually in the wheelhouse, assessing possible variations in the 

 weather from forecasts picked up in four languages, English, 

 German, Danish, Icelandic. He also spoke fluently, Jan learned 

 later, in a tongue that was peculiar to Eskimoes though few, even 

 among the Eskimoes, remembered it. 



The conversation in the wheelhouse continued for two hours. 

 Every detail of the planning of the trip was carefully examined. 

 Jan was even told, in advance, where they would have to use 

 weights on the lines; and the reasons were explained to him. 

 * There's strong southerly current round these two banks. That's 

 probably one of the reasons that the 'huts love them. An un- 

 weighted line would sink so slowly that the current might have 

 carried it for damned near a quarter of a mile before it hit the 

 bottom. And the bottom shelves steeply. Instead of ending up 

 where I want it, between two hundred and two fifty fathoms under 

 us, it might touch the ground at anything up to one twenty on the 

 north side and dovsTi to three hundred on the south. So we'll need 

 weights to sink it quickly, before the current gets a chance to 

 carry it very far.' 



Jan climbed down the starboard companionw^ay as the Honor 

 heaved up over his head, bearing images of lines curling away in 

 the darkness of a mid- water current, their baited hooks flopping 

 like white flags of surrender. Images, too, of sea lanes, not so 

 much as a quarter of a mile wide, lanes populated by halibut, huge 

 grinning greedy halibut, lanes that ran round the side of a submar- 

 ine hill, lanes as regular as a cinder track. Only in these lanes did 

 the halibut live. They never climbed to the top of the hill. They 

 just meandered, though somewhat impolitely since they were 

 hungry, nodding perhaps to their brothers and sisters who were 

 also circumambulating the tiny traffic lane. And then, along this 

 lane, a fine thread of Italian hemp, swirling with white flags and 

 ready food, floated with lazy precision. And the hungry grey hali- 

 but bit at the food and were caught. They were haltered to the 

 hemp . One and a half fathoms of freedom was alloted them . They 

 flung themselves round, in energetic but helpless circles. One 



225 



