16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
vorce from time and immediate contingencies
were already settling in his mind.
They talked a little, or rather shouted, about
the desirability of a thick drift of snow across
the entrance. Yet the steadily increasing cold
made the effort of shouting too great and
each relapsed into a meditative silence, carefully
spreading what clothes they had over the
whole of their persons, particularly ears,
noses, fingers. What passed for time or at
least a kind of duration no doubt went on.
Sleep in these circumstances seemed wholly
out of the question, even if it had not been for
the effect of coca-leaves, stronger by far than
any coffee known to man, above all in the
present heavy and steadily repeated doses.
Yet at some remote given point Stephen's
waking mind distinctly perceived the minute
voice of the watch deep in his bosom striking
five and then the half. 'Can this be?' he asked,