I had an interesting conversation with Harpooneer King Dragon today. This is a fellow with whom I have often had difficulty making headway, communicatively speaking. His unique manner of expression, I confess, has at times caused me to question both his meaning and his motives. And so this evening I took it upon myself to attempt to bridge the gap, with very stimulating results. He explained to me that many of the things he said were examples of a verbal device employed for the purposes of humor. If careful attention were paid to the object of each sentence, he continued, one would find that they contained a clever metarelational reference to a broader theme that applies to the very occupation that we all share and cherish in common, that of whaling. We then spent a pleasant respite exchanging personal histories and hard-earned reflections on the human condition. I now believe him to be a man deeply rich in character, and very protective of his crew mates, that they might avoid some of the privations he himself has experienced. I am also quite fond of his beard.
