BAILING WATER Copyright (C) 1980 Homer Wilson Smith I apologize for the reverse capitalization of the following piece, it was written in APL which at the time had only capitals. This is a parable, easily understood by those who have the ears to hear, but will probably go right over the heads of those who don't. ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A SEA CAPTAIN. HE WAS THE CAPTAIN OF A BIG AND BEAUTIFUL VESSEL THAT WAS SAILING ACROSS THE SEAS WITH MANY OTHER SHIPS. THEY WERE ALL FRIENDS OF A SORT BUT THE SEA CAPTAIN KEPT TO HIMSELF MOSTLY AS HE FOUND THE PEOPLE AND CAPTAINS OF THE OTHER BOATS SMALL AND TIRING. HE FELT GUILTY FOR THIS BUT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO TO FIND INTEREST IN THEM. THEY IN TURN RESENTED HIS DISTANCE. BUT MOSTLY THEY ALL GOT ALONG AND HELPED EACH OTHER AS BEST THEY COULD. ONE DAY THERE WAS A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AND THE GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL VESSEL HIT AN UNDERWATER ROCK THAT TORE A HOLE IN HER SIDE. THE HOLE WAS NOT HUGE BUT THE SHIP WAS SINKING. AS THE SHIP LISTED LOWER IN THE WATER THE PEOPLE TRANSFERRED TO THE OTHER SHIPS NEAR BY UNTIL ALL HAD GONE BUT THE CAPTAIN. FROM THE OTHER SHIPS THEY WATCHED ON IN DISINTERESTED HORROR, FOR THE PREVAILING ATTITUDE WAS THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. SOME EVEN RESENTED THE CAPTAIN FOR STAYING BEHIND BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT OF THE DEATH OF THE CAPTAIN AS A WASTE OF AN ABLE BODY THAT WOULD BE BETTER USED TOWARDS THE SURVIVAL OF ALL. OTHERS BLAMED THE CAPTAIN FOR HAVING SUNK THE SHIP IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WERE GLAD TO SEE HIM GO. THE CAPTAIN WAS BUSY BAILING WATER. OTHERS HAD THOUGHT OF BAILING WATER BEFORE IN OTHER BOATING ACCIDENTS BUT IT HAD ALWAYS RESULTED IN FAILURE AND DROWNING SO IT WAS GENERALLY LOOKED UPON AS DANGEROUS AND STUPID. PEOPLE ALSO FELT IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE A LIVE BODY WORKING FOR THE GROUP THAN A DEAD BODY EVEN IF THE SHIP WAS SALVAGED. BUT A CAPTAIN WITHOUT HIS SHIP WAS NOT VERY HAPPY AND WOULDN'T BE VERY INTERESTED IN THE SURVIVAL OF ANYBODY, SO THIS ONE CHOSE TO RISK HIS NECK TO SAVE HIS SHIP FROM GOING UNDER. LATER MUCH TO EVERYONE'S SURPRISE THE SHIP WAS STILL AFLOAT AND PEOPLE BEGAN WONDERING WHAT WAS GOING ON. SOME THOUGHT MAYBE THE HOLE HADN'T BEEN SO BAD AFTER ALL. OTHERS THOUGHT SOMETHING FROM THE SEA MAY HAVE WASHED IN AND PLUGGED IT UP. EVEN OTHERS THOUGHT THE SHIP WAS RESTING ON AN UNDERWATER ROCK THAT KEPT IT FROM GOING UNDER. THEY GOT INTERESTED ENOUGH TO SEND OVER A SCOUTING PARTY. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THE CAPTAIN BAILING WATER LIKE MAD. AND IN BETWEEN PAIL FULLS TRYING TO PATCH UP THE HOLE. IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE HE WAS GETTING ANYWHERE. AS HE BAILED WATER OUT THE PATCHWORK ON THE HOLE FELL APART FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE SEA. AND AS HE PATCHED THE HOLE THE WATER HE BAILED OUT CAME BACK IN AGAIN. THEY LAUGHED AT HIM. THEN THEY WERE FRIGHTENED BECAUSE HE MUST BE PAGE 2 INSANE. WHY WOULD HE RISK HIS NECK IN AN OBVIOUSLY LOST CAUSE WHEN THERE WAS SAFETY ON THE OTHER BOATS. BESIDES MOST OF THE SCOUTING PARTY STILL SUSPECTED THAT AN UNDERWATER ROCK OR SOMETHING WAS THE REAL REASON THE SHIP HAD NOT YET SUNK AND THE CAPTAIN WAS WASTING HIS TIME. THEY TRIED TO GET THE CAPTAIN TO COME BACK WITH THEM. THEY WANTED HIS HELP IN AN ENGINE ROOM ON ANOTHER SHIP. BUT THE CAPTAIN WOULD NOT GO. ONE OF THE SCOUTING PARTY THREATENED HIM. HE SAID THE CAPTAIN WAS BEING SELFISH AND IF THE CAPTAIN DIDN'T RETURN WITH THE OTHERS HE WOULD SEE TO IT THAT THE CAPTAIN'S SHIP WAS SUNK WITH A BALLISTIC MISSILE FROM ONE OF THE OTHER BOATS. THE CAPTAIN LOOKED HIM STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND TOLD HIM WHERE HE COULD STICK HIS BALLISTIC MISSILE. THE SCOUTING PARTY TURNED AROUND AND LEFT. THE CAPTAIN WENT BACK TO HIS BAILING. AND THE SHIP DID NOT SINK. IT STILL LOOKED PRETTY SICK IN THE WATER BUT TO THOSE WHO WOULD NOTICE, IT WAS NOT AS LOW AS IT HAD BEEN BEFORE AND IT WAS EVEN CHUGGING ALONG WITH THE OTHERS UNDER ITS OWN STEAM. NO ONE WAS IMPRESSED. THEY CAST HIM AS AN UNETHICAL AND SELFISH RENEGADE. SOME CONSIDERED HIM DANGEROUS. IF HE WAS INSANE ENOUGH TO RISK HIS LIFE AND RESPOND SO IMPOLITELY TO THEIR WELL INTENTIONED ACTIONS WHO WAS TO SAY HE WOULDN'T SNEAK UPON THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND STAB THEM IN THE BACK OR EVEN TRY TO SINK THEIR SHIPS WITH HIS BALLISTIC MISSILES. THE CAPTAIN'S ORDEAL WAS NOT PLEASANT EITHER. HE WAS MAKING PROGRESS PATCHING UP THE HOLE BUT THE ACCIDENT HAD WEAKENED THE HULL AND IT KEPT BREAKING IN NEW PLACES. BUT THERE WERE ONLY SO MANY PLACES THAT A HULL COULD BREAK SO THE CAPTAIN FELT THAT ONE DAY HE WOULD BE OK. MAINLY NOT SURE ABOUT HOPE OR ANYTHING HE KEPT ON WORKING. SOME DAYS THE SHIP RODE LOWER IN THE WATER AND SOME DAYS HIGHER, AND SOMETIMES AFTER A HURRICANE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO GO UNDER. BUT IT NEVER FELL VERY FAR BEHIND THE OTHERS AND STEAM WAS ALWAYS COMING OUT OF ITS STACK. THAT IS THE WAY THINGS STOOD UNTIL ONE DAY IT BECAME SUDDENLY CLEAR THAT SOMEONE HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE IDEA OF BAILING WATER. HE WAS COMMONLY CALLED THE DOCTOR BY THE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF HIS WISDOM AND KINDNESS. HE WAS GREATLY RESPECTED AND PEOPLE SOUGHT TO DO HIS BIDDING. HE HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE IDEA THAT ALTHOUGH A MAN MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE A SINKING SHIP WITH HIS BARE HANDS, IF HE HAD HELP THEN PAGE 3 SUCCESS WAS POSSIBLE. MUCH TIME WAS SPENT THINKING THIS THROUGH AND MANY FAILURES HAD DARKENED THE DOCTORS DREAMS. HE WAS DEVELOPING THIS ON A SEA GOING BOAT AFTER ALL. BUT ONE DAY HIS WORK CAME TO FRUITION. HE CALLED ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE BOATS TOGETHER AND TOLD THEM OF THE GOOD NEWS. BOATS DID NOT HAVE TO SINK ANYMORE. SO WAS BORN THE PUMP. THE CAPTAIN WAS THE ONLY ONE NOT TO HEAR OF THIS MARVELOUS INVENTION AS HE WAS BUSY BAILING WATER BY HAND. SO A PARTY WENT OVER TO TELL HIM THE GOOD NEWS. THE CAPTAIN WAS OVERJOYED. HE EVEN JUMPED UP AND DOWN FOR A MOMENT BUT WENT QUICKLY BACK TO BAILING AS WATER RUSHED IN. SOON THE ENGINEERS ARRIVED WITH THE PLANS FOR THE PUMP. THEY SPENT A WHOLE DAY MEASURING AND MARKING AND GENERALLY GETTING IN THE CAPTAIN'S WAY AS HE WAS STILL BUSY BAILING WATER AND WORKING ON THE HOLES. BUT THE CAPTAIN DID NOT MIND AS HE BELIEVED IN THIS PUMP AND KNEW IT WAS WORTH THE EFFORT. THE CAPTAIN WAS TROUBLED HOWEVER WHEN THE ENGINEERS FINALLY ASKED HIM TO TAKE A REST AND MOVE UPSTAIRS. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT POSSIBLY INSTALL THE PUMP WITH HIM IN THE WAY AND HE OUGHT TO GET A GOOD BITE TO EAT. THE CAPTAIN FELT UNEASY ABOUT JUST LETTING THE WATER COME IN UNATTENDED, AND HE ASKED THE ENGINEERS HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE BEFORE THE PUMP WAS RUNNING. THEY ASSURED HIM THAT THE PUMP WOULD BE OPERATIONAL LONG BEFORE THE SHIP WOULD SINK. FINALLY THE CAPTAIN WAS CONVINCED AND WITH SOME RELIEF HE WALKED UP STAIRS AND TURNED HIS BACK ON THE WATER. HE ATE WELL. AND HE DANCED. AND HIS SHIP SANK LOWER. BUT HE UNDERSTOOD THE PUMP. AND SO HE BELIEVED IN IT. AND ALL WAS WELL. AT THE END OF SOME TIME THE SHIP WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW IN THE WATER. BUT THE ENGINEERS HAD WORKED HARD AND THE PUMP WAS READY TO GO. IT WAS A COMPLEX AFFAIR. IT HAD HOSES GOING INTO THE WATER, AND HOSES COMING OUT OF THE WATER. BUT ALL IN ALL IT LOOKED LIKE SOME INTELLIGENCE HAD GONE INTO IT. AND IT HAD ONE BIG HOSE GOING UP THE THE STAIRS AND OVER THE SIDE OF THE SHIP. THEY STARTED IT AND IMMEDIATELY WATER POURED OUT OVER THE SIDE OF THE SHIP AND THE HULL WAS SLOWLY EMPTIED. THE SHIP BEGAN TO RISE AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY DAYS LOOKED ALMOST AS IF NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE CAPTAIN COULD TELL. THERE WAS A SLIGHT LIST IN THE WATER, IT DIDN'T STEER QUITE RIGHT. BUT IT WASN'T GOING TO SINK AND THE CAPTAIN WAS FEELING RESTED AND WAS GOING TO STAY THAT WAY. IN FACT HE WAS FEELING SO GOOD HE DECIDED THAT HE OUGHT TO GO BACK DOWN TO THE HOLES IN THE SIDE AND START REPAIRING THE HULL FULL TIME. WATER WAS STILL COMING IN AND THERE WAS THIS POSSIBILITY THAT THE HULL COULD CAVE IN COMPLETELY AND ALL WOULD BE LOST SO THE MORE WORK PAGE 4 DONE NOW THE SECURER THINGS WOULD BE. BUT THIS WAS NOT TO BE. A FEW HOURS AFTER HE GOT DOWN THERE AN ENGINEER CAME TO CHECK THE PUMP AND FOUND HIM BUSILY WORKING ON THE HULL. THE ENGINEER POINTED OUT THAT THE CAPTAIN WAS ENDANGERING HIMSELF AND IF HE WANTED TO DO SOME REAL WORK HE COULD WORK IN THAT ENGINE ROOM ON THE OTHER SHIP. THE ENGINEER ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE CAPTAIN, ALTHOUGH A FINE CAPTAIN, WAS NOT A SHIP BUILDER AND ACTUALLY WITH THE INSTABILITY OF THE HULL AND ALL MIGHT OPEN A BIGGER HOLE IN HIS EFFORTS TO CLOSE THE OTHER ONES. THE ENGINEER POINTED OUT THAT IF A NEW HOLE FORMED THAT WAS TOO BIG IT MIGHT LET IN SO MUCH WATER THAT NOT EVEN THE PUMP COULD HANDLE IT. THEN THEY WOULD LOSE THE SHIP, THE CAPTAIN AND THE PUMP IN THE RUSH OF WATER. THE CAPTAIN KNEW THE ENGINEER WAS RIGHT. BUT HE HAD A COUNTERING THOUGHT. THE HOLES FROM THE BEGINNING HAD TENDED TO GET WORSE BY THEMSELVES AND WHAT IF BY NOT DOING PREVENTATIVE REPAIR NOW THE HULL GAVE WAY. SURELY THE SHIP WOULD BE LOST. THE CAPTAIN WAS IN A BIND. HE KNEW HOW WEAK THE HULL WAS. TO PLAY WITH IT MEANT DANGER. TO NOT PLAY WITH IT MEANT DANGER. SO HE THOUGHT THIS OVER AND HE ASKED HIMSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTION. IF HE WERE A PROFESSIONAL SHIP BUILDER WHAT WOULD HE DO? WOULD HE WAIT UNTIL THEY GOT TO DOCK OR WOULD HE GET TO WORK ON IT NOW? HE WAS SURE HE WOULD GET TO WORK ON IT. SURELY AS DANGEROUS AS IT WAS TO WORK ON THE HULL, FROM THE LOOKS OF IT APPLYING TRAINED INTELLIGENCE WAS BETTER THAN LEAVING IT ALONE. HE FELT SATISFIED ABOUT THIS. THEN HE THOUGHT ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE WAS NOT FULLY TRAINED AS A SHIP BUILDER. BUT AS HE THOUGHT, HE SAW PLACES IN THE HULL WHERE IT WAS ALREADY CREAKING AND THREATENING TO BREAK THROUGH. AND HE COULD SEE CLEARLY WHAT HE COULD DO TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. BUT HE HAD TO ADMIT THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE OF A SHIP BUILDER. SO HE HAD TO WEIGH THE RISK INVOLVED IN TAKING ACTION AND NOT TAKING ACTION. SOMEHOW IT WAS CLEARLY ON THE SIDE OF TAKING ACTION. YOU SEE HE DID HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE BECAUSE HE HAD SPENT MUCH TIME KEEPING THE HULL TOGETHER ALL ALONE IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE PUMP. HE HAD LEARNED LESSON AFTER LESSON BY TRIAL AND ERROR. HE HAD HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS, BUT HE HAD ACTUALLY GOTTEN QUITE GOOD AT IT, CONSIDERING. BUT HE COULD SEE THE ENGINEER'S SIDE TOO. IF HE LEFT THINGS AS THEY WERE AND JOINED THE OTHERS HE WOULD BE SAFE HIMSELF EVEN IF HIS HULL GAVE WAY AND THE SHIP SANK. PAGE 5 IF HE STAYED HERE AND WORKED ON THE HULL THE PROBABILITIES OF THE SHIP SINKING WERE A LOT LESS, BUT IF IT DID SINK HE WOULD PROBABLY GO DOWN WITH IT IN THE RUSH OF WATER AND WASTE THAT ONE ABLE BODY THAT THE OTHERS SO RESENTED LOSING. BUT HE CARED MORE ABOUT THE SHIP THAN HIS LIFE BECAUSE A CAPTAIN WITHOUT HIS SHIP WAS LIKE THE MOON WITHOUT A MORNING STAR. AND THEN A THUNDERING THOUGHT HIT HIM. IN THE FIRST DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BEFORE THE PUMP, IF HE HADN'T SPENT SO MUCH TIME BAILING WATER BY HAND AND REPAIRING THE HOLES THE SHIP WOULD HAVE SUNK THERE AND THEN. AND HE WOULD HAVE PERISHED ALONG WITH HER IN HEART AND MIND IF NOT IN BODY. RESENTMENT SURGED UP IN HIM. IF HE HAD LISTENED TO THESE PEOPLE WHO TOLD HIM NOT TO FOOL AROUND IN DANGEROUS WATERS HE AND HIS SHIP WOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE TO ARGUE ABOUT THE ETHICS OF HELPING HIMSELF. HE WAS ABOUT TO SPEAK HIS MIND WHEN HE REMEMBERED THE DISAPPROVAL OF HIS PEERS. AND HE FELT FEAR. SO FOR THE TIME BEING HE CAUTIOUSLY CHANGED HIS MIND AND WENT UPSTAIRS WITH THE ENGINEER. THAT NIGHT HE WENT TO SLEEP ON HIS OWN SHIP. THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW. HE WAS WILLING TO LEAVE THE HOLES ALONE BUT HE WAS GOING TO SLEEP IN HIS OWN CABIN. BEFORE HE SLEPT HE THOUGHT. HE KNEW HE HAD GIVEN INTO A FEELING. A FEAR OF OTHER'S DISAPPROVAL. THIS WAS SOMETHING HE WOULD NOT RESPECT IN ANOTHER MAN. BUT HE ALSO REMEMBERED ONE OF THEM HAD THREATENED TO BLOW HIS SHIP UP IF HE DID NOT CONCEDE TO THEIR GENERAL WISH. FOR A MOMENT HE HAD A WILD FEAR THAT THEY MIGHT EVEN COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND GRAB HIM AND FORCE HIM TO ANOTHER SHIP AND THEN BLOW UP HIS SHIP. THIS MADE HIM WONDER IF HE SHOULDN'T BLOW THEM ALL UP FIRST. HE HAD MISSILES TOO. HE REALIZED HE WAS BEGINNING TO THINK INSANELY AND MAYBE THEY WERE RIGHT ABOUT HIM BEING DANGEROUSLY INSANE AFTER ALL. HE FELT CLOSED IN AND UNSURE. IN THAT FRAME OF MIND HE FELL TO SLEEP. THE NEXT MORNING HE AWOKE IN THREE FEET OF WATER, AND WHEN HE LOOKED OUT HIS CABIN DOOR, HIS DECK WAS LEVEL WITH THE SEA. THEN HE KNEW REAL FEAR. PAGE 6 NO ONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY OR HOW HE DID IT BUT MANY HOURS LATER BY THE TIME ANYBODY NOTICED, HE HAD PUT THREE FEET BETWEEN HIS DECK AND THE SEA. FRANKLY HE BAILED LIKE HELL. WHEN THE PEOPLE FINALLY CAME OVER WONDERING WHY THE SHIP WAS SO DANGEROUSLY LOW IN THE WATER THEY FOUND THE CAPTAIN BAILING. AND THEY SAID, AHA, YOU SEE, WE TRUST YOU AND LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR A NIGHT and YOU START FOOLING AROUND IN DANGEROUS WATERS and CAUSE YOUR SHIP TO SINK 20 FEET LOWER INTO THE SEA THAN IT WAS. WE SHALL CALL A COUNCIL AND JUDGE YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR IRRESPONSIBILITIES. THEY CHARGED HIM WITH PLAYING AROUND WITH THE HOLES IN THE HULL DURING THE NIGHT WHICH IN THE PROCESS LET IN MORE WATER THAN THE PUMP COULD HANDLE. AND THEY CHARGED HIM WITH BAILING WATER BY HAND, SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN EXPRESSLY STATED MANY TIMES TO BE DANGEROUS, STUPID AND IMPOSSIBLE. THEY STATED THAT THE PUMP HAD BEEN MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. BUT BY THE CAPTAIN'S UNTRAINED AND UNETHICAL ACTIONS HE HAD CREATED A SITUATION THAT THE PUMP AND THE PEOPLE COULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR. FURTHER THEY CLAIMED THAT THE CAPTAIN HAD CREATED FOR HIMSELF A CONDITION OF LIABILITY TOWARDS THE GREATER NUMBER AND THAT APPROPRIATE AMENDS WOULD BE ASSIGNED. THROUGH ALL THIS THE CAPTAIN REMAINED SILENT. BUT HE REFUSED TO DO THE AMENDS. SO THE COUNCIL ORDERED THAT THE PUMP BE REMOVED AND THE CAPTAIN AND HIS SHIP BE CAST OUT TO SEA, TO BE FOREVER REMOVED FROM THE GROUP. WHEN THE CAPTAIN GOT BACK TO HIS SHIP THE ENGINEERS HAD REMOVED THE PUMP AND HE FOUND THE DECK AGAIN DANGEROUSLY LOW TO THE WATER. HE STARTED BAILING IN PEACE THIS TIME AS THERE WAS NO ONE TO HECKLE HIM, PAGE 7 AND THE DISAPPROVAL OF HIS PEERS BECAME OF DISTANT CONCERN. HE QUICKLY BROUGHT THE SHIP UP TO A SAFE LEVEL AND LOOKED AROUND. HE LOOKED AT THE HOLES IN THE HULL STILL LEAKING WATER LIKE FRIENDLY AND FAMILIAR FACES ON A WALL. HE NOTICED THAT NOTHING HAD CHANGED. THIS SURPRISED HIM. WHAT HAD LET ALL THAT WATER IN? THE HOLES WERE EXACTLY AS THEY WERE THE DAY THE PUMP WAS INSTALLED AND THE SHIP WAS BROUGHT UP TO HIGH LEVEL. HE WONDERED IF DURING THE NIGHT THE PUMP HAD FAILED. HE KNEW IT WAS STILL PUMPING WATER OUT OF THE SHIP RIGHT UP TO THE MOMENT IT WAS REMOVED BECAUSE HE COULD SEE THE WATER POUR OUT OVER THE SIDE OF THE SHIP. WAS THERE A LEAK DEEP DOWN IN THE HOLD THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT? IF SO HOW COME THINGS WERE STABLE NOW? WAS THE PUMP ALSO LETTING WATER IN? IT WAS A PRETTY COMPLICATED MACHINE. IT HAD LOTS OF HOSES. SOME WENT INTO THE WATER, SOME CAME OUT OF THE WATER. MAYBE SOMETHING WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY. OR IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE LIKED THE PUMP. AGAIN. HE MADE A DECISION. HE STEAMED TOWARDS THE COUNCIL AND THE OTHER SHIPS. HE DOCKED AND WALKED ON BOARD THE COUNCIL'S SHIP. THE COUNCIL WAS CALLED TOGETHER AND HE SPOKE TO THEM. HE TOLD THEM THAT HE HAD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MALFUNCTION OF THE ORIGINAL PUMP. THAT IF THEY WOULD FIX IT HE WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE IT INSTALLED ON HIS SHIP AS IT WAS STILL LEAKING. HE TOLD THEM THAT HE LIKED THE PUMP. THAT HE WAS WILLING AND READY TO DO ANY AMENDS THEY ASSIGNED. YOU SEE HE UNDERSTOOD THE PUMP. SO HE BELIEVED IN IT. ONE OF THE ENGINEERS SPOKE AND SAID INDEED THEY HAD FOUND ERRORS IN DESIGN OF THE PUMP AND HAD FIXED IT ACCORDINGLY AND THAT IT WAS READY FOR INSTALLATION. THE COUNCIL VOTED AND WAS WILLING. THE CAPTAIN WAS OVERJOYED. AND THEY ALL STARTED OVER TO THE CAPTAIN'S SHIP TO WORK. BUT AS THE CAPTAIN STEPPED ON THE DECK OF HIS SHIP HIS BLOOD RAN COLD. HE REMEMBERED HIS DECK LEVEL WITH THE SEA. PAGE 8 AND HE KNEW WHAT HE MUST SAY. AND SO THE CAPTAIN SPOKE. 'MY SHIP IS A PRECIOUS THING TO ME, WORTH MORE THAN MY LIFE. I HAVE LEARNED THAT ALONE I CAN KEEP MY SHIP AFLOAT. WITH THIS PUMP NOTHING IS CERTAIN. I UNDERSTAND THE PUMP. THEREFORE I BELIEVE IN THE PUMP. BUT I BELIEVE IN MYSELF FIRST. YOUR PUMP IS WELCOME IN MY SHIP, BUT I AM THE CAPTAIN AND THE PUMP IS MY GUEST. IT IS A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO HAVE YOU TO HELP ME. IT IS A PRIVILEGE FOR YOU TO HAVE ME TO HELP. HOWEVER, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SHALL I EVER ALLOW TO GET IN THE WAY OF MY BAILING WATER OR UNDERTAKING TO REPAIR OR MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF MY HULL BY MY OWN HAND IF THE NEED ARISES AND I SHOULD SEE FIT. I WOULD WORK TOGETHER WITH THE PUMP. BUT IF I HAVE TO CHOSE BETWEEN ME AND THE PUMP I WILL CHOSE ME.' AND HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS HIS LAST WORD. THE COUNCIL TURNED DARK. THEY TOOK THEIR PUMP AND LEFT. THE CAPTAIN WAS ALONE AGAIN. AND HE TOOK UP BAILING ALONE. AND SUDDENLY THE CAPTAIN WAS VERY TIRED. NOT FROM BAILING. THE BAILING HAD MADE HIM STRONG AND ABLE. HE WAS TIRED FROM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM. HE UNDERSTOOD THE PUMP HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE WHO SOLD THE PUMP. BUT, HAVING SAID HIS PEACE, CONFIDENCE BURNED IN HIM LIKE HOPE. AND HE BAILED WATER STEADILY AND MADE FRIENDS WITH THE HOLES. PAGE 9 THE OTHERS HAD SAID MANY THINGS ABOUT BAILING WATER BY HAND AND FIXING HOLES WITHOUT TRAINING. THEY SAID IT WAS DANGEROUS. THAT IT RISKED THE WELFARE OF THE GREATER NUMBER BY RISKING THE WELFARE OF THE ONE. THEY SAID A MAN INSANE ENOUGH TO DO IT WAS A RISK TO THE GROUP ANYHOW. THEY SAID IT DIDN'T WORK. THAT IT COULDN'T WORK. MAYBE EVEN NOW THEY STILL FANCIED A ROCK UNDER HIS SHIP HOLDING HER UP FROM SINKING. A ROCK MOVING ALONG WITH HER AS SHE STEAMED SLOWLY AND STEADILY TOWARDS PORT. THE CAPTAIN STILL REMEMBERS HIS VISION OF THE SEA AT HIS FEET. AND THE FEAR HE FELT. BUT HE UNDERSTANDS THE PUMP. SO HE STILL LIKES IT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Homer Wilson Smith This file may be found at homer@rahul.net ftp.rahul.net/pub/homer/act/BAILING.MEMO Posted to usenet newsgroup: alt.clearing.technology