He had been right in his surmise that he would be allowed scant time for self-examination.
When the inner door was closed, the lock had to be thrown before the outer door could be opened. The master uttered two quiet chimes.
There is an epidemic on board, the first sign that this meeting will be an ominous one for ahab. Almost to him, five feet away, it suddenly squealed, veered, and ran past, not touching.