Chapter 8, "Captain de Vriess" Summary

Ensign Carmody takes Willie and Harding on a confusing tour of the ship. Carmody is an Annapolis graduate with narrow shoulders, pinched cheeks, foxy eyes, and a tiny mustache. As they finish the tour of the deck, he orders both to climb the mast, a wooden pole topped with a radar. The tiny iron grille at the very top of the mast is the crow's nest. Harding climbs first and Willie follows. Harding hits his head on the radar, turns green, and vomits. Willie gives him his hat to hold it. He has other hats. They leave this one in a corner of the crow's nest before they return to the deck and collapse in their bunks in the clipping shack.

As soon as Willie dozes off, Whittaker announces "Chadan" and shakes him. They join...