Two of Swords

Meaning: Thinking before making a decision

Depiction: Aboard the Samuel Enderby, Ahab crosses his ivory leg with Captain Boomer's ivory arm in greeting.

Text: Chapter 100, Leg and Arm
With his ivory arm frankly thrust forth in welcome, the other captain advanced, and Ahab, putting out his ivory leg, and crossing the ivory arm (like two sword-fish blades) cried out in his walrus way, “Aye, aye, hearty! let us shake bones together!—an arm and a leg!—an arm that never can shrink, d’ye see; and a leg that never can run."

Comments: The crossed arms of the RWS card made me immediately think of the two captains crossing their ivory appendages (like blades, as Melville says). The choice here is either Captain Boomer's decision to move on after his injury, or Ahab's decision to obsessively pursue the cause of his.

XIV. Temperance

 

Meaning: Balance, peace, patience and moderation.

Depiction: Captain Boomer,  the British captain who lost his hand to Moby Dick and now wants nothing more to do with him. This card shows Boomer on the deck of the Samuel Enderby, looking content, his whalebone mallet hand clearly visible, as Moby Dick's white tail retreats.

Text:  Chapter 100, Leg and Arm

“No, thank ye, Bunger,” said the English Captain, “he’s welcome to the arm he has, since I can’t help it, and didn’t know him then; but not to another one. No more White Whales for me; I’ve lowered for him once, and that has satisfied me. There would be great glory in killing him, I know that; and there is a ship-load of precious sperm in him, but, hark ye, he’s best let alone; don’t you think so, Captain?”—glancing at the ivory leg.

Comments: This is a challenging one. But I think Captain Boomer's wise forbearance from joining in Ahab's monomaniacal style of vengeance best embodies the spirit of the card.

Alternate Depiction: Aunt Charity, Bildad's sister, seems like a good choice because she is literally all about temperance, doing everything she can to prevent alcohol consumption aboard ship.