<link href="css/hmh.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> <meta content="urn:uuid:a2afe766-9cff-4d14-85ac-0314f1e95abc" name="Adept.expected.resource"/> </head> <body> <h1 class="chaptertitle">II</h1> <blockquote> <p class="center">A man-of-war is the best ambassador.<a id="p73"/> </p> <p class="center">—<span style="font-size: smaller">OLIVER CROMWELL</span></p> <p class="left">I'm awfully fond of forging metal. In front of you is the red formless mass, malicious, fiery. To beat the hammer on it is a joy. It spits at you with fizzing, blazing sparks, seeks to burn out your eyes, blind you. It is living, malleable, and with mighty blows from the shoulder you make of it what you need. I know I'm no hero, only an honest healthy man. And yet I say: never mind! We shall win. And with all the powers of my soul I satisfy my desire to plunge into the very depth of life, to knead it this way and that, to prevent this and help the other. This is the joy of life.</p> <p class="center">—<span style="font-size: smaller">MAXIM GORKY,</span> <em>Townsfolk</em></p> </blockquote> </body> </html>