"The prophecy was that I should be dismembered; and- Aye! I lost this leg. I now prophesy that I will dismember my dismemberer. Now, then, be the prophet and the fulfiller one. That’s more than ye, ye great gods, ever were."
Musing: There is a lot to learn about Ahab here. First of all, he challenges God. That would not have been seen as a good trait to the reading community in the mid 1800's. Maybe not a good trait today either, although - well - never mind. Ahab not only challenges God (or the gods) but he says he is both the prophet and the fulfillment of the prophecy! Pretty heady thinking. This section of the book never jived with the Ahab I grew to know, but there are points in the text where, to continue his suicide mission, Ahab says he must turn to darkness.