I speak and speak," Marco says, "but the listener retains only the words he is expecting. The description of the world to which you lend a benevolent ear is one thing; the description that will go the rounds of the groups of stevedores and gondoliers on the street outside my house the day of my return is another; and yet another, that which I might dictate late in life, if I were taken prisoner by Genoese pirates and put in irons in the same cell with a writer of adventure stories. It is not the voice that commands the story: it is the ear.
Marco reflects on the nature of communication, emphasizing that what a listener understands is often shaped by their expectations. He notes the disparity between his own perspective and how his descriptions will be interpreted by others, such as laborers and sailors. Each audience interprets his words through their own experiences and biases, illustrating the subjective nature of storytelling.
Furthermore, Marco suggests that the meaning of his narratives could change dramatically over time or in different contexts, like if he were captured and forced to recount his adventures. This highlights that it is ultimately the listener's perception that shapes a story rather than merely the storyteller's intent.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
