First line of Against the Day?

[Carvill John]

>>"Now haul up all the lines!"

>Sounds like Edwin Pynchon's airship casting off . . .

Yeah, I immediately thought of those balloonists mentioned in the blurb, 
then I thought wait a minute does a balloon even have more than one line? 
Probably just a ship, but - the thought stuck so now I imagine ATD beginning 
with a balloon lifting off - or as Stencil might say, the balloon goes up!