The River-Boat Pilot
The river-boat pilot was a man considered omnipotent by all. Mark Twain once held that high
position. He writes that he felt at the zenith of his life at that time. Starting out as a fledgling
pilot's apprentice, he could not abjure dreams of the time he would become, " the only
unfettered and entirely independent human being that lived in the earth."
Kings, parliaments, and newspaper editors, Twain comments, are hampered and
restricted. The river pilot issued peremptory commands as absolute monarch.
The captain was powerless to interfere. Even though the pilot was much younger
than the captain, and the steamer seemed to be in imminent danger, the older
man was helpless. The captain had to behave impeccably, for any criticism of the
pilot would establish a pernicious precedent that would have undermined the
pilot's limitless authority.

in the lap of the gods--I handed in my application for the job, and now it is 
in the lap of the gods.
(out of one's own hands.)