  We explicitly construct a particular real form of the Lie algebra
$\mathfrak{e}_7$ in terms of symplectic matrices over the octonions, thus
justifying the identifications $\mathfrak{e}_7\cong\mathfrak{sp}(6,\mathbb{O})$
and, at the group level, $\mathrm{E}_7\cong\mathrm{Sp}(6,\mathbb{O})$. Along
the way, we provide a geometric description of the minimal representation of
$\mathfrak{e}_7$ in terms of rank 3 objects called cubies.
