Heated Debate, Sunday afternoon

He didn't need to be told twice. He saluted, a sharp, crisp, soldier-like movement that looked strange coming from someone wearing seaman's rig, and fled to the door, thankful to have got away relatively lightly.

De Guarde was standing about looking rather bored. He'd changed, packed and was now waiting for Oxley to come with good news or what he hoped were good news. The weather still held and was good so their skylarking could actually happen just as all the boys would have gathered.

He looked around a bit nervously for a moment but then decided that their agreement was no lie and that Oxley would come quite soon.

Oxley took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down before heading topside. He was a little more subdued than he would have liked, but being up in the open and joining in with the other lads would help restore his spirits. He wasn't generally deflated for very long, anyway.

"Oxley!" He moved out from the crowd to greed the boy. He watched his face trying to read it. Did he give the letter, did he knew it was delivered? Did the doctor read it, or agreed to meet them? All those questions hidden under a smile at seeing the boy come. "Hey." He'd hurried a little so that he was a bit ahead of them and added in quick whisper just:" He got it? Wos' a'right?"

Oxley gave a slightly wan smile, and shrugged. "He got it. Dunno if he's read it. Mister George found me an' gave me a fright for disturbin' him, but I think things're all right. Anyhoo, we've done it now, an' there's no goin' back. If he wants to meet us, he knows where. And if he don't, I'm keepin' well out of his way for the rest of the trip, an' you mebbe ought to do the same."

"Mr. Goerge? But he's not got any sense why you were there, did he?" He saw the smile and it didn't convince him all way the best. He just hope it was Oxley still feeling that fright he'd just mentioned.

"..no goin' back no." He just hoped that no other officer learnt of it. They wouldn't have it as lightly if they did, that he was sure of!

"Me? Oy, I'll do me job, ain't goin' ter climb t' shrouds jus' ter avoid him." He scowled, all said short, quick and in whisper.

Oxley shrugged. "Can't keep out of his way if I'm on duty an' he comes past me, can I? But if he comes anywhere near me otherwise, I ain't hangin' around, that's for sure."

He looked around. There were several of the younger boys waiting around, looking eager, but they weren't all there, by any means.

"I won't run from him. Not a chance." He wouldn't go out of his way to get into his though either. He just hoped that all was now settled and that no man by the name of Mr. George, or the like, would end up having them in greater trouble.

"So, we'um wait now, don't we?" He looked around. Not all of the boys were there yet.

"I ain't sayin' to run from him, just... don't cross paths with him. It ain't worth it, not with his temper, mate. That's all." Though Oxley could understand the unwillingness to, to some extent.

He looked around. "Aye, we wait for the others. Ain't fair on 'em, else."

" Alright then. " He shook his head though thinking back about Maturin. "I'um tellin' yer this again. If he gets in me way, I won't go turning n' going around him. Won't be lookin' fer him neither.. though I jus' wonder what I should do if sumone I know, or meself get injured enough ter need a doctor n' not jus' his seconds... "

He shifted a little and looked at the shrouds. " Sticks n' Tom, or what they'um, will be here too, won't they?" Both, he wondered. One he was sure of.

Obstinate thing, de Guarde was, Oxley opined to himself. "Sticks'll be here," he said, looking around. "Tom will if he can - but it's Sunday, so he should be able to. An' I can't see any reason why you or... someone.... would need a doctor." Danny Milburn's head popped up from the hatchway as he ran up the companionway, grinning.

"One down, several sum' ter go." He looked at Oxley and shrugged. "Don't know either, n' hope I don't, or anybody." He added with a nod. He knew how ship's ways were and accidents could happen no matter how much people didn't want them. He was just wondering what they'd have to do now.

"Hey, ..um... Milburn, 's that right?" There were many a name to remember, and he'd only gotten a quick introduction the other night. He was lucky if he remembered some of the new faces at least.

Danny shrugged. "'M fine, de Guarde," he said. "Seems awful queer to get called by me last name if I ain't in trouble, though," he added with a diffident shrug.

"Who says you ain't? You are late, Milburn." He placed a completely serious, most commanding, midshipman sort of look on his face and looked down at the boy. He held the gaze like that for a few moments, before a smile found it's way onto his face.

" What am I to call you again?" He said with a smile. "N' it's Buckles to you, mister." He added in what he hoped was a good enough tone.

He returned the other boy's stare levelly. "I ain't, so there. An' 'Danny' suits fine, an' all. Though you'd better watch yourself, talkin' like that alla the time. Some folks don't like jokes like that, y'know." Though he relaxed a little as de Guarde smiled, but there was still a slightly wary look in his eyes.

".. I'm not talkin' like that all t' time." He answered a bit defensively. "...Danny then." He added more subtly and turned from the boy. Of course that had been a tasteless joke, if it could even be considered one. What with who he was. He crossed a hand over his chest, leaving the other at his side.

"Where's everybody else that's missin'?" He murmured.

"They'll be here, don't you fret," Oxley returned. He'd recovered his usual good spirits by now and was leaning nonchalently against the bulwark, though with a wary eye out for the bosun or his mates. "Shouldn't worry so much. You'll worry yoursel' into an early grave, else."

" Mm." He followed Oxley's gaze and lifted an eyebrow: "If I'm not to worry, why are you so attentively observing what them are doing?" He asked nodding towards the bosun.

Ozley didn't answer directly. "C'mon, let's shift for'ard, lads," he said instead. For sure they wouldn't be allowed to hold their race up the mainmast - well, they might, but the foremast was a much safer bet. There were sailors up on the foc'sle anyway, yarning away or making or mending their clothes and generally taking things easy.