1 June; Stargazing

Terry wriggled down from Chicken's back and scampered after his hat. He couldn't believe the fun they were having - and they were on watch, too. He sent a quick glance aft, just in case the officer decided to move for'rard and have a word with them.

They were loud. They'd get caught by an officer. He frowned. But boy were they still having fun. True it was a dangerous thing and the wrath of officers inducing sort.

But.

He shook his head scolding himself. They would know when to shut up and he would not. So to be safe, he was here and they there. It was as it had to be. Feeling envious or not.

Terry snatched up his hat from where it had landed and waved it triumphantly before pulling it back on. That felt much better.

Oh hell. The boy'd retrieved his hat. Chase wriggled out of Preddie's grip and laughed. "Thanks for helpin', you lot!"

Several other topmen nearby grinned.

Chase probably hadn't been going to keep his hat anyway, but Terry was pretty glad to get it back. He headed aft again and noticed de Guarde, on his own. "You all right there, mate?" he asked, dropping to the deck next to him, sparing a glance at the older men.

De Guarde looked up at Button, blinked and then nodded slowly. He tried to hide the feeling of envy he had for the boys, the men and their 'dancing' about like they were med men. Hide that he would have loved it, but wanted none of it only because he feared getting in trouble again. "..Aye. Perfect a'right. Jus'.. went here ter... have some peace n' quiet." He lied and grinned at the boy.

"Peace an' quiet? Ain't easy to get them - though you oughta come an' 'ave a bit o' fun. 'Stead o' stayin out of it." He grinned. "Got me 'at back, though, see?"

"No.. no better I don't. It'll only upset t' officers." He felt the ache enough to consider it a worse call.

He noticed the hat just then and nodded with a small smile. "I see you did get it. An' from Chase no less, an' he's a big bugger."

He pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged. "'Pends. I dunno this officer, but he ain't telled us to shut up, so reckon he's all right, like. You oughta join in wiv us - it don't look fun, sittin' out like this, see. An' Chase is all right. Bit of a tease at times, but all right."

".. well. I ain't 'zactly sitting." He motioned at himself, showing that he was in fact lying on his side and would soon lie on his belly, especially when the supporting arm would begin to tingle. It was almost supposed to be meant as humour, though he did not smile to suggest it was.

"We might all get in trouble." He frowned and thought of Chase. The man was an odd one, but his teacher. Only, he knew he had to ask him about things soon. "...I think you'd have better fun if I wasn'.. there t' spoil it. Yer can ask half those men, n' all will tell you so."

"Well, no, but you know what I mean." He looked down at the boy. "You ain't spoilin' anythin', you silly. Anyone'd think you didn't want to... to join in an' 'ave a bit o' fun. I don't reckon anyone really thinks that way."

He thought for a moment, and slipped to his own belly, so his head was on the same level as de Guarde's, and lowered his voice. "I... I telled the Captain, earlier 's mornin', what I telled you."

"You's sorely mistaken if you think I'd not want to join. I would, sure.. sure would." He appeared flustered, with his cheeks red in embarrassment that he had looked so eager when explaining. He was quickly shut up though and listened attentively to the boy.

"You did?" He was surprised, glad, hopeful but also feeling very grave and serious about the topic that they were just discussing. "What... what did he say?" he felt a chill run down his spine. Somehow even that mild accusation, conducted by Button on his own account, felt like it could anger the captain and then the man would go at the wrong people, to have his revenge. Button and himself, being the first he could turn against.

"'E... 'e said... 'e said 'e 'preciated me tellin' 'im - an' I ain't to talk about it. Though... I 'ad to let you know, an' you ain't goin' to tell anyone, are you?" He bit his lip. "I... I fink 'e was kind of mad anyone'd do summat like that. Though... Well, I never bin so scared in me life as I was talkin' to 'im. I mean, 'e's the Captain."

And he had never dared to believe that the Captain would even listen to him the way he had done.

"..I've no reason ter tell anyone. An'..if I said you knew, you'd get thrown overboard next if they found out. Bloody 'ell if I'd want to risk that." He kept his voice low, so that only Button could hear it. "Did 'e say he'd do anythin' bout it? Or jus' that you should not tell anyone anything?"

He averted his gaze only briefly. "e's frightenin' ain't he?"

"I dunno if 'e can do anyfing - I couldn't tell 'im any names. Though... I fink I knows one of 'em now." He nodded. "I ain't never bin so scared in me life... I dropped me 'at, even." He hunched his thin shoulders a little. "Don't wanna ever talk to 'im again if I don't 'ave to, for sure."

"You'll 'ave to. If he does think ter do summat about what you saw. You'll 'ave ter point fingers ." And then he might be in danger if the men would be proven innocent rather than guilty. "...Don' tell anyone you know, think it is really a sound advice. Very sound." He nodded quickly and studied the boy. "...Why'd you put yer life at stake fer that tho'....or.. didn' you know yet?"

"I... I din't know when I see the Captain, no." He didn't want to talk about it, feeling obscurely as though even talking about it in a roundabout way was going to bring those two men down on him. "I mean, I know what they looked like, but I didn't know names."

He shivered a little. "Don't want to... to 'ave to tell 'im, neither, but I done it." And he'd have to go back and tell names - and he knew one of the names, now, as well.

"...you said you know t' name o' one now. Will... can you tell me?" He asked that out of curiosity and perhaps also because knowing might keep him out of the man's way. Keep them both way out of the man's way and safe.

"...Thanks.. ye went t' go talk with him. I hope ...they'll be found n' t' ship made a safe place for us again. " With the men who had done the crime, it was a fairly safe ship. They caused little actual harm to anyone else. Nothing much out of the ordinary.

"It was... Here, shift over a bit closer, can't you?" Terry said, moving to get closer so he could whisper the name in de Guarde's ear. "It was Jonny Seward, the younger one was - on'y don't tell anyone I said, for God's sake." If the Captain found out he'd told even de Guarde... He didn't want to imagine what would happen to him then. He'd be flogged around the Fleet, maybe?

"Him?" Somehow it was not surprising and yet it was also shocking. He knew Johnny Seward hated him, and that he had hated several things on the ship. He was not the friendliest of the men, but why did he do it. Why would he? Well, the same question could be asked for any man on that ship, and probably it would receive a similar answer.

"..I won't tell. " He promised and squirmed his hand to his chest to place it there as if in oath. "But why ? I know he hated lots of things... including anything that did not go the way he wanted but it's no reason to dump someone over board and equally endanger themselves." He hesitated. He did not care if the man would be hanged, he actually hoped he would!

Terry nodded. "Yes. 'Im. And 'ow should I know why? All I know is what I saw, see? They didn't 'zackly stop by me 'ammock and say 'Now, this is for why we's doin' this' an' tell me!"

"..You'd be considered an accomplice if they did an' you didn't do anything." Well, maybe not, but there would surely have been some blame on Button if he had done not insomuch as warn someone.

"...any'ow...ain' you missin' t' fun with yer friends." He indicated the men that had earlier teased the boy, Chase who had snatched his hat, and whoever else who had heled hold Chase for the retrieval of the said garment. "...Dun' want t' be stoppin' you."

"You's daft - think anyone'd tell me summat like that an' not, I dunno, fretten me an' all - or even drop me over side too?" Though that thought made him shiver a little. "Ain't missin' out any more'n you are, neither, see."

" Aye... you're right but..." He studied Button. ".. I'm goin' to be in the way, an' you ain't. ..Anyway, everybody remembers what happened..when.. when we was washed." He lowered his gaze. "They're probably thinkin' I should not be there couse I acted, like I did." Whether they understood or not, didn't make it any easier to join them.

"You don't know much about Terpsy, do you? You bin punished for that - it's over wiv, clean slate an' all. Ain't nobody goin' to say nuffin' about it, if you don't say nuffin'." He shrugged. "You gotta join in sometime - can't allus stay out of things. Ain't right - ain't... ain't good, that, not for anyone. 'Specially not you." He propped his chin on his clasped hands. "I never knew anyone as didn't want to be part of what's goin' on like you, never. Must be touched in the 'ead if you don't want to, that's what."