5 June; Settling Quarrels

De Guarde came close to stumbling down the companion way so quick he was to clear away. That, and he wished to catch up with Button, whom he called half way down. " Terry. Wait, you!"

Terry stopped at the bottom of the ladder and turned on de Guarde. "I never telled you to watch out for 'im 'cause of me... but 'cause of you, you... you...!"

"...but... you looked right distressed after he'd gone las' time!... I though he was...." De Guarde hopped down the ladder until he reached the boy and then still quickened his pace so that they would not be late for the 'feast'. "...I thought he bullied ye!"

Terry felt like banging his head against the solid wood of the foremast as it passed through the deck near them.

"No!" He glanced around and came a bit closer, dropping his voice. "Don't tell anyone -I'll get in awful trouble if folks knew I'd telled you. See... he's one o' the men I seen that night. 'S why I was tellin' you to keep away from 'im."

"...Wot' night?" De Guarde looked bemused. His mind did not jump to the right conclusion right away. It ought to have, but it just failed to.

"The night that..." He rolled his eyes. "The night you went for a bloody swim, what'd you fink I meant?" De Guarde really was thick sometimes!

"...You mean....you saw him be one o' t' men...wot' threw me?" His eyes widened, skin paled and his mouth opened but no words came after, for a few moments.

".....Him...."He blinked ahead as if expecting to see him come around a corner. "..him....!"

"Ssshh!" Terry hissed, urgently, putting a grubby finger to de Guarde's lips and looking around to make sure nobody had heard the boy. "Don't you tell everyone, all right?! Why d'you fink I was telling you t'be careful round 'im?"

"Carefull? You tell me to be careful around the man who nearly caused my untimely death and who now walks freely?" the boy stared at Button. He mmphed and toned his voice down some. He was clearly still in shock no longer feeling as confident about Seward and being safe as he had before. "why has nothing been done? Didn't you tell 'em?" He then whispered more quietly.

"Of course I bleedin' telled 'em!" Terry was going to thump de Guarde if the other boy didn't grow some sense soon. "On'y I never knowed the name at the time, an' I do now - 'n' I ain't allowed to talk to anyone 'bout it." He shrugged helplessly. "Captain's orders an' all."

"But if you tole them... why did they not do anything?...or will you go and tell 'em now that you know t' name fer certain?" He hoped the boy would. Only he doubted they would believe him, or that they would arrest the man, who was one of two at least, to have done this.


"...Mebbe, he don't want anybody punished." He suddenly concluded. "Makes sense."

"I dunno." He shrugged. "Don't say anyfin', will you? Please?"

If de Guarde told someone, and the Captain found out, he was going to be in trouble. If Seward found out, he was probably going to end up going for a swim himself. He swallowed.

"...I won't tell. I promise. Can't trust any'un of them Tars. Can't trust a lieutenant ter do right. .. You stay well away from 'im bully, you hear. If yer need ter be standin' on t' other side of the ship, so do.. and get ter have sum'one like Chase close to ye, if not the officer, like Mister Leat. Him, Seward, will not dare do anything if you've got that sort of company."

This left him, but he knew what he could do. And he would be safe there." You know... mebbe next time we chase a Frog... Seward gets ter be killed in t' fightin'... that'd be good."

"Oh, not 'alf, it wouldn't," Terry muttered. It would solve an awful lot of things - including the real possibility that his word might be what got Seward hanged.

"You oughta keep your mouf shut when folks try tellin' you summat, y'know," he added, shoving his hands into his pockets and scuffing at the deck planking with a bare foot. "You open your mouf far too often round the wrong folks, you do."