10 June; Mess Duties

"Gettin' et." He shook his head. "No, it weren't. It was allus cold an' grey, and there wasn't never enough food to eat, an' what there was was jus' gruel - like water, really." He held his hand out so Buckles could feel that it was roughened. "Had to pick oakum alla time. Y'know, old ships' ropes. Had to pick 'em apart. They use for caulkin' 'tween the planks, to stop it leakin', see."

He had noticed a change in the weather. "Can't smell anyfin'. Feels... diff'rent, in the air, though. Terpsy ain't movin' so smoove, neiver. An' I don't mind you askin'. Don't reckon anyone's arsked afore."

"Your hand feels like that o' an old hand." He murmured when he pulled his away from the roughened skin. His was still softer, much softer than Button's. Even if it had been hardened by the life at sea, this life had lasted a short while, and before becoming a Tar he was still rather better off than the boys like Button.

"But if you worked..... couldn't you get better food fer yer money?" He imagined the foundling home like an awful place now. His own became ever nicer, warmer, more comfortable. He could almost say he missed his family.

"..Mm'.. might need ter cling ter stuff soon enough. We can't get smushed up in here, with a wierd shift of t' ship I hope. Wouldn't be found till it's emptied or we smell bad enough!"

"Money? Din't get no money for it. Jus' a place to sleep an' a bowl o' gruel in the mornin' and agin in the evenin'."

The ship was definitely starting to pitch and roll a little more. "A'right then," he said, shifting to hands and knees to back out. "The S'sity was better'n the 'ome, an' Terpsy's even better'n the S'sity was. It's... it's cleaner air, for one fing, an' you ain't all cooped up in one 'orrible old buildin' an' not 'llowed to go out an' see the sky, even."

"Ah." The boys worked for their keep, but the money was not something that they got. It was not fair, but at least they had a place to sleep in. "We's not in one horrible old building.. that's true." He mused shifting a little to give more space to Button. The creaking increased as well and the sway of the ship made some of the barrels below grind against each other. "We're jus' in one horrible small tub of wood, able ter drown at any given moment." He concluded.

"And there's nothin' we can do 'bout it neither!"

"You don' want to go fallin' in the water an' then you won't go drownin'," Terry pointed out, with a grin. "Stands to reason, that does." He backed out of the small space into the more open blackness of the hold itself. "Was there anyfin' else you wanted to know 'bout the 'Ome, or the S'sity?" he asked. He'd never had anyone show any interest in him in this way before - not even Mister Leat had asked about it, though he'd been ever so nice about it when Terry had reported to him the first time, and had burst into tears all over him. That was embarrassing even to think about, now.

"An' here I thought it's the staying on dry land that gets you drowned." He retorted and chuckled. "...Um.. yes.. If I can ask." He began. "Wot' was t' difference 'tween your Home and t' Society? An... um.. hw come you got to go to the other.. an' even to sea? Did you want it.. or they jus' said. Here is a boy, him be going out there?"

He folloed the boy to a relatively greater safety. "We'll be needed up there soon, won't we?" It was not a question, more a statement, a realisation.

"The S'sity was... nicer. Got proper food, an' much nicer clothes - new, they was, see. Three shirts an' two pairs o' trousers, and a jacket an' hat - and shoes." He wiggled his bare toes. "Never had shoes at the 'Ome, see. Don't wear 'em now, though, but it's nice to 'ave 'em, if I want to wear 'em." He glanced towards the ladder. "S'pose so, though I dunno what use we'll be."

De Guarde had not worn his buckled ones since being turned before the mast. His feet still felt a bit more cold, and needed to toughen up, because at the very beginning he thought he felt just about anything on the floor.

"Hmm. Shoes are somethin' ain't they." He agreed then glanced up. "Well, we can help with t' lashing o' things. But..." He did not want to land in water again, or have Button be taken by the sea. " Don't fall over board, you. "

He hesitated. "Could help me in the sick berth. There's things we need ter shut in there and there might be a Tar fallen an' injured so..." He shrugged.

"Don't wanna, b'lieve me - can't swim, can I?" he pointed out, and sighed. "I'd like to, but Mister Leat might need me fer summat. Though, mebbe I can come down after, if I give 'im 'is boat-cloak first or somefin'?" He looked at the other boy in the paler darkness near the companionway. "Ain'tcha got a pair o' shoes like me? Why don't you wear 'em, if you ain't usedta goin' barefoot like me?"

"Don't think many can swim. Barrow can, and...and....um that's about it of the ones I know who can swim." He paused staring at Button. Of course he had not heard all the gossip around the ship or added one and one together! " You're helpin' Mister Leat now, aren't ya? I mean, proper. Not jus' when he calls some random lad. You'm jus' his helper?"

He wanted to make sure. Not that he dared or wanted use that to his advantage. Or could.

"I dun' wear those shoes couse..." He shrugged. "They got lost near since first I got disrated.Didn't want ter go an' ask fer a new pair. They'd think me irresponsible..." Which they did already, but why add oil to the fire?

"Dunno if there's anyone else who can swim, no," Terry replied, and nodded. "Yeah... made me his servant, though I dunno 'zackly for why. Never done anyfin' like it afore... and 'e allus seemed like he was angry wiv me, ev'ry time 'e seen me afore. 'E's pretty nice, though, when y'get to know 'im."

He remembered the cocoa and gave a quick grin.

"'Ow can you lose summat you's wearin'?" he wanted to know, leading the way up the ladder to the messdeck.

"He looks angry with everyone. So....I guess he jus' wanted to be nice to someone. And he picked you." He followed Button up the ladder, careful not to slip if the ship should choose to pitch at an odd angle.

"I wasn' wearin' it when it got lost. I was in me hammock, you doof." He said, with a scowl, though he did not mean to offend the other. "Didn' find it since."

"Dunno that 'e wanted t'be nice," Terry said, thoughtfully. "Wonder 'o nicked 'em. They ain't likely t'fit anyone 'cept us - an' we got our own. Don't like wearin' 'em, eiver, none of us."

"Dunno. I've got worse nicked." He halted by one of the mess tables, watching as some were being put out of the way. "Why don't you like wearin' them? Ain't it somthin' you wanted ter have 'fore you gotten to Society and aboard this ship?" He wiggled his toes.

His mother would have been rather displeased to see him bare foot and with dirty soles. Maybe he did not mind being barefoot for that too.

"Ain't so comfy as goin' barefoot," Terry answered. "Ain't never wore shoes till I was gived 'em by S'sity, had I?" He stuck his leg out and looked critically at his bare foot. "Reckon y'can see I never wore shoes, can'tcha?"

"You can. Your soles are hard as leather." He held his own foot up. "Will need a pair of shoes meself, if I get let off the ship for our next stop on land. Or I'll bleed all over comin' back here." He chuckled.

"But we do both have filthy feet at t' moment." He indicated. "um Button.. did you never... hurt your foot on somethin, goin' about barefoot like that?"

"Yeah - 'o 'asn't? Didn't 'urt long though, not even when I stubbed me toe on pusser's table." He grinned. "Never knowed me feet to be clean. Well, not an' stay that way. Ain't goin' to 'appen, ever, I don't reckon." He put his foot down. "'O d'you wear shoes 'an not 'ave 'em cramp your toes, though?"

"Easy. You jus' have to wear shoes that are the right size. If they're too small, your feet will hurt, 'specially your toe. If they're too big, you'll get sum' of them blisters and... and if you get new ones, yer got to wear thim a little, before going anywhere far, or you'll really be in a pickle." De Guarde smiled.

"But t' softer t' shoe is... the less trouble you got with it. Mebbe you only wore shoes wot' were too small for you." He shook his head. "It's very important that they fit proper! And you need to wear stockin's of course. Those wot' keep your feet feelin' better!"

"C'n show 'em t'you," Terry offered, darting over to his sea-chest. "They ain't so 'ard as the M'rines' ones, I know that much." He flung the lid back, and then heard what Buckles said about stockings. "Got stockin's, but they don't feel right neiver. 'Ere," he dug his shoes out, and a pair of stockings, which hadn't seen the light of day since he'd put them there, the day he'd arrived on board.

"Hm. Lemme see your foot now." He took one of the shoes to measure up against Button's sole, before asking him to try it on. They felt the ship behave differently now, but it was not yet time to panic, and they could be of little use for the moment.

"How can you think stockin's feel odd?" He asked, surprised. He had always liked wearing them. Well, at the very least, never minded them unless they got wet. Then it was better to change them as soon as possible!

"They do." He shrugged. "Dunno how. Well." He looked down at his feet again. "Ain't used to 'avin' me toes all... all smushed togevver, am I?" He held onto the table so he could pick his foot up off the deck. "Your toes are all... sorta squished togevver an' mine ain't, see?" he added, looking down to Buckles' own feet.

"That's couse...well i'm used to wear 'em, but the shoes ain't." Well the lad had some point in that his toes stood further appart than his own. Of course he could shift them so, and it was not as bad as the feet of women, when they grew older, but..their feet were different.

"You get used to it. And it's better when it's rainin' couse it keeps your feet...warmer, or when it's cold." He shrugged, kneeling down to messure the shoe against Button's foot. "Hmm..mebbe you just need a broader shoe. S'all."

"Dunno 'bout that," he said, putting his foot down. "'Ere, you try 'em on - they might fit you."

De Guarde did. He pulled one of the shoes onto his foot, just out of curiosity if it would fit him or no. He glancd at Button and nodded. "They're a pretty good fit. See, that's where your toe's suppose to be when they're good." He indicated with his finger at the front of the shoe.

Terry shrugged. He didn't really, but as he had told Buckles, he'd never worn shoes and had no idea how they were supposed to feel if they fit or not. "You can 'ave 'em, if you want," he offered. "Reckon I can get new, though I don't need 'em like you do. Ain't like I like wearin' 'em, any'ow."