Happy Birthday, Sweet Fifteen (13 June)

"Don't know that he's concerned about that now.. though you're full right about it. " He was thoughtful, then shifted a bit. "Not our problem though is it? Him, failin' or passin'. Not our problem at all!"

He shrugged. He did not know that lad long enough. The boy had come aboard after he had been disrated and thus..

"George. Do you think ..I'll live a good life?"

"'Pends what you mean by 'good'," Thompson replied slowly, feeling his way in answering. "I mean, well, if you transfer into the Corps, it won't be 'good' in the same way as it would if you'd stayed at home to be a gentleman. An' who knows how long you'll live - how long anyone'll live, come to think of it. But if you mean 'good' like bein' a good sailor, or a good Marine - or a good officer, if you stop as a sailor an' get re-rated again - I don't see why not."

"I meant.. if I live.. and what happens.. do you think my future's less bleak than..it had been 'till now? That bad.. luck has changed for me now?"

He bowed his head: "I admit I'm partially to blame for it.. only..still.."

Thompson nodded, with a wry grin. "Mind if I ask you a question, 'stead of answerin' yourn right away? You 'member after that fight with Victorious, an' we had that chat about what bein' a Terpsy means?"

"Yeah, I 'member that time. Wot' off it?" He asked curiously, gazing up at Thompson. He wished to have some more to drink, but since he did not, he concentrated instead on the man and wondered why he brought that conversation up at this time.

"You 'member I was tryin' to explain about bein' a Terpsy," Thompson reiterated, nodding. "D'you think you understand that a bit better now?"

"Hmm.. well I understand it a bit better, I think..Not perfectly probably, but...well, what do you think i should be thinkin' now?" He inquired studying Thompson.

"I think... I think you'm in a fair way t'be livin' a good life, 'cause you understand the diff'rence between a good ship an' a bad ship," Thompson replied, and smiled. "I know I said this earlier, but I hope you'm enjoying your day today."

"I am. I really am!" He smiled brightly. ".. this would never have happened back on me other ship. Even if I was a middie. Just wouldn't. I'd rather not have had them know when my birthday is.. else they'd... it doesn't matter now. I'm on Terpsy and I am real grateful to you. And even to Mister Bailey.. who's a right strange lad!"

He smiled warmly. "Can't say thank you enough."

"I wish Terpsy'd bin your first ship, y'know," Thompson said, and slyly reached for the book, which was lying forgotten in the lad's lap.

"Me too.. though, would we then become friends?.. .Couse I'd behave an' mebbe you'd see me as much as you see mister Fletcher, or Mister Bailey, or Mister Kinsella, or any other mister on this ship. " He allowed Thompson to take the book from him, glancing at him curiously.

Thompson shrugged. "I dunno... reckon you'd've had other friends, like them young gentlemen, an' wouldn't have needed me." He flipped the book open, looking at the pictures. "There are times I wish we could take women to sea, y'know," he said cheerfully, looking at a picture of a very nice-looking girl who had curves in all the right places, and a rather ample bosom.

"But, I think it would be a pity. You're a good friend, you know. I'd have lost a great deal for not knowing you as one." He peered at the book that Thompson was flipping through.

"Women at sea?..There'd be fights goin' on day and night! You'd not see the end of it, you wouldn't!" He shook his head at the thought. "I think that's why we don't have these sort of lasses on board.. couse pretty breeds resentment, jealousy an'... well you know what that leads to!"

"Prob'ly," Thompson said with a sigh. "Ain't lucky, either, to have women on board ship." He passed the book back. "There. Though I wonder if the fights when it's Wives 'n' Sweethearts is 'cause there's a lot of rum an' that sorta thing aroun'?"

"I think there's always argument if wives an' sweethearts meet. After all.. neither want ter share with t' other... and if you're alright with it.. I dunno that they'd ever be." He shrugged. "That mixed with larger quantity o' drink gets the mind in such a state that... well, sum'one can die, can't they? Couse they argue that bad and think no sense, that they would should they have not been drinkin' an' all!"

The Marine shrugged, with a wry smile. "Reckon most've 'em ain't wives... an' 'sweethearts' is pushin' it, too... the women is mostly whores, see." That was probably why they ended up arguing, though. "Anyhow, when was you on a ship that allowed Wives 'n' Sweethearts, anyway?"

"I'm jus' sayin'. Couse it's sensible! Don't mean I saw 'em arguing back and forth on a ship!" He huffed then.. shrugged. "I..do think the Tars act different when out in port, and there's girls around than they do on board. And.. it's not at all always sensible.. an' as you said. Then they go sick, and they're poor as mice,.. and.." He waved his hand.

"All couse of them going after a whore or two, or a pretty face!"

"Well, after you bin at sea for a bit, an' then you get to port, well, stands to reason you want a bit of... of skirt," Thompson said, and shrugged. "An' the women know it - an' that men'll pay for it too. S'why me mum does it. She needs the money, she's got summat that men want... An' o' course, when a ship does get back to England, the men get paid, so they've got the money to spend."

"I know that only.. they'd not be poor as church mice if they had saved something instead. Just a little something, you know. Summat, ter keep them going even after they've gone off the ship. .. " He hesitated and sighed.

"We's been taught to behave in a different way, so maybe it's why on one hand do want it, but on the other think it's an awful idea. Like when we agreed where you'll take me. I want it, but then there's this little voice tellin' me money'll go and.. well just go 'way. Like it was a butterfly."

"Folks like me ain't really bin taught to save, though. One of me old Captains was diff'rent - he arranged for any of his crew who wanted to have their prize money put away safe, to earn a bit of... 'interest', I think he called it." He drew a leg up and linked his hands around his knee. "That was Captain Ramage, that was. An' I put me prize money in - what I got with him, an' the money I got later with Captain Aubrey."

"An'? Did it do good for your money ter be put there? Got more of it, now?" De Guarde asked curiously. He wondered if he could ever have done good for the crew. Should he have had the chance to be promoted in such a fashion. He wondered, really, if his future would go any further than a Tar in the service of the Navy. Eventually his parents would know, if they had not already. He sighed at the thought of that.

"You know....I think not havin' too many relations is sometimes quite good. Fewer ter disappoint."

Thompson nodded. "Don't understand it, e-zackly, though Captain Ramage was good at 'splainin' things." He looked at the lad's expression. "Y'know... bein' a Tar don't mean you'll never get to be an officer. Loads of officers started out on the lower deck. 'Cludin Mister Leat... an' I think Mister Bush was a master's mate an' not a middy."

"Yeah.. But.. Ia ain't got right the reputation of any of them, so I don't think I can best compare meself to them. And..well t' captain' ain't lookin'. And neither are they . Not when they oughta. So, see, it all matters who's lookin' and who's not." He shrugged. "An'.. though me folk ain't seeing it.. I bet t' captain's written to them by now...an' t' letter's reached them or summat... they'll know. And there's no guarantee that's going to be a different news to write to them sometime later."

"You dunno when the captain's lookin' an' when he ain't," Thompson pointed out. "An' you ain't goin' to be here in Terpsy forever an' a day, amen, anyhow. The Service don't work like that. Else, well, you'd still be in your old ship."

He slipped his arm around the lad. "I'm glad it don't work like that, an' you ain't still there - captains like him oughtn't to be allowed to have ships, is what I think - though don't go tellin' anyone I said that, all right?"

"True, I would be...but then I don't want to leave this one and get onto another like my old one.. really. I'd rather I stay an be .. noticed 'round here. And if I'm good enough, granted some lenience from... my past mishaps." He smiled and leaned closer.

"I'll tell noone that you've said it .. even though, you'um more right than a man is, sayin' t' sky is blue. Which it is." He nodded slowly. "Wish we had good captains only.. an' that they'd see all good that's done on t' ship, so they'd know.. and ..mebbe, that they'd see t' bad stuff too, so they'd be able to stop an prevent it from escalatin'!"