Light duties and men

"'s there a way that we coul have a hold of him. " He knew he couldn't right leave the midshipman's berth being ordered here. Unless the order was to remain with Branning in which case, Branning could fetch what he had in mind and they might as well share some amusement.

"..'s not me problem ter stay here if you are ter fetch him. ..Though.." He hesitated, he couldn't believe he was asking Branning this:"..have yer any suggestion yourself?" How did that happen? A midshipman asking a Marine for advice? But he was ready to give it some space, it was a long while for them to be here and there was just so many things you could do to amuse yourself with nothing.

Branning pondered that for a moment. He could call out for somebody to send Everett up, or he could go himself. He frowned. No, he couldn't leave his post just to get some dice. Even if Mister De Guarde himself suggested it - which the boy did.

"I can holler fer him, sar," Branning said. "Summody's sure t'hear an' pass the word."

"Then do so." The boy nodded. "N' let us hope somebody hears you."

Easy enough. "Aye sar," Branning said. He waited a beat, then drew in a breath and hollered "Private Everett t'the midshipmen's berth!"

That ought to do it.

Aye, ought to do with the headache too. Not that the boy complained. Instead he balanced himself against the next shift of the decks. "Ye'd wake the dead." He spoke, but as much as it first seemed it was in ill thoughts, the voice actually sounded amused.

Shod feet came clattering aft toward him and a moment later Everett appeared, looking both bewildered and a little alarmed to have been summoned. "What's what?" The other Marine burst out.

Branning nodded at the midshipman behind him. "Young gennelman's wantin' summat fer amusement, so I figgered t'give him a dice game. Good fer it?"

"Dice?" Everett eyed De Guarde warily. "Dunno. Ain't got the coins for another game, that blaggard Hardy cleaned me out. But,' he shrugged, "I ain't turnt a game down yet!"

De Guarde looked from Everett to Branning, for a moment considering a notion of gambling. It wasn't hard to miss that Everett has lost money in the game. While at another time this was worthy a scold, he had little reason to complain now. He wanted to be amused, and scolding the man that was bringing amusement was hardly appropriate. How exactly the game would be played though, he would have to ask. And coins, they were playing like it?

He offered Everett a polite smile: " It would indeed be doing me a favour." He spoke and shifted some against the wall, though straightening more now, with company. "Would have to tell me by what rules you play." Easily understanding the game then too. And what for? Well for the fun, unless otherwise suggested.

"Simple 'nuff, sir," Everett said. "Ever played Hazard before?"

At the question Branning turned around, interested in the prospect of a dice game even if he couldn't participate directly.

"It's not in my nature to play gambling games, private." he answered defensively and then with a slight shrug:"Refresh me memory."

He didn't quite want to look ignorant of the games played, and he had a memory of some, but hadn't participated himself. Just seen it long enough to have the gamblin' game reported and the men punished accordingly.

Both Marines frowned. Branning in particular felt a little put out. He'd called for Everett out of pure goodwill, but maybe he'd been wrong.

"Mebbe not Hazard then," Branning rumbled.

Everett shrugged. "Never mind gamblin' games then. I know a simple little game that'll do. If I can siddown, sir...?"

"...No." He hesitated a moment:".. 'mean.. sure ye sit down, n' no was fer t' not playin' t' game." He frowned. He did see the looks on their faces and for some strange reason that he himself could not understand, he wanted to make it right. It was easier to feel that way with the marines, for neither had a full relation to his rank, they were neither subordinate to him directly - being as they were answering to their own superiors - nor were they superior either.

" jus' ..you keep it here. N' say none of it." Saying that felt somehow vulnerable: "I'ma... been relieved of duty fer now.." Saying the next was just as uncomfortable:" ...so, we can play. But ye be sayin' any of it outside 'ere... n' I'll say no, n' you will not be happy with yer ways of things after that." He bit down on his lip. He wanted to play those games and he wanted to seem civil, yet at the same time he didn't want them to have anything on him, for fear that they would use it maliciously. "..if yer promise that, then we can play allright." He spoke at last looking from Branning to Everett. "N'.. sit down, who ye wish. ...n' where 'fcourse too." He looked at Branning then:".. Same fer you, if ye'll be wanting." He knew the man had orders, so he did not press on with the invitation.

"So we plays," Everett said, dropping onto the bench at the middies' mess table. He didn't care why this young middie was confined to his berth with a Marine guard, or even why he threatened bad things if eithier Marine talked of it. He'd been called aft to play dice and that was the extent of his interest.

Branning grinned. "No point in tellin' summody else, really, sar. Who'd care?" The big Marine shrugged at the offer of a seat and added "Better off standin', I am, sar. Won't be right if an officer comes 'long and spots me sittin' down on watch!"

Everett had the dice rattling in his hand. "Ready for it sir?"

"i'll be standin' too." He felt awkward but not at all interested in placing his weight down on his tender rump if he could help it. "Aye, ready." He added and leaned slight against the table (if it's still there) peering at Everett. He agreed with Branning. If he was found sitting on watch and looking as if he were not doing his job there could be great trouble. A smart man that, right devoted to duty. A proper one then.

"Right then." The dice clattered over the table when Everett let them loose from his hand. "This one's easy, sir. Made it up so's I could play it with me brothers back home. There's four dice here, see, an' the goal's to get 'em all close to seven total as you can. Within five tosses, say." Everett pointed at the dice. "See yon, I got one, four, two, an' one. More luck than all else really, but it kept me brothers busy, young's they is. Taught 'em numbers a bit too."

Branning looked at the dice and, after some thinking, saw that Everett's numbers added up to eight instead of seven. He grinned. "Proper clever game, that."

"Closest to seven but not over, or can it be ever more or less as long as it's close like?" He asked observing the dice and puting the numbers together. It was indeed one more than seven, as close a fit as one could get without hitting the number itself. Four dices could easily cross the 7 though. Seeing as their heighest number was 6, and even with just two fives, or two fours you were already done with it.

"Yours is eight now, isn' it?"

"That's so, sir," Everett replied.

It was simple yet clever. Branning marvelled at apparent ease of the game and was in awe of Everett for having thought it all up. He, Branning, would never have managed such a feat.

"Good way fer learnin' numbers," he said. "G'on then, sar, give 'em a toss!"

"Aye, sure!" He nodded and picked the four dices in his hand. he shook them a moment and threw them onto the table. They stopped before they could fall off of the surface, though the sudden lean to the side near made them roll further.

" One, Four, four, five." He spoke and had to think a moment to sum them all up. " Fourteen?" He looked to the dice to be sure. "Aye, double the number you wanted fer." As simple as the game was, it did stimulate the mind. And a stimulated mind kept busy 'stead of up to no good.

"Fourteen!" Branning was proud of himself for being able to add up the numbers on the dice himself, even though Mister De Guarde had announced the total.

Both Marines grinned. Everett said, "You get up to five tosses too, sir. If you wanna try again."

"Aye, I would. N' Branning will toss too? " He looked at the four dice and scooped them up in the palm of one hand. His was smaller than Everett's so that it looked quite full with the four dice inside. He shook his fist softly again and then had the dice rolled down the table. One stopped right one roll before it could've fallen off the table, the other three, staying well safe from the edge. " One, Four, One, one." He paused. Three ones would make a three, and one four. A beginner's luck, that's what it was.

"Seven... , seven I think!" he spoke and added up again just to be sure.

Branning hesitated, while the middie re-tossed the dice. Did he dare try his luck at leaving his post? Everett was there too but it was never wise to risk provoking Corporal Johnson's temper.

"Everett can toss fer me, sar," Branning said, then he too looked at the dice. That was seven, right enough!

Grinning, Everett said, "Well done, sir!"

With Everett's words the youth beamed proudly, and he looked more a good middie than he'd ever done aboard that ship. A good, happy little middie." Thank you, Everett!" He answered and a grin was still on his face:" What happens if there are two of us that have thrown a seven? Does it mean we both win, or do we play again to see who throws closest?" He nodded lightly to Branning. It felt pleasant to lead a civil conversation even if by a small deal it was breaking the order that he was given. Don't talk to anyone. Oh well, as long as nobody got hurt!

Everett nodded. "Aye, it means both win. Then it goes on again." He swept up the dice and shook them up in his hand. "My turn then."

Branning looked over his shoulder again when he heard the dice rattle over the table top. Three, four, one, and five. He frowned for a moment.

"Thirteen!"

"Aye, Branning. Thirteen." He smiled at the man." Want it ter be thrown again, aye?" He studied Everett the smile not passing:"... and how do we play those other.. ...fortune games?" Hopes the storm to be over soon and wonders if the speck on the horizon that he'd seen earlier was a ship, or just his imagination. Boy if it were a ship.. and that of an enemy, that wouldn't be good at all for not telling of it earlier. But there could be battle.. if he was permitted above then.

"Another toss can't hurt," Everett said. He scooped the dice up, shook them a bit, and let them fall. Two, four, one, and five. "Bad throw!" He said, but grinned anyway.

Then, shrugging slightly, he added, "I could try teachin' you Hazard, sir, but I'm not much of a teacher of gamblin' games. Most of the lads that throw dice already know it, like."

"Twelve!" Branning burst out.

"Teach me then." He looked at Everett studying his person as if he were trying to learn whether he was a man whom he could make do things he pleased, or whom would be telling the officers straight away. He looked towards Branning making a similar assesment then and nodded to himself. It had been a while, and one pint of grog hardly made itself known in his belly even if the later was not as full as it ought to have been.

"Would it be.. not more pleasant for the company.." He began in the kindest way, respectful and warm sounding:".. if we had also a bit ter drink. None of us suffers from the sea, no." He looked between Branning and Everett. "It would certainly liven up.. the game and make for fair spirits." Atleast between himself and the marine sitting. He did not even consider offering the same to Branning. The man was on duty and thus drink was off limits unless he wished to be getting a good whopping as well.