Chat on the Foc'sle

Thompson smiled. "I like it. I like it when it makes everythin' look like daylight, only it's silver light. It's sort of magical. I allus expect to see mermaids in the moonlight, y'know."

"Some Tars believe them ter be out there... t' mermaids. Think they've seen them too, or go on explaining how they did.. and what they'um look like. There's books on them too, but more .. tales for when yer go to rest." He smiled and glanced to the moon as if expecting her to be just right for the fish people to appear.

"Wonder what they'd really have looked like. ..In t' moonlight. But.. I don't think t' sailors stories are true.. or.. dunno. Do you?"

Thompson grinned. "I've heared stories about 'em that you wouldn't believe, Mathew. Could tell you some an' you wouldn't be able to say I hadn't seen one, y'know."

"Would you have time ter say one tonight? Just one I'll ask you for. So's you don't tire, but.. I'd really like t' hear. As you say you'd have me convinced. And if ye'um know then, what are they like? Are they really fish till hip n' human up? Are they pretty like pearls or s' that just a fable with em?"

Thompson shrugged and leaned back against the bulwark again, tipping his head back to see the stars.

"Well, I told you I bin round the Horn, years ago, didn't I?" he said. "It was misery, that. We had an awful storm an' lost our mizzen-mast, and a man who was in the riggin' at the time. But we survived and got round the Horn to a bunch of islands out on the Line, nearly. An' that's where we seen 'em. Lovely, they was." He sat up a bit. "They had fish tails like folks say, from about here all the way to where their feet should be. All diff'rent colours, they was, some blue, some green. Real pretty, and shinin' in the sunlight. An' they was sittin' on the rocks with combs and mirrors - they had such lovely long hair, right down so's they could sit on it if'n they wanted to."

He leaned back again. "Well, we wanted to go talk to 'em, like, but the Captain didn't want to get that close to 'em, what with all rocks 'tween them an' us, an' when they saw we wasn't goin' to come closer to 'em, they all dived into the sea an' we never saw 'em again."

De Guarde was staring at Thompson as he finished his story. He imagined the mermaids with each little detail that Thompson described and more that he added. Their glittering scales, their bodies which were in part hidden under their hair. How they had pearls in their hair, though he did not remember The marine mentioning that, shells for earrings and a neclace around their necks, each of a different origin.

"I want to see them too some day. I do." He murmured softly. "I want to see them like you did, and go up close. But not with a ship. Just a boat, so it's safe." He nodded again. "Did they sing? Did you have trouble to not jus' go n' see them? Was it hard?"

"It was real hard, aye. I dunno why the cap'n didn't want to go too. Mebbe he knew how dangerous it was. Though at the time we didn't see all the rocks 'tween them an' us."

"You ever seen them again since? N' why didn't they jus' come n' see you up close. That would sure make it all t' more easy!" He smiled hopefully. "...Maybe, I could see one some day too. Are there any other things you've seen? Like those monsters they say that are at sea as well. Did you see any of them?"

The Marine shook his head. "No, never. Though like I say, I allus 'spect to see 'em in moonlight, for some reason. And I've heard a sea monster, though I never seen it. All moany and sad, sort-of. Horrible, it was, that."

"... n' here I thought them things don't exist. Not as real things, just in books, n' in tales of old, that are sometimes as fictional as t' books that say they are too." He looked amazed first, but at the thought of himself falling in that night, also ill at ease. Monsters came out at night and in a bad storm. They could've been eaten, not just drowned!

"When did yer hear t' monsters like? I mean wot' time of day? Wot' was t' weather like too?"

"It was in the night. Wasn't all that long afore we saw the mermaids. Mebbe a week, couple of weeks, summat like that. I never heard of there bein' any monsters in these waters anyway. Likely it's too cold for 'em this far north or somethin' like that, y'see. Was real hot when we heard it an' we'd been in the doldrums for a bit by then as well. No wind, I mean."

"Ah, I see. So these monsters n' mermaids are all where it's hot. N' since here's not hot at all in t' water n'all, we'um safe?" He smiled, a bit disappointed he couldn't see the mermaids, but glad that it meant no monsters where therabouts too. However, Thompson did mention no wind and he wondered a moment about that.

"Oy... do you think they'um... no, they' couldn't be responsible fer t' wind, .. no?"

Thompson shrugged. "Dunno. Mebbe, though we'd bin in the doldrums for a week or so afore we heared 'em, so I don't think so. An' I don't think you get mermaids just where it's hot, though I think they'd prefer it there than here. The sea's pretty cold around here, after all. But that ain't to say you'll never see a mermaid - who knows where we'll get to, this voyage, after all?"

"Aye, even t' cap'n don't know, and he's t' one best ter know." He looked thoughtfully towards where, behind all the wood, the sea would be, peacefully moving and reflecting some of the moon's light.

"Sure hope we don't get that here. Ain't any fun rowin' before t' boat and hoping it moves, even a little. N' then when you get back on it, t' wind finds it mighty amusin' to pick up! .." He scowled. "Dun' like t' wind.. that way."

"When you get in the doldrums proper, there ain't no use rowin' - there's no wind for miles and it's far too hot. You just sort of sit there and wait for a wind. I never heard of the doldrums lastin' forever, which is summat, at least." He wriggled to lay down on his side, propping his head up on his hand. "An' I dunno what the Captain's orders are, o' course. But bein' a frigate, we'm more likely to get away an' do stuff than a big old line-of-battle ship like Temmyrare is. 'Cause they'm the ones that fight the big battles and do all the blockading and stuff."

"Is good we are a frigate. .. yer right. N' hope we'll go far n' wide with our cap'n. That I do." He nodded quickly: "...N' we might get summat action soon too. What with where we are going ter meet t' army. N' ter heave our guests over n'all." He sounded amused.

"You have some more prospects bein' in a bigger ship, but then again, yer don't see half the things you do in a frigate, or do half of them neither. Less people here too, of course. Dunno if that's a good or a bad thing tho."

"There's more room in a frigate, though that sounds strange," Thompson said, smiling at the young Tar. "In a bigger ship, there's more men an' you sleep on the same decks as the guns, y'see. Ain't no room for sea-chests, prop'ly, so you have to keep your things that you want in a ditty-bag. An' 'cause there's more men, there's a lot more noise. More Marines an' more officers, too, o' course."

"I see. ..sea chests are lots better, they are. N' more men jus' means more angry faces, if summat goes wrong, don't it? But more marines that's good too, no?"

He stretched out and smiled: "You like a frigate better, don't ye? Though even here, you don't exactly get to know everyone. Not like, I reckon, you would on a sloop?"

Thompson nodded. "Aye, I'm more used to smaller ships. Never did like Temmyrare, really, she was too big for my likin'. Terpsy, though, she'm just nice. Sloops can be a bit small, an' they've only got little guns. Not much chance o' any decent prizes, really. Most me service has bin on frigates."

"'s better with us n' havin' guns just right." He smiled and leaned back again, enjoying the sight of the stars above them. So peaceful it felt, and with men going to sleep it was almost quiet, as quiet as ever could be on a ship.

"How many middies can the ships o' t' line have?" He inquired curiously, having had known the number on Terpsy. Only one middy short, but he hoped that spot would be filled some day by himself.

"Middies on a ship of the line?" Thompson shrugged. "Loads. Up to twenty-four, I think. Mebbe more. Me, I never bin a middy, nor never will, but I think it's best to be one on a frigate with a good captain, where you can learn proper seamanship and stuff. An' you, well, you're learnin' by doin' it, not readin' about it in a book. Which has got to be even better, ain't it?"

"Well, if yer mean, doin' it b' hand being a Tar, I'll have you an earful of why it ain't better." He smiled though, and didn't look as upset as the first day at his new post. He was accepting it now. Accepting to be called a Tar and mingling with some. Of course he did mingle with the marines too, which wasn't quite a Tar's way. Still anyone daring to tell him different would've been in for some.

"One's thinkin' yer hands'll fall of, t' next moment yer move 'em!" And they were bruised, though that could happen as much to a middie as to a Tar.

"I mean, when it comes to your examination, an' they say 'How d'you sway up the foretopmast?' you'll be able to tell 'em what you done when you did it, rather than havin' to remember what some book says to do. See what I mean?"

Thompson, not being literate, had no very high opinion of 'book-learning', though he knew that officers could read. He just felt that practical experience was better.

"...I see wot' you mean. Though t' books will be important there too." He was rather surprised at Thompson's mention of an examination. Had he so much faith in him that not only would he have become a midshipman again, but that he would be a lieutenant at some point as well? He smiled and looked at his new shirt. He was a good friend, even if he didn't beat about the bush when things had to be said. Or maybe, that was the reason he was so. He'd known to say them right, though.

" But.. I guess.. it ain't so.. bad ter be a Tar, now. With wot' yer learnin' n' doin'. Though I doubt they'll ever ask me how do yer holystone t' floors or summat of that sort. Nor, how ter do other things, with t' heads, if yer know wot' I mean."

"Well, I don't s'pose you'll be able to do everythin' that the books teach. I mean, I really don't want us to have to club-haul Terpsy any time soon. Had to do that in another ship, and it wasn't fun. But other things, you'll remember 'em better 'cause you'll have done 'em. An' I never heared that they ask bout holystonin' or nothin' like that, though. Mebbe they should?" He grinned at the thought. "And I said it weren't so bad, bein' a Tar, didn't I?"