24th May, Morning - Deck

He was trying not to grin like a fool, though it was pretty hard not to. "So... so that's how it works? You just know what letters make what sounds and put 'em all together?" He'd thought it was much harder than that.

"So... so the next one must be..." He thought for a moment before pointing to 'R' "I don't call me mum anythin' but mum. She'd think I'd gone wrong in the head if I called her anythin' else."

"Yes. That's how it works basically. There's some rules that usually complicate it, but more or less. A sound makes a letter, and a letter makes the sound!" He grinned and nodded again, for just as Thompson guessed earlier, he chose the right letter this time as well.

" R." He made the sound and nodded. "That's the letter that comes after A." He indicated the letter that was already written down. "See. Writing generally isn't that hard. Sure there's little things that don't behave just as they should, but on average..It works just fine. So.. We've got the M, the A, and the R. Which other letter are we missin' to end up writing marine, and not just a foreign word meaning sea or summat like that?" He tried to hide his amusement at the look Thompson had on his face. The man was very close to having his face go in odd ways from the grin. He was trying not to let it, that was clear, but his happyness was easy to recognize.

He nodded, and looked at the list of letters de Guarde had written down. He went through them, silently going through the sounds he knew that they made, before looking up and shaking his head with a puzzled frown.

"Well, I know you said I know all the letters in this word, but I dunno that I know any letter that makes the sound that comes next. 'Cause it's a sort of.... eee sound, but that one's an 'a' for... apple, an' that one's 'eye' like here, in Private, an' none of the others do that. So there's summat you haven't told me, yet."

"Hm. .I did , true." Private's eye was different than marine's I. But Thompson had picked the right sound out of it, he just didn't know that the letter he already knew belonged to it.

"See, I can make t' eye sound.. an' it can also make another sound, like the ee you've just said. It's.. Hm.. like when you say It.. the I here.." He pointed to the letter. " Is used. So.. this letter makes the sound for ee and eye... alright?" Though this rule did not hold true for all cases, he knew better than to confuse the marine before he even learnt this much. "Uh... do you understand?"

"So... so that one has more than one sound to it?" he asked, wanting to make sure he understood properly what it was the younger lad was saying. "Are there any more of 'em that have more than one sound?"

He wrote the I in, careful not too press to hard with the nib of the quill as he put the dot over the top of it.

"There aren't too many that make a different sound. We'll.. I think it's best we pick them of as we go and write the words. Else it might become too confusing and we don't want that do we?" He asked and nodded at the I that was now joining the rest of the letters already there.

"So.. Mari.. is what you've written so far. As we said before, you will have another letter that you know and you can hear when you say the word and one that is silent. Tell me which two I am asking for. And think you've had them both in your name and in the earlier word that we've learnt before marine." He smiled. "N' I promise there ain't that many letters that have more than one sound or that many sounds that have different letters. Uh.. well we will learn them bit by bit, so don't worry!"

"I know the next one. It's the one at the end of me surname, ain't it? That one." He pointed to the 'n'. "An' the one after it's that'n, ain't it? An' that might be a good idea... though you won't forget to tell me what's got more'n one sound, will you?"

"I won't forget no. When it turns up I'll tell you, and I'll help you remember it somehow. But so you know, t' most important in writing is, that you are able to write so people can read it and understand what you've meant. " He grinned and pointed at n. "Yep, that one's next, very good." He patted Thompson on the shoulder again.

"n' this one... yes, it's the e." He grinned broadly. "And once you have both written yer have t' nice word, Marine all done. N' then.." He pointed at the two words and then continued: "Private Marine George Thompson."

He hesitated and looked up. "Do we have some more time? Wasn't even payin' attention ter the bells. "

"Mmm? Oh. Dunno. Prob'ly we ought to stop - I ain't got any idea what the time is." He looked down at his piece of paper. "You mean... If I show this to someone else who can read, they'll know what it says?"

He looked up. "You mean, I'm readin'?" He grinned and looked down again at the piece of paper. "Can't believe I just wrote that, meself."

"Yes, I mean, if anybody else who can read would see this, they would be able to tell you what it says without you needing ter tell them first. You are readin' n' you are writin' now, George." The boy grinned. "N' you picked the right letters n' sounds all on yer own, which is more than if I told you them. Because that means that you not only scribble after me sayin' it.. but actually understand." He would have to do more of course, but the man came very far from being unable to read or write at all.

"Now yer don't even need ter write t' x if you want ter sign yeself. Though we will get you to know lots more letters before I allow you to go off signin' more papers." He winked and laughed merrily. He'd completely forgotten about time, and just hoped they weren't late or so late that he couldn't put away all the paper and things he'd used for writing. Thompson too would have to put away his own, since the paper which he wrote on was now in his anyway.

"I'll see if I can get some paper from the pusser. Don't want to use up all yourn, see, not with you being so nice as to show me how to do all this." He grinned at the lad proudly. "It's... it's real nice of you to show me how to do it, Mathew. Thanks. An', well, I never thought I'd learn how."

Maybe they could continue the lessons tomorrow? Or soon, anyhow. He ran his finger over the letters on the paper, remembering their shapes and what each word said. He sat up and slipped an arm around de Guarde, giving him a quick hug. "It's... I ain't got the words for it, Mathew. It means a lot to me, it really does."

The boy smiled fondly. The hug caught him by surprise. It made him no less glad that he had received it though. It was nice, and to share it in joy rather than in misery was something of an improvement.

"It's alright. George, you jus' promise me you won't forget the letters n' them sounds." He grinned, and looked at the paper, the letters now completely dry and fast on the paper. Of course any speck of water could still dissolve them, or smear them, but with care, they would remain for as long as Thompson wished them to. Picking the paper up he offered it to the marine.

"Fold it n' store it somewhere's where you won't loose it." He murmured softly, still smiling so much that it seemed his whole face had been brightened by the emotion. "N'.. if you've got time, we could do it t' same well, t' watch we share , tomorrow. N' after tomorrow it should be t' same time as today." He looked up. "Just don't you get in trouble in t' meanwhile, aye?"

He took the paper. "I ain't likely to get in trouble, me. Some of the others might, but I'm jus' lookin' forward to a quiet drink tonight." He'd let the others brawl or do what they wanted, so long as they didn't involve him in whatever mischief they got up to.

"Tomorrow sounds like it should be good, if I don't get collared for duty or somethin' while the other liberty-party's ashore. An' we'll have to see about gettin' some more paper from somewhere, 'cause it'd be mean of me to go through your stock without toppin' it up again. 'Sides, I'm that grateful to you for showin' me how do all this."

He folded the piece of paper carefully and slipped it inside his shirt. "I'll put it away later."

Four bells sounded, startling him. "Are you on duty now? 'Cause I can get your things put away for you if you are."

"A'right. I'll get some with me jus' in case you didn't manage. But if you could, that would be grant!" The boy jumped a little at sound of the bell. He would be late if he went to run down and then up to take up his duties. He scowled at his papers and at his ink and the quill which needed to be wiped clean else the ink might dry and make it harder to write the next time and it would be quite messy if it touched his slops too. He closed the ink bottle, making sure it held fast and wouldn't leak, if it were by any chance turned upside down.

"Ah, you could?" The offer was very kind, and it would've certainly stopped him from being late. "But..., you wouldn't be late for whatever you might be havin' right now?" He asked, standing up. The quill was being wiped on the small cloth, carefully not to break the tip. Any more would have to be done later. He rolled it in , so that it looked protected in it's cloth tube. " It'd be grand if you could , jus'..." He gazed nervously over his shoulder. " uh.. n' do you know which chest is mine n' Chase's?"

"I ain't on duty till... two bells. Plenty o' time to get this all stowed away for you. An' if I ain't sure which sea-chest is yourn, I can allus ask, can't I?" He smiled. "There ain't nothin' to worry yourself over, Mathew, lad." And if any of the seamen thought he was taking stuff out of Chase's sea-chest, being open about why he was going in it would reassure them. "'Sides, I know where you mess. Ain't goin' to be so hard to figure out which is the chest you use, is it?"

He touched the paper inside his shirt. "You'd best run along. And thank you for this. Really. An' I'll be real careful with your things. Promise."

"Right. " He smiled and held his papers and his quill and the ink bottle to Thompson to take." If anybody gives you trouble, jus' tell em ter talk to me, but that I let you. Jus.. jus' roll it up an' place it more ter t' bottom anyway." He grinned. "N' thanks, George. Will see you once I'm free or summat!" And with that the lad turned, ready to go.

Still he stood on the spot for a few moments longer. "No trouble, George. Glad I could help. You did me many time!" And with that he finally took off, trusting - which wasn't the most usual feeling to have - that his things would arrive safely in his chest.

Thompson took the things de Guarde held out to him. "It's not like I'm takin' anythin' out of your chest, neither, jus' puttin' some stuff back in it. An' I'll be real careful with it all, I will."

He stood up and grinned at the lad. "That's what bein' friends is all about, Mathew. Folks helpin' each other out, things like that." He watched the lad go before turning to head down to the messdeck to put de Guarde's things away for him.