Day Trip

"Mebbe she is," Oxley added doubtfully, moving a little closer to Branning's comforting bulk. "Are we... are we 'llowed to go on board an' have a look, d'you think?"

"I would imagine so," Cartwright said. "There seem to be other visitors doing just that."

Oxley looked around. "It don't look much like a dockyard, not really..." he said doubtfully.

"Things change," Thompson observed, having settled his hat a little more firmly, and blinked as someone behind them said, "Look at the soldiers, Taylor!" He turned to find a woman talking to a young boy in some sort of chair on wheels.

Soldiers? Branning looked around. "Where?" He asked, looking confused. There weren't any soldiers around that he could see.

"We's M'rines," Oxley offered helpfully.

"Most of us, at least," Blackwood added with a slight smile.

Vickery reappeared out of the building near the gate, holding some colourful slips of stiff paper. "It seems we all have to have one of these tickets to be able to see everything, and will be asked to show them," he said, and started passing them around. "You have to look after these - put them in your pockets or somewhere safe."

Jenny arrived on her bicycle which she rode round and round and round the ship. "What a lovely day!" was her only comment on the outing so far.

"Maybe they took the sails down for washing. Do they do that sometimes? The sails must get mildewy at least. Or torn, and have to be mended?"

Branning received his ticket and stared at it. "Why'd we need papers to get visitin' one of our own ships?"

This whole dockyard was cursed. Evans would have sworn to it. What sort of place didn't let sailors near ships? He'd gotten separated from Chase, that empty-headed idiot, and had been summarily rebuffed on his attempt to get aboard the great ship.

Now he was in full flight from a burly dockyard man, without completely knowing why he was being chased. He wasn't even sure where he was going. Oh wait! There were the officers. Evans shifted his course and piled on all the speed he could.

"Sir! They're all gone mad here!"

Vickery held Evans' ticket out to him. "Show them that and they will let you aboard her. Just remember that they do things differently to how we are used to, that's all. And try not to mind if people give you strange looks because of how you're dressed. Just try not to give them strange looks in return."

"Thank'ee, sir," Evans said doubtfully, taking the ticket and staring at it. "They ain't dressed half right here, neither. Wimmen in trousers an' all. Pardon, sir, but can I get a ticket fer Chase too? 'Soomin' I can find him."

"Has Chase not got his?" Vickery said, and passed a ticket over. "Don't go losing it, will you?"

Evans shook his head. "No sir. He's gone off som'ers, prolly to climb somethin' tall. Can't do a thing with topmen, sir." He tucked both tickets into his pocket. "I won't, sir. 'Scuse me, sir. Better see 'bout fetchin' Chase back."

Oxley took his ticket and looked up at Branning. "Want to go an' have a look at her?" he asked, glancing between the big Marine and the ship behind him. He was a little too nervous to approach her on his own.

"Might's well," Branning answered, turning the odd-looking paper over and over in his hands. "This's the strangest sorta ticket I ever seen."

Having heard what Vickery had said to Evans, Bolitho approached him, glancing at the odd-looking coloured tickets he was holding.

"You say we need one of those to board the ship?" he inquired, "How strange. I would have thought that those of us in the King's service would be allowed to board a ship--especially one as esteemed as the Victory--without the need for a piece of paper."

"It does seem rather odd," Blackwood agreed. "Perhaps the Navy is attempting to control visitors in a more creative way?"

"Daftest sorta carriage I ever seen," Sam Mayden grumbled, managing finally to disentangle himself from the back of the coach. "Ain't even got a luggage rack on it!"

He dusted off his shako and looked around. "So this's the Navy, is it?"

"It's some of it, I think," Cotton said, tugging his jacket straight. "I never seen anythin' like that, neither."

Oxley grinned up at Branning. "Well, so long as they don't think it looks sorta strange, and let us in, it'll be all right, won't it?"

"Aye. Let's bein' goin' on, then." Branning grinned back and started off toward the great ship.

Oxley grinned, made sure his hat was on properly and trotted after him. "I never bin in a ship as big as Vict'ry," he said. "Only bin in frigates, me."

"Line ships is somethin' else." Branning nodded. "Takes gettin' used to, they do."