Day Trip

Tars. Branning shook his head. "Can't do nothin' with sailors," he remarked. "Where's that lot goin'?" He moved cautiously after a group of chattering, daftly-dressed people who were making their way down the aft companion ladder.

"Looks like they's going down to the..." He racked his brains, trying to remember what he knew of how a three-decker was laid out. "The upper gundeck, that's where they's goin', I think." He frowned. "You want to go after 'em, then?"

"Better'n stayin' up here," Branning said, glancing at one of the official-looking people staring at them from various places around the deck. "Let's go."

Mathew heard Thompson alright and peered down at where he was at. He noticed Tide Evans just then and seemed to curse and begin climbing higher, thinking perhaps that the man wouldn't dare come to the very top. " Thanks fer the warning, George!" He called back down, merrily.

"All right," Oxley said, heading toward the companionway. His eye widened as he realised the strangely-dressed people were going down the step backwards. Lubbers, he thought, and waited till the way was clear for him to go down himself, the way he always did: facing forwards, ducking the low lintel without even thinking about it.

"Get down here this instant, or the Cap'n'll have you clapped in irons," Thompson called. Bolitho probably wouldn't, of course, but it was as good a threat as any, and did de Guarde really expect that he could avoid Evans' rope's end? After all, the quartermaster's mate had once been a topman himself, and once you knew how to climb the shrouds, it was a skill you never lost.

Branning followed the drummer down, shaking his head at the people ahead of them. "They're lettin' just anybody into the Navy now, ain't they."

"Better start goin' down now, boy," Evans called up, as he swung up onto the mainmast platform. He'd be up to the royal top pretty quick if De Guarde insisted on being an idiot.

De Guarde scowled at Thompson's insistent bellowing. He was very safe up here, what was the matter with everyone wanting noone to be up there anyway? He peered down at Evans, undecided where to go. Down, would mean towards one not very happy man who had in his possession a few things that wouldn't feel very nice. Up, was the sky pretty much and there was no danger to fall because the ship was as still as a rock.

"'e wouldn't couse I'd done nothing wrong." He called back, persisting in his spot, this time not climbing any higher.

"Refused to follow an order," Evans snapped. "That's plenny enough!"

"..He didn't give it. N' we's in modern world!" He said stubbornly. With a hand lowered from it's high perch he made a subtle shift of direction. From going up, then a total standstill, he just picked a step in the right direction. "Will be comin' down. Jus' not yet!"

Lunacy. Madness. He'd had quite enough of it. "An order's an order, when it comes from a warrant!" Evans reached up for the next set of shrouds. No more mincing around with the boy now.

"Was a silly sort."De Guarde noticed Evans advancing towards him again and turned to look up. He could go little bit further , but not by much and certainly not to enough to be safe. "..jus' a wee bit more time, 'come on, ain't bothering noone!"

"No. Down. Now."

De Guarde looked defiantly at Evans, and stood his ground, holding tightly onto the ropes, which were not so by name. He even shook his head, and then turned tosee what he'd really come here to see. And that was the view of what things were far and what used to be close.

So that was how it would be. Fine. Evans fairly skipped up the rigging, his muscles warming to the exercise. If he had to drag the pigheaded fool down, he would...

De Guarde thought the view was quite splendid, even if it had him see things he might've seen the first time and they were not as lovely as the wooden ships could be, nor as.. normal. Hooking his legs into the ropes to keep himself from falling or moving, he peered to his left. There were people pointing at them, below. He grinned. It was weird how no visitors would come up this high! It wasn't even hard.

" 'Nuff of this now," Evans growled, now within reach of the snotty little bugger. "Shift yerself, boy. Sharp-like."

He palmed his starter and gave it a brisk snap in warning.

De Guarde blinked and turned about, staring for a few moments at the starter. Evans did look to mean business, and not just threaten without any given grounds. "Uh sir.." He adjusted his grip. " Look 'bout 'eself." He began to tug his one foot free, then the other, being in slight more hurry - and the right intentions of heading down - as he was told. The starter being given another uneasy glance. "Gimme a 'moment!"

That was more like it. "Good lad."

".. ain't no reason why we shouldn't be 'llowed ter be up here." He said sulkily, beginning, albeit slowly, to climb downwards towards the deck.

"This's a ship of His Majesty, ain't it? When hands is called down, hands come down."

It wasn't that hard, really. Was it?

"But hands ain't called down now, not really like they use to.. n' we ain't this ship's crew neither." He shrugged. " Not that the lot down there seem like they'd know what to do with her, set out to sea..." He paused thoughtfully, moving still lower.". ..Doesn't she feel strange though.. .not movin'.."

Blackwood could only shake his head. "I shall never understand sailors."

"C'mon you two!" Chase called, looking skyward from the deck. "Never took you for a laggard, Mister Evans!"

The quartermaster glared down. " 'Nuff of that from you, Chase!"