"You wanna get a whore?” Fielden languidly asked.
"Nah I’d have to leave the table.” Garcia replied swirling the muddy contents of his mug.
Bruno looked across at the other men. Hobbs was staring angrily into his empty mug, Rael was temporarily resting his head on the table and Pietro was busy gambling with men from another ship.
La Gongoozler was anchored too far off shore for them to ‘unintentionally visit’, and besides the Captain had told them to stay away for a full week. Most of the crew had reached the first tavern after leaving the harbour and hadn’t left its grimy interior.
Fielden gestured to Hobbs that it was his turn to get the ales. "One in, all in, that’s the La Gongoozler way”
"All except the Captain. He's turned and run from the fight against the English. We all know that war will be announced soon enough. The men know a ship's as good as her skipper and there's an ugly word for a commander who persistently avoids battle."
Anger flared in Fielden. A guilty anger, for Hobbs was only voicing his own secret suspicions. It's as obscene to hear them expressed so brutally – the reading aloud his own fears and thoughts. Bruno's arm suddenly swung from its listless resting spot; a dagger buried in the table, appearing within inches of Hobbs' wrist.
"I’ll have no words against the Captain. Have either of you forgotten what he saved you from back in Malta? He keeps his own council. Who are we to question his directions? He’s never steered us wrong before."
Fielden and Hobbs sheepishly gulped their ales and looked away, unable to meet the eyes of their other shipmates.
A drunken brawl erupted in the far corner. With a look and unspoken command, the men eagerly pitched in – venting their frustrations and confusion into the bloody fist fight that erupted over a spilled drink.
"One in all in, lads!” A shout came from within the scuffle.
Wiping the blood from his split lip as he sat down after the fight had been settled, Garcia ventured to the huddled group, "Are any of you signing back on?”
Calisto flipped a coin between his fingers, watching it dance effortlessly along his hand. He looked up through his craggy eyebrows. "Humpf. Got nowhere else to go. Unless I want to go back to my nagging wife and screaming brats."
A humorless acknowledgement by the married men amongst the group was then met by an uneasy silence.
"The Captain's changed since he heard about La Contessa and Intaglio” Pietro ventured.
"The Captain's changed since he took that woman on board” Rael countered.
A widening uncomfortable silence grew as each man thought on the last few months. As one, they finished their ales and ordered another round.
"Why turn us in as pirates? We are all hunted men in some port or another, but with this brand we are not welcome anywhere” Hobbs voiced the unsaid concerns.
"I tell you, the Captain's got a plan. You’ll see. He's got the smarts up there” Bruno defended Juan; tapping his head as he spoke. " Here's to more adventures. Here's to another Sardinia!” He held his drink aloft and saluted the Captain.
They all laughed, the tension broken and began toasting one another reminiscing on scuffles and skirmishes they had shared.
"So, are any of you signing back on?” Garcia asked again.
Amongst grizzles and groans of the group, Calisto answered for all of them. "Five days of this,” he swept his drunken hand around the grimy tavern. "Gambling, whoring and drinking. My money's run out. What else can I do?”
Fielden added, ”And besides, one Captain's as good as another.”
"Not our Captain. He sold us into piracy, a sure death sentence” Hobbs grumbled.
Bruno hissed, "Damn you, keep your voice lower – do you want all of Lisbon to know about it?”
"Captains be damned. Who runs the ships hey? The quarter master!” Pietro saluted. Cheers from all sides as they raised their mugs.
Calvin slunk into the inn and sought out the group. He whispered into Bruno's ear and nodded enthusiastically as he accepted the mug of ale and sat down. Hobbs sat staring into his mug, the scummy foam stick to his whiskers. His stale breath overwhelmed Calvin as he attempted to sink into corner away from the baleful glares of the tavern keeper.
Bruno sloshed his mug high into the air again, spilling most of the contents on the surrounding group. "Well boys! Pablo and Pete have taken one of the long boats and are heading towards La Gongoozler. Seven Days be damned. I say we get back to the ship now."
Drunken cheers and shouts erupted from the crew.
"This land life is for sheep. Who’s with me?” he shouted above the roar.
Drunk, disheveled and rowdy, they headed towards the harbour, arguing who were the most fit to row, stumbling and carrying those too inebriated to walk by themselves. Bruno oversaw the crew as they stumbled into longboats, some from their ship, others temporarily borrowed and with a shout and cheer, began their row out to La Gongoozler.
Nearing the ship, Bruno's keen eyes picked out tiny figures running on board. He alerted the other two longboats and they rowed close to one another to stare and exchange opinions.
"Who’s on the crows nest?” someone shouted in one of the longboats. Calvin pulled out a telescope. Bruno frowned and shrugged, unwilling to comment on the dubious ownership of the expensive item in the boys hands.
Calvin's face drained of colour as he handed it mutely to Bruno. After a long look at the events happening onboard, he grunted and silently shut the telescope, handing it back to Calvin.
The entire crew looked on as a tiny figure climbed steadily up the rigging.
Shouts of abuse from both figures could be clearly made out across the water.
As they drew closer, Pablo's curses began to drown out the abuse being hurled between the two.
Silently the crew drew up to the ship, their jubilance and drunken bravado lost at the bizarre scene before them. A surly Pete threw a rope and ladder down and secured the longboats. As the crew attempted to climb up, laughing at the clumsiness and uncoordinated attempts to climb aboard, Pete shook his head, realizing their state.
"Wonderful, a ship of drunken pirates.”
"Nah I’d have to leave the table.” Garcia replied swirling the muddy contents of his mug.
Bruno looked across at the other men. Hobbs was staring angrily into his empty mug, Rael was temporarily resting his head on the table and Pietro was busy gambling with men from another ship.
La Gongoozler was anchored too far off shore for them to ‘unintentionally visit’, and besides the Captain had told them to stay away for a full week. Most of the crew had reached the first tavern after leaving the harbour and hadn’t left its grimy interior.
Fielden gestured to Hobbs that it was his turn to get the ales. "One in, all in, that’s the La Gongoozler way”
"All except the Captain. He's turned and run from the fight against the English. We all know that war will be announced soon enough. The men know a ship's as good as her skipper and there's an ugly word for a commander who persistently avoids battle."
Anger flared in Fielden. A guilty anger, for Hobbs was only voicing his own secret suspicions. It's as obscene to hear them expressed so brutally – the reading aloud his own fears and thoughts. Bruno's arm suddenly swung from its listless resting spot; a dagger buried in the table, appearing within inches of Hobbs' wrist.
"I’ll have no words against the Captain. Have either of you forgotten what he saved you from back in Malta? He keeps his own council. Who are we to question his directions? He’s never steered us wrong before."
Fielden and Hobbs sheepishly gulped their ales and looked away, unable to meet the eyes of their other shipmates.
A drunken brawl erupted in the far corner. With a look and unspoken command, the men eagerly pitched in – venting their frustrations and confusion into the bloody fist fight that erupted over a spilled drink.
"One in all in, lads!” A shout came from within the scuffle.
Wiping the blood from his split lip as he sat down after the fight had been settled, Garcia ventured to the huddled group, "Are any of you signing back on?”
Calisto flipped a coin between his fingers, watching it dance effortlessly along his hand. He looked up through his craggy eyebrows. "Humpf. Got nowhere else to go. Unless I want to go back to my nagging wife and screaming brats."
A humorless acknowledgement by the married men amongst the group was then met by an uneasy silence.
"The Captain's changed since he heard about La Contessa and Intaglio” Pietro ventured.
"The Captain's changed since he took that woman on board” Rael countered.
A widening uncomfortable silence grew as each man thought on the last few months. As one, they finished their ales and ordered another round.
"Why turn us in as pirates? We are all hunted men in some port or another, but with this brand we are not welcome anywhere” Hobbs voiced the unsaid concerns.
"I tell you, the Captain's got a plan. You’ll see. He's got the smarts up there” Bruno defended Juan; tapping his head as he spoke. " Here's to more adventures. Here's to another Sardinia!” He held his drink aloft and saluted the Captain.
They all laughed, the tension broken and began toasting one another reminiscing on scuffles and skirmishes they had shared.
"So, are any of you signing back on?” Garcia asked again.
Amongst grizzles and groans of the group, Calisto answered for all of them. "Five days of this,” he swept his drunken hand around the grimy tavern. "Gambling, whoring and drinking. My money's run out. What else can I do?”
Fielden added, ”And besides, one Captain's as good as another.”
"Not our Captain. He sold us into piracy, a sure death sentence” Hobbs grumbled.
Bruno hissed, "Damn you, keep your voice lower – do you want all of Lisbon to know about it?”
"Captains be damned. Who runs the ships hey? The quarter master!” Pietro saluted. Cheers from all sides as they raised their mugs.
Calvin slunk into the inn and sought out the group. He whispered into Bruno's ear and nodded enthusiastically as he accepted the mug of ale and sat down. Hobbs sat staring into his mug, the scummy foam stick to his whiskers. His stale breath overwhelmed Calvin as he attempted to sink into corner away from the baleful glares of the tavern keeper.
Bruno sloshed his mug high into the air again, spilling most of the contents on the surrounding group. "Well boys! Pablo and Pete have taken one of the long boats and are heading towards La Gongoozler. Seven Days be damned. I say we get back to the ship now."
Drunken cheers and shouts erupted from the crew.
"This land life is for sheep. Who’s with me?” he shouted above the roar.
Drunk, disheveled and rowdy, they headed towards the harbour, arguing who were the most fit to row, stumbling and carrying those too inebriated to walk by themselves. Bruno oversaw the crew as they stumbled into longboats, some from their ship, others temporarily borrowed and with a shout and cheer, began their row out to La Gongoozler.
Nearing the ship, Bruno's keen eyes picked out tiny figures running on board. He alerted the other two longboats and they rowed close to one another to stare and exchange opinions.
"Who’s on the crows nest?” someone shouted in one of the longboats. Calvin pulled out a telescope. Bruno frowned and shrugged, unwilling to comment on the dubious ownership of the expensive item in the boys hands.
Calvin's face drained of colour as he handed it mutely to Bruno. After a long look at the events happening onboard, he grunted and silently shut the telescope, handing it back to Calvin.
The entire crew looked on as a tiny figure climbed steadily up the rigging.
Shouts of abuse from both figures could be clearly made out across the water.
As they drew closer, Pablo's curses began to drown out the abuse being hurled between the two.
Silently the crew drew up to the ship, their jubilance and drunken bravado lost at the bizarre scene before them. A surly Pete threw a rope and ladder down and secured the longboats. As the crew attempted to climb up, laughing at the clumsiness and uncoordinated attempts to climb aboard, Pete shook his head, realizing their state.
"Wonderful, a ship of drunken pirates.”
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2 comments:
Sorry I know it's too cliche... What shall we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?
This is building nicely to Talk Like a Pirate Day.
oh dear Kerri.....that was really bad......haha
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