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For Children
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| Johnny D - Chapter 6 | |
| By Bagheera | ||||||
| 31 March 2006 | ||||||
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I've been busy on a number of different fronts recently, folks, so apologies for the delays between chapters! Here's chapter 6 ......... ! Chapter Six Jake insisted on being allowed to get out of bed and eat breakfast with other patients in the hospital dining area rather than accept breakfast in bed. “I’m not an invalid: I’m not even sick, really: I want to go back to my ship today!” he protested when the nurse tried to persuade him otherwise. “And I want a place set for Tigertail, as well!” he said, firmly. “He shouldn’t have to sit and eat on his own in the bedroom!” A passing doctor overheard Jake’s terms and conditions. Placing his stethoscope on Jake’s chest for the space of three heartbeats, and stroking his fingertips across his forehead to check his temperature, he winked hugely and pronounced Jake fit to sit in the company of others. The nurse grudgingly stood aside and allowed Jake and Tigertail to pass. The other ‘walking wounded’ and soon-to-be-discharged patients were already in the dining room. Jake sat at a vacant seat, and Tigertail fluffed obediently onto the seat next to him. “Mornin’ all: those scrambled eggs look good! And can someone pour some cream for Tigertail, please?” Scrambled eggs and hot, buttered toast appeared immediately, followed swiftly by the cream. Jake served Tigertail on the seat before starting his own breakfast. “Does your cat always get served at the mess table on Stormsong?” Jake emptied his mouth swiftly, and looked up to see who had spoken. “No, but he certainly earns his keep: I doubt you’ll find a mouse in our hold!” he boasted. A low rumble, which Jake felt rather than heard, warned him to watch what he said. “So, what’s Mad Quiggins up to these days? I heard you’re helping him below decks?” Jake’s hackles rose at the sound of the new speaker’s voice. Tigertail’s warning rumble became appreciably louder, but it wasn’t really necessary. Deliberately, Jake took another slice of toast and buttered it before replying. “If you really want to know, you’d better speak to Mister Quiggins yourself: I’ve only been with him a couple of days.” Jake didn’t care for the looks of the inquisitive stranger, a heavily-built man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He sported an alarming number of scars on his face, neck and forearms. Most of them seemed to have been overlaid with tattoos: unfortunately, this only served to highlight rather than conceal them. “He’s right, Pedro! ’Tain’t none o’ your business, ’less you care t’ sign on wi’ us!” This unexpected growl of support came from Jake’s shipmate with the leg injury. Jake suddenly remembered his name, and was grateful he hadn’t been obliged to ask out loud. “Thanks, Harry: how’s your leg? Will you be back on board soon?” “Another day or two, I think, Jake. Perhaps you’ll pass my compliments to Cap’n Johnny, and tell him as how Pedro here was inquirin’ about Mr. Quiggins’ health .... ?” Harry stared pointedly at Pedro, who looked away and became very interested in some congealed bacon rinds on his plate. The tension in the atmosphere eased, and Jake reached for the marmalade pot. “I didn’t care for that Pedro character!” They were in the jolly, being sculled back to the Stormsong, when Jake caught this thought from Tigertail. He blinked, still not fully adjusted to the ease with which he could carry on a private conversation with the cat. The oarsman pulled away, oblivious to his passengers. “He seemed a sly one, right enough: should I warn Quiggins first, d’you think, or should I go direct to Cap’n Johnny?” “Mr. Quiggins to you, lad!” quoth Tigertail, in a passable imitation of the Engineer’s voice. Jake grinned despite himself, and was glad the ferryman hadn’t been watching him or noticed his reaction. “Mr. Quiggins needs to know, that’s clear! Tell him first, Jake, andmake sure to tell him you think it’s important enough to tell the Captain straight away! Tell him .... oh, butter him up a bit: tell him you think it will carry more weight if he tells the Captain. He’ll be sure to report straight away if he thinks someone’s being nosy about his experiments in the engineroom!” They drew alongside Stormsong and Jake clambered up a thrown line with Tigertail draped around his shoulders before turning to catch the small sack containing the few possessions he’d had with him in the hospital. It was late morning, and the ’prentices were busy scrubbing down the decks. Looking around, Jake saw all the signs of imminent departure and hurried to stow his gear before reporting to Quiggins in the engineroom. He knew better than to disturb Captain Johnny Dupl’eau during final preparations before leaving harbour. Mr. Quiggins was very pleased to have Jake back on muster, and particularly to have him in the engineroom just before they weighed anchor and sailed away. “Don’t ever tell him I said so, but I think Cap’n Johnny expects far too much of you ’prentices!” he grumbled. “Whenever we leave port he’s got you all over the decks and the rigging, coiling ropes, setting sails and a hundred other things!” “I suppose they’re all important things: yes, no doubt of that!” he conceded, and continued: “But there’s lots to do here down below as well, and suppose I was ill? I’m no spring chicken, neither: I won’t always be here to run things below deck when we set sail! What happens the day I’m no longer able to do it? Who does he think will take over then, if I don’t get a chance to train a replacement? Hmm? What about that, then?” Jake wasn’t certain his opinion was being sought: he hesitated. Quiggins fixed him with a steely glare. “Cat got your tongue, boy? Or don’t you want the job?” “Sorry, sir: I didn’t realise you .... I mean, I thought you were just ....” “Yes, well, never mind that! Yes or no is all I need: will you be my personal ’prentice and learn what I can cudgel into that thick skull of yours about engines and running a ship like this? I’ll have to clear it with Cap’n Johnny, of course, but he’ll find time for me as soon as we clear the Fort Rock lights and reach open sea!” “Yes, sir! And thank you. But if you’re going to speak to the Captain, there’s something I need to have you tell him, and in a way it also concerns you – us, I suppose I should say if we’re to be working together down here ......... ” “ ........ I couldn’t really say what it was I didn’t like about the man, but that Pedro seemed to me – just a nasty piece of work!” I’m not surprised” growled Quiggins. “I’ve only ever known Johnny Dupl’eau order a flogging once, and you’ve just described the man who thoroughly deserved every lash and cut he received, Pedro leTuq. Claims to be a Turk: he’s been kicked off several ships that I know of for fighting, drunkenness, stealing from shipmates .... ” “Captain Johnny had him flogged!?” gasped Jake. “What on earth did he do?” “He came with a sob story about being stranded on the Barbary Coast, and could he work his passage back to England. Captain Johnny took pity on him, but in the first three days out he’d been caught so many times stealing rations, money, grog, anything that wasn’t nailed down: the Captain had no choice in the end, and he actually administered the flogging himself, then had him put ashore somewhere near Calais. He wouldn’t even take him the final score o’ miles across the Channel!” “So you reckon he could easily cause the Cap’n grief just for the sake of it, then?” “Reckon? I’m certain he’d do it, even without a reason. But he’s grounds enough (at least in his own eyes!) to do anything he can to pay Cap’n Johnny back for the humiliation he suffered on the one trip he took on the Stormsong!” “I’m glad I could tell him I’d only just been ’prenticed to you, and I didn’t know anything about the job – because he knew that you’re working on something in the engine room, and he struck me as far too interested in things that don’t concern him!” “You did the right thing, though: telling me first, and leave it to me to tell Cap’n Johnny what happened at the hospital! I’ll go and see him straight away, and then when I get back I’ll show you what I’ve been working on ................. ” “Cap’n Johnny was impressed, young Jake! If you were old enough he’d give you an extra grog ration, but he’s told me to reward you with something more suitable for a smart ’prentice! ” “What will he do?” “No doubt he’ll think about it: he won’t do anything in the heat of the moment, but I’m sure he’ll find a way of being rid of him as soon as possible! It’s best we don’t ask: that way we can’t accidentally warn Pedro with a careless word!” “Now it might be boring, but I’ll repeat my earlier question: Cap’n Johnny presents his compliments and would like to know how he can reward a ’prentice who’s too young for an extra grog ration?” “Could Tigertail and I sleep in the engine room? We won’t take up much room: it’s quieter and warmer than the ’prentice dorm belowdecks! We could even double as a watch when you go to your cabin and sleep ......... !” Quiggins looked surprised: then he simply roared with laughter. “You’ve thought this all out, young man! Don’t tell me you haven’t, I don’t want to start training a ’prentice with a lie between us! It was Jake’s turn to grin, but at the same time he offered his hand to the Engineer. “I won’t ever try to fool you again, Sir!” he promised. “I’ve too much to learn from you, and too much to lose if you decide I can’t be trusted!” Quiggins took the proffered mitt, which seemed to disappear completely in his ink-spotted, calloused hand. “D’you have a solid bag to stow your kit?” “Yes, Sir!” “Well jump to it, sailor! As Assistant Engineer you’re on the crew roster and getting paid for it: not like those worthless ’prentices you’ve been consorting with these last few months! Time’s money, lad, and we’ve lots to do now we’re at sea ............. !” Jake’s few possessions took seconds to throw into his kitbag: particularly as he had carried most of his belongings with him during his brief hospital stay, and hadn’t had the opportunity to unpack them afterwards. The ’prentice dorm was still deserted: they were all topsides working at the hundred and one tasks which are part and parcel of setting sail. He encountered none of his shipmates in the empty gangways below decks in the few minutes it took him to ‘move house’. Quiggins had cleared a space for Jake to occupy. It was in one corner, beneath a little-used staircase. There were a number of neatly-coiled ropes which could easily double as stools, or even pushed together to use as a sleeping platform. Pipes running along the rear wall were lagged with cloth, indicating that they were some sort of conduit for hot water, and Jake realised that he wouldn’t freeze in this niche which had been prepared for him. “There’s nowhere to sling up a hammock: I’ve left you a couple of old worn blankets to keep the worst of the damp and chill out when you turn in.” grunted Quiggins, and turned to leave. “I’ll expect you in the Main Engine room in five minutes.” he added, as he stumped off, scribbling absentmindedly in a grubby notebook. At the meal table that evening there were plenty of good wishes for Jake (and Tigertail) from the ’prentices: surprisingly – to Jake, at least – there was no suggestion of any animosity or jealousy. As they finished eating, a shadow fell over Jake. Glancing up, he saw that Quiggins had left his customary place and stood now with one hand on Jake’s right shoulder. As one, the other ‘prentices began banging on the table with their spoons, all in unison. “Time for you to be drummed up!” said Jake’s right-hand neighbour, a quiet type whose name momentarily escaped him. He looked at Jake, and frowned. “Now I think of it, I don’t believe you were with us last time this happened. I can’t be certain when you joined the ship ... it must have been after Bristol, though: Pete was the last to be drummed up, and that was in a howling gale in the middle of the English Channel, I remember that!” The drumming spoons beat a steady rhythm, and became louder and more enthusiastic. Quiggins blindfolded Jake and helped him climb onto the mess table, which was cleared of all obstructions other than the drumming spoons. Free hands (those not being used to drum spoons onto table surfaces) gripped drinking vessels and were waved at the unseeing Jake as he made his way cautiously along the table, approaching the Officers’ Table which ran at right angles to theirs at the top of the Mess Room. Jake had just begun to speculate how he would know when he reached the end of the table when the now-furious drumming ceased, with near-perfect timing. Guessing that this was a signal, Jake stood still and waited. “Jake .......... Whatever-Your-Name-Might-Be!” Cap’n Johnny Dupl’eau’s well-modulated drawl sounded from somewhere close by. Jake stiffened automatically to a formal “attention” stance, causing a few amused chuckles which were swiftly hushed by others. The blindfold was removed, and Jake noted that Mr. Quiggins still stood at his shoulder. “Jake: Mr. Quiggins has asked me for permission to assume responsibility for you as his apprentice and assistant. Are you prepared to take on the extra duties and responsibilities this will mean?” “Yes, Sir.” “You haven’t been with us very long, young man, and I wouldn’t normally allow something like this, but you’ve worked very hard and proved that you deserve the chance. The most important thing is, Mr. Quiggins is keen to train you up and I trust his judgement. Welcome to the Crew!” Cap’n Johnny stretched his hand and helped Jake down from the table. From inside his formal dress tricorn hat he took a clean, pressed kerchief, red with black spots which he presented to Jake, tying it around his neck as a badge of office. He then poured a measure of wine into a clean goblet and offered it to the erstwhile ’prentice, acknowledging him as the newest and most junior member of the crew. “Back on the trestle with you, lad, and sharpish! You’ve still a lot of growing to do, and the crew can’t see you toast ’em while you’re standing there!” The goblet was deep, and no more than half-full. Jake had no difficulty clambering back on the table without spilling the contents. As he lifted the glass to present his compliments to the assembled members of the crew, a murmur of surprise rippled swiftly from the far end of the table, causing him to pause before tasting the wine. Tigertail had suddenly appeared, presumably slipping into the Mess Hall when the door had been left ajar for a few vital moments. Now he wove delicately back and forth amongst the cutlery and glasses, without touching anything or knocking over a drink. Arriving at Jake’s feet he sat neatly with squared shoulders and his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. Locking his gaze onto Cap’n Johnny’s, he lifted his right front paw and made a gesture which Jake thought could only be described as a formal salute. The Mess Hall fell completely silent, until the tension cracked with a deep, genuine belly-laugh from the Captain. “Jake, Jake, Mr. Quiggins has informed me that you and J.... your pardon, Tigertail! ... have become close, almost inseparable: but he didn’t tell me you’d already trained him to salute!” “Your pardon, Sir: but he says he didn’t need training, and I certainly never even ... !” “Careful!” “I’m sorry, Jake? I didn’t quite understand .... ?” Thinking on his feet, and furious at himself for almost revealing the nature of the rapport he had established with Tigertail, Jake blushed and stammered: “Sir, it’s as if he learns fast and understands what’s going on ’round him: it’s easy to believe he’d talk to us, if he could! He’s real smart, y’know!” “That was well-spun! Just be more careful in future!” “My compliments to Master Mouser Tigertail, Jake: and will you kindly inform him at your leisure that the Mess Hall is normally reserved for the feeding and watering of the two-legged, upright members of the crew!” Jake drained the goblet in a single draught, and squared his shoulders. To a rhythmic pounding of spoons, tankards and fists on the trestle, he began the long march back to the lower end of the mess table. After a few moments, however, the rhythm’s timing faltered, then stopped. Jake continued to march, but half-glanced behind to see what had caused his shipmates to stop ‘drumming him down’. “Eyes front, keep moving!” Tigertail’s silent command was as clear to Jake as if a particularly peppery sergeant had bawled it at him from extremely close quarters. It took considerable willpower to march on to the end of the table. From the corner of his eye he could just see that Tigertail was swinging both front paws as he marched along on his rear paws, in perfect time with Jake (though his paces were inevitably shorter). At the end of the table Jake made another passable about face, raising his hand to salute Captain Johnny once more. He kept his hand at eyebrow level until he received permission to lower it again, completing the salute. Tigertail executed the same manoeuvre, once more in perfect time with Jake, and made an identical salute Half-amused, half-incredulous, Johnny Dupl’eau sketched a languid return salute. Jake and Tigertail stepped backwards onto convenient chairs, and Tigertail returned to a four-footed stance as Jake “stood easy” and prepared to make a dart for the privacy of his new quarters in the Engine Room. Still silent and more than a little in awe, the crew parted to allow them passage. v
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