Surface! by Alexander Fullerton

Author:Alexander Fullerton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo Books
Published: 2017-02-20T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

In the bar of the Depot Ship’s wardroom, Number One and the Sub looked at their empty glasses and called for two more pink gins.

On the way in from patrol, everyone thinks the same thing: early night, turn in straight after dinner. But the first thing that comes is a bath, and the bath makes a difference. It washes off the smell of shale oil, eases out the tiredness in your body and your mind. You lie back in the bath, and sing: there are four baths in the bathroom, so it’s quite a big sing. In the course of it, you forget the early night plan and you develop a thirst. As soon as you’ve changed, feel clean and smart after a long time of feeling dirty and unkempt, you find yourself quenching that thirst in the bar, one foot on the brass rail and a glass in your hand that has something in common with the widow’s cruse.

“The Seahounds are back! Party tonight, boys!”

“We’re turning in early.”

“The two of you, dears?”

“Tiny, if you want a kick where it hurts, just say that again.”

“I’ve been kicked there so often that it doesn’t hurt any more. Now, what am I going to have?”

“A baby, by the look of you.”

The remark came from Arthur Hallet, who had just entered the bar with two other C.O.’s. Tiny, who was certainly on the large size, murmured to Number One, “You know, I don’t think I like your Captain very much.”

“You don’t? Well, that’s all right. You don’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean as long as you keep any criticisms to yourself.”

“Oh. Like that, is it?”

“It’s like that, Tiny.”

The bar was filling up as the bathrooms and cabins emptied themselves. A few odd pieces of soap clung to the soap-racks, discarded shirts and shorts littered the empty cabins. Below, in the cabin and bathroom flats, the singing was over.

“Hello, Jimmy! Wotcher, John! Sink anything?”

“Nothing much. Only half the Imperial Navy.”

“Both junks, eh. But what did you really get?” They told him.

“Not bad for beginners. Steward – gin bottle, please.”

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