Love At Sea: De La en Glässer

Polite manners if you please

"The usual, fish, salt, fine tailored clothes." Macmillan gestured towards his men and they all nodded. "Have the crates brought up here at once. I would like to see for myself and have someone bring me a pot of rum from the kitchens below." Evander looked at the captain's crew and yet none of them moved. "Are you daft or just stupid?" Still they all stood their grounds looking anywhere but at him.

"Evander."Macmillan whispered. "My men are hard men. Fragmenting bodies and having them fed to the sea creatures is not something of a new sport to them. So, I would wholeheartedly ask politely if I were in your shoes." He turned to his first mate and a small nod was given to him. "Mr Cockerell my good sir, would you please do us the honour of rounding up some of the strongest men and bringing the crates up for the good lord Hahnemann Evander to see?" Bernadettes bowl clattered to the ground and the sound brought all the men's attention to her. Her gaze gave a one sweep over the lord then landed on the captain's cold but warm eyes. A nod of understanding was passed between them.

"Well crew wha' are ye waitin' fer? Get yer smelly bullocks o'-" A dark look from Macmillan had Cockerell change his way of words. "O' scented flowers down 'n below 'n help me move the crates. Gangway fer the nails on the wood, we wouldna wants ye gettin' tetanus." "Ye mean locking jaw?" "tis lockjaw ye lovable nitwit now move yer beautifully sculpted behind down the steps." Bernadette felt a presence by her left and turned to acknowledge it. "Is it me or does everyone have the fever?"

The boy was about eleven but again thirteen did not look a bad age. "Hey you nitwit, give that back." The boy with the large brown eyes looked around before whispering. "The captain said be polite so rephrase that statement will you." A grunt left Bernadette's lips as she watched the heated exchange between captain and lord. "He is a mean one, that one and very stingy with food to. You should see the scraps he feeds us, especially me. All I get is fleshless bones." The second piece of bread was smuggled into his mouth and so was her cup of water. He stretched his hand for a third piece and she slapped it away. "Hey! Be polite!" He said. "Polite does not mean you pinch someone else's breakfast." The boy let out a sad look and removed his shirt. "I barely have meat to my bones and you can count the number of ribs I have. I am sorry for my behaviour but can I have something to eat, please."

Bernadette knelt before him as she observed the wounds and belt marks on his back. There was even a handprint around his neck and cheek. Sympathy touched her heart and she handed him the rest of her breakfast. He sat down and eat hungrily, yet neatly. Again, her attention was caught by the low grunts that the men made as they pulled at the heavy crates. Only a few had been brought above deck and Cockerell seemed bent on opening them all. "Remember," Macmillan placed a hand on the lord's shoulder, "these are people's wares, and if a crate is opened and something like fish is exposed to the constant heat and air they go bad and that is bad news for me and me profit." Evander pulled his hand free. "You do not expect me to take a box of smelling fish just because I asked you to open it." Macmillan chuckled. "Oh no I expect you to pay for the box I will open."

He gestured towards Cockerell and the first crate was pulled open. "My bad this one is empty." He moved for a second crate and hit on it then bent to open the sealed spaces. Once the lid fell off, the smell of dried fish filled the air. Evander pulled a handkerchief to his nose and approached the bile smelling objects. "Good heavens, it smells like a rotting corpse." Macmillan had the urge of slapping the man's running mouth shut. "Have another opened." "Hahnemann." Macmillan warned. "I will pay for it." Cockerell moved for the next crate and opened the lid. An array of fine well folded women's apparel filled the crate, even the most intimate pieces of clothing such as underwear were all to be seen. Evander held his cheeks and fought the pink blush, the captain's crew looked on like it meant nothing. "Have it closed, have it closed. We will not go around disgracing what the women wear."