Noble Duty

9. Encounter

After Gillian and I had cleaned from our frolicking, I pointed toward the bed. "We can take pillows from the couch to bolster the ones there. Stack them against the bulkhead and lean against them to watch the ship through the windows. Much more comfortable than standing to observe."

"Is it wise that you remain down here? Not up top to oversee the preparations."

I chuckled. "I am overseeing – in the manner of a proper captain. To be on deck now might be seen as obtrusive – besides, there is nothing for me to do up there. Evans and I discussed the details of what is required, and I trust he will call me if anything strange arises."

"Ummm." She nodded. "And preparing the guns? Training the new crew in their use? What about those?"

"Jenson and Bosun are overseeing them, and Martin, Husdon and Radcliff are with them to assist and to learn."

"And you? You remain here and luxuriate."

I reached down and twirled my self, smiling. "Are you aware that the word luxury in bygone times meant fucking?"

"No." She shook her head, then giggled. "Oh! You jest."

"Nay, not a jest. The bawdy ones – the privileged sons at Oxford used it to taunt my innocence. Confused, I researched its olden meanings in the library's dictionaries, finding among others, references to Shakespeare's uses of it in this sense. The modern meaning displaced the old during the reign of the first King Charles."

"Ummm! Luxuriating has a finer sound and sense – warm and welcoming, rather than the cold bluntness of fucking. Shall we use it instead?"

"Indeed, and a rare few would know its obsolete meaning, so we can be open with it to our own amusement." I took three cushions from the couch and nodded toward the bed. "Shall we luxuriate?"

She chuckled and grabbed my limpness. "One among us appears unready."

"You can work on that while we watch the ship."

We arranged the pillows and cushions and lay side by side, lounging back into them, luxuriating in the modern sense. After a long, contented silence, I lifted the telescope to my eye and examined our pursuer. "From her crabbing to starboard, it appears she still wants the weather gauge."

"Crabbing?"

"Move sideways in the manner of a crab. With a ship, it is done to counter the drift of the current or the press of the wind to maintain the desired track. It is also called stemming."

"Aha! The reason we now see a bit of her side." She watched for a while, then asked, "What if she decides to change sides?"

"We have mounted swivels on the port bulwarks, as well."

"And the main guns?"

"The port gundeck is also being prepared."

She nodded. "Contingencies. But a lot of work for the crew."

"I see it as a fine opportunity for them to become familiar with our armament and its use. Those new aboard have no experience with it, and unlike in fighting ships, we have no dedicated gunnery crew. Defending the ship is the duty of all."

"True." She lifted the telescope to her eye and studied for a while. "They do not have their swivels covered. I see four of them."

"I sighted one in their bow, as well. It will likely be used to shoot the challenging round, so it will be discharged. But to be safe, all five will be targets."

"Targets? Yes, of course. It would be folly to shoot randomly."

"Indeed. Each gun is assigned a target."