Author's note: An updated edition of this book has been republished in three books UNDERCOVER - DARK FIRE DATA, CURIOUSERS and STEAM POWER.
It's Christmas and the school's time machine malfunctions, sending us to 1778 CE where we are press-gan...
I said goodbye to Miguel, as he hurried back down the deck to the main hatchway, then Alfie opened a small heavy door in the bow. Outside was a small triangular wooden grating jammed between curved railings and a thick post that stuck out of the bow like a mast at a thirty degree angle. Alfie called it the bow sprit.
There was barely room enough for one person. My stomach churned as I looked down through the grating at the water surging around the bow. I hadn't really noticed the ships motion before but suddenly I was aware of going up and down as if I was on a crazy elevator. I grabbed onto to the doorway as Alfie handed me a broom. And, that was when I found out that the head was the naval name for the ship's latrine. The head was like a balcony hanging out over the sea in front of the bow. I tried to imagine using the head in a heavy sea when the bow would be pitching up and down faster than an express elevator. I got sea-sick just thinking about it.
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The head. Note the 'seat-of-ease' on the lower right.
A sailor, on the other side of the bowsprit, urinated on the grating, spat in the same direction and returned into the ship. There was no toilet paper but there was a dirty leather bucket of saltwater, inside the door, where the men could wash their hands. Alfie and I used the bucket and scrub brushes to clean the place. 'Don't drop the brush overboard,' Alfie urged, 'or I'll 'av' to pay for it.'
As we worked, I told Alfie he was named after King Alfred the only one of England's kings to be called, 'the Great'. He pushed out his chest with pride.
Cleaning the head was not my favourite job but we worked quickly and soon finished the work to Alfie's satisfaction. We were about to leave when Licia arrived looking embarrassed. 'Oh, this is where you are. I need to go to the wash room. Mr Bright said it was called the head and it was in the bow.'
'This is the head,' I told her proudly. 'Make yourself at home. It's not too busy at the moment.'
'This is a wash room?' She looked incredulous and unhappy. 'It stinks. Where are the toilets? Where do I sit?'
'Der's no where to sit,' Alfie explained. 'Yer 'av t'squat down.'
I just gestured toward the grating. 'That's the place. Don't try to flush. There isn't one. And, it smelled much worse until Alfie and I cleaned up. Did you bring any toilet paper?'
Licia rummaged in her pocket. 'Luckily, I did.'
'Good,' I said. 'I need to go too. I'll keep you company from the other side of the bowsprit. Alfie would you make sure no one comes in, I mean out.'
'There's no door,' Licia hissed at me. 'Stand there, turn your back, and don't look.'
'There is a door but it is hooked up on the outside, and it's heavy.'
