***
"Enter," I said.
In stepped a timid looking young man, clumsy in his pristine new uniform and long rapier. He stepped up to the desk, stumbling on the clumsy blade as he did so. Regaining his composure, the young man saluted smartly and introduced himself, "Junior Officer Kristan Olvan, reporting for duty, Captain."
I had spent the rest of the day working out what was missing and what was needed. With my cabin and desk set up, I sent runners with papers and orders for supplies and equipment. I had to spend a lot of my own money to grease the works but at least things were moving. Just as I was wondering where the hells my new officer was, there was a knock at my cabin door.
"About bloody time, Olvan!" I barked.
"Sorry, sir. I got lost…"
"Lost!" I got up and stormed round the desk. Looking him up and down, I was not impressed. The junior officer was very young and very nervous, very green.
"What do you know about ships, Olvan? What do you know about navigation?" I poked him in the chest with my pipe.
"Well, I went to the Ardalrion Academy, sir. We learnt…"
"I know what you learn at the Academy, Olvan. What do you know? Not, what did they tell you!"
"I... I…"
"Alright." I sat back down. "You're an officer. In fact you're my only bloody officer and so you're currently acting First Officer until I can find a man who's actually been to sea."
"I have been to sea, sir."
"Shut up. You will listen and learn, Mister Olvan." I tempered my voice now. The lad was shaking. "The men know the seas, and they'll teach you if you give them a chance. I know bugger all, but my father is important and so I'm the master. No other merit, mind you. I like drinking, gambling, women and fighting the enemies of the Empire."
"Captain," was all Olvan could say by way of acknowledgement.
"Now pick a cabin, stow your kit, and then report back to me. We've got crew to find."
I, Captain Ardalrion, spent the next days with Olvan at my side drumming up interest in the Lady Ocean. We managed to pick up another seven sailors with the promise of prize money, and glory. The glory was Olvan's argument, but prize money had a better effect on them. At low tide the ship was careened so the copper sheeting for the hull could be cleaned by an all hands effort which only took a couple of days chipping and scrubbing. A few planks needed replacing and again, I had to fork out copper and silver for the wood and tools. Perti got the engine running, but had to make do with Empire parts, not Calionvar as he would have preferred and warned me that the parts were unreliable.
It was time to get Harl and Jodlin so I went in search of the surgeon who I had yet to meet. Willan had fetched him, but the man had stayed in his cabin all the while. I found our new surgeon, Doctor Eebel, snoring in the medico's cabin. He was a tall and thin man. His hair was dark with white streaks. His clothes were of a fine make and cloth but they had seen better days. He stank of spirits and an empty jug lay on its side on deck next to an overflowing piss pot.
"Wake up."
The doctor groaned.
"Wake up!"
The man grudgingly opened his red rimmed eyes and looked round.
"Where am I?" He held his head and tried to sit up.
"On board the Lady Ocean. You've re-joined the Navy, and you're now my ship's surgeon."
"What? Oh, yes. Now I remember. Why?"
"I need you. I need a surgeon. You're the only one available."
"Oh, and I thought it was my exemplary record. I don't want to."
"Pardon?"
"I'm a civilian now. I want to go home in shame and spend the rest of my days as a country doctor where nobody knows me, and I can drink until I pickle in my own piss. Gods I'm hungry. How long have I been here?"
"You're a naval officer," I shouted. "You're a bloody disgrace, but you're an Imperial and Ardalrion Navy officer, and I have the paperwork to prove it, and I have a boot ready to kick you with and I have crewmen who would like nothing more than to give you twenty lashes and," The doctor was cringing from the tirade. His head was obviously hurting him, my voice just making it worse. "And," I went on, "drunk on duty is against naval regulations, but rules are meant to be broken, Doctor Eebel. I don't give a damn how drunk you are. As long as you get the job done, you can drink the bloody oceans dry for all I care."
Doctor Eebel scratched his unshaven chin in thought, looked again at me, and then shrugged his shoulders.
The truth was that I did not want a drunk doctor, but it was marginally better than no doctor, so I had Olvan hide away any wine and spirits. There would still be plenty about, but I wanted to make it harder for the drunk.
The first thing I did, after the surgeon had cleaned himself up was have Doctor Eebel do some paperwork. Two documents he signed and handed to me. He complained that this was breaking naval regulations, but I just told him to shut up and sign the damned things. Hung over and in dire need of a drink, the doctor relented.
That night I headed over to the Sea Huntress. Wanting to avoid Captain Crosp, I went to the closest tavern where I expected many of the crew would be found. Luckily both Harl and Jodlin were there. I was given a warm reception by the crewmen and half-heartedly snarled back at them, although I had to admit that I was touched by the greeting.
"Captain Ardalrion, sir," said Harl. "Pleased to see you, we are."
"Thank you, Mister Harl. How are the men?"
"Doing well. Shore leave has raised spirits, but we'll be off soon again. How's that ship of yours?"
"Fine. She needed work, but we seem to have her running and just about ready for trials. Two months we have to get her ready for duty. Two months to train the men and trim the ship," I said.
"Good, sir. The men have missed your presence at the card games."
"I'm sure they have. Running short on coin are they?"
Harl grunted a laugh. “Captain Crosp's been in a sour mood. We ain't allowed to mention your name in his presence."
"Oh, he just can't take it when a high born bugger like me walks in and steals the show. Thinks I'm a worthless inbred mongrel, or so he has told me on many an occasion, and he's probably right.” I surreptitiously looked round. I did not want any of the Sea Huntress's officers to see me talking to Harl and Jodlin. "Let me buy you and Jod some food and drink. I have a proposition to make."
The three of us took a back table with the food and wine, and I proposed my plan. On me I had the two surgeon's notes. They told of how both Seaman Harl and Seaman Jodlin had come down with Grotting Worms and how infectious the illness was. It told of how one can lose limbs and eyesight to the worms and how it passes by mere touch. The sick must be kept in quarantine for weeks.
"It's simple really," I explained to them. "Tell Captain Crosp, or his first officer that you felt ill and went to the Naval Offices for help. Tell them that they referred you to Doctor Eebel, who gave you these and then told you to get out of his sight."
Jodlin leered his toothless grin. Harl on the other hand was thinking it through.
"What about Doctor Feasler?" asked Harl. "We would have gone to him first. He might not fall for it."
"That snivelling puppet? He's a coward and a fool. He won't risk his life if there's the off chance that you're truly sick. If he reads the notes, get close to him. Make as though you're going to touch him. Intimidate the fool. Jodlin's good at that. Jodlin?"
"Yes?"
"Convince the doctor that you've got Grotting Worms."
"I'm good at convincing," Jodlin said, cracking his knuckles.
"Fine, Captain. We'll do it. In three days time," Harl said. "That's when the ship leaves. I reckon it's better so they don't send anyone looking for us or snooping."
"I agree, Mister Harl. In three days then."
Pleased with my work, I left them with more food and wine, and then made my way back to the Lady Ocean.