Open Side Adventure Completed The Timmynocky

[SwifttailTheFox]

Meanwhile...

The galley scullery was a cacophony of steam, clangs, and the ever-present dull, muddied aroma of last night's stew. Swifttail had managed to wedge himself between two racks of drying pots, leaning over a shallow washbasin while scrubbing over his muzzle with a rag. Whale oil didn’t just cling, it soaked, working its way into every whisker and seam of fur. It had taken several rounds of coarse soap and elbow grease just to make a dent.

He was halfway through rinsing his head fur when disaster struck. The water, mixed with suds, oil, and whatever lingered at the bottom of the basin, ran straight into his right eye. He flinched hard, knocking into the side of the basin with a muffled thunk.

“Gah! Sunken hull!” he cursed under his breath, clutching his brow and squeezing the good eye shut.

By the time he stumbled into the infirmary, the fur along the right side of his face was sopping wet, his headfur was skewed upward in one ridiculous tuft, and his right eye was clenched shut and red at the edges. He didn’t look injured so much as wildly inconvenienced.

He stepped through the door and blinked against the lantern light, ears twitching at the sound of voices. A tired smile found its way to his muzzle as he caught sight of the group. He crossed the room in a half-blind shuffle and perched on the nearest free surface.

“It’s been a day, let me tell you,” he huffed with a faint grin. “First I spill oil, then I wear it, now it's seeped into me eye with the remains of breakfast!”

He tilted his head in Finnian’s direction. “When you’ve got a free paw, Finny, think you could rinse this out before it turns in gets any worse?"

As he waited, he watched the group with one eye.

“Still searching for the tommynicker?” he asked, brow lifting with amusement.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii eagerly looked at Finny shenanigans. Right, it could be name of a pharmaceutical or a plant. Not a one that came to his mind but his knowledge was limited in those matters. He needed to find himself a book of those and memorise it for future reference. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to see the kit trying his best, that was in his eyes what kithood should be about. Unrestricted and eager exploration.

He was in the process of examining his arm, deciding that Finn did a good job and it didn't feel bad, only to see Swifttail come in, covered in soap and oil. Damp and dishevelled. Just like he himself was mere quarters ago.

"You too had an accident with oil I see... Slippery situation." Kaii simply said with a small smile before his mind activated again. Tommynicker he said? That could've meant completely new things... Kaii's mind once more delved to permute and and reach into his knowledge to find any potential meanings... to no avail.

 

[Darragh Harper]

“Timberknocker, Timmerknocker, Timmynocky… I mean to be sure, it being a corrupted version of Timberknocker at least has some logic to it,” Darragh agreed, scratching his head. “Only I’ve never heard anybeast use that word either, Mr. Nashirou, and I would have thought the carpenter or his mate would have recognised it when we asked.”

Start calling hammers ‘Timberknockers’ and I bet you that half the ship starts calling them that as an inside joke by the end of the month. Wait… did Mr. Nashirou just say perhaps it was slang for…?

Darragh could not help but stifle a snort of laughter, and cover his muzzle with his paw. That really would be the end of him - wasting an afternoon searching the ship high and low for, well. That. He would have to take his task very seriously now, if only to save face in front of the increasing number of the ship’s foxes he had somehow roped into the puzzle.

Despite Darragh's trepidation about disturbing the Monster with the M.D, the fox kit’s energy and enthusiasm was infectious. He cautiously inched his way closer to the medicine cabinet, his tail bristling up as he expected to see eyeballs in a jar or some other such witchcraft. Instead, there were just a lot of bottles and labels. The stoat glanced over his shoulder, one last check that Doctor Barrett was indeed absent. He had a distinct feeling the surgeon would not… entirely be pleased with a mere deckswab sticking his snout into his medicine cabinet. Which is precisely what he proceeded to do.

“Here! Oh, wait, no, beggin’ you pardons, my mistake,” Darragh corrected himself, squinting at a label. ““That says… Tumeric. That’s probably not right. Hmm…”

At the sound of Swifttail’s voice, Darragh’s ears twitched, and he turned back from the cabinet with a smile.

“Well, isn’t it me good luck to be seein’ you again so soo-… oh!” Darragh’s train of thought neatly derailed at the sight of the fox with his fur mussed and eye squeezed shut. “Oh dear, Mr. Swifttail! Ah, don’t let me cause a queue in the infirmary of all places! Erm, Finny, was it? Thank’ee most sincere for the help, but you’d better tend to your next customer. I’ll mind the back of the shop, okay-so?”

The stoat grinned, in a way that would not inspire confidence in any adult that he would behave responsibly. Darragh was getting curious now. Perhaps the answer to his riddle really did lie in a locked cabinet or drawer somewhere in the infirmary? It might explain why nobeast knew the answer, if the Timmynocky was some obscure piece of medical equipment. As he searched, the poet muttered to himself absentmindedly, amused with taking the day’s events into a silly little rhyme.

“Swifttail needed a can of oil,
Silvertongue needed some ink,
Kaii needed a whole arm wrapped up,
…Darragh needs a bleedin’ drink!”

 

[Silvertongue Songfox]

Silvertongue gave Swifttail a concerned look, shaking his head. As Finn and Darragh started to rummage through the medical equipment, his eyes widened in alarm. He had been more than happy to entertain the thought of the Timmyknocker actually existing, but this was important stuff they were messing with. "Now, hold on." He stepped forward, placing a paw on Darragh's shoulder.

“Finn, stop digging through the cabinet, please.” He said. Once he got everyone’s attention he continued.

“I think at this point, there is no Timmyknocky. Darragh and myself have searched every possible station we can think of, save for the Captain’s quarters. I highly doubt it would be there, if it did exist in the first place.”

He looked at Darragh. “I suspect that this Jinks has sent you on an impossible task, so he can punish you for when you inevitably fail.”

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Finn visibly flinched as the infirmary door opened. Imagining the reaction Barrett would have to finding a random deckswabs root thru his medicine cabinet suddenly lit a fire under him. Though his instincts pleaded with him to look behind his back, Finn smothered them. That would only make him look more guilty. Freezing! Now there's a very natural and inconspicuous response! Finn sat there with the fur on his nape bristling, paw resting precariously on a bottle of yarrow, until he heard Swifttail's voice.

Whoof.

The foxkit's tense shoulders slouched, and he let out a sigh of relief. Turning to face Swift, he let out a soft laugh. "Swift, mate! What happened to ya? Y'look worse'n I do in the morning!" he said, leaving Darr to render aide. The warm bowl of soapy water was still available -- but it needed changing. Finn dumped the bowl out, and went to refill it from the ship's distiller. Fetching a towel on the way back over to Swift, he set them all down on the table with a bar of soap.

As Swift worked on washing his face, the foxkit doubled over with laughter at Darr's spontanious poem. Finn looked over to Swift's sorrowful state, and then back to Silvie. "Ooh Silv~!" he laughed with a resigned sigh, tail flagging behind him. "Tell me y'didn't get ink up your snout, I don't know if we can do anything about that!"

Silvie, however, seemed a little less pleased with the situation at paw -- and for his sake, Finn worked to suppress the riotous giggles that were coming out. (Unfortunately, Finn had just imagined Silvie sneezing out a cloud of ink on Mr. Barrett. Improbable as it was, trying to contain the laughter was like pinning a lid down on a boiling pot, and the foxkit let out the most inappropriate snicker as Silv asked them to close the cabinet.

Pinning his ears back, Finn scurried over to shut the doors while covering his muzzle and shaking with mirth. Gates, he'd be so mad, I bet he'd make Silvie run the bilge pumps for hours!

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii's muzzle became once more dead serious. The contagious joy Finny brought combined with rather leisure nature of the situation and Darragh's spontanic poetry were nice. Implications of Silvertongue's words, not so much. Kaii, despite trying his best to think of any other idea, had to agree with SIlvie for it was the most probable scenario. Which in itself was rather displeasing. To give someone impossible task to punish them was naught more but cruelty, one that Kaii simply couldn't comprehend as there was no reason to it.

Looking at the kit closing the cabinet, still giggling and smiling, confused him. As many things with beasts of any sort around him. Still, if there was something Finn found joyous, there was no harm in letting him have his fun. He turned to Darragh again, standing up and already moving his freshly rebandaged arm as if he never had harmed it.

"SIlvertongue sounds correct. In which case, I see nothing wrong with appropriate reprisal." Kaii spoke emotionlessly, yet with cold fire within his eyes. "Say, should Officer Silvertongue here agree, you could tell them that said 'Timmynocky' was in his paws and should they want it, he asks for them to come personally. Make a fool of them as they did of you, it is only appropriate." He concluded with a sharp gesture of his arm, already causing visible strain of the dressing Finnian put mere moments ago.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail let out a short, wheezing laugh as Darragh’s improvised poetry reached his ears. The stoat had a way with rhythm! He barely had time to rinse the chuckle from his throat before Finnian appeared at his side, cradling a fresh bowl of wash water.

“Thanks,” Swift murmured. He dipped a rag and began working it through the fur around his cheeks and jawline. The oily film slowly began to lift free. “Rugg sent me to refill the oiler, and I got whale oil all over me paws and face! Don't ask how!”

The explanation came with a scrunched nose and another round of scrubbing. Whale oil in the fur was bad enough. Whale oil near the eyes? A beast could go blind.

As he wrung out the rag, his gaze drifted toward Silvertongue and Kaii, still engaged with Darragh. His ears drooped slightly at the worry that tuned his ears into their conversation.

“Gates, I hope not!” he called over to them. “You sure ye checked everywhere? Hate ta’ think it’s a hazing…”

His voice trailed a little as he reached for the water again.

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Finn's ears perked. The adults were talking about things he didn't understand again! "A hazing? Like... They're blowin' smoke at you?" he interjected.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii turned to Finn with educational intent, emphasized with slow swishes of his tail. To him hazing was just bastardizing. And because of having this experience himself, Kaii could think of many reasons why it could be considered wrong. "Hazing is abusing someone for reason of them being new. Nothing but injustice really." He informed the kit, himself being stoic as ever, then turning to the rest of his fellow beasts again. "And since from what I know, most of us are new upon this naval unit. I think some organized action to counteract this before it targets all of us is in place."

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Finn frowned briefly. From what Kaii said, this hazing thing seemed rather serious.

...seriously fun, that is. "Y'mean like that time I wrapped Morgan all up in bandages and smeared honey on 'er?"

 

[Darragh Harper]

I think at this point, there… is… no… Timmynocky…

Time slowed until Darragh could count Silvertongue’s teeth in between every syllable. The stoat’s stomach filled with cold whale oil, the fur on his neck and bare arms stood on end, there was a pounding in his ears. He could see a beautiful fine-bone porcelain teacup tumbling weightless through the air, then smashing to the floor in a tragic burst of glittering shards, never to be re-assembled.

Until that moment, Darragh had assumed there was a way out of this. He had felt they were close to the answer, too, like the next rhyme on the tip of his tongue. The Timmynocky had been a mere breath away, but in a moment, Silvertongue had revealed the illusion for what it was - just a breath. A word. A nonsense word.

“I’m… I…” Darragh wibbled, his muzzle opening and closing a few times, his eyes growing wide. He could feel the blood rushing to his head, making his cheeks and ears burn.

Oh, yes. You did just drag around one of the ship’s officers on a totally pointless tour all afternoon, and make a fool of yourself in front of some of the ship’s most highly educated and technically competent crewbeasts. You have to hand it to Jinks - that was a very effective hazing. A very, very, very…

Darragh’s breath hitched, and his clenched his fists. Then, in a very small voice, he said, “Mr. Songfox… the entire ship probably knows I was lookin’ for the damn thing by now. I… I must look such a fool.”

At once, the foxes were deep in chatter about the whole situation. Darragh was struck by their reactions - Kaii’s vengeful fury, Swifttail’s apprehension, even Finny’s cheeky misunderstandings. Nobeast seemed to be laughing at him, if he truly was the butt of a cruel joke. Instead, Kaii was talking about taking some kind of vengeance!

Organised action? Appropriate reprisal? Why do I like the sound of these phrases? Honest working jacks like us banding together to fight for their rights in the workplace? This is starting to sound Political… how exciting!

“I suppose that could work, aye,” Darragh said slowly. “Jinks would probably realise the jig is up if I tell him Mr. Songfox is holdin’ onto the Timmynocky for him. He wouldn’t dare approach, knowin’ you’d give ‘im a lashin’ for it, and he can’t punish me if an officer is supposedly in possession of it. He would know the fun’s over, and go quiet about it, right?”

 

[Silvertongue Songfox]

Darragh wasn't taking the news well. Silvertongue shook his head, and he wrapped an arm around the weasel close. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Darragh! I honestly had a wonderful time going around the ship with you. It was an excuse for me to take a break from my normal duties, and at the same time I got to assess the rest of the crew. Most of them being rude, abrasive, and generally unpleasant beasts. How many of them knew that this was all a trick and didn't bother to help you? They aren't very considerate crew mates."

Silvertongue rubbed Darragh's shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. "I like this idea. You tell Jinks that I needed to use the Timmyknocky, and if he needs it, he ought to come ask me. If Jinks tries to make a big fuss about it, you come find me right away."

He looked at the others. "Hold on, we all just repeated each other there." Silvertongue laughed a bit. "Well, anyways. I don't think Jinks will have any idea that you're going to turn the tables on him, Darr."

Darr. Darragh had overheard Silvertongue calling Swifttail 'Swifty', and Swifttail calling Silvertongue 'Silvie'. Of course, it would be safe to assume the two foxes were friends. But now... now Darragh was getting a nickname of his own.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii was satisfied that other tods so far agreed with his idea. There was no better way to break the cycle of hate then refuse to participate in it. Hazing was one of those thing that were done over and over for no good reason. If they were to be a first generation to stop it, hopefully no following sailor would suffer it, or at least would get more help and support than seabeasts here were willing to provide. What they were doing here was foundation for a better future. Exactly what Kaii aimed at with anything in his life.

Then there was FInn. Kaii knew teens could be mean for no apparent reason, he himself was guilty of some acts that were beyond any reason or dignity. That is exactly why he felt a need to try and make the kit aware of how much his current actions could influence the future of his and others.

"I am sure they do not expect it. I doubt I can offer more than what I've already said, unless you find sometask for me to assist you." The marble fox spoke with slight note of excitement. His tail was slowly but surely wagging. "And as SIlvertongue stated, you are no fool for falling to misinformation. It is a trait of a smart beast to seek assistance when unsure after all." Kaii added with a soft grin, mainly because he himself wasn't the best at following his own advice here.

"And now Finn..." He started slowly, turning to the kit while turning more serious. "Hazing would be doing things like that but only to humiliate. I know no details of this event but... what you describe could be an example of hazing if it was done without her consent, her being accepting of it or, most importantly, done with no reason other than having fun at her cost. You wouldn't like if someone were to force you to walk around, wrapped and soaked with honey, all while others point and laugh at you now would you?" Kaii elaborated with expressive gestures accentating his words. He just hoped this will at least sell an idea to the kit, details could be offered later.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail gave his ears a final shake as he scrubbed the last of the clinging whale oil from behind them, hissing a little as the rag caught a sore spot near his cheek. The rag came away grayish and sour-smelling, and the wash water in the bowl had long since turned cloudy. He set the cloth aside, flexed his fingers once, then glanced over toward the conversation still brewing between Darragh, Finnian, Kaii, and Silvertongue. The sharp note in the young stoat's voice made his brow knit.

“Aw, c’mon now…” he muttered, padding over and giving his forepaws a quick rub on a cleaner patch of his sleeve. “If this is some sorta hazin’, I want no part of it. That’s not how a proper crew builds trust.”

He stepped closer, more at ease now that the stink had faded from his fur. The others looked serious. Well, Silvertongue always looked performative, but even that had an edge to it now.

“Look,” Swift offered, ears still slightly askew, “if y’re tryin’ to cook up a reason Silvie had it...ye could say I gave it to ‘im first. Give it a little order of operations."

He gave a little shrug and the hint of a grin, though his eyes were watching Darragh closely, gauging the tension behind the story.

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Finn cocked his head to one side as he listened to the older fox's discourse on hazing. He knew moooost of the words Kaii used, but some of them he had to infer. The list of qualifications that differentiated hazing from general shenannigans was rather long, and Finn's young mind latched onto the first thing that jumped out to him. "Wait! Y'mean I was supposed to ask her before smearing honey all over her face?" he asked incredulously. "Kaii!" he chided, his grin spreading wider. "That ruins the surprise!"

The foxkit was just reaching that age where it was fun to question the rules, and see if you could find some loophole in them -- or at the very least, exasperate the rulegiver, or expose some sort of hypocrisy. Kaii had given Finn an entire ruleset to play with, and the foxkit couldn't resist. "Buuuut what if I put a leech in Mr. Barrett's hammock? Would that be hazing?" he asked, impishly leaning on one elbow.

His ears perked, however, hearing sounds of sorrow coming from Darragh's corner. Finn stood upright, and dropped his little game as he earnestly considered the stoat. Eighteen was leagues older -- practically collecting dust. Silvie, Kaii, and Swift were all in their twenties, practically relics. And Talinn? Finn was afraid he'd turn to dust if y'sneezed too aggressively near him. But in any case... Darr was perhaps the closest in age to him on the ship -- at least as far as he knew. And Kaii was right: he'd have felt pretty awful if anyone had teased him about bringing fleas on board. That meant they had to stick together.

Hopping up on the examination table, Finn swung his feet as he thought. "What if... ...what if we tell him the ship's haunted? Y'could lower me on a rope next to his hammock, and I could spook him tonight!"

 

[Darragh Harper]

Darragh grinned weakly up at Silvertongue. The fox truly did not seem to be at all unhappy with their misadventure together - he wasn’t even trying to spare the stoat’s feelings. Darragh even let himself chuckle a little - he’d inadvertently helped Silvertongue skive off some of his own tedious duties to an inconsiderate taskmaster. What a conniving little mutineer he was becoming! He supposed that every good poet needed a rebellious side.

There was something captivating about the way Kaii spoke and acted, but Darragh could not quite put a claw on it. He was eloquent and articulate, his gestures deliberate, almost like a performance. Not in the way that Silvertongue had stage presence, it was more like the marble fox had to put forethought in everything he expressed. It was strange to Darragh, who could not help but make his emotions plainly obvious for all to see. Regardless, It was endearing to see Kaii lecture the little fox kit on morals. Darragh could virtually see the words going in one pointy ear and out the other.

“I'll keep that advice in mind, so I will, Mr. Nashirou," Darragh promised, politely raising his hat. He had barely a moment to consider the fox's wisdom, before the suggestions and schemes started flying again! He gave Swifttail an appreciative nod, even as Finny was chattering - it would not do to take the fox's offer for granted.

Mr. Swifttail wants in on the shenanigans too? Well why not? This is becoming a regular conspiracy. These foxes are a regular pack of mischief-makers! No wonder Finny’s trying to outdo them all for revenge plots, he has so many role-models to look up to! I thought he was an orphan, but it’s more like he has three older brothers and a grumpy dad we have to hide from. I wonder what that makes me? The lad next door?

“Oh, the face of terror itself, are you so?” Darragh grinned at Finny. The idea of swinging around a little fox on a rope and pulley sounded a bit absurd to him - where did this kit get such mad ideas? As fun as it sounded, there was the risk of getting Finny into trouble if they were caught. Much as he understood kits sometimes earned themselves a smack on the behind from a firm paw, Darragh could not stand to see more severe forms of corporal punishment, or others taking a hiding on account of him.

Remember the day dear old Dad took his belt off for your little brother spilling the porridge, and you’d had enough? Remember him threatening to beat you black and blue all up and down the high street? Remember what you said? Two little words. You’ve never been so concise.

Darragh reached to ruffle Finny’s ears and headfur. He didn’t want to shoot down the kit’s enthusiasm - he imagined it was hard enough having few, if any other crewbeasts of the Hide even close to his age. He guessed that like himself, Finny probably had seen and done a lot, wherever he came from, that would have made him resourceful and cunning beyond his years. Darragh winked at him. “Let’s see you be a ghost then, Finny, do your best t’scare us! I oughta warn you though, I’m fairly brave m’self, but go on. Try me!”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii nodded along to Swifttail, approving of his thinking. "Good idea, each and every one of us vouching for the same story would make it impossible to dismiss it." Kaii wished for justice and he was eager to partake in delivering it. The more links were added to this chain of retribution, the harder will it be to break... What was he thinking about again?

The answer was Finn. A little scoundrel of a kit. Kaii was actually very happy that Finn didn't dismiss the idea, instead opting for researching into it. Probably the greatest strength of any youngling over any adult beast was curiosity and subconscious application of scientific method, trying to find an error or any imprecision in how the world operated. After all, the best way to prove something is to check if you cannot disprove it.

But Kaii wasn't fond of the ghost idea, for it was too reliant on the man they were after being superstitious. Still, no idea should be deemed wrong off the bat. "It would ruin the surprise true. I suppose we can discuss that later... and no. Putting a leech into someone's cot is but a practical joke, as long as not done repeatedly." Kaii explained shortly to move to the next matter while looking between Darragh and Finn. "The 'ghost' idea would be fine, but it relies on this beast believing in said things. Though try us Finn, maybe you are the scariest beast I know and I unjustly doubt in your performative skills..."

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

"...and no. Putting a leech into someone's cot is but a practical joke.”

AHA! A loophole in the fox's terms of engagement. Of course, in reality there was a thin line that separated mean spirited pranks from playful teasing... And you could bet Finn would push that boundary with wreckless abandon. But in any case, the fox was pleasantly surprised to find he was getting ruffles.

Finn's ears splayed out to either side, and he playfully bumped his head up into the ear ruffles. Finn seemed to absorb the affection like a dry sponge, and he tipped his nose up to bump the stoat's wrist. His tail wagged cheerfully behind him before...

Before...

Why was it so quiet? Finn looked behind him, and found his audience expectantly waiting for his best ghost impression. The foxkit froze with his ears pinned back and his fur poofed with stage fright. He looked pleadingly back at Darrahh, before darting back to the foxes. "Y-y'can't just... Suddenly be spooky at the drop of a hat like that!" he stammered. "I gotta think about it first! Y'know, like... what would actually be spooky!" he mumbled, ears flushing red as his idea fizzled.

"...ok so maybe not the ghost this time," he said, with a sigh of resignation. Finn knew he wasn't quite cut out for the job, but he didn't seem overly discouraged. This Jinx fellow would get his comeuppance for sure!

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail smiled warmly at the young todd, his gaze softening with a flicker of memory. He remembered that feeling. The rush of bringing forth an idea, bold and cheeky, only to immediately want to stuff it back in your mouth once any real attention landed on it.

“Aye, as silly an’ fun as hauntin’ Jinx would be, such a performance is better left for the actual spirits.”

He clapped his paws together with a soft smack and rubbed them briskly, a glint of enthusiasm catching in his eye.

“But I am likin’ the plan where Silvie has the Timmynocky, and we all vouch for each other if asked.”

His ears twitched and he looked about the room, suddenly more alert.

“Where is Jinx right now, anyway?”

 

[Darragh Harper]

Ding-ding…ding-ding… tolled the bell. Ding-ding…ding-ding…

The sun hung above the horizon, turning the ocean to a vast mosaic of shattered orange, blue, green and black. The red flag of the Imperium snapped in the wind, the white skull of a fox chortling in macabre merriment. A diminutive figure pattered out onto the weather deck, a stoat clad in little more than a ragged shirt with no buttons, oversized trousers with no belt, and a crumpled cap with a brim, set jauntily over one ear.

There was a ferret waiting for him. Broad-chested for his kind, in a proper sailor’s jacket, a blue-striped shirt, pants that fit with a real belt, buckle and all. In his black paws he was twisting a short length of rope, and in his eyes there was a gleam of eager cruelty. A scowl brewed on the ferret’s face. The stoat’s head was held too high for his liking.

“Well, yew sorry excuse for a dishrag, you’ve taken yer merry sweet time with that Timmynocky,” Jinks said loudly, so all could hear. “Yew better paw it over sharpish, or I’ll ‘ave to do some educatin’ on yer sorry hide!”

A crowd of off-duty sailors gathered. Everybeast that recognised the word Timmynocky knew this game. The new meat needed to be taught a lesson - that his betters could torment him for any reason, or no reason at all. A few shook their heads at the defiant expression on the stoat’s face. How stupid could this scrap of fur and fleas be? Didn’t he realise he’d lost from the start? Why wasn’t the impudent little worm cowering in fear of the coming pain?

“Ahh, the old Timmynocky,” Darragh lilted, as though reminiscing over a favourite aged whiskey. “Sure enough, it’s in such high demand that most o’ the crew was unwillin’ to part with so much as a word about it. One would think the silly old thing didn’t exist at all.”

The ferret’s face grew a sickly grin nearly from ear to ear. “If yew ain’t found it, Harper, then y’know what comes next. I’ll be nice and let yew take off that sorry excuse for a shirt, before I redecorate your back.”

“I didn’t say I ain’t found it,” Darragh replied, holding his voice level as a windless lake, his cool sea-grey eyes lit with the setting sun’s orange fire as he stared down Jinks. “’Tis otherwise in use, though, and I’m afraid I’ve no business relievin’ a commissioned officer of vital ship’s equipment.”

Jinks’ grin vanished. He barked a humorless laugh, and spat at Darragh’s footpaws. “Officer? You ain’t found no officer wit’ it, Harper.”

Darragh’s muzzle scrunched a little, as though the stoat was holding back laughter. “Ohh, I’m afraid I did, Jinks. None lesser in rank than the captain’s Aide-de-Camp himself, Mr. Silvertongue Songfox. Lately borrowin’ it from the Engineer’s Mate, Mr. Swifttail, with approval from Engineer’s Mate Mr. Nashirou, Gentlebeast.”

“And I suppose a signed affydavy from Captain Ryalor, with Vulpuz himself as a witness!” Jinks roared, his disrespect and blasphemy causing a few gasps. “Ye’re full o’ pox, yew stinkin’… stinkin’…”

“Scraggly? Snivelling? Scum-suckin’ stoat?” Darragh offered. “Go ahead, you fleabitten filthy feckless facsimile of flotsam! Ask him. Ask any of ‘em, if you need the bleedin’ Timmynocky so much!”

Sailors stared, with slack jaws and wide eyes. A couple of marines above in the tops had stopped a drill to peer down over the edge at the scene. Jinks glared down at Darragh, who, with tail proudly fluffed out, was as still as a rock. Then, the ferret’s throat bobbed. Jinks had gulped.

Darragh smiled.