Unscramble Sailor Novels & Stories

the sailor asks, frantic, his accent – like his colleague’s – thick and unaccustomed to English. Frustrated, frantic, Kent growls down at him. “Girl!” he demands, “red hair!” He gestures up towards his own hair and then points to an orange emergency kit attached to the wall. The sailor looks between Kent and the emergency kit and then laughs. “Ah!” he says, smiling up at Kent and nodding. Then he holds up two fingers. “Two decks!” he says, and then he points downwards. “With the…ah…the horse!” And then, laughing, he waves and starts away, leaving Kent baffled behind.

On board, there are, in order of rank: a commander, first chef, two hostesses and two stewards, a sailor. Each has the function of him, each has its specific role. My function, for example, is that of a sailor. My assignment is to do the dirty work, what the other higher ranks don't do: clean the hold, polish the brass, tidy up the cabins. In theory, my job would be for a shipman, but given the small number of members on our ship, we sometimes have to do what we don't expect to do. At sea we adapt. To everything and everyone.