Vehicle-for-getting-places-across-water

"Stephen, you must see my new invention."

"Sure and I will look at it in half a moment, soul. Only let me finish with my petrel and I will be right along."

"Can I help you?"

"No, it's quite all right." Leonard took a seat in the cabin while Stephen finished his dissection with deft strokes and removed the bird's liver.

There was a gruff cough outside. "Which the coffee isn't getting any warmer."

"Oh," Leonard said, and stood so fast he hit his head on a beam. "Ouch! I have something for you, Killick."

Preserved Killick opened the door cautiously. "Aye?"

"Yes. It's called my Coffee-Keeping-Warmer-Thingy. It's in the -- the cabin where all the officers --"

"The wardroom," Stephen supplied, flicking a bit of breastbone onto the floor. It made him simultaneously nervous and relieved to know more about a naval tradition than someone else on board other than Martin, whom Leonard was replacing for this voyage.

"Yes, thank you, the wardroom." Leonard ducked extremely low to leave the cabin. "I'll get it, Killick."

"Which it's not your place to do that, sir," Killick complained.

"Yes, but I need to show you how to work the Coffee-Keeping-Warmer-Thingy."

Stephen paused with a spleen balanced on his scalpel and reflected that perhaps he should counsel Leonard to ask Jack for a name for his invention. He then considered what Jack might propose, and decided against it. At least there was no intentional, painful double entendre in Leonard's clumsy nomenclature.

<< Back to Bookfic
<< Back to Main