“Oh, this? Just some garbage we’re tasked to get rid of.” Prin said smoothly, after barely a blink of a pause. He picked up his end and jerked his head toward Elwin, motioning him to do the same. “See, it’s rotten meat.” He wrinkled his nose. “A health hazard just to have it around.” He swung his side.
“Now?” Elwin asked quietly.
“Yes.” Prin said firmly.
“Stop that! Who told you to do this?” The large man had his hands on his hips. It was dark, but from what Elwin could see his face was turning red. Or maybe it was always that way.
“Go, go, go.” Prin prompted softly.
Elwin took the hint and the two of them gave the wrapped corpse a good swing over the railing.
It seemed to take a drawn out length of time to finally hear the splash below.
“I can not believe this!” The man said. “What did you do? Was that—Was that—?”
Elwin tensed. Was it possible they were going to have to fight him after all? There was no way they could take him. Could they?
“Was that my good canvas tarp!?” The man said. “Used to throw out garbage?! I noticed it was missing but I really can’t believe this.” He went to the rail and looked over the side of the boat in dismay.
Where he was standing, Elwin could have come up behind him and given him a good shove. He shook his head hard, he couldn’t believe he was even thinking this way.
“Your tarp?” the prince blinked, not quite processing what the man was on about. Even Prin, with his quick wits needed a moment to catch up.
“Who gave you that?” The man asked angrily. “Who told you to use it?”
“That guy in the kitchen.” Prin said vaguely. “The one who was cleaning up, you know the one.”
“I didn’t catch his name.” Elwin said, hoping he sounded natural.
“Hmm? You didn’t? I thought for sure you would know.” Prin leaned casually against the boat’s rail, in a way that Elwin really wished he wouldn’t. What if the rail gave way?
“You two are useless!” The man with the missing tarp yelled, before stomping away. “How did you think that tarp was trash! Do you think they grow on trees, or can be fished up out of the ocean!?” He yelled over his shoulder as he stomped away.
When he was out of range and Elwin could finally released the breath he was holding onto tight in his chest. “Well, there’s one that could be fished out of the ocean.” He said, with a nervous laugh.
Prin laughed too, staring over the rail, where the dark sky met the darker water. “Oh gods, let’s hope no one does.”
*
In the morning, they did not answer to the banging on the door. Eventually it stopped, the mystery door knocker walking away with heavy steps to leave them in peace.
Prin put his arms around Elwin, nuzzling in closer even then he had been.
“Are you going to work?” He asked, half asleep voice close to Elwin’s ear.
Elwin shivered at the sensation. He felt his face grow unexpectedly hot, but didn’t dare move.
“I can’t face those men.” He said, trying to make his own voice equally soft. “I can’t even look at them. They were in on it together. With Mac . . .”
“How do you know that?” the prince asked. “Did they say something to you about it?” He pulled back from Elwin and propped himself up on his elbow.
“Not exactly to me . . .” Elwin made a face. “More, what I overheard that I wasn’t supposed to.”
Elwin told Prin what had happened at work yesterday, what led him to stumbling back to their cabin like a career drunk. He told it plainly, just the facts, while leaving out the worst part. The visceral searing nature of his own fear. Both fear for Prin, and fear for himself, fear of losing all control of a volatile situation due to basically his own stupidity.
The prince stroked Elwin’s hair and the side of his cheek. “It’s not your fault. How could you know what they were planning? And . . .”
“And?” Elwin wondered. He was half asleep again, lulled by Prin’s gentle touch. By gods they had been through a lot the last few days and needed to catch up.
“It’s good he showed up here, at the door, when he did.” The prince said. “Otherwise I might have done something that I would regret.”
Elwin’s eyes widened, he looked at Prin closely, trying to read his face like an intricate puzzle. 1500 pieces, snow drifts front and back.
“I feel so much better, knowing that I ate a bad person.” Prin said simply. A smile in his voice, if Elwin was not mistaken.
Elwin had some qualms about this, but who was he to argue, when Prin’s sweet self was laying this close to him? As well and content and sleepy as can be. Nothing seemed worth a disagreement.
*
Some time later, they had fallen asleep again, and knocking at the door had returned. Only this time it was lighter and more hesitant.
Rap, rap, rap, pause, rap, rap, rap, pause.
“It’s Squeaks.” The prince mumbled. “You should let him in. He’ll just keep knocking.”
Elwin sat up, bringing Prin with him in his arms.
Prin groaned and stretched his arms up over his head.
“Are you alright? Do you feel any better?” Elwin asked.
A slow smile spread across the prince’s face. “Yes.”
Rap, rap rap, pause, rap, rap, rap.
“In fact, I’ll get the door myself.” Prin’s bright eyes shot open and he hopped out of bed. He hurried the few feet across the room to the door, only stumbling once, when he tripped over his boots.
The prince unlocked the door and opened it a crack. “Hey, sorry for not coming out. I’m feeling a little better now but El seems to have caught my bug.”
Elwin shook his head, he couldn’t get used to how smoothly Prin could lie. It was a skill he was sure that his prince didn’t have a couple of weeks ago. Apparently he was a quick learner.
“Can I come in?” Squeaks asked.
Prin moved aside for his friend to enter, shutting and locking the door behind him. “If you want to take your chances on getting sick . . .”
“I brung you sumfing.” Squeaks held out a big bowl of soup with a kitchen towel wrapped around it to make it easier to carry. “Its onions, carrots, and taters, in some chicken stock.”
That’s when Elwin realized he was starving, just smelling the soup from across the room was making him feel a little faint. He had no idea when he last had a meal.
“Thank you so much!” The prince said cheerily. He took the soup and handed it over to Elwin, who was still sitting on the bed. “I’m not really hungry at the moment, but El needs to keep up his strength.” He smiled at Squeaks as though nothing had been wrong, was currently wrong, nor would ever be wrong again.
Squeaks seemed taken aback by this, retreating slightly into his mop of unruly hair. He looked behind him at the door, but seemed to realize that it would take too long to unlock it, hampering his ability to make a hasty retreat.
Elwin pulled the spoon from where it was tucked between the towel and the bowl and began to eat. He scalded his mouth immediately on the hot soup, but at this point who cared.
“How are you?” Prin asked.
“H-how ‘bout you?” Squeaks went as though he were going to touch Prin’s face on the bruised side but dropped his hand away before making contact. “What happened? There’s a lot of weird talk goin’ round.” He gave Elwin a sideways glance, as though wondering if he could say just anything in front of him or should refrain. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “You looks like you been in a fight.”
“No, nothing like that . . .” Prin said cagily. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to Elwin.
Elwin was curious how he would handle this situation, but had nothing to add so he continued stuffing his face.
“You fought wiff ‘im, didn’t ya. That one.” Squeaks said, ignoring his denials. “And now ‘e won’t even show ‘is face around anywhere and people are saying . . . stuff.” He gave another look at Elwin.
“It’s okay.” Prin said. “You can say anything around Elwin that you can say around me. You know how we are.”
“Dats right, he’s your man.” Squeaks let a little hint of a teasing smile flit across his face before he quickly remembered the seriousness of the situation. “So which one of yous killed ‘at bastard, I wants all the ‘tails.” Squeaks said firmly.
Elwin almost choked on his soup. He coughed, trying to keep from spitting out any of the precious nourishment. He could feel his face growing hot again.
The prince reached up and took Squeaks nervously fidgeting hand in his. “It’s better if you aren’t involved.” He said. “The less you know . . .”
Elwin stared at Prin agog, didn’t he just all but admit it?
“I hope you made ‘im suffer.” Squeaks said. “I ‘ad a dream about it last night. Sometimes I does have ‘em like ‘at but I never told a soul about this one. It was just too sweet.” His dark hiding eyes sparked with something akin to glee. “It was bloody, weren’t it?”
Prin gave him a little smile and squeezed his hand by way of answer. “What are people saying, you said they were saying things?”
“Smithe came in the galley this mornin’, just as early as can be, and started accusin’ Chef of stealing this old sail he was saving for sumfing or other, his good tarp he kept sayin’ and then he turn to me, with me barely awake, still rubbing sand outa my eyes and says maybe I done it. Well boff of us was bout as lost as anything. An Chef finally got fusstrated and told him where to stick it. So he left all in a huff and puff about what we done stole from him and all.” Squeaks said.
The prince cringed, clearly seeing, maybe for the first time, the fatal flaw in his brilliant plan of what to tell people they were doing.
Squeaks paused for a moment, looking at Prin curiously until he gestured for Squeaks to continue.
“So affer that, the mate, the cap’ns first mate, he come in and says that someone saw the two of yous throwin’ stuff offa the boat and who authorized you ta do ‘at? So that’s the secon’ thing we been accused of and had no idear what they was talkin’ about.
Then, these two big fellas, what feeds the ship, came in a lookin’ for Mac. They aint seen neither him nor this un.” He cocked his thumb towards Elwin. “Since middle a yesterday. And was wondering if we had seen ‘em. ‘Course even if I did, I sure wouldna say a fing to those two.”
Prin continued holding his hand (a point that was starting to niggle at Elwin just a little, although it bugged him that it even bugged him). “It sounds like you had quite a day. I hope you didn’t get in any trouble. No one thought you really stole anything, did they?”
Squeaks waved his free hand through the air. “No one cares about ‘at! Exceptin’ well, Smithe, but what I’m sayin’ is it don’t take some genius to put two an two together.” He tapped the side of his head. “An figure out what you, one a yous, both a yous, it don’t matter, done. But I gotta say Imma little insulted pers’nally.”
The prince frowned, looking up at Squeaks from his position below him, sitting on the bed. He scrunched the blanket in his other hand, in a nervous gesture. “What do you mean?” He said in a plaintive tone, as though what he really meant to say was ‘I’m sorry’.
Squeaks knocked on Prin’s head, a soft rap like the way he knocked on doors. “If yous needed to get rid of a body, ya coulda asked me for help!”
It was the second time Elwin almost spit out his food.
“I couldna done it worst then you did, ya tater head.” Squeaks continued. “Now, capn’s prob’ly gonna throw ya in the brig and lose the key. He aint stupid, anything I could done figure he could done figure.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. “Wiff enough time. Which he shoulda had enough of by now.”
“Oh, this? Just some garbage we’re tasked to get rid of.” Prin said smoothly, after barely a blink of a pause. He picked up his end and jerked his head toward Elwin, motioning him to do the same. “See, it’s rotten meat.” He wrinkled his nose. “A health hazard just to have it around.” He swung his side.
“Now?” Elwin asked quietly.
“Yes.” Prin said firmly.
“Stop that! Who told you to do this?” The large man had his hands on his hips. It was dark, but from what Elwin could see his face was turning red. Or maybe it was always that way.
“Go, go, go.” Prin prompted softly.
Elwin took the hint and the two of them gave the wrapped corpse a good swing over the railing.
It seemed to take a drawn out length of time to finally hear the splash below.
“I can not believe this!” The man said. “What did you do? Was that—Was that—?”
Elwin tensed. Was it possible they were going to have to fight him after all? There was no way they could take him. Could they?
“Was that my good canvas tarp!?” The man said. “Used to throw out garbage?! I noticed it was missing but I really can’t believe this.” He went to the rail and looked over the side of the boat in dismay.
Where he was standing, Elwin could have come up behind him and given him a good shove. He shook his head hard, he couldn’t believe he was even thinking this way.
“Your tarp?” the prince blinked, not quite processing what the man was on about. Even Prin, with his quick wits needed a moment to catch up.
“Who gave you that?” The man asked angrily. “Who told you to use it?”
“That guy in the kitchen.” Prin said vaguely. “The one who was cleaning up, you know the one.”
“I didn’t catch his name.” Elwin said, hoping he sounded natural.
“Hmm? You didn’t? I thought for sure you would know.” Prin leaned casually against the boat’s rail, in a way that Elwin really wished he wouldn’t. What if the rail gave way?
“You two are useless!” The man with the missing tarp yelled, before stomping away. “How did you think that tarp was trash! Do you think they grow on trees, or can be fished up out of the ocean!?” He yelled over his shoulder as he stomped away.
When he was out of range and Elwin could finally released the breath he was holding onto tight in his chest. “Well, there’s one that could be fished out of the ocean.” He said, with a nervous laugh.
Prin laughed too, staring over the rail, where the dark sky met the darker water. “Oh gods, let’s hope no one does.”
*
In the morning, they did not answer to the banging on the door. Eventually it stopped, the mystery door knocker walking away with heavy steps to leave them in peace.
Prin put his arms around Elwin, nuzzling in closer even then he had been.
“Are you going to work?” He asked, half asleep voice close to Elwin’s ear.
Elwin shivered at the sensation. He felt his face grow unexpectedly hot, but didn’t dare move.
“I can’t face those men.” He said, trying to make his own voice equally soft. “I can’t even look at them. They were in on it together. With Mac . . .”
“How do you know that?” the prince asked. “Did they say something to you about it?” He pulled back from Elwin and propped himself up on his elbow.
“Not exactly to me . . .” Elwin made a face. “More, what I overheard that I wasn’t supposed to.”
Elwin told Prin what had happened at work yesterday, what led him to stumbling back to their cabin like a career drunk. He told it plainly, just the facts, while leaving out the worst part. The visceral searing nature of his own fear. Both fear for Prin, and fear for himself, fear of losing all control of a volatile situation due to basically his own stupidity.
The prince stroked Elwin’s hair and the side of his cheek. “It’s not your fault. How could you know what they were planning? And . . .”
“And?” Elwin wondered. He was half asleep again, lulled by Prin’s gentle touch. By gods they had been through a lot the last few days and needed to catch up.
“It’s good he showed up here, at the door, when he did.” The prince said. “Otherwise I might have done something that I would regret.”
Elwin’s eyes widened, he looked at Prin closely, trying to read his face like an intricate puzzle. 1500 pieces, snow drifts front and back.
“I feel so much better, knowing that I ate a bad person.” Prin said simply. A smile in his voice, if Elwin was not mistaken.
Elwin had some qualms about this, but who was he to argue, when Prin’s sweet self was laying this close to him? As well and content and sleepy as can be. Nothing seemed worth a disagreement.
*
Some time later, they had fallen asleep again, and knocking at the door had returned. Only this time it was lighter and more hesitant.
Rap, rap, rap, pause, rap, rap, rap, pause.
“It’s Squeaks.” The prince mumbled. “You should let him in. He’ll just keep knocking.”
Elwin sat up, bringing Prin with him in his arms.
Prin groaned and stretched his arms up over his head.
“Are you alright? Do you feel any better?” Elwin asked.
A slow smile spread across the prince’s face. “Yes.”
Rap, rap rap, pause, rap, rap, rap.
“In fact, I’ll get the door myself.” Prin’s bright eyes shot open and he hopped out of bed. He hurried the few feet across the room to the door, only stumbling once, when he tripped over his boots.
The prince unlocked the door and opened it a crack. “Hey, sorry for not coming out. I’m feeling a little better now but El seems to have caught my bug.”
Elwin shook his head, he couldn’t get used to how smoothly Prin could lie. It was a skill he was sure that his prince didn’t have a couple of weeks ago. Apparently he was a quick learner.
“Can I come in?” Squeaks asked.
Prin moved aside for his friend to enter, shutting and locking the door behind him. “If you want to take your chances on getting sick . . .”
“I brung you sumfing.” Squeaks held out a big bowl of soup with a kitchen towel wrapped around it to make it easier to carry. “Its onions, carrots, and taters, in some chicken stock.”
That’s when Elwin realized he was starving, just smelling the soup from across the room was making him feel a little faint. He had no idea when he last had a meal.
“Thank you so much!” The prince said cheerily. He took the soup and handed it over to Elwin, who was still sitting on the bed. “I’m not really hungry at the moment, but El needs to keep up his strength.” He smiled at Squeaks as though nothing had been wrong, was currently wrong, nor would ever be wrong again.
Squeaks seemed taken aback by this, retreating slightly into his mop of unruly hair. He looked behind him at the door, but seemed to realize that it would take too long to unlock it, hampering his ability to make a hasty retreat.
Elwin pulled the spoon from where it was tucked between the towel and the bowl and began to eat. He scalded his mouth immediately on the hot soup, but at this point who cared.
“How are you?” Prin asked.
“H-how ‘bout you?” Squeaks went as though he were going to touch Prin’s face on the bruised side but dropped his hand away before making contact. “What happened? There’s a lot of weird talk goin’ round.” He gave Elwin a sideways glance, as though wondering if he could say just anything in front of him or should refrain. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “You looks like you been in a fight.”
“No, nothing like that . . .” Prin said cagily. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to Elwin.
Elwin was curious how he would handle this situation, but had nothing to add so he continued stuffing his face.
“You fought wiff ‘im, didn’t ya. That one.” Squeaks said, ignoring his denials. “And now ‘e won’t even show ‘is face around anywhere and people are saying . . . stuff.” He gave another look at Elwin.
“It’s okay.” Prin said. “You can say anything around Elwin that you can say around me. You know how we are.”
“Dats right, he’s your man.” Squeaks let a little hint of a teasing smile flit across his face before he quickly remembered the seriousness of the situation. “So which one of yous killed ‘at bastard, I wants all the ‘tails.” Squeaks said firmly.
Elwin almost choked on his soup. He coughed, trying to keep from spitting out any of the precious nourishment. He could feel his face growing hot again.
The prince reached up and took Squeaks nervously fidgeting hand in his. “It’s better if you aren’t involved.” He said. “The less you know . . .”
Elwin stared at Prin agog, didn’t he just all but admit it?
“I hope you made ‘im suffer.” Squeaks said. “I ‘ad a dream about it last night. Sometimes I does have ‘em like ‘at but I never told a soul about this one. It was just too sweet.” His dark hiding eyes sparked with something akin to glee. “It was bloody, weren’t it?”
Prin gave him a little smile and squeezed his hand by way of answer. “What are people saying, you said they were saying things?”
“Smithe came in the galley this mornin’, just as early as can be, and started accusin’ Chef of stealing this old sail he was saving for sumfing or other, his good tarp he kept sayin’ and then he turn to me, with me barely awake, still rubbing sand outa my eyes and says maybe I done it. Well boff of us was bout as lost as anything. An Chef finally got fusstrated and told him where to stick it. So he left all in a huff and puff about what we done stole from him and all.” Squeaks said.
The prince cringed, clearly seeing, maybe for the first time, the fatal flaw in his brilliant plan of what to tell people they were doing.
Squeaks paused for a moment, looking at Prin curiously until he gestured for Squeaks to continue.
“So affer that, the mate, the cap’ns first mate, he come in and says that someone saw the two of yous throwin’ stuff offa the boat and who authorized you ta do ‘at? So that’s the secon’ thing we been accused of and had no idear what they was talkin’ about.
Then, these two big fellas, what feeds the ship, came in a lookin’ for Mac. They aint seen neither him nor this un.” He cocked his thumb towards Elwin. “Since middle a yesterday. And was wondering if we had seen ‘em. ‘Course even if I did, I sure wouldna say a fing to those two.”
Prin continued holding his hand (a point that was starting to niggle at Elwin just a little, although it bugged him that it even bugged him). “It sounds like you had quite a day. I hope you didn’t get in any trouble. No one thought you really stole anything, did they?”
Squeaks waved his free hand through the air. “No one cares about ‘at! Exceptin’ well, Smithe, but what I’m sayin’ is it don’t take some genius to put two an two together.” He tapped the side of his head. “An figure out what you, one a yous, both a yous, it don’t matter, done. But I gotta say Imma little insulted pers’nally.”
The prince frowned, looking up at Squeaks from his position below him, sitting on the bed. He scrunched the blanket in his other hand, in a nervous gesture. “What do you mean?” He said in a plaintive tone, as though what he really meant to say was ‘I’m sorry’.
Squeaks knocked on Prin’s head, a soft rap like the way he knocked on doors. “If yous needed to get rid of a body, ya coulda asked me for help!”
It was the second time Elwin almost spit out his food.
“I couldna done it worst then you did, ya tater head.” Squeaks continued. “Now, capn’s prob’ly gonna throw ya in the brig and lose the key. He aint stupid, anything I could done figure he could done figure.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. “Wiff enough time. Which he shoulda had enough of by now.”
