{ Random Acts }
Ah – now, either word had finally reached the admiralty that the Scarborough and her entire crew had gone rogue, or Lieutenant Bush was even more observant than Graham had ever granted him credit for. Regardless, the accusation hung heavily in the air between them – and his dismissal of it had been met with sharp enough disdain that he knew himself to be caught out. Still –
“We appear to be at an impasse, lieutenant,” He offered quietly, clearly reluctant to be the first to strike. Though it had not been for long, Bush had been stationed on the Scarborough in the past – back when he had been a fourth lieutenant, though now he had climbed his way up the rungs to second, and good on him for that. He was a steady sailor, and his heart had always been an honest one.
Despite the shortness of their work together, and the distance travelled since, Graham considered William Bush to be part of his flock – and he could not in good conscience see harm done to him. “May I ask what it is you intend to do?” The crew were too many for Bush to arrest him in this bar – and they could be well under way by the time he raised the alarm, but the fighting would be brutal once it was engaged, and Graham would see that avoided if he could.
Ocean Archive 