The sun was very low on the horizon when Karol reached the bridge after his watch. Her altercation with Ruggero had left her a little feverish, and she leaned down to the bastingage, sighing with an empty spirit. She shouldn't have been afraid of this kind of behavior, she was used to it at the tavern, but... fear had seized her guts and was only beginning to loosen her grip. The fault to all the upheavals that occurred during the day, no doubt; it would take a little time to find its marks.
The young woman shook her head. She would not be impressed by him. His animosity would eventually pass, and there were still ninety-two men on board with whom to get along. All he had to do was win their sympathy through his obedience and admirable work.
She giggled, drawing the hostile gaze of the sailors beside her.
It was far from being won.
She spent the meal in a corner of the room while listening vaguely to the conversations of her teammates. There was nothing very interesting: Erwann had been seasick for the first time in thirty-five years of sea. The meal was good, so was the whisky. Luka plunged back to the bottom of his plate.
"Hey, brown, are you going to pout in your corner?"
She raised her head, surprised we were talking to her.
"Come sit with us, we don't bite, you know."
The young woman gave the audience a startled look. The sailors broke out – or grumbled, she did not know. Hesitant, she got up and came to take her place at the end of one of the five large tables in the middle of the room, next to the man who had questioned her. The latter smiled warmly at him. Karol returned it timidly.
"I'm Jorge, Gabby. This is Pasquale, my partner, he continued, pointing to his neighbour, a tall red-haired man with a blotched face and a slightly greenish complexion. Next door are the brothers Lionel, Augustin and Simon – the twins frown without a smile, their suspicious glances detailing Karol as if she had the plague – and here is Augus. Actually, he's also called Augustin, but since we already have one, you know... he's the captain's nephew, apparently, but he doesn't talk enough to let us know if it's true or not."
"Delighted, I am ..."
"Karol , the bad-luck foam."
The young woman frowned. The man named Augus was staring at her, looking at her, wondering where he had seen her before.
"Finally, that's what they say, Jorge went on. I thought it was nice to have a little femininity on board, and I was starting to wonder if this damn order would ever be enforced.
"This decree is lame, say Simon with his one-eyed gaze away. You need muscles to handle the sails, not beautiful eyes.
"That suits you, ricana Pasquale."
"Shut up."
"Don't listen to them, Jorge slipped to Karol. No one will question the captain's decision, nor that of the king.
"The king is also lame, replied Simon.
" And there it was again, to talk about politics."
"But not at all. I'm just saying that, on that occasion, he did nothing. All this because of a woman, I swear."
"Of a woman?" could not help but ask Karol.
Simon took a disgusting expression.
"Yeah, from a woman. A damn courtesan who won I don't know what bet, and as a result, we're stuck with this order in council."
"A sailor at the back table said anything. Everyone knows that this is part of the terms of a trade agreement."
"A trade deal, well, let's see, and with whom?"
The man shrugged his shoulders.
"I seem to be interested in this kind of thing? I say what I know, that's all."
"He is not wrong, pouffa Jorge while resting his empty mug. Well, I, in any case, I think it is a good thing. Eh Karol"
"I can't really argue with that."
"It reminds me of when I used to take my daughter with me."
"Your daughter?"
" Yeah. Wow?"
"It's not common to take girls out to sea."
"Superstitions sort themselves out the way you want them to, don't they?"
"Children don't count, replied Augus."
— Well, come on. That's why Balsano brought his daughter home without a problem when she was, what, seventeen? I say we give a shit. But, my dear, Jeff went on to say to Luka, you are going to have your work cut out for you to convince this pile of dried-up molluscs that you deserve your place here. And don't be unlucky."