The same old work

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 11th May 2010

Characters: Sabonus, Tamah
Description: Sabonus and Tamah talk ship maintenance and the future...
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 3 of Turn 5

Sabonus picked up his bag of tools off the dock and turned to see the
dockmaster walking his way. "What have you for me today?"

"The same old, we are still working with Monsoon Racer's hull," he
pointed the ship that had been pulled up to dock for repairs. Shipwright
by specialization, the Harbour master was often involved in repairs.

"That ship aught to be torn into scrap, and it's captain should have his
knots removed," the ship carpenter sighed as he looked over at the wreck
of a ship that floated there.

"Yeah, I've seen better maintenance," Tamah agreed and scratched his his
head. "I don't know how he keeps finding all those under water rocks to
scrape his hull against them."

"Poor navigation," Sabonus muttered as he adjusted the strap on his
shoulder. "But more likely just neglect and laziness. There are planks
on the main deck that actually sprang up a bit when I stepped on them."

"I've sent few reports on him to the Hall, but..." the Harbour master
shrugged his shoulders.

"Really, they need a full time ship carpenter on the vessel. They can't
keep pulling into port and expect us to overhaul his ship every time!"
Sabonus just couldn't understand how some men were made captains!

"What else we can do? It delivers our tithes," Tamah said, looking the
old ship and shaking his head sadly.

"Build them a new one?" Of course that wasn't going to happen either.
But really, wasn't that practically what they were doing? "Do you think
it's a shortage of carpenters? Or just a way to try to save money on
the voyage?"

"With what resources? This is a weyr, not a proper hold," Tamah replied
the first question first. "Save the marks," was his best guess.

"The captain of the Monsoon Racer sure thinks this is a shipyard." But
what use was complaining. It was unproductive. "I've been thinking
that if I don't Impress, it might be nice to go out on a boat again."

"And leave a girl pine after you?" Tamah asked. Of course, that had been
what his father had done. Tamah's mother had been "the gal in the port."

"Oh, well, no," he said, brows knitting together. "I mean, who knows
what will happen between now and then, right?" Though Sabonus was more
than happy with the way things were going with Uetia, it was too soon to
plan a future _together_. Wasn't it?

"You're right, we never know what happens. Still, you could make it
work. After all, my father was seacrafter, who only saw me and my mom
when his ship docked here. Still I saw him more than some other
weyrbrats. And what my mom or he did when he was elsewhere, well, they
pretty much ignored it," Tamah told him.

Well, thinking of what he and Uetia might get up to while they were
apart was not all that appealing. Certainly something to keep in mind
when he made a decision. "I don't have to be at sea all the time,
though. I'm sure I could go out on a voyage now and then and work the
from docks here the rest if it came to it. Couldn't I?"

"Sure you could," Tamah said and slapped his shoulder. "Come on, the
work's waiting."

Sabonus switched his heavy tool bag to the other shoulder without
missing a step. He decided he would seriously think about this new
plan, but there was no reason to talk about it with Uetia just yet. Who
knew what the future would bring? Why worry her about it now when so
much was just beginning?

Last updated on the May 18th 2010

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The same old work