Page 45 of Valour

Hester waited in the galley in her usual chair, leaning back, an ankle resting over her knee.

“What’s going on?” Winston asked, taking a chair opposite. “You had the engines turned off?”

Hester nodded. “Wait till the others get here. I don’t feel like explaining nine times.”

Winston grumbled, crossed his arms and sat back in the chair.

Hester drummed her fingers on her boot as she waited. Soon enough all the chairs were filled, all eyes resting upon her.

“You may have noticed that the engine has been turned off,” she began. “We need to conserve fuel. It looks as if we may be stuck for the winter, but we shall see. The ice may break up yet. And we get to spend at least another eight months in each other’s company, isn’t that fine?”

There was silence around the table as the crew digested the information.

Mei broke the silence first. “We have plenty of stores, but we should increase supplementing with seal meat, Captain.”

“Good, yes. Any other concerns?” Hester’s heart fell at the downcast faces of the crew. “Cheer up,” she said, slapping her palms down. Morale building was where she excelled. She wouldn’t have them being miserable. “We shall have a fine time, stuck or not. Mei, fetch the rum and the whiskey, I have an idea for a game.”

The crew groaned, and Hester winked.

Arnold leant to Charlotte and whispered, “She always makes us play drinking games when we’re in a fix.”

“I heard that, Arnold!” Hester said, pointing her finger at him.

Mei returned with the bottles and set them in the middle of the table.

“This is a new one that I just thought up,” Hester said, and Winston groaned, slumping in his seat. “Don’t be petulant, Winston! We take it in turns to come up with a ‘person most likely to’ phrase and then vote by pointing. The person with the most votes has to drink the grog. I’ll go first,” Hester said, stroking her chin in thought. “Who is the person most likely to…”

“This is so stupid,” Winston said, covering his eyes with his hand.

Hester grinned. He’d given her the perfect fodder. “Who is the most likely to complain when I come up with a game?”

All fingers pointed to Winston, who sneered and then poured a shot of whiskey, knocking it back.

“Who is the person most likely to get into a brawl?” Winston asked, winking.

All fingers pointed to Hester, who laughed and drank her shot of rum.

“See? You’re getting the hang of it. Who is the person most likely to eat all of the stores?” Hester asked.

Rufus won that vote and took his measure of rum. “Who is most likely to…fall into the harbour because she drank too much?”

Again, all fingers pointed to Hester, who rolled her eyes and drank her measure. “The person most likely to be found with the dogs?”

Equal fingers pointed at Charlotte and Arnold, who smiled ruefully at each other.

“Both of you drink. Charlotte, you ask the next question,” Hester commanded. She was enjoying this. She sat back and basked in her own genius in thinking it up.

“Alright…the person most likely to go to jail,” Charlotte said, then knocked back her measure and pulled a face.

All fingers pointed to Hester, who narrowed her eyes. Were they all choosing things she would do? “I’m being stitched up. I’m sure of it.” She drank another shot. She should have known they’d turn on her. “The person most likely to help if you’re in a bind?”

Four votes were counted for Betty, and six for Valerie, who drank the rum from the bottle.

“The person most likely to fall off the ship?” Valerie asked, suppressing a laugh. “Too soon?”

Hester glowered as the crew’s fingers pointed to her, and she drank again. Too soon indeed.

“The person who is most loyal?” Hester asked, pointing to Fliss, who won that round by six votes, Charlotte gaining the others.