Getting Acquainted

The room was sparse, a typical metal box in a typical metal boat. A few mismatched pieces of furniture were provided. An armoir that had been fashioned from a shipping crate. A simple 4 drawer chest whose hand painted flowers were intended to divert one’s attention from the cracks and scrapes at the underlying veneer. The bed looked alright. It was a large, thick mattress on the floor, adorned with a couple blankets and two pillows. On one side was a night table, legs sawn down to match height with the bed. A diminutive lamp sat atop it. Dorian switched it on, preferring the warmth of it’s pool of light to the harsh glare of the overhead compartment fixtures.

His coat, hat, and vest were hung in the armoir. After a moment’s consideration, the gun belt and its’ two resident pistols joined them. He’d been on this boat the better part of a day, and hadn’t found himself staring into a muzzle yet. The knife in his pocket would as like be the only weaponry required against his shipmates.

Someone had moved his trunk into the room. Dorian released the catches and lifted the lid. He rifled through the contents for a moment. Finding all in good order, the dentist opened a bag of candies, withdrawing two pieces before returning the sack. He also grabbed one of the bottles. It was time to get acquainted with the folk on this boat.

“First, our little thief,” he chuckled. After verifying that his medical bag was locked, he slipped it into the armoir. A piece of the candy was placed on top. Dorian repeated this with his trunk, landing a brightly wrapped sweet atop the lid. The scene now set, he tucked the bottle beneath an arm.

In rolled up shirtsleeves and his dark trousers, Dorian strolled into the galley, right into what could best be described as a group interrogation. He saw Vas, the young punk who’d helped Jacy back in the world. The boy looked more nervous than anything else. The stranger with the head lac and swollen eye was also present. He offered a friendly nod to Aello as the captain shouted to and fro with his pilot.

*Riley: "Crazy Ivan?"*

*Keller: "No! For Rut's sake, no Crazy Ivan. I was talking to...."*

*Riley: "Dimitri."*

*Keller: "Why ain't you flying my ship, watching that ship tailing us?"*

*Riley: "Pilot's gotta pee, Sir. Ship is still there. I thought you were going to be subtle about it?"*

*Keller: "I'm my own kinda subtle, just go fly my Goram ship."*

*Riley: "Aye Sir."*

*Keller: "Dimitri! What's with the box? Set it down and get in here, we got something to talk about. We're being followed, and I think someone on this ship knows why."*

“*What perfect timing*,” Adler thought to himself as he rummaged the cabinets for a short glass. A quick perusal of the table showed the only other person drinking was, in fact, the bellicose, paranoid captain. Not that Dorian could find fault with the man’s paranoia or apparent drunkenness. He’d hightailed it into the black without adequate resupply and a boatload of folk he didn’t know *ta ma de* about. This ad hoc trial was bound to be enlightening….not to mention entertaining.

Dorian took a seat, poured out three fingers’ worth, and set the bottle within reach of his new captain.