Trice Forgotten 6 - Lay Day

Shahan Hamza as Siva

Gigi Zahir as Noor

Ashley Goh as Inez

Naomi Bartoo as Anh

Tim Meredith as Gammon

Illness

Physical Violence & Injury

Knives

Bullying & Taunting

Arguments

Imperialism & internalised racism

Manipulation

SFX: High pitched tones (tinnitus), heartbeat, drinking, loud water sounds, distorted sounds

### Transcript

Official transcript (PDF)
Unofficial transcript (webpage)

## *Herring & Marnock Esq’s Dictionary of Nautical and Pyratical Terms, 1849:*

**lay・day:**

an unexpected delay during a voyage often spent at anchor; usually caused by bad weather, necessary repairs, or other miscellaneous misfortune

## Summary

In which fever dreams are suffered, a fairytale is told, and an old friend comes to visit.

## Plot

The episode starts with a dreamlike sequence of Zhu-Anran screaming for Alestes (Ndiliswa) to jump overboard, Alestes screaming "A-pa!", Zhu-Anran singing about a carp flying through a river, Alestes screaming "A-pa" again, Gammon giving an order, calling Alestes a tick, and Anh calling her a slug. It ends with Alestes protesting that she is not a slug, but a carp. While saying she is a carp it transitions into Alestes speaking in her sleep, saying that she doesn't feel good and the crew fussing over her.

Baker takes control over the situation, giving out orders and saying that Alestes has a fever. Noor is trying to calm Baker down, reassuring him that she will be fine, while Inez is sassy as ever and Siva is freaking out, asking a list of possibilities why Alestes has a fever and what he can do to help. Siva starts quoting Homer in the original greek because he finds that "most soothing". Baker tells him to do everything he listed, except for the Homer.

When Inez and Siva have left Baker confides in Noor, that Alestes gets tired spells and that he always tells her not to over-exert herself. They feel her chest and conclude that her heartbeat isn't good. Their discussion is interrupted by Alestes talking in her sleep, telling a "snake-bellied" something to get off of her and that she can take all of them any day, which makes Noor chuckle and they remark on how much that is in character for her.

We now get to listen to a scene on the Galloping Englishman. Gammon is talking about his girls, Anh and Alestes, returning and only getting "the bloody swag". Alestes says he couldn't have done it without her, to which Anh reminds her that she was part of it too. Gammon, Alestes and Anh talk about their fair share of the prize, Anh calling Gammon "c lon" (pig brain) to which he reacts with saying he thinks it's fair that Alestes gets a third of the share, while Anh gets a quarter, to teach her a lesson about keep a civil tongue. Anh protests that Alestes talks to Gammon in a way worse manner and Alestes says that she earned the right to talk to him like that because she is better than her. Anh is not amused and they both end up drawing their swords, the crew egging them on. Gammon intervenes.

Alestes hears Baker talking to her in her sleep, though she does not wake. We, however, can now listen to the conversation in the real world. Alestes is talking about Gammon and Anh in her sleep. Baker soothes her, saying they can not hurt her now, but Noor and Siva become upset, since Siva was kidnapped by Anh a few weeks ago. Noor urges Baker to tell their story and doesn't react to Baker's attempts to deter them from the subject, since they have a right to know as they are in danger. This is no longer Baker's and Alestes' story, it's the whole crew's now.

Baker conceides and begins by revealing the name of Gammons crew: The Florists. Siva finally understands that Anh did in fact not want to know about horticulturalists. Baker was the ship's cook, Alestes was Gammon's star pupil. Gammon was the commander of the florists and captain of The Galloping Englishman. Siva laughs about the name Gammon. Baker says that it is not a kind nickname and used by Gammon to make it easier to believe for those under his power to believe that he was their friend. Baker talks about Alestes changing under Gammons command. Baker wanted to leave, she put away a good sum of money, enough for them to go anywhere, but she was enjoying herself too much. Siva and Noor remark that they're still here now, so what happened?

We hear a tiny excerpt of the Gammon theme as the scene transitions to Alestes and Gammon on a beach. They share friendly barter. Alestes wants Gammon to admit that he thinks she's a good pirate, infact "the most fearsome buccaneer on the seven seas, since Anne and Mary stripped on breaches". He responds by tripping her and telling her that she needs to be quicker to become the most fearsome buccaneer on the seven seas. She calls him a "limey bastard" and he corrects her to "english bastard." He then notifies her that they reached their destination and begins a long-winded explanation of how to find this specific treasure. He ends with the conclusion that privateers need a pet and in her case: a sea turtle. He claims that if you feed two sea turtles a nugget of the gold you're hiding they can find it for you again. Alestes exclaims that this is "bullocks" and Gammon swears that it's true. Through the back and forth the scene transitions back to reality.

The crew is becoming more and more anxious because not only is Alestes' condition getting worse, but Inez informs them that they're being followed by a rowboat. Everyone looks at Baker for guidance and he decides that making Alestes well is their priority because she's the captain and she'll know what to do. Alestes' mubling takes us back into her dream.

Alestes and Gammon are digging, Gammon telling her to "put some welly into it" and that she's half his age and should be hitting seabed by now, since she can dig faster. He gives her English ale, which she says tastes like piss. He asks her what she wants from life. She is unlike the others in his crew, who want full bellies, weekly rum rations and maybe a pretty girl or two when they hit port. Anh specifially wants someone to kill as well as a pretty girl when they hit port. Gammon wonders what Alestes wants because she doesn't give much away. Alestes retorts by asking him what *he* wants. He confesses to wanting a quiet life and asks her to share in return. She says that she also wants a quiet life, a nice island to retire to and a pile of gold to keep her warm at night. He says that's not much to ask for and that he could fix her up tomorrow, letting her out of her contract early for good behaviour. Alestes accuses him of trying to trick her, but he professes his innocence. She asks what she would have to do and the scene transitions back to the Netaonsom.

The crew is now panicked. Alestes' temperature shot up, her heartrate is shooting up as well. Alestes is moaning uncomfortably in the background, saying "You can't make me" and Siva panicks and leaves to get a banana to put on Alestes' face because his Nani taught him that this helps with lowering a fever. There is a bump against the hull of the boat, Baker says it might be someone boarding. After Siva offers to go look, Inez wants to go themselves. Baker tells Inez to be careful and Baker pleads with Alestes.

The scene transitions back to The Galloping Englishman. Gammon kicks a chest over and gold pours out. He tells the crew that he and Alestes got it while the other crew were sleeping. He tells "Fingers" to keep their fingers from the treasure, otherwise he will cut them off. After Alestes has taken her fair share of the treasure it is to be put into the treasury. Anh, apparently, is jealous and remarks upon the fact that they could all be rich if Gammon took the rest of the crew out on as many solo trips as Alestes. Alestes tells her to leave her alone to which Anh reacts with asking her what's wrong because she usually "can't wait to crow about daddy's last favour." Alestes finds Baker and runs to him, Anh calling her a coward. Having reached Baker, Alestes urges him to leave with her. She explains that her plan is to run with her gold when they moor off Sibolga, then buy a ship and make coin on trade routes. Baker asks her what happened, if she did something and she interrupts him saying it wasn't her, it was Gammon and he offered to let her out of her contract if she killed someone. She won't tell him who is to be killed, only saying it's not him. She apologizes for putting him into danger, but he reassures her that she sounds like herself for the first time in a while and that's enough for him. He adds a "Captain" afterwards, which she likes a lot. She asks him whether he can hear something and Baker's voice is being drowned out by the sound of waves. Alestes distressedly says that she can't see him and that "the bananas" are "everywhere", which brings us back to reality.

Alestes wakes up, yelling Baker's name. He is at her side, reassuring her that he is by her side. She asks where she is and why there is banana on her face. The crew explains what happend and Siva praises Noor's work caring for Alestes. After Alestes regained her bearings, Baker informs her that there is a visitor on board. Alestes demands her boots and her biggest hat.

Arriving at her cabin she demands the visitor to get out of her chair. The visitor is Gammon, who reprimands her to have some manners because "a merry hosts make merry guests", but Alestes is not impressed since "guests are usually invited." Gammon wants to tell her something, which she claims she doesn't want to hear, but Gammon is sure she wants to. After Alestes half draws her sword, he informs her that he has buried his treasure and invites her to look for it. Anh has flourished since he gave her her own ship, money's been pouring in too noticeably, so he left an "on-shore account." Alestes accuses him of trying to trick her for the second time this episode because why would he invite her to look for his treasure? He tells her it's because he likes her. They couldn't be friends, but that doesn't mean they have to be enemies. He wants her to have the quiet life she wanted and get into the pottery trade, but for the treasure she'll need the sea-turtles. Alestes demands he give them to her, but he reminds her of the favour that she had to promise Anh in exchange for Siva, when he was kidnapped.

The Gammon theme starts playing softly.

She asks him what he wants and Gammon asks what she's willing to give.