What honor have you? -- Luna
Boatswain Laurantz knew in his soul that having a Hellkin on board was bad luck. He and Captain Haaloch had both witnessed a cat following the nameless blue devilborn onto the ship. Any man followed by a cat was supposed to be good luck. Therefore, the argument went that the luck cancelled out and he was no better nor worse than any other man.
There was one thing a Hellkin couldn't stop being, and that was 'trouble'.
The man they named Hellkin Oddfellow was just naturally oppositional. You couldn't call him ornery because he smiled all the time, and that had to mean that he was up to something. Anything that smiled all the time was up to something. Laurantz was determined to figure out what it was.
So the first thing of his that went missing, he accused the Hellkin of theft. And what did the duplicitous devil have to say for himself.
"I am not a thieving Teufel. You can check my belongings."
"D'ruther strip-search it," growled Laurantz.
That emotionless grin with too many sharp teeth turned on him. "You want to see me naked? Ask nicely and buy me a drink. I might be amenable."
Laurantz felt his fists tighten, and had to stay them with difficulty. Captain didn't like it when his crew got to blows for no good reason. Further, he held it that taunts like that were not a good reason. Even when Oddfellow was toeing that like like a prima ballerina.
Were the Hellkin any other species, Laurantz might allow that he had a death wish.
Captain put himself between them, "You two stop goading each other. What is it that went missing, Laurantz?"
"Fucker took my second-best bandana. Th' one with the peonies on the hemming. Arbordeep wife give it me and I want it back."
"I told you," said Oddfellow, "I am not a thieving Teufel."
"I'm not trusting that thing to help the search," complained Laurantz. "It'll find a way to sneak it into somewhere it aught to have been." Gods, he wished to punch the pointy teeth out of that grin. Too bad they always grew back in. "Too bad for you I already unpacked my travel chest and sack in the looking already."
The Hellkin remained unflappable. He pointed, "Oh look, there it is." Hellspawn was pointing to the approaching Cabin Boy.
"Mr. Laurantz! Mr. Laurantz! I saw your headrag drop out yer sack two weeks aft, and it was terrible stained from the floor, like. So's I been workin' all secret t' get the mud an' such out. Now it's good as new and pressed all neat like." The lad vibrated eagerness to please with a subharmonic of being completely lovestruck.
"I never expect apologies," said Oddfellow. "It saves my energies for more important things." He was still grinning and all but begging to be punched. "The least you could have done was ask around."
"I trust this is the end of it?" said Captain. "Keep out of each other's hair as much as you can."
"Aye aye," chirped the devilborn. It even saluted.
"Aye aye," growled Laurantz, accepting his lost bandanna.
[Photo by Emma Miller on Unsplash]
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