"Those scoundrels!" raged First Mate Glen. "They wreck our ship, nearly kill us, ignore our maydays and then undercut us at market!"
"I just got the figures through," said Skipper Bruce unhappily. "Our catch made less than a quarter of what it would usually fetch. The Grey Friar caught so much fash that it sold at rock bottom prices."
"Can we even cover the repairs to the boat?" asked Deck Hand Chris.
"No, we can't even do that," answered Skipper Bruce angrily. "I don't what we're going to do."
The crew sat in silence as they slowly drank from their tall glasses, each one of which had a cross and the words from John 3:16 etched onto the side, and listened to the heavy metal version of There is a Place of Quiet Rest which was being pumped through the loud speakers.
"Phew!" exclaimed First Mate Glen after a few minutes, putting his almost full glass onto the table. "I'd better not drink any more, I can feel myself getting a bit tipsy."
"Your face is quite red," Deck Hand Chris warned him.
"No, no, that's just from the sulphates," replied First Mate Glen.
"But there are no sulphates in... well, I don't really went to call this beer," answered Deck Hand Chris.
"Yes, there are," said First Mate Glen. "Aren't there? There are, I'm sure of it. Heth says so."
"What's 'appened to 'er anyway?" asked Cabin Boy Matt. "You 'aven't been on t' phone to 'er for ages. What's up?"
"Oh, she lost her phone," replied First Mate Glen. "In fact, I'd better check to make sure she hasn't left me a message on facebook." And with that he quickly took his own mobile from his pocket and began walking around the room with it held above his head in an attempt to find a wireless connection.
"Never mind all this," said Skipper Bruce. "What are we going to do about our livelihoods?"
"I guess we'll just have to keep fishing and hope for the best," answered Deck Hand Chris. "If we pray about it it should be OK. I'm sometimes surprised how God answers prayers about even the most mundane of things."
Ethel, The Lady's Head's grey-haired chief waitress, who, wearing her pinny on which a yellow smiley-face was framed with the words JESUS LOVES YOU, happened to hobble past at that moment as she carried a precarious tray of sambucas towards a table of roudy students having a pre-exam party, smiled at the young trawlerman's wisdom and decided that her vicar's slightly unorthodox methods might be having an effect after all.
* * *
The Pride of Lamond left port a few days later with an optimistic crew. The sun glinted off the tops of the waves as Skipper Bruce guided his vessel to what he knew to be an area with abundant stocks of North Atlantic Cod. He knew that however much they caught The Grey Friar's infinitely larger catches would always undercut them, but he had to share in the hope of Deck Hand Chris. The Lord had provided for Steven Seagull, who was currently eating from Cabin Boy Matt's hand despite not having sown or reaped, thus he would care for his crew, who were much more valuable than Steven, who, though much loved, was nevertheless a mere bird.
"'Ere, Skipper," called Cabin Boy Matt, standing up and pointing into the distance. "What's that ovver theare?"
First Mate Glen took a pair of binoculars and looked towards the horizon. "It's smoke," he said.
"It must be a ship," said Deck Hand Chris. "It's in the middle of the ocean."
"We've got to go and help," said Skipper Bruce.
Skipper Bruce returned to the wheelhouse and directed his vessel at full speed towards the column of thick, black smoke which rose before them. As they got closer the gravity of the situation revealed itself to them. The Grey Friar had become an inferno. Her crew stood on the deck waving as the Pride of Lamond approached her bows.
"A loose connection in our computer equipment caught fire," shouted Louisa.
"Quick, throw across some fire extinguishers so we can put it out," called Captain Campbell.
First Mate Glen grabbed one of the two extinguishers aboard the Pride of Lamond and threw it across, but it fell short, landing with a splash in the water below.
"Come closer," shouted Captain Campbell.
Skipper Bruce maneuvered his vessel as close to The Grey Friar as he dare, but the flames from the huge ship leapt across and charred the wooden hull of the Pride of Lamond.
"If we go any closer we'll be a goner," he advised his crew.
"There's nothing we can do, then," replied Deck Hand Chris solemnly.
"Throw us another fire extinguisher!" cried Captain Campbell.
"We can't," Deck Hand Chris shouted back. "There's a great chasm between our two boats, it'll just fall into the sea."
Captain Campbell just nodded sadly and watched as the Pride of Lamond pulled away, leaving The Grey Friar's crew to their fate.
As the flames disappeared into the distance the radio in the wheelhouse crackled and Captain Campbell's voice could be heard.
"Please, Skipper, warn our families," it said. "We took up all the room we had with computer equipment and didn't bother with fire extinguishers. Warn our families to think of their futures and the consequences of their actions."
But before Skipper Bruce could answer, The Grey Friar's radio failed.
* * *
"Good morning, boys," Harbour Master Gamble's voice floated on the early morning air towards the crew of the Pride of Lamond as they approached their vessel. "How are you today?"
"Alright," answered Skipper Bruce.
"Here, Harbour Master, have you any news on The Grey Friar?" asked First Mate Glen.
"Oh, yes, as a matter of fact I heard from the coastguard this morning," answered Harbour Master Gamble. "Yes, they're all alright, a little bit shocked, as you would expect, well, I would expect that you would expect them to be a little bit shocked, after all, they nearly died, and dying's not a particularly pleasant experience, not that I've ever had the experience, that is, I've heard that it isn't very nice, well, I've not heard that it isn't very nice, obviously, but, well, I just expected that it's not. Well, you do, don't you?"
"Err... Yeah," replied First Mate Glen.
"Anyway, they're been checked over and seem to be alright, but that marvellous vessel's had to be taken to Toronto of all places to be fixed, so she'll be out of action for a good wee while."
"So they won't be undercutting our prices," asked Deck Hand Chris, hopefully.
"No, I wouldn't expect so," said Harbour Master Gamble. "Still, that fire, all that smoke going into the environment, terribly bad for the ozone layer, they'll have to do some offsetting to remedy that..."
Luke 16:19-31
* * *
A NOTE ON THE GREY FRIAR'S CREW
The crew of The Grey Friar are not particularly nice people. However, Captain Campbell, First Mate Fraser, Jim, Louisa and Cabin Boy Henry do have real life counter parts. The characterization of The Grey Friar's crew is not intended as a true representation of them, nor is it meant with any malice or hate. Indeed, in real life they are wonderful people, true beacons for the Lord for whom I have a great deal of time, respect and appreciation.
Kirk
No comments:
Post a Comment