Truth and Beauty 3-7

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Jack, still busy with thoughts that made his face unnaturally grave, stared back, noting the blue coat, white collar facings, and unadorned shoulders that had so recently been the marks of his own rank.

“What’s your problem, Barus?” asked another boy, coming around a corner in the jetway, “did you fall down again, you -,” before he stopped, too.

“Holley,” said Barus, still sprawled upon the ground, “it’s him.”

But Holley had already reached this conclusion on his own. He ran back up the jetway and disappeared, shouting, “he’s here! Mister Greenstreet, he’s here!”

Jack stepped through the gate and allowed it to close. Barus looked to be about ten years old, Jack guessed, a little chubby, with unkempt brown hair and black eyes and a round, face, currently pale with shock. He sat unmoving, except to swivel his head to continue to stare up at Jack, who began self conscious. “Mr Barus,” he said, to break the tension, “you belong to the Roth?”

“Yes, sir,” said Midshipman Barus, moving to remove his hat and realizing that he was already bare-headed. Apologetically, he saluted, still absurdley sprawled on the ground. “Carl Barus Midshipman second class H-M-Brig Roth Lieutenant, uh, Lieutenant O’Brian sir.”

Jack returned the salute. “I am Lieutenant O’Brian. Perhaps you would be so good as to take my bag?” he said, hoping to induce the boy to stand, but Barus merely reached up from where he was. “I think you will find your hat just outside the gate,” Jack continued. “Once you have found it and put it on, please place it in my cabin and meet me on deck.”

The midshipman nodded. “Yes, sir," he said, saluting again, and Jack proceeded down the jetway to H-M-Brig Roth.

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