“And have your gear turned inside out, you fool?” said the first voice.
“You’d look funny in the commissioner’s office, too,” answered the third.
“For God’s sake then, pipe down and let’s drop him to Davy. I can’t stand him in here. We’ll say he got drunk ashore and when he came in he fell on his face. He said his head ached and went on deck. We looked for him an hour.... I go to the second mate. He’ll soon be on watch. I tell him the story. Before he gets aft or calls the Old Man, you have the fo’c’sle cleaned and the beer hid. Stick by the story. That’s all.”
“What about the fellow who done it? He’ll be on watch with the second.”
“That guy ain’t human. He won’t show nothin’. O.K.?”
“O.K.”
Rio heard the noise die down and went to sleep.
Rio felt his arm being shaken. He saw a figure bent over him, wearing oilskins which glistened from a flashlight.
“Seven bells,” said the figure. “Coffee on the boatdeck. Watch it goin’ ’midships. She’s takin’ a few seas.”