The Cairo Saga, book 4: Operation Chindit
Part 7: Shanty-man

CNS Spirit Sight
Nadir jump-point
Un-named system
Isle of Skye
Lyran Alliance

"All I'm saying is I would have requested another MechWarrior if I had known she was pregnant." Cairo had his hands in his pockets as he made his way along the Warships corridors, "This is not the sort of place where it is safe to bring a new life into the universe."

"Don't be such a hypocrite!" Sinade punched him on the arm, "Jane was born on this ship, and that worked out all right."

"Yeah, well things are different now…" Cairo stopped mid sentence, "Can you hear singing?"

"Yes." His wife nodded, leading the way down the corridor to one of the crew dormitories: several crewmembers were sitting around Serv, who was playing a beat up old guitar.

"What do we do with a drunken sailor?
What do we do with a drunken sailor?
What do we do with a drunken sailor?
Early in the morning?"

He looked round when he saw the other two entered, "Hey sir, just having a little sing along."

"A what?" Cairo asked.

"It is called a Shanty song." Star-Commodore Leroux was stood against one wall, "They were sung over a thousand years ago, when men still sailed the sea's of Terra on wooden ships powered by the wind. The songs were used to help keep time during important duties like raising the sails of lifting the anchor. Times have past, but still the tradition remains, even among the Clans: Sailors have always been superstitious, even to this day, and it is considered good luck to have a Shanty Man onboard."

"Really?" Cairo asked, then held out his hand towards Serv's guitar, "May I?"

"Sure man." The DropShip pilot handed it over, "Knock yourself out."

Cairo tuned the guitar carefully, and then started to play. Some of the crew apparently knew the words, because they joined in at the appropriate time.

"There were two lofty ships from old England came,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we,
One was the Prince of Luther, and the other Prince of Wales,
Cruising down along the coast of the High Barbaree.

'Aloft there, aloft!' our jolly boatswain cries,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we,
'Look ahead, look astern, look aweather and alee,'
Look down along the coast of the High Barbaree.

There's nought upon the stern, there's nought upon the lee,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
But there's a lofty ship to windward, and she's sailing fast and free,
Sailing down along the coast of the High Barbaree.

'Oh, hail her, Oh, hail her,' our gallant captain cried,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
'Are you a man-o'-war or a privateer,' said he.
Cruising down along the coast of the High Barbaree.

'Oh, I am not a man-o'-war nor privateer,' said he,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
'But I'm a salt-sea pirate a-looking for my fee.'
Cruising down the coast of the High Barbaree.

Oh, 'twas broadside to broadside a long time we lay,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
Until the Prince of Luther shot the pirate's masts away,
ruising down along the coast of the High Barbaree.

'Oh, quarter, Oh, quarter,' those pirates then did cry,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
But the quarter that we gave them - we sunk them in the sea,
Coming down along the coast of the High Barbaree."

"Very strange." Cairo looked at Leroux, "You use contractions when singing. Is that not the sign of a lazy mind?"

"Some may see it like that." The Nova Cat officer nodded, "But like I said, sailors are superstitious: we would never change the lyrics of a song like that. If you do not mind me asking, where did you learn that song?"

"You may ask." Cairo turned and walked away, "But I reserve the right not to answer."

TBC…