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| A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts; The Somersets & Keegan | |
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| Topic Started: 20 Dec 2007, 07:51 PM (207 Views) | |
| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:51 PM Post #1 |
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Originally posted by Keegan McAllister: Keegan had heard from his native friends that coconuts could kill you. If you stood under a palm tree laden with the ripe nut, you might not survive the impact if it hit you in the head. This made him wary of trees that were covered in the dark brown husks, though he sometimes snuck around the bases just to see how shaky the nuts might be. Coconuts had rather refreshing water inside them, as well as nourishing meat. But the dark brown coconuts that fell on their own didn't have this meat, and their water was bitter. Coconuts were best picked while green, and Keegan had seen several people scurry up palm trees to collect them. They moved as swift and agile as a monkey, and Keegan knew he could do it as well. He could, actually, but he wasn't as fast, and going up so high without any sort of protection from a fall was unnerving. However it was also thrilling and dangerous, and so of course he liked to do it. That day he stood under a palm tree with several very large green coconuts dangling from its huge leaves. He was contemplating the strength of the trunk, the roughness of the bark, the bend of the tree itself, and most importantly, what the ground was like in case he fell. It was close enough to the beach that it was sandy and soft, but it was still ground, and ground was never fun to fall on. But aside from just being the ground, it was safe enough. No rocks to probably hit his head on or sharp brambles to get stuck in. Keegan pursed his lips for just a moment before placing his pack on the ground by the tree's base and then very carefully wrapping his hands around the trunk. He was thirsty and hungry, and he knew how to open a coconut, so there was no reason not to try. He slipped his shoes off, gripped the bark, took a breath, and then very slowly started to climb up. About two steps up he slipped to the ground and had to start again. It was then he realized he didn't have anything to knock the coconuts down with, so he returned to his pack and pulled out his trusty dagger. After tucking it behind him in his waistband, he began climbing once more. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:51 PM Post #2 |
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Originally posted by Marmaduke Somerset: Marmaduke and, as always, his brother were walking. They had escaped from the house while Mr Wilkes was helping Mrs Wallner back to her rooms after she had wandered into the tutoring area. Their grandmother had began a very loud spate of preaching at the two boys, and Mr Wilkes had been obliged to calm her down and escort her out. While he was being so good as to rid them of her, they had seized the opportunity to climb out the window, making a clean getaway. They had changed from their good attire into something more fitting in the stables; they both had performed this procedure enough to have stowed away more apprentice-like clothing in the hayloft. Now they were wandering along the beach, engaging in the very delightful sport of fencing with sticks, when Marmaduke espied something that made him fumble a parry. Oliver stabbed him in the gut with his stick, producing an “oomph” from Marmaduke, before he realised that Marmaduke was pointing at something. There was a boy, his own age, climbing a tree. This would normally not be a startling thing, on account of climbing trees being a common persuasion of boys. Marmaduke had done it himself, many times, back in England. But this boy was climbing one of the odd Jamaican trees—palms, they were called. It had no branches at all and still the boy was going up it, like he was one of the monkeys from the Galapagos. Suddenly Marmaduke had the urge to try himself. It was impossible not to in the face of absolute proof that some people could be successful at it. He had always assumed that the great bulbous fruits which dangled from the trees were harvested by waiting for them to fall off, but now he saw that this was the way they were gotten, and he was naturally jealous of the boy’s talent and wanted to learn the skill himself. Imagine Mr Wilkes face when Worcester and Lennox brought home coconuts they had harvested themselves! He would think it was horribly inappropriate, which made it worth doing in and of itself. Still… the tree was awfully tall. And it looked not at all hospitable to the hands and feet. He’d probably tear his stockings too. And his clothes would get in an awful mess. They weren’t his best, of course—Mr Wilkes would spot Oliver and him though a crowd in a heart-beat if they were, so they had disguised themselves—and were no better than what the merchant boys of Port Royal wore, but still. Marmaduke glanced at Oliver for his opinion and saw his brother staring wide-eyed at the other boy. It was signed, sealed, and delivered now. Marmaduke would have to learn to climb the trees. He was not going to let some other boy out-do him in front of his little brother. Marching up to the base of the tree, since the boy seemed to be concentrating on climbing and not in looking at them, he rapped on the trunk to get his attention and asked, “Is it difficult to climb?” |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:52 PM Post #3 |
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Keegan: Keegan was quite immersed in his endeavor. He didn't see the other two boys on the beach or noticed them as they ambled closer. He was halfway up the tree, nearing its bend where it turned almost horizontal, when he heard a terrible sound. At first he thought the tree wasn't as strong as he guessed, that it was breaking. He let out a tiny yelp and hugged the tree for dear life (like holding on to a falling tree trunk would save him), but after a few moments nothing happened. Then there was another sound, just as unexpected as the first. “Is it difficult to climb?” He looked down at the ground with large eyes, surprise written all over his features. After a few seconds he realized the tree wasn't snapping, and the first sound had probably been caused by the boy he was looking at. Remembering his previous squeak of fright, an awful glower replaced the surprise on his face. He didn't like being surprised like that, especially by some little boys. Of course he was ignoring the fact one of them was near his own age. A few more seconds passed as he looked at their dress. They seemed well enough, looking like sons of a merchant. Keegan peered at them for a long while, feeling he must have known them. He knew most of the middle- and lower-class boys in Port Royal, but he'd never seen these two before. They must have been new arrivals. Especially if they were asking about how to climb a palm tree. He took a moment to look down at his clothes and realized he looked quite like a commoner. It was fine for blending in and feeling comfortable, but it didn't give him any clout when he tried to intimidate others of a higher station. Keegan unlatched himself from the tree trunk and let out a long sigh. He scooted up a little more until he could sit on the bent trunk without needing to hold on so hard with his hands. "It takes practice," he said, wiping his brow with his sleeve. "I've seen other people more accustomed to the task scurry up in just a few seconds." He turned his eyes back to the boys, his expression less than welcoming. He almost blamed them for his not knowing who they were. "Who are you? Are you new to Port Royal?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:52 PM Post #4 |
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Marmaduke: The boy in the tree squeaked like some kind of giant vermin and ceased to climb, wrapping his arms about the palm trunk. Marmaduke stared up at him, wondering what had frightened him, when he realised that now the boy was glaring down at him. By reflex, Marmaduke glared back; it was natural instinct to try and stare down someone that was looking at you like that. It took a moment for him to figure out exactly why the boy was glaring at him, and then he snorted. It wasn’t his fault that the boy was oblivious and had the nerves if a bunny rabbit. Marmaduke had to keep up the stare for a few moments longer, before the boy looked down. When the boy did, he took the opportunity to do exactly what the boy seemed to be doing, namely look at his clothes. He was less well-off than them, even in their current appearance of merchant boys or perhaps very well-set-up apprentices. Hmm. Well, no matter, it wasn’t like they were going to be friends. The boy sighed and climbed higher, to where he could rest without having to clutch the tree. He said, “It takes practice. I've seen other people more accustomed to the task scurry up in just a few seconds.” That meant that it would be difficult to climb. Everything that took practice inevitably turned out to be difficult in the beginning, not so much in the middle, and then again at the end to become a master at it. Marmaduke eyed the trunk and debated to himself again if it was worth it to learn how to climb the things, but a glance at Oliver reaffirmed his old opinion. He was not going to be outdone by this boy. He looked up at the boy again, irritated at the fact that he had to tilt his head back so far, and found the boy glaring at him. The boy asked almost angrily, “Who are you? Are you new to Port Royal?” The boy’s welcome, or rather lack thereof, was grating on his nerves. It wasn’t fair for him to lord it over Oliver and him just because he knew how to climb the stupid trees and they didn’t. He almost told the boy that he was the Most Honourable the Marquess of Worcester, &c &c, and that Oliver was Lord Lennox. He stopped himself in time though. The boy certainly wouldn’t believe him at all, and would laugh and say they were a right pair of dunderheads. That was what the last boy they had told their lordly titles to had said. Actually he’d said they were dunderheads and started to say that he didn’t believe a word of their (and here he was going to insert something foul), before Marmaduke had hit him for calling him a liar. So obviously, since saying who they really were wasn’t going to work, they’d have to say something else. He eyed the boy and decided that it wouldn’t kill him if the boy knew their Christian names. But he couldn’t just be meek and let the boy walk all over him. So he said, “I’m Marmaduke and he’s my brother Oliver. So what if we are? What’s your name?” |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:52 PM Post #5 |
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Originally posted by Oliver Somerset: Oliver danced forwards across the sand, jabbing at Marmaduke as he slowly drove his older brother back. The sand made it hard to keep his footwork very good, but it did the same thing for Marmaduke, and he was quite sure that he was winning. It didn’t occur to him that perhaps Marmaduke was letting him win, as ordinarily his older brother could beat him lefthanded. He pressed the attack, his stick flickering rapidly as his brother fended him off, until Oliver saw an opening and thrust at his abdomen. "You’re dead!" he crowed victoriously. Then he noticed, as Marmaduke doubled over, that his brother’s hand was flung out to gesture to something to the side. Oliver craned his neck to see, and he stared openly as he saw a boy shimmying straight up the smooth trunk of a palm tree. The first time he’d ever seen a palm tree had left Oliver agog. The funny bald tree with a tufty top and a hanging brown thing that looked like an old man’s beard underneath the green leaves didn't look like anything so much as...well, an old man with a really long neck and floppy green hair, certainly not any sort of normal tree. This was the first time he’d ever seen someone climbing one. He hadn’t imagined that it was possible to climb one. Of course, coconuts grew on palm trees, so somehow they had to come down, but he’d supposed, if he ever thought about it at all, that some big fellow shook the tree or something to make them fall. How did the boy do it? He glanced at Marmaduke, about to ask his brother how it was done. Because his brother knew everything. Of course he would know this too. But Marmaduke was looking upwards too, and then he asked the boy if it was hard to do. That meant…that meant that Marmaduke didn’t know how to do it. This sudden failure in his brother’s omnipotence did not shake Oliver’s faith at all. Marmaduke knew everything else, and he would know how to climb palm trees very soon, that was certain. The boy up in the tree made a funny noise, but Oliver skipped right over noticing that because there was something much more important to observe. The boy was scowling at them ferociously. Why was he doing that? They hadn’t done anything wrong. And when he answered Marmaduke’s question, the words sounded normal, but his tone of voice was definitely mean-tempered. Therefore, Oliver’s path was clearly set out before him. He scowled right back at the boy, folding his arms severely. So he thought he was special just because he could climb trees and they couldn’t? Marmaduke would be much better at it than he was as soon as he tried. Humph. Marmaduke was very good at climbing trees. So was Oliver, Oliver was good at climbing all sorts of things in fact. He used to climb around in the narrower hallways in Worcester, spidering along parallel to the ceiling with his hands and feet outstretched to the sides. It was great fun to drop down on unsuspecting passers-by below and frighten them. Marmaduke had done it too, but Marmaduke could do it in more places because his arms and legs were longer. Oliver would bet that this boy couldn’t ever do that. "I'm Oliver Somerset," he shot at Keegan at the same time as Marmaduke spoke, "and he's Marmaduke Somerset." He knew well enough not to give out their titles. But at soon as he realised that he'd interrupted Marmaduke accidentally, he subsided into quiet, just glaring full-force at the palm-tree-climbing monkey-boy. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:52 PM Post #6 |
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Keegan: Keegan couldn't help the sour look on his face as he gazed at the two boys. It wasn't any ill-feeling toward them, just the fact they'd scared him. He didn't like being scared or spooked. As he looked down at the two boys, he realized they had picked up on his gruffness and seemed to be mirroring it back at him, the younger one especially. He was glaring at Keegan like there was no tomorrow. Keegan instantly felt bad that he had snapped at them both, but now that they were being so unfriendly, he of course had to return the feeling. However he smiled when the boys said their names at the same time. Unfortunately they said their own name first and then the brother's, so Keegan just heard a jumble of "Marolmaveruk Somerset" He chuckled a little and turned his attention to the coconuts dangling in front of him. There was still a little ways to scoot, but this didn't take such concentration. If anything the conversation might help him not focus on the fact he was leaning back toward the ground again. "So what if we are? What’s your name?” Yes, there was definitely a faint hint of animosity there. Keegan grimaced to himself as he began inching closer to the coconuts. He wondered if there was any way to salvage their very bad first impression of him, but knew that first impressions only happened once. His mother loved saying things like that when he complained about the clothes he had to where to impress people. Still, he didn't have to continue being mean to the boys. "I am Keegan McAllister," he said looking down and smiling at the boys in a rather snooty matter. "And if you are new to Port Royal it would explain my not knowing you, is all. I know most boys around here." He turned back to climbing, finally reaching the seeds. He had to press himself against the bark, and he was still holding on for dear life, but he was glad his goal was in sight. If the boys were new to Port Royal, they might not have had any sort of coconut fare before. Keegan figured it might be a good peace offering to get some for them as well. "And I'm afraid I didn't quite catch your names, aside from Somerset," he said, reaching into the waistband of his breeches and pulling out the dagger from its tucked sheath. The name Somerset was oddly familiar though. He couldn't remember where he might've heard it. He looked down at the boys, his dagger gleaming in one of his hands. "Care to try again?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:52 PM Post #7 |
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Oliver: (OOC - Liz gave me permission to mod Marmaduke) The boy looked down at them with a proud air and said "I am Keegan McAllister. And if you are new to Port Royal it would explain my not knowing you, is all. I know most boys around here." Oliver tipped his chin up a little higher – since Keegan was very far above him, it was hard to look down his nose at the other boy, but by craning his head very far back he could do it. Hmph. So he knew everyone and thought he was important because of it. If he didn’t know Marmaduke then he wasn’t important at all. Then Keegan pulled a knife out of his waistband, which made Oliver’s eyes grow round. Was he threatening them? But that was silly, he couldn’t use a knife from all the way up there. Nevertheless, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Marmaduke had stepped forwards and had his arms crossed in front of his chest; his glare had gone up a notch. Oliver swished his stick-sword in front of him. He bet he could whack Keegan good before the boy could get at him with the knife. Especially if Keegan had to climb down the palm tree first. But it wouldn’t be polite to do that until he knew if the other boy was actually challenging them. Could you fight a duel with a knife and a stick? You had to have seconds too of course, and…well, he’d probably wind up having to be Marmaduke’s second, since Marmaduke was older. But Keegan would need a second and there wasn’t anyone around. "And I'm afraid I didn't quite catch your names, aside from Somerset. Care to try again?" Oliver was a little crestfallen. All he wanted was their names again, he wasn’t going to challenge them to a duel. He looked at Marmaduke, who answered Keegan again, "I’m Marmaduke and he’s my brother Oliver." Marmaduke’s tone was a little milder, and Oliver took his cue from his brother and relaxed his glare. Maybe Keegan was alright. If Marmaduke thought he was, then Oliver could cut him some slack for earlier. "So…how do you get up the tree?" Oliver asked. "There aren’t any branches to grab onto." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:53 PM Post #8 |
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Keegan: "I’m Marmaduke and he’s my brother Oliver." Keegan made a face at the name "Marmaduke." He knew it was a real name, but it was just funny. It sounded too grown up for such a young kid. He looked over his shoulder and guessed that Marmaduke probably wasn't that much younger than Keegan, but either way, it was still a very adult name. It instantly made him think "marmalade." The boy probably wouldn't like it if he called him that. Which was all the more reason to do so. "So…how do you get up the tree?" Oliver asked. "There aren’t any branches to grab onto." "That there's not," Keegan replied, turning around to look at the coconuts again. He stabbed forward with his dagger, and after a few hacks and slices three of the seeds plopped down to the sand. If Marmaduke and Oliver were new to Port Royal, they might also be new to the Caribbean, and therefore never had any coconut meat or milk before. Perhaps it could be a peace offering. Keegan had no use for enemies among those his own age. One was enough, though thankfully Keegan had heard little of Underwood in many months. He very carefully replaced the dagger back in the sheath tucked into the waist of his breeches. "To climb you pretty much hafta hug the tree with your arms, and then walk straight up. It's not easy, and even I'm not that good at it." He began inching his way back down the trunk. It wasn't quite as graceful or interesting to watch compared to going up. Once he was a safe distance from the ground he just jumped. Upon standing he smiled at the two boys, Oliver in particular. He seemed slightly less hostile and smaller children tended to be more impressed by things they didn't know about. "It's best to climb without shoes, because you get a better grip on the bark," he said, lifting a leg and showing the callused and dirty soles of his feet. He doubted the boys had feet that were hard enough to climb a palm tree, but he could never know. They were dressed like merchant kids, and normally Keegan would look like that too. He just didn't that day. He turned abruptly and strode over to the three coconuts that had fallen on the ground. "I've seen natives shimmy up those things like monkeys," he added. Then he turned and looked at each boy in turn. "Have you ever eaten a coconut before?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:53 PM Post #9 |
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Oliver: Oliver watched Keegan with increasing curiousity as the older boy chopped at the cluster of nuts around the bases of the fronds. There were a lot of coconuts fallen on the ground. Why did Keegan need to bring more down? Stepping forwards, Oliver picked up one of the nuts that had fallen down on its own that lay not too far from him; it was brown and hairy, and very hard. He rapped on it with a hand. It was like wood. Maybe that was why Keegan had to cut the ones from up above down; they were green, so maybe they were softer and easier to get into. Ahead of him, three nuts landed in the sand, and he looked up at Keegan again. He was climbing back down the tree very slowly. He looked a little like a caterpillar, Oliver thought, doing that. While he did it, he was talking and explaining how to climb the tree, but Oliver didn’t think that he was saying everything yet. Because there just wasn’t any purchase on the trunk and it was straight up. He was holding something back, he didn’t want to tell them how to really do it. Why wouldn’t he? Was it really that big of a secret? Then Keegan followed the coconuts and landed in the sand, and grinned at them both. Oliver stared at him thoughtfully for a moment or two, until Keegan spoke again. Then he returned Keegan’s smile. So that was it. You just had to climb without shoes. And have rough hands and feet too probably. Then you wouldn’t slip as much. He wasn’t holding back on them after all. Of course that meant that Oliver wouldn’t be able to climb a tree, because he didn’t have feet or hands that looked anything like that. He hid them, and the coconut, behind his back. Most commoner boys did, and if Keegan saw Oliver’s palms or soles he might suspect something. Oliver changed his mind just a minute later though, and held up the brown coconut that he had in his hand for Keegan to see, but the other boy had already turned around. Keegan headed for the coconuts he had just dropped, and picked them up, so Oliver figured he was going to go away, but he didn’t. Instead he asked if they’d ever eaten coconuts before. Oliver pondered this. "I had dried coconut," Oliver answered after a moment. "It was shaved up into little flakes and it tasted just like sawdust. Why did you have to cut down the coconuts from up there? Is there something wrong with the ones that fall down like this one?" He held up the hairy brown thing. "Because they're hard and bitter after they fall down," Marmaduke answered knowledgeably before Keegan could. He wasn't ready to lose his position of omniscience to this strange boy. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:53 PM Post #10 |
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Keegan: Keegan picked up the three coconuts with a little trouble, trying to balance the three large, round spheres in his arms as he tottered back toward the tree. He didn't want to be where the coconuts had landed, since more might fall. He'd heard they could kill someone just by dropping on the head, and supposedly a friend's friend's father had died that way. And Keegan's little rucksack was by the base of the tree anyway, and he'd need it to continue opening the coconuts. It was going to be difficult though. "I had dried coconut," Oliver answered. "It was shaved up into little flakes and it tasted just like sawdust. Why did you have to cut down the coconuts from up there? Is there something wrong with the ones that fall down like this one?" Sawdust? Keegan slowly turned his head to look at the large brown coconut that the younger boy had picked up from the ground. It was hard to turn his head without the three coconuts spilling from his arms. He opened his mouth to speak a reply, but the older brother with the strange name beat him to it. "Because they're hard and bitter after they fall down," Marmaduke answered. Keegan slowly turned the other way, one of his brows furrowed over his eyes. The older boy had either learned that from a book or teacher, or perhaps even from a native. Either way, the fact that he knew meant the boys might have spent more time in the Caribbean than Keegan previously supposed. He grinned anyway and continued on his way to his pack. "Duke is right, they just don't taste very good once they fall on their own." Once he had arrived, he dropped all three coconuts on the ground and pulled his sheathed knife from his breeches. This was the hard part, and he would have to do it three times instead of just one. One alone was difficult enough, and he wasn't sure he would have the strength to do all three. Plus the knife was terribly small and not nearly as big as it should be to do the job. He reached over to his pack and pulled out a neckerchief that was supposed to be around his neck, but he had pulled it off hours ago. He spread it out on the ground and placed one of the smaller coconuts on top. Picking up his knife, Keegan looked at the nut and found one of the eyes that marked its weakest point. He began repeatedly stabbing that point with his knife. It was slow going, but he didn't want to just crack the nut and lose all the water. That was part of the reason he'd gone up to get one. "Where do you boys live, anyway?" he asked without looking up. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:53 PM Post #11 |
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Marmaduke: The boy announced his name and had a short conversation about climbing palm trees with Oliver. Marmaduke remained mostly in front of Oliver until McAllister put away his dagger, and then relaxed slightly—but only slightly. He still didn’t like him. He could climb palm trees where Marmaduke could not (although now that he’d seen it he’d certainly try until he could, but only after McAllister was gone and wouldn’t be able to watch if he fell a few times), which made him admirable in Oliver’s eyes. Marmaduke automatically disliked people near his own age that Oliver admired, simply because he was extremely unwilling to lose the position of being The One To Look Up To. It wasn’t polite, this boy horning in on his territory. It had to be stopped—Marmaduke had to establish that just because he couldn’t climb palm trees didn’t mean he wasn’t still to be admired. So when McAllister asked if they’d eaten coconuts before, prompting another small exchange of words between him and Oliver, Marmaduke spoke up to answer Oliver’s question, since he actually knew the answer. McAllister looked at him strangely, and Marmaduke looked back. He knew he was right, because Mr Wilkes had scolded a cook for preparing an old coconut not long ago. He’d instructed her to only get green coconuts. But McAllister apparently wasn’t disagreeing with Marmaduke, since he just said, “Duke is right, they just don't taste very good once they fall on their own.” Marmaduke froze for a moment. It did not occur to him that McAllister had dared to address him by a diminutive of his Christian name, and so he thought that the boy thought he was a duke. Surprise coursed through him. How did McAllister know they were peerage?! What had given them away? Always before, their disguises had worked, even to people who might have known them had they not dirtied up their hair and faces and garbed themselves in the clothing of commoners, thus rendering them ignorable to important folk. The boy had gotten his rank wrong, but he had to be astoundingly perceptive to pick up on his high status, and especially to miss his title by only one degree of rank. Marmaduke was about to correct McAllister when the boy spoke again, asking, “Where do you boys live, anyway?” He thought that Marmaduke was a duke and yet he addressed him and a person known to be his brother—who would, therefore, carry the courtesy title of Marquess—as ‘you boys’? Marmaduke looked at McAllister, wondering if he was soft in the head, or if he hadn’t perhaps overexerted himself climbing the palm tree. ‘You boys’? Maybe he’d spent too much time in the sun. He couldn’t really have the temerity to address a duke like that? Even Marmaduke, who was a marquess and not a common person’s child, would never call a duke and his brother by anything other than ‘your Grace’ for the duke and ‘my Lord’ for the brother. McAllister was a puzzle. Marmaduke answered the question, feeling compelled to not mislead the boy as to his rank; he wasn’t a duke and so he would not allow McAllister to erroneously assume he was one. He would not pretend to a rank he didn’t have. Such behaviour was dishonourable, and he would not ever besmirch the Somerset family name by behaving dishonourably. He said, “We live in Port Royal, of course. But you mistake my rank. I am not a duke.” |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:53 PM Post #12 |
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Oliver: Oliver looked up at his brother, who nodded with an air of hidden, secret erudition, and Oliver said, “Oh. Okay.” He was going to ask why they got hard and bitter, but Keegan spoke up and turned his mind off onto a different track. It wasn’t the further explanation about the coconuts, it was his calling Marmaduke “Duke.” Just like his older brother, Oliver didn’t think that Keegan would possibly be calling Marmaduke by a nickname. Instead he assumed that it was a reference to Marmaduke’s rank. Dismay painted itself over Oliver’s face. He didn’t want to be found out, as he didn’t want there to be any chance of Mr Wilkes finding out about this trick of sneaking out disguised, and he wasn’t at all sure how Keegan had figured it out. So he figured that he and Marmaduke must have made some kind of dreadful error. It was obviously too late to fix it now, since Keegan had already guessed. They had blown it. Now what was there to do? Well, first of all, Oliver considered, it was needful to correct Keegan, since the boy had gotten it wrong anyways. Marmaduke wasn’t a Duke. At least he could tell him that. Then, maybe they had better just ask him how he had guessed, since Keegan seemed friendly now…maybe he’d started being friendly when he realized that they were peers? That might explain why he wasn’t glaring meanly anymore. Oliver decided he would just ask him not to tell anyone. After all that was really all he could do. While Oliver was ruminating on this, Marmaduke spoke up, which gave Oliver his cue to speak his piece. Following just on the heels of Marmaduke’s words, Oliver said, “That’s right; he’s a Marquess, not a Duke. And if he was a Duke you should call him 'Your Grace', you know, not just 'Duke'. I mean, you don't just call the King 'King,' you call him 'Your Majesty.' Marmaduke is just a Lordship though, since he’s a Marquess. I'm just a Lordship too.” And then, feeling he should really do the thing properly, Oliver introduced them. “He’s the Marquess of Worcester – Lord Worcester - and I’m Earl of Lennox. That’s just a courtesy title but I’m called Lord Lennox anyways because I’m his heir apparent. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you right away, but we didn’t want to be recognised. Please don’t tell anyone. How did you guess we were peers, anyways?” |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:54 PM Post #13 |
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Keegan: Keegan continued hacking at one of the coconuts, trying to break through. He didn't notice the boys' discomfort at his simple nickname for Marmaduke. He meant no ill-will at the invention of the name and hoped it might actually break the ice. The older of the two brothers seemed very stiff. “We live in Port Royal, of course. But you mistake my rank. I am not a duke.” A laugh erupted from Keegan's mouth, but he continued stabbing at the coconut without missing a beat. Perhaps the boy hadn't caught on to Keegan's name, apparently. Wasn't it obvious? Maybe the boys were thicker than Keegan had first thought. Befre he could even respond the younger one continued along the same vein as his older brother. “That’s right; he’s a Marquess, not a Duke. And if he was a Duke you should call him 'Your Grace', you know, not just 'Duke'. Marmaduke is just a Lordship though, since he’s a Marquess. I'm just a Lordship too.” Oliver sounded completely serious, and Keegan felt himself frowning very darkly as he listened. The boy might be lying, so he turned around to look at him closely. He still looked completely serious about what he said, and he was even younger than Keegan and Marmaduke, so Keegan doubted he was good enough to lie so convincingly about something so dangerous to lie about. Keegan's congenial grin was completely gone now, replaced by a foreboding frown. Then he began to remember where he'd heard the name Somerset before. Giles had mentioned a young Marquess.... “He’s the Marquess of Worcester – Lord Worcester - and I’m Earl of Lennox. That’s just a courtesy title but I’m called Lord Lennox anyways because I’m his heir apparent." Now Keegan knew Oliver wasn't lying. No kid could so easily spew out that many titles and not stumble over them unless they had repeated them numerous times. Keegan also knew it to be true because Giles had told him so before. He had mentioned it to all the McAllister children because he thought perhaps the children could become friends with the Somerset lords. It wasn't looking that way now. "I’m sorry we didn’t tell you right away, but we didn’t want to be recognised. Please don’t tell anyone. How did you guess we were peers, anyways?” Keegan ruefully laughed, lifting his knife and giving the coconut a particularly vicious stab that finally broke the husk. He could hear the liquid slosh around inside as he pulled the blade out. "I didn't." He sighed and put the coconut to the side, grimacing as he pulled another one toward him. "I called you Duke," he said, looking up at Marmaduke, "because I thought your whole name was sort of silly. Marmaduke. It was a nickname, not a title." He growled to himself, angry that he had treated the boys like commoners. Actually even if they were nobles he would rather treat them like commoners because the tendencies and politeness of the upper classes were straining. He had escaped them numerous times; it was one of the reasons he was sitting there on the beach in nothing more than sandy breeches and a dirty shirt. What if these boys turned out to be like Jermaine? What if they joined forces with him to torment Keegan and his family? His dagger listlessly jabbed at the coconut. "Sorry to have mistaken you, my Lords," he grumbled. "I hope you won't hold it against me." He turned away from them and continued stabbing at the coconut with increased ferocity. "Dammit..." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 07:54 PM Post #14 |
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Marmaduke: McAllister laughed when Marmaduke informed him of his mistake. Marmaduke wondered why, thinking that perhaps the boy was just trying to cope with the overestimation of his rank. But why was that a laughing matter? Then it occurred to him that maybe McAllister didn’t know the proper forms of address and was laughing as a way of not having an awkward silence. Oliver must have had nearly the same thought, because he launched into an explanation of the correct forms of address, giving Marmaduke’s proper rank along the way. McAllister began to look more and more grave as Oliver continued, and when Marmaduke’s brother finished with, “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you right away, but we didn’t want to be recognised. Please don’t tell anyone. How did you guess we were peers, anyways?” the boy laughed and stabbed through the coconut shell. He looked up at Marmaduke and answered, “I didn't. I called you Duke because I thought your whole name was sort of silly. Marmaduke. It was a nickname, not a title.” Marmaduke was stunned. A nickname? He had nicknames, but no one except for Mr Morgan, the dreadful house steward, used them. They were all disgustingly awful, and had Marmaduke been in a position to dismiss the steward, he would have done so. As it was, he was required to suffer in silence, but he never acknowledged the man when he didn’t use the proper forms of address, either. After all, who wanted to be called Marmy—or worse, Barmy—or Marmalade, or Maddy? It was unbearable. As soon as his grandmother died, he would kick Morgan out on his ear and see him ruined. But at least McAllister’s nickname was not that awful. However, his insult in his explanation was. Marmaduke was a silly name? It most certainly was not! His surprise at the comment allowed McAllister to say into the conversational void, “Sorry to have mistaken you, my Lords. I hope you won't hold it against me.” Well, no, not about the Lord business, certainly. They had, after all, been trying to pass as commoners. Why would they have held that against McAllister? But calling Marmaduke a silly name? That was something to hold against the boy. Marmaduke’s father had named him, and had selected Marmaduke because of a number of illustrious men of the same name. It was not intrinsically any sillier a name than many others; it was simply a name. Marmaduke might even have been able to forgive McAllister for calling it silly, except that it had been his father’s choice. By the inevitable connection between name and namer, McAllister was calling his father’s decision silly; there was no way for his father to defend himself against this, since he was dead, and so Marmaduke would not sit by and let the boy insult his father. McAllister was stabbing viciously at a new coconut, but Marmaduke ignored the knife. The boy muttered, “Dammit...” and Marmaduke had to interject a curious question before warning him against making fun of his father’s choice in names. “What is damned? And of course we wouldn’t hold it against you, but you cannot insult my father’s choice of names. Marmaduke is not a silly name.” Marmaduke glared at McAllister and tried to ignore the tears that welled up traitorously in his eyes when he thought about his father. |
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| Oliver Somerset | 23 Feb 2008, 03:37 PM Post #15 |
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Keegan wasn't looking at them, and Oliver noticed that he was frowning darkly; Keegan laughed, but it didn't sound like he thought anything was funny. The other boy's face was creased with a ferocious expression, and he rammed his knife into the coconut suddenly, which made Oliver jump. Why was he so angry all of a sudden? Did he hate to be corrected? Everybody made mistakes, so Oliver had tried to do it properly, but Keegan couldn't just go around calling Marmaduke a Duke. That would be all wrong! But then he answered, and Oliver's expression darkened from confusion to shock. "I didn't. I called you Duke, because I thought your whole name was sort of silly. Marmaduke. It was a nickname, not a title." He thought Marmaduke's name was silly? How could he? Marmaduke was a perfectly decent name. In fact, it was longer than most names, so it had the advantage on them. A word was always better if it was longer, and names were better if they were longer too. The other boy was growling now, and Oliver folded his arms across his chest. He was about to say something, but Keegan added in an unhappy voice, “Sorry to have mistaken you, my Lords. I hope you won’t hold it against me.” Well, that was okay, after all, they had been trying on purpose not to get recognised. It was too bad, too, because now they had given their secret out, and they probably would have gotten along better with him if they hadn’t. Oliver guessed that maybe he just didn’t like peers. “Dammit…” Oliver’s eyes widened. Damn was a very bad word to say. It was profanity. Did Keegan not know that, or was he blaspheming on purpose? He heard Marmaduke speak up from behind him, but he didn’t notice the telltale signs in his brother’s voice. Therefore, he didn’t move to back Marmaduke up. Instead, he asked his own question (after all, Marmaduke had already pointed out the other thing that needed to be said.) “Don’t you know that the D-word is a bad one?” |
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| Keegan McAllister | 8 Mar 2008, 10:49 PM Post #16 |
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“What is damned? And of course we wouldn’t hold it against you, but you cannot insult my father’s choice of names. Marmaduke is not a silly name.” Keegan grimaced at the coconut he had punctured. Apparently he had hit a nerve, and as usual had said the wrong thing. He did think that Marmaduke was a silly name, but children had no say in the names they were given. You couldn't really change them either. Well, he supposed one could, but that would probably result in unnecessary complications. He paused for a moment as the boy's words echoed in his head again. Marmaduke had great respect for his father to be defending his name that way. Keegan could relate that much. “Don’t you know that the D-word is a bad one?” Oliver's innocent interjection made Keegan look up at the boy. He was so young and serious, probably around Robin's age if Keegan's guess was any good. The comment helped lighten Keegan's dark mood and he let out a soft laugh. "You are right about that lad, please forgive my language," he replied. His ease disappeared when he remembered who he was addressing. He couldn't just act like he would around normal boys. This was going to be a long afternoon. He stood up and ambled over to Marmaduke, holding out the pierced coconut. His face was somber. "I also hope you forgive my rude comments. When I said your name was silly, I mostly meant that it sounds too grown up for someone your age." He glanced at Marmaduke again, from head to toe. "Our age," he corrected. "You can drink this, by the way. Then pull off the cracked bits and eat the meat inside." He gestured to the coconut. "As for what is damned," he continued, leaving the coconut with Marmaduke and ambling back to the others, "I meant this entire situation." He sat back down on the ground and began stabbing another coconut. "Now that I know you two are young lords I can't just treat you like any other town boy. I'm treading on eggshells already." |
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1:18 PM Jan 9