DoG by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

of the bridge, the door banged open, and out stepped the Captain.
    He held a revolver in his hand, which he pointed at Worner’s head. Worner stopped. The crew stood silently as the two men stared at one another. Worner raised his hands and eased back a few steps. After a few moments, the Captain lowered his weapon and returned to the bridge.
    There was no more talk of a strike, much less a mutiny.
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    8
    “That bastard pulled iron on me,” Worner said as they enjoyed their last dinner together aboard the Orthrus . “I don’t believe it.”
    “Do you think he was serious?” Culann asked. He didn’t have much experience with guns. Having come from a town where handguns were banned, it had been shocking to see one brandished so easily.
    “He was serious,” McGillicuddy said. “I don’t know a thing about that man
    except that he is always serious. Worner’s lucky to be going home in one piece.”
    “Oh, balls,” Worner said. “That’s not the first gun that’s been pointed at me. I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
    “Well this may be par for the course for John Wayne here,” McGillicuddy said,
    “but I’d have been pissing my pants.”
    “No doubt about that,” Worner said with a smile. He leaned back and scratched the long, ropy bicep of his left arm with his right hand. “You draft-dodging pussy.”
    “Yep, I dodged the draft by about twenty years.”
    “I’m glad you two pricks can joke about his,” Frank said. He shook his
    downturned head, causing his bushy beard to brush against his stained t-shirt. “I needed that money. I’m screwed.”
    “Then I must be double-screwed,” Culann said, “since I’m living on your couch.”
    It was more than that. This voyage was supposed to be Culann’s trial by fire, where he would emerge a better man or die trying. By cutting it short, he was losing his chance at redemption. He needed to find a new way to prove himself to himself.
    “It’s that thing we fished out of the water,” McGillicuddy said. “That’s what the Captain was looking for. That’s why he called it off.”
    “Makes as much sense as anything,” Frank said, “but who cares why he did it?”
    “Wait a minute,” Culann said, “McGillicuddy might be on to something. We
    found the orb, and then the Captain sent us home within a matter of minutes. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but we don’t have any other theories.”
    “So what?” Frank replied.
    “Well,” Culann continued, “assuming the theory is correct, it stands to reason that the orb is worth more to the Captain than two weeks worth of fish.”
    “Who cares?”
    “Well, technically I’m the one who found it.”
    “You want that thing?” Frank asked.
    “I didn’t before, but we have to consider the possibility that it’s valuable. Maybe we can sell it to recoup our losses. Even if we can’t, I want it just so the Captain doesn’t get to have it.”
    “So what are you gonna do?” McGillicuddy asked. “Tell him ‘finders keepers’?”
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    “I’m going to steal it back,” Culann answered.
    The thought had not occurred to him until it emerged from his mouth, but he realized this was what he had to. By stealing the orb, Culann could face danger and right an injustice. This was the quest he needed to complete. This idea pushed rational thoughts out of Culann’s mind.
    “He’ll kill you, greenhorn,” Worner said.
    Stealing the orb would not be easy. It was somewhere on the bridge, but Culann didn’t know where. In fact, Culann had never stepped foot on the bridge, nor had anyone else besides Gus, so he had no idea where he’d be looking. From the portholes, Culann could only see the steering wheel and some of the instruments; he didn’t know how far back the bridge went. The Captain didn’t sleep with the rest of the crew below deck or dine with them in the mess, so there had to be some kind of living accommodations connected to the bridge, but Culann didn’t have a clue what the layout