The North Water

- -

Whew!

- -

- -

Rum.

I'm leaving in the morning on the Volunteer.

Give you my note of hand.

Do I look like a fool?

Well then, this good knife of mine against a tot of your rum.

- Heads or tails? -

It's a fine knife, that. It's not failed me yet.

Heads.

Aye, it's a fine knife. I thank you for this.

Now get the fuck out of my bar.

Toss again.

I don't want your boots.

You have my knife.

You can't back away now.

I don't want your bloody stinking boots.

I'll say it one more time. You can't back away now.

I'll do what the bloody hell I like.

- - Here.

I'll buy you a drink myself, if you shut the fuck up.

- Well, I thank you for it. Hm-hmm.

I've been whoring all morning and the whistle's dry.

I'll take that for you, sir.

Thank you. Careful, careful.

I have it.

Come on, lads. All right so...

Bring it down. This is the wardroom.

That's it, yep.

That's Mr McKendrick there.

And here is you.

I'll put your trunk on your bed.

I'm Joseph Hannah.

If you need anything, just call for me.

Don't worry, your trunk will be safe.

And, uh, the Captain's just waiting for you in there.

Thank you. You're welcome.

Yeah? - Mr Sumner.

Come in.

I hear you were injured out in India.

Yes. Shot by a sepoy musket ball on the first day of the assault.

My shinbone bore the brunt,

but I'm totally recovered now, though. Not even a limp.

I'm glad to hear it.

Tell me, did you see Nicholson killed?

No. But I did see his body afterwards. Up on the ridge.

An extraordinary man, Nicholson.

A great hero.

You know, I heard he sliced a pandy clean in half

with one swing of his sword, like cutting a cucumber.

He had a Pashtun bodyguard,

big, enormous sod named Khan.

He slept outside his tent to protect him.

The rumour was, the two of them were...

sweethearts.

Nothing but jealously.

Thank you.

If it weren't for men like Nicholson,

the Empire would have been lost long ago,

and then where would we be?

I saw him hang a man once just for smiling at him.

The poor bugger wasn't even smiling.

The lines must be drawn, Mr Sumner.

Surely you agree

that civilised standards must be maintained?

Sometimes we must meet fire with fire.

They killed women and children, raped them,

slashed their tiny little throats.

Doesn't a thing like that require righteous vengeance?

Oh, there was a good deal of that going on.

Yes sir. Yes, indeed.

So tell me.

Why did you quit the 61st and leave India?

I know it wasn't your leg.

A surgeon isn't in need of two good legs.

Not the leg, no.

- Well, then what? -

Well, eight months ago, my Uncle Donal died

and left me his dairy farm over in County Mayo.

It's worth enough to buy me a pretty little house

and a respectable practice somewhere quiet but wealthy.

Scarborough, Hastings.

I do like a promenade, you see.

So why aren't you, uh, attending to the ailments

of little old widows instead of sitting here with me,

A famous Irish landowner like yourself?

Legal complications.

Mysterious cousins crept out of the woodwork,

counter-claimants, if you will.

It's always the way.

I'm told the case could take another year to be resolved,

and until then, I have nothing to do with myself nor any money to do it with.

I was passing through Liverpool on my way back to the lawyers in Dublin

when I ran into your Mr Baxter at the bar of the Adelphi Hotel.

We got to talking,

and when he learned that I was an ex-army surgeon in need of gainful employment,

he put two and two together and made a four.

Fierce operator, that Baxter.

Well, I'm not expecting the whaling will make me rich,

but it will keep me occupied at least. While the...

cogs of justice turn.

Oh, we'll find use for you one way or the other.

Though your potions don't really make a great deal of difference.

I mean no offence, Captain, but...

potions?

Doctors tend to adhere to science,

not witchcraft or superstition.

Well, you'll find the men on board this ship

have very little use for science.

Either way, I should examine the medicine chest.

There may be one or two items I need to add,

replace, replenish.

There's a chest stowed in your cabin,

and there's an apothecary on Clifford Street.

Get whatever you need from them

and tell them to send the bill to Baxter.

Mr Baxter won't like that much, I imagine.

- Bugger Baxter. -

You don't sound much like an Irishman.

Well, I've been here most of my life.

I'm more of an Englishman now.

Is that right?

Yes, Captain.

You know what people call us whalers?

They say we're...

refugees from civilisation.

Well, that sounds very appealing to me.

Sure. But you'd be wise to remember

that at some point, you have to return.

Welcome abroad, Mr Sumner.

Thank you.

Well...

Thanks again, Captain Brownlee.

"Spirit of Squills."

What was the last surgeon, a fucking druid?

- -

But I will make sure you have a ready supply of laudanum

for the pain.

That will help with your frame of mind too, I sure of it.

- -

- Hello. Hello, there.

Please.

Has Baxter seen this?

You think I'd trouble Baxter with this?

He'll be troubled when he sees this bloody bill.

I know Baxter, he's a right tight-fisted bastard.

Just fill the order, please.

Well, I can't let you have all that laudanum.

Why not?

If I do, I won't get paid for it.

You can have the regular allowance.

Do you do all these yourself then?

Oh, aye.

I'm, uh, I'm the best taxidermist in town.

You can ask anyone.

What's the biggest beast you've ever stuffed?

I mean, the very biggest? I want the truth.

I've done a walrus. Oh, aye.

I've done a polar bear too.

- You've sluffed a bear? - I have.

Now then. That is something I would like to see.

Aye, did it for your Mr Baxter.