Звездный десант

           Ihadn’tknownitatthetimebutmerchantsailorsdon’tlikeus.PartofithastodowiththefactthattheirguildshavetriedandtriedtogettheirtradeclassedasequivalenttoFederalService,withoutsuccess—butIunderstandthatsomeofitgoeswaybackinhistory,centuries.

           Thereweresomeyoungfellowsthere,too,aboutouragetherightagetoserveaterm,onlytheyweren’t—long-hairedandsloppyandkindofdirtylooking.Well,sayaboutthewayIlooked,Isuppose,beforeIjoinedup.

           Presentlywestartednoticingthatatthetablebehindus,twooftheseyoungtwerpsandtwomerchantsailors(tojudgebyclothes)werepassingremarksthatwereintendedforustooverhear.Iwon’ttrytorepeatthem.

           Wedidn’tsayanything.Presently,whentheremarkswereevenmorepersonalandthelaughslouderandeverybodyelseintheplacewaskeepingquietandlistening,Kittenwhisperedtome,"Let’sgetoutofhere."

           IcaughtPatLeivy’seye;henodded.Wehadnoscoretosettle;itwasoneofthosepay-as-you-get-itplaces.Wegotupandleft.

           Theyfollowedusout.

           Patwhisperedtome,"Watchit."Wekeptonwalking,didn’tlookback.

           Theychargedus.

           Igavemymanaside-neckchopasIpivotedandlethimfallpastme,swungtohelpmymates.Butitwasover.Fourin,fourdown.KittenhadhandledtwoofthemandPathadsortofwrappedtheotheronearoundalamppostfromthrowinghimalittletoohard.