Paul Kater - Bactine

“Nah, the fun still has to start,” Lidrin commented.

The fun did not take long to appear. All over the Tub, dozens of large concrete tubs filled with ice water came out of the walls. To make things look more attractive, each tub was covered in huge amounts of colourful bubbles.

Many of the people in the bar started yelling and cheering.

“Better stay close to us,” Stroro advised Daniel. “And hold on to the bar. That’s important.”

Daniel accepted the advice. Around them, most of the sailors started a wrestling match. Each one was attempting to dunk his colleague in one of the tubs. Each ‘hit’ was accompanied by loud cheering, after which the wrestling match continued.

The fun continued for about half an hour, after which there was no water left in any of the tubs. It either seeped from the unfortunate sailors (who did not seem to mind), or was over the floor.

The tubs were retracted into the wall and the fun bit was over, leaving the sailors to themselves and their stories and drinks.

Daniel assumed it was safe to let go of the bar. He had noticed that his fellows had done the same, and all others who held on to the bar were left in peace. Apparently it was an unwritten rule in the Tub.

As Bilk was ordering another round of beers, Daniel caught sight of a young man with a very pale complexion, shabby clothes and an unhealthy overall appearance. Among the big and strong sailors, the man stood out like a sore thumb. His instincts kicked in and after excusing himself for a moment, he moved along the round bar so he would keep the young man in sight.

The man moved to the far end of the outermost bar where three men were standing. He reached in his pocket and rolled some small stuff on the bar while talking to the men.

Daniel enhanced his vision, using his electronic eye. “Crap,” he whispered. He recognised the drugs that were on the bar as TSD and Rood.

TSD, officially known as Trero-Sulphur-Dermoxyn, was better known as Toxic Shit you Die of. It was a chemical drug, meant to relax, but often made people die. The drug was made of a selection of waste products. Rood, he knew, was some alien vegetable drug. It put people to sleep as in a coma, and it was unpredictable when they would come out of it. If at all. And the filth existed even here.

“Daniel.” A hand rested on his shoulder.

Stroro had come after Daniel. “Don’t mess with them, Daniel. They are bad news, you don’t want to get involved with them.”

Daniel looked at his sailor friend. “I’ve dealt with them before. I’m a soldier, Stroro, I have to arrest that man.”

“You can’t. You are not here as a soldier, remember than. You are a security man for the Society.” Stroro shook Daniel by the shoulder, hoping that he could make the man see sense.

“Who’s a soldier here?” a loud voice rang out. It was better than a switch. Within seconds there was a silence in the Tub that was scary.

“There is no soldier here,” Stroro tried.

“Oh, right,” another voice said. “I heard your mate there say he was a soldier. We don’t have soldiers in here, right boys?”

There was no more reason to talk. The appearance of the Tub changed considerably in the twenty minutes it took for law enforcement to arrive and clear out the bar.

The line of carriages painted black and yellow was impressive. Daniel had never seen so many of them in one street. The downside of it was that he was stowed in one of them as an official guest of the Skarak police force.

As the caravan started to move, Daniel asked Stroro, who was in the same carriage, why the police had taken so long to get there.

Stroro shrugged. “I think they wait until most of us are somewhat tired of fighting. Makes things easier for them.” The snort that he ended with was very meaningful. Sailors who were in a fight did not get tired. They got more energised.

“Nobody charged us with anything,” Daniel continued.

“They never do,” Stroro displayed his experience. “They stick us in the brig, the boss comes to get us out, we promise not do it anymore and we walk.”

“Sounds like that is a contradiction. You did this before, right?”

“Yeah. Different bar.” Stroro grinned. “They know they can’t stop us. It’s a game between them and us.”

Daniel was not pleased. He’d been in enough trouble already; this bit of joy would not look good on him. The carriage did not look like something strong enough to hold his Bactine body in for long, but a break-out of a police carriage would probably do him even more damage.

The sailors all seemed quite relaxed under the circumstances. Some of them were already snoring. Stroro was one of them.

The ride ended. The door swung open and outside, to Daniel’s surprise, were just two policemen who watched the group of sailors walk into the building. They all seemed to know the way and located the cells on their own. Some were looking around for their buddies, so they’d be in the same cells for the time being.

“Daniel. Over here.” Bilk waved at him, holding up Stroro. Lidrin was with him also, so Daniel pushed his way through the stream of sailors. “This is a good one. To the side. And quiet.”

Daniel stared as they moved into the cell. He slowly followed. “Want me to close the door?”

Lidrin shook his head. “Why? Nobody’s going to rob us here, we’re in the brig.”

Bilk lowered Stroro on one of the beds where the sailor continued his snoring. They were joined by three more sailors, who also picked a bunk to crash on.

Daniel sank on a bed and looked around, not understanding the proceedings at all.

“There’s water there,” Lidrin pointed to a table with some bottles in the corner, “and the piss is outside, to the left.”

Mere minutes later every single one of them, except Daniel, was asleep. The former soldier sat with his back leaning against a wall.

“Hey you. Everything okay?”

Daniel looked at the man who stood near the open door. “Yes. I am fine.”

“Good. Just making sure.” The man, in official law enforcement uniform, looked Daniel over. “Are you certain? You look a bit strange.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“If you say so. Sleep well.”

Daniel watched the man stroll off. He shook his head and lay down. After a while he fell asleep also.

The next morning he awoke to the sound of noise. He rose quickly. Around him, sailors were slowly getting to their feet, stretching themselves. One after the other disappeared for a visit to ‘the piss’, a relieved expression on their face as they returned.

Outside the cell the name of a ship was called out, and men came from the cell. They assembled near a man in a suit who spoke to them and then the group left the police station without further ado.

More and more ships names were called, and the cells were emptying rapidly.

“Pricosine!”

“Ah. That’s us.” Stroro hauled himself to his feet. They walked out of the cell, Daniel last, and walked up to Clelem, who stood waiting with Gaguran. They were both dressed to the nines.

“Ah, gentlemen,” their employer said. “It appears you had a good night out. Mr. Zacharias, I see you are settling in quite nicely with the crew.”

“Seigner, I am truly sorry. I-”

“It is fine, Mr. Zacharias. It is fine.”

Daniel could not believe his ears. Best thing now was to keep his mouth shut and to hope that someone would clarify all this sometime soon.

Clelem nodded to Gaguran. They turned and walked outside, the sailors in their wake.

“Have a good day, gentlemen,” Clelem said. He nodded and turned to walk to his waiting carriage. As the door opened, Daniel could not restrain himself. “Seigner Dandra ko Galem.”