Billy Budd Page #3

Oh, and that...

That old tar there's called Dansker.

He's Danish. Or he thinks he is.

Dansker, have you ever had a real name?

Not for many years.

Why don't you spit in the stew?

It can't taste no worse.

Nobody's making you eat it.

You can wash your feet in it if you like.

It seems the cook already has.

There's a splinter in it anyway.

That's enough of laughing

at my deformity.

Do you ever bring yourself

to eat this dirt?

I can't cook, you know that.

They only gave me this employment

because I'm unfit for active service.

You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

Well, Billy,

there's the royal navy for you.

Can you cook?

I can make a stew.

From now on,

I'll be praying that you lose a leg.

Like it, Billy? Taste good?

It's hot, and there's a lot of it.

I like everything about it

except the flavor.

And how do you like the company,

Billy boy?

Not quite what you're used to?

Ever seen so much ignorance

all dumped together in one place?

Ever heard such a din

as these gentlemen eating?

Let the lad be, Jenkins.

Baby has to learn.

There'll be others to teach him

soon enough.

He's in my watch.

Would you have him learn lashed to the

grating with his lesson written on his back?

Why was that man flogged?

He may have spat against the wind...

...or mumbled in his beard.

It may have been a prayer.

To them, it was a protest.

You don't know why.

It's wrong to flog a man.

I...

It's against his being a man.

Aye.

Aye, lad, it is that.

Why do you stammer, boy?

Because I sometimes

can't find the words...

...for what I feel.

Our young bastard's stammering

because he's scared.

Leave him alone.

Come on, ba... Ba... Baby.

T... Talk back, why don't you?

- Is it a fight you want, then?

- Aye...

...for your own good,

and my satisfaction.

I want to baptize you

in the ways of our world.

There was a lad on the Rights of Man

who used to like a friendly fight.

Name of Mathews.

- Come on, Jenkins, do something.

- Go on.

- Go on.

- Go on, have a go.

Well, you asked for it, didn't you?

Ba... Ba... Baby.

I'll get you in a minute.

- Come on.

- Come on.

Come on.

- Hang on.

- Come on, Billy.

- Hold him down.

- Come on, Billy.

Steady.

Jenkins.

- Jenkins. Easy.

- Hold on, Billy.

Turn your head, Billy. Turn your head.

All right, I'll let you off this time...

...but don't do it again, boy-o.

I'm warning you.

- Will you shake hands, mate?

- Shake hands, is it?

- You're a hell of a peacemaker, Billy.

- Well, you beat me fair.

That's the first time

I ever hear him eat his words.

And what a terrible diet that is.

Worse than the stew.

Don't you be getting any wrong ideas.

I'm warning you.

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