Rites of Passage – William Golding - bzelbublive.info

"There is more than that, sir," said he, "as for example theparts of a gun, the composition of powder to sweeten thebilge and the Articles of War.""And the safety of the whole hangs by such a spider's"You must not sweeten the Articles of War," said I solemnly."We must not be kinder to each other than the French areto us! It seems to me that your education is piled all on topof itself like my lady mother's sewing closet! But what is thecomposition of the powder that enables you to shoot thesun and should you not be careful lest you damage thesource of light and put the day out?" Willis laughed noisily."You are roasting me, sir," he said. "Even a landlubber Iask your pardon knows what shooting the sun is.”"I forgive you that 'even,' sir! When shall I see you do so?""Take an observation, sir? Why, at noon, in a few minutes.There will be Mr Smiles, the sailing master, Mr Davies andMr Taylor, the other two midshipmen sir, though Mr Daviesdoes not really know how to do it for all that he is so old andM r Taylor m y friend, I beg you will not mention i t t o theCaptain, has a sextant that does not work owing to hishaving pawned the one that his father gave him. So wehave agreed to take turn with mine and give altitudes thatare two minutes different."I put my hand to my forehead.