What Comes From the Deep
Derek Marr for Silas Gurney
Once a dedicated sergeant at Fort St. Alden, Silas Gurne suffered a traumatic head injury decades ago from an accidental musket ball strike. The injury left him with cognitive impairments, altering his behavior and speech. Despite these challenges, Silas has remained at the fort, taking on the role of groundskeeper. His presence is enigmatic; he often speaks in nonsensical phrases or childlike tones, yet his contributions to the fort's upkeep are invaluable, and the remaining garrison members accept his peculiarities without question.
- male adult
- british
Sillas Gurney (quietly): Beg pardon, Sir Lieutenant... There’s a ship Sire. Came round the headland quiet. Navy rig. Not from the garrison. There’s a rowboat on the water now — glidin’ toward the dock. Just a single man. Like the sea told us. But you can tell a Crown ship by the shape of her bones. Sloop-of-war, 18 guns, three masts, nine sails. Counted myself three times. Can do more if Sire want me to.
Silas Gurney (mildly, gaze not quite meeting hers): Storm’s louder than the bell, miss. Don’t you hear it? Shakin’ the walls like breathin’. No. Not the stone. The boy. The one that coughs like a rat in a grain sack. He’s talkin’ sideways.
Silas Gurney: The soft one. Soldier-boy. Sam. Looks at his feet too much. He’s sweating through the mattress. Storm’s inside him, maybe. Or maybe it’s got nowhere else to go. Ain’t nobody else listening. Just the stone and the sea.
