Of Sea and Cloud by Jon Keller

He glared at Bill. Well why don’t you tell me what the fuck it is you would’ve done, Captain? Because what I should of done is stuffed Osmond’s ass in a trap and sent him to hell and bottom.
    You do that, Jonah, Bill said. His face was red. You do that. You dumbass. You been to college and you’re so fucking smart so you got options but this is it for me. Fishing lobsters and now running this pound. I lose my gear or my boat and I’m done, Jonah. Finished. If I break my damned leg it’s over for me. You get that? It’s fucking welfare and coupons for me. I can’t be fucking around in some trap war that your highliner ass started for no damned logical reason.
    Jonah held his cigarette hidden in his hand at his hip and smoke curled from between his fingers. He’d only seen his brother scared once before and that was twenty years ago. A small gust of wind rippled across the pound and a pair of eagles circled far overhead. A single bright star popped out of the western sky.
    Virgil cleared his throat but didn’t speak for a few more seconds. He leaned over to the passenger side of his truck and came up with a bottle of brandy. He took a swig and put the bottle between his legs and in a voice strangely humid said, Settle down, Captain. You wanting to let Osmond fish the Leviathan, that what you’re saying?
    Bill shook his head no. But—, he started.
    Don’t
but
nothing, Captain. The Highliner might’ve been a bit rash out there but he did what he did and that’s it. Now we deal with it. Osmond fucked up and he’ll pay. He started this shit, and by Jesus we’ll finish it and do it together, you got that?
    It took Bill a while to answer. Yeah, I got that. But fuckachrist, cutting all his traps, Jonah? Holy shit. I didn’t think you had the balls.
    Yeah, said Jonah and he was tempted to say,
I didn’t either
. Or,
I don’t have the balls
.
    Virgil twisted the brandy cap back and forth with the weight of his palm. Nobody spoke for several minutes.
    Well, Bill finally said. I’m going on home to rest up. I don’t want to be too tired when my boat gets sunk and my gear gets cut.
    It will be all right, Virgil said. Just go on home.
    Yeah, you got Erma Lee to tend, said Jonah. That’s some serious tending. Not much rest there.
    Bill stared at Jonah and his lips and nostrils quivered. Jesus, you started a goddamned war, Jonah, and now you want to make jokes? What the holy hell ails you?
    Jonah started to respond but Virgil cut in. Leave it be. Both of you.
    Bill shook his head from side to side.
    Erma Lee staying down to your place? Virgil said.
    For now she is, Bill said. Till we get this settled.
    Settled? Jonah said. She ain’t a debt, Captain.
    I understand that.
    Well good, Captain, Virgil said. Erma Lee might be a wild one but that ain’t all bad either. I’m glad to see you doing what’s right. Little Slush might just surprise us all. Celeste seems to have taken a fast liking to her, and Celeste isn’t typically wrong.
    Yeah, said Bill. She ain’t what you two think. Maybe she fucked up some but who ain’t fucked up some? Sure as shit us three have.
    Clifford Beal though, Bill? That’s a tough act to follow.
    Fuck off, Jonah, okay? Case you ain’t noticed, there ain’t many virgins left on this piece of coast, and I really don’t give a shit.
    That’s right, Bill, Virgil said. We’ve all got skeletons. But I’m curious about something else here. Did Nic ever give you any paperwork for the pound? Did he have a will or anything?
    He didn’t have a will, no. But Osmond’ll have the pound paperwork. That’ll be easy.
    Easy? Virgil gazed out to sea before continuing. What’ll be easy is for Osmond to pull your pants up over that head of yours and bend you over to doomsday. You think with him intending to fish the Leviathan and his gear all cut that he’s going to do