Fergus himself had heard a few things. A snippet here, another there, and then he had been invited into the cabin by the others. Given the rather dire tidbits he had overheard from the loose-lipped crewmembers, the invitation to the meeting piqued his attention more than it would have done ordinarily.
"The Ship will be destroyed in harbour."
That sentence caused him to freeze in place at his place by theporthole, watching the deck out side. he moved his head so that he could glance a fair diswtance either way when he heard steps on the deckplanking coming their way. So, the crew really were planning to sink the ship. He agreed with the speaker who suggested turning the tables on the crew, and wanted in on the plan, but how to do so?
The vagaries of the wind and coal-burning engines cause the smoke from that burning to throw its irritating wake in many unexpected directions, especially when teh prevailing wind direction, or teh direction of teh boat's travel, changes. Thus it was that a few wisps of the acrid coal-smoke drifted down into three crewmen's' lungs at that exact moment -- just as they walked past, carrying what looked like a spar and a heavy coil of rope.
"arrUUmPH! *HACK*COUGHCOUGHAARRRummph!" erupted from three throats at once.
