Even allowing for his irregular history—a mother, so it was said, vanished when he was yet a babe—a father, disreputably adrift somewhere in the Old Confederacy—Counterfly's propensity for gratuitous insult had begun to pose a threat to his probationary status with the Chums of Chance, if not, indeed, to group morale.
* * * * * * * * * *
It seems to me, Lindsay's concern for Chick Counterfly has nothing to do with Chick Counterfly. That's why he "frowned in perplexity." Because he doesn't know how to berate Chick into falling in line without looking like a jerk, seeing as how Chick Counterfly's family situation makes him a sympathetic character to the other members of the crew. We already saw how Miles Blundell bit his tongue when Chick insulted him out of respect for Chick's pathetic upbringing in a vulgar and low social environment. But Lindsay has "group morale" to think about. Because if "group morale" falls, things aboard their tiny airship might get dangerous. And dangerous working conditions can lead to a truly terrible conclusion: loss of profits!
Okay, sure, maybe Lindsay cares about the crew and he's truly thinking about the crew's safety is an argument somebody might make who forgot they read that part where Lindsay dangles Darby dangerously over the side of the airship as punishment.
Lindsay sucks.
We get a little bit of Chick's history from this line which sets up some future drama if Pynchon decides he needs more drama later. Who was Chick's mother? Where did she go? Why did she abandon him?! Why is his father disreputable? What's he doing in the Old Confederacy? Might he come looking for his son someday, purporting to have missed him all these long years but, in reality, attempting some huge con to get his son's money? That's a plot which always comes up with estranged fathers in sitcoms, right? Usually in a poignant episode that downplays the laughs and which ends with everybody hugging after they stand up to the charlatan father.
We also learn Chick has probationary status with the Chums of Chance. Earlier we learned he was the newest member (as even the Narrator is unsure how he might act in various situations) and now we learn that he's not yet a full member. But even Lindsay won't boot him out of the organization. Mostly for Lindsay's own sake, of course, in that Lindsay doesn't want to come off as an unfeeling jerk in the crew's eyes. Although what are the crews' feelings for Darby if Lindsay can swing him around over the side of the airship without Lindsay worrying about what people might think of him? Darby must be just annoying enough to everybody on the ship that they don't mind him getting comeuppance every now and again.
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