The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires, #1)

by Jim Butcher

It was a well-known fact that humans became more addled than usual when running in herds.

“Everyone begs everyone’s pardon, but I’ve never seen a pardon. Is it near the spleen?” Bridget blinked, then gave her head a little shake to keep the odd thought from crawling into her ear.

“Curse you for a whore!” he shouted. “Bloody strumpet! You’ll be the death of me!” Gwen blinked several times. “Excuse me, sir? What did you say to me?” “I wasn’t talking to you,” the man bellowed, going red all the way across his bald pate. “I was talking to the bloody ship!”