"David Feintuch - Seafort 01 - Midshipmans Hope" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feintuch David)

A half hour later I stood outside our wardroom, jaw aching from my failed effort not to cry out, eyes
burning from the stinging pain and mortifying humiliation Mr. Cousins had inflicted across the hated barrel.

I slapped open the hatch. Inside the cramped compartment Sandy and Alexi, on their beds, dared say
nothing. I crossed slowly to my bunk, stripped off my jacket and laid it on the chair. With care, I eased
myself onto my bed.

After a time Alexi said quietly, "Mr. Seafort, I'm sorry.

Truly." As was the custom, Alexi called me by my surname even within our wardroom. After all, I was
senior middy.

Only Vax Holser had the resources to ignore that tradition and get away with it.
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I fought down a smoldering rage; it should have been Alexi who was caned,notI. "Thank you." My thighs
smarted with exquisite agony. "You should have known better, both of you."

"I know, Mr. Seafort."

I closed my eyes, trying to will away the pain. At Academy, sometimes, it worked. "Who started it?"

"I did," they said in unison.

My fingers throttled the pillow. "Sandy, you first."

"We were in the head, washing up. Alexi splashed me. I splashed back." He glanced up, saw my face,
gulped.

Skylarking, like cadets at Academy. "Go on."

"After he flicked me with a towel I grabbed the shaving cream. He chased me so I ran outside, and I
was squirting him when Mrs. Donhauser came out of the lounge." I said nothing. After a moment he
blurted, "Mr. Seafort, I'm sorry I got you into troub--"

"I'll make you sorrier!" I sat up, thought better of it, eased myself back on my bunk. "No officer would
look into the middy's head to see how you behave. But running out into the corridor... Mr. Cousins is
right; you are dolts."

Alexi flushed;Sandy studied his fingernails.

Angry as I was, I wasn't surprised that they'd frolicked like the boys they were. What else could be
expected, even on a starship? One had to go to space young to spend life as a sailor, else the risk of
melanoma T was too great. Unfortunately, aboard such an immense and valuable vessel as Hiber-nia,
there was no room for youngsters' folly.

I growled, "Four demerits apiece, for letting your foolishness get out of hand." Severe, but Mr. Cousins