"Feintuch,.David.-.Seafort.06.-.Patriarchs.Hope.Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feintuch David)

I scrambled to my feet, lurched to the door.

"Nick, wait" Arlene.

I paid her no heed. Leaning heavily on my cane, I strode through the admin wing,
outside to the late-afternoon sun, along the walkway toward the classrooms, the
dorms, the suiting chamber halfway across the base.

By interfering, I was muscling in on Hazen's prerogatives, but anxiety drove me
onward. Cadets didn't die in suiting practice. Not at Devon. Farside was another
matter, there was no appeal from the laws of vacuum. If some of our
charges were dead—I took a deep breath—Academy faced a scandal. Someone had been
unforgivably negligent And the Commandant would write letters this night, that
would ravage families' lives.

By the time I neared the classroom area, all had caught up with me: the staff
sergeants wbo'd joined our conference, the Commandant, Arlene, the agonized
Sergeant Gregori, the middy who'd burst in with him.

Hazen panted to Oregon, "Full report!**

"Aye aye, sir. I took Krane Barracks to the suiting room at seventeen hundred
hours. Later than usual, but we were keeping them out of the sun.** The sergeant
paused for breath. "Twenty-nine cadets; Cadet Robbins was confined to barracks.
I had them help each other suit up. Same as always, sir."

"Get on with it!**

I opened my mouth for a rebuke, but held my peace. Hazen was in charge, not I.

"Then I sent them through. Midshipman Anselm, here, was helping. A canister of
the emetic was already in place; Sergeant Booker used the chamber this morning.
The first four cadets went through without incident"

Where in God's own Hell was the suiting chamber? I'd never remembered it as so
distant

Gregori slowed his pace, to match mine. "Cadet Santini doubled over as she came
out the lock. I helped with her helmet and gave her a piece of my mind, but my
eye was on the cadets going through the room." Abruptly he came to a halt, his
gaze withdrawn to a private hell.

"I told you to report!" Hazen.

"Belay that!" My voice was a lash. Protocol be damned. I was Commander in Chief,
and could do as I pleased. I limped to Gregori. "Are you all right, Sergeant?*'
He was responsible for the cadets' safety. Lord God knew what he must be
feeling.