"Dave Duncan - A Man of His Word 3 - Perilous Seas" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

"You lost me right at the end there."
"I'm serious, Rap. Eat up. More important-drink up! You're new. They give new
boys time, but you've got your rower's arms now. You're looking sort of ready,
so you're going to be measured soon. Today? Tomorrow? Best to pick your own
match, right? The important thing is to try for the highest standing you can
possibly hope to hold on to. In the end that'll mean a lot less pain and blood
than if they're all using you for practice on the way up."
Rap laid the platter aside and crossed his arms. "What's your part in this?"
This was where Ogi could give the kid some good news. He spoke with his mouth
full. "Important! I found out who Verg and that crazy Kani had picked out for
you: Turbrok! Or even Radrik! Gods! They'd have gotten you maimed or killed."
Rap put his elbows on his knees and scowled sideways at his companion. "And you
won't?"
"Hope not. This fish is delicious. Try it-you need the strength. No, I took
over, and you can trust me. Sure, I've been setting you up, Rap, I admit, but I
know what I'm doing. " Well, he was three-fourths sure he did. "Setting me up?"
"Who suggested you take the charming Wulli to the dance?" Rap straightened, taut
and furious. "You told me she wasn't anyone's girl! So did she!"
"Yes, well, she would. They do, here. But what I said was right, so far as I
know. No engagements or understandings. How far have you got with her, by the
way?"
"Mind your own Evil-begotten business!"
"Awright! But the previous dance she went to with Grindrog. He's been at sea, so
he hasn't squired any ladies since."
Rap groaned. He had turned pale, understandably; in fact his face held a sort of
greenish tinge in the fire's dancing glow. "So he'll assume I'm muscling in?"
"Well, you are, in the way things are done here. Grindrog never dropped her, you
see. His choice, never hers. And of course, she's pure jotunn, and you're not.
Mongrels aren't allowed near-"
"Bastard! But I should've thought of that, at least. God of Liars! You did set
me up, you sneaky bunch of bastards! And I really don't like her much. She's all
`Yes, Rap,' `No, Rap,' without an original thought in her head. "
Wulli was a mouth-wateringly sweet kid, about sixteen, with the sort of face and
body that the sailors called a shipping hazard-breathtaking, in fact. No male
jotunn would worry at all about her mental processes, pro or con.
"Maybe Grindrog doesn't like her either. But that's irrelevant. "
"Petrel? He's bosun on Petrel?"
"Right. Don't let your meal get cold--"
"About twenty-four, twenty-five? Twice my size, with a cast in one eye and his
nose pushed over to the right? That one?"
"That's him. "
"And Petrel just berthed. I suppose there's no chance that he might not find
out?"


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"None whatsoever," Ogi said complacently. "Kani's making sure he gets the news
right away, as soon as she beaches, while all his crewmates are still around to