"Richard A. Lupoff - Sail the Tide of Mourning" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lupoff Richard A)

Beside Nurundere stood Uraroju, first officer of Djanggawul. Some
junior officer, then, had been left upon the bridge. Uraroju was a younger
person than Nurundere, her protective pigmentation still strong, barely
beginning to white out; she would have many years before her as a sky
hero, would surely become captain of Djanggawul with Nurundere's
retirement to Yurakosi.

They embraced, Jiritzu for a moment closing his eyes, permitting
himself to pretend that Uraroju was his own mother, that he was visiting
his old people in their town of Kaitjouga on Yurakosi. The warmth of
Uraroju, the feel of her womanhood, comforted Jiritzu. Then they released
each other, and he turned to other men and women he would never again
see, men and women who must return to Yurakosi with the tale of the
tragic things that had transpired between Port Upatoi and Yirrkalla on
the outward leg of their sail, and with the tale of the end of Jiritzu.
 Watilun he embraced, Watilun the machinist and hero of the battle
against the mutineers.

Baime he embraced, a common sailor, Jiritzu's messmate.

Kutjara he embraced, Kutjara with whom he had often swarmed the
lines of Djanggawul.

Only Dua, kunapi half to Jiritzu of the aranda, spoke in their parting
embrace. Radios mute, Dua spoke in the moments when his close-air
envelope and that of Jiritzu were merged, when common speech could be
carried without electronic aid.

"Bidjiwara is not here," Dua said. None but Jiritzu could hear this.
"The loss of her aranda half Miralaidj is too great for little Bidjiwara to
bear. The loss of yourself, Jiritzu, is too great for Bidjiwara. She remains
below, weeping alone.

"I too have wept for you, my aranda half, but I could not remain below.
I could not forego our parting time."

He kissed Jiritzu on the cheek, his lips brushing the maraiin, the
swirling scarifications born by all kunapi and aranda, whose meaning he,
Dua alone of all Jiritzu's shipmates, understood.

Jiritzu clasped both Dua's hands in his own, saying nothing. Then he
turned away and went to inspect the lighter given him by Nurundere. He
found all in order, climbed upon the deck of the tiny membrane craft,
signaled to the sky heroes on Djanggawul's deck.

Watilun himself operated the catapult.

Jiritzu found himself cast from Djanggawul, forward and upward from
her deck, the distance between the great membrane ship and tiny lighter
growing with each moment. He sighed only once, then turned to the task