"Eric Van Lustbader - Sunset Warrior 5 - Dragons on the Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lustbader Eric van)

'You're not thinkin' o' flllin' the yards in this foul weather, Cap'n,' he growled. It was not a question.

'We'll go under if we don't raise the sails,' Moichi said, not bothering to look at the mate as he directed
the crew to clear the last of the debris over the side.

'You're wrong, Cap'n. We'll surely go under if we do set sail.' He was close enough now to smell the rum
on his breath. 'That god-rotting demon wave was an omen. We'll do nothing now but ride out the storm.'

Moichi swung at him. 'Look at how low we sit. With this heavy rain and the scuppers clogged we'll be
sunk inside a watch. You'll follow my orders, by God!'

'I warn you,' the mate said,'do not tempt the gods further.'

'I said set all sail,' Moichi said in a menacing tone.

The mate did not back down, but pulled agitatedly at his oily mustache. He nodded his head in the
Bujun's direction. 'It's he who gave the order, isn't it? That Bujun bastard. I heard stories of how they sail
their damned ships.' The mate spat, a heavy yellow gob of saliva. 'This is no time t'be takin' the advice of
a rotting Bujun.'

'I am the captain of this vessel,' Moichi said, knowing he had to restore his sovereignty immediately, 'and
you will obey my orders.'

'But why should I, Cap'n?' The mate raised his arms wide. 'Why should any of us? You saw it as well as
anyone, I reckon.'

'Shut up!' Moichi thundered. 'Or I'll give your job to the Bujun!'

The big mate spat again and tried to laugh; it came out as a moan. 'Well, who cares a whit now, eh? This
is a damned voyage and you've murdered us all, in any case.' Unable to tolerate the heat from Moichi's
glare, he turned to the men, his voice raised in a hoarse shout. 'Ye all saw it plain as day, I'll warrant. The
face in the wave. All gods curse the day I set foot on this miserable alien ship!'

'I told you to shut your yap!' Moichi shouted, hauling the big man all the way up the companionway.

'Too late, Cap'n, it's happened. The moment all seafaring men dread. We've all looked into Miira's
Mirror! We're all dead men now! You can't deny the legend! We're doomed!'

Moichi slammed his huge fist into the mate's greasy face, sending him reeling down the companionway,
tumbling head over heels. He was about to descend after him when he saw that the door to his cabin was
open. Aufeya had emerged. Unused to the rigors of the sea, she should have been white-faced and
weak, but she seemed to have weathered the typhoon without ill effect. How long had she been standing
there? Moichi wondered. Long enough to have heard the rantings of the mate? By God, he prayed not.
She looked at him, making the sign of the Palliate. She was Daluzan - a people whose culture, like
Moichi's, was intimately bound up with their religion.
'Set all sail!' Moichi bellowed. 'Snap to it, mates! All those thinking otherwise will find a watery grave,
this I swear, for I'll tolerate no mutiny aboard the Tsubasal' The crew snapped to, breaking out the
sheets as quickly as they could. But while all about him was frenzied activity, Aufeya stood her ground,
her long red hair whipping her shoulders and cheeks, her copper-colored eyes glancing back and forth
from the supine mate to Moichi's stern gaze.