Дюна
Book One: Dune
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ThetimbreofKynes’voiceheldPaul’sattention.Hefelthissensecomealertthewaytheyweretrainedtodo.
“Ah-h,theworms,”theDukesaid.“Imustseeonesometime.”
“Youmayseeonetoday,”Kynessaid.“Whereverthereisspice,thereareworms.”
“Always?”Halleckasked.
“Always.”
“Istherearelationshipbetweenwormandspice?”theDukeasked.
KynesturnedandPaulsawthepursedlipsasthemanspoke.“Theydefendspicesands.Eachwormhasa—territory.Astothespice...whoknows?Wormspecimenswe’veexaminedleadustosuspectcomplicatedchemicalinterchangeswithinthem.Wefindtracesofhydrochloricacidintheducts,morecomplicatedacidformselsewhere.I’llgiveyoumymonographonthesubject.”
“Andashield’snodefense?”theDukeasked.
“Shields!”Kynessneered.“Activateashieldwithinthewormzoneandyousealyourfate.Wormsignoreterritorylines,comefromfararoundtoattackashield.Nomanwearingashieldhaseversurvivedsuchattack.”
“Howarewormstaken,then?”
“Highvoltageelectricalshockappliedseparatelytoeachringsegmentistheonlyknownwayofkillingandpreservinganentireworm,”Kynessaid.“Theycanbestunnedandshatteredbyexplosives,buteachringsegmenthasalifeofitsown.Barringatomics,Iknowofnoexplosivepowerfulenoughtodestroyalargewormentirely.They’reincrediblytough.”
“Whyhasn’taneffortbeenmadetowipethemout?”Paulasked.
“Tooexpensive,”Kynessaid.“Toomuchareatocover.”
Paulleanedbackinhiscorner.
