Дюна
Book One: Dune
”
“Aircraftoverit,”theDukesaid.
“Iseetwo...three...fourspotters,”Kynessaid.“They’rewatchingforwormsign.”
“Wormsign?”theDukeasked.
“Asandwavemovingtowardthecrawler.They’llhaveseismicprobesonthesurface,too.Wormssometimestraveltoodeepforthewavetoshow.”Kynesswunghisgazearoundthesky.“Shouldbeacarryallwingaround,butIdon’tseeit.”
“Thewormalwayscomes,eh?”Halleckasked.
“Always.”
Paulleanedforward,touchedKynes’shoulder.“Howbiganareadoeseachwormstakeout?”
Kynesfrowned.Thechildkeptaskingadultquestions.
“Thatdependsonthesizeoftheworm.”
“What’sthevariation?”theDukeasked.
“Bigonesmaycontrolthreeorfourhundredsquarekilometers.Smallones
—”HebrokeoffastheDukekickedonthejetbrakes.Theshipbuckedasitstailpodswhisperedtosilence.Stubwingselongated,cuppedtheair.Thecraftbecameafull‘thopterastheDukebankedit,holdingthewingstoagentlebeat,pointingwithhislefthandofftotheeastbeyondthefactorycrawler.
“Isthatwormsign?”
KynesleanedacrosstheDuketopeerintothedistance.
PaulandHalleckwerecrowdedtogether,lookinginthesamedirection,andPaulnotedthattheirescort,caughtbythesuddenmaneuver,hadsurgedahead,butnowwascurvingback.Thefactorycrawlerlayaheadofthem,stillsomethreekilometersaway.
