Дюна
Book One: Dune
Paullookeddown,sawsandstillspewingoutofthemetalandplasticmonsterbeneaththem.Itlookedlikeagreattanandbluebeetlewithmanywidetracksextendingonarmsaroundit.Hesawagiantinvertedfunnelsnoutpokedintodarksandinfrontofit.
“Richspicebedbythecolor,”Kynessaid.“They’llcontinueworkinguntilthelastminute.”
TheDukefedmorepowertothewings,stiffenedthemforasteeperdescentashesettledlowerinacirclingglideabovethecrawler.Aglanceleftandrightshowedhiscoverholdingaltitudeandcirclingoverhead.
Paulstudiedtheyellowcloudbelchingfromthecrawler’spipevents,lookedoutoverthedesertattheapproachingwormtrack.
“Shouldn’twebehearingthemcallinthecarryall?”Halleckasked.
“Theyusuallyhavethewingonadifferentfrequency,”Kynessaid.
“Shouldn’ttheyhavetwocarryallsstandingbyforeverycrawler?”theDukeasked.“Thereshouldbetwenty-sixmenonthatmachinedownthere,nottomentioncostofequipment.”
Kynessaid:“Youdon’thaveenoughex—”
Hebrokeoffasthespeakereruptedwithanangryvoice:“Anyofyouseethewing?Heisn’tanswering.”
Agarbleofnoisecrackledfromthespeaker,drownedinanabruptoverridesignal,thensilenceandthefirstvoice:“Reportbythenumbers!Over.”
“ThisisSpotterControl.LastIsaw,thewingwasprettyhighandcirclingoffnorthwest.Idon’tseehimnow.Over.”
“Spotterone:negative.Over.”
“Spottertwo:negative.Over.”
“Spotterthree:negative.Over.”
Silence.
TheDukelookeddown.
