Дюна
Book One: Dune
“Allofourbirds,ofcourse,arecarrion-eaters,andmanyexistwithoutwater,havingbecomeblood-drinkers.”
Thestillsuitmanufacterer’sdaughter,seatedbetweenPaulandhisfatherattheotherendofthetable,twistedherprettyfaceintoafrown,said:“Oh,Soo-Soo,yousaythemostdisgustingthings.”
Thebankersmiled.“TheycallmeSoo-SoobecauseI’mfinancialadvisertotheWaterPeddlersUnion.”And,asJessicacontinuedtolookathimwithoutcomment,headded:“Becauseofthewater-sellers’cry—‘Soo-SooSook!’”Andheimitatedthecallwithsuchaccuracythatmanyaroundthetablelaughed.
Jessicaheardtheboastfultoneofvoice,butnotedmostthattheyoungwomanhadspokenoncue—asetpiece.Shehadproducedtheexcuseforthebankertosaywhathehadsaid.SheglancedatLingarBewt.Thewatermagnatewasscowling,concentratingonhisdinner.ItcametoJessicathatthebankerhadsaid:“I,too,controlthatultimatesourceofpoweronArrakis—water.”
Paulhadmarkedthefalsenessinhisdinnercompanion’svoice,sawthathismotherwasfollowingtheconversationwithBeneGesseritintensity.Onimpulse,hedecidedtoplaythefoil,drawtheexchangeout.Headdressedhimselftothebanker.
“Doyoumean,sir,thatthesebirdsarecannibals?”
“That’sanoddquestion,youngMaster,”thebankersaid.“Imerelysaidthebirdsdrinkblood.Itdoesn’thavetobethebloodoftheirownkind,doesit?”
“Itwasnotanoddquestion,”Paulsaid,andJessicanotedthebrittleripostequalityofhertrainingexposedinhisvoice.
