Дюна
Book One: Dune
TherewasnomorecrumpofartilleryagainsttheShieldWallcaves;theburrowtrapsweresealedoff.Quitesuddenly,theBaron’smindcouldconceiveofnothingmorebeautifulthanthatutteremptinessofblack.Unlessitwerewhiteontheblack.Platedwhiteontheblack.Porcelainwhite.
Buttherewasstillthefeelingofdoubt.
Whathadtheoldfoolofadoctormeant?Ofcourse,he’dprobablyknownwhatwouldhappentohimintheend.Butthatbitaboutthinkinghe’dbeendefeated:“Youthinkyoudefeatedme.”
Whathadhemeant?
TheDukeLetoAtreidescamethroughthedoor.Hisarmswereboundinchains,theeaglefacestreakedwithdirt.Hisuniformwastornwheresomeonehadrippedoffhisinsignia.Thereweretattersathiswaistwheretheshieldbelthadbeenremovedwithoutfirstfreeingtheuniformties.TheDuke’seyesheldaglazed,insanelook.
“Wel-l-l-l,”theBaronsaid.Hehesitated,drawinginadeepbreath.Heknewhehadspokentooloudly.Thismoment,long-envisioned,hadlostsomeofitssavor.
Damnthatcurseddoctorthroughalleternity!
“IbelievethegoodDukeisdrugged,”Pitersaid.“That’showYuehcaughthimforus.”PiterturnedtotheDuke.“Aren’tyoudrugged,mydearDuke?”
Thevoicewasfaraway.Letocouldfeelthechains,theacheofmuscles,hiscrackedlips,hisburningcheeks,thedrytasteofthirstwhisperingitsgritinhismouth.Butsoundsweredull,hiddenbyacottonyblanket.Andhesawonlydimshapesthroughtheblanket.
“Whatofthewomanandtheboy,Piter?”theBaronasked.“Anywordyet?”
Piter’stonguedartedoverhislips.
