Дюна
Book One: Dune
“You’veheardsomething!”theBaronsnapped.“What?”
Piterglancedattheguardcaptain,backtotheBaron.“Themenwhoweresenttodothejob,my’Lord—they’ve...ah...been...ah...found.”
“Well,theyreporteverythingsatisfactory?”
“They’redead,m’Lord.”
“Ofcoursetheyare!WhatIwanttoknowis—”
“Theyweredeadwhenfound,m’Lord.”
TheBaron’sfacewentlivid.“Andthewomanandboy?”
“Nosign,m’Lord,buttherewasaworm.Itcamewhilethescenewasbeinginvestigated.Perhapsit’saswewished—anaccident.Possibly—”
“Wedonotdealinpossibilities,Piter.Whatofthemissing’thopter?DoesthatsuggestanythingtomyMentat?”
“OneoftheDuke’smenobviouslyescapedinit,m’Lord.Killedourpilotandescaped.”
“WhichoftheDuke’smen?”
“Itwasaclean,silentkilling,m’Lord.Hawat,perhaps,orthatHalleckone.
PossiblyIdaho.Oranytoplieutenant.”
“Possibilities,”theBaronmuttered.Heglancedattheswaying,druggedfigureoftheDuke.
“Thesituationisinhand,m’Lord,”Pitersaid.
“No,itisn’t!Whereisthatstupidplanetologist?WhereisthismanKynes?”
“We’vewordwheretofindhimandhe’sbeensentfor,m’Lord.”
“Idon’tlikethewaytheEmperor’sservantishelpingus,”theBaronmuttered.
Theywerewordsthroughacottonyblanket,butsomeofthemburnedinLeto’smind.Womanandboy—nosign.PaulandJessicahadescaped.AndthefateofHawat,Halleck,andIdahoremainedanunknown.Therewasstillhope.
