Дюна
Book Three: The Prophet
Paulfoundhimselfridinguprightatoptheworm.Hefeltexultant,likeanemperorsurveyinghisworld.Hesuppressedasuddenurgetocavortthere,toturntheworm,toshowoffhismasteryofthiscreature.
SuddenlyheunderstoodwhyStilgarhadwarnedhimonceaboutbrashyoungmenwhodancedandplayedwiththesemonsters,doinghandstandsontheirbacks,removingbothhooksandreplantingthembeforethewormcouldspillthem.
Leavingonehookinplace,Paulreleasedtheotherandplanteditlowerdowntheside.Whenthesecondhookwasfirmandtested,hebroughtdownthefirstone,thusworkedhiswaydowntheside.Themakerrolled,andasitrolled,itturned,comingaroundthesweepoffloursandwheretheotherswaited.
Paulsawthemcomeup,usingtheirhookstoclimb,butavoidingthesensitiveringedgesuntiltheywereontop.Theyrodeatlastinatriplelinebehindhim,steadiedagainsttheirhooks.
Stilgarmovedupthroughtheranks,checkedthepositioningofPaul’shooks,glancedupatPaul’ssmilingface.
“Youdidit,eh?”Stilgarasked,raisinghisvoiceabovethehissoftheirpassage.“That’swhatyouthink?Youdidit?”Hestraightened.“NowItellyouthatwasaverysloppyjob.Wehavetwelve-year-oldswhodobetter.Therewasdrumsandtoyourleftwhereyouwaited.Youcouldnotretreatthereifthewormturnedthatway.”
ThesmileslippedfromPaul’sface.“Isawthedrumsand.”
“Thenwhydidyounotsignalforoneofustotakeuppositionsecondarytoyou?Itwasathingyoucoulddoeveninthetest.”
Paulswallowed,facedintothewindoftheirpassage.
