Дюна
Book Three: The Prophet
Theyshouldbetaughtthatthisisourlandandourmenneedpracticewiththenewweapons.”
“Now,Usulspeaks,”Stilgarsaid.“UsulthinksFremen.”
ButUsulmustgivewaytodecisionsthatmatchaterriblepurpose,Paulthought.
Andthestormwasgathering.
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Whenlawanddutyareone,unitedbyreligion,youneverbecomefullyconscious,fullyawareofyourself.Youarealwaysalittlelessthananindividual.
—from“Muad’Dib:TheNinety-NineWondersoftheUniverse”byPrincessIrulan
THESMUGGLER’Sspicefactorywithitsparentcarrierandringofdroneornithopterscameoveraliftingofduneslikeaswarmofinsectsfollowingitsqueen.AheadoftheswarmlayoneofthelowrockridgesthatliftedfromthedesertfloorlikesmallimitationsoftheShieldWall.Thedrybeachesoftheridgeweresweptcleanbyarecentstorm.
Inthecon-bubbleofthefactory,GurneyHalleckleanedforward,adjustedtheoillensesofhisbinocularsandexaminedthelandscape.Beyondtheridge,hecouldseeadarkpatchthatmightbeaspiceblow,andhegavethesignaltoahoveringornithopterthatsentittoinvestigate.
The’thopterwaggleditswingstoindicateithadthesignal.Itbrokeawayfromtheswarm,speddowntowardthedarkenedsand,circledtheareawithitsdetectorsdanglingclosetothesurface.
Amostimmediately,itwentthroughthewing-tuckeddipandcirclethattoldthewaitingfactorythatspicehadbeenfound.
Gurneysheathedhisbinoculars,knowingtheothershadseenthesignal.Helikedthisspot.Theridgeofferedsomeshieldingandprotection.
