"Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson - Dune 09 - House Corrino" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

is feeling better," she had announced, "he will lead the Ixian people to victory."

Jessica didn't know if the brown-haired woman followed her heart, or fulfilled an unknown set of
instructions secretly given to her by the Sisterhood.

All through her own childhood, Jessica had listened to her teacher and mentor, Reverend Mother
Gaius Helen Mohiam. She had followed her every draconian instruction, learning what the old
woman had to teach her.

But now the Sisterhood wanted the Duke's genetics combined with hers. In no uncertain terms,
Jessica had been ordered to seduce Leto and conceive an Atreides daughter. When she experienced
unfamiliar and forbidden feelings of love for this dark and moody Duke, however, Jessica had
developed a rebellious streak and delayed becoming pregnant. Then, in the wake of Victor's death
and Leto's destructive depression, she had allowed herself to conceive a son, against the strictest of
orders. Mohiam would feel betrayed and deeply disappointed. But Jessica could always bear a
daughter later, couldn't she?

In his reinforced chair, Rhombur bent his left arm and cautiously thrust his stiff fingertips into a
pocket of the short robe. He aimed carefully with his fingers, fished about in there. Finally, he
grasped a piece of paper, which he painstakingly unfolded.

"Look at the fine motor control," Yueh said. "This is better than I had expected. You've been
practicing, Rhombur?"

"Every second." The Prince held up the paper. "I keep remembering new things each day. This is
the best sketch I've been able to make of a few obscure access tunnels on Ix. Gurney and Thufir
will find them useful."
"The other paths have proven too dangerous," the Mentat said. Over the decades spies had tried to
break through the Tleilaxu defenses. Several Atreides infiltrators had slipped in but never returned.
Others had been unable to enter the underground world at all.

But Rhombur, the son of Earl Dominic Vernius, had dredged his memory for information about
secret security systems and hidden entrances to the cavern cities. During his long and enforced
convalescence, he had begun to recall obscure details he had believed long forgotten, details that
might make the difference in penetrating the enemy stronghold.

Turning his attention to his meal, Rhombur lifted a large piece of parafish on his fork. Then, noting
Dr. Yueh's disapproving gaze, he lowered the morsel to his plate and cut off a smaller portion
instead.

Leto stared at his murky reflection in the hall's polished blue-obsidian wall. "Like wolves ready to
prey upon any member who shows weakness, some noble families are just waiting for me to falter.
The Harkonnens, for

example." Since the skyclipper disaster, a hardened Duke Leto had grown unwilling to accept
injustice in silence. He needed to make a difference on Ix as much as Rhombur did.

"We must let all the Imperium see that House Atreides is as strong as ever."