"Frank Herbert - Dune 1 - Dune (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

orders it. How waggish of you!"
In a cold voice, the Baron said: "You have a flux of the mouth, Piter."
"But I am happy, my Baron. Whereas you . . . you are touched by jealousy."
"Piter!"
"Ah-ah. Baron! Is it not regrettable you were unable to devise this delicious scheme by
yourself?"
"Someday I will have you strangled, Piter."
"Of a certainty, Baron. Enfin! But a kind act is never lost, eh?"
"Have you been chewing verite or semuta, Piter?"
"Truth without fear surprises the Baron," Piter said. His face drew down into a caricature of


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a frowning mask. "Ah, hah! But you see, Baron, I know as a Mentat when you will send the
executioner. You will hold back just so long as I am useful. To move sooner would be wasteful and
I'm yet of much use. I know what it is you learned from that lovely Dune planet -- waste not.
True, Baron?"
The Baron continued to stare at Piter.
Feyd-Rautha squirmed in his chair. These wrangling fools! he thought. My uncle cannot talk to
his Mental without arguing. Do they think I've nothing to do except listen their arguments?
"Feyd," the Baron said. "I told you to listen and learn when I invited you in here. Are you
learning?"
"Yes, Uncle." the voice was carefully subservient.
"Sometimes I wonder about Piter," the Baron said. "I cause pain out of necessity, but he . . .
I swear he takes a positive delight in it. For myself, I can feel pity toward the poor Duke Leto.
Dr. Yueh will move against him soon, and that'll be the end of all the Atreides. But surely Leto
will know whose hand directed the pliant doctor . . . and knowing that will be a terrible thing."
"Then why haven't you directed the doctor to slip a kindjal between his ribs quietly and
efficiently?" Piter asked. "You talk of pity, but --"
"The Duke must know when I encompass his doom," the Baron said. "And the other Great Houses
must learn of it. The knowledge will give them pause. I'll gain a bit more room to maneuver. The
necessity is obvious, but I don't have to like it."
"Room to maneuver," Piter sneered. "Already you have the Emperor's eyes on you, Baron. You
move too boldly. One day the Emperor will send a legion or two of his Sardaukar down here onto
Giedi Prime and that'll be an end to the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen."
"You'd like to see that, wouldn't you, Piter?" the Baron asked. "You'd enjoy seeing the Corps
of Sardaukar pillage through my cities and sack this castle. You'd truly enjoy that."
"Does the Baron need to ask?" Piter whispered.
"You should've been a Bashar of the Corps," the Baron said. "You're too interested in blood
and pain. Perhaps I was too quick with my promise of the spoils of Arrakis."
Piter took five curiously mincing steps into the room, stopped directly behind Feyd-Rautha.
There was a tight air of tension in the room, and the youth looked up at Piter with a worried
frown.
"Do not toy with Piter, Baron," Piter said. "You promised me the Lady Jessica. You promised
her to me."
"For what, Piter?" the Baron asked. "For pain?"
Piter stared at him, dragging out the silence.
Feyd-Rautha moved his suspensor chair to one side, said: "Uncle, do I have to stay? You said