"Frank Herbert - Dune 4 - God Emporer of Dune" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

navigational talents which presently rely on melange."
"In this room we call him the Worm," Siona said. "What would your Ixian machine
do?"
"You are aware that Guild Navigators require the spice before they can see the
safe path to traverse?"
"You would replace the navigators with a machine?"
"It may be possible."
"What message do you carry to your people concerning this machine?"
"I am to tell my people that they may continue the project only if they send him
daily reports on their progress."
She shook her head. "He needs no such reports! That's a stupid message."
Kobat swallowed no longer concealing nervousness.
"The Guild and the Sisterhood are excited by our project," he said. "They are
participating."
Siona nodded once. "And they pay for their participation by sharing spice with
Ix."
Kobat glared at her. "It's expensive work and we need the spice for comparative
testing by Guild Navigators."
"It is a lie and a cheat," she said. "Your device will never work and the Worm
knows it."
"How dare you accuse us of. . ."
"Be still! I have just told you the real message. The Worm is telling you Ixians
to continue cheating the Guild and the Bene Gesserit. It amuses him."
"It could work!" Kobat insisted.
She merely smiled at him. "Who tried to kill the Worm?"
"Duncan Idaho."
Nayla gasped. There were other small signs of surprise around the room, a frown,
an indrawn breath.
"Is Idaho dead?" Siona asked.
"I presume so, but the . . . ahhh, Worm refuses to confirm it."
"Why do you presume him dead?"
"The Tleilaxu have sent another Idaho ghola."
"I see."
Siona turned and signaled to Nayla. who went to the side of the room and
returned with a slim package wrapped in pink Suk paper, the kind of paper
shopkeepers used to enclose small purchases. Nayla handed the package to Siona.
"This is the price of our silence," Siona said, extending the package to Kobat.
"This is why Topri was permitted to bring you here tonight."
Kobat took the package without removing his attention from her face.
"Silence?" he asked.
"We undertake not to inform the Guild and Sisterhood that you are cheating
them."
"We are not cheat. . ."
"Don't be a fool!"
Kobat tried to swallow in a dry throat. Her meaning had become plain to him:
true or not, if the rebellion spread such a story it would be believed. It was
"common sense" as Topri was fond of saying.
Siona glanced at Topri who stood just behind Kobat. No one joined this rebellion
for reasons of "common sense." Did Topri not realize that his "common sense"
might betray him? She returned her attention to Kobat.