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

"I'll have some more of that Caladan white," said Swordmaster Duncan Idaho, raising his goblet. A servant rushed forward with a bottle of expensive local wine, and Duncan held his cup steady while rich golden liquid splashed out of the bottle. Raising his hand for the servant to wait, he ;ulped the wine, then gestured for more.

In the uncomfortable silence, Leto stared toward the wood-carved en-rance doors ... as if waiting, anticipating the arrival of one more person. iis eyes were like chips of smoky ice.

The exploded skyclipper, the vessel in flamesЧ

Rhombur mangled and burned, the boy Victor killedЧ

And then to learn it had all been caused by Leto's jealous concubine [ailea, Victor's own mother, who had thrown herself from a high tower of >astle Caladan in unspeakable shame and grief...

The cook emerged from the kitchen archway, proudly carrying a plater. "Our finest dish, my Lord Duke. Created in your honor."

It was a fat parafish wrapped in crisped aromatic leaves. Spiky sprigs of )semary were tucked into folds of the pinkish meat; purple-blue juniper ;rries lay sprinkled about the platter like jewels. Even though she served ;to the choicest part of the fillet, he did not lift his fork. He continued to atch the main doorway. Waiting.

Finally, responding to the sound of plodding footsteps and humming otors, Leto rose to his feet, his face filled with concern and anticipation, oving quickly on feather-light feet, the plain-featured Bene Gesserit ;ssia entered the banquet hall. She scanned the room, noted the chairs, e stone floor where the carpet had been removed, and gave an approving id. "He's progressing admirably, my Duke, but we must be patient." "He is patient enough for all of us," Leto said, and his expression began show the pale sunrise of hope.

With a calculated precision involving twitches of electrofluid muscle, ; flexing of shigawire thread and microfiber nerves, Prince Rhombur rnius lurched into the banquet hall. His scarred face, a blend of artificial i natural skin, reflected his intense concentration. Glistening pearls of Хspiration stood out on his waxy forehead. He wore a short, loose robe; the lapel glimmered a purple-and-copper helix, proud symbol of the en House Vernius.

Tessia hurried toward him, but Rhombur raised a finger of polished tal and polymers, signaling her to let him continue on his own. The skyclipper explosion had blasted his body to a broken lump lesh, burning away his limbs and half of his face, destroying most of his

organs. Yet he had been kept alive, a fading ember of a once-bright flame. What remained now was little more than a passenger on a mechanical vehicle shaped like a man.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Leto."

"There is no hurry." The Duke's heart went out to his brave friend. The two of them had fished together, played games, caroused, and planned strategies for decades. "I'd be loath to have you fall and break anythingЧ such as the table, I mean."

"Most funny, indeed."

Leto remembered how badly the vile Tleilaxu had wanted genetic samples from the Atreides and Vernius bloodlines, trying to blackmail the Duke in his hour of greatest grief. They had made an anguished Leto a diabolical offer, that in exchange for the mangled but still-living body of his best friend Rhombur, they would grow a gholaЧa clone from dead cellsЧ of the boy Victor.

Their hatred of House Atreides ran deepЧand deeper still for House Vernius, whom they had overthrown on Ix. The Tleilaxu had wanted access to complete Atreides and Vernius DNA. With the bodies of Victor and Rhombur, they would be able to create any number of gholas, clones, assassins, duplicates.

But Leto had turned down their offer. Instead, he had engaged the services of the Suk doctor Wellington Yueh, an expert in the replacement of organic limbs.

"Thank you for holding this dinner in my honor, all of you." Rhombur looked at the serving platters and dishes arrayed on the table. "I'm sorry if the food has gotten cold."

Leto brought his hands together in a firm round of applause. Smiling warmly, Duncan and Jessica joined in. With her sharp observational skills, Jessica noticed a sheen of captive tears deep within the Duke's gaze.

The sallow-faced Dr. Yueh moved beside his patient, tracking readings, studying a dataplate in his hand that received impulses from Rhombur's cybernetic systems. The slender doctor pursed his purplish lips into an intent flower-bud shape. "Excellent. You are functioning as designed, although a few components still need fine-tuning." He circled Rhombur, moving like a ferret as the cyborg Prince took slow, self-conscious steps.

Tessia pulled out a chair for Rhombur. His synthetic legs were powerful and sturdy, but without grace. His hands looked like armored gloves; his arms hung like circuit-patterned oars at his sides.

Rhombur smiled at the big fish the cook had just served. "That smells wonderful." He turned his head, a slow rotational movement, as if on ball bearings. "Do you think I might eat some of it, Dr. Yueh?"

The Suk doctor stroked his long mustaches. "Just taste it. Your digestive system needs more work."

Rhombur swiveled his head toward Leto. "It appears I'm going to consume more power cells than desserts for a while." He lowered himself into his chair, and the others finally resumed their seats.

Leto raised his wineglass, trying to think of a toast. Then his face acquired an anguished expression, and he simply took a sip. "I am so sorry this has happened to you, Rhombur. These . . . mechanical replacements . . . were the best I could do."