"Darksaber (Kevin Anderson)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anderson Kevin J)

The Tusken Raiders saddled their banthas, and the shaggy beasts stomped
impatiently, as if anxious to be off before the day's heat caught up with
them. Soundlessly, with gaffi sticks and scavenged blaster rifles ready, the
Sand People rode out into the desert as the sky filled with purple,
brightening to a lavender shot with molten gold.

When the first sun rose, Han felt the temperature skyrocket after only a
few moments. The air smelled flat and metallic through his mouthpiece, but Han
endured in silence.

He thought of Leia and their three children back on Coruscant and
fantasized about the peaceful life of a small yet successful trader. But Han
grimaced behind the bandages: such a quiet life would be a greater torture
than any vicious punishment the Sand People could devise.

By midmorning, the Tusken Raiders topped a rocky rise and looked across
distended shadows and painted desert to the ruins of Jabba the Hutt's palace.
The citadel stood silent and monolithic in the crags. Han shivered at his
first glance.

"I told you I'd get us here," Luke said through the voice pickup.

"We're not inside yet, kid," Han answered.

"When I split off, follow me," Luke said. "I'll distract the Sand People
so they won't even notice us separating from them. Once we get out of sight, I
can release my control-and I'll be glad for the rest."

Far across the rolling ocean of sand, the collected winds made a minor
sandwhirl, such as often whipped up in the wastelands-but Luke used it to his
advantage.

The lead Raider grunted something and pointed with his gaffi stick,
wheeling his bantha about to watch the sandwhirl. The other Sand People
turned, inordinately fascinated by the dust whirl, They chattered among
themselves, grunting and hooting through their breathmasks.

Luke used the diversion to nudge his bantha to the right, splitting off
from the line of Tusken Raiders. Han yanked on the rough curved horn of his
mount. He couldn't believe it was going to work, but he and Luke rode side by
side, trotting down the sandy slope. Their footprints churning up dust, the
banthas crossed the great empty bowl into the rocky canyon that led to Jabba's
palace.

Han looked back anxiously, but none of the Tusken Raiders turned in their
direction. The Sand People continued to point their sticks and shout toward
the sandwhirl as if it were an approaching army.

Luke urged his bantha between the narrow, rust-rock walls where the
canyon shadows fell about them. Heat-broken boulders rose on either side, and