"Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson - Dune- Nighttime Shadows on Open Sand" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

Unlike the nomadic Fremen, these villagers were slightly more
civilized but also more downtrodden: men who worked as desert guides
and joined spice-harvesting crews. They had forgotten how to survive
on their world without becoming parasites upon the planetary
governors.

On an earlier patrol, Kiel and Garan had discovered a camouflaged
cistern on the mesa, a treasure trove of water. Kiel didn't know where
the villagers had gotten so much moisture; most likely, they had
committed fraud, inflating their census numbers so that Harkonnen
generosity provided more than they deserved.

The people of Bilar Camp covered the cistern with rock so that it
looked like a natural protrusion, but the villagers placed no guards
around their illegal stockpile. For some reason desert culture forbade
thievery even more than murder; they trusted the safety of their
possessions from bandits or thieves of the night.

Of course, the Harkonnen troopers had no intention of stealing the
water-that is, no more than enough to refill their own supply
containers.

Dutifully, Josten trotted along with their sloshing container, which held
the thick, noxious substance exuded by the drowned worm after it had
stopped thrashing and bucking inside the container. Awed and nervous
about what they'd done, they dumped the flaccid carcass near the
perimeter of the spice blow and then taken off with the drug.

Garan operated the Bilar cistern's cleverly concealed spigot and refilled
one of their empty containers. No sense in letting all the water go to
waste just for a practical joke on the villagers.

"Do you know what this drug will do to them?" Josten asked.

Garan shook his head. "I've heard plenty of crazy stories."

"Maybe we should make the kid try it first," the sidegunner said.

Josten backed away, raising his hands.

Kiel took the container of worm bile and upended it into the cistern.
The villagers would certainly have a surprise next time they all drank
from their illegal water hoard. "Serves them right."

Garan looked at the contaminated cistern again. "I bet they tear off their
clothes and dance naked in the streets, squawking like dinfowl."

"Let's stay here and watch the fun for ourselves," Kiel said.