"Dune 03 - Whipping Mek (Short Story)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

flavors of the meal, even the exotic melange. Sheel seemed disappointed, until

Vergyl explained in a whisper that his brother had lost much of his sense of taste

and smell during a cymek gas attack, which had also cost him his lungs.

DUNE: WHIPPING MEK

6

Although Xavier now breathed through a set of replacement organs provided by

a Tlulaxa flesh merchant, his ability to taste or smell remained dulled.

Finally, as they drank spice-laced coffee, Vergyl could no longer withhold

his questions. “Xavier, please tell me what happened at Peridot Colony. Was it a

victory, or did the—” his voice caught “—did the machines defeat us?”

Xavier lifted his head, looking far away. “Grand Patriarch Iblis Ginjo says

that there are no defeats. Only victories and . . . moral victories. This one fell into

the latter category.”

Sheel squeezed her husband’s arm sharply, a wordless request that he

withdraw the question. But Vergyl didn’t interrupt, and Xavier continued,

“Peridot Colony had been under attack for a week before our nearest battle

group received the emergency distress call. Settlers were being obliterated. The

thinking machines meant to crush the colony and establish a Synchronized

World there, to lay down their infrastructure and install a new copy of the

Omnius evermind.”

Xavier sipped spice coffee, while Vergyl put his elbows on the table, leaning

close to listen with rapt attention.

“The Army of the Jihad had little presence in this area aside from my

warship and a handful of troops. We had no choice but to respond, not wishing

to lose another planet. I had a full shipload of mercenaries anyway.”