fh.godemperorofdune-第16部分

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　Again；　Nayla　had　obeyed。
　As　Leto　watched　the　three…dimensional　image　of　Nayla's　approach；　his　reflections　on　that　old　ceremony　were　touched　by　sadness。　Unless　fixed　in　the　Old　Fremen　way；　the　blade　would　grow　increasingly　brittle　and　useless。　It　would　keep　its　crysknife　shape　throughout　Nayla's　life；　but　little　longer。
　I　have　thrown　away　a　bit　of　the　past。
　How　sad　it　was　that　the　Shadout　of　old　had　bee　today's　Fish　Speaker。　And　a　true　crysknife　had　been　used　to　bind　a　servant　more　strongly　to　her　master。　He　knew　that　some　thought　his　Fish　Speakers　were　really　priestesses　
　…Leto's　answer　to　the　Bene　Gesserit。
　〃He　creates　another　religion；〃　the　Bene　Gesserit　said。
　Nonsense！　I　have　not　created　a　religion。　I　am　the　religion！
　Nayla　entered　the　tower　sanctuary　and　stood　three　paces　from　Leto's　cart；　her　gaze　lowered　in　proper　subservience。
　Still　in　his　memories；　Leto　said：　〃Look　at　me；　woman！〃
　She　obeyed。
　〃I　have　created　a　holy　obscenity！〃　he　said。　〃This　religion　built　around　my　person　disgusts　me！〃
　〃Yes；　Lord。〃
　Nayla's　green　eyes　on　the　gilded　cushions　of　her　checks　stared　out　at　him　without　questioning；　without　prehension；
　without　the　need　of　either　response。
　If　I　sent　her　out　to　collect　the　stars；　she　would　go　and　she　would　attempt　it。　She　thinks　I　am　testing　her　again。　I　do　believe　she　could　anger　me。
　〃This　damnable　religion　should　end　with　me！〃　Leto　shouted。　〃Why　should　I　want　to　loose　a　religion　upon　my　people？　Religions　wreck　from　within…Empires　and　individuals　alike！　It's　all　the　same。〃
　〃Yes；　Lord。〃
　〃Religions　create　radicals　and　fanatics　like　you！〃
　〃Thank　You；　Lord。〃
　The　short…lived　pseudo…rage　sank　back　out　of　sight　into　the　depths　of　his　memories。　Nothing　dented　the　hard　surface　of　Nayla's　faith。
　〃Topri　has　reported　to　me　through　Moneo；〃　Leto　said。　〃Tell　me　about　this　Topri。〃
　〃Topri　is　a　worm。〃
　〃Isn't　that　what　you　call　me　when　you're　among　the　rebels？〃
　〃I　obey　my　Lord　in　everything。〃
　Touchй！
　〃Topri　is　not　worth　cultivating　then？〃　Leto　asked。
　〃Siona　assessed　him　correctly。　He　is　clumsy。　He　says　things　which　others　will　repeat；　thus　exposing　his　hand　in　the　matter。　Within　seconds　after　Kobat　began　to　speak；　she　had　confirmation　that　Topri　was　a　spy。〃
　Everyone　agrees；　even　Moneo；　Leto　thought。　Topri　is　not　a　good　spy。
　The　agreement　amused　Leto。　The　petty　machinations　muddied　water　which　remained　pletely　transparent　to　him。　The　performers；　however；　still　suited　his　designs。
　〃Siona　does　not　suspect　you？〃　Leto　asked。
　〃I　am　not　clumsy。〃
　〃Do　you　know　why　I　summoned　you？〃
　〃To　test　my　faith。〃
　Ahhh；　Nayla。　How　little　you　know　of　testing。
　〃I　want　your　assessment　of　Siona。　I　want　to　see　it　on　your　face　and　see　it　in　your　movements　and　hear　it　in　your　voice。〃　Leto　said。　〃Is　she　ready？〃
　〃The　Fish　Speakers　need　that　one；　Lord。　Why　do　You　risk　losing　her？〃
　〃Forcing　the　issue　is　the　surest　way　of　losing　what　I　treasure　most　in　her；〃　Leto　said。　〃She　must　e　to　me　with　all　of　her　strengths　intact。〃
　Nayla　lowered　her　gaze。　〃As　my　Lord　mands。〃
　Leto　recognized　the　response。　It　was　a　Nayla　reaction　to　whatever　she　failed　to　understand。
　〃Will　she　survive　the　test；　Nayla？〃
　〃As　my　Lord　describes　the　test。　。　。〃　Nayla　lifted　her　gaze　to　Leto's　face；　shrugged。　〃I　do　not　know；　Lord。　Certainly；　she　is　strong。　She　was　the　only　one　to　survive　the　wolves。　But　she　is　ruled　by　hate。〃
　〃Quite　naturally。　Tell　me；　Nayla；　what　will　she　do　with　the　things　she　stole　from　me？〃
　〃Did　Topri　not　inform　you　about　the　books　which　they　say　contain　Your　Sacred　Words？〃
　Odd　how　she　can　capitalize　words　only　with　her　voice；　Leto　thought。　He　spoke　curtly。
　〃Yes；　yes。　The　Ixians　have　a　copy　and　soon　the　Guild　and　Sisterhood　as　well　will　be　hard　at　work　on　them。〃
　〃What　are　those　books；　Lord？〃
　〃They　are　my　words　for　my　people。　I　want　them　to　be　read。　What　I　want　to　know　is　what　Siona　has　said　about　the　Citadel　charts　she　took。〃
　〃She　says　there　is　a　great　hoard　of　melange　beneath　Your　Citadel；　Lord；　and　the　charts　will　reveal　it。〃
　〃The　charts　will　not　reveal　it。　Will　she　tunnel？〃
　〃She　seeks　Ixian　tools　for　that。〃
　〃Ix　will　not　provide　them。〃
　〃Is　there　such　a　hoard　of　spice；　Lord？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃There　is　a　story　about　how　Your　hoard　is　defended；　Lord。　That　Arrakis　itself　would　be　destroyed　if　anyone　tried　to　steal　Your　melange。　Is　it　true？〃
　〃Yes。　And　that　would　shatter　the　Empire。　Nothing　would　survive…not　Guild　or　Sisterhood；　not　Ix　or　Tleilaxu；　not　even　the　Fish　Speakers。〃
　She　shuddered；　then：　〃I　will　not　let　Siona　try　to　get　Your　spice。〃
　〃Nayla！　I　manded　you　to　obey　Siona　in　everything。　Is　this　how　you　serve　me？〃
　〃Lord？〃　She　stood　in　fear　of　his　anger；　closer　to　a　loss　of　faith　than　he　had　ever　seen　her。　It　was　the　crisis　he　had　created；　knowing　how　it　must　end。　Slowly；　Nayla　relaxed。　He　could　see　the　shape　of　her　thought　as　though　she　had　laid　it　out　for　him　in　illuminated　words。
　The　ultimate　test！
　〃You　will　return　to　Siona　and　guard　her　life　with　your　own；〃　Leto　said。　〃That　is　the　task　I　set　for　you　and　that　you　accepted。　It　is　why　you　were　chosen。　It　is　why　you　carry　a　blade　from　Stilgar's　household。〃
　Her　right　hand　went　to　the　crysknife　concealed　beneath　her　robe。
　How　sure　it　is；　Leto　thought；　that　a　weapon　can　lock　a　person　into　a　predictable　pattern　of　behavior。
　He　stared　with　fascination　at　Nayla's　rigid　body。　Her　eyes　were　empty　of　everything　except　adoration。
　The　ultimate　rhetorical　despotism。。。and　I　despise　it！
　〃Go　then！〃　he　barked。
　Nayla　turned　and　fled　the　Holy　Presence。
　Is　it　worth　this？　Leto　wondered。
　But　Nayla　had　told　him　what　he　needed　to　know。　Nayla　had　renewed　her　faith　and　revealed　with　accuracy　the　thing　which　Leto　could　not　find　in　Siona's　fading　image。　Nayla's　instincts　were　to　be　trusted。
　Siona　has　reached　that　explosive　moment　which　I　require。
　
　The　Duncans　always　think　it　odd　that　I　choose　women　for　bat　forces；　but　my　Fish　Speakers　are　a　temporary　army　in　every　sense。　While　they　can　be　violent　and　vicious；　women　are　profoundly　different　from　men　in　their　dedication　to　battle。　The　cradle　of　genesis　ultimately　predisposes　them　to　behavior　more　protective　of　life。　They　have　proved　to　be　the　best　keepers　of　the　Golden　Path。　I　reinforce　this　in　my　design　for　their　training。　They　are　set　aside　for　a　time　from　ordinary　routines。　I　give　them　special　sharings　which　they　can　look　back　upon'　with　pleasure　for　the　rest　of　their　lives。　They　e　of　age　in　the　pany　of　their　sisters　in　preparation　for　events　more　profound。　What　you　share　in　such　panionship　always　prepares　you　for　greater　things。　The　haze　of　nostalgia　covers　their　days　among　their　sisters；　making　those　days　into　something　different　than　they　were。　That's　the　way　today　changes　history。　All　contemporaries　do　not　inhabit　the　same　time。　The　past　is　always　changing；　but　few　realize　it。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　AFTER　SENDING　word　to　the　Fish　Speakers；　Leto　descended　to　the　crypt　in　the　late　evening。　He　had　found　it　best　to　begin　the　first　interview　with　a　new　Duncan　Idaho　in　a　darkened　room　where　the　ghola　could　hear　Leto　describe　himself　before　actually　seeing　the　pre…worm　body。　There　was　a　small　side　room　carved　in　black　stone　off　the　central　rotunda　of　the　crypt　which　suited　this　requirement。　The　chamber　was　large　enough　to　acmodate　Leto　on　his　cart；　but　the　ceiling　was　low。　Illumination　came　from　hidden　glowglobes　which　he　controlled。　There　was　only　the　one　door；　but　it　was　in　two　segments…one　swinging　wide　to　admit　the　Royal　Cart；　the　other　a　small　portal　in　human　dimensions。
　Leto　rolled　his　Royal　Cart　into　the　chamber；　sealed　the　large　portal　and　opened　the　smaller　one。　He　posed　himself　then　for　the　ordeal。
　Boredom　was　an　increasing　problem。　The　pattern　of　the　Tleilaxu　gholas　had　bee　boringly　repetitious。　Once；　Leto　had　sent　word　warning　the　Tleilaxu　to　send　no　more　Duncans；　but　they　had　known　they　could　disobey　him　in　this　thing。
　Sometimes　I　think　they　do　it　just　to　keep　disobedience　alive！
　The　Tleilaxu　relied　on　an　important　thing　which　they　knew　protected　them　in　other　matters。
　The　presence　of　a　Duncan　pleases　the　Paul　Atreides　in　me。
　As　Leto　had　explained　it　to　Moneo　in　the　majordomo's　first　days　at　the　Citadel：
　〃The　Duncans　must　e　to　me　with　much　more　than　Tleilaxu　preparation。　You　must　see　to　it　that　my　houris　gentle　the　Duncans　and　that　the　women　answer　some　of　his　questions。〃
　〃Which　questions　may　they　answer；　Lord？〃
　〃They　know。〃
　Moneo　had；　of　course；　learned　all　about　this　procedure　over　the　years。
　Leto　heard　Moneo's　voice　outside　the　darkened　room；　then　the　sound　of　the　Fish　Speaker　escort　and　the　hesitantly　distinctive　footsteps　of　the　new　ghola。
　〃Through　that　door；〃　Moneo　said。　〃It　will　be　dark　inside　and　we　will　close　the　door　behind　you。　Stop　just　inside　and　wait　for　the　Lord　Leto　to　speak。〃
　〃Why　will　it　be　dark？〃　The　Duncan's　voice　was　full　of　aggressive　misgivings。
　〃He　will　explain。〃
　Idaho　was　thrust　into　the　room　and　the　door　was　sealed　behind　him。
　Leto　knew　what　the　ghola　saw…only　shadows　among　shadows　and　blackness　where　not　even　the　source　of　a　voice　could　be　fixed。　As　usual；　Leto　brought　the　Paul　Muad'Dib　voice　into　play。
　〃It　pleases　me　to　see　you　again；　Duncan。〃
　〃I　can't　see　you！〃
　Idaho　was　a　warrior；　and　the　warrior　attacks。　This　reassured　Leto　that　the　ghola　was　a　fully　restored　original。　The　morality　play　by　which　the　Tleilaxu　reawakened　a　ghola's　pre…death　memories　always　left　some　uncertainties　in　the　gholas'　minds。　Some　of　the　Duncans　believed　they　had　threatened　a　real　Paul　Muad'Dib。　This　one　carried　such　illusions。
　〃I　hear　Paul's　voice　but　I　can't　see　him；〃　Idaho　said。　He　didn't　try　to　conceal　the　frustrations；　let　them　all　e　out　in　his　voice。
　Why　was　an　Atreides　playing　this　stupid　game？　Paul　was　truly　dead　in　some　long…ago　and　this　was　Leto；　the　carrier　of　Paul's　resurrected　memories。。。and　the　memories　of　many　others！…if　the　Tleilaxu　stories　were　to　be　believed。
　〃You　have　been　told　that　you　are　only　the　latest　in　a　long　line　of　duplicates；〃　Leto　said。
　〃I　have　none　of　those　memories。〃
　Leto　recognized　hysteria　in　the　Duncan；　barely　covered　by　the　warrior　bravado。　The　cursed　Tleilaxu　post…tank　restoration　tactics　had　prod