fh.godemperorofdune-第42部分

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　Leto　smiled。　〃Duncan；　have　I　not　told　you　that　when　you　think　you　know　something；　that　is　a　most　perfect　barrier　against　learning？〃
　〃Then　tell　me　what's　going　on。〃
　〃My　friend　Duncan　Idaho　is　acquiring　a　new　habit。　He　is　learning　always　to　look　beyond　what　he　thinks　he　knows。〃
　〃All　right；　all　right。〃　Idaho　nodded　his　head　slowly　in　time　to　the　words。　〃Then　what's　beyond　letting　me　take　part　in　that　Siaynoq　thing？〃
　〃I　am　binding　the　Fish　Speakers　to　the　mander　of　my　Guard。〃
　〃And　I　have　to　fight　them　off！　The　escort　that　took　me　out　to　the　Citadel　wanted　to　stop　for　an　orgy。　And　the　ones　who　brought　me　back　here　when　you。。。〃
　〃They　know　how　much　it　pleases　me　to　see　children　of　Duncan　Idaho。〃
　〃Damn　you！　I'm　not　your　stud！〃
　〃No　need　to　shout；　Duncan。〃
　Idaho　took　several　deep　breaths；　then：　〃When　I　tell　them　'no；'　they　act　hurt　at　first　and　then　they　treat　me　like　some　damned…〃　he　shook　his　head…‘holy　man　or　something。〃
　〃Don't　they　obey　you？〃
　〃They　don't　question　anything。。。unless　it's　contrary　to　your　orders。　I　didn't　want　to　e　back　here。〃
　〃Yet　they　brought　you。〃
　〃You　know　damned　well　they　won't　disobey　you！〃
　〃I'm　glad　you　came；　Duncan。〃
　〃Oh；　I　can　see　that！〃
　〃The　Fish　Speakers　know　how　special　you　are；　how　fond　I　am　of　you；　how　much　I　owe　you。　It's　never　a　question　of　obedience　and　disobedience　where　you　and　I　are　concerned。〃
　〃Then　what　is　it　a　question　of？〃
　〃Loyalty。；；
　Idaho　fell　into　pensive　silence。
　〃You　felt　the　power　of　Siaynoq？〃　Leto　asked。
　〃Mumbo　jumbo。〃
　〃Then　why　are　you　disturbed　by　it？〃
　〃Your　Fish　Speakers　aren't　an　army；　they're　a　police　force。〃　〃By　my　name；　I　assure　you　that's　not　so。　Police　are　inevitably　corrupted。〃
　〃You　tempted　me　with　power；〃　Idaho　accused。
　〃That's　the　test；　Duncan。〃
　〃You　don't　trust　me？〃
　〃I　trust　your　loyalty　to　the　Atreides　implicitly；　without　question。〃
　〃Then　what's　this　talk　of　corruption　and　testing？〃
　〃You　were　the　one　who　accused　me　of　having　a　police　force。　Police　always　observe　that　criminals　prosper。　It　takes　a　pretty　dull　policeman　to　miss　the　fact　that　the　position　of　authority　is　the　most　prosperous　criminal　position　available。〃
　Idaho　wet　his　lips　with　his　tongue　and　stared　at　Leto　with　obvious　puzzlement。　〃But　the　moral　training　of。。。　I　mean；　the　legal。。。the　prisons　to。　。　。〃
　〃What　good　are　laws　and　prisons　when　the　breaking　of　a　law　is　not　a　sin？〃
　Idaho　cocked　his　head　slightly　to　the　right。　〃Are　you　trying　to　tell　me　that　your　damned　religion　is。。　。〃
　〃Punishment　of　sins　can　be　quite　extravagant。〃
　Idaho　hooked　a　thumb　over　his　shoulder　toward　the　world　outside　the　door。　〃All　this　talk　about　death　penalties。。。that　flogging　and。。。〃
　〃I　try　to　dispense　with　casual　laws　and　prisons　wherever　possible。〃
　〃You　have　to　have　some　prisons！〃
　〃Do　I？　Prisons　are　needed　only　to　provide　the　illusion　that　courts　and　police　are　effective。　They're　a　kind　of　job　insurance。〃
　Idaho　turned　slightly　and　thrust　a　pointing　finger　toward　the　door　through　which　he　had　entered　the　small　room。　〃You've　got　whole　planets　that　are　nothing　but　prisons！〃
　〃I　guess　you　could　think　of　anywhere　as　a　prison　if　that's　the　way　your　illusions　go。''
　〃Illusions！〃　Idaho　dropped　his　hand　to　his　side　and　stood　dumbfounded。
　〃Yes。　You　talk　of　prisons　and　police　and　legalities；　the　perfect　illusions　behind　which　a　prosperous　power　structure　can　operate　while　observing；　quite　accurately；　that　it　is　above　its　own　laws。〃
　〃And　you　think　crimes　can　be　dealt　with　by。　。　。
　〃Not　crimes；　Duncan；　sins。〃
　〃So　you　think　your　religion　can。　。　。〃
　〃Have　you　noted　the　primary　sins？〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Attempting　to　corrupt　a　member　of　my　government；　and　corruption　by　a　member　of　my　government。〃
　〃And　what　is　this　corruption？〃
　〃Essentially；　it's　the　failure　to　observe　and　worship　the　holiness　of　the　God　Leto。〃
　〃You？〃
　〃Me。〃
　〃But　you　told　me　right　at　the　beginning　that。　。　。〃
　〃You　think　I　don't　believe　in　my　own　godhead？　Be　careful；　Duncan。〃
　Idaho's　voice　came　with　angry　flatness。　〃You　told　me　that　one　of　my　jobs　was　to　help　keep　your　secret；　that　you。。
　。〃
　〃You　don't　know　my　secret。〃
　〃That　you're　a　tyrant？　That's　no。　。　。〃
　〃Gods　have　more　power　than　tyrants；　Duncan。〃
　〃I　don't　like　what　I'm　hearing。〃
　〃When　has　an　Atreides　ever　asked　you　to　like　your　job？〃
　〃You　ask　me　to　mand　your　Fish　Speakers　who　are　judge；　jury　and　executioner。。　。〃　Idaho　broke　off。
　〃And　what？〃
　Idaho　remained　silent。
　Leto　stared　across　the　chill　distance　between　them；　so　short　a　space　yet　so　far。
　It's　like　playing　a　fish　on　a　line；　Leto　thought。　You　must　calculate　the　breaking　point　of　every　element　in　the　contest。
　The　problem　with　Idaho　was　that　bringing　him　to　the　net　always　hastened　his　end。　And　it　was　happening　too　rapidly　this　time。　Leto　felt　sadness。
　〃I　won't　worship　you；〃　Idaho　said。
　〃The　Fish　Speakers　recognize　that　you　have　a　special　dispensation；〃　Leto　said。
　〃Like　Moneo　and　Siona？〃
　〃Much　different。〃
　〃So　rebels　are　a　special　case。〃
　Leto　grinned。　〃All　of　my　most　trusted　administrators　were　rebels　at　one　time。〃
　〃I　wasn't　a　。　。　。〃
　〃You　were　a　brilliant　rebel！　You　helped　the　Atreides　wrest　an　Empire　from　a　reigning　monarch。〃
　Idaho's　eyes　went　out　of　focus　with　introspection。　〃So　I　did。〃　He　shook　his　head　sharply　as　though　tossing　something　out　of　his　hair。　〃And　look　what　you've　done　with　that　Empire！〃
　〃I　have　set　up　a　pattern　in　it；　a　pattern　of　patterns。〃
　〃So　you　say。〃
　〃Information　is　frozen　in　patterns；　Duncan。　We　can　use　one　pattern　to　solve　another　pattern。　Flow　patterns　are　the　hardest　to　recognize　and　understand。〃
　〃More　mumbo　jumbo。〃
　〃You　made　that　mistake　once　before。〃
　〃Why　do　you　let　the　Tleilaxu　keep　bringing　me　back　to　life…one　ghola　after　another？　Where's　the　pattern　in　that？〃
　〃Because　of　the　qualities　which　you　possess　in　abundance。　I　will　let　my　father　say　it。〃
　Idaho's　mouth　drew　into　a　grim　line。
　Leto　spoke　in　Muad'Dib's　voice；　and　even　the　cowled　face　fell　into　a　semblance　of　the　paternal　features。　〃You　were　my　truest　friend；　Duncan；　better　even　than　Gurney　Halleck。　But　I　am　the　past。〃
　Idaho　swallowed　hard。　〃The　things　you're　doing！〃
　〃They　cut　against　the　Atreides　grain？〃
　〃You're　damned　right！〃
　Leto　resumed　his　ordinary　tones。　〃Yet　I'm　still　Atreides。〃
　〃Are　you　really？〃
　〃What　else　could　I　be？〃
　〃I　wish　I　knew！〃
　〃You　think　I　play　tricks　with　words　and　voices？〃
　〃What　in　all　the　seven　hells　are　you　really　doing？〃
　〃I　preserve　life　while　setting　the　stage　for　the　next　cycle；。〃
　〃You　preserve　it　by　killing？〃
　〃Death　has　often　been　useful　to　life。〃
　〃That's　not　Atreides！〃
　〃But　it　is。　We　often　saw　the　value　of　death。　The　lxians；　however；　have　never　seen　that　value。〃
　〃What've　the　lxians　got　to　do　with。　。　。〃
　〃Everything。　They　would　make　a　machine　to　conceal　their　other　machinations。〃
　Idaho　spoke　in　a　musing　tone。　〃Is　that　why　the　Ixian　Ambassador　was　here？〃
　〃You've　seen　Hwi　Noree；〃　Leto　said。
　Idaho　pointed　upward。　〃She　was　leaving　as　I　arrived。〃
　〃You　spoke　to　her？〃
　〃I　asked　her　what　she　was　doing　here。　She　said　she　was　choosing　sides。〃
　A　burst　of　laughter　erupted　from　Leto。　〃Oh；　my；〃　he　said。　〃She　is　so　good。　Did　she　reveal　her　choice？〃
　〃She　said　she　serves　the　God　Emperor　now。　I　didn't　believe　her；　of　course。〃
　〃But　you　should　believe　her。〃
　。Why？〃
　〃Ahhh；　yes；　I　forgot　that　you　once　doubted　even　my　grandmother；　the　Lady　Jessica。〃
　〃I　had　good　reason！〃
　〃Do　you　also　doubt　Siona？〃
　〃I'm　beginning　to　doubt　everyone！〃
　〃And　you　say　you　don't　know　your　value　to　me；〃　Leto　accused。
　〃What　about　Siona？〃　Idaho　demanded。　〃She　says　you　want　us。。。I　mean；　dammit　。　。　。〃
　〃The　thing　you　must　always　trust　about　Siona　is　her　creativity。　She　can　create　the　new　and　beautiful。　One　always　trusts　the　truly　creative。〃
　〃Even　the　machinations　of　the　lxians？〃
　〃That　is　not　creative。　You　always　know　the　creative　because　it　is　revealed　openly。　Concealment　betrays　the　existence　of　another　force　entirely。〃
　〃Then　you　don't　trust　this　Hwi　Noree；　but　you。　。　。〃
　〃I　do　trust　her；　and　precisely　for　the　reasons　I　have　just　given　you。〃
　Idaho　scowled；　then　relaxed　and　sighed。　〃I　had　better　cultivate　her　acquaintance。　If　she　is　someone　you。　。　。〃
　〃No！　You　will　stay　away　from　Hwi　Noree。　I　have　something　special　in　mind　for　her。〃
　
　I　have　isolated　the　city…experience　within　me　and　have　examined　it　closely。　The　idea　of　a　city　fascinates　me。　The　formation　of　a　biological　munity　without　a　functioning；　supportive　social　munity　leads　to　havoc。　Whole　worlds　have　bee　single　biological　munities　without　an　interrelated　social　structure　and　this　has　always　led　to　ruin。　It　bees　dramatically　instructive　under　overcrowded　conditions。　The　ghetto　is　lethal。　Psychic　stresses　of　overcrowding　create　pressures　which　will　erupt。　The　city　is　an　attempt　to　manage　these　forces。　The　social　forms　by　which　cities　make　the　attempt　are　worth　study。　Remember　that　there　exists　a　certain　malevolence　about　the　formation　of　any　social　order。　It　is　the　struggle　for　existence　by　an　artificial　entity。　Despotism　and　slavery　hover　at　the　edges。　Many　injuries　occur　and；　thus；　the　need　for　laws。　The　law　develops　its　own　power　structure；　creating　more　wounds　and　new　injustices。　Such　trauma　can　be　healed　by　cooperation；　not　by　confrontation。　The　summons　to　cooperate　identifies　the　healer。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　MONEO　ENTERED　Leto's　small　chamber　with　evident　agitation。
　He　actually　preferred　this　meeting　place　because　the　God　Emperor's　cart　lay　in　a　depression　from　which　a　deadly　attack　by　the　Worm　would　be　more　difficult；　and　there　was　the　undeniable　fact　that　Leto　allowed　his　majordomo　to　descend　in　an　Ixian　tube…lift　rather　than　via　that　interminable　ramp。　But　Moneo　felt　that　the　news　he　brought　this　morning　was　guaranteed　to　arouse　The　Worm　Who　Is　God。
　How　to　present　it？
　Dawn　lay　only　an　hour　past；　the　fourth　Festival　Day；　a　fact　Moneo　could　greet　with　equanimity　only　because　it　brought　him　that　much　nearer　the　end　of　these　tribulations：
　Leto　stirred　as　Moneo　entered　the　small　chamber。　Illumination　came　on　at　his　signal；　focusing　only　on　his　face。
　〃Good　morning；　Moneo；〃　he　said。　〃My　guard　tells　me　you　insisted　on　enter