fh.godemperorofdune-第43部分

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　face。
　〃Good　morning；　Moneo；〃　he　said。　〃My　guard　tells　me　you　insisted　on　entering　immediately。　Why？〃
　The　danger；　Moneo　knew　from　experience；　lay　in　the　temptation　to　reveal　too　much　too　soon。
　〃I　have　spent　some　time　with　the　Reverend　Mother　Anteac；〃　he　said。　〃Although　she　keeps　it　well　hidden；　I'm　sure　she　is　a　Mentat。〃
　〃Yes。　The　Bene　Gesserit　were　bound　to　disobey　me　sometime。　This　form　of　disobedience　amuses　me。〃
　〃Then　you　will　not　punish　them？〃
　〃Moneo；　I　am　ultimately　the　only　parent　my　people　have。　A　parent　must　be　generous　as　well　as　severe。〃
　He's　in　a　good　mood；　Moneo　thought。　A　small　sigh　escaped　Moneo；　at　which　Leto　smiled。
　〃Anteac　objected　when　I　told　her　you　had　ordered　an　amnesty　for　a　selected　few　Face　Dancers　among　our　captives。〃
　〃I　have　a　Festive　use　for　them；〃　Leto　said。
　〃Lord？〃
　〃I　will　tell　you　later。　Let's　get　to　the　news　which　brings　you　bursting　in　upon　me　at　this　hour。〃
　〃I。。。ahhh。。。〃　Moneo　chewed　at　his　upper　lip。　〃The　Tleilaxu　have　been　quite　garrulous　in　the　attempt　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　me。〃
　〃Of　course　they　have。　And　what　have　they　revealed？〃
　〃They。。。　ahhh；　provided　the　lxians　with　sufficient　advice　and　equipment　to　make　a。。。uhhh；　not　exactly　a　ghola；　and　not　even　a　clone。　Perhaps　we　should　use　the　Tleilaxu　term：　a　cellular　restructuring。　The。。。ahhh；　experiment　was　conducted　within　some　sort　of　shielding　device　which　the　Guildsmen　assured　them　your　powers　could　not　penetrate。〃
　〃And　the　result？〃　Leto　felt　that　he　was　asking　the　question　in　a　cold　vacuum。
　〃They　are　not　certain。　Tleilaxu　were　not　permitted　to　witness。　However；　they　did　observe　that　Malky　entered　this。。。ahhh；　chamber　and　that　he　emerged　later　with　an　infant。〃
　〃Yes！　I　know！〃
　〃You　do？〃　Moneo　was　puzzled。
　〃By　inference。　And　all　of　this　happened　some　twenty…six　years　ago？〃
　〃That　is　correct；　Lord。〃
　〃They　identify　the　infant　as　Hwi　Noree？〃
　〃They　are　not　certain；　Lord；　but。。。〃　Moneo　shrugged。
　〃Of　course。　And　what　do　you　deduce　from　this；　Moneo？〃
　〃There　is　a　deep　purpose　built　into　the　new　Ixian　Ambassador。〃
　〃Certainly　there　is。　Moneo；　has　it　not　struck　you　as　odd　how　much　Hwi；　the　gentle　Hwi；　represents　a　mirror　of　the　redoubtable　Malky？　His　opposite　in　everything；　including　sex。〃
　〃I　had　not　thought　of　that；　Lord。〃
　〃I　have。〃
　〃I　will　have　her　sent　back　to　Ix　immediately；〃　Moneo　said。
　〃You　will　do　nothing　of　the　kind！〃
　〃But；　Lord；　if　they。。　。
　〃Moneo；　I　have　observed　that　you　seldom　turn　your　back　on　danger。　Others　often　do；　but　you…seldom。　Why　would　you　have　me　engage　in　such　an　obvious　stupidity？〃
　Moneo　swallowed。
　〃Good。　I　like　it　when　you　recognize　the　error　of　your　ways；〃　Leto　said。
　〃Thank　you；　Lord。〃
　〃I　also　like　it　when　you　express　your　gratitude　sincerely；　as　you　have　just　done。　Now；　Anteac　was　with　you　when　you　heard　these　revelations？〃
　〃As　you　ordered；　Lord。〃
　〃Excellent。　That　will　stir　things　up　a　bit。　You　will　leave　now　and　go　to　the　Lady　Hwi。　You　will　tell　her　that　I　desire　to　see　her　immediately。　This　will　disturb　her。　She　is　thinking　that　we　will　not　meet　again　until　I　summon　her　to　the　Citadel。　I　want　you　to　quiet　her　fears。〃
　〃In　what　way；　Lord？〃
　Leto　spoke　sadly：　〃Moneo；　why　do　you　ask　advice　on　something　at　which　you　are　an　expert？　Calm　her　and　bring　her　here　reassured　of　my　kindly　intentions　toward　her。〃
　〃Yes；　Lord。〃　Moneo　bowed　and　backed　away　a　step。
　〃One　moment；　Moneo！〃
　Moneo　stiffened；　his　gaze　fixed　on　Leto's　face。
　〃You　are　puzzled；　Moneo；〃　Leto　said。　〃Sometimes　you　do　not　know　what　to　think　of　me。　Am　I　all…powerful　and　all　prescient？　You　bring　me　these　little　dibs　and　dabs　and　you　wonder：　Does　he　already　know　this？　If　he　does；　why　do　I　bother？　But　I　have　ordered　you　to　report　such　things；　Moneo。　Is　your　obedience　not　instructive？〃
　Moneo　started　to　shrug　and　thought　better　of　it。　His　lips　trembled。
　〃Time　can　also　be　a　place；　Moneo；〃　Leto　said。　〃Everything　depends　upon　where　you　are　standing；　on　where　you　look　or　what　you　hear。　The　measure　of　it　is　found　in　consciousness　itself。〃
　After　a　long　silence；　Moneo　ventured：　〃Is　that　all；　Lord？〃
　〃No；　it　is　not　all。　Siona　will　receive　today　a　package　delivered　to　her　by　a　Guild　courier。　Nothing　is　to　interfere　with　delivery　of　that　package。　Do　you　understand？〃
　〃What　is。。。what　is　in　the　package；　Lord？〃
　〃Some　translations；　reading　matter　which　I　wish　her　to　see。　You　will　do　nothing　to　interfere。　There　is　no　melange　in　the　package。〃
　〃How。。。how　did　you　know　what　I　feared　was　in　the。　。　。〃
　〃Because　you　fear　the　spice。　It　could　extend　your　life；　but　you　avoid　it。〃
　〃I　fear　its　other　effects；　Lord。〃
　〃A　bountiful　nature　has　decreed　that　melange　will　unveil　for　some　of　us　unexpected　depths　of　the　psyche；　yet　you　fear　this？〃
　〃I　am　Atreides；　Lord！〃
　〃Ahhh；　yes；　and　for　the　Atreides；　melange　may　roll　the　mystery　of　Time　through　a　peculiar　process　of　internal　revelation。〃
　〃I　have　only　to　remember　the　way　you　tested　me；　Lord。〃
　〃Do　you　not　see　the　necessity　for　you　to　sense　the　Golden　Path？〃
　〃That　is　not　what　I　fear；　Lord。〃
　〃You　fear　the　other　astonishment；　the　thing　which　made　me　make　my　choice。〃
　〃I　have　only　to　look　at　you；　Lord；　and　know　that　fear。　We　Atreides。　。　。〃　He　broke　off；　his　mouth　dry。
　〃You　do　not　want　all　of　these　memories　of　ancestors　and　the　others　who　flock　within　me！〃
　〃Sometimes。。。sometimes；　Lord；　I　think　the　spice　is　the　Atreides　curse！〃
　〃Do　you　wish　that　I　had　never　occurred？〃
　Moneo　remained　silent。
　〃But　melange　has　its　values；　Moneo。　The　Guild　navigators　need　it。　And　without　it；　the　Bene　Gesserit　would　degenerate　into　a　helpless　band　of　whining　females！〃
　〃We　must　live　with　it　or　without　it；　Lord。　I　know　that。〃
　〃Very　perceptive；　Moneo。　But　you　choose　to　live　without　it。〃
　〃Do　I　not　have　that　choice；　Lord？〃
　〃For　now。〃
　〃Lord；　what　do　you。。。〃
　〃There　are　twenty…eight　different　words　for　melange　in　mon　Galach。　They　describe　it　by　its　intended　use；　by　its　dilution；　by　its　age；　by　whether　it　came　through　honest　purchase；　through　theft　or　conquest；　whether　it　was　the　dower　gift　for　a　male　or　for　a　female；　and　in　many　other　ways　is　it　named。　What　do　you　make　of　this；　Moneo？〃
　〃We　are　offered　many　choices；　Lord。〃
　〃Only　where　the　spice　is　concerned？〃
　Moneo's　brow　wrinkled　in　thought；　then：　〃No。〃
　〃You　so　seldom　say　'no'　in　my　presence；〃　Leto　said。　〃I　enjoy　watching　your　lips　form　around　the　word。〃
　Moneo's　mouth　twitched　in　an　attempted　smile。
　Leto　spoke　briskly：　〃Well！　You　must　go　now　to　the　Lady　Hwi。　I　will　give　you　one　parting　piece　of　advice　which　may　help。〃
　Moneo　paid　studious　attention　to　Leto's　face。
　〃Drug　knowledge　originated　mostly　with　males　because　they　tend　to　be　more　venturesome…an　outgrowth　of　male　aggression。　You've　read　your　Orange　Catholic　Bible；　thus　you　know　the　story　of　Eve　and　the　apple。　Here's　an　interesting　fact　about　that　story：　Eve　was　not　the　first　to　pluck　and　sample　the　apple。　Adam　was　first　and　he　learned　by　this　to　put　the　blame　on　Eve。　My　story　tells　you　something　about　how　our　societies　find　a　structural　necessity　for　sub…groups。〃
　Moneo　tipped　his　head　slightly　to　the　left。　〃Lord；　how　does　this　help　me？〃
　〃It　will　help　you　with　the　Lady　Hwi！〃
　
　The　singular　multiplicity　of　this　universe　draws　my　deepest　attention。　It　is　a　thing　of　ultimate　beauty。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　LETO　HEARD　Moneo　in　the　antechamber　just　before　Hwi　entered　the　small　audience　room。　She　wore　voluminous　pale　green　pantaloons　tightly　tied　at　the　ankles　with　darker　green　bows　to　match　her　sandals。　A　loose　blouse　of　the　same　dark　green　could　be　seen　under　her　black　cloak。
　She　appeared　calm　as　she　approached　Leto　and　sat　without　being　invited；　choosing　a　golden　cushion　rather　than　the　red　one　she　had　occupied　earlier。　It　had　taken　less　than　an　hour　for　Moneo　to　bring　her。　Leto's　acute　hearing　detected　Moneo　fidgeting　in　the　anteroom　and　Leto　sent　a　signal　which　sealed　the　arched　doorway　there。
　〃Something　has　disturbed　Moneo；〃　Hwi　said。　〃He　tried　very　hard　not　to　reveal　this　to　me；　but　the　more　he　tried　to　soothe　me　the　more　he　aroused　my　curiosity。〃
　〃He　did　not　frighten　you？〃
　〃Oh；　no。　He　did　say　something　very　interesting；　though。　He　said　that　I　must　remember　it　at　all　times；　that　the　God　Leto　is　a　different　person　to　each　of　us。〃
　〃How　is　this　interesting？〃　Leto　asked。
　〃The　interesting　thing　is　the　question　for　which　this　was　the　preface。　He　said　he　often　wonders　what　part　we　play　in　creating　that　difference　in　you？〃
　〃That　is　interesting。〃
　〃I　think　it　is　a　truthful　insight；〃　Hwi　said。　〃Why　have　you　summoned　me？〃
　〃At　one　time；　your　masters　on　Ix。。
　。〃
　〃They　are　no　longer　my　masters；　Lord。〃
　〃Forgive　me。　I　will　refer　to　them　hereafter　as　the　lxians。〃
　She　nodded　gravely；　prompting：　〃At　one　time。　。　。〃
　〃The　lxians　contemplated　making　a　weapon…a　type　of　hunter…seeker；　self…propelled　death　with　a　machine　mind。　It　was　to　be　designed　as　a　self　improving　thing　which　would　seek　out　life　and　reduce　that　life　to　its　inorganic　matter。〃
　〃I　have　not　heard　of　this　thing；　Lord。〃
　〃I　know　that。　The　lxians　do　not　recognize　that　machine　makers　always　run　the　risk　of　being　totally　machine。　This　is　ultimate　sterility。　Machines　always　fail。。。given　time。　And　when　these　machines　failed　there　would　be　nothing　left；　no　life　at　all。〃
　〃Sometimes　I　think　they　are　mad；〃　she　said。
　〃Anteac's　opinion。　That　is　the　immediate　problem。　The　lxians　are　now　engaged　in　an　endeavor　which　they　are　concealing。〃
　〃Even　from　you？〃
　〃Even　from　me。　I　am　sending　the　Reverend　Mother　Anteac　to　investigate　for　me。　To　help　her；　I　want　you　to　tell　her　everything　you　can　about　the　place　where　you　spent　your　childhood。　Omit　no　detail；　no　matter　how　small。　Anteac　will　help　you　remember。　We　want　every　sound；　every　smell；　the　shapes　and　names　of　visitors；　the　colors　and　even　the　tinglings　of　your　skin。　The　slightest　thing　may　be　vital。〃
　〃You　think　it　is　the　place　of　concealment？〃
　〃I　know　it　is。〃
　〃And　you　think　they　are　making　this　weapon　in。　。　。〃
　〃No；　but　this　will　be　our　excuse　for　investigating　the　place　where　you　were　born。〃
　She　opened　her　mouth　and　gradually　formed　a　smile；　then：　〃My　Lord　is　devious。　I　will　speak　to　the　Reverend　Mother　immediately。〃　Hwi