fh.godemperorofdune-第7部分

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　The　words　popped　into　her　mind　and　out　of　her　mouth　without　reflection。　Only　after　she　had　spoken　did　Nayla　realize　the　true　core　of　her　dislike：　Topri　would　betray　anyone　for　personal　gain。
　Has　he　found　me　out？
　Still　scowling；　Topri　said；　〃I　am　not　going　to　stand　here　and　accept　your　abuse。〃　He　started　to　leave　but　Siona　held　up　a　restraining　hand。　Topri　hesitated。
　〃Although　we　speak　the　old　Fremen　words　and　swear　our　loyalty　to　each　other；　that　is　not　what　holds　us　together；〃　Siona　said。　〃Everything　is　based　on　performance。　That　is　all　I　measure。　Do　you　understand；　both　of　you？〃
　Topri　nodded　automatically；　but　Nayla　shook　her　head　from　side　to　side。
　Siona　smiled　up　at　her。　〃You　don't　always　agree　with　my　decisions；　do　you；　Nayla？〃
　〃No。〃　The　word　was　forced　from　her。
　〃And　you　have　never　tried　to　conceal　your　disagreement；　yet　you　always　obey　me。　Why？〃
　〃That　is　what　I　have　sworn　to　do。〃
　〃But　I　have　said　this　is　not　enough。〃
　Nayla　knew　she　was　perspiring；　knew　this　was　revealing；　but　she　could　not　move。　What　am　Ito　do？　I　swore　to　God　that　I　would　obey　Siona　but　I　cannot　tell　her　this。
　〃You　must　answer　my　question。〃　Siona　said。　〃I　mand　it。〃
　Nayla　caught　her　breath。　This　was　the　dilemma　she　had　most　feared。　There　was　no　way　out。　She　said　a　silent　prayer　and　spoke　in　a　low　voice。
　〃I　have　sworn　to　God　that　I　will　obey　you。〃
　Siona　clapped　her　hands　in　glee　and　laughed。
　〃I　knew　it！〃
　Topri　chuckled。
　〃Shut　up；　Topri；〃　Siona　said。　〃I　am　trying　to　teach　you　a　lesson。　You　don't　believe　in　anything；　not　even　in　yourself。〃
　〃But　I。。。
　〃Be　still；　I　say！　Nayla　believes。　I　believe。　This　is　what　holds　us　together。　Belief。〃
　Topri　was　astonished。　〃Belief？　You　believe　in。　。。〃
　〃Not　in　the　God　Emperor；　you　fool！　We　believe　that　a　higher　power　will　settle　with　the　tyrant　worm。　We　are　that　higher　power。　〃
　Nayla　took　a　trembling　breath。
　〃It's　all　right；　Nayla；〃　Siona　said。　〃I　don't　care　where　you　draw　your　strength；　just　as　long　as　you　believe。〃
　Nayla　managed　a　smile；　then　grinned。　She　had　never　been　more　profoundly　stirred　by　the　wisdom　of　her　Lord。　I　may　speak　the　truth　and　it　works　only　for　my　God！
　〃Let　me　show　you　what　I've　found　in　these　books；〃　Siona　said。　She　gestured　at　some　sheets　of　ordinary　paper　on　the　table。　〃Pressed　between　the　pages。〃
　Nayla　stepped　around　the　table　and　looked　down　at　it。
　〃First；　there's　this。〃　Siona　held　up　an　object　which　Nayla　had　not　noticed。　It　was　a　thin　strand　of　something。。。and　what　appeared　to　be　a　。　。　。
　〃A　flower？〃　Nayla　asked。
　〃This　was　between　two　pages　of　paper。　On　the　paper　was　written　this。〃
　Siona　leaned　over　the　table　and　read：　〃A　strand　of　Ghanima's　hair　with　a　starflower　blossom　which　she　once　brought　me。〃
　Looking　up　at　Nayla；　Siona　said：　〃Our　God　Emperor　is　revealed　as　a　sentimentalist。　That　is　a　weakness　I　had　not　expected。〃
　〃Ghanima？〃　Nayla　asked。
　〃His　sister！　Remember　your　Oral　History。〃
　〃Oh。。。oh；　yes。　The　Prayer　to　Ghanima。〃
　〃Now；　listen　to　this。〃　Siona　took　up　another　sheet　of　paper　and　read　from　it。
　〃The　sand　beach　as　gray　as　a　dead　cheek；　A　green　tideflow　reflects　cloud　ripples；　II　stand　on　the　dark　wet　edge。　Cold　foam　cleanses　my　toes。　I　smell　driftwood　smoke。　〃
　Again；　Siona　looked　up　at　Nayla。　〃This　is　identified　as　‘Words　I　wrote　when　told　of　Ghani's　death。'　What　do　you　think　of　that？〃
　〃He。。。he　loved　his　sister。〃
　〃Yes！　He　is　capable　of　love。　Oh；　yes！　We　have　him　now。〃
　
　Sometimes　I　indulge　myself　in　safaris　which　no　other　being　may　take。　I　strike　inward　along　the　axis　of　my　memories。　Like　a　schoolchild　reporting　on　a　vacation　trip；　I　take　up　my　subject。　Let　it　be。。。female　intellectuals！　I　course　backward　into　the　ocean　which　is　my　ancestors。　I　am　a　great　winged　fish　in　the　depths。　The　mouth　of　my　awareness　opens　and　I　scoop　them　up！　Sometimes。。。　sometimes　I　hunt　out　specific　persons　recorded　in　our　histories。　What　a　private　joy　to　relive　the　life　of　such　a　one　while　I　mock　the　academic　pretentions　which　supposedly　formed　a　biography。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　MONEO　DESCENDED　to　the　crypt　with　sad　resignation。　There　was　no　escaping　the　duties　required　of　him　now。　The　God　Emperor　required　a　small　passage　of　time　to　grieve　the　loss　of　another　Duncan。。。but　then　life　went　on。。。and　on。。。and　on。。。。
　The　lift　slid　silently　downward　with　its　superb　Ixian　dependability。　Once；　just　once；　the　God　Emperor　had　cried　out　to　his　majordomo：　〃Moneo！　Sometimes　I　think　you　were　made　by　the　Ixians！〃
　Moneo　felt　the　lift　stop。　The　door　opened　and　he　looked　out　across　the　crypt　at　the　shadowy　bulk　on　the　Royal　Cart。　There　was　no　indication　that　Leto　had　noticed　the　arrival。　Moneo　sighed　and　began　the　long　walk　through　the　echoing　gloom。　There　was　a　body　on　the　floor　near　the　cart。　No　need　for　deja　vu。　This　was　merely　familiar。
　Once；　in　Moneo's　early　days　of　service。　Leto　had　said：　〃You　don't　like　this　place；　Moneo。　I　can　see　that。〃
　〃No；　Lord。〃
　With　just　a　little　prodding　of　memory；　Moneo　could　hear　his　own　voice　in　that　naive　past。　And　the　voice　of　the　God　Emperor　responding：
　〃You　don't　think　of　a　mausoleum　as　a　forting　place；　Moneo。　I　find　it　a　source　of　infinite　strength。〃
　Moneo　remembered　that　he　had　been　anxious　to　get　off　this　topic。　〃Yes；　Lord。〃
　Leto　had　persisted：　〃There　are　only　a　few　of　my　ancestors　here。　The　water　of　Muad'Dib　is　here。　Ghani　and　Harq…al…Ada　are　here；　of　course；　but　they're　not　my　ancestors。　No；　if　there's　any　true　crypt　of　my　ancestors；　l　am　that　crypt。　This　is　mostly　the　Duncans　and　the　products　of　my　breeding　program。　You'll　be　here　someday。〃
　Moneo　found　that　these　memories　had　slowed　his　pace。　He　sighed　and　moved　a　bit　faster。　Leto　could　be　violently　impatient　on　occasion　but　there　was　still　no　sign　from　him。　Moneo　did　not　take　this　to　mean　that　his　approach　went　unobserved。
　Leto　lay　with　his　eyes　closed　and　only　his　other　senses　to　record　Moneo's　progress　across　the　crypt。　Thoughts　of　Siona　had　been　occupying　Leto's　attention。
　Siona　is　my　ardent　enemy；　he　thought。　I　do　not　need　Nayla's　words　to　confirm　this。　Siona　is　a　woman　of　action。　She　lives　on　the　surface　of　enormous　energies　which　fill　me　with　fantasies　of　delight。　I　cannot　contemplate　those　living　energies　without　a　feeling　of　ecstasy。　They　are　my　reason　for　being；　the　justification　for　everything　I　have　ever　done。。。even　for　the　corpse　of　this　foolish　Duncan　in　front　of　me　now。
　Leto's　ears　told　him　that　Moneo　had　not　yet　crossed　half　the　distance　to　the　Royal　Cart。　The　man　moved　slower　and　slower；　then　picked　up　his　pace。
　What　a　gift　Moneo　has　given　me　in　this　daughter；　Leto　thought。　Siona　is　fresh　and　precious。　She　is　the　new　while　I　am　a　collection　of　the　obsolete；　a　relic　of　the　damned；　of　the　lost　and　strayed。　I　am　the　waylaid　pieces　of　history　which　sank　out　of　sight　in　all　of　our　pasts。　Such　an　accumulation　of　riffraff　has　never　before　been　imagined。
　Leto　paraded　the　past　within　him　then　to　let　them　observe　what　had　happened　in　the　crypt。
　The　minutiae　are　mine！
　Siona；　though。。。Siona　was　like　a　clean　slate　upon　which　great　things　might　yet　be　written。
　I　guard　that　slate　with　infinite　care。　I　am　preparing　it；　cleansing　it。
　What　did　the　Duncan　mean　when　he　called　out　her　name？
　Moneo　approached　the　cart　diffidently　yet　consummately　aware。　Surely　Leto　did　not　sleep。
　Leto　opened　his　eyes　and　looked　down　as　Moneo　came　to　a　stop　near　the　corpse。　At　this　moment；　Leto　found　the　majordomo　a　delight　to　observe。　Moneo　wore　a　white　Atreides　uniform　with　no　insignia；　a　subtle　ment。　His　face；　almost　as　well　known　as　Leto's；　was　all　the　insignia　he　needed。　Moneo　waited　patiently。　There　was　no　change　of　expression　on　his　flat；　even　features。　His　thick；　sandy　hair　lay　in　a　neat；　equally　divided　part。　Deep　within　his　gray　eyes　there　was　that　look　of　directness　which　went　with　knowledge　of　great　personal　power。　It　was　a　look　which　he　modified　only　in　the　God　Emperor's　presence；　and　sometimes　not　even　there。　Not　once　did　he　glance　toward　the　body　on　the　crypt's　floor。
　When　Leto　continued　silent；　Moneo　cleared　his　throat；　then：　〃I　am　saddened；　Lord。〃
　Exquisite！　Leto　thought。　He　knows　l　feel　true　remorse　about　the　Duncans。　Moneo　has　seen　their　records　and　has　seen　enough　of　them　dead。　He　knows　that　only　nineteen　Duncans　died　what　people　usually　refer　to　as　natural　deaths。
　〃He　had　an　Ixian　lasgun；〃　Leto　said。
　Moneo's　gaze　went　directly　to　the　gun　on　the　floor　of　the　crypt　off　to　his　left；　demonstrating　that　he　already　had　seen　it。　He　returned　his　attention　to　Leto；　sweeping　a　glance　down　the　length　of　the　great　body。
　〃You　are　injured；　Lord？〃
　〃Inconsequential。〃
　〃But　he　hurt　you。〃
　〃Those　flippers　are　useless　to　me。　They　will　be　entirely　gone　within　another　two　hundred　years。〃
　〃I　will　dispose　of　the　Duncan's　body　personally；　Lord；〃　Moneo　said。　〃Is　there。　。　。〃
　〃The　piece　of　me　he　burned　away　is　entirely　ash。　We　will　let　it　blow　away。　This　is　a　fitting　place　for　ashes。〃
　〃As　my　Lord　says。〃
　〃Before　you　dispose　of　the　body；　disable　the　lasgun　and　keep　it　where　I　can　present　it　to　the　Ixian　ambassador。　As　for　the　Guildsman　who　warned　us　about　it；　present　him　personally　with　ten　grams　of　spice。　Oh…and　our　priestesses　on　Giedi　Prime　should　be　alerted　to　a　hidden　store　of　melange　there；　probably　old　Harkonnen　contraband。〃
　〃What　do　you　wish　done　with　it　when　it's　found；　Lord？〃
　〃Use　a　bit　of　it　to　pay　the　Tleilaxu　for　the　new　ghola。　The　rest　of　it　can　go　into　our　stores　here　in　the　crypt。〃
　〃Lord。〃　Moneo　acknowledged　the　orders　with　a　nod；　a　gesture　which　was　not　quite　a　bow。　His　gaze　met　Leto's。
　Leto　smiled。　He　thought：　We　both　know　that　Moneo　will　not　leave　without　addressing　directly　the　matter　which　most　concerns　us。
　〃I　have　seen　the　report　on　Siona；〃　Moneo　said。
　Leto's　smile　widened。　Moneo　was　such　a　pleasure　in　these　moments。　His　words　conveyed　many　things　which　did　not　require　open　discussion　between　them。　His　words　and　actions　were　in　precise　alignment；　carried　on　the　mutual　awareness　that　he；　of　course；　spied　on　everything。　Now；　there　was　a　natural　concern　for　his　daughter；　but　he　wished　it　understood　that　his　concern　for　the　God　Emperor　remained　paramount。　From　his　own　traverse　through　a　similar　evolution；　Moneo　knew　with　precision　the　de