bh.houseatreides-第76部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ic　Ixians　had　switched　allegiance　to　the　new　masters；　forgetting　House　Vernius　in　less　than　a　year。
　In　the　first　days　of　confusion　following　the　takeover；　C'tair　had　hoarded　scraps　of　abandoned　technology；　from　which　he　had　constructed　the　cross…dimensional　〃Rogo〃　transceiver。　Soon；　though；　all　but　the　most　primitive　technology　had　been　confiscated　and　made　illegal。　C'tair　still　snatched　what　he　could；　scavenging　anything　that　might　prove　valuable。　He　considered　the　risk　well　worth　taking。
　His　fight　here　might　continue　for　years；　if　not　decades。
　He　thought　back　to　the　childhood　he'd　shared　with　D'murr；　and　the　crippled　inventor；　Davee　Rogo；　who　had　befriended　the　boys。　In　his　private　laboratory；　secreted　inside　an　ignored　coal　vein　in　the　upper　crust；　old　Rogo　had　taught　the　youths　many　interesting　principles；　had　shown　them　some　of　his　failed　prototypes。　The　inventor　had　chuckled；　his　bright　eyes　sparkling　as　he　goaded　the　boys　into　disassembling　and　reassembling　some　of　his　plicated　inventions。　C'tair　had　learned　a　great　deal　under　the　crippled　man's　tutelage。
　Now　C'tair　recalled　his　Navigator　brother's　lack　of　interest　when　he'd　told　him　of　the　wavy　vision　he'd　seen　in　the　rubble。　Perhaps　the　ghost　of　Davee　Rogo　had　not　e　back　from　the　dead　to　provide　instructions。　He'd　never　seen　a　similar　apparition；　before　or　since。　But　that　experience；　whether　a　supernatural　message　or　a　hallucination；　had　permitted　C'tair　to　acplish　a　very　human　purpose：　remaining　in　munication　with　his　twin；　maintaining　the　bond　of　love　as　D'murr　became　lost　in　the　mysteries　of　the　Guild。
　Trapped　in　his　various　hiding　places；　C'tair　had　to　live　vicariously；　soaring　across　the　universe　in　his　brother's　mind　whenever　they　made　contact　via　the　transceiver。　Over　the　months　he　learned　with　excitement　and　pride　of　D'murr's　first　solo　flights　through　foldspace　as　a　trainee　Pilot　in　his　own　Guild　ship。　Then；　a　few　days　ago；　D'murr　had　been　approved　for　his　first　mercial　assignment；　navigating　an　unmanned　colony　transport　craft　that　plied　the　void　far　beyond　the　Imperium。
　If　his　outstanding　work　for　the　Guild　continued；　the　Navigator　trainee　who　had　been　D'murr　Pilru　would　be　promoted　to　transporting　goods　and　personnel　between　the　primary　worlds　of　the　Houses　Major；　and　perhaps　along　the　coveted　Kaitain　routes。　He　would　bee　an　actual　Navigator；　possibly　even　working　his　way　up　to　Steersman。。。。
　But　the　munications　device　exhibited　persistent　problems。　The　silicate　crystals　had　to　be　sliced　with　a　cutteray　and　connected　in　a　precise　manner；　then　they　functioned　only　briefly　before　disintegrating　from　the　strain。　Hairline　cracks　rendered　them　useless。　C'tair　had　used　the　device　on　four　occasions　to　reach　his　brother；　and　after　each　time　he'd　had　to　painstakingly　cut　and　refit　new　crystals。
　C'tair　established　careful　ties　to　black　market　groups　that　furnished　him　with　what　he　required。　The　contraband　silicate　crystals　surreptitiously　bore　laser…scribed　approvals　by　the　Religious　Review　Board。　Ever　resourceful；　the　black　marketers　had　their　own　means　of　counterfeiting　the　approval　marks；　and　had　scribed　them　everywhere；　thus　frustrating　the　controlling　efforts　of　the　occupation　forces。
　Still；　he　dealt　with　the　furtive　salesmen　as　little　as　possible　to　reduce　his　own　risk　of　being　caught。。。but　that　also　limited　the　number　of　times　he　could　talk　with　his　brother。
　C'TAIR　STOOD　BEHIND　a　barricade　with　other　restless；　sweaty　people　who　studiously　refused　to　recognize　each　other。　He　looked　out　across　the　sprawling　grotto　floor　to　the　construction　yards　where　the　skeleton　of　the　partially　built　Heighliner　sat。　Overhead；　portions　of　the　projected　sky　remained　dark　and　damaged；　and　the　Tleilaxu　showed　no　inclination　to　repair　it。
　Suspensor…borne　searchlights　and　speakers　hovered　over　the　crowd　as　the　gathered　people　waited　for　an　announcement　and　further　instructions。　No　one　wanted　to　ask；　and　no　one　wanted　to　hear。
　〃This　Heighliner　is　of　an　unapproved　Vernius　design；〃　the　floating　speakers　boomed　in　a　sexless　voice　that　resonated　against　the　rock　walls；　〃and　does　not　meet　the　standards　of　the　Religious　Review　Board。　Your　Tleilaxu　masters　are　returning　to　the　previous　design；　so　this　craft　is　to　be　dismantled　immediately。〃
　A　soft　susurration　of　dismay　crept　across　the　crowd。
　〃Raw　materials　are　to　be　salvaged　and　new　work　crews　established。　Construction　begins　again　in　five　days。〃
　C'tair's　mind　whirled　as　maroon…robed　organizers　marched　through　the　crowds；　assigning　teams。　As　the　son　of　an　ambassador　he'd　had　access　to　information　that　had　not　been　available　to　others　of　his　age。　He　knew　the　old…style　Heighliners　had　a　significantly　smaller　cargo　capacity　and　operated　less　efficiently。　But　what　possible　religious　objection　could　the　invaders　have　to　increased　profits？　What　did　the　Tleilaxu　have　to　gain　from　less　efficient　space　transport？
　Then　he　remembered　a　story　that　his　ambassador　father　had　told　back　in　a　time　of　smug　assurance；　that　old　Emperor　Elrood　had　been　displeased　with　the　innovation；　since　it　curtailed　his　tariff　revenue。　Pieces　began　to　fit　into　place。　House　Corrino　had　provided　disguised　Sardaukar　troops　to　maintain　an　iron　grip　on　the　Ixian　population；　and　C'tair　realized　that　reverting　to　the　old　Heighliner　design　might　be　how　the　Tleilaxu　intended　to　repay　the　Emperor　for　his　military　support。
　Wheels　within　wheels　within　wheels。。。
　He　felt　sick　inside。　If　true；　it　was　such　a　petty　reason　for　so　many　lives　to　have　been　lost；　for　the　glorious　traditions　of　Ix　to　have　been　destroyed；　for　the　overthrow　of　an　entire　noble　family　and　a　planetary　way　of　life。　He　was　angry　with　everyone　involved　　even　with　Earl　Vernius；　who　should　have　foreseen　this　and　taken　steps　not　to　create　such　powerful　enemies。
　The　call　to　work　came　across　the　PA　system；　and　C'tair　was　assigned　to　join　suboid　crews　as　they　dismantled　the　partially　finished　ship　and　salvaged　its　parts　in　the　grotto　yard。　Struggling　to　maintain　a　bland　expression　on　his　face　as　he　wielded　a　construction　laser　to　sever　ponents；　he　wiped　sweat　from　his　dark　hair。　He　wished　instead　that　he　could　use　the　laser　to　attack　the　Tleilaxu。　Other　teams　hauled　the　girders　and　plates　away；　stacking　them　for　the　next　assembly　project。
　With　ringing　and　clanging　all　around　him；　C'tair　recalled　a　better；　more　ordered　time；　when　he'd　stood　with　D'murr　and　Kailea　on　the　observation　deck　above。　So　long　ago；　it　seemed。　They　had　watched　a　Navigator　guide　the　last　new　Heighliner　out　of　the　grotto。　Perhaps　it　would　be　the　last　such　ship　ever　built。。。unless　C'tair　could　help　overthrow　these　destroyers。
　The　magnificent　ship　gradually　fell　to　pieces；　and　the　echoing　sounds　and　chemical　smells　were　horrific。　Did　suboids　work　this　way　all　the　time？　If　so；　he　could　begin　to　imagine　how　they　might　have　been　dissatisfied　enough　to　consider　a　rebellion。　But　C'tair　could　not　believe　the　violence　had　been　entirely　at　the　workers'　instigation。
　Had　this　all　been　part　of　the　Emperor's　plan？　To　destroy　House　Vernius　and　quash　progress？　Where　and　how　the　Bene　Tleilax　came　into　play　in　the　scheme　of　influences；　C'tair　wasn't　certain。　Of　all　races；　these　were　the　most　hated　people　in　the　known　galaxy。　Surely；　Elrood　could　have　found　any　number　of　Great　Houses　to　take　over　the　operations　on　Ix　without　disrupting　the　economics　of　the　Imperium。　What　else　could　the　Padishah　Emperor　have　in　mind　for　these　religious　fanatics？　Why　would　he　dirty　his　hands　with　them？
　In　disgust；　C'tair　watched　other　changes　in　the　grotto；　facilities　being　modified；　as　he　continued　the　work　of　dismantling　the　Heighliner。　The　new　Tleilaxu　overlords　were　busy　little　creatures；　always　hurrying　about　in　a　mysterious　manner；　setting　up　clandestine　operations　in　the　largest　structures　on　Ix；　locking　formerly　open　facilities；　shuttering　windows；　erecting　stun…fences　and　minefields。　Keeping　their　filthy　little　secrets。
　C'tair　took　it　as　his　mission　to　learn　all　those　secrets；　by　whatever　means　necessary；　however　long　it　might　take　him。　The　Tleilaxu　must　fall。。。。
　The　ultimate　question：　Why　does　life　exist？　The　answer：　For　life's　sake。
　…ANONYMOUS；　thought　to　be　of　Zensunni　origin
　Two　Reverend　Mothers　stood　talking　on　a　treeless　knoll：　one　old；　one　young。　Behind　clouds；　the　waning　sun；　Laoujin；　threw　the　long　shadows　of　their　hooded　black　robes　down　the　slope。　Over　the　centuries　an　untold　number　of　other　Reverend　Mothers　had　stood　on　the　same　spot；　under　the　same　sun；　discussing　grave　matters　relevant　to　their　times。
　If　the　two　women　wished；　they　could　revisit　those　past　crises　through　Other　Memory。　The　Reverend　Mother　Anirul　Sadow　Tonkin　made　such　thought…journeys　more　than　most；　each　circumstance　was　just　another　minor　step　along　the　long；　long　road。　Over　the　past　year　she　had　let　her　bronze…brown　hair　grow　long；　until　its　locks　hung　down　to　her　narrow　chin。
　At　the　base　of　the　knoll　a　whitecrete　building　was　under　construction。　Like　worker　bees；　female　laborers；　each　one　with　an　entire　blueprint　in　her　mind；　operated　heavy　equipment；　preparing　to　lift　roof　modules　into　place。　To　the　rare　outside　observer；　Wallach　IX　with　its　Bene　Gesserit　libraries　and　schools　seemed　always　the　same；　but　the　Sisterhood　was　ever　adapting　for　survival；　ever　changing；　ever　growing。
　〃They're　working　too　slowly。　I　wanted　them　finished　already；〃　Anirul　said；　rubbing　her　forehead；　she　had　been　experiencing　chronic　headaches　of　late。　As　Mohiam　came　closer　to　term；　Anirul's　responsibilities　as　Kwisatz　Mother　were　tremendous。　〃Do　you　realize　how　few　days　remain　until　the　baby　is　due？〃
　〃Blame　no　one　but　yourself；　Anirul。　You　demanded　that　this　be　no　ordinary　birthing　facility；〃　Mother　Superior　Harishka　said　sternly。　The　Kwisatz　Mother　flushed　and　looked　away。　〃Every　Sister　knows　how　important　it　is。　Many　of　them　suspect　this　is　not　just　another　child　to　be　lost　in　the　web　of　our　breeding　programs。　A　few　have　even　been　talking　about　the　Kwisatz　Haderach。〃
　Anirul　tucked　a　loose　strand　of　bronze　hair　behind　her　ear。　Unavoidable。　All　the　Sisters　know　of　our　dream；　but　few　suspect　how　close　it　is　to　reality。〃　She　shifted　her　skirts　around　her　and　sat　down　on　the　soft　grass　of　the　knoll。　She　gestured　toward　the　construction　where　the　sound