fh.godemperorofdune-第13部分

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　Nayla　released　his　arm。　Topri　rubbed　the　place　where　she　had　gripped　him。　〃Surely　you　don't。　。　。〃
　〃Leave　while　you　can　and　never　e　back；〃　Siona　said。
　〃You　can't　possibly　mean　that　you　sus。　。　。〃
　〃I　told　you　to　leave！　You　are　clumsy；　Topri。　I　have　been　in　the　Fish　Speaker　schools　for　most　of　my　life。　They　taught　me　to　recognize　clumsiness。〃
　〃Kobat　is　leaving。　What　harm　was　there　in。　。　。〃
　〃He　not　only　knew　me；　he　knew　what　I　had　stolen　from　the　Citadel！　But　he　did　not　know　that　I　would　send　that　package　to　Ix　with　him。　Your　actions　have　told　me　that　the　Worm　wants　me　to　send　those　volumes　to　Ix！〃
　Topri　backed　away　from　Siona　toward　the　door。　Anouk　and　Taw　opened　a　passage　for　him；　swung　the　door　wide。　Siona　followed　him　with　her　voice。
　〃Do　not　argue　that　it　was　the　Worm　who　spoke　of　me　and　my　package　to　Kobat！　The　Worm　does　not　send　clumsy　messages。　Tell　him　I　said　that！〃
　
　Some　say　I　have　no　conscience。　How　false　they　are；　even　to　themselves。　I　am　the　only　conscience　which　has　ever　existed。　As　wine　retains　the　perfume　of　its　cask；　I　retain　the　essence　of　my　most　ancient　genesis；　and　that　is　the　seed　of　conscience。　That　is　what　makes　me　holy。　I　am　God　because　I　am　the　only　one　who　really　knows　his　heredity！
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　The　Inquisitors　of　Ix　having　assembled　in　the　Grand　Palais　with　the　candidate　for　Ambassador　to　the　Court　of　the　Lord　Leto；　the　following　questions　and　answers　were　recorded：
　INQUISITOR：　You　indicate　that　you　wish　to　speak　to　us　of　the　Lord　Leto's　motives。　Speak。
　HWI　NOREE：　Your　Formal　Analyses　do　not　satisfy　the　questions　I　would　raise。
　INQUISITOR：　What　questions'？
　HWI　NOREE：　I　ask　myself　what　would　motivate　the　Lord　Leto　to　accept　this　hideous　transformation；　this　worm…body；　this　loss　of　his　humanity？　You　suggest　merely　that　he　did　it　for　power　and　for　long　life。
　INQUISITOR：　Are　those　not　enough？
　HWI　NOREE：　Ask　yourselves　if　one　of　you　would　make　such　payment　for　so　paltry　a　return？
　INQUISITOR：　From　your　infinite　wisdom　then；　tell　us　why　the　Lord　Leto　chose　to　bee　a　worm。
　HWI　NOREE：　Does　anyone　here　doubt　his　ability　to　predict　the　future？
　INQUISITOR：　Now　then！　Is　that　not　payment　enough　for　his　transformation？
　HWI　NOREE：　But　he　already　had　the　prescient　ability　as　did　his　father　before　him。　No！　I　propose　that　he　made　this　desperate　choice　because　he　saw　in　our　future　something　that　only　such　a　sacrifice　would　prevent。
　INQUISITOR：　What　was　this　peculiar　thing　which　only　he　saw　in　our　future？
　HWI　NOREE：　I　do　not　know；　but　I　propose　to　discover　it。
　INQUISITOR：　You　make　the　tyrant　appear　a　selfless　servant　of　the　people！
　HWI　NOREE：　Was　that　not　a　prominent　characteristic　of　his　Atreides　Family'？　
　INQUISITOR：　So　the　official　histories　would　have　us　believe。
　HWI　NOREE：　The　Oral　History　affirms　it。
　INQUISITOR：　What　other　good　character　would　you　give　to　the　tyrant　Worm？
　HWI　NOREE：　Good　character；　sirra？
　INQUISITOR：　Character；　then？
　HWI　NOREE：　My　Uncle　Malky　often　said　that　the　Lord　Leto　was　given　to　moods　of　great　tolerance　for　selected　panions。
　INQUISITOR：　Other　panions　he　executes　for　no　apparent　reason。
　HWI　NOREE：　I　think　there　are　reasons　and　my　Uncle　Malky　deduced　some　of　those　reasons。
　INQUISITOR：　Give　us　one　such　deduction。
　HWI　NOREE：　Clumsy　threats　to　his　person。
　INQUISITOR：　Clumsy　threats　now！
　HWI　NOREE：　And　he　does　not　tolerate　pretensions。　Recall　the　execution　of　the　historians　and　the　destruction　of　their　works。
　INQUISITOR：　He　does　not　want　the　truth　known！
　HWI　NOREE：　He　told　my　Uncle　Malky　that　they　lied　about　the　past。　And　mark　you！　Who　would　know　this　better　than　he？　We　all　know　the　subject　of　his　introversion。
　INQUISITOR：　What　proof　have　we　that　all　of　his　ancestors　live　in　him？
　HWI　NOREE：　I　will　not　enter　that　bootless　argument。　I　will　merely　say　that　I　believe　it　on　the　evidence　of　my　Uncle　Malky's　belief；　and　his　reasons　for　that　belief。
　INQUISITOR：　We　have　read　your　uncle's　reports　and　interpret　them　otherwise。　Malky　was　overly　fond　of　the　Worm。
　HWI　NOREE：　My　uncle　accounted　him　the　most　supremely　artful　diplomat　in　the　Empire；　a　master　conversationalist　and　expert　in　any　subject　you　could　name。
　INQUISITOR：　Did　your　uncle　not　speak　of　the　Worm's　brutality？
　HWI　NOREE：　My　uncle　judged　him　ultimately　civilized。
　INQUISITOR：　I　asked　about　brutality。
　HWI　NOREE：　Capable　of　brutality；　yes。
　INQUISITOR：　Your　uncle　feared　him。
　HWI　NOREE：　The　Lord　Leto　lacks　all　innocence　and　naivetй。　He　is　to　be　feared　only　when　he　pretends　these　traits。　That　was　what　my　uncle　said。
　INQUISITOR：　Those　were　his　words；　yes。
　HWI　NOREE：　More　than　that！　Malky　said；　〃The　Lord　Leto　delights　in　the　surprising　genius　and　diversity　of　humankind。　He　is　my　favorite　panion。〃
　INQUISITOR：　Giving　us　the　benefit　of　your　supreme　wisdom；　how　do　you　interpret　these　words　of　your　uncle？
　HWI　NOREE：　Do　not　mock　me！
　INQUISITOR：　We　do　not　mock。　We　seek　enlightenment。
　HWI　NOREE：　These　words　of　Malky；　and　many　other　things　that　he　wrote　directly　to　me；　suggest　that　the　Lord　Leto　is　always　seeking　after　newness　and　originality　but　that　he　is　wary　of　the　destructive　potential　in　such　things。　So　my　uncle　believed。
　INQUISITOR：　Is　there　more　which　you　wish　to　add　to　these　beliefs　which　you　share　with　your　uncle？
　HWI　NOREE：　I　see　no　point　in　adding　to　what　I've　already　said。　I　am　sorry　to　have　wasted　the　Inquisitors'　time。
　INQUISITOR：　But　you　have　not　wasted　our　time。　You　are　confirmed　as　Ambassador　to　the　Court　of　Lord　Leto；　the　God　Emperor　of　the　known　universe。
　
　You　must　remember　that　I　have　at　my　internal　demand　every　expertise　known　to　our　history。　This　is　the　fund　of　energy　I　…draw　upon　when　I　address　the　mentality　of　war。　If　you　have　not　heard　the　moaning　cries　of　the　wounded　and　the　dying；　you　do　not　know　about　war。　I　have　heard　those　cries　in　such　numbers　that　they　haunt　me。　I　have　cried　out　myself　in　the　aftermath　of　battle。　I　have　suffered　wounds　in　every　epoch…wounds　from　fist　and　club　and　rock；　from　shell…studded　limb　and　bronze　sword；　from　the　mace　and　the　cannon；　from　arrows　and　lasguns　and　the　silent　smothering　of　atomic　dust；　from　biological　invasions　which　blacken　the　tongue　and　drown　the　lungs；　from　the　swift　gush　of　flame　and　the　silent　working　of　slow　poisons。　。　。　and　more　I　will　not　recount！　I　have　seen　and　felt　them　all。　To　those　who　dare　ask　why　I　behave　as　I　do；　I　say：　With　my　memories；　I　can　do　nothing　else。　I　am　not　a　coward　and　once　I　was　human。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　IN　THE　warm　season　when　the　satellite　weather　controllers　were　forced　to　contend　with　winds　across　the　great　seas；　evening　often　saw　rainfall　at　the　edges　of　the　Sareer。　Moneo；　ing　in　from　one　of　his　periodic　inspections　of　the　Citadel's　perimeter；　was　caught　in　a　sudden　shower。　Night　fell　before　he　reached　shelter。　A　Fish　Speaker　guard　helped　him　out　of　his　damp　cloak　at　the　south　portal。　She　was　a　heavyset；　blocky　woman　with　a　square　face；　a　type　Leto　favored　for　his　guardians。
　〃Those　damned　weather　controllers　should　be　made　to　shape　up；〃　she　said　as　she　handed　him　his　damp　cloak。
　Moneo　gave　her　a　curt　nod　before　beginning　the　climb　to　his　quarters。　All　of　the　Fish　Speaker　guards　knew　the　God　Emperor's　aversion　to　moisture；　but　none　of　them　made　Moneo's　distinction。
　It　is　the　Worm　who　hates　water；　Moneo　thought。　Shai…Hulud　hungers　for　Dune。
　In　his　quarters；　Moneo　dried　himself　and　changed　to　dry　clothing　before　descending　to　the　crypt。　There　was　no　point　in　inviting　the　Worm's　antagonism。　Uninterrupted　conversation　with　Leto　was　required　now；　plain　talk　about　the　impending　peregrination　to　the　Festival　City　of　Onn。
　Leaning　against　a　wall　of　the　descending　lift；　Moneo　closed　his　eyes。　Immediately；　fatigue　swept　over　him。　He　knew　he　had　not　slept　enough　in　days　and　there　was　no　let　up　in　sight。　He　envied　Leto's　apparent　freedom　from　the　need　for　sleep。　A　few　hours　of　semi　repose　a　month　appeared　to　be　sufficient　for　the　God　Emperor。
　The　smell　of　the　crypt　and　the　stopping　of　the　lift　jarred　Moneo　from　his　catnap。　He　opened　his　eyes　and　looked　out　at　the　God　Emperor　on　his　cart　in　the　center　of　the　great　chamber。　Moneo　posed　himself　and　strode　out　for　the　familiar　long　walk　into　the　terrible　presence。　As　expected；　Leto　appeared　alert。　That；　at　least；　was　a　good　sign。
　Leto　had　heard　the　lift　approaching　and　saw　Moneo　awaken。　The　man　looked　tired　and　that　was　understandable。　The　peregrination　to　Onn　was　at　hand　with　all　of　the　tiresome　business　of　off…planet　visitors；　the　ritual　with　the　Fish　Speakers；　the　new　ambassadors；　the　changing　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　the　retirements　and　the　appointments；　and　now　a　new　Duncan　Idaho　ghola　to　fit　into　the　smooth　working　of　the　Imperial　apparatus。　Moneo　was　occupied　with　mounting　details　and　he　was　beginning　to　show　his　age。
　Let　me　see；　Leto　thought。　Moneo　will　be　one　hundred　and　eighteen　years　old　in　the　week　after　our　return　from　Onn。
　The　man　could　live　many　times　that　long　if　he　would　take　the　spice；　but　he　refused。　Leto　had　no　doubt　of　the　reason。　Moneo　had　entered　that　peculiar　human　state　where　he　longed　for　death。　He　lingered　now　only　to　see　Siona　installed　in　the　Royal　Service；　the　next　director　of　the　Imperial　Society