fh.godemperorofdune-第25部分

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　〃So　soon；　Lord？〃
　〃It　is　still　known　that　melange　can　extend　human　life。　Let　it　also　be　known　that　the　spice　can　shorten　life。〃
　〃As　you　mand；　Lord。〃
　Moneo　knew　this　response　in　'himself；　It　was　the　way　he　spoke　when　he　could　not　voice　a　deep　objection　which　he　felt。　He　also　knew　that　the　Lord　Leto　understood　this　and　was　amused　by　it。　The　amusement　rankled。
　〃Try　not　to　be　impatient　with　me；　Moneo；〃　Leto　said。
　Moneo　suppressed　his　feeling　of　bitterness。　Bitterness　brought　peril。　Rebels　were　bitter。　The　Duncans　grew　bitter　before　they　died。
　〃Time　has　a　different　meaning　for　you　than　it　has　for　me；　Lord；〃　Moneo　said。　〃I　wish　I　could　know　that　meaning。〃
　〃You　could　but　you　will　not。〃
　Moneo　heard　rebuke　in　the　words　and　fell　silent；　turning　his　thoughts　instead　to　the　melange　problems。　It　was　not　often　that　the　Lord　Leto　spoke　of　the　spice；　and　then　it　usually　was　to　set　allotments　or　withdraw　them；　to　apportion　rewards　or　send　the　Fish　Speakers　after　some　newly　revealed　hoard。　The　greatest　remaining　store　of　spice；　Moneo　knew；　lay　in　some　place　known　only　to　the　God　Emperor。　In　his　first　days　of　Royal　Service；　Moneo　had　been　covered　in　a　hood　and　led　by　the　Lord　Leto　himself　to　that　secret　place　along　twisting　passages　which　Moneo　had　sensed　were　underground。
　When　I　removed　the　hood；　we　were　underground。
　The　place　had　filled　Moneo　with　awe。　Great　bins　of　melange　lay　all　around　in　a　gigantic　room　cut　from　native　rock　and　illuminated　by　glowglobes　of　an　ancient　design　with　arabesques　of　metal　scrollwork　upon　them。　The　spice　had　glowed　radiant　blue　in　the　dim　silver　light。　And　the　smell…bitter　cinnamon；　unmistakable。　There　had　been　water　dripping　nearby。　Their　voices　had　echoed　against　the　stone。
　〃One　day　all　of　this　will　be　gone；〃　the　Lord　Leto　had　said。
　Shocked；　Moneo　had　asked：　〃What　will　Guild　and　Bene　Gesserit　do　then？〃
　〃What　they　are　doing　now；　but　more　violently。〃
　Staring　around　the　gigantic　room　with　its　enormous　store　of　melange；　Moneo　cold　only　think　of　things　he　knew　were　happening　in　the　Empire　at　that　moment…bloody　assassinations；　piratical　raids；　spying　and　intrigue。　The　God　Emperor　kept　a　lid　on　the　worst　of　it；　but　what　remained　was　bad　enough；
　〃The　temptation；〃　Moneo　whispered。
　〃The　temptation；　indeed。〃
　〃Will　there　be　no　more　melange；　ever；　Lord'？〃
　〃Someday；　I　will　go　back　into　the　sand。　I　will　be　the　source　of　spice　then。〃
　〃You；　Lord？〃
　〃And　I　will　produce　something　just　as　wonderful…more　sandtrout…a　hybrid　and　a　prolific　breeder。〃
　Trembling　at　this　revelation；　Moneo　stared　at　the　shadowy　figure　of　the　God　Emperor　who　spoke　of　such　marvels。
　〃The　sandtrout；〃　Lord　Leto　said；　〃will　link　themselves　into　large　living　bubbles　to　enclose　this　planet's　water　deep　underground。　Just　as　it　was　in　the　Dune　times。〃
　〃All　of　the　water；　Lord？〃
　〃Most　of　it。　Within　three　hundred　years；　the　sandworm　once　more　will　reign　here。　It　will　be　a　new　kind　of　sandworm；　I　promise　you。〃
　〃How　is　that；　Lord？〃
　〃It　will　have　animal　awareness　and　a　new　cunning。　The　spice　will　be　more　dangerous　to　seek　and　far　more　perilous　to　keep。〃
　Moneo　had　looked　up　at　the　cavern's　rocky　ceiling；　his　imagination　probing　through　the　rock　to　the　surface。
　〃Everything　desert　again；　Lord？〃
　〃Watercourses　will　fill　with　sand。　Crops　will　be　choked　and　killed。　Trees　will　be　covered　by　great　moving　dunes。　The　sand…death　will　spread　until。。。until　a　subtle　signal　is　heard　in　the　barren　lands。〃
　〃What　signal；　Lord？〃
　〃The　signal　for　the　next　cycle；　the　ing　of　the　Maker；　the　ing　of　Shai…Hulud。〃
　〃Will　that　be　you；　Lord？〃
　〃Yes！　The　great　sandworm　of　Dune　will　rise　once　more　from　the　deeps。　This　land　will　be　again　the　domain　of　spice　and　worm。〃
　〃But　what　of　the　people；　Lord？　All　of　the　people？〃
　〃Many　will　die。　Food　plants　and　the　abundant　growth　of　this　land　will　be　parched。　Without　nourishment；　meat　animals　will　die。〃
　〃Will　everyone　go　hungry；　Lord？〃
　〃Undernourishment　and　the　old　diseases　will　stalk　the　land；　while　only　the　hardiest　survive。。。the　hardiest　and　most　brutal。〃
　〃Must　that　be；　Lord？〃
　〃The　alternatives　are　worms'
　〃Teach　me　about　those　alternatives；　Lord。〃
　〃In　time；　you　will　know　them。〃
　As　he　marched　beside　the　God　Emperor　in　the　morning　light　of　their　peregrination　to　Onn；　Moneo　could　only　admit　that　he　had；　indeed；　learned　of　alternative　evils。
　To　most　of　the　Empire's　docile　citizens；　Moneo　knew；　the　firm　knowledge　which　he　held　in　his　own　head　lay　concealed　in　the　Oral　History；　in　the　myths　and　wild　stories　told　by　infrequent　mad　prophets　who　cropped　up　on　one　planet　or　another　to　gather　a　short…lived　following。
　But　l　know　what　the　Fish　Speakers　do。
　And　he　knew　also　about　evil　men　who　sat　at　table；　gorging　themselves　on　rare　delicacies　while　they　watched　the　torture　of　fellow　humans。
　Until　the　Fish　Speakers　came；　and　gore　erased　such　scenes。
　〃I　enjoyed　the　way　your　daughter　watched　me；〃　Leto　said。　〃She　was　so　unaware　that　I　knew。〃
　〃Lord；　I　fear　for　her！　She　is　my　blood；　my。　。　。
　〃Mine；　too；　Moneo。　Am　I　not　Atreides？　You　would　be　better　employed　fearing　for　yourself。〃
　Moneo　cast　a　fearful　glance　along　the　God　Emperor's　body。　The　signs　of　the　Worm　remained　too　near。　Moneo　glanced　at　the　cortege　following；　then　along　the　road　ahead。　They　now　were　into　the　steep　descent；　the　switchbacks　short　and　cut　into　high　walls　in　the　man…piled　rocks　of　the　cliff　barrier　which　girdled　the　Sareer。
　〃Siona　does　not　offend　me；　Moneo。〃
　〃But　she。　。　。
　〃Moneo！　Here；　in　its　mysterious　capsule　is　one　of　life's　great　secrets。　To　be　surprised；　to　have　a　new　thing　occur；　that　is　what　I　desire　most。〃
　〃Lord；　I。。。〃
　〃New！　Isn't　that　a　radiant；　a　wonderful　word？〃
　〃If　you　say　it；　Lord。〃
　Leto　was　forced　to　remind　himself　then：　Moneo　is　my　creature。　I　created　him。
　〃Your　child　is　worth　almost　any　price　to　me。　Moneo。　You　decry　her　panions；　but　there　may　be　one　among　them　that　she　will　love。〃
　Moneo　cast　an　involuntary　glance　back　at　Duncan　Idaho　marching　with　the　guards。　Idaho　was　glaring　ahead　as　though　trying　to　probe　each　turn　in　the　road　before　they　reached　it。　He　did　not　like　this　place　with　its　high　walls　all　around　from　which　attack　might　e。　Idaho　had　sent　scouts　up　there　in　the　night　and　Moneo　knew　that　some　of　them　still　lurked　on　the　heights；　but　there　also　were　ravines　ahead　before　the　marchers　reached　the　river。　And　there　had　not　been　enough　guards　to　station　them　everywhere。
　〃We　will　depend　upon　the　Fremen；〃　Moneo　had　reassured　him。
　〃Fremen？〃　Idaho　did　not　like　what　he　heard　about　the　Museum　Fremen。
　〃At　least　they　can　sound　an　alarm　against　intruders；〃　Moneo　had　said。
　〃You　saw　them　and　asked　them　to　do　that？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　Moneo　had　not　dared　to　broach　the　subject　of　Siona　to　Idaho。　Time　enough　for　that　later；　but　now　the　God　Emperor　had　said　a　disturbing　thing。　Had　there　been　a　change　in　plans？
　Moneo　returned　his　attention　to　the　God　Emperor　and　lowered　his　voice。
　〃Love　a　panion；　Lord'？　But　you　said　the　Duncan。　。　。〃
　〃I　said　love；　not　breed　with！〃
　Moneo　trembled；　thinking　of　how　his　own　mating　had　been　arranged；　the　wrenching　away　from　。　。　。
　No！　Best　not　follow　those　memories！
　There　had　been　affection；　even　a　real　love。。。later；　but　in　the　first　days　。　。　。
　〃You　are　woolgathering　again；　Moneo。〃
　〃Forgive　me；　Lord；　but　when　you　speak　of　love。　。　。〃
　〃You　think　I　have　no　tender　thoughts'！〃
　〃It's　not　that；　Lord；　but。　。　。〃
　〃You　think　I　have　no　memories　of　love　and　breeding；　then？〃　The　cart　swerved　toward　Moneo；　forcing　him　to　dodge　away；　frightened　by　the　glowering　look　on　the　Lord　Leto's　face。
　〃Lord；　I　beg　your。　。　。〃
　〃This　body　may　never　have　known　such　tenderness；　but　all　of　the　memories　are　mine！〃
　Moneo　could　see　the　signs　of　the　Worm　growing　more　dominant　in　the　God　Emperor's　body　and　there　was　no　escaping　recognition　of　this　mood。
　I　am　in　grave　danger。　We　all　are。
　Moneo　grew　aware　of　every　sound　around　him；　the　creaking　of　the　Royal　Cart；　the　coughs　and　low　conversation　from　the　entourage；　the　feet　on　the　roadway。　There　was　an　exhalation　of　cinnamon　from　the　God　Emperor。　The　air　here　between　the　enclosing　rock　walls　still　held　its　morning　chill　and　there　was　dampness　from　the　river。
　Was　it　the　moisture　bringing　out　the　Worm？
　〃Listen　to　me；　Moneo；　as　though　your　life　depended　on　it。〃
　〃Yes；　Lord；〃　Moneo　whispered；　and　he　knew　his　life　did　depend　on　the　care　he　took　now；　not　only　in　listening　but　in　observing。
　〃Part　of　me　dwells　forever　underground　without　thought；〃　Leto　said。　〃That　part　reacts。　It　does　things　without　a　care　for　knowing　or　logic。〃
　Moneo　nodded。　his　attention　glued　on　the　God　Emperor's　face。　Were　the　eyes　about　to　glaze？
　〃I　am　forced　to　stand　off　and　watch　such　things；　nothing　more；〃　Leto　said。　〃Such　a　reaction　could　cause　your　death。　The　choice　is　not　mine。　Do　you　hear？〃
　〃　I　hear　you；　Lord；〃　Moneo　whispered。
　〃There　is　no　such　thing　as　choice　in　such　an　event！　You　accept　it。　merely　accept　it。　You　will　never　understand　it　or　know　it。　What　do　you　say　to　that'？〃
　〃I　fear　the　unknown；　Lord。〃
　〃But　I　don't　fear　it。　Tell　me　why！〃
　Moneo　had　been　expecting　a　crisis　such　as　this　and；　now　that　it　had　e；　he　almost　weled　it。　He　knew　that　his　lif