fh.godemperorofdune-第37部分

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ignored。　He　was　undoubtedly　the　most　devious　creature　the　universe　had　ever　spawned。Leto　scowled　at　Luyseyal；　knowing　he　could　only　add　to　their　confusion。　〃I　point　out　to　you；　Marcus　Claire　Luyseyal；　a　lesson　from　past　over…machined　societies　which　you　appear　not　to　have　learned。　The　devices　themselves　condition　the　users　to　employ　each　other　the　way　they　employ　machines。〃
　He　turned　his　attention　to　Moneo。　〃Moneo？〃
　〃I　see　him；　Lord。〃
　Moneo　craned　his　neck　to　peer　over　the　Bene　Gesserit　entourage。　Duncan　Idaho　had　entered　the　far　portal；　and　strode　across　the　open　floor　of　the　chamber　toward　Leto。　Moneo　did　not　relax　his　wariness；　his　distrust　of　the　Bene　Gesserit；　but　he　recognized　the　nature　of　Leto's　lecture。　He　is　testing；　always　testing。
　Anteac　cleared　her　throat。　〃Lord；　what　of　our　reward？〃
　〃You　are　brave；〃　Leto　said。　〃No　doubt　that's　why　you　were　chosen　for　this　Embassy。　Very　well；　for　the　next　decade　I　will　continue　your　spice　allotment　at　its　present　level。　As　for　the　rest；　I　will　ignore　what　you　really　intended　with　the　spice　essence。　Am　I　not　generous？〃
　〃Most　generous；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said；　and　there　was　not　the　slightest　hint　of　bitterness　in　her　voice。
　Duncan　Idaho　brushed　past　the　women　then　and　stopped　beside　Moneo　to　peer　up　at　Leto。　〃M'Lord；　there's。　。　。〃　He　broke　off　and　glanced　at　the　two　Reverend　Mothers。
　〃Speak　openly；〃　Leto　manded。
　〃Yes；　m'Lord。〃　There　was　reluctance　in　him；　but　he　obeyed。
　〃We　were　attacked　at　the　southeast　edge　of　the　City；　a　distraction　I　believe　because　there　now　are　reports　of　more　violence　in　the　City　and　in　the　Forbidden　Forest…many　scattered　raiding　parties。〃
　〃They　are　hunting　my　wolves；〃　Leto　said。　〃In　the　forest　and　in　the　City；　they　are　hunting　my　wolves。〃
　Idaho's　brows　contracted　into　a　puzzled　frown。　〃Wolves　in　the　City；　m'Lord？〃
　〃Predators；〃　Leto　said。　〃Wolves…to　me　there　is　no　essential　difference。〃
　Moneo　gasped。
　Leto　smiled　at　him；　thinking　how　beautiful　it　was　to　observe　a　moment　of　realization…a　veil　pulled　away　from　the　eyes；　the　mind　opened。
　〃I　have　brought　a　large　force　of　guards　to　protect　this　place；〃　Idaho　said。　〃They　are　posted　through　the。　。　。〃
　〃I　knew　you　would；〃　Leto　said。　〃Now　pay　close　attention　while　I　tell　you　where　to　send　the　rest　of　your　forces。〃
　As　the　Reverend　Mothers　watched　in　awe；　Leto　laid　out　for　Idaho　the　exact　points　for　ambushes；　detailing　the　size　of　each　force　and　even　some　of　the　specific　personnel；　the　timing；　the　necessary　weapons；　the　precise　deployments　at　each　place。　Idaho's　capacious　memory　catalogued　each　instruction。　He　was　too　caught　up　in　the　recital　to　question　it　until　Leto　fell　silent；　but　a　look　of　puzzled　fear　came　over　Idaho　then。
　For　Leto；　it　was　as　though　he　peered　directly　into　Idaho's　most　essential　awareness　to　read　the　thoughts　there。　l　was　a　trusted　soldier　of　the　original　Lord　Leto；　Idaho　was　thinking。　That　Leto；　the　grandfather　of　this　one；　。saved　me　and　took　me　into　his　household　like　a　sun。　But　even　though　that　Leto　still　has　some　kind　of　existence　in　this　one。。。this　is　not　him。
　〃M'Lord；　why　do　you　need　me？〃　Idaho　asked。
　〃For　your　strength　and　loyalty。〃
　Idaho　shook　his　head。　〃But。。。〃
　〃You　obey；〃　Leto　said；　and　he　noted　the　way　these　words　were　being　absorbed　by　the　Reverend　Mothers。　Truth；　only　truth；　for　they　are　Truthsayers。
　〃Because　I　owe　a　debt　to　the　Atreides；〃　Idaho　said。
　〃That　is　where　we　place　our　trust；〃　Leto　said。　〃And　Duncan？〃
　〃M'Lord？〃　Idaho's　voice　said　he　had　found　ground　where　he　could　stand。
　〃Leave　at　least　one　survivor　at　each　place；〃　Leto　said。　〃Otherwise；　our　efforts　are　wasted。〃
　Idaho　nodded　once；　curtly；　and　left；　striding　back　across　the　hall　the　way　he　had　e。　And　Leto　thought　it　would　take　an　extremely　sensitive　eye　indeed　to　see　that　it　was　a　different　Idaho　leaving；　far　different　from　the　one　who　had　entered。
　Anteac　said：　〃This　es　of　flogging　that　Ambassador。〃
　〃Exactly；〃　Leto　agreed。　〃Recount　this　carefully　to　your　Superior；　the　admirable　Reverend　Mother　Syaksa。　Tell　her　for　me　that　I　prefer　the　pany　of　predators　above　that　of　the　prey。〃　He　glanced　at　Moneo；　who　drew　himself　to　attention。　〃Moneo；　the　wolves　are　gone　from　my　forest。　They　must　be　replaced　by　human　wolves。　See　to　it。〃
　
　The　trance…state　of　prophecy　is　like　no　other　visionary　experience。　It　is　not　a　retreat　from　the　raw　exposure　of　the　senses　（as　are　many　trance…states）　but　an　immersion　in　a　multitude　of　new　movements。　Things　moue。　It　is　an　ultimate　pragmatism　in　the　midst　of　Infinity；　a　demanding　consciousness　where　you　e　at　last　into　the　unbroken　awareness　that　the　universe　moves　of　itself；　that　it　changes；　that　its　rules　change。　that　nothing　remains　permanent　or　absolute　throughout　all　such　movement；　that　mechanical　explanations　for　anything　can　work　only　within　precise　confinements　and；　once　the　walls　are　broken　down；　the　old　explanations　shatter　and　dissolve；　blown　away　by　new　movements。　The　things　you　see　in　this　trance　are　sobering；　often　shattering　They　demand　your　utmost　effort　to　remain　whole　and。　even　so；　you　emerge　from　that　state　profoundly　changed。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　THAT　NIGHT　of　Audience　Day；　while　others　slept　and　fought　and　dreamed　and　died；　Leto　took　his　repose　in　the　isolation　of　his　audience　chamber；　only　a　few　trusted　Fish　Speaker　guards　at　the　portals。
　He　did　not　sleep。　His　mind　whirled　with　necessities　and　disappointments。
　Hwi！　Hwi！
　He　knew　why　Hwi　Noree　had　been　sent　to　him　now。　How　well　he　knew！
　My　most　secret　secret　is　exposed。
　They　had　discovered　his　secret。　Hwi　was　the　evidence　of　it。
　He　thought　desperate　thoughts。　Could　this　terrible　metamorphosis　be　reversed？　Could　he　return　to　a　human　state？
　Not　possible。
　Even　if　it　were　possible；　the　process　would　take　him　just　as　long　as　it　had　taken　to　reach　this　point。　Where　would　Hwi　be　in　more　than　three　thousand　years？　Dry　dust　and　bones　in　the　crypt。
　I　could　breed　something　like　her　and　prepare　that　one　for　me。。。but　that　would　not　be　my　gentle　Hwi。
　And　what　of　the　Golden　Path　while　he　indulged　in　such　selfish　goals？
　To　hell　with　the　Golden　Path！　Have　these　folly…bound　idiots　ever　thought　once　of　me？　Not　once！
　But　that　was　not　true。　Hwi　thought　of　him。　She　shared　his　torture。
　These　were　thoughts　of　madness　and　he　tried　to　put　them　away　while　his　senses　reported　the　soft　movement　of　the　guards　and　the　flow　of　water　beneath　his　chamber。
　When　I　made　this　choice；　what　were　my　expectations？
　How　the　mob　within　laughed　at　that　question！　Did　he　not　have　a　task　to　plete？　Was　that　not　the　very　essence　of　the　agreement　which　kept　the　mob　in　check？
　〃You　have　a　task　to　plete；〃　they　said。　〃You　have　but　one　purpose。〃
　Single　purpose　is　the　mark　of　the　fanatic　and　I　am　not　a　fanatic！
　〃You　must　be　cynical　and　cruel。　You　cannot　break　the　trust。〃
　Why　not？
　〃Who　took　that　oath？　You　did。　You　chose　this　course。〃
　Expectations！
　〃The　expectations　which　history　creates　for　one　generation　are　often　shattered　in　the　next　generation。　Who　knows　that　better　than　you？〃
　Yes。。。and　shattered　expectations　can　alienate　whole　populations。　I　alone　am　a　whole　population！
　〃Remember　your　oath！〃
　Indeed。　I　am　the　disruptive　force　unleashed　across　the　centuries。　I　limit　expectations。。。including　my　own。　I　dampen　the　pendulum。
　〃And　then　release　it。　Never　forget　that。〃
　I　am　tired。　Oh；　how　tired　I　am。　If　only　I　could　。sleep　。　。　really　sleep。　…
　〃You're　full　of　self…pity；　too。〃
　Why　not？　What　am　'　The　ultimate　loner　forced　to　look　at　what　might　have　been。　Every　day　I　look　at　it。。。and　now。　Hwi！　
　〃Your　original　unselfish　choice　fills　you　now　with　selfishness。〃
　There　is　danker　all　around。　I　must　wear　my　selfishness　like　a　。suit　of　armor。
　〃There's　danger　for　everyone　who　touches　you。　Isn't　that　your　very　nature'？〃
　Danger　even　for　Hwi。　Dear；　delectable；　dear　Hwi…
　〃Did　you　build　high　walls　around　you　only　to　sit　within　them　and　indulge　in　self…pity'？〃
　The　walls　were　built　because　great　forces　have　been　unleashed　in　my　Empire。
　〃You　unleashed　them。　Will　you　now　promise　with　them？〃
　It's　Hwi's　doing。　These　feelings　have　never　before　been　this　powerful　in　me。　It's　the　damnable　lxians。'
　〃How　interesting　that　they　should　assault　you　with　flesh　rather　than　with　a　machine。〃
　Because　they　have　discovered　my　secret。
　〃You　know　the　antidote。〃
　Leto's　great　body　trembled　through　its　entire　length　at　this　thought。　He　well　knew　the　antidote　which　had　always　worked　before：　lose　himself　for　a　time　in　his　own　past。　Not　even　the　Bene　Gesserit　Sisters　could　take　such　safaris；　striking　inward　along　the　axis　of　memories…back；　back　to　the　very　limits　of　cellular　awareness；　or　stopping　by　a　wayside　to　revel　in　a　sophisticated　sensory　delight。　Once；　after　the　death　of　a　particularly　superb　Duncan；　he　had　toured　great　musical　performances　preserved　in　his　memories。　Mozart　had　tired　him　quickly。　Pretentious！　But　Bach。。。ahhh；　Bach。
　Leto　remembered　the　joy　of　it。
　I　sat　at　the　organ　and　let　the　music　drench　me。
　Only　three　times　in　all　memory　had　there　been　an　equal　to　Bach。　But　even　Licallo　was　not　better；　as　good；　but　not　better。
　Would　female　intellectuals　be　the　proper　choice　for　this　night？　Grandmother　Jessica　had　been　one　of