fh.godemperorofdune-第49部分

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　〃You　know　how　you　will　die？〃
　〃Not　how。　I　know　only　the　Golden　Path　in　which　it　will　occur。〃
　〃Lord；　I　do　not。　。　。〃
　〃It　is　difficult　to　understand；　I　know。　I　will　die　four　deaths　the　death　of　the　flesh；　the　death　of　the　soul；　the　death　of　the　myth　and　the　death　of　reason。　And　all　of　these　deaths　contain　the　seed　of　resurrection。〃
　〃You　will　return　from。。。〃
　〃The　seeds　will　return。〃
　〃When　you　are　gone；　what　will　happen　to　your　religion？〃
　〃All　religions　are　a　single　munion。　The　spectrum　remains　unbroken　within　the　Golden　Path。　It　is　only　that　humans　see　first　one　part　and　then　another。　Delusions　can　be　called　accidents　of　the　senses。〃
　〃People　will　still　worship　you；〃　she　said。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃But　when　forever　ends；　there　will　be　anger；〃　she　said。　〃There　will　be　denial。　Some　will　say　you　were　just　an　ordinary　tyrant。〃
　〃Delusion；〃　he　agreed。
　A　lump　in　her　throat　prevented　her　from　speaking　for　a　moment；　then：　〃How　does　your　life　and　your　death　change　the。　。　。〃　She　shook　her　head。
　〃Life　will　continue。〃
　〃I　believe　that；　Lord；　but　how？〃
　〃Each　cycle　is　a　reaction　to　the　preceding　cycle。　If　you　think　about　the　shape　of　my　Empire；　then　you　know　the　shape　of　the　next　cycle。〃
　She　looked　away　from　him。　〃Everything　I　learned　about　your　Family　told　me　that　you　would　do　this…〃　she　gestured　blindly　in　his　direction　without　looking　at　him…　〃only　with　a　selfless　motive。　I　do　not　think　I　truly　know　the　shape　of　your　Empire；　though。〃
　〃Leto's　Golden　Peace？〃
　〃There　is　less　peace　than　some　would　have　us　believe；〃　she　said；　looking　back　at　him。
　The　honesty　of　her！　he　thought。　Nothing　deterred　it。
　〃This　is　the　time　of　the　stomach；〃　he　said。　〃This　is　the　time　when　we　expand　as　a　single　cell　expands。〃
　〃But　something　is　missing；〃　she　said。
　She　is　like　the　Duncans；　he　thought。　Something　is　missing　and　they　sense　it　immediately。
　〃The　flesh　grows；　but　the　psyche　does　not　grow；〃　he　said。
　〃The　psyche？〃
　〃That　reflexive　awareness　which　tells　us　how　very　alive　we　can　bee。　You　know　it　well；　Hwi。　It　is　that　sense　which　tells　you　how　to　be　true　to　yourself。〃
　〃Your　religion　is　not　enough；〃　she　said。
　〃No　religion　can　ever　be　enough。　It　is　a　matter　of　choice　a　single；　lonely　choice。　Do　you　understand　now　why　your　friendship　and　your　pany　mean　so　much　to　me？〃
　She　blinked　back　tears；　nodding；　then：　〃Why　don't　people　know　this？〃
　〃Because　the　conditions　don't　permit　it。〃
　〃The　conditions　which　you　dictate？〃
　〃Precisely。　Look　throughout　my　Empire。　Do　you　see　the　shape？〃
　She　closed　her　eyes；　thinking。
　〃One　wishes　to　sit　by　a　river　and　fish　every　day？〃　he　asked。　〃Excellent。　That　is　this　life。　You　desire　to　sail　a　small　boat　across　an　island　sea　and　visit　strangers？　Superb！　What　else　is　there　to　do？〃
　〃Travel　in　space？〃　she　asked　and　there　was　a　defiant　note　in　her　voice。　She　opened　her　eyes。
　〃You　have　observed　that　the　Guild　and　I　do　not　allow　this。〃
　〃You　do　not　allow　it。〃
　〃True。　If　the　Guild　disobeys　me；　it　gets　no　spice。〃
　〃And　holding　people　planet　bound　keeps　them　out　of　mischief。〃
　〃It　does　something　more　important　than　that。　It　fills　them　with　a　longing　to　travel。　It　creates　a　need　to　make　far　voyages　and　see　strange　things。　Eventually；　travel　es　to　mean　freedom。〃
　〃But　the　spice　dwindles；〃　she　said。
　〃And　freedom　bees　more　precious　every　day。〃
　〃This　can　only　lead　to　desperation　and　violence；〃　she　said。
　〃A　wise　man　in　my　ancestry…I　was　actually　that　person；　you　know？　Do　you　understand　that　there　are　no　strangers　in　my　past？〃
　She　nodded；　awed。
　〃This　wise　man　observed　that　wealth　is　a　tool　of　freedom。　But　the　pursuit　of　wealth　is　the　way　to　slavery。〃
　〃The　Guild　and　the　Sisterhood　enslave　themselves！〃
　〃And　the　lxians　and　the　Tleilaxu　and　all　the　others。　Oh；　they　ferret　out　a　bit　of　hidden　melange　from　time　to　time　and　that　keeps　the　attention　fixed。　A　very　interesting　game；　don't　you　think？〃
　〃But　when　the　violence　es。　。　。〃
　〃There　will　be　famines　and　hard　thoughts。〃
　〃Here　on　Arrakis；　too？〃
　〃Here；　there；　everywhere。　People　will　look　back　on　my　tyranny　as　the　good　old　days。　I　will　be　the　mirror　of　their　future。〃
　〃But　it　will　be　terrible！〃　she　objected。
　She　could　have　no　other　reaction；　he　thought。
　He　said：　〃As　the　land　refuses　to　support　the　people；　the　survivors　will　crowd　into　smaller　and　smaller　refuges。　A　terrible　selection　process　will　be　repeated　on　many　worlds…explosive　birthrates　and　dwindling　food。〃
　〃But　couldn't　the　Guild。。　。〃
　〃Me　Guild　will　be　largely　helpless　without　sufficient　melange　to　operate　available　transports。〃
　〃Won't　the　rich　escape？〃
　〃Some　of　them。〃
　〃Then　you　haven't　really　changed　anything。　We　will　just　go　on　struggling　and　dying。〃
　〃Until　the　sandworm　reigns　once　more　on　Arrakis。　We　will　have　tested　ourselves　by　then　with　a　profound　experience　shared　by　all。　We　will　have　learned　that　a　thing　which　can　happen　on　one　planet　can　happen　on　any　planet。〃
　〃So　much　pain　and　death；〃　she　whispered。
　〃Don't　you　understand　about　death？〃　he　asked。　〃You　must　understand。　The　species　must　understand。　All　life　must　understand。〃
　〃Help　me；　Lord；〃　she　whispered。
　〃It　is　the　most　profound　experience　of　any　creature；〃　he　said。　〃Short　of　death　e　the　things　which　risk　and　mirror　it…life…threatening　diseases；　injuries　and　accidents。。。childbirth　for　a　woman。。。and　once　it　was　bat　for　the　males。〃
　〃But　your　Fish　Speakers　are。。　。〃
　〃They　teach　about　survival；〃　he　said。
　Her　eyes　went　wide　with　understanding。　〃The　survivors。　Of　course！〃
　〃How　precious　you　are；〃　he　said。　〃How　rare　and　precious。　Bless　the　lxians！〃
　〃And　curse　them？〃
　〃That；　too。〃
　〃I　did　not　think　I　could　ever　understand　about　your　Fish　Speakers；〃　she　said。
　〃Not　even　Moneo　sees　it；〃　he　said。　〃And　I　despair　of　the　Duncans。　〃
　〃You　have　to　appreciate　life　before　you　want　to　preserve　it；〃　she　said。
　〃And　it's　the　survivors　who　maintain　the　most　light　and　poignant　hold　upon　the　beauties　of　living。　Women　know　this　more　often　than　men　because　birth　is　the　reflection　of　death。〃
　〃My　Uncle　Malky　always　said　you　had　good　reasons　for　denying　bat　and　casual　violence　to　men。　What　a　bitter　lesson！〃
　〃Without　readily　available　violence；　men　have　few　ways　of　testing　how　they　will　meet　that　final　experience；〃　he　said。　〃Something　is　missing。　The　psyche　does　not　grow。　What　is　it　people　say　about　Leto's　Peace？〃
　〃That　you　make　us　wallow　in　pointless　decadence　like　pigs　in　our　own　filth。〃
　〃Always　recognize　the　accuracy　of　folk　wisdom；〃　he　said。　〃Decadence。〃
　〃Most　men　have　no　principles；〃　she　said。　〃The　women　of　Ix　plain　about　it　constantly。〃
　〃When　I　need　to　identify　rebels；　I　look　for　men　with　principles；〃　he　said。
　She　stared　at　him　silently；　and　he　thought　how　that　simple　reaction　spoke　so　deeply　of　her　intelligence。
　〃Where　do　you　think　I　find　my　best　administrators？〃　he　asked。
　A　small　gasp　escaped　her。
　〃Principles；〃　he　said；　〃are　what　you　fight　for。　Most　men　go　through　a　lifetime　unchallenged；　except　at　the　final　moment。　They　have　so　few　unfriendly　arenas　in　which　to　test　themselves。〃
　〃They　have　you；〃　she　said。
　〃But　I　am　so　powerful；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　the　equivalent　of　suicide。　Who　would　seek　certain　death？〃
　〃Madmen。。。or　desperate　ones。　Rebels？〃
　〃I　am　their　equivalent　of　war；〃　he　said。　〃The　ultimate　predator。　I　am　the　cohesive　force　which　shatters　them。〃
　〃I've　never　thought　of　myself　as　a　rebel；〃　she　said。
　〃You　are　something　far　better。〃
　〃And　you　would　use　me　in　some　way？〃
　〃I　would。〃
　〃Not　as　an　administrator；〃　she　said。
　〃I　already　have　good　administrators　…uncorruptible；　sagacious；　philosophical　and　open　about　their　errors；　quick　to　see　decisions。〃
　〃They　were　rebels？〃
　〃Most　of　them。〃
　〃How　are　they　chosen？〃
　〃I　could　say　they　chose　themselves。〃
　〃By　surviving？〃
　〃That；　too。　But　there's　more。　The　difference　between　a　good　administrator　and　a　bad　one　is　about　five　heartbeats。　Good　administrators　make　immediate　choices。〃
　〃Acceptable　choices？〃
　〃They　usually　can　be　made　to　work。　A　bad　administrator；　on　the　other　hand；　hesitates；　diddles　around；　asks　for　mittees；　for　research　and　reports。　Eventually；　he　acts　in　ways　which　create　serious　problems。〃
　〃But　don't　they　sometimes　need　more　information　to　make。　。　。
　〃A　bad　administrator　is　more　concerned　with　reports　than　with　decisions。　He　wants　the　hard　record　which　he　can　display　as　an　excuse　for　his　errors。〃
　〃And　good　administrators？〃
　〃Oh；　they　depend　on　verbal　orders。　They　never　lie　about　what　they've　done　if　their　verbal　orders　cause　problems；　and　they　surround　themselves　with　people　able　to　act　wisely　on　the　basis　of　verbal　orders。　Often；　the　most　important　piece　of　information　is　that　something　has　gone　wrong。　Bad　administrators　hide　their　mistakes　until　it's　too　late　to　make　corrections。〃
　Leto　watched　her　as　she　thought　about　the　people　who　served　him　especially　about　Moneo。
　〃Men　of　decision；〃　she　said。
　〃One　of　the　hardest　things　for　a　tyrant　to　find；〃　he　said；　〃is　people　who　actually　make　decisions。〃
　〃Doesn't　your　intimate　knowledge　of　the　past　give　you　some。。。〃
　〃It　gives　me　some　amusement。　Most　bureaucracies　before　mine　sought　out　and　promoted　people　who　avoided　decisions。〃
　〃I　see。　How　would　you　use　me；　Lord