fh.godemperorofdune-第78部分

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　〃Nobody　tells　the　truth；〃　Malky　husked。
　〃You　often　told　me　the　truth；〃　Leto　said。　〃Even　when　you　didn't　know　it。〃
　〃That's　because　you're　cleverer　than　the　rest　of　us。〃
　〃Will　you　tell　me　about　Hwi？〃
　〃I　think　you　already　know　it。〃
　〃I　want　to　hear　it　from　you；〃　Leto　said。　〃Did　you　get　help　from　the　Tleilaxu？〃
　〃They　gave　us　knowledge；　nothing　more。　Everything　else　we　did　for　ourselves。〃
　〃I　thought　it　was　not　the　Tleilaxus'　doing。〃
　Moneo　could　no　longer　contain　his　curiosity。　〃Lord；　what　is　this　of　Hwi　and　Tleilaxu？　Why　do　you。。。〃
　〃Here　there；　old　friend　Moneo；〃　Malky　said；　rolling　his　gaze　toward　the　majordomo。　〃Don't　you　know　what　he。　。　。〃
　〃I　was　never　your　friend！〃　Moneo　snapped。
　〃panion　among　the　houris　then；〃　Malky　said。
　〃Lord；〃　Moneo　said；　turning　toward　Leto；　〃why　do　you　speak　of。。。〃
　〃Shhh；　Moneo；〃　Leto　said。　〃We　are　tiring　your　old　panion　and　I　have　things　to　learn　from　him　yet。〃
　〃Did　you　ever　wonder；　Leto；〃　Malky　asked；　〃why　Moneo　never　tried　to　take　the　whole　shebang　away　from　you？〃
　〃The　what？〃　Moneo　demanded。
　〃Another　of　Leto's　old　words；〃　Malky　said。　〃She　and　bang…shebang。　It's　perfect。　Why　don't　you　rename　your　Empire；　Leto？　The　Grand　Shebang！〃
　Leto　raised　a　hand　to　silence　Moneo。　〃Will　you　tell　me；　Malky？　About　Hwi？〃
　〃Just　a　few　tiny　cells　from　my　body；〃　Malky　said。　〃Then　the　carefully　nurtured　growth　and　education…everything　an　exact　opposite　to　your　old　friend；　Malky。　We　did　it　all　in　the　no…room　where　you　cannot　see！〃
　〃But　I　notice　when　something　vanishes；〃　Leto　said。
　〃No…room？〃　Moneo　asked；　then　as　the　import　of　Malky's　words　sank　home。　〃You？　You　and　Hwi　。　。　。〃
　〃That　is　the　shape　I　saw　in　the　shadows；〃　Leto　said。
　Moneo　looked　full　at　Leto's　face。　〃Lord；　I　will　call　off　the　wedding。　I　will　say。。。〃
　〃You　will　do　nothing　of　the　kind！〃
　〃But　Lord；　if　she　and　Malky　are。　。　。〃
　〃Moneo；〃　Malky　husked。　〃Your　Lord　mands　and　you　must　obey！〃
　That　mocking　tone！　Moneo　glared　at　Malky。
　〃The　exact　opposite　of　Malky；〃　Leto　said。　〃Didn't　you　hear　him？〃
　〃What　could　be　better？〃　Malky　asked。
　〃But　surely；　Lord；　if　you　now　know。。。〃
　〃Moneo；〃　Leto　said；　〃you　are　beginning　to　disturb　me。〃
　Moneo　fell　into　abashed　silence。
　Leto　said：　〃That's　better。　You　know；　Moneo；　once　tens　of　thousands　of　years　ago　when　I　was　another　person；　I　made　a　mistake。〃
　〃You；　a　mistake？〃　Malky　mocked。
　Leto　merely　smiled。　〃My　mistake　was　pounded　by　the　beautiful　way　in　which　I　expressed　it。〃
　〃Tricks　with　words；〃　Malky　taunted。
　〃Indeed！　This　is　what　I　said：　‘The　present　is　distraction；　the　future　a　dream；　only　memory　can　unlock　the　meaning　of　life。'　Aren't　those　beautiful　words；　Malky？〃
　〃Exquisite；　old　worm。〃
　Moneo　put　a　hand　over　his　mouth。
　〃But　my　words　were　a　foolish　lie；〃　Leto　said。　〃I　knew　it　at　the　time；　but　I　was　infatuated　with　the　beautiful　words。　No　memory　unlocks　no　meanings。　Without　anguish　of　the　spirit；　which　is　a　wordless　experience；　there　are　no　meanings　anywhere。〃
　〃I　fail　to　see　the　meaning　of　the　anguish　caused　me　by　your　bloody　Fish　Speakers；〃　Malky　said。
　〃You're　suffering　no　anguish；〃　Leto　said。
　〃If　you　were　in　this　body；　you'd。　。　。〃
　〃That's　just　physical　pain；〃　Leto　said。　〃It　will　end　soon。〃
　〃Then　when　will　I　know　the　anguish？〃　Malky　asked。
　〃Perhaps　later。〃
　Leto　flexed　his　front　segments　away　from　Malky　to　face　Moneo。　〃Do　you　really　serve　the　Golden　Path；　Moneo？〃
　〃Ahhh；　the　Golden　Path；〃　Malky　taunted。
　〃You　know　I　do；　Lord；〃　Moneo　said。
　〃Then　you　must　promise　me；〃　Leto　said；　〃that　what　you　have　learned　here　must　never　pass　your　lips。　Not　by　word　or　sign　can　you　reveal　it。〃
　〃I　promise；　Lord。〃
　〃He　promises；　Lord；〃　Malky　sneered。
　One　of　Leto's　tiny　hands　gestured　at　Malky；　who　lay　staring　up　at　the　blunt　profile　of　a　face　within　its　gray　cowl。　〃For　reasons　of　old　admiration　and。　。　。　many　other　reasons；　I　cannot　kill　Malky。　I　cannot　even　ask　it　of　you。。。yet　he　must　be　eliminated。〃
　〃Ohhh；　how　clever　you　are！〃　Malky　said。
　〃Lord；　if　you　will　wait　at　the　other　end　of　the　chamber；〃　Moneo　said。　〃Perhaps　when　you　return　Malky　no　longer　will　be　a　problem。〃
　〃He's　going　to　do　it；〃　Malky　husked。　〃Gods　below！　He's　going　to　do　it。〃
　Leto　squirmed　away　and　went　to　the　shadowed　limit　of　the　chamber；　keeping　his　attention　on　the　faint　arc　of　a　line　which　would　bee　an　opening　into　the　night　if　he　merely　converted　the　wish　into　a　thought…of…mand。　What　a　long　drop　that　would　be　out　there…just　roll　off　the　landing…lip。　He　doubted　that　even　his　body　would　survive　it。　But　there　was　no　water　in　the　sand　beneath　his　tower　and　he　could　feel　the　Golden　Path　winking　in　and　out　of　existence　merely　because　he　allowed　himself　to　think　of　such　an　end。
　〃Leto！〃　Malky　called　from　behind　him。
　Leto　heard　the　litter　grating　on　the　wind…scattered　sand　which　peppered　the　floor　of　his　aerie。
　Once　more；　Malky　called：　〃Leto；　you　are　the　best！　There's　no　evil　in　this　universe　which　can　surpass。　。　。〃
　A　sodden　thump　shut　off　Malky's　voice。　A　blow　to　the　throat；　Leto　thought。　Yes；　Moneo　knows　that　one。　There　came　the　sound　of　the　balcony's　transparent　shield　sliding　open；　the　rasping　of　the　litter　on　the　rail；　then　silence。
　Moneo　will　have　to　bury　the　body　in　the　sand；　Leto　thought。　There　is　as　yet　no　worm　to　e　and　devour　the　evidence。　Leto　turned　then　and　looked　across　the　chamber。　Moneo　stood　leaning　over　the　railing；　peering　down。。。down。。。down　。　。　。
　I　cannot　pray　for　you；　Malky；　nor　for　you；　Moneo；　Leto　thought。　l　may　be　the　only　religious　consciousness　in　the　Empire　because　I　am　truly　alone。。。so　I　cannot　pray。
　
　You　cannot　understand　history　unless　you　understand　its　flowings；　its　currents　and　the　ways　leaders　move　within　such　forces。　A　leader　tries　to　perpetuate　the　conditions　which　demand　his　leadership。　Thus；　the　leader　requires　the　outsider。　I　caution　you　to　examine　my　career　with　care。　I　am　both　leader　and　outsider。　Do　not　make　the　mistake　of　assuming　that　I　only　created　the　Church　which　was　the　State。　That　was　my　function　as　leader　and　I　had　many　historical　models　to　use　as　pattern。　For　a　clue　to　my　role　as　outsider；　look　at　the　arts　of　my　time。　The　arts　are　barbaric。　The　favorite　poetry？　The　Epic。　The　popular　dramatic　ideal？　Heroism。　Dances？　Wildly　abandoned。　From　Moneo's　viewpoint；　he　is　correct　in　describing　this　as　dangerous。　It　stimulates　the　imagination。　It　makes　people　feel　the　lack　of　that　which　I　have　taken　from　them。　What　did　I　take　from　them？　The　right　to　participate　in　history。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　IDAHO；　STRETCHED　out　on　his　cot　with　his　eyes　closed；　heard　a　weight　drop　onto　the　other　cot。　He　sat　up　into　the　midafternoon　light　which　slanted　through　the　room's　single　window　at　a　sharp　angle；　reflecting　off　the　white…tiled　floor　onto　the　light　yellow　walls。　Siona；　he　saw；　had　e　in　and　stretched　herself　on　her　cot。　She　already　was　reading　one　of　the　books　she　carried　around　with　her　in　a　green　fabric　pack。
　Why　books？　he　wondered。
　He　swung　his　feet　to　the　floor　and　glanced　around　the　room。　How　could　this　high…ceilinged；　spacious　box　be　considered　even　remotely　Fremen？　A　wide　table/desk　of　some　dark　brown　local　plastic　separated　the　two　cots。　There　were　two　doors。　One　led　directly　outside　across　a　garden。　The　other　admitted　them　to　a　luxurious　bath　whose　pale　blue　tiles　glistened　under　a　broad　skylight。　The　bath　contained；　among　its　many　functional　services；　a　sunken　tub　and　a　shower；　each　at　least　two　meters　square。　The　door　to　this　sybaritic　space　remained　open　and　Idaho　could　hear　water　running　out　of　the　tub。　Siona　appeared　oddly　fond　of　bathing　in　an　excess　of　water。
　Stilgar；　Idaho's　Naib　of　the　ancient　days　on　Dune；　would　have　looked　on　that　room　with　scorn。　〃Shameful！〃　he　would　have　said。　〃Decadent！　Weak！〃　Stilgar　would　have　used　many　scornful　words　about　this　entire　village　which　dared　to　pare　itself　with　a　true　Fremen　sietch。
　Paper　rustled　as　Siona　turned　a　page。　She　lay　with　her　head　propped　on　two　pillows；　a　thin　white　robe　covering　her　body。　The　robe　still　revealed　clinging　wetness　from　her　bath。
　Idaho　shook　his　head。　What　was　it　on　those　pages　which　held　her　interest　this　way？　She　had　been　reading　and　re…reading　since　their　arrival　at　Tuono。　The　volumes　were　thin　but　numerous；　bearing　only　numbers　on　their　black　bindings。　Idaho　had　seen　a　number　nine。
　Swinging　his　feet　to　the　floor；　he　stood　and　went　to　the　window。　There　was　an　old　man　out　there　at　a　distance；　digging　in　flowers。　The　garden　was　protected　by　buildings　on　three　sides。　The　flowers　bore　large　blossoms…red　on　the　outside　but；　when　they　unfolded；　white　in　the　center。　The　old　Man's　uncovered　gray　hair　was　a　kind　of　blossom　waving　among　the　floral　white　and　jeweled　buds。　Idaho　smelled　moldering　leaves　and　freshly　turned　dirt　against　a　background　of　pungent　floral　perfume。
　A　Fremen　tending　flowers　in　the　open！
　Siona　volunteered　nothing　about　her　strange　reading　matter。　She's　taunting　me；　Idaho　thought。　She　wants　me　to　ask。
　He　tried　not　to　think　about　Hwi。　Rage　threatened　to　engulf　him　when　he　did。　He　remembered　the　Fremen　word　for　that　intense　emotion：　kanawa；　the　iron　ring　of　jealousy。　Where　is　Hwi？　What　is　she　doing　at　this　moment？
　The　door　from　the　garden　opened　without　a　knock　and　Teishar；　an　a