fh.godemperorofdune-第29部分

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　〃And　your　friends？〃
　〃I　don't　think　I　ever　had　any　real　friends…only　people　who　were　brought　in　contact　with　me　for　specific　purposes　in　my　education。〃
　〃And　these　great　things　for　which　you　were　trained；　did　anyone　ever　speak　of　those'？〃
　〃Malky　said　I　was　being　prepared　to　charm　you；　Lord。〃
　〃How　old　are　you；　Hwi？〃
　〃I　don't　know　my　exact　age。　I　guess　I'm　about　twenty…six。　I've　never　celebrated　a　birthday。　I　only　learned　about　birthdays　by　accident；　one　of　my　teachers　giving　an　excuse　for　her　absence。　I　never　saw　that　teacher　again。〃
　Leto　found　himself　fascinated　by　this　response。　His　observations　provided　him　with　certainty　that　there　had　been　no　Tleilaxu　interventions　into　her　Ixian　flesh。　She　had　not　e　from　a　Tleilaxu　axlotl　tank。　Why　the　secrecy；　then'？
　〃Does　your　Uncle　Malky　know　your　age'？〃
　〃Perhaps。　But　I　haven't　seen　him　for　many　years。〃
　〃Didn't　anyone　ever　tell　you　how　old　you　were'？〃
　'No。
　〃Why　do　you　suppose　that　is'？〃
　〃Maybe　they　thought　I'd　ask　if　I　were　interested。〃
　〃Were　you　interested'？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Then　why　didn't　you　ask？〃
　〃I　thought　at　first　there　might　be　a　record　somewhere。　I　looked。　There　was　nothing。　I　reasoned　then　that　they　would　not　answer　my　question。〃
　〃For　what　it　tells　me　about　you；　Hwi；　that　answer　pleases　me　very　much。　I；　too；　am　ignorant　of　your　background；　but　I　can　make　an　enlightened　guess　at　your　birthplace。〃
　Her　eyes　focused　on　his　face　with　a　charged　intensity　which　had　no　pretense　in　it。
　〃You　were　born　within　this　machine　your　masters　are　trying　to　perfect　for　the　Guild；〃　Leto　said。　〃You　were　conceived　there；
　as　well。　It　may　even　be　that　Malky　was　your　father。　That　is　not　important。　Do　you　know　about　this　machine；　Hwi'？〃
　〃I'm　not　supposed　to　know　about　it；　Lord。　but。。。〃
　〃Another　indiscretion　by　one　of　your　teachers？〃
　〃By　my　uncle　himself。〃
　A　burst　of　laughter　erupted　from　Leto。　〃What　a　rogue！〃　he　said。　〃What　a　charming　rogue！〃
　〃Lord？〃
　〃This　is　his　revenge　on　your　masters。　He　did　not　like　being　removed　from　my　court。　He　told　me　at　the　time　that　his　replacement　was　less　than　a　fool。〃
　Hwi　shrugged。　〃A　plex　man；　my　uncle。〃
　〃Listen　to　me　carefully；　Hwi。　Some　of　your　associations　here　on　Arrakis　could　be　dangerous　to　you。　I　will　protect　you　as　I　can。　Do　you　understand'？〃
　〃I　think　so；　Lord。〃　She　stared　up　at　him　solemnly。
　〃Now；　a　message　for　your　masters。　It　is　clear　to　me　that　they　have　been　listening　to　a　Guild　steersman　and　they　have　joined　themselves　to　the　Tleilaxu　in　a　perilous　fashion。　Tell　them　for　me　that　their　purposes　are　quite　transparent。〃
　〃Lord；　I　have　no　knowledge　of。　。　。〃
　〃　am　aware　of　how　they　use　you；　Hwi。　For　this　reason　you　may　tell　your　masters　also　that　you　arc　to　be　the　permanent　Ambassador　to　my　court。　I　will　not　wele　another　Ixian。　And　should　your　masters　ignore　my　warnings。　trying　further　interference　with　my　wishes；　I　shall　crush　them。〃
　Tears　welled　from　her　eyes　and　ran　down　her　cheeks；　but　Leto　was　grateful　that　she　did　not　indulge　in　any　other　display　such　as　falling　to　her　knees。
　〃I　already　have　warned　them。〃　she　said。　〃Truly　I　did。　I　told　them　they　must　obey　you。〃
　Leto　could　see　that　this　was　true。
　What　a　marvelous　creature；　this　Hwi　Noree；　he　thought。　She　appeared　the　epitome　of　goodness；　obviously　bred　and　conditioned　for　this　quality　by　her　Ixian　masters　with　their　careful　calculation　of　the　effect　this　would　have　on　the　God　Emperor。
　Out　of　his　thronging　ancestral　memories。　Leto　could　see　her　as　an　idealized　nun；　kindly　and　self…sacrificing；　all　sincerity。　It　was　her　most　basic　nature；　the　place　where　she　lived。　She　found　it　easiest　to　be　truthful　and　open；　capable　of　shading　this　only　to　prevent　pain　for　others。　He　saw　this　latter　trait　as　the　deepest　change　the　Bene　Gesserit　had　been　able　to　effect　in　her。　Hwi's　real　manner　remained　outgoing；　sensitive　and　naturally　sweet。　Leto　could　find　little　sense　of　manipulative　calculation　in　her。　She　appeared　immediately　responsive　and　wholesome；　excellent　at　listening　（another　Bene　Gesserit　attribute）。　There　was　nothing　openly　seductive　about　her；　yet　this　very　fact　made　her　profoundly　seductive　to　Leto。
　As　he　had　remarked　to　one　of　the　earlier　Duncans　on　a　similar　occasion：　〃You　must　understand　this　about　me；　a　thing　which　some　obviously　suspect…sometimes　it's　unavoidable　that　I　have　delusionary　sensations；　the　feeling　that　somewhere　inside　this　changeling　form　of　mine　there　exists　an　adult　human　body　with　all　of　the　necessary　functions。〃
　〃All　of　them；　Lord？〃　the　Duncan　had　asked。
　〃All！　I　feel　the　vanished　parts　of　myself。　I　can　feel　my　legs；　quite　unremarkable　and　so　real　to　my　senses。　I　can　feel　the　pumping　of　my　human　glands；　some　of　which　no　longer　exist。　I　can　even　feel　genitalia　which　I　know；　intellectually；　vanished　centuries　ago。〃
　〃But　surely　if　you　know。　。　。〃
　〃Knowledge　does　not　suppress　such　feelings。　The　vanished　parts　of　myself　are　still　there　in　my　personal　memories　and　in　the　multiple　identity　of　all　my　ancestors。〃
　As　Leto　looked　at　Hwi　standing　in　front　of　him；　it　helped　not　one　whit　to　know　he　had　no　skull　and　that　what　once　had　been　his　brain　was　now　a　massive　web　of　ganglia　spread　through　his　pre…worm　flesh。　Nothing　helped。　He　could　still　feel　his　brain　aching　where　it　once　had　reposed：　he　could　still　feel　his　skull　throbbing。
　By　just　standing　there　in　front　of　him。　Hwi　cried　out　to　his　lost　humanity。　It　was　too　much　for　him　and　he　moaned　in　despair：
　〃Why　do　your　masters　torture　me？　〃
　〃Lord？〃
　〃By　sending　you！〃
　〃　I　would　not　hurt　you；　Lord。〃
　〃Just　by　existing　you　hurt　me！〃
　〃　I　did　not　know。〃　Tears　fell　unrestrained　from　her　eyes。　〃They　never　told　me　what　they　were　really　doing。〃
　He　calmed　himself　and　spoke　softly：　〃Leave　me　now；　Hwi。　Go　about　your　business；　but　return　quickly　if　I　summon　you！〃
　She　left　quietly；　but　Leto　could　see　that　Hwi；　too；　was　tortured。　There　was　no　mistaking　the　deep　sadness　in　her　for　the　humanity　Leto　had　sacrificed。　She　knew　what　Leto　knew：
　they　would　have　been　friends；　lovers；　panions　in　an　ultimate：　sharing　between　the　sexes。　Her　masters　had　planned　for　her　to　know。
　The　lxians　are　cruel！　he　thought。　They　knew　what　our　pain　would　be。
　Hwi's　departure　ignited　memories　of　her　Uncle　Malky。　Malky　was　cruel；　but　Leto　had　rather　enjoyed　his　pany。　Malky　had　possessed　all　of　the　industrious　virtues　of　his　people　and　enough　of　their　vices　to　make　him　thoroughly　human。　Malky　had　reveled　in　the　pany　of　Leto's　Fish　Speakers。　〃Your　houris；〃　he　had　called　them；　and　Leto　could　seldom　think　of　the　Fish　Speakers　thereafter　without　recalling　Malky's　label。
　Why　do　I　think　of　Malky　now？　It's　not　just　because　of　Hwi。　I　shall　ask　her　what　charge　her　masters　gave　her　when　they　sent　her　to　me。
　Leto　hesitated　on　the　verge　of　calling　her　back。
　She'll　tell　me　if　I　ask。
　Ixian　ambassadors　had　always　been　told　to　find　out　why　the　God　Emperor　tolerated　Ix。　They　knew　they　could　not　hide　from　him。　This　stupid　attempt　to　plant　a　colony　beyond　his　vision！　Were　they　testing　his　limits？　The　lxians　suspected　that　Leto　did　not　really　need　their　industries。
　I've　never　concealed　my　opinion　of　them。　I　said　it　to　Malky：
　〃Technological　innovators？　No！　You　are　the　criminals　of　science　in　my　Empire！〃
　Malky　had　laughed。
　Irritated；　Leto　had　accused：　〃Why　try　to　hide　secret　laboratories　and　factories　beyond　the　Empire's　rim？　You　cannot　escape　me。〃
　〃Yes；　Lord。〃　Laughing。
　〃I　know　your　intent：　leak　a　bit　of　this　and　some　of　that　back　into　my　Imperial　domains。　Disrupt！　Cause　doubts　and　questioning！〃
　〃Lord；　you　yourself　are　one　of　our　best　customers！〃
　〃That's　not　what　I　mean　and　you　know　it；　you　terrible　man！〃
　〃You　like　me　because　I'm　a　terrible　man。　I　tell　you　stories　about　what　we　do　out　there。〃
　〃I　know　it　without　your　stories！〃
　〃But　some　stories　are　believed　and　some　are　doubted。　I　dispel　your　doubts。〃
　〃I　have　no　doubts！〃
　Which　had　only　ignited　more　of　Malky's　laughter。
　And　I　must　continue　tolerating　them；　Leto　thought。　The　lxians　operated　in　the　terra　incognita　of　creative　invention　which　had　been　outlawed　by　the　Butlerian　Jihad。　They　made　their　devices　in　the　image　of　the　mind　the　very　thing　which　had　ignited　the　Jihad's　destruction　and　slaughter。　That　was　what　they　did　on　Ix　and　Leto　could　only　let　them　continue。
　I　buy　from　them！　I　could　not　even　write　my　journals　without　their　dictatels　to　respond　to　my　unspoken　thought。　Without　Ix；　I　could　not　have　hidden　my　journals　and　the　printers。
　But　they　must　be　reminded　of　the　dangers　in　what　they　do。'
　And　the　Guild　could　not　be　allowed　to　forget。　That　was　easier。　Even　while　Guildsmen　cooperated　with　Ix；　they　distrusted　the　lxians　mightily。
　If　this　new　Ixian　machine　works；　the　Guild　has　lost　its　monopoly　on　。space　travel。'
　
　From　that　welter　of　memories　which　I　can　tap　at　will；　patterns　emerge。　They　are　like　another　language　which　I　see　so　clearly　The　social…alarm　signals　which　put　societies　into　the　postures　of　defense　attack　are　like　shouted　words　to　me。　As　a　people。　you　react　against　threats　to　innocence　and　the　peril　of　the　helpless　young。　Unexplained　sounds；　visions　and　smells　raise　the　hackles　you　have　forgotten　you　possess。　When　alarmed；　you　cling　to　your　native　language　because　all　the　other　patterned　sounds　are　strange。　You　demand　acceptable　dress　because　a　strange　costume　is　threatening。　This　is　system　feedback　at　its　most　primitive　level。　Your　cells　remember
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　THE　ACOLYTE　Fish　Speakers　who　served　as　pages　at　the　portal　of　Leto's　audience　chamber　brought　in　Duro　Nunepi；　the　Tleilaxu　Ambassador。　It　was　early　for　an　audience　and　Nunepi　was　being　taken　out　of　his　announced　order；　but　he　moved　calmly　with　only　the　faintest　hint　of　resigned　acceptance。
　Leto　waited　silently　stretched　out　along　his　cart　on　the　raised　platform　at　the　end　of　the　chamber。　As　he　watched　Nunepi　approach；　Leto's　memories　produced　a　parison：　the　swimming…cobra　of　a　periscope　brushing　its　almost　invisible　wake　upon　water。　The　memory　brought　a　smile　to　Leto's　lips。　That　was　Nunepi…a　proud；　flinty…faced　man　who　had　e　up　through　the　ranks　of　Tleilaxu　management。　Not　a　Face　Dancer　himself；　he　considered　the　Dancers　his　personal　servants；　they　were　the　water　through　wh