bh.houseatreides-第103部分

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　At　their　touch；　each　sheet　illuminated　so　that　Leto　and　Hawat　could　study　the　fine　text。　The　old　Mentat　used　his　skills　to　imprint　each　page　onto　his　memory；　he　would　absorb　and　prehend　it　all　in　greater　detail　later。　The　documents　spelled　out　precisely　what　was　to　occur　during　the　preparations　and　the　actual　trial。　Each　page　bore　the　identification　marks　of　various　officers　of　the　court；　including　Leto's　own　attorneys。
　As　part　of　the　unorthodox　procedure；　the　crew　of　the　Atreides　frigate　had　been　released　and　permitted　to　return　to　Caladan；　though　many　loyal　followers　remained　on　Kaitain　to　offer　their　silent　support。　Any　individual　or　collective　culpability　had　been　shouldered　entirely　by　the　mander；　Duke　Atreides。　In　addition；　the　guaranteed　sanctuary　of　the　Vernius　children　would　continue；　regardless　of　the　status　of　the　House。　Even　with　the　worst　possible　oute　of　the　trial；　Leto　could　take　fort　in　that　small　victory。　His　friends　would　remain　safe。
　Under　the　forfeiture　provision　　which　even　his　estranged　mother　could　not　countermand　from　her　retreat　with　the　Sisters　in　Isolation　　Duke　Leto　surrendered　all　of　his　family　assets　（including　the　House　atomics　and　stewardship　of　the　planet　Caladan　itself）　to　the　general　supervision　of　the　Landsraad　Council；　while　he　prepared　for　a　trial　before　his　peers。
　A　trial　that　might　be　rigged　against　him。
　Win　or　lose；　though；　Leto　knew　he　had　averted　a　major　war　and　saved　billions　of　lives。　His　action　had　been　the　right　one；　regardless　of　the　consequences　to　himself。　Old　Duke　Paulus　himself　would　have　made　no　other　choice；　given　the　alternatives。
　〃Yes；　Thufir；　this　is　all　correct；〃　Leto　said；　turning　the　last　page　of　shimmering　ridulian　crystal。　He　removed　his　ducal　signet　ring；　snipped　the　red　armorial　hawk　from　his　uniform；　and　handed　the　items　over　to　the　courtech。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　just　cut　away　pieces　of　himself。
　If　he　lost　this　desperate　gambit；　the　holdings　on　Caladan　would　bee　the　prize　in　a　Landsraad　free…for…all；　the　citizens　on　the　watery　world　no　more　than　helpless　bystanders。　He　had　been　stripped；　his　future　and　fortune　placed　in　limbo。　Perhaps　they'll　give　Caladan　to　the　Harkonnens；　Leto　thought　in　despair；　just　to　spite　us。
　The　courtech　handed　him　a　magnapen。　Leto　pressed　his　forefinger　against　the　soft　side　of　the　tiny　inking　device　and　signed　the　crystal　documents　in　a　wide；　flowing　script。　He　felt　a　faint　crackle　of　static　electricity　on　the　top　sheet；　or　perhaps　that　was　just　his　own　anxiety。　The　courtech　added　his　own　ID　print　to　witness　the　papers。　With　obvious　reluctance；　Hawat　did　the　same。
　As　the　courtech　departed　in　a　swirl　of　brown…and…teal　livery；　Leto　announced　across　the　table；　〃I　am　a　moner　now；　without　title　or　fief。〃
　〃Only　until　our　victory；〃　Hawat　said。　With　the　faintest　tremor　in　his　voice；　he　added；　〃Regardless　of　the　oute；　you　will　always　be　my　Honored　Duke。〃
　The　Mentat　paced　the　length　of　the　cell　like　a　captive　marsh　panther。　He　paused　with　his　back　to　a　tiny　window　that　looked　out　on　the　immense　flat　black　plain　of　an　outbuilding　to　the　Imperial　Palace。　The　morning　sun　flowing　from　behind　him　cast　Hawat's　face　in　shadow。
　〃I　have　studied　the　official　evidence；　the　data　taken　by　scanners　in　the　Heighliner　hold；　and　eyewitness　accounts。　I　agree　with　your　attorneys　that　it　looks　very　bad　for　you；　m'Lord。　We　must　begin　with　the　assumption　that　you　did　not　instigate　this　act　in　any　way　and　extrapolate　from　there。〃
　Leto　sighed。　〃Thufir；　if　you　don't　believe　me；　we　have　no　chance　whatsoever　in　the　Landsraad　court。〃
　〃I　take　your　innocence　as　fact。　Now；　there　are　several　possibilities；　which　I　will　list　in　the　order　of　least　likelihood。　First；　though　it　is　a　remote　possibility；　the　destruction　of　the　Tleilaxu　ship　may　have　been　an　accident。〃
　〃We　need　something　better　than　that；　Thufir。　No　one　will　believe　it。〃
　〃More　likely；　the　Tleilaxu　blew　up　their　own　ship　simply　to　incriminate　you。　We　know　the　small　value　they　place　on　life。　The　passengers　and　crew　on　the　destroyed　craft　may　have　only　been　gholas；　and　thus　expendable。　They　can　always　grow　more　duplicates　in　their　axlotl　tanks。〃
　Hawat　tapped　his　fingers　together。　〃Unfortunately；　the　problem　is　lack　of　motive。　Would　the　Tleilaxu　concoct　such　a　plex　and　outrageous　scheme　merely　to　get　petty　revenge　against　you　for　harboring　the　children　of　House　Vernius？　What　would　they　gain　by　this？〃
　〃Remember；　Thufir；　I　did　declare　my　clear　enmity　against　them　in　the　Landsraad　Hall。　They　see　me　as　an　enemy　as　well。〃
　〃I　still　don't　think　that　is　sufficient　provocation；　my　Duke。　No；　this　is　something　bigger；　something　for　which　the　perpetrator　was　willing　to　risk　all…out　war。〃　He　paused；　then　added；　〃I　am　unable　to　determine　what　the　Bene　Tleilax　could　possibly　gain　by　the　embarrassment　or　destruction　of　House　Atreides。　You　are　a　peripheral　enemy　to　them；　at　best。〃
　Leto　wrestled　with　the　conundrum　himself；　but　if　even　the　Mentat　could　not　find　a　chain　of　associations；　then　a　mere　Duke　wouldn't　be　able　to　follow　such　subtle　threads。　〃All　right；　what's　another　possibility？〃
　〃Perhaps。。。Ixian　sabotage。　The　result　of　an　Ixian　renegade　who　sought　to　strike　back　against　the　Tleilaxu。　A　misguided　attempt　to　assist　the　exiled　Dominic　Vernius。　It's　also　possible　that　Dominic　himself　was　involved；　though　there　have　been　no　sightings　of　him　since　he　went　renegade。〃
　Leto　digested　this　information；　but　the　practical　question　nagged　him。　〃Sabotage？　By　what　means？〃
　〃Difficult　to　say。　The　gutting　of　the　Tleilaxu　ship's　interior　suggests　a　multiphase　projectile。　Chemical　residue　analysis　also　confirms　this。〃
　Leto　leaned　back　in　the　unfortable　chair。　〃But　how？　Who　could　have　fired　such　a　projectile？　Let's　not　forget　that　witnesses　claim　to　have　seen　shots　launched　from　the　direction　of　our　frigate。　The　Heighliner　hold　was　empty　in　the　vicinity。　You　and　I　were　both　watching。　Ours　was　the　only　ship　close　enough。〃
　〃The　few　answers　I　can　suggest　are　extremely　unlikely；　my　Duke。　A　small　attack　craft　could　have　fired　such　a　projectile；　but　it　is　not　possible　to　hide　such　a　vessel。　We　saw　nothing。　Even　an　individual　suited　up　with　breathing　apparatus　would　have　been　noticed　in　the　cargo　hold；　so　that　rules　out　shoulder…launched　missiles。　Besides　which；　no　one　is　allowed　outside　the　ships　during　foldspace　transit。〃
　〃I'm　no　Mentat；　Thufir。。。but　I　smell　Harkonnens　in　this；〃　Leto　mused　as　he　ran　his　finger　in　circles　on　the　slick；　cold　surface　of　the　blueplaz　table。　He　had　to　think；　had　to　be　strong。
　Hawat　gave　him　a　concise　analysis。　〃When　a　foul　deed　occurs；　three　principal　trails　invariably　lead　to　the　responsible　party：　money；　power；　or　revenge。　This　incident　was　a　setup；　designed　to　destroy　House　Atreides　　possibly　linked　to　the　scheme　that　killed　your　father。〃
　Leto　heaved　an　enormous　sigh。　〃Our　family　had　a　few　quiet　years　under　Dmitri　Harkonnen　and　his　son　Abulurd；　when　the　Harkonnens　seemed　to　let　us　live　in　peace。　Now　I'm　afraid　the　old　feud　has　resurfaced。　From　what　I　hear；　the　Baron　revels　in　it。〃
　The　Mentat　smiled　grimly。　〃Exactly　what　I　was　considering；　m'Lord。　I　am　absolutely　baffled　as　to　how　they　might　have　acplished　such　an　ambush　with　so　many　other　ships　watching。　Proving　such　a　conjecture　in　Landsraad　court　will　be　even　more　difficult。〃
　A　guard　appeared　at　the　force…barred　cell　and　entered；　carrying　a　small　parcel。　Without　uttering　a　word　or　even　looking　Leto　in　the　eyes；　he　placed　the　package　on　the　slick　table　and　departed。
　Hawat　ran　a　scanner　over　the　suspicious　parcel。　〃Message　cube；〃　he　said。　Gesturing　for　Leto　to　stand　back；　the　Mentat　removed　the　wrapping　to　reveal　a　dark　object。　He　found　no　markings；　no　indication　of　the　sender；　yet　it　seemed　to　be　important。
　Leto　held　up　the　cube；　and　it　glowed　after　recognizing　his　thumbprint。　Words　flowed　across　its　face　in　synchronization　with　his　eye　movements；　two　sentences　that　spoke　volumes　of　provocative　information。
　〃Crown　Prince　Shaddam；　like　his　father　before　him；　maintains　a　secret　and　illegal　alliance　with　the　Bene　Tleilax。　This　information　may　prove　valuable　to　your　defense　　if　you　dare　use　it。〃
　〃Thufir！　Look　at　this。〃　But　the　words　dissolved　before　he　could　shift　the　face　of　the　cube　toward　the　Mentat。　Then　the　message　cube　itself　crumbled　to　brittle　debris　in　his　palm。　He　had　no　idea　who　could　have　sent　such　a　bombshell　to　him。　Is　it　possible　that　I　have　secret　allies　on　Kaitain？
　Suddenly　uneasy；　even　paranoid；　Leto　switched　to　Atreides　hand　signals；　the　secret　language　Duke　Paulus　had　taught　close　members　of　his　household。　The　young　man's　hawklike　face　darkened　as　he　recounted　what　he　had　read　and　asked　who　could　have　sent　it。
　The　Mentat　considered　for　just　a　moment；　then　answered　with　his　own　flickering　hand　gestures：　〃The　Tleilaxu　are　not　known　for　their　military　prowess；　but　this　connection　might　explain　how　they　could　so　easily　crush　the　Ixians　and　their　defensive　technology。　Sardaukar　might　secretly　maintain　control　over　the　downtrodden　populace　underground。〃　Thufir　finished：　〃Shaddam　is　mixed　up　in　this　somehow；　and　doesn't　want　that　fact　revealed。〃
　Leto's　fingers　flashed　in　inquiry：　〃But　what　does　that　have　to　do　with　the　attack　inside　the　Heighliner？　I　don't　see　a　connection。〃
　Hawat　pursed　his　stained　lips　and　spoke　aloud　in　a　husky　whisper。　〃Maybe　there　isn't　one。　But　it　might　not　matter；　so　long　as　we　can　use　the　information　in　our　darkest　hour。　I　propose　a　bluff；　my　Duke。　A　spectacular；　desperate　bluff。〃
　In　a　Trial　by　Forfeiture；　the　normal　rules　of　evidence　do　not　apply。　There　are　no　disclosure　requirements　that　evidence　be　revealed　to　the　opposition　or　to　the　magistrates　prior　to　the　court　proceedings。　This　places　the　person　with　secret　knowledge　in　a　uniquely　powerful　position　　mensurate　with　the　extreme　risk　he　takes。
　…Rogan's　Rules　of　Evidence；　3rd　Edition
　As　Crown　Prince　Shaddam　read　the　unexpected　message　cube　from　Leto　Atreides；　a　wave　of　crimson　rage　tinted　his　face。
　〃Sire；　my　defense　documentation　includes　a　full　disclosure　of　your　relationship　with　the　Tleilaxu。〃
　〃Impossible！　How　could　he　know？〃　Shouting　an　obscenity；　Shaddam　smashed　the　cube　against　the　wall；　chipping　the　indigo…veined　marble。　Fenring　scuttled　forward　to　pick　up　the　pieces；　a