bh.houseatreides-第117部分

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〃
　Fenring　held　out　a　long　finger。　〃But　consider　the　potential　glory　he　reaped；　hm…m…m…m？　For　proof；　just　look　at　what　has　happened　to　him　in　the　meantime。　I　doubt　he　could　have　planned　it　this　way；　but　Leto's　a　hero　now。　His　people　love　him；　all　the　nobles　admire　him　　and　the　Tleilaxu　have　been　made　to　look　like　whining　fools。　I'd　suggest；　Sire　　since　you　insist　on　doing　this　alone　　that　you　keep　a　careful　eye　on　the　ambitions　of　House　Atreides。〃
　〃Thank　you　for　your　advice；　Hasimir；〃　Shaddam　said；　turning　back　to　study　the　game　console。　〃Oh；　by　the　way；　did　I　mention　that　I'm。。。promoting　you？〃
　Fenring　gave　a　quiet　snort。　〃I　wouldn't　exactly　call　the　Arrakis　assignment　a　promotion。　'Imperial　Observer'　doesn't　sound　terribly　exalted；　does　it？〃
　Shaddam　smiled　and　raised　his　chin　in　a　very　Imperial　gesture。　He　had　intended　to　do　this　all　along。　〃Ah；　yes。。。but　how　does　Count　Fenring　sound？〃
　Fenring　was　taken　aback。　〃You're。。。making　me　a　Count？〃
　Shaddam　nodded。　〃Count　Hasimir　Fenring；　Imperial　Observer　assigned　to　Arrakis。　Your　family　fortunes　are　improving；　my　friend。　Eventually；　we'll　see　about　establishing　you　in　the　Landsraad。〃
　〃With　a　CHOAM　directorship；　as　well？〃
　Shaddam　laughed。　〃All　in　good　time；　Hasimir。〃
　〃That　makes　Margot　a　Countess；　I　presume？〃　His　large　eyes　glittered　as　Shaddam　nodded　to　him。　He　tried　to　hold　his　pleasure　inside；　but　the　Emperor　could　see　it　clearly　on　his　face。
　〃And　now　I'll　tell　you　why　this　is　such　a　critically　important　assignment；　for　you　and　for　the　Imperium。　Do　you　remember　a　man　named　Pardot　Kynes　　the　Planetologist　my　father　stationed　there　several　years　ago？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Well；　he　hasn't　been　much　help　lately。　A　few　erratic　reports；　inplete　and　seemingly　censored。　One　of　my　spies　even　sent　word　that　Kynes　has　grown　too　close　to　the　Fremen；　that　he　may　have　crossed　the　line　and　bee　one　of　them。　Gone　native。〃
　Fenring's　eyebrows　arched。　〃An　Imperial　servant　mixing　with　that　nasty；　primitive　brood？〃
　〃I　hope　not；　but　I'd　like　you　to　uncover　the　truth。　In　essence；　I'm　making　you　my　Imperial　Spice　Czar；　secretly　overseeing　the　melange　operations　on　Arrakis　as　well　as　the　progress　of　our　synthetic…spice　experiments　on　Xuttah。　You'll　shuttle　back　and　forth　between　those　planets　and　the　Imperial　Palace。　You　will　transmit　only　coded　messages；　and　only　to　me。〃
　As　the　magnitude　of　the　task　and　its　repercussions　sank　in；　Fenring　felt　a　renewed　fervor　that　burned　away　his　discontent。　Yes；　he　did　see　the　possibilities　now。　He　couldn't　wait　to　tell　Margot　　with　her　Bene　Gesserit　mind；　she　would　no　doubt　see　additional　advantages。
　〃That　sounds　provocative；　Sire。　A　challenge　worthy　of　my　particular　talents。　Um…m…m…m；　I　might　actually　enjoy　it。〃
　Turning　back　to　the　game；　Fenring　engaged　the　spinning　interior　disk　and　guided　the　floating　shield…ball。　It　dropped　into　the　number　〃8〃　receptacle。　Dissatisfied；　he　shook　his　head。
　〃Too　bad；〃　Shaddam　said。　With　a　deft　movement　he　dropped　his　final　ball　into　number　〃10；〃　winning　the　game。
　Progress　and　profit　require　a　substantial　investment　in　personnel；　equipment；　and　capital　funding。　However；　the　resource　most　often　overlooked；　yet　which　can　often　provide　the　greatest　payoff；　is　an　investment　in　time。
　…DOMINIC　VERNIUS；
　The　Secret　Workings　of　Ix
　Nothing　left　to　lose。
　Nothing　left　at　all。
　The　renegade　Earl　and　war　hero　once　known　as　Dominic　Vernius　was　dead；　erased　from　records　and　removed　from　the　bosom　of　the　Imperium。　But　the　man　himself　lived　on　in　different　guises。　He　was　a　person　who　would　never　give　up。
　Dominic　had　once　fought　for　the　glory　of　his　Emperor。　In　war；　he　had　killed　thousands　of　enemies　with　fighter　craft　and　handheld　lasguns；　he　had　also　felt　the　blood　of　his　victims　up　close　when　he　used　bladed　weapons；　or　even　his　bare　hands。　He　fought　hard；　worked　hard；　and　loved　hard。
　And　the　payment　for　his　lifetime's　investment　was　dishonor；　banishment；　the　death　of　his　wife；　the　disgrace　of　his　children。
　Despite　all　that；　Dominic　was　a　survivor；　a　man　with　a　purpose。　He　knew　how　to　bide　his　time。
　Though　the　bitter　vulture　Elrood　was　already　dead；　Dominic　felt　no　glimmer　of　forgiveness　within　him。　The　power　of　the　Imperial　throne　itself　had　brought　about　such　abuses　and　such　pain。　Even　the　new　ruler　Shaddam　would　turn　out　no　better。。。。
　He　had　watched　Caladan　from　a　distance。　Rhombur　and　Kailea　seemed　safe　enough；　their　sanctuary　was　holding；　even　without　the　charismatic　presence　of　the　Old　Duke。　He　had　mourned　the　death　of　his　friend　Paulus　Atreides；　but　he　dared　not　attend　the　funeral　or　even　send　coded　messages　to　the　young　heir　Leto。
　He　had；　though；　been　sorely　tempted　to　arrive　on　Kaitain　during　the　Trial　by　Forfeiture。　Rhombur　had　foolishly　left　Caladan　and　e　to　the　Imperial　Court　to　lend　support　to　his　panion；　though　in　doing　so　he　had　risked　capture　and　summary　execution。　If　things　had　gone　wrong；　Dominic　would　have　gone　there　and　sacrificed　himself　to　buy　the　life　of　his　son。
　But　that　had　been　unnecessary。　Leto　had　been　freed；　given　amnesty；　impossibly　forgiven　　and　so；　too；　Rhombur　and　Kailea。　How　had　it　all　e　about？　Dominic's　mind　was　in　a　turmoil　and　his　brow　furrowed　on　his　shaved…smooth　head。　Shaddam　himself　had　saved　young　Leto。　Shaddam　Corrino　IV；　son　of　the　despicable　Emperor　Elrood　who　had　destroyed　House　Vernius；　had　　seemingly　on　a　whim　　dismissed　the　case。　Dominic　suspected　enormous　bribes　and　coercion　had　gone　into　that　resolution；　but　he　couldn't　imagine　what　a　sixteen…year…old　untried　Duke　could　possibly　use　to　blackmail　the　Emperor　of　the　Known　Universe。
　One　risk；　though；　Dominic　decided　he　had　to　take。　Against　good　judgment　but　blinded　by　grief；　he　had　dressed　in　shabby　clothes；　tinted　his　skin　a　ruddy　copper；　and　traveled　alone　to　Bela　Tegeuse。　Before　he　could　go　anywhere　else；　he　felt　pelled　to　see　where　his　wife　had　been　slaughtered　by　Elrood's　Sardaukar。
　Using　air　and　ground　vehicles　he　searched　the　planet　in　silence；　not　daring　to　ask　questions；　though　many　reports　hinted　at　where　the　massacre　had　taken　place。　Finally　he　found　an　unmarked　spot　where　the　crops　had　been　leveled；　plowed　under；　and　then　salted　so　that　nothing　would　ever　grow　there　again。　A　manor　house　had　been　burned　to　the　ground　and　then　covered　with　syncrete。　Of　Shando's　grave　there　was　nothing；　but　he　felt　her　presence。
　My　love　has　been　here。
　Under　the　dim　double　suns；　Dominic　knelt　on　the　ruined　land　and　wept　until　he　lost　all　track　of　time。　And　when　the　tears　had　run　out　of　him；　his　heart　was　filled　with　a　great；　hard　emptiness。
　Now　he　was　at　last　ready　for　the　next　step。
　And　so　Dominic　Vernius　traveled　the　backwater　worlds　of　the　Imperium；　gathering　loyal　men　who　had　escaped　from　Ix　　men　who　would　prefer　to　work　with　him；　no　matter　his　goals；　than　drowse　through　quiet　lives　on　agricultural　planets；　eking　out　mundane　livings。
　He　rounded　up　fellow　officers　who　had　fought　with　him　during　the　Rebellion　on　Ecaz；　people　to　whom　he　owed　his　life　a　dozen　times　over。　In　searching　out　these　men；　he　knew　he　put　himself　at　great　peril；　but　Dominic　trusted　his　former　rades。　Despite　the　large　bounty　that　remained　on　his　head；　he　knew　none　of　them　would　be　willing　to　pay　the　price　in　conscience　of　betraying　their　former　mander。
　Dominic　hoped　that　the　overwhelmed　new　Padishah　Emperor　Shaddam　IV　would　not　think　to　track　down　the　subtle　movements　and　disappearances　of　men　who　had　fought　under　Vernius　back　when　Shaddam　had　barely　been　in　his　teens　and　not　even　the　heir　apparent　to　the　throne。。。back　in　the　days　when　Crown　Prince　Fafnir　had　been　first　in　the　line　of　succession。
　Many　years　had　passed　now；　long　enough　that　most　of　those　veterans　sat　around　talking　about　the　glory　days；　convincing　themselves　the　war　and　the　bloodshed　had　been　more　exciting　and　more　glorious　than　it　really　was。　About　a　third　of　them　chose　not　to　join　him；　but　the　others　quietly　signed　on　and　awaited　further　orders。。。。
　When　Shando　had　gone　into　hiding；　she'd　erased　all　records；　changed　her　name；　used　unmarked　credits　to　buy　a　small　estate　on　the　gloomy　world　of　Bela　Tegeuse。　Her　one　mistake　had　been　in　underestimating　the　persistence　of　the　Emperor's　Sardaukar。
　Dominic　would　not　make　his　wife's　mistake。　For　what　he　had　in　mind；　he　would　go　where　no　one　could　see　him。。。a　place　where　he　could　prey　upon　the　Landsraad　and　be　a　thorn　in　the　Emperor's　side。
　That　was　about　the　only　weapon　he　had　left。
　Ready　to　begin　his　real　work；　Dominic　Vernius　took　the　pilot　controls　of　an　unregistered　smuggler's　craft　loaded　with　a　dozen　loyal　men。　These　rades　had　gathered　up　hoarded　cash　and　equipment　in　order　to　join　him　in　striking　a　blow　for　glory　and　honor　　and　perhaps　vengeance　along　the　way。
　Then　he　went　to　the　Vernius　family's　stockpile　of　atomics　　forbidden　weapons；　nevertheless　held　in　reserve　by　every　Great　House　of　the　Landsraad。　Absolutely　restricted　by　the　articles　of　the　Great　Convention；　the　Ixian　atomics　had　been　secreted　away　for　generations；　sealed　on　the　dark　side　of　a　moonlet　orbiting　the　fifth　planet　in　the　Alkaurops　system。　The　Tleilaxu　vermin　on　Ix　knew　nothing　of　this。
　Now　Dominic's　smuggler　ship　carried　enough　doomsday　firepower　to　annihilate　a　world。
　〃Vengeance　is　in　the　hands　of　the　Lord；〃　stated　the　Orange　Catholic　Bible。　But　after　what　he　had　gone　through；　Dominic　did　not　feel　terribly　religious；　nor　did　he　care　to　be　bound　by　the　niceties　of　law。　He　was　a　renegade　now；　and　beyond　the　touch　　or　protection　　of　the　legal　system。
　He　envisioned　himself　as　the　greatest　of　all　smugglers；　hiding　where　no　one　would　find　him；　yet　where　he　could　inflict　great　economic　damage　on　all　the　powerhouses　that　had　betrayed　him　and　refused　to　offer　help。
　With　these　atomics；　he　could　make　his　mark　on　history。
　Shielded　from　the　outdated　weather…satellite　network　maintained　by　the　Guild；　Dominic　brought　his　ship　and　his　atomic　stockpile　down　in　an　uninhabited　polar　region　of　the　desert　planet　Arrakis。　A　brisk；　cool　wind　whipped　the　ragged　uniforms　of　his　men　as　they　stepped　onto　desolate　land。　Arrakis。　Their　new　base　of　operations。
　It　would　be　a　long　time　before　anyone　heard　of　Dominic　Vernius　again。　But　when　he　was　ready。。。the　entire　Imperium　would　remember。
　A　world　is　supporte