bh.houseatreides-第29部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ir　core　planets；　intentionally　digging　a　societal　ditch　in　which　they　could　wallow。
　The　Bene　Tleilax　were；　however；　true　genetic　wizards；　willing　to　use　unorthodox　and　socially　heinous　methods；　dealing　in　live　or　dead　flesh；　in　biological　waste。　With　their　mysterious　yet　powerful　axlotl　tanks　they　could　grow　clones　from　live　cells　and　gholas　from　dead　ones。　The　Tleilaxu　had　a　slippery；　shifty　aura　about　them。　How　can　anyone　take　them　seriously？
　〃Think　about　it；　Shaddam。　Are　the　Tleilaxu　not　masters　of　organic　chemistry　and　cellular　mechanics；　hm…m…m…m…ah？〃　Fenring　sniffed。　〃Through　my　own　web　of　spies　I've　learned　that　the　Bene　Tleilax；　despite　the　distaste　with　which　we　view　them；　have　developed　a　new　technique。　I　have　certain。。。technical　skills　myself；　you　know；　and　I　believe　this　Tleilaxu　technique　could　be　applicable　to　the　production　of　artificial　melange。。。our　own　source。〃　He　fixed　his　bright　birdlike　eyes　on　Shaddam's。　〃Or　are　you　unwilling　to　consider　all　alternatives；　and　let　your　father　maintain　control？〃
　Shaddam　squirmed；　hesitating　to　answer。　He　would　much　rather　have　been　playing　a　game　of　shield…ball。　He　didn't　like　to　think　of　the　gnomelike　men；　religious　fanatics；　the　Bene　Tleilax　were　intensely　secretive　and　did　not　invite　guests。　Heedless　of　how　other　worlds　regarded　them；　they　sent　their　representatives　out　to　observe　and　to　make　deals　at　the　highest　levels　for　unique　bioengineered　products。　Rumor　held　that　no　outsider　had　ever　seen　a　Tleilaxu　woman。　Never。　He　thought　they　must　be　either　wildly　beautiful。。。or　incredibly　ugly。
　Seeing　the　Crown　Prince　shudder；　Fenring　pointed　a　finger　at　him。　〃Shaddam；　don't　fall　into　the　same　trap　as　your　father。　As　your　friend　and　advisor；　I　must　investigate　unseen　opportunities；　hm…m…m…m…ah？　Put　aside　such　feelings　and　consider　the　possible　victory　if　this　works　　a　victory　over　the　Landsraad；　the　Guild；　CHOAM；　and　the　scheming　House　Harkonnen。　How　amusing　to　think　that　all　the　strings　the　Harkonnens　pulled　to　gain　Arrakis　after　the　downfall　of　Richese　would　be　for　naught。〃
　His　voice　became　softer；　infinitely　reasonable。　〃What　difference　does　it　make　if　we　have　to　deal　with　the　Tleilaxu？　So　long　as　House　Corrino　breaks　the　spice　monopoly　and　establishes　an　independent　source？〃
　Shaddam　looked　at　him；　turning　his　back　on　the　teaching　machine。　〃You're　sure　about　this？〃
　〃No；　I'm　not　sure；〃　Fenring　snapped。　〃No　one　can　be　sure　until　it　is　done。　But　we　must　at　least　consider　the　idea；　give　it　a　chance。　If　we　don't；　somebody　else　will。。。eventually。　Maybe　even　the　Bene　Tleilax　themselves。　We　need　to　do　this　for　our　own　survival。〃
　〃What　will　happen　when　my　father　hears　about　it？〃　Shaddam　asked。　〃He　won't　like　the　idea。〃
　Old　Elrood　never　could　think　for　himself；　and　Fenring's　chaumurky　had　already　begun　to　fossilize　his　brain。　The　Emperor　had　always　been　a　pathetic　pawn；　shifted　around　by　political　forces。　Perhaps　the　senile　vulture　had　made　a　deal　with　House　Harkonnen　to　keep　them　in　control　of　the　spice　production。　It　wouldn't　surprise　Shaddam　if　the　young　and　powerful　Baron　had　old　Elrood　wrapped　around　his　little　finger。　House　Harkonnen　was　fabulously　wealthy；　and　their　means　of　influence　were　legion。
　It　would　be　good　to　bring　them　to　their　knees。
　Fenring　put　his　hands　on　his　hips。　〃I　can　make　all　of　this　happen；　Shaddam。　I　have　contacts。　I　can　bring　a　Bene　Tleilax　representative　here　without　anybody　knowing。　He　can　state　our　case　before　the　Imperial　Court　　and　then　if　your　father　turns　him　down；　we　might　be　able　to　find　out　who's　controlling　the　throne。。。the　trail　would　be　fresh。　Hmmm…ahh；　shall　I　set　it　up？〃
　The　Crown　Prince　glanced　back　at　the　teaching　machine　that　obliviously　continued　to　instruct　a　nonexistent　pupil。　〃Yes；　yes；　of　course；〃　he　said　impatiently；　now　that　he　had　e　to　a　decision。　〃Let's　not　waste　more　time。　And　stop　making　that　noise。〃
　〃It'll　take　a　while　for　me　to　get　all　the　pieces　in　place；　but　the　investment　will　be　worth　it。〃
　From　the　next　room　came　a　high…pitched　moan；　then　a　thin　squeal　of　ecstasy　built　higher　and　higher　until　it　seemed　that　the　walls　themselves　must　crumble。
　〃Our　tutor　must　have　learned　how　to　pleasure　his　little　pet；〃　Shaddam　said　with　a　scowl。　〃Or　perhaps　she's　just　faking。〃
　Fenring　laughed　and　shook　his　head。　〃That　wasn't　her；　my　friend。　That　was　his　voice。〃
　〃I　wish　I　knew　what　they　were　doing　in　there；〃　Shaddam　said。
　〃Don't　worry。　It's　all　being　recorded　for　your　later　enjoyment。　If　our　beloved　tutor　cooperates　with　us　and　causes　no　trouble；　we'll　simply　watch　it　for　amusement。　If；　however；　he　proves　difficult；　we'll　wait　until　after　your　father's　been　given　this　concubine　for　his　own　private　toy　　then　we'll　show　Emperor　Elrood　a　glimpse　of　those　images。〃
　〃And　we'll　have　what　we　want　anyway；〃　Shaddam　said。
　〃Exactly；　my　Prince。〃
　The　working　Planetologist　has　access　to　many　resources；　data；　and　projections。　However；　his　most　important　tools　are　human　beings。　Only　by　cultivating　ecological　literacy　among　the　people　themselves　can　he　save　an　entire　planet。
　…PARDOT　KYNES；　The　Case　for　Bela　Tegeuse
　As　he　gathered　notes　for　his　next　report　to　the　Emperor；　Pardot　Kynes　encountered　increasing　evidence　of　subtle　ecological　manipulations。　He　suspected　the　Fremen。　Who　else　could　be　responsible　out　there　in　the　wastelands　of　Arrakis？
　It　became　clear　to　him　that　the　desert　people　must　be　present　in　far　greater　numbers　than　the　Harkonnen　stewards　imagined　　and　that　the　Fremen　had　a　dream　of　their　own。。。but　the　Planetologist　in　him　wondered　if　they　had　developed　an　actual　plan　to　acplish　it。
　While　delving　into　the　geological　and　ecological　enigmas　of　this　desert　world；　Kynes　came　to　believe　that　he　had　the　power　at　his　fingertips　to　breathe　life　into　these　sunblistered　sands。　Arrakis　was　not　merely　the　dead　lump　it　appeared　to　be　on　the　surface；　instead；　it　was　a　seed　capable　of　magnificent　growth。。。provided　the　environment　received　the　proper　care。
　The　Harkonnens　certainly　wouldn't　expend　the　effort。　Though　they　had　been　planetary　governors　here　for　decades；　the　Baron　and　his　capricious　crew　behaved　as　if　they　were　unruly　houseguests　with　no　long…term　investment　in　Arrakis。　As　Planetologist；　he　could　see　the　obvious　signs。　The　Harkonnens　were　plundering　the　world；　taking　as　much　melange　as　they　could　as　quickly　as　possible；　with　no　thought　to　the　future。
　Political　machinations　and　the　tides　of　power　could　quickly　and　easily　shift　alliances。　Within　a　few　decades；　no　doubt；　the　Emperor　would　hand　control　of　the　spice　operations　to　some　other　Great　House。　The　Harkonnens　had　nothing　to　gain　by　making　long…term　investments　here。
　Many　of　the　other　inhabitants　were　also　indigents：　smugglers；　water　merchants；　traders　who　could　easily　pull　up　stakes　and　fly　to　another　world；　a　different　boomtown　settlement。　No　one　cared　for　the　planet's　plight　　Arrakis　was　merely　a　resource　to　be　exploited；　then　discarded。
　Kynes　thought　the　Fremen　might　have　a　different　mind…set；　though。　The　reclusive　desert　dwellers　were　said　to　be　fierce　to　their　own　ways。　They　had　wandered　from　world　to　world　in　their　long　history；　been　downtrodden　and　enslaved　before　making　Arrakis　their　home　　a　planet　they　had　called　Dune　since　ancient　times。　These　people　had　the　most　at　stake　here。　They　would　suffer　the　consequences　caused　by　the　exploiters。
　If　Kynes　could　only　enlist　Fremen　aid　　and　if　there　were　as　many　of　these　mysterious　people　as　he　suspected　　changes　might　be　made　on　a　global　scale。　Once　he　accumulated　more　data　on　weather　patterns；　atmospheric　content；　and　seasonal　fluctuations；　he　could　develop　a　realistic　timetable；　a　game　plan　that　would　eventually　sculpt　Arrakis　into　a　verdant　place。　It　can　be　done！
　For　a　week　now；　he　had　concentrated　his　activities　around　the　Shield　Wall；　an　enormous　mountain　range　that　embraced　the　northern　polar　regions。　Most　inhabitants　settled　in　rocky　guarded　terrain　where；　he　supposed；　the　worms　could　not　go。
　To　see　the　land　up　close；　Kynes　chose　to　travel　slowly　in　a　one…man　groundcar。　He　puttered　around　the　base　of　the　Shield　Wall；　taking　measurements；　collecting　specimens。　He　measured　the　angle　of　strata　in　the　rocks　to　determine　the　geological　turmoil　that　had　established　such　a　mountainous　barrier。
　Given　time　and　meticulous　study；　he　might　even　find　fossil　layers；　limestone　clumps　with　petrified　seashells　or　primitive　ocean　creatures　from　the　planet's　much　wetter　past。　Thus　far；　the　subtle　evidence　for　primordial　water　was　clear　enough　to　the　trained　eye。　Uncovering　such　a　cryptozooic　remnant；　though；　would　be　the　keystone　of　his　treatise；　incontrovertible　proof　of　his　suspicions　。。。。
　Early　one　morning　Kynes　drove　in　his　trundling　groundcar；　leaving　tracks　on　loose　material　that　had　eroded　from　the　mountain　wall。　In　this　vicinity　all　villages；　from　the　largest　to　the　most　squalid　settlements；　were　carefully　marked　on　the　charts；　undoubtedly　for　purposes　of　Harkonnen　taxation　and　exploitation。　It　was　a　relief　to　have　accurate　maps　for　a　change。
　He　found　himself　near　a　place　called　Windsack；　the　site　of　a　Harkonnen　guard　station　and　troop　barracks　that　lived　in　an　uneasy　alliance　with　the　desert　dwellers。　Kynes　continued　along；　rocking　with　the　uneven　terrain。　Humming　to　himself；　he　stared　up　at　the　cliffsides。　The　putter　of　his　engines　served　as　a　lullaby；　and　he　lost　himself　in　thought。
　Then；　as　he　came　over　a　rise　and　rounded　a　finger　of　rock；　he　was　startled　to　encounter　a　small；　desperate　battle。　Six　muscular；　well…trained　soldiers　stood　in　full　Harkonnen　livery；　cloaked　in　body…shields。　The　bravos　held　ceremonial　cutting　weapons；　which　they　were　using　to　toy　with　three　Fremen　youths　they　had　cornered。
　Kynes　brought　the　groundcar　to　a　lurching　halt。　The　deplorable　scene　reminded　him　of　how　he　had　once　watched　a　well…fed　Laza　tiger　playing　with　a　mangy　ground　rat　on　Salusa　Secundus。　The　satisfied　tiger　had　no　need　for　additional　meat；　but　simply　enjoyed　playing　the　predator；　it　trapped　the　terrified　rodent　between　some　rocks；　scratching　with　long；　curved　claws；　opening　painful；　bloody　wounds。。。injuries　that　were；　intentionally；　not　fatal。　The　Laza　tiger　had　batted　the　ground　rat　around　for　many　minutes　as　Kynes　observed　through　high…powered　oil　lenses