bh.houseatreides-第78部分

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　Wrapped　in　a　blanket；　the　baby　girl　had　finally　stopped　crying　and　lay　peacefully　in　the　sheltering　warmth　of　its　enclosed　bed。
　Squinting　down　through　the　protective　plaz；　Anirul　tried　to　imagine　what　this　Jessica　would　look　like　as　a　grown　woman。　She　envisioned　the　baby's　face　elongating　and　thinning；　and　could　visualize　a　tall　lady　of　great　beauty；　with　the　regal　features　of　her　father　Baron　Harkonnen；　generous　lips；　and　smooth　skin。　The　Baron　would　never　meet　his　daughter　or　know　her　name；　for　this　would　be　one　of　the　most　closely　guarded　secrets　of　the　Bene　Gesserit。
　One　day；　when　Jessica　was　of　age；　she　would　be　manded　to　bear　a　daughter；　and　that　child　must　be　introduced　to　the　son　of　Abulurd　Harkonnen；　the　Baron's　youngest　demibrother。　At　the　moment　Abulurd　and　his　wife　had　only　one　son；　Rabban…but　Anirul　had　set　in　motion　a　means　of　suggesting　that　they　have　more。　This　would　improve　the　odds　of　one　male　surviving　to　maturity；　it　would　also　improve　the　gene　selection；　and　improve　the　odds　of　good　sexual　timing。
　A　vast　jigsaw　puzzle　remained　apparent　to　Anirul；　each　of　its　pieces　a　separate　event　in　the　incredible　Bene　Gesserit　breeding　program。　Only　a　few　more　ponents　needed　to　slip　into　place　now；　and　the　Kwisatz　Haderach　would　bee　a　reality　in　flesh　and　blood　　the　all…powerful　male　who　could　bridge　space　and　time；　the　ultimate　tool　to　be　wielded　by　the　Bene　Gesserit。
　Anirul　wondered　now；　as　she　often　had　without　daring　to　speak　of　it；　if　such　a　man　could　cause　the　Bene　Gesserit　to　once　again　find　genuine　religious　fervor；　like　the　fanaticism　of　the　crusading　Butler　family。　What　if　he　made　others　revere　him　as　a　god？
　Imagine　that；　she　thought。　The　Bene　Gesserit　　who　used　religion　only　to　manipulate　others　　ensnared　by　their　own　messianic　leader。　She　doubted　that　could　ever　happen。
　Reverend　Mother　Anirul　went　out　to　celebrate　with　her　Sisters。
　The　surest　way　to　keep　a　secret　is　to　make　people　believe　they　already　know　the　answer。
　…Ancient　Fremen　Wisdom
　Umma　Kynes；　you　have　acplished　much；〃　said　one…eyed　Heinar　as　the　two　men　sat　on　a　rocky　promontory　above　their　sietch。　The　Naib　treated　him　as　an　equal　now；　even　with　overblown　respect。　Kynes　had　stopped　bothering　to　argue　with　the　desert　people　every　time　they　called　him　〃Umma；〃　their　word　for　〃prophet。〃
　He　and　Heinar　watched　the　coppery　sunset　spill　across　the　sweeping　dunefield　of　the　Great　Erg。　Far　in　the　distance；　a　fuzzy　haze　hung　on　the　horizon；　the　last　remnants　of　a　sandstorm　that　had　passed　the　previous　day。
　Powerful　winds　had　washed　the　dunes　clean；　scrubbed　their　surfaces；　recontoured　the　landscape。　Kynes　relaxed　against　the　rough　rock；　sipping　from　a　pungent　cup　of　spice　coffee。
　Seeing　her　husband　about　to　go　above　ground；　outside　the　sietch；　a　pregnant　Frieth　had　hurried　after　the　two　men　as　they　waited　to　bid　the　sun　farewell　for　another　day。　An　elaborate　brass　coffee　service　sat　between　them　on　a　flat　stone。　Frieth　had　brought　it；　along　with　a　selection　of　the　crunchy　sesame　cakes　Kynes　loved　so　well。　By　the　time　he　remembered　to　thank　her　for　her　kind　attentiveness；　Frieth　had　already　vanished　like　a　shadow　back　into　the　caves。
　After　a　long　moment；　Kynes　nodded　distractedly　at　the　Naib's　ment。　〃Yes；　I've　acplished　much；　but　I　still　have　plenty　to　do。〃　He　thought　of　the　remarkably　plex　plans　required　to　plete　his　dream　of　a　reborn　Dune；　a　planetary　name　little　known　in　the　Imperium。
　Imperium。　He　rarely　thought　of　the　old　Emperor　now　　his　own　priorities；　the　emphasis　of　his　life；　had　changed　so　greatly。　Kynes　could　never　go　back　to　being　a　mere　Imperial　Planetologist；　not　after　all　he'd　been　through　with　these　desert　people。
　Heinar　clasped　his　friend's　wrist。　〃It　is　said　that　sunset　is　a　time　for　reflection　and　assessment；　my　friend。　Let　us　look　to　what　we　have　done；　rather　than　permit　the　empty　gulf　of　the　future　to　overwhelm　us。　You　have　been　on　this　planet　for　only　a　little　more　than　a　year；　yet　already　you　have　found　a　new　tribe；　a　new　wife。〃　Heinar　smiled。　〃And　soon　you　will　have　a　new　child；　a　son　perhaps。〃
　Kynes　returned　the　smile　wistfully。　Frieth　was　nearly　through　her　gestation　period。　He　was　somewhat　surprised　that　the　pregnancy　had　happened　at　all；　since　he　was　gone　so　frequently。　He　still　wasn't　certain　how　to　react　to　his　impending　role　as　a　first…time　father。　He　had　never　thought　about　it　before。
　However；　the　birth　would　fit　in　neatly　with　the　overall　plan　he　had　for　this　astounding　planet。　His　child；　growing　up　to　lead　the　Fremen　long　after　Kynes　himself　was　gone；　could　help　continue　their　efforts。　The　master　plan　was　designed　to　take　centuries。
　As　a　Planetologist；　he　had　to　think　in　the　long　term；　something　the　Fremen　were　not　in　the　habit　of　doing　　though；　given　their　long；　troubled　past；　they　should　have　been　accustomed　to　it。　The　desert　people　had　an　oral　history　going　back　thousands　of　years；　tales　told　in　the　sietch　describing　their　endless　wanderings　from　planet　to　planet；　a　people　enslaved　and　persecuted；　until　finally　they　had　made　a　home　here　where　no　one　else　could　bear　to　live。
　The　Fremen　way　was　a　conservative　one；　little　changed　from　generation　to　generation；　and　these　people　were　not　used　to　considering　the　broad　scope　of　progress。　Assuming　their　environment　could　not　be　adapted；　they　remained　its　prisoners；　rather　than　its　masters。
　Kynes　hoped　to　change　all　that。　He　had　mapped　out　his　great　plan；　including　rough　timetables　for　plantings　and　the　accumulation　of　water；　milestones　for　each　successive　achievement。　Hectare　by　hectare；　Dune　would　be　rescued　from　the　wasteland。
　His　Fremen　teams　were　scouring　the　surface；　taking　core　samples　from　the　Great　Bled；　geological　specimens　from　the　Minor　Erg　and　the　Funeral　Plain　　but　many　terraforming　factors　still　remained　unknown　variables。
　Pieces　fell　into　place　daily。　When　he　expressed　a　desire　for　better　maps　of　the　planet's　surface；　he　was　astonished　to　learn　that　the　Fremen　already　had　detailed　topographical　charts；　even　climatic　surveys。　〃Why　is　it　that　I　couldn't　get　these　before？〃　Kynes　said。　〃I　was　the　Imperial　Planetologist；　and　the　maps　I　received　from　satellite　cartography　were　woefully　inaccurate。〃
　Old　Heinar　had　smiled　at　him；　squinting　his　one　eye。　〃We　pay　a　substantial　bribe　to　the　Spacing　Guild　to　keep　them　from　watching　us　too　closely。　The　cost　is　high；　but　the　Fremen　are　free　　and　the　Harkonnens　remain　in　the　dark；　along　with　the　rest　of　the　Imperium。〃
　Kynes　was　astonished　at　first；　then　simply　pleased；　to　have　much　of　the　geographical　information　he　needed。　Immediately　he　dispatched　traders　to　deal　with　smugglers　and　obtain　genetically　engineered　seeds　of　vigorous　desert　plants。　He　had　to　design　and　build　an　entire　ecosystem　from　scratch。
　In　large　council　meetings；　the　Fremen　asked　their　new　〃prophet〃　what　the　next　step　might　be；　how　long　each　process　would　take；　when　Dune　would　bee　green　and　lush。　Kynes　had　tallied　up　his　estimates　and　calmly　looked　down　at　the　number。　In　the　manner　of　a　teacher　answering　a　child　who　has　asked　an　absurdly　simple　question；　Kynes　shrugged　and　told　them；　〃It　will　take　anywhere　from　three　hundred　to　five　hundred　years。　Maybe　a　little　more。〃
　Some　of　the　Fremen　bit　back　groans　of　despair；　while　the　rest　listened　stoically　to　the　Umma；　and　then　set　about　doing　what　he　asked。　Three　hundred　to　five　hundred　years。　Long…term　thinking；　beyond　their　personal　lifetimes。　The　Fremen　had　to　alter　their　ways。
　Seeing　a　vision　from　God；　the　would…be　assassin　Uliet　had　sacrificed　himself　for　this　man。　From　that　moment　on；　the　Fremen　had　been　fully　convinced　of　Kynes's　divine　inspiration。　He　had　only　to　point；　and　any　Fremen　in　the　sietch　would　do　as　he　bid。
　The　feeling　of　power　might　have　been　abused　by　any　other　person。　But　Pardot　Kynes　simply　took　it　in　stride　and　continued　his　work。　He　envisioned　the　future　in　terms　of　eons　and　worlds；　not　in　terms　of　individuals　or　small　plots　of　land。
　Now；　as　the　sun　vanished　below　the　sands　in　a　brassy　symphony　of　color；　Kynes　drained　the　last　drops　of　his　spice　coffee；　then　wiped　a　forearm　across　his　sandy　beard。　Despite　what　Heinar　had　said；　he　found　it　difficult　to　reflect　patiently　on　the　past　year。。。the　demands　of　the　labors　for　centuries　to　e　seemed　so　much　more　significant；　so　much　more　demanding　of　his　attention。
　〃Heinar；　how　many　Fremen　are　there？〃　he　asked；　staring　across　the　serene　open　desert。　He'd　heard　tales　of　many　other　sietches；　had　seen　isolated　Fremen　in　the　Harkonnen　towns　and　villages。。。but　they　seemed　like　the　ghosts　of　an　endangered　species。　〃How　many　in　the　whole　world？〃
　〃Do　you　wish　us　to　count　our　numbers；　Umma　Kynes？〃　Heinar　asked；　not　in　disbelief；　simply　clarifying　an　order。
　〃I　need　to　know　your　population　if　I'm　to　project　our　terraforming　activities。　I　must　understand　just　how　many　workers　we　have　available。〃
　Heinar　stood　up。　〃It　shall　be　done。　We　shall　number　our　sietches；　and　rally　the　people　in　them。　I　will　send　sandriders　and　distrans　bats　to　all　the　munities；　and　we　shall　have　an　accounting　for　you　soon。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Kynes　picked　up　his　cup；　but　before　he　could　gather　the　dishes　himself；　Frieth　rushed　out　of　the　cave　shadows　　she　must　have　been　waiting　there　for　them　to　finish　　and　gathered　up　the　pieces　of　the　coffee　service。　Her　pregnancy　hadn't　slowed　her　down　at　all。
　The　first　Fremen　census；　Kynes　thought。　A　momentous　occasion。
　BRIGHT…EYED　AND　EAGER；　Stilgar　came　to　Kynes's　cavern　quarters　the　next　morning。　〃We　are　packing　for　your　long　journey；　Umma　Kynes。　Far　to　the　south。　We　have　important　things　to　show　you。〃
　Since　his　recovery　from　the　Harkonnen　knife　wound；　Stilgar　had　bee　one　of　Kynes's　most　devoted　followers。　He　seemed　to　draw　status　from　his　relationship　with　the　Planetologist；　his　brother…in…law。　Stilgar　served　not　for　himself；　though；　but　for　the　greater　good　of　the　Fremen。
　〃How　long　will　the　journey　be？〃　Kynes　inquired。　〃And　where　are　we　going？〃
　The　young　man's　grin　sparkled；　a　broad　display　of　white。　〃A　surprise！　This　is　something　you　must　see；　or　you　may　not　believe。　Think　of　it　as　a　gift　from　us　to　you。〃
　Curious；　Kynes　looked　over　at　his　work　alcove。　He　would　bring　along　his　notes　to　document　this　journey。　〃But　how　long　will　it　take？〃
　〃Twenty　thumpers；