fh.godemperorofdune-第15章

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　HWI　NOREE：　My　uncle　accounted　him　the　most　supremely　artful　diplomat　in　the　Empire；　a　master　conversationalist　and　expert　in　any　subject　you　could　name。
　INQUISITOR：　Did　your　uncle　not　speak　of　the　Worm's　brutality？
　HWI　NOREE：　My　uncle　judged　him　ultimately　civilized。
　INQUISITOR：　I　asked　about　brutality。
　HWI　NOREE：　Capable　of　brutality；　yes。
　INQUISITOR：　Your　uncle　feared　him。
　HWI　NOREE：　The　Lord　Leto　lacks　all　innocence　and　naivetй。　He　is　to　be　feared　only　when　he　pretends　these　traits。　That　was　what　my　uncle　said。
　INQUISITOR：　Those　were　his　words；　yes。
　HWI　NOREE：　More　than　that！　Malky　said；　〃The　Lord　Leto　delights　in　the　surprising　genius　and　diversity　of　humankind。　He　is　my　favorite　panion。〃
　INQUISITOR：　Giving　us　the　benefit　of　your　supreme　wisdom；　how　do　you　interpret　these　words　of　your　uncle？
　HWI　NOREE：　Do　not　mock　me！
　INQUISITOR：　We　do　not　mock。　We　seek　enlightenment。
　HWI　NOREE：　These　words　of　Malky；　and　many　other　things　that　he　wrote　directly　to　me；　suggest　that　the　Lord　Leto　is　always　seeking　after　newness　and　originality　but　that　he　is　wary　of　the　destructive　potential　in　such　things。　So　my　uncle　believed。
　INQUISITOR：　Is　there　more　which　you　wish　to　add　to　these　beliefs　which　you　share　with　your　uncle？
　HWI　NOREE：　I　see　no　point　in　adding　to　what　I've　already　said。　I　am　sorry　to　have　wasted　the　Inquisitors'　time。
　INQUISITOR：　But　you　have　not　wasted　our　time。　You　are　confirmed　as　Ambassador　to　the　Court　of　Lord　Leto；　the　God　Emperor　of　the　known　universe。
　
　You　must　remember　that　I　have　at　my　internal　demand　every　expertise　known　to　our　history。　This　is　the　fund　of　energy　I　…draw　upon　when　I　address　the　mentality　of　war。　If　you　have　not　heard　the　moaning　cries　of　the　wounded　and　the　dying；　you　do　not　know　about　war。　I　have　heard　those　cries　in　such　numbers　that　they　haunt　me。　I　have　cried　out　myself　in　the　aftermath　of　battle。　I　have　suffered　wounds　in　every　epoch…wounds　from　fist　and　club　and　rock；　from　shell…studded　limb　and　bronze　sword；　from　the　mace　and　the　cannon；　from　arrows　and　lasguns　and　the　silent　smothering　of　atomic　dust；　from　biological　invasions　which　blacken　the　tongue　and　drown　the　lungs；　from　the　swift　gush　of　flame　and　the　silent　working　of　slow　poisons。　。　。　and　more　I　will　not　recount！　I　have　seen　and　felt　them　all。　To　those　who　dare　ask　why　I　behave　as　I　do；　I　say：　With　my　memories；　I　can　do　nothing　else。　I　am　not　a　coward　and　once　I　was　human。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　IN　THE　warm　season　when　the　satellite　weather　controllers　were　forced　to　contend　with　winds　across　the　great　seas；　evening　often　saw　rainfall　at　the　edges　of　the　Sareer。　Moneo；　ing　in　from　one　of　his　periodic　inspections　of　the　Citadel's　perimeter；　was　caught　in　a　sudden　shower。　Night　fell　before　he　reached　shelter。　A　Fish　Speaker　guard　helped　him　out　of　his　damp　cloak　at　the　south　portal。　She　was　a　heavyset；　blocky　woman　with　a　square　face；　a　type　Leto　favored　for　his　guardians。
　〃Those　damned　weather　controllers　should　be　made　to　shape　up；〃　she　said　as　she　handed　him　his　damp　cloak。
　Moneo　gave　her　a　curt　nod　before　beginning　the　climb　to　his　quarters。　All　of　the　Fish　Speaker　guards　knew　the　God　Emperor's　aversion　to　moisture；　but　none　of　them　made　Moneo's　distinction。
　It　is　the　Worm　who　hates　water；　Moneo　thought。　Shai…Hulud　hungers　for　Dune。
　In　his　quarters；　Moneo　dried　himself　and　changed　to　dry　clothing　before　descending　to　the　crypt。　There　was　no　point　in　inviting　the　Worm's　antagonism。　Uninterrupted　conversation　with　Leto　was　required　now；　plain　talk　about　the　impending　peregrination　to　the　Festival　City　of　Onn。
　Leaning　against　a　wall　of　the　descending　lift；　Moneo　closed　his　eyes。　Immediately；　fatigue　swept　over　him。　He　knew　he　had　not　slept　enough　in　days　and　there　was　no　let　up　in　sight。　He　envied　Leto's　apparent　freedom　from　the　need　for　sleep。　A　few　hours　of　semi　repose　a　month　appeared　to　be　sufficient　for　the　God　Emperor。
　The　smell　of　the　crypt　and　the　stopping　of　the　lift　jarred　Moneo　from　his　catnap。　He　opened　his　eyes　and　looked　out　at　the　God　Emperor　on　his　cart　in　the　center　of　the　great　chamber。　Moneo　posed　himself　and　strode　out　for　the　familiar　long　walk　into　the　terrible　presence。　As　expected；　Leto　appeared　alert。　That；　at　least；　was　a　good　sign。
　Leto　had　heard　the　lift　approaching　and　saw　Moneo　awaken。　The　man　looked　tired　and　that　was　understandable。　The　peregrination　to　Onn　was　at　hand　with　all　of　the　tiresome　business　of　off…planet　visitors；　the　ritual　with　the　Fish　Speakers；　the　new　ambassadors；　the　changing　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　the　retirements　and　the　appointments；　and　now　a　new　Duncan　Idaho　ghola　to　fit　into　the　smooth　working　of　the　Imperial　apparatus。　Moneo　was　occupied　with　mounting　details　and　he　was　beginning　to　show　his　age。
　Let　me　see；　Leto　thought。　Moneo　will　be　one　hundred　and　eighteen　years　old　in　the　week　after　our　return　from　Onn。
　The　man　could　live　many　times　that　long　if　he　would　take　the　spice；　but　he　refused。　Leto　had　no　doubt　of　the　reason。　Moneo　had　entered　that　peculiar　human　state　where　he　longed　for　death。　He　lingered　now　only　to　see　Siona　installed　in　the　Royal　Service；　the　next　director　of　the　Imperial　Society　of　Fish　Speakers。
　My　houris；　as　Malky　used　to　call　them。
　And　Moneo　knew　it　was　Leto's　intention　to　breed　Siona　with　a　Duncan。　It　was　time。
　Moneo　stopped　two　paces　from　the　cart　and　looked　up　at　Leto。　Something　in　his　eyes　reminded　Leto　of　the　look　on　the　face　of　a　pagan　priest　in　the　Terran　times；　a　crafty　supplication　at　the　familiar　shrine。
　〃Lord；　you　have　spent　many　hours　observing　the　new　Duncan；〃　Moneo　said。　〃Have　the　Tleilaxu　tampered　with　his　cells　or　his　psyche？〃
　〃He　is　untainted。〃
　A　deep　sigh　shook　Moneo。　There　was　no　pleasure　in　it。
　〃You　object　to　his　use　as　a　stud？〃　Leto　asked。
　〃I　find　it　peculiar　to　think　of　him　as　both　an　ancestor　and　the　father　of　my　descendants。〃
　〃But　he　gives　me　access　to　a　first…generation　cross　between　an　older　human　form　and　the　current　products　of　my　breeding　program。　Siona　is　twenty…one　generations　removed　from　such　a　cross。〃
　〃I　fail　to　see　the　purpose。　The　Duncans　are　slower　and　less　alert　than　anyone　in　your　Guard。〃
　〃I　am　not　looking　for　good　segregant　offspring；　Moneo。　Did　you　think　me　unaware　of　the　progression　geometrics　dictated　by　the　laws　which　govern　my　breeding　program？〃
　〃I　have　seen　your　stock　book；　Lord。〃
　〃Then　you　know　that　I　keep　track　of　the　recessives　and　weed　them　out。　The　key　genetic　dominants　are　my　concern。〃
　〃And　the　mutations；　Lord？〃　There　was　a　sly　note　in　Moneo's　voice　which　caused　Leto　to　study　the　man　intently。
　〃We　will　not　discuss　that　subject；　Moneo。〃
　Leto　watched　Moneo　pull　back　into　his　cautious　shell。
　How　extremely　sensitive　he　is　to　my　moods；　Leto　thought。　I　do　believe　he　has　some　of　my　abilities　there；　although　they　operate　at　an　unconscious　level。　His　question　suggests　that　he　may　even　suspect　what　we　have　achieved　in　Siona。
　Testing　this；　Leto　said；　〃It　is　clear　to　me　that　you　do　not　yet　understand　what　I　hope　to　achieve　in　my　breeding　program。〃
　Moneo　brightened。　〃My　Lord　knows　I　try　to　fathom　the　rules　of　it。〃
　〃Laws　tend　to　be　temporary　over　the　long　haul；　Moneo。　There　is　no　such　thing　as　rule…governed　creativity。〃
　〃But　Lord；　you　yourself　speak　of　laws　which　govern　your　breeding　program。〃
　〃What　have　I　just　said　to　you；　Moneo？　Trying　to　find　rules　for　creation　is　like　trying　to　separate　mind　from　body。〃
　〃But　something　is　evolving；　Lord。　I　know　it　in　myself！〃
　He　knows　it　in　himself！　Dear　Moneo。　He　is　so　close。
　〃Why　do　you　always　seek　after　absolutely　derivative　translations；　Moneo？〃
　〃I　have　heard　you　speak　of　transformational　evolution；　Lord。　That　is　the　label　on　your　stock　book。　But　what　of　surprise。　。　。〃
　〃Moneo！　Rules　change　with　each　surprise。〃
　〃Lord；　have　you　no　improvement　of　the　human　stock　in　mind？〃
　Leto　glared　down　at　him；　thinking：　If　I　use　the　key　word　now；　will　he　understand？　Perhaps　。　。　。
　〃I　am　a　predator；　Moneo。〃
　〃Pred　。　。　。〃　Moneo　broke　off　and　shook　his　head。　He　knew　the　meaning　of　the　word；　he　thought；　but　the　word　itself　shocked　him。　Was　the　God　Emperor　joking？
　〃Predator；　Lord？〃
　〃The　predator　improves　the　stock。〃
　〃How