fh.godemperorofdune-第4章

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　spice　is　held　in　Guild　and　Bene　Gesserit　storehouses；　a　few　small　hoards　among　the　remnants　of　the　Great　Houses；　and　my　gigantic　hoard　which　they　all　covet。　How　they　would　like　to　raid　me！　But　they　don't　dare。　They　know　I　would　destroy　it　all　before　surrendering　it。
　No　They　e　hat　in　hand　and　petition　me　for　melange。　I　dole　it　out　as　a　reward　and　hold　it　back　as　punishment。　How　they　hate　that。
　It　is　my　power；　I　tell　them。　It　is　my　gift。
　With　it；　I　create　Peace。　They　have　had　more　than　three　thousand　years　of　Leto's　Peace。　It　is　an　enforced　tranquility　which　humankind　knew　only　for　the　briefest　periods　before　my　ascendancy。　Lest　you　have　forgotten；　study　Leto's　Peace　once　more　in　these；　my　journals。
　I　began　this　account　in　the　first　year　of　my　stewardship；　in　the　first　throes　of　my　metamorphosis　when　I　was　still　mostly　human；　even　visibly　so。　The　sandtrout　skin　which　I　accepted　（and　my　father　refused）　and　which　gave　me　greatly　amplified　strength　plus　virtual　immunity　from　conventional　attack　and　aging…that　skin　still　covered　a　form　recognizably　human：　two　legs；　two　arms；　a　human　face　framed　in　the　scrolled　folds　of　the　sandtrout。
　Ahhh；　that　face！　I　still　have　it…the　only　human　skin　I　expose　to　the　universe。　All　the　rest　of　my　flesh　has　remained　covered　by　the　linked　bodies　of　those　tiny　deep　sand　vectors　which　one　day　can　bee　giant　sandworms。
　As　they　will。。。someday。
　I　often　think　about　my　final　metamorphosis；　that　likeness　of　death。　I　know　the　way　it　must　e　but　I　do　not　know　the　moment　or　the　other　players。　This　is　the　one　thing　I　cannot　know。　I　only　know　whether　the　Golden　Path　continues　or　ends。
　As　I　cause　these　words　to　be　recorded；　the　Golden　Path　continues　and　for　that；　at　least；　I　am　content。
　I　no　longer　feel　the　sandtrout　cilia　probing　my　flesh；　encapsulating　the　water　of　my　body　within　their　placental　barriers。　We　are　virtually　one　body　now；　they　my　skin　and　I　the　force　which　moves　the　whole。。。most　of　the　time。
　At　this　writing；　the　whole　could　be　considered　rather　gross。　I　am　what　could　be　called　a　pre…worm。　My　body　is　about　seven　meters　long　and　somewhat　more　than　two　meters　in　diameter；　ribbed　for　most　of　its　length；　with　my　Atreides　face　positioned　man…height　at　one　end；　the　arms　and　hands　（still　quite　recognizable　as　human）　just　below。　My　legs　and　feet？　Well；　they　are　mostly　atrophied。　Just　flippers；　really；　and　they　have　wandered　back　along　my　body。　The　whole　of　me　weighs　approximately　five　old　tons。　These　items　I　append　because　I　know　they　will　have　historical　interest。
　How　do　I　carry　this　weight　around？　Mostly　on　my　Royal　Cart；　which　is　of　Ixian　manufacture。　You　are　shocked？　People　invariably　hated　and　feared　the　Ixians　even　more　than　they　hated　and　feared　me。　Better　the　devil　you　know。　And　who　knows　what　the　Ixians　might　manufacture　or　invent？　Who　knows？
　I　certainly　don't。　Not　all　of　it。
　But　I　have　a　certain　sympathy　for　the　Ixians。　They　believe　so　strongly　in　their　technology；　their　science；　their　machines。　Because　we　believe　（no　matter　the　content）　we　understand　each　other；　the　Ixians　and　I。　They　make　many　devices　for　me　and　think　they　earn　my　gratitude　thus。　These　very　words　you　are　reading　were　printed　by　an　Ixian　device；　a　dictatel　it　is　called。　If　I　cast　my　thoughts　in　a　particular　mode；　the　dictatel　is　activated。　I　merely　think　in　this　mode　and　the　words　are　printed　for　me　on　ridulian　crystal　sheets　only　one　molecule　thick。　Sometimes　I　order　copies　printed　on　material　of　lesser　permanence。　It　was　two　of　these　latter　types　that　were　stolen　from　me　by　Siona。
　Isn't　she　fascinating；　my　Siona？　As　you　e　to　understand　her　importance　to　me；　you　may　even　question　whether　I　really　would　have　let　her　die　there　in　the　forest。　Have　no　doubt　about　it。　Death　is　a　very　personal　thing。　I　will　seldom　interfere　with　it。　Never　in　the　case　of　someone　who　must　be　tested　as　Siona　requires。　I　could　let　her　die　at　any　stage。　After　all；　I　could　bring　up　a　new　candidate　in　very　little　time　as　I　measure　time。
　She　fascinates　even　me；　though。　I　watched　her　there　in　the　forest。　Through　my　Wan　devices　I　watched　her；　wondering　why　I　had　not　anticipated　this　venture。　But　Siona　is。。。Siona。　That　is　why　I　made　no　move　to　stop　the　wolves。　It　would　have　been　wrong　to　do　that。　The　D…wolves　are　but　an　extension　of　my　purpose　and　my　purpose　is　to　be　the　greatest　predator　ever　known。
　…The　Journals　of　Leto　
　
　The　following　brief　dialogue　is　credited　to　a　manuscript　source　called　〃The　Welbeck　Fragment。〃　The　reputed　author　is　Siona　Atreides。　The　participants　are　Siona　herself　and　her　father；　Moneo；　who　was　（as　all　the　histories　tell　us）　a　majordomo　and　chief　aide　to　Leto　II。　It　is　dated　at　a　time　when　Siona　was　still　in　her　teens　and　was　being　visited　by　her　father　at　her　quarters　in　the　Fish　Speakers'　School　at　the　Festival　City　of　Onn；　a　major　population　center　on　the　planet　now　known　as　Rakis。　According　to　the　manuscript　identification　papers；　Moneo　had　visited　his　daughter　secretly　to　warn　her　that　she　risked　destruction。
　SIONA：　How　have　you　survived　with　him　for　so　long　a　time；　father？　He　kills　those　who　are　close　to　him。　Everyone　knows　that。
　MONEO：　No！　You　are　wrong。　He　kills　no　one。
　SIONA：　You　needn't　lie　about　him。
　MONEO：　I　mean　it。　He　kills　no　one。
　SIONA：　Then　how　do　you　account　for　the　known　deaths？
　MONEO：　It　is　the　Worm　that　kills。　The　Worm　is　God。　Leto　lives　in　the　bosom　of　God；　but　he　kills　no　one。
　SIONA：　Then　how　do　you　survive？
　MONEO：　I　can　recognize　the　Worm。　I　can　see　it　in　his　face　and　in　his　movements。　I　know　when　Shai…Hulud　approaches。
　SIONA：　He　is　not　Shai…Hulud！
　MONEO：　Well；　that's　what　they　called　the　Worm　in　the　Fremen　days。
　SIONA：　I've　read　about　that。　But　he　is　not　the　God　of　the　desert。
　MONEO：　Be　quiet；　you　foolish　girl！　You　know　nothing　of　such　things。
　SIONA：　I　know　that　you　are　a　coward。
　MONEO：　How　little　you　know；　You　have…never　stood　where　I　have　stood　and　seen　it　in　his　eyes；　in　the　movements　of　his　hands。
　SIONA：　What　do　you　do　when　the　Worm　approaches？
　MONEO：　I　leave。
　SIONA：　That's　prudent。　He　has　killed　nine　Duncan　Idahos　that　we　know　about　for　sure。
　MONEO：　I　tell　you　he　kills　no　one！
　SIONA：　What's　the　difference？　Leto　or　Worm；　they　are　one　body　now。
　MONEO：　But　they　are　two　separate　beings…Leto　the　Emperor　and　The　Worm　Who　Is　God。
　SIONA：　You're　mad！
　MONEO：　Perhaps。　But　I　do　serve　God。
　
　I　am　the　most　ardent　people…watcher　who　ever　lived。　I　watch　them　inside　me　and　outside。　Past　and　present　can　mingle　with　odd　impositions　in　me。　And　as　the　metamorphosis　continues　in　my　flesh　wonderful　things　happen　to　my　senses。　It's　as　though　I　sensed　everything　in　close…up。　I　have　extremely　acute　hearing　and　vision；　plus　a　sense　of　smell　extraordinarily　discriminating。　I　can　detect　and　identify　pheromones　at　three　parts　per　million。　I　know。　I　have　tested　it。　You　cannot　hide　very　much　from　my　senses。　I　think　it　would　horrify　you　what　I　can　detect　by　smell　alone。　Your　pheromones　tell　me　what　you　are　doing　or　are　prepared　to　do。　And　gesture　and　posture！　I　stared　for　half　a　day　once　at　an　old　man　sitting　on　a　bench　in　Arrakeen。　He　was　a　fifth…generation　descendant　of　Stilgar　the　Naib　and　did　not　even　know　it。　I　studied　the　angle　of　his　neck；　the　skin　flaps　below　his　chin；　the　cracked　lips　and　moistness　about　his　nostrils；　the　pores　behind　his　ears；　the　wisps　of　gray　hair　which　crept　from　beneath　the　hood　of　his　antique　stillsuit。　Not　once　did　he　detect　that　he　was　being　watched。　Hah！　Stilgar　would　have　known　it　in　a　second　or　two。　But　this　old　man　was　just　waiting　for　someone　who　never　came。　He　got　up　finally　and　tottered　off。　He　was　very　stiff　after　all　of　that　sitting。　I　knew　I　would　never　see　him　in　the　flesh　again。　He　was　that　near　death　and　his　water　was　sure　to　be　wasted。　Well；　that　no　longer　mattered。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　LETO　THOUGHT　it　the　most　interesting　place　in　the　universe；　this　place　where　he　awaited　the　arrival　of　his　current　Duncan　Idaho。　By　most　human　standards；　it　was　a　gigantic　space；　the　core　of　an　elaborate　series　of　catabs　beneath　his　Citadel。　Radiating　chambers　thirty　meters　high　and　twenty　meters　wide　ran　like　spokes　from　the　hub　where　he　waited。　His　cart　had　been　positioned　at　the　center　of