fh.godemperorofdune-第40章

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　〃Better　than　what？〃　Leto　asked。
　Luyseyal　eased　herself　a　fractional　pace　closer　to　Leto。
　〃We　hope　to　set　our　standards　by　your　judgment；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃But　you　would　be　architects。　Would　you　build　higher　walls？　Never　forget；　Sisters；　that　I　know　you。　You　are　efficient　purveyors　of　blinders。〃
　〃Life　continues；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said；
　〃Indeed？　And　so　does　the　universe。〃
　Luyseyal　eased　herself　a　bit　closer；　ignoring　the　fixity　of　Moneo's　attention。
　Leto　smelled　it　then　and　almost　laughed　aloud。
　Spice…essence！
　They　had　brought　some　spice…essence。　They　knew　the　old　stories　about　sandworms　and　spice…essence；　of　course。　Luyseyal　carried　it。　She　thought　of　it　as　a　specific　poison　for　sandworms。　That　was　obvious。　Bene　Gesserit　records　and　the　Oral　History　agreed　on　this。　The　essence　shattered　the　worm；　precipitating　its　dissolution　and　resulting　（eventually）　in　sandtrout　which　would　produce　more　sandworms　etcetera；　etcetera；　etcetera　。　。　。
　〃There　is　another　change　in　me　that　you　should　know　about；〃　Leto　said。　〃I　am　not　yet　sandworm；　not　fully。　Think　of　me　as　something　closer　to　a　colony　creature　with　sensory　alterations。〃
　Luyseyal's　left　hand　moved　almost　imperceptibly　toward　a　fold　in　her　gown。　Moneo　saw　it　and　looked　to　Leto　for　instructions；　but　Leto　only　returned　the　hooded　glare　of　Luyseyal's　eyes。
　〃There　have　been　fads　in　smells；〃　Leto　said。
　Luyseyal's　hand　hesitated。
　〃Perfumes　and　essences；〃　he　said。　〃　I　remember　them　all；　even　the　cults　of　the　non…smells　are　mine。　People　have　used　underarm　sprays　and　crotch　sprays　to　mask　their　natural　odors。　Did　you　know　that？　Of　course　you　knew　it！〃
　Anteac's　gaze　moved　toward　Luyseyal。
　Neither　woman　dared　speak。
　〃People　knew　instinctively　that　their　pheromones　betrayed　them；〃　Leto　said。
　The　women　stood　immobile。　They　heard　him。　Of　all　his　people；　Reverend　Mothers　were　best　equipped　to　understand　his　hidden　message。
　〃You'd　like　to　mine　me　for　my　riches　of　memory；〃　Leto　said；　his　voice　accusing。
　〃We　are　jealous；　Lord；〃　Luyseyal　confessed。
　〃You　have　misread　the　history　of　spice…essence；〃　Leto　said。　〃Sandtrout　sense　it　only　as　water。〃
　〃It　was　a　test；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said。　〃That　is　all。〃
　〃You　would　test　me？〃
　〃Blame　our　curiosity；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃I；　too；　am　curious。　Put　your　spice…essence　on　the　ledge　beside　Moneo。　I　will　keep　it。〃
　Slowly；　demonstrating　by　the　steadiness　of　her　movements　that　she　intended　no　attack；　Luyseyal　reached　beneath　her　gown　and　removed　a　small　vial　which　glistened　with　an　inner　blue　radiance。　She　placed　the　vial　gently　on　the　ledge。　Not　by　any　sign　did　she　indicate　that　she　might　try　something　desperate。
　〃Truthsayer；　indeed；〃　Leto　said。
　She　favored　him　with　a　faint　grimace　which　might　have　been　a　smile；　then　withdrew　to　Anteac's　side。
　〃Where　did　you　get　the　spice…essence？〃　Leto　asked。
　〃We　bought　it　from　smugglers；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃There've　been　no　smugglers　for　almost　twenty…five　hundred　years。〃
　〃Waste　not；　want　not；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃　I　see。　And　now　you　must　reevaluate　what　you　think　of　as　your　own　patience；　is　that　not　so？〃
　〃We　have　been　watching　the　evolution　of　your　body；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said。　〃We　thought。。。〃　She　permitted　herself　a　small　shrug；　the　level　of　gesture　warranted　for　use　with　a　Sister　and　not　given　lightly。
　Leto　pursed　his　lips　in　response。　〃I　cannot　shrug；〃　he　said。
　〃Will　you　punish　us？〃　Luyseyal　asked。
　〃For　amusing　me？〃
　Luyseyal　glanced　at　the　vial　on　the　ledge。
　〃I　swore　to　reward　you；〃　Leto　said。　〃　shall。〃
　〃We　would　prefer　to　protect　you　in　our　munity；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃Do　not　seek　too　great　a　reward；〃　he　said。
　Anteac　nodded。　〃You　deal　with　the　lxians；　Lord。　We　have　reason　to　believe　they　may　venture　against　you。〃
　〃I　fear　them　no　more　than　I　fear　you。〃
　〃Surely　you've　heard　what　the　lxians　are　doing；〃　Luyseyal　said。
　〃Moneo　brings　me　an　occasional　copy　of　a　message　between　persons　or　groups　in　my　Empire。　I　hear　many　stories。〃
　〃We　speak　of　a　new　Abomination；　Lord〃'　Anteac　said。
　〃You　think　the　lxians　can　produce　an　artificial　intelligence？〃　he　asked。　〃Conscious　the　way　you　are　conscious？〃
　〃We　fear　it；　Lord；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃You　would　have　me　believe　that　the　Butlerian　Jihad　survives　among　the　Sisterhood？〃
　〃We　do　not　trust　the　unknown　which　can　arise　from　imaginative　technology；〃　Anteac　said。
　Luyseyal　leaned　toward　him。　〃The　lxians　boast　that　their　machine　will　transcend　Time　in　the　way　that　you　do　it；　Lord。〃
　〃And　the　Guild　says　there's　Time…chaos　around　the　lxians；'*　Leto　mocked。　〃Are　we　to　fear　all　creation；　then？〃
　Anteac　drew　herself　up　stiffly。
　〃　I　speak　truth　with　you　two；〃　Leto　said。　〃　I　recognize　your　abilities。　Will　you　not　recognize　mine？〃
　Luyseyal　gave　him　a　curt　nod。　〃Tleilax　and　Ix　make　alliance　with　the　Guild　and　seek　our　full　cooperation。〃
　〃And　you　fear　Ix　the　most？〃
　〃We　fear　anything　we　do　not　control；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃And　you　do　not　control　me。〃
　〃Without　you；　people　would　need　us！〃　Anteac　said。
　〃Truth　at　last！〃　Leto　said。　〃You　conic　to　me　as　your　Oracle　and　you　ask　me　to　put　your　fears　to　rest。〃
　Anteac's　voice　was　frigidly　controlled。　〃Will　Ix　make　a　mechanical　brain？〃
　〃A　brain‘？　Of　course　not！〃
　Luyseyal　appeared　to　relax；　but　Anteac　remained　unmoving。　She　was　not　satisfied　with　the　Oracle。
　Why　is　it　that　foolishness　repeats　itself　with　such　monotonous　precision？　Leto　wondered。　His　memories　offered　up　countless　scenes　to　match　this　one…caverns；　priests　and　priestesses　caught　up　in　holy　ecstasy；　portentous　voices　delivering　dangerous　prophecies　through　the　smoke　of　holy　narcotics。
　He　glanced　down　at　the　iridescent　vial　on　the　ledge　beside　Moneo。　What　was　the　current　value　of　that　thing‘？　Enormous。　It　was　the　essence。　Concentrated　wealth　concentrated。
　〃You　have　already　paid　the　Oracle；〃　he　said。　〃It　amuses　me　to　give　you　full　value。〃
　How　alert　the　women　became！
　〃Hear　me！〃　he　said。　〃What　you　fear　is　not　what　you　fear。〃
　Leto　liked　the　sound　of　that。　Sufficiently　portentous　for　any　Oracle。　Anteac　and　Luyseyal　stared　up　at　him；　dutiful　supplicants。　Behind　them；　an　acolyte　cleared　her　throat。
　That　one　will　be　identified　and　reprimanded　later；　Leto　thought。
　Anteac　had　now　had　sufficient　time　to　ruminate　on　Leto's　words。　She　said：　〃An　obscure　truth　is　not　the　truth。〃
　〃But　I　have　directed　your　attention　correctly；〃　Leto　said。
　〃Are　you　telling　us　not　to　fear　the　machine？〃　Luyseyal　asked。
　〃You　have　the　power　of　reason。；〃　he　said。　〃Why　e　begging　to　me？〃
　〃But　we　do　not　have　your　powers；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃You　plain　then　that　you　do　not　sense　the　gossamer　waves　of　Time。　You　do　not　sense　my　continuum。　And　you　fear　a　mere　machine！〃
　〃Then　you　will　not　answer　us；〃　Anteac　said。
　〃Do　not　make　the　mistake　of　thinking　me　ignorant　about　your　Sisterhood's　ways；〃　he　said。　〃You　are　alive。　Your　senses　are　exquisitely　tuned。　I　do　not　stop　this；　nor　should　you。〃
　〃But　the　lxians　play　with　automation！〃　Anteac　protested。
　〃Discrete　pieces；　finite　bits　linked　one　to　another；〃　he　agreed。　〃Once　set　in　motion；　what　is　to　stop　it？〃
　Luyseyal　discarded　all　pretense　of　Bene　Gesserit　self…control；　a　fine　ment　on　her　recognition　of　Leto's　powers。　Her　voice　almost　screeched：　〃Do　you　know　what　the　lxians　boast？　That　their　machine　will　predict　your　actions！〃
　〃Why　should　I　fear　that？　The　closer　they　e　to　me；　the　more　they　must　be　my　allies。　They　cannot　conquer　me；　but　I　can　conquer　them。〃
　Anteac　made　to　speak　but　stopped　when　Luyseyal　touched　her　arm。
　〃Are　you　already　allied　with　Ix？〃　Luyseyal　asked。　〃We　hear　that　you　conferred　overlong　with　their　new　Ambassador；　this　Hwi　Noree。〃
　〃I　have　no　allies；〃　he　said。　〃Only　servants；　students　and　enemies。〃
　〃And　you　do　not　fear　the　lxians'　machine？〃　Anteac　insisted。
　〃Is　automation　synonymous　with　conscious　intelligence？〃　he　asked。
　Anteac's　eyes　went　wide　and　filmy　as　she　withdrew　into　her　memories。　Leto　found　himself　caught　by　fascination　with　what　she　must　be　encountering　there　within　her　own　internal　mob。
　We　share　some　of　those　memories；　he　thought。
　Leto　felt　then　the　seductive　attraction　of　munity　with　Reverend　Mothers。　It　would　be　so　familiar；　so　supportive。　。　。　and　so　deadly。　Anteac　was　trying　t