fh.godemperorofdune-第81章

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ery　of　windblown　tracks　in　sand。〃
　He　saw　the　beginnings　of　remorse　in　her；　memories　of　her　dead　panions　floating　in　her　awareness。　He　spoke　quickly；　knowing　that　guilt　would　follow　quickly　and　then　anger　against　him。　〃Would　you　have　believed　me　if　I　had　merely　brought　you　in　and　told　you？〃
　Remorse　threatened　to　overwhelm　her。　She　opened　her　mouth　behind　the　mask　and　gasped　with　it。
　〃You　have　not　yet　survived　the　desert；〃　he　told　her。
　Slowly；　her　trembling　subsided。　The　Fremen　instincts　he　had　set　to　work　in　her　did　their　usual　tempering。
　〃I　will　survive；〃　she　said。　She　met　his　gaze。　〃You　read　us　by　our　emotions；　don't　you？〃
　〃The　igniters　of　thought；〃　he　said。　〃I　can　recognize　the　slightest　behavioral　nuance　for　its　emotional　origins。〃
　He　saw　her　accept　her　own　nakedness　the　way　Moneo　had　accepted　it；　with　fear　and　hate。　It　was　of　little　matter。　He　probed　the　time　ahead　of　them。　Yes；　she　would　survive　his　desert　because　her　tracks　were　in　the　sand　beside　him。。。but　he　saw　no　sign　of　her　flesh　in　those　tracks。　Just　beyond　her　tracks；　though；　he　saw　a　sudden　opening　where　things　had　been　concealed。　Anteac's　death…shout　echoed　through　his　prescient　awareness。。。and　the　swarming　of　Fish　Speakers　attacking！
　Malky　is　ing；　he　thought。　We　will　meet　again；　Malky　and　。
　Leto　opened　his　outer　eyes　and　saw　Siona　still　there　glaring　at　him。
　〃I　still　hate　you！〃　she　said。
　〃You　hate　the　predator's　necessary　cruelty。〃
　She　spoke　with　venomous　elation：　〃But　I　saw　another　thing！　You　can't　follow　my　tracks！〃
　〃Which　is　why　you　must　breed　and　preserve　this。〃
　Even　as　he　spoke；　it　began　to　rain。　The　sudden　cloud　darkness　and　the　downpour　came　upon　them　simultaneously。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　he　had　sensed　weather　control's　oscillations；　Leto　was　shocked　by　the　onslaught。　He　knew　it　rained　sometimes　in　the　Sareer；　a　rain　quickly　dispersed　as　the　water　ran　off　and　vanished。　The　few　pools　would　evaporate　as　the　sun　returned。　Most　times；　the　downpour　never　touched　the　ground；　it　was　ghost　rain；　vaporized　when　it　hit　the　superheated　air　layer　just　above　the　desert's　surface；　then　dispersing　on　the　wind。　But　this　rainfall　drenched　him。
　Siona　pulled　back　her　face　flap　and　lifted　her　face　greedily　to　the　falling　water；　not　even　noticing　the　effect　on　Leto。
　As　the　first　drenching　swept　in　from　behind　the　sandtrout　overlappings；　he　stiffened　and　curled　into　a　ball　of　agony。　Separate　drives　of　sandtrout　and　sandworm　produced　a　new　meaning　for　the　word　pain。　He　felt　that　he　was　being　ripped　apart。　Sandtrout　wanted　to　rush　to　the　water　and　encapsulate　it。　Sandworm　felt　the　drenching　wash　of　death。　Curls　of　blue　smoke　'spurted　from　every　place　the　rain　touched　him。　The　inner　workings　of　his　body　began　to　manufacture　the　true　spice…essence。　Blue　smoke　lifted　around　him　from　where　he　lay　in　puddles　of　water。　He　writhed　and　groaned。
　The　clouds　passed　and　it　was　a　few　moments　before　Siona　sensed　his　disturbance。
　〃What's　wrong　with　you？〃
　He　was　unable　to　answer。　The　rain　was　gone　but　water　remained　on　the　rocks　and　in　puddles　all　around　and　beneath　him。　There　was　no　escape。
　Siona　saw　the　blue　smoke　rising　from　every　place　the　water　touched　him。
　〃It's　the　water！〃
　There　was　a　slightly　higher　bulge　of　land　off　to　the　right　where　the　water　did　not　stay。　Painfully；　he　made　his　way　toward　it；　groaning　at　each　new　puddle。　The　bulge　was　almost　dry　when　he　reached　it。　The　agony　subsided　slowly　and　he　grew　aware　that　Siona　stood　directly　in　front　of　him。　She　probed　at　him　with　words　of　false　concern。
　〃Why　does　water　hurt　you？〃
　Hurt？　What　an　inadequate　word！　There　was　no　evading　her　questions；　though。　She　knew　enough　now　to　go　searching　for　the　answer。　That　answer　could　be　found。　Haltingly；　he　explained　the　relationship　of　sandtrout　and　sandworm　to　water。　She　heard　him　out　in　silence。
　〃But　the　moisture　you　gave　me。　。　。〃
　〃Is　buffered　and　masked　by　the　spice。〃
　〃Then　why　do　you　risk　it　out　here　without　your　cart？〃
　〃You　can't　be　a　Fremen　in　the　Citadel　or　on　a　cart。〃
　She　nodded。
　He　saw　the　flame　of　rebellion　return　to　her　eyes。　She　did　not　have　to　feel　guilty　or　dependent。　She　no　longer　could　avoid　belief　in　his　Golden　Path；　but　what　difference　did　that　make？　His　cruelties　could　not　be　forgiven！　She　could　reject　him；　deny　him　a　place　in　her　family。　He　was　not　a　human；　not　like　her　at　all。　And　she　possessed　the　secret　of　his　undoing！　Ring　him　with　water；　destroy　his　desert；　immobilize　him　within　a　moat　of　agony！　Did　she　think　she　hid　her　thoughts　from　him　by　turning　away？
　And　what　can　I　do　about　it？　he　wondered。　She　must　live　now　while　I　must　demonstrate　nonviolence。
　Now　that　he　knew　something　of。　Siona's　nature；　how　easy　it　would　be　to　surrender；　to　sink　blindly　into　his　own　thoughts。　It　was　seductive；　this　talon　to　live　only　within　his　memories；　but　his　children　still　required　another　lesson…by…example　if　they　were　to　escape　the　last　threat　to　the　Golden　Path。
　What　a　painful　decision！　He　experienced　a　new　sympathy　for　the　Bene　Gesserit。　His　quandary　was　akin　to　the　one　they　had　experienced　when　they　had　confronted　the　fact　of　Muad'Dib。　The　ultimate　goal　of　their　breeding　program…my　father…they　could　not　contain　him；　either。
　Once　more　into　the　breach；　dear　friends；　he　thought。　And　he　suppressed　a　wry　smile　at　his　own　histrionics。
　
　Given　enough　time　for　the　generations　to　evolve；　the　predator　produces　particular　survival　adaptations　in　its　prey　which；　through　the　circular　operation　of　feedback；　produce　changes　in　the　predator　which　again　change　the　prey　etcetera；　etcetera；　etcetera　。。。。　Many　powerful　forces　do　the　same　thing。　You　can　count　religions　among　such　forces。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　〃THE　LORD　has　manded　me　to　tell　you　that　your　daughter　lives。〃
　Nayla　delivered　the　message　to　Moneo　in　a　singsong　voice；　looking　down　across　the　workroom　table　at　his　figure　seated　there　amidst　a　chaos　of　notes　and　papers　and　munications　instruments。
　Moneo　pressed　his　palms　together　firmly　and　looked　down　at　the　elongated　shadow　drawn　on　his　table　by　late　afternoon　sunlight　across　the　jeweled　tree　of　his　paperweight。
　Without　looking　up　at　Nayla's　stocky　figure　standing　at　proper　attention　in　front　of　him；　he　asked：　〃Both　of　them　have　returned　to　the　Citadel？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Moneo　looked　out　the　window　to　his　left；　not　really　seeing　the　flinty　borderline　of　darkness　hanging　on　the　Sareer's　horizon　nor　the　greedy　wind　collecting　sand　grains　from　every　dunetop。
　〃That　matter　which　we　discussed　earlier？〃　he　asked。
　〃It　has　been　arranged。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　He　waved　to　dismiss　her；　but　Nayla　remained　standing　in　front　of　him。　Surprised；　Moneo　actually　focused　on　her　for　the　first　time　since　she　had　entered。
　〃Is　it　required　that　I　personally　attend　this…〃　she　swallowed…〃wedding？〃
　〃The　Lord　Leto　has　manded　it。　You　will　be　the　only　one　there　armed　with　a　lasgun。　It　is　an　honor。〃
　She　remained　in　position；　her　gaze　fixed　somewhere　over　Moneo's　head。
　〃Yes？〃　he　prompted。
　Nayla's　great　lantern　jaw　worked　convulsively；　then：　〃He　is　God　and　I　am　mortal。〃　She　turned　on　one　heel　and　left　the　workroom。
　Moneo　wondered　vaguely　what　was　bothering　that　hulking　Fish　Speaker；　but　his　thoughts　turned　like　a　pass　arrow　to　Siona。
　She　has　survived　as　I　did。　Siona　now　had　an　inner　sense　which　told　her　that　the　Golden　Path　remained　unbroken。　As　I　have。　He　found　no　sense　of　sharing　in　this；　nothing　to　make　him　feel　closer　to　his　daughter。　It　was　a　burden　and　it　would　inevitably　curb　her　rebellious　nature。　No　Atreides　could　go　against　the　Golden　Path。　Leto　had　seen　to　that！
　Moneo　remembered　his　own　rebel　days。　Every　night　a　new　bed　and　the　constant　urge　to　run。　The　cobwebs　of　his　past　clung　to　his　mind；　sticking　there　no　matter　how　hard　he　tried　to　shake　away　troublesome　memories。
　Siona　has　been　caged。　As　I　was　caged。　As　poor　Leto　was　caged。
　The　tolling　of　the　nightfall　bell　intruded　on　his　thoughts　and　activated　his　workroom's　lights。　He　looked　down　at　the　work　still　undone　in　preparation　for　the　God　Emperor's　wedding　to　Hwi　Noree。　So　much　work！　Presently；　he　pressed　a　call…button　and　asked　the　Fish　Speaker　acolyte　who　appeared　at　the　summons　to　bring　him　a　tumbler　of　water　and　then　call　Dun