fh.godemperorofdune-第92章

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dge。　His　eyes；　then　his　chin　lifted　over　the　high　ledge　he　had　seen　from　below。　He　elbowed　his　way　onto　it；　rolled　over　and　rested；　looking　only　outward；　not　up　or　down。　It　was　a　sand　horizon　out　there；　a　breeze　with　dust　in　it　limiting　the　view。　He　had　seen　many　such　horizons　in　the　Dune　days。
　Presently；　he　turned　to　face　the　Wall；　lifted　himself　onto　his　knees；　hands　groping　upward；　and　he　resumed　the　climb。　The　picture　of　the　Wall　remained　in　his　mind　as　he　had　seen　it　from　below。　He　had　only　to　close　his　eyes　and　the　pattern　lay　there；　fixed　the　way　he　had　learned　to　do　it　as　a　child　hiding　from　Harkonnen　slave　raiders。　Fingertips　found　a　crack　where　they　could　be　wedged。　He　clawed　his　way　upward。
　Watching　from　below；　Nayla　experienced　a　growing　affinity　for　the　climber。　Idaho　had　been　reduced　by　distance　to　such　a　small　and　lonely　shape　upon　the　Wall。　He　must　know　what　it　was　like　to　be　alone　with　momentous　decisions。
　l　would　like　to　have　his　child；　she　thought。　A　child　from　both　of　us　would　be　strong　and　resourceful。　What　is　it　that　God　wants　from　a　child　of　Siona　and　this　man？
　Nayla　had　awakened　before　dawn　and　had　walked　out　to　the　top　of　a　low　dune　at　the　village　edge　to　think　about　this　thing　that　Idaho　proposed。　It　had　been　a　lime　dawn　with　a　familiar　winding　cloth　of　dust　in　the　distance；　then　steel　day　and　the　baleful　immensity　of　the　Sareer。　She　knew　then　that　these　matters　certainly　had　been　anticipated　by　God。　What　could　be　hidden　from　God？　Nothing　could　be　hidden；　not　even　the　remote　figure　of　Duncan　Idaho　groping　for　a　pathway　up　to　the　edge　of　heaven。
　As　she　watched　Idaho　climb；　Nayla's　mind　played　a　trick　on　her；　tipping　the　wall　to　the　horizontal。　Idaho　became　a　child　crawling　across　a　broken　surface。　How　small　he　looked。。。and　growing　smaller。
　An　aide　offered　Nayla　water　which　she　drank。　The　water　brought　the　Wall　back　into　its　true　perspective。
　Siona　crouched　on　the　first　ledge；　leaning　out　to　peer　up…
　ward。　〃If　you　fall；　I　will　try　it；〃　Siona　had　promised　Idaho。　Nayla　had　thought　it　a　strange　promise。　Why　would　both　of　them　want　to　try　the　impossible？
　Idaho　had　failed　to　dissuade　Siona　from　the　impossible　promise。
　It　is　fate；　Nayla　thought。　It　is　God's　will。
　They　were　the　same　thing。
　A　bit　of　rock　fell　from　where　Idaho　clutched　at　it。　That　had　happened　several　times。　Nayla　watched　the　falling　rock。　It　took　a　long　time　ing　down；　bounding　and　rebounding　from　the　Wall's　face；　demonstrating　that　the　eye　did　not　report　truthfully　when　it　said　the　Wall　was　sheer。
　He　will　succeed　or　he　will　not；…　Nayla　thought。　Whatever　happens；　it　is　God's　will。
　She　could　feel　her　heart　hammering；　though。　Idaho's　venture　was　like　sex；　she　thought。　It　was　not　passively　erotic；　but　akin　to　rare　magic　in　the　way　it　seized　her。　She　had　to　keep　reminding　herself　that　Idaho　was　not　for　her。
　He　is　for　Siona。　If　he　survives。
　And　if　he　failed；　then　Siona　would　try。　Siona　would　succeed　or　she　would　not。　Nayla　wondered；　though；　if　she　might　experience　an　orgasm　should　Idaho　reach　the　top。　He　was　so　close　to　it　now。
　Idaho　took　several　deep　breaths　after　dislodging　the　rock。　It　was　a　bad　moment　and　he　took　the　time　to　recover；　clinging　to　a　three…point　hold　on　the　Wall。　Almost　of　its　own　accord；　his　free　hand　groped　upward　once　more；　wriggling　past　the　rotten　place　into　another　slender　crack。　Slowly；　he　shifted　his　weight　onto　that　hand。　Slowly。。。slowly。　His　left　knee　felt　the　place　where　a　toehold　could　be　achieved。　He　lifted　his　foot　to　that　place；　tested　it。　Memory　told　him　the　top　was　near；　but　he　pushed　the　memory　aside。　There　was　only　the　climb　and　the　knowledge　that　Leto　would　arrive　tomorrow。
　Leto　and　Hwi。
　He　could　not　think　about　that；　either。　But　it　would　not　go　away。　The　top。。。Hwi。。。Leto。。。tomorrow　。　。　。
　Every　thought　fed　his　desperation；　forced　him　into　the　immediate　remembrance　of　the　climbs　of　his　childhood。　The　more　he　remembered　consciously；　the　more　his　abilities　were　blocked。　He　was　forced　to　pause；　breathing　deeply　in　the　attempt　to　center　himself；　to　go　back　to　the　natural　ways　of　his　past。
　But　were　those　ways　natural？
　There　was　a　blockage　in　his　mind。　He　could　sense　intrusions；　a　finality。。。the　fatality　of　what　might　have　been　and　now　would　never　be。
　Leto　would　arrive　up　there　tomorrow。
　Idaho　felt　perspiration　run　down　his　face　around　the　place　where　he　pressed　a　cheek　against　the　rock。
　Leto。
　　will　defeat　you；　Leto。　I　will　defeat　you　for　myself；　not　for　Hwi；　but　only　for　myself。
　A　sensation　of　cleansing　began　to　spread　through　him。　It　was　like　the　thing　which　had　happened　in　the　night　while　he　prepared　himself　mentally　for　this　climb。　Siona　had　sensed　his　sleeplessness。　She　had　begun　to　talk　to　him；　telling　him　the　smallest　details　of　her　desperate　run　through　the　Forbidden　Forest　and　her　oath　at　the　edge　of　the　river。
　〃Now　I　have　given　an　oath　to　mand　his　Fish　Speakers；〃　she　said。　〃I　will　honor　that　oath；　but　I　hope　it　will　not　happen　in　the　way　he　wants。〃
　〃What　does　he　want？〃　Idaho　asked。
　〃He　has　many　motives　and　I　cannot　see　them　all。　Who　could　possibly　understand　him？　I　only　know　that　I　will　never　forgive　him。〃
　This　memory　brought　Idaho　back　to　the　sensation　of　the　Wall's　rock　against　his　cheek。　His　perspiration　had　dried　in　the　light　breeze　and　he　felt　chilled。　But　he　had　found　his　center。
　Never　forgive。
　Idaho　felt　the　ghosts　of　all　his　other　selves；　the　gholas　who　had　died　in　Leto's　service。　Could　he　believe　Siona's　suspicions？　Yes。　Leto　was　capable　of　killing　with　his　own　body；　his　own　hands。　The　rumor　which　Siona　recounted　had　a　feeling　of　truth　in　it。　And　Siona；　too；　was　Atreides。　Leto　had　bee　something　else。。。no　longer　Atreides；　not　even　human。　He　had　bee　not　so　much　a　living　creature　as　a　brute　fact　of　nature；　opaque　and　impenetrable；　all　of　his　experiences　sealed　off　within　him。　And　Siona　opposed　him。　The　real　Atreides　turned　away　from　him。
　As　I　do。
　A　brute　fact　of　nature；　nothing　more。　Just　like　this　Wall。
　Idaho's　right　hand　groped　upward　and　found　a　sharp　ledge。　He　could　feel　nothing　above　the　ledge　and　tried　to　remember　a　wide　crack　at　this　place　in　the　pattern。　He　could　not　dare　to　allow　himself　into　the　belief　that　he　had　reached　the　top。。。not　yet。　The　sharp　edge　cut　into　his　fingers　as　he　put　his　weight　on　it。　He　brought　his　left　hand　up　to　that　level；　found　a　purchase　and　pulled　himself　slowly　upward。　His　eyes　reached　the　level　of　his　hands。　He　stared　across　a　flat　space　which　reached　outward。。。outward　into　blue　sky。　The　surface　where　his　hands　clutched　showed　ancient　weather　cracks。　He　crawled　his　fingers　across　that　surface；　one　hand　at　a　time；　seeking　out　the　cracks；　dragging　his　chest　up。。。his　waist。。。his　hips。　He　rolled　then；　twisting　and　crawling　until　the　Wall　was　far　behind　him。　Only　then　did　he　stand　and　tell　himself　what　his　senses　reported。
　The　top。　And　he　had　not　required　pitons　or　hammer。
　A　faint　sound　reached　him。　Cheering？
　He　walked　back　to　the　edge　and　looked　down；　waving　to　them。　Yes；　they　were　cheering。　Turning　back；　he　strode　to　the　center　of　the　roadway；　letting　elation　still　the　trembling　of　his　muscles；　soothe　the　aching　of　his　shoulders。　Slowly；　he　turned　full　circle；　examining　the　top　while　he　let　his　memories　at　last　estimate　the　height　of　that　climb。
　Nine　hundred　meters。。。at　least　that。
　The　Royal　Roadway　interested　him。　It　was　not　like　what　he　had　seen　on　the　way　to　Onn。　It　was　wide；　wide。。。at　least　five　hundred　meters。　The　roadbed　was　a　smooth；　unbroken　gray　with　its　edge　some　one　hundred　meters　from　each　lip　of　the　Wall。　Rock　pillars　at　man　height　marked　the　road's　edge；　stretching　away　like　sentinels　along　the　path　Leto　would　use。
　Idaho　walked　to　the　far　side　of　the　Wall　opposite　the　Sareer　and　peered　down。　Far　away　in　the　depths；　a　hurtling　green　flow　of　river　battered　itself　into　foam　against　buttress　rocks。　He　looked　to　the　right。　Leto　would　e　from　there。　Road　and　Wall　curved　gently　to　the　right；　the　curve　beginning　about　three　hundred　meters　from　the　place　where　Idaho　stood。　Idaho　returned　to　the　road　and　walked　along　its　edge；　following　the　curve　until　it　made　a　returning　〃S〃　and　narrowed；　sloping　gently　downward。　He　stopped　and　looked　at　what　was　rev