bh.houseatreides-第113章

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　〃It　seems　that　the　Emperor　and　the　Tleilaxu　have　made　some　kind　of　an　alliance　to　do　unorthodox　and　highly　illegal　work。〃
　〃Sligs　and　shit　go　together；〃　Rabban　said。
　The　Baron　chuckled　at　the　analogy。　〃I've　learned　that　our　dearly　departed　Emperor　was　personally　behind　the　takeover　on　Ix。　He　forced　House　Vernius　to　go　renegade　and　set　the　Tleilaxu　up　so　they　could　begin　research；　adapting　their　methods　to　sophisticated　Ixian　facilities。〃
　〃And　what　research　is　that；　my　Baron？〃　de　Vries　asked。
　The　Baron　dropped　his　bomb。　〃They　seek　a　biological　method　to　synthesize　melange。　They　think　they　can　produce　their　own　spice　artificially　and　cheaply；　thereby　cutting　Arrakis　　us　　out　of　the　distribution　channels。〃
　Rabban　snorted。　〃Impossible。　Nobody　can　do　that。〃
　But　de　Vries's　mind　spun　as　related　information　clicked　into　place。　〃I　would　not　underestimate　the　Tleilaxu　　especially　when　bined　with　the　facilities　and　technology　on　Ix。　They'll　have　everything　they　need。〃
　Rabban　drew　himself　up。　〃But　if　the　Emperor　can　make　synthetic　spice；　what　happens　to　our　holdings？　What　happens　to　all　the　spice　stockpiles　we've　spent　years　building　up？〃
　〃Provided　the　new　synthetic　is　cheap　and　effective；　Harkonnen　spice…based　fortunes　would　evaporate；〃　de　Vries　said　stonily。　〃Practically　overnight。〃
　〃That's　right；　Piter！〃　The　Baron　slammed　a　ringed　fist　on　the　table。　〃Harvesting　spice　from　Arrakis　is　incredibly　expensive。　If　the　Emperor　has　his　own　source　of　cheap　melange；　the　market　will　collapse　and　House　Corrino　will　control　the　rest　　a　new　monopoly　held　entirely　in　the　hands　of　the　Emperor。〃
　〃CHOAM　won't　like　that；〃　Rabban　said　with　surprising　insight。
　De　Vries　suggested；　〃Then　we　will　have　to　get　this　information　to　the　Spacing　Guild。　We　must　reveal　to　them　what　the　Emperor　was　doing；　and　see　to　it　that　Shaddam　ceases　all　such　investigations。　CHOAM　and　the　Guild　won't　want　to　lose　their　investment　in　spice　production　either。〃
　〃But　what　if　the　new　Emperor　makes　a　treaty　with　them　first；　Piter？〃　the　Baron　asked。　〃CHOAM　is　partially　owned　by　House　Corrino。　Shaddam　will　be　out　to　make　his　mark　as　he　begins　his　reign。　What　if　CHOAM　presses　him　into　giving　them　access　to　the　synthetic　spice　at　an　extraordinary　discount；　as　the　price　of　their　cooperation？　The　Guild　would　love　to　have　a　cheaper；　reliable　supply。　They　might　abandon　Arrakis　altogether　if　it's　too　difficult。〃
　〃Then　we'll　be　the　only　ones　left　out　in　the　cold；〃　Rabban　growled。　〃House　Harkonnen　gets　stepped　on　by　everybody。〃
　The　Mentat's　eyes　fell　half…closed　as　he　droned　on。　〃We　can't　even　file　a　formal　plaint　with　the　Houses　of　the　Landsraad。　Knowledge　of　a　spice　substitute　would　create　a　feeding　frenzy　among　the　Federated　families。　Political　alliances　have　shifted　recently；　and　a　number　of　Houses　wouldn't　mind　if　our　monopoly　were　broken。　They　couldn't　care　less　if　the　price　of　melange　plummets。　The　only　ones　to　lose　would　be　those　who　had　invested　heavily　in　secret　and　illegal　spice　stockpiles；　or　those　who　invested　heavily　in　the　expensive　spice…harvesting　operations　on　Arrakis。〃
　〃In　other　words；　us　again　　and　a　few　of　our　closest　allies；〃　the　Baron　said。
　〃The　Bene　Gesserit；　and　your　little　sweetheart　among　the　witches；　would　probably　like　an　inexpensive　supply；　too。〃
　The　Baron　glowered　at　his　nephew。　Rabban　merely　chuckled。　〃So　what　can　we　do　about　it？〃
　De　Vries　answered　without　consulting　the　Baron。　〃House　Harkonnen　will　have　to　take　care　of　this　by　itself。　We　can　expect　no　outside　assistance。〃
　〃Remember　that　we're　only　a　quasi…fief　on　Arrakis；〃　the　Baron　said。　〃It　was　given　to　us　on　sufferance　from　CHOAM　and　the　Emperor。　And　now　it's　like　a　hook　on　which　they've　hung　us　out　to　dry。　We　must　be　extremely　careful。〃
　〃We　don't　have　enough　military　strength　to　fight　all　those　enemies；〃　Rabban　said。
　〃We'll　have　to　be　subtle；〃　de　Vries　said。
　〃Subtlety？〃　The　Baron　raised　his　eyebrows。　〃All　right；　I'm　willing　to　try　new　things。〃
　〃We　must　disrupt　this　Tleilaxu　research　on　Ix；〃　de　Vries　said；　〃preferably　destroy　it。　I　suggest　that　House　Harkonnen　also　liquidate　various　assets；　build　up　a　reserve　of　cash；　and　milk　our　current　spice　production　for　as　much　hard　profit　as　possible；　because　it　may　disappear　at　any　moment。〃
　The　Baron　looked　over　at　Rabban。　〃We　need　to　squeeze。　Oh；　and　I'll　have　your　idiot　father　step　up　whale…fur　harvesting　on　Lankiveil。　We　need　to　stuff　our　coffers。　The　uping　battles　may　be　quite　taxing　to　our　resources。〃
　The　Mentat　wiped　a　red　drop　from　his　lips。　〃We　must　do　this　in　utmost　secrecy。　CHOAM　watches　our　financial　activity　carefully　and　would　detect　if　we　suddenly　started　doing　something　unusual。　For　now　it's　best　we　don't　tip　our　hand　about　the　Tleilaxu　research。　We　don't　want　CHOAM　or　the　Guild　joining　forces　with　our　new　Emperor　against　House　Harkonnen。〃
　〃We've　got　to　keep　the　Imperium　properly　dependent　upon　us；〃　the　Baron　said。
　Rabban　scowled；　trying　to　wrestle　his　way　through　the　implications　by　brute　force。　〃But　if　the　Tleilaxu　are　entrenched　on　Ix；　how　do　we　destroy　this　research　without　exposing　it　for　what　it　is？　Without　giving　away　our　own　involvement　and　bringing　all　of　our　enemies　against　us？〃
　De　Vries　sat　back　to　stare　at　the　sexual　designs　on　the　walls。　The　rotting　corpses　hung　in　their　display　cases　like　hideous　eavesdroppers。　His　mind　churned　through　Mentat　calculations　until　finally　he　said；　〃We　must　have　someone　else　fight　for　us。　Preferably　without　their　knowledge。〃
　〃Who？〃　Rabban　asked。
　〃That's　why　we　brought　Piter　here；〃　the　Baron　said。　〃We　need　suggestions。〃
　〃Prime　projection；〃　de　Vries　said。　〃House　Atreides。〃
　Rabban's　mouth　dropped　open。　〃The　Atreides　would　never　fight　for　us！〃
　De　Vries　shot　back　a　response。　〃The　Old　Duke　is　dead；　and　House　Atreides　is　currently　unstable。　Paulus's　successor　Leto　is　an　impetuous　young　pup。　He　has　no　friends　in　the　Landsraad　and　recently　gave　a　rather　embarrassing　speech　at　the　Council。　He　went　home　humiliated。〃
　The　Baron　waited；　trying　to　see　where　his　Mentat　was　going　with　this。
　〃Second　data　point：　House　Vernius；　staunch　ally　to　Atreides；　has　been　ousted　from　Ix　by　the　Tleilaxu。　Dominic　Vernius　remains　at　large　with　a　price　on　his　head；　while　Shando　Vernius　has　just　been　killed；　based　on　her　renegade　status。　House　Atreides　has　offered　sanctuary　to　the　two　children　of　Vernius。　They're　in　thick　with　the　victims　of　the　Tleilaxu。〃
　De　Vries　raised　a　finger　to　assemble　the　points。　〃Now；　brash　young　Leto　is　a　close　friend　of　the　exiled　Prince　of　Ix。　Duke　Leto　blames　the　Tleilaxu　for　the　takeover　of　Ix；　for　the　bounty　on　the　mother；　and　for　the　ruined　situation　of　their　family。　'House　Atreides　values　loyalty　and　honor　far　above　politics；'　Leto　said　to　the　Landsraad。　He　may　see　it　as　his　duty　to　help　Rhombur　Vernius　regain　his　position　on　Ix。　Who　better　to　strike　a　blow　for　us？〃
　The　Baron　now　smiled　as　he　followed　the　implications。　〃So。。。start　a　war　between　House　Atreides　and　the　Tleilaxu！　Let　them　tear　each　other　apart。　That　way　House　Atreides　and　the　synthetic…spice　research　will　both　be　destroyed。〃
　Rabban　was　clearly　having　trouble　envisioning　this。　From　the　intense　look　on　his　face；　the　Baron　could　see　that　his　nephew　was　thinking　as　hard　as　he　could；　just　trying　to　keep　up。
　The　Mentat　nodded。　〃If　played　properly；　we　could　acplish　this　in　such　a　manner　that　House　Harkonnen　remains　pletely　apart　from　the　hostilities。　We　get　what　we　want；　and　our　hands　stay　entirely　clean。〃
　〃Brilliant；　Piter！　I'm　glad　I　didn't　execute　you　all　those　times　when　you　were　so　annoying。〃
　〃So　am　I；〃　de　Vries　said。
　The　Baron　opened　one　of　the　nullentropy　chambers　to　remove　a　flagon　of　expensive　kirana　brandy。　〃We　must　have　a　toast。〃　Then　he　smiled　slyly。　〃Because　I've　just　realized　when　and　how　we　can　make　all　this　happen。〃　His　two　listeners　couldn't　have　been　more　attentive。
　〃The　new　Duke　is　overwhelmed　with　the　plexities　of　running　his　holdings。　Naturally；　he　will　attend　the　coronation　of　Shaddam　IV。　No　Great　House　could　risk　offending　the　new　Padishah　Emperor　by　scorning　him　on　his　greatest　day。〃
　De　Vries　caught　on　immediately。　〃When　Duke　Leto　travels　to　the　coronation。。。that　will　be　our　chance　to　strike。〃
　〃On　Kaitain？〃