bh.houseatreides-第89章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　trapdoor。
　The　mouth　of　the　worm　rose　up；　a　cavern　of　glittering　teeth　in　the　sunlight　to　swallow　Janess　and　everything　around　her。　A　puff　of　dust　drifted　on　the　wavering　air　as　the　huge　worm　sank　back　under　the　sands；　like　a　whale　beneath　the　sea。
　Rabban　touched　his　…unit；　demanding　to　know　whether　the　spotting　craft　overhead　had　taken　high…resolution　holos。　〃I　didn't　even　see　her　blood；　didn't　hear　her　scream。〃　He　sounded　disappointed。
　〃You　may　strangle　one　of　my　servants；〃　the　Baron　offered；　〃if　it　will　make　you　feel　better。　But　only　because　I'm　in　such　a　good　mood。〃
　From　the　suspensor　platform；　he　gazed　down　at　the　placid　dunes；　knowing　the　danger　and　death　that　lurked　beneath　them。　He　wished　his　old　rival　Duke　Paulus　Atreides　had　been　down　there　instead　of　the　woman。　For　that；　he　would　have　had　every　Harkonnen　holorecorder　in　operation；　so　that　he　could　enjoy　it　from　every　angle　and　savor　the　experience　over　and　over；　each　time　tasting　the　morsel　of　human　flesh　as　the　worm　did。
　No　matter；　the　Baron　told　himself。　I　have　something　just　as　interesting　in　mind　for　the　old　man。
　Speak　the　truth。　That　is　always　much　easier；　and　is　often　the　most　powerful　argument。
　…Bene　Gesserit　Axiom
　Duncan　Idaho　stared　at　the　monstrous　Salusan　bull；　through　the　force…field　bars　of　its　cage；　his　child's　gaze　meeting　the　multifaceted　eyes　of　the　ferocious　creature。　The　bull　had　a　scaly　black　hide；　multiple　horns；　and　two　brains　that　were　capable　of　only　one　thought：　Destroy　anything　that　moves。
　The　boy　had　worked　in　the　stables　for　weeks　now；　doing　his　best　at　even　the　most　miserable　of　jobs；　feeding　and　watering　the　bat　bulls；　tending　them；　cleaning　their　filthy　cages　while　the　beasts　were　pushed　back　behind　force…barricades　to　keep　them　from　attacking　him。
　He　enjoyed　his　job；　despite　what　others　considered　the　degrading　meniality　of　the　tasks　to　be　performed。　Duncan　didn't　even　think　of　it　as　low…level　work；　though　he　knew　several　other　stableboys　did。　These　were　simply　chores　to　him；　and　he　considered　his　payment　in　freedom　and　happiness　more　than　sufficient。　Because　of　the　gracious　generosity　of　his　benefactor；　Duke　Paulus　Atreides；　he　loved　the　old　man　dearly。
　Duncan　ate　well　now　and　had　a　warm　place　to　live　and　fresh　clothes　whenever　he　needed　them。　Though　no　one　asked　him　to；　he　worked　hard　anyway；　driven　and　dedicated。　There　was　even　some　time　for　relaxation；　and　he　and　the　other　workers　had　their　own　gymnasium　and　recreation　hall。　He　could　also　go　splashing　in　the　sea　whenever　he　wished；　and　a　friendly　man　from　the　dockside　occasionally　took　him　along　for　a　day's　fishing。
　At　present　the　Old　Duke　kept　five　of　the　mutated　bulls　for　his　games。　Duncan　had　sought　to　befriend　the　beasts；　trying　to　tame　them　with　bribes　of　sweet　green　grass　or　fresh　fruits；　but　an　exasperated　Stablemaster　Yresk　had　caught　him　at　it。
　〃The　Old　Duke　uses　them　in　his　bullfights　　do　you　think　he　prefers　them　tame？〃　His　puffy　eyes　had　widened　with　anger。　The　white…haired　stablemaster　had　accepted　him　on　the　Duke's　orders；　but　grudgingly；　and　he　gave　Duncan　no　special　treatment。　〃He　wants　them　to　attack。　He　doesn't　want　the　creatures　to　purr　when　he's　on　display　in　the　Plaza　de　Toros。　What　would　the　people　think？〃
　Duncan　had　lowered　his　eyes　and　backed　off。　Always　obedient；　he　never　again　tried　to　make　these　beasts　his　pets。
　He　had　seen　holorecordings　of　the　Duke's　previous　spectacles；　as　well　as　the　performances　of　other　renowned　matadors；　while　he　was　saddened　to　witness　the　slaughter　of　one　of　his　magnificent　charges；　he　was　amazed　at　the　bravery　and　self…assurance　of　Duke　Atreides。
　The　last　corrida　on　Caladan　had　been　staged　to　celebrate　the　departure　of　Leto　Atreides　for　his　off…planet　schooling。　Now　after　many　months　there　would　be　another；　as　the　Old　Duke　had　recently　announced　a　new　grand　bullfight；　this　one　to　entertain　his　guests　from　Ix；　who　had　e　to　stay　as　exiles　on　Caladan。　Exiles。　In　a　sense；　Duncan　was　one；　too。。。。
　Though　he　had　his　own　sleeping　quarters　in　a　munal　outbuilding　where　many　of　the　Castle　workers　lived；　sometimes　Duncan　bedded　down　out　in　the　stables；　where　he　could　hear　the　snorting　and　simmering　beasts。　He　had　put　up　with　far　worse　conditions　in　his　life。　The　stables　themselves　were　fortable；　and　he　enjoyed　being　alone　with　the　animals。
　Whenever　he　slept　out　there；　he　listened　to　the　movements　of　the　bulls　in　his　dreams。　He　felt　himself　being　attuned　to　their　moods　and　instincts。　For　days　now；　though；　the　creatures　had　grown　increasingly　fretful　and　moody；　prone　to　rampages　in　their　pens。。。as　if　they　knew　their　nemesis　the　Old　Duke　was　planning　another　bullfight。
　Standing　outside　the　cages；　young　Duncan　noticed　fresh；　deep　score　marks　where　the　Salusan　bulls　had　rammed　their　enclosures　in　an　attempt　to　break　free；　trying　to　gore　imaginary　opponents。
　This　was　not　right。　Duncan　knew　it。　He'd　spent　so　much　time　watching　the　bulls　that　he　felt　he　understood　their　instincts。　He　knew　how　they　should　react；　knew　how　to　provoke　them　and　how　to　calm　them　　but　this　behavior　was　out　of　the　ordinary。
　When　he　mentioned　it　to　Stablemaster　Yresk；　the　gaunt　man　looked　suddenly　alarmed。　He　scratched　the　shock　of　thinning　white　hair　on　his　head；　but　then　his　expression　changed。　He　fixed　his　suspicious；　puffy　eyes　on　Duncan。　〃Say；　there's　nothing　wrong　with　those　bulls。　If　I　didn't　know　you　better；　I'd　think　you　were　just　another　Harkonnen；　trying　to　cause　trouble。　Now　run　along。〃
　〃Harkonnens！　I　hate　them。〃
　〃You　lived　among　them；　stable…rat。　We　Atreides　are　trained　to　be　constantly　on　the　alert。〃　He　gave　Duncan　a　nudge。　〃Don't　you　have　chores　to　plete？　Or　do　I　need　to　find　some　more？〃
　He'd　heard　that　Yresk　had　actually　e　from　Richese　many　years　before；　so　he　was　not　truly　an　Atreides。　Still；　Duncan　didn't　contradict　the　man；　though　he　refused　to　back　down。　〃I　was　their　slave。　They　tried　to　hunt　me　down　like　an　animal。〃
　Yresk　lowered　his　bushy　eyebrows；　with　his　lanky　build　and　wild；　pale　hair　he　looked　like　a　scarecrow。　〃Even　among　the　mon　people；　the　old　feud　between　Houses　runs　deep。　How　do　I　know　what　you　might　have　up　your　sleeve？〃
　〃That's　not　why　I　told　you　about　the　bulls；　sir；〃　Duncan　said。　〃I'm　just　worried。　I　don't　know　anything　about　House　feuds。〃
　Yresk　laughed；　not　taking　him　seriously。　〃The　Atreides…Harkonnen　breach　goes　back　thousands　of　years。　Don't　you　know　anything　about　the　Battle　of　Corrin；　the　great　betrayal；　the　Bridge　of　Hrethgir？　How　a　cowardly　Harkonnen　ancestor　almost　cost　the　humans　our　victory　against　the　hated　machine…minds？　Corrin　was　our　last　stand；　and　we　would　have　fallen　to　the　final　onslaught　if　an　Atreides　hadn't　saved　the　day。〃
　〃I　never　learned　much　history；〃　Duncan　said。　〃It　was　hard　enough　just　finding　food　to　eat。〃
　Behind　folds　of　wrinkled　skin；　the　stablemaster's　eyes　were　large　and　expressive；　as　if　he　was　trying　to　appear　to　be　a　kindly　old　man。　〃Well；　well；　House　Atreides　and　House　Harkonnen　were　allies　once；　friends　even；　but　never　again　after　that　treachery。　The　feud　has　burned　hot　ever　since　　and　you；　boy；　came　from　Giedi　Prime。　From　the　Harkonnen　homeworld。〃　Yresk　shrugged　his　bony　shoulders。　〃You　don't　expect　us　to　trust　you　pletely；　do　you？　Be　thankful　the　Old　Duke　trusts　you　as　much　as　he　does。〃

　〃But　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　Battle　of　Corrin；〃　Duncan　said；　still　not　understanding。　〃What　does　that　have　to　do　with　the　bulls？　That　was　a　long　time　ago。〃
　〃And　that's　about　all　the　jabber　I　have　time　for　this　afternoon。〃　Yresk　removed　a　long…handled　manure　scraper　from　a　prong　on　the　wall。　〃You　just　keep　your　suspicions　to　yourself　from　now　on。　Everyone　here　knows　what　he's　supposed　to　do。〃
　Though　Duncan　worked　hard　and　did　everything　he　could　to　earn　his　keep；　the　fact　that　he　had　e　from　the　Harkonnens　continued　to　cause　him　grief。　Some　of　the　others　working　in　the　stables；　not　just　Yresk；　treated　him　as　a　barely　concealed　spy。。。though　what　Rabban　would　have　wanted　with　a　nine…year…old　infiltrator；　Duncan　couldn't　guess。
　Not　until　now；　however；　had　he　felt　so　affronted　by　the　prejudice。　〃There's　something　wrong　with　the　bulls；　sir；〃　he　insisted。　〃The　Duke　needs　to　know　about　it　before　his　bullfight。〃
　Yresk　laughed