fh.godemperorofdune-第2部分

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　To　Ulot　it　was　obvious　that　he　could　not　run　much　farther。　He　panted　and　wheezed。　Occasionally；　he　staggered。　But　he　did　not　call　out　to　his　panions。　He　knew　they　could　not　help　him。　All　of　them　had　taken　the　same　oath；　knowing　they　had　no　defenses　except　the　old　virtues　and　Fremen　loyalties。　This　remained　true　even　though　everything　that　once　had　been　Fremen　had　now　a　museum　quality…rote　recitals　learned　from　Museum　Fremen。
　It　was　Fremen　loyalty　that　kept　Ulot　silent　in　the　full　awareness　of　his　doom。　A　fine　display　of　the　ancient　qualities；　and　rather　pitiful　when　none　of　the　runners　had　any　but　book　knowledge　and　the　legends　of　the　Oral　History　about　the　virtues　they　aped。The　D…wolves　ran　close　behind　Ulot；　giant　gray　figures　almost　manheight　at　the　shoulders。　They　leaped　and　whined　in　their　eagerness；　heads　lifted；　eyes　focused　on　the　moon　betrayed　figure　of　their　quarry。
　A　root　caught　Ulot's　left　foot　and　he　almost　fell。　This　gave　him　renewed　energy。　He　put　on　a　burst　of　speed；　gaining　perhaps　a　wolf　length　on　his　pursuers。　His　arms　pumped。　He　breathed　noisily　through　his　open　mouth。
　The　D…wolves　did　not　change　pace。　They　were　silver　shadows　which　went　flick…flick　through　the　loud　green　smells　of　their　forest。　They　knew　they　had　won。　It　was　a　familiar　experience。
　Again；　Ulot　stumbled。　He　caught　his　balance　against　a　sapling　and　continued　his　panting　flight；　gasping；　his　legs　trembling　in　rebellion　against　these　demands。　No　energy　remained　for　another　burst　of　speed。
　One　of　the　D…wolves；　a　large　female；　moved　out　on　Ulot's　left　flank。　She　swerved　inward　and　leaped　across　his　path。　Giant　fangs　ripped　Ulot's　shoulder　and　staggered　him　but　he　did　not　fall。　The　pungency　of　blood　was　added　to　the　forest　smells。　A　smaller　male　caught　his　right　hip　and　at　last　Ulot　fell；　screaming。　The　pack　pounced　and　his　screams　were　cut　off　in　abrupt　finality。
　Not　stopping　to　feed；　the　D…wolves　again　took　up　the　chase。　Their　noses　probed　the　forest　floor　and　the　vagrant　eddies　in　the　air；　scenting　the　warm　tracery　of　two　more　running　humans。
　The　next　runner　in　the　line　was　named　Kwuteg；　an　old　and　honorable　name　on　Arrakis；　a　name　from　the　Dune　times。　An　ancestor　had　served　Sietch　Tabr　as　Master　of　the　Deathstills；　but　that　was　more　than　three　thousand　years　lost　in　a　past　which　many　no　longer　believed。　Kwuteg　ran　with　the　long　strides　of　a　tall　and　slender　body　which　seemed　perfectly　fitted　to　such　exertion。　Long　black　hair　streamed　back　from　his　aquiline　features。　As　with　his　panions；　he　wore　a　black　running　suit　of　tightly　knitted　cotton。　It　revealed　the　workings　of　his　buttocks　and　stringy　thighs；　the　deep　and　steady　rhythm　of　his　breathing。　Only　his　pace；　which　was　markedly　slow　for　Kwuteg；　betrayed　the　fact　that　he　had　injured　his　right　knee　ing　down　from　the　man…made　precipices　which　girdled　the　God　Emperor's　Citadel　fortress　in　the　Sareer。
　Kwuteg　heard　Ulot's　screams；　the　abrupt　and　potent　silence；　then　the　renewed　chase…yelps　of　the　D…wolves。　He　tried　not　to　let　his　mind　create　the　image　of　another　friend　being　slain　by　Leto's　monster　guardians　but　imagination　worked　its　sorcery　on　him。　Kwuteg　thought　a　curse　against　the　tyrant　but　wasted　no　breath　to　voice　it。　There　remained　a　chance　that　he　could　reach　the　sanctuary　of　the　Idaho　River。　Kwuteg　knew　what　his　friends　thought　about　him…even　Siona。　He　had　always　been　known　as　a　conservative。　Even　as　a　child　he　had　saved　his　energy　until　it　counted　most；　parceling　out　his　reserves　like　a　miser。
　In　spite　of　the　injured　knee；　Kwuteg　increased　his　pace。　He　knew　the　river　was　near。　His　injury　had　gone　beyond　agony　into　a　steady　flame　which　filled　his　entire　leg　and　side　with　its　burning。　He　knew　the　limits　of　his　endurance。　He　knew　also　that　Siona　should　be　almost　at　the　water。　The　fastest　runner　of　them　all；　she　carried　the　sealed　packet　and；　in　it；　the　things　they　had　stolen　from　the　fortress　in　the　Sareer。　Kwuteg　focused　his　thoughts　on　that　packet　as　he　ran。
　Save　it；　Siona！　Use　it　to　destroy　him！
　The　eager　whining　of　the　D…wolves　penetrated　Kwuteg's　consciousness。　They　were　too　close。　He　knew　then　that　he　would　not　escape。
　But　Siona　must　escape！
　He　risked　a　backward　glance　and　saw　one　of　the　wolves　move　to　flank　him。　The　pattern　of　their　attack　plan　imprinted　itself　on　his　awareness。　As　the　flanking　wolf　leaped　Kwuteg　also　leaped。　Placing　a　tree　between　himself　and　the　pack；　he　ducked　beneath　the　flanking　wolf；　grasped　one　of　its　hind　legs　in　both　hands　and；　without　stopping；　whirled　the　captive　wolf　as　a　flail　which　scattered　the　others。　Finding　the　creature　not　as　heavy　as　he　had　expected；　almost　weling　the　change　of　action；　he　flailed　his　living　bludgeon　at　the　attackers　in　a　dervish　whirl　which　brought　two　of　them　down　in　a　crash　of　skulls。　But　he　could　not　guard　every　side。　A　lean　male　caught　him　in　the　back；　hurling　him　against　a　tree　and　he　lost　his　bludgeon。
　〃Go！〃　he　screamed。
　The　pack　bored　in　and　Kwuteg　caught　the　throat　of　the　lean　male　in　his　teeth。　He　bit　down　with　every　gram　of　his　final　desperation。　Wolf　blood　spurted　over　his　face；　blinding　him。　Rolling　without　any　knowledge　of　where　he　went；　Kwuteg　grappled　another　wolf。　Part　of　the　pack　dissolved　into　a　yelping；　whirling　mob；　some　turning　against　their　own　injured。　Most　of　the　pack　remained　intent　on　the　quarry；　though。　Teeth　ripped　Kwuteg's　throat　from　both　sides。
　Siona；　too；　had　heard　Ulot　scream；　then　the　unmistakable　silence　followed　by　the　yelping　of　the　pack　as　the　wolves　resumed　the　chase。　Such　anger　filled　her　that　she　felt　she　might　explode　with　it。　Ulot　had　been　included　in　this　venture　because　of　his　analytical　ability；　his　way　of　seeing　a　whole　from　only　a　few　parts。　It　had　been　Ulot　who；　taking　the　inevitable　magnifier　from　his　kit；　had　examined　the　two　strange　volumes　they　had　found　in　with　the　Citadel's　plans。
　〃I　think　it's　a　cipher；〃　Ulot　had　said。
　And　Radi；　poor　Radi　who　had　been　the　first　of　their　team　to　die　。。。。　Radi　had　said；　〃We　can't　afford　the　extra　weight。　Throw　them　away。〃
　Ulot　had　objected：　〃Unimportant　things　aren't　concealed　this　way。〃
　Kwuteg　had　joined　Radi。　〃We　came　for　the　Citadel　plans　and　we　have　them。　Those　things　are　too　heavy。〃
　But　Siona　had　agreed　with　Ulot。　〃I　will　carry　them。〃
　That　had　ended　the　argument。
　Poor　Ulot。
　They　had　all　known　him　as　the　worst　runner　in　the　team。　Ulot　was　slow　in　most　things；　but　the　clarity　of　his　mind　could　not　be　denied。
　He　is　trustworthy。
　Ulot　had　been　trustworthy。
　Siona　mastered　her　anger　and　used　its　energy　to　increase　her　pace。　Trees　whipped　past　her　in　the　moonlight。　She　had　entered　that　timeless　void　of　the　running　when　there　was　nothing　else　but　her　own　movements；　her　own　body　doing　what　it　had　been　conditioned　to　do。
　Men　thought　her　beautiful　when　she　ran。　Siona　knew　this。　Her　long　dark　hair　was　tied　tightly　to　keep　it　from　whipping　in　the　wind　of　her　passage。　She　had　accused　Kwuteg　of　foolishness　when　he　had　refused　to　copy　her　style。
　Where　is　Kwuteg？
　Her　hair　was　not　like　Kwuteg's。　It　was　that　deep　brown　which　is　sometimes　confused　with　black；　but　is　not　truly　black；　not　like　Kwuteg's　at　all。
　In　the　way　genes　occasionally　do；　her　features　copied　those　of　a　long　dead　ancestor：　gently　oval　and　with　a　generous　mouth；　eyes　of　alert　awareness　above　a　small　nose。　Her　body　had　grown　lanky　from　years　of　running；　but　it　sent　strong　sexual　signals　to　the　males　around　her。
　Where　is　Kwuteg？
　The　wolf　pack　had　fallen　silent　and　this　filled　her　with　alarm。　They　had　done　that　before　bringing　down　Radi。　It　had　been　the　same　when　they　got　Setuse。
　She　told　herself　the　silence　could　mean　other　things。　Kwuteg；　too；　was　silent。。。and　strong。　The　injury　had　not　appeared　to　bother　him　too　much。
　Siona　began　to　feel　pain　in　her　chest；　the　gasping…to…e　which　she　knew　well　from　the　long　kilometers　of　training。　Perspiration　still　poured　down　her　body　under　the　thin；　black　running　garment。　The　kit；　with　its　precious　contents　sealed　against　the　river　passage　ahead；　rode　high　on　her　back。　She　thought　about　the　Citadel　charts　folded　there。
　Where　does　Leto　hide　his　hoard　of　spice？
　It　had　to　be　somewhere　within　the　Citadel。　It　had　to　be。　Somewhere　in　the　charts　there　would　be