fh.godemperorofdune-第29部分

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nclosing　rock　walls　still　held　its　morning　chill　and　there　was　dampness　from　the　river。
　Was　it　the　moisture　bringing　out　the　Worm？
　〃Listen　to　me；　Moneo；　as　though　your　life　depended　on　it。〃
　〃Yes；　Lord；〃　Moneo　whispered；　and　he　knew　his　life　did　depend　on　the　care　he　took　now；　not　only　in　listening　but　in　observing。
　〃Part　of　me　dwells　forever　underground　without　thought；〃　Leto　said。　〃That　part　reacts。　It　does　things　without　a　care　for　knowing　or　logic。〃
　Moneo　nodded。　his　attention　glued　on　the　God　Emperor's　face。　Were　the　eyes　about　to　glaze？
　〃I　am　forced　to　stand　off　and　watch　such　things；　nothing　more；〃　Leto　said。　〃Such　a　reaction　could　cause　your　death。　The　choice　is　not　mine。　Do　you　hear？〃
　〃　I　hear　you；　Lord；〃　Moneo　whispered。
　〃There　is　no　such　thing　as　choice　in　such　an　event！　You　accept　it。　merely　accept　it。　You　will　never　understand　it　or　know　it。　What　do　you　say　to　that'？〃
　〃I　fear　the　unknown；　Lord。〃
　〃But　I　don't　fear　it。　Tell　me　why！〃
　Moneo　had　been　expecting　a　crisis　such　as　this　and；　now　that　it　had　e；　he　almost　weled　it。　He　knew　that　his　life　depended　on　his　answer。　He　stared　at　his　God　Emperor；　mind　racing。
　〃It　is　because　of　all　your　memories；　Lord。〃
　。。Yes？〃
　An　inplete　answer；　then。　Moneo　grasped　at　words。　〃You　see　everything　that　we　know。。。all　of　it　as　it　once　was…unknown！　A　surprise　to　you。。。a　surprise　must　be　merely　something　new　for　you　to　know？〃　As　he　spoke；　Moneo　realized　he　had　put　a　defensive　question　mark　on　something　that　should　have　been　a　bold　statement；　but　the　God　Emperor　only　smiled。
　〃For　such　wisdom　I　grant　you　a　boon；　Moneo。　What　is　your　wish'；
　＇〃Sudden　relief　only　opened　a　path　for　other　fears　to　emerge＇
　〃Could　I　bring　Siona　back　to　the　Citadel？〃
　〃That　will　cause　me　to　test　her　sooner。〃
　〃She　must　be　separated　from　her　panions；　Lord。〃
　〃Very　well。〃
　〃My　Lord　is　gracious。〃
　〃I　am　selfish。〃
　The　God　Emperor　turned　away　from　Moneo　then　and　fell　silent。
　Looking　along　the　segmented　body；　Moneo　observed　that　the　Worm　signs　had　subsided　somewhat。　This　had　turned　out　well　after　all。　He　thought　then　of　the　Fremen　with　their　petition　and　fear　returned。
　That　was　a　mistake。　They　will　only　arouse　Him　again。　Why　did　l　say　they　could　present　their　petition？
　The　Fremen　would　be　waiting　up　ahead；　marshaled　on　this　side　of　the　river　with　their　foolish　papers　waving　in　their　hands。
　Moneo　marched　in　silence；　his　apprehension　increasing　with　each　step。
　
　Over　here　sand　blows；　over　there　sand　blows。
　Over　there　a　rich　man　waits；　over　here　I　wait。
　…The　Voice　of　Shai…Hulud；
　From　the　Oral　History
　SISTER　CHENOEH'S　account；　found　among　her　papers　after　her　death：
　I　obey　both　my　tenets　as　a　Bene　Gesserit　and　the　mands　of　the　God　Emperor　by　withholding　these　words　from　my　report　while　secreting　them　that　they　may　be　found　when　I　am　gone。　For　the　Lord　Leto　said　to　me：　〃You　will　return　to　your　Superiors　with　my　message；　but　these　words　keep　secret　for　now。　I　will　visit　my　rage　upon　your　Sisterhood　if　you　fail。〃
　As　the　Reverend　Mother　Syaksa　warned　me　before　I　left：　〃You　must　do　nothing　which　will　bring　down　his　wrath　upon　us。'。
　While　I　ran　beside　the　Lord　Leto　on　that　short　peregrination　of　which　I　had　spoken；　I　thought　to　ask　him　about　his　likeness　to　a　Reverend　Mother。　I　said：
　〃Lord；　I　know　how　it　is　that　a　Reverend　Mother　acquires　the　memories　of　her　ancestors　and　of　others。　How　was　it　with　you？〃
　〃It　was　a　design　of　our　genetic　history　and　the　working　of　the　spice。　My　twin　sister；　Ghanima；　and　I　were　awakened　in　the　womb；　aroused　before　birth　into　the　presence　of　our　ancestral　memories。〃
　〃Lord。。。my　Sisterhood　calls　that　Abomination。〃
　〃And　rightly　so；〃　the　Lord　Leto　said。　〃The　ancestral　numbers　can　be　overwhelming。　And　who　knows　before　the　event　which　force　will　mand　such　a　horde…good　or　evil？〃
　〃Lord；　how　did　you　overe　such　a　force？'
　I　did　not　overe　it；〃　the　Lord　Leto　said。　〃But　the　persistence　of　the　pharaonic　model　saved　both　Ghani　and　me。　Do　you　know　that　model；　Sister　Chenoeh？〃
　〃We　of　the　Sisterhood　are　well　coached　in　history；　Lord。〃
　〃Yes；　but　you　do　not　think　of　this　as　I　do；〃　the　Lord　Leto　said。　〃I　speak　of　a　disease　of　government　which　was　caught　by　the　Greeks　who　spread　it　to　the　Romans　who　distributed　it　so　far　and　wide　that　it　never　has　pletely　died　out。〃
　〃Does　my　Lord　speak　riddles？〃
　〃No　riddles。　I　hate　this　thing；　but　it　saved　us。　Ghani　and　I　formed　powerful　internal　alliances　with　ancestors　who　followed　the　pharaonic　model。　They　helped　us　form　a　mingled　identity　within　that　long　dormant　mob。〃
　〃I　find　this　disturbing；　Lord。〃
　〃And　well　you　should。〃
　〃Why　are　you　telling　me　this　now；　Lord？　You　have　never　answered　one　of　us　before　in　this　manner；　not　that　I　know　of。〃
　〃Because　you　listen　well；　Sister　Chenoeh；　because　you　will　obey　me　and　because　I　will　never　see　you　again。〃
　The　Lord　Leto　spoke　those　strange　words　to　me　and　then　he　asked：
　〃Why　have　you　not　inquired　about　what　your　Sisterhood　calls　my　insane　tyranny？〃
　Emboldened　by　his　manner；　I　ventured　to　say：　〃Lord；　we　know　about　some　of　your　bloody　executions。　They　trouble　us。〃
　The　Lord　Leto　then　did　a　strange　thing。　He　closed　his　eyes　as　we　went；　and　he　said：
　〃Because　I　know　you　have　been　trained　to　record　accurately　whatever　words　you　hear；　I　will　speak　to　you　now；　Sister　Chenoeh；　as　though　you　were　a　page　in　one　of　my　journals。　Preserve　these　words　well；　for　I　do　not　want　them　lost。〃
　I　assure　my　Sisterhood　now　that　what　follows；　exactly　as　he　spoke　them；　are　the　words　uttered　then　by　the　Lord　Leto：
　〃To　my　certain　knowledge；　when　I　am　no　longer　consciously　present　here　among　you；　when　I　am　here　only　as　a　fearsome　creature　of　the　desert；　many　people　will　look　back　upon　me　as　a　tyrant。
　〃Fair　enough。　I　have　been　tyrannical。
　〃A　tyrant…not　fully　human；　not　insane；　merely　a　tyrant。　But　even　ordinary　tyrants　have　motives　and　feelings　beyond　those　usually　assigned　them　by　facile　historians；　and　they　will　think　of　me　as　a　great　tyrant。　Thus。　my　feelings　and　motives　are　a　legacy　I　would　preserve　lest　history　distort　them　too　much。　History　has　a　way　of　magnifying　some　characteristics　while　it　discards　others。
　〃People　will　try　to　understand　me　and　to　frame　me　in　their　words。　They　will　seek　truth。　But　the　truth　always　carries　the　ambiguity　of　the　words　used　to　express　it。
　〃You　will　not　understand　me。　The　harder　you　try　the　more　remote　I　will　bee　until　finally　I　vanish　into　eternal　myth…a　Living　God　at　last！
　〃That's　it；　you　see。　I　am　not　a　leader　nor　even　a　guide。　A　god。　Remember　that。　I　am　quite　different　from　leaders　and　guides。　Gods　need　take　no　responsibility　for　anything　except　genesis。　Gods　accept　everything　and　thus　accept　nothing。　Gods　must　be　identifiable　yet　remain　anonymous。　Gods　do　not　need　a　spirit　world。　My　spirits　dwell　within　me。　answerable　to　my　slightest　summons。　I　share　with　you；　because　it　pleases　me　to　do　so；　what　I　have　learned　about　them　and　through　them。　They　are　my　truth。
　〃Beware　of　the　truth；　gentle　Sister。　Although　much　sought　after；　truth　can　be　dangerous　to　the　seeker。　Myths　and　reassuring　lies　are　much　easier　to　find　and　believe。　If　you　find　a　truth；　even　a　temporary　one；　it　can　demand　that　you　make　painful　changes。　Conceal　your　truths　within　words。　Natural　ambiguity　will　protect　you　then。　Words　are　much　easier　to　absorb　than　are　the　sharp　Delphic　stabs　of　wordless　portent。　With　words；　you　can　cry　out　in　the　chorus：
　〃Why　didn't　someone　warn　me？〃
　〃But　I　did　warn　you。　I　warned　you　by　example；　not　with　words。〃
　〃There　are　inevitably　more　than　enough　words。　You　record　them　in　your　marvelous　memory　even　now。　And　someday；　my　journals　will　be　discovered…more　words。　I　warn　you　that　you　read　my　words　at　your　peril。　The　wordless　movement　of　terrible　events　lies　just　below　their　surface。　Be　deaf！　You　do　not　need　to　hear　or；　hearing；　you　do　not　need　to　remember。　How　soothing　it　is　to　forget。　And　how　dangerous！
　〃Words　such　as　mine　have　long　been　recognized　for　their　mysterious　power。　There　is　a　secret　knowledge　here　which　can　be　used　to　rule　the　forgetful。　My　truths　are　the　substance　of　myths　and　lies　which　tyrants　have　always　counted　on　to　maneuver　the　masses　for　selfish　design。