fh.godemperorofdune-第48部分
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！
o shield him。
These women were an army whose force and union Idaho had not suspected。 He knew he did not understand this force。 He could only observe it； recognize that it existed。
This was what Leto had created。
Leto's words from a meeting at the Citadel came back to Idaho： 〃Loyalty in a male army fastens onto the army itself rather than onto the civilization which fosters the army。 Loyalty in a female army fastens onto the leader。〃
Idaho stared out across the visible evidence of Leto's creation； seeing the penetrating accuracy of those words； fearing that accuracy。
He offers me a share in this； Idaho thought。
His own response to Leto's words struck Idaho now as puerile。
〃I don't see the reason；〃 Idaho had said。
〃Most people are not creatures of reason。〃
〃No army； male or female； guarantees peace！ Your Empire isn't peaceful！ You only。 。 。
〃My Fish Speakers have provided you with our histories？〃
〃Yes； but I've also walked about in your city and I've watched your people。 Your people are aggressive！〃
〃You see； Duncan？ Peace encourages aggression。〃
〃And you say that your Golden Path。 。 。〃
〃Is not precisely peace。 It is tranquility； a fertile ground for the growth of rigid classes and many other forms of aggression。〃
〃You talk riddles！〃
〃 I talk accumulated observations which tell me that the peaceful posture is the posture of the defeated。 It is the posture of the victim。 Victims invite aggression。〃
〃Your damned enforced tranquility！ What good does it do？〃
〃If there is no enemy； one must be invented。 The military force which is denied an external target always turns against its own people。〃
〃What's your game？〃
〃I modify the human desire for war。〃
〃People don't want war！〃
〃They want chaos。 War is the most readily available form of chaos。〃
〃 don't believe any of this！ You're playing some dangerous game of your own。〃
〃Very dangerous。 I address ancient wellsprings of human behavior to redirect them。 The danger is that I could suppress the forces of human survival。 But I assure you that my Golden Path endures。〃
〃You haven't suppressed antagonism！〃
〃I dissipate energies in one place and point them toward another place。 What you cannot control； you harness。〃
〃What's to keep your female army from taking over？〃
〃I am their leader。〃
As he looked out over the massed women in the great hall； Idaho could not deny the focus of leadership。 He saw also that part of this adulation was directed at his own person。 The temptation in this held him fixated…anything he wanted from them。。。anything！ The latent power in this great hall was explosive。 This realization forced him into a deeper questioning of Leto's earlier words。
Leto had said something about exploding violence。 Even as he watched the women at their silent prayer； Idaho recalled what Leto had said： 〃Men are susceptible to class fixations。 They create layered societies。 The layered society is an ultimate invitation to violence。 It does not fall apart。 It explodes。〃
〃Women never do this？〃
〃Not unless they are almost pletely male dominated or locked into a male…role model。〃
〃The sexes can't be that different！〃
〃But they are。 Women make mon cause based on their sex； a cause which transcends class and caste。 That is why I let my women hold the reins。〃
Idaho was forced to admit that these praying women held the reins。
What part of that power would he pass into my hands？
The temptation was monstrous！ Idaho found himself trembling with it。 With chilling abruptness； he realized that this must be Leto's intention…to tempt me！
On the floor of the great hall； the women finished their prayer and lifted their gaze to Leto。 Idaho felt that he had never before seen such rapture in human faces…not in the ecstasy of sex； not in glorious victory…at…arms…nowhere had he seen anything to approach this intense adulation。
〃Duncan Idaho stands beside me today；〃 Leto said。 〃Duncan is here to declare his loyalty that all may hear it。 Duncan？〃
Idaho felt a physical chill shoot through his intestines。 Leto gave him a simple choice： Declare your loyalty to the God Emperor or die！
If I sneer； vacillate or object in any way； the women will kill me with their own hands。
A deep anger suffused Idaho。 He swallowed； cleared his throat； then： 〃Let no one question my loyalty。 I am loyal to the Atreides。〃
He heard his own voice booming out over the room； amplified by Leto's Ixian device。
The effect startled Idaho。
〃We share！〃 the women screamed。 〃We share！ We share！〃
〃We share；〃 Leto said。
Young Fish Speaker trainees； identifiable by their short green robes； swarmed into the hall from all sides； little knots of movement which eddied throughout the pattern of the adoring faces。 Each trainee carried a tray piled high with tiny brown wafers。 As the trays moved through the throng； hands reached out in waves of graceful grasping； an undulant dancing of the arms。 Each hand took a wafer and held it aloft。 When a tray bearer came to the ledge and lifted her burden toward Idaho； Leto said：
〃Take two and pass one into my hand。〃
Idaho knelt and took two wafers。 The things felt crisp and fragile。 He stood and passed one gently to Leto。
In a stentorian voice； Leto asked： 〃Has the new Guard been chosen？〃
〃Yes； Lord！〃 the women shouted。
〃Do you keep my faith？〃
〃Yes； Lord！〃
〃Do you walk the Golden Path'〃〃
〃Yes。 Lord〃
The vibration of the women's ‘ （；bouts sent shock waves through Idaho； stunning him。
〃Do we share？〃 Leto asked。
〃Yes； Lord！〃
As the women responded； Leto popped his wafer into his mouth。 Each mother below the ledge took a bite from her wafer and offered the rest to her child。 The massed Fish Speakers behind the white…clad women lowered their arms and ate their wafers。
〃Duncan； eat your wafer；〃 Leo said。
Idaho slipped the thing into his mouth。 His ghola body had not been conditioned to the spice but memory spoke to his senses。 The wafer tasted faintly bitter with a soft undertone of melange。 The taste swept old memories through Idaho's awareness…meals in sietch； banquets at the Atreides Residency。。。the way spice flavors permeated everything in the old days。
As he swallowed the wafer； Idaho grew conscious of the stillness in the hall； a breath…held quiet into which came a loud click from Leto's cart。 Idaho turned and sought the source of the sound。 Leto had opened a partment in the bed of his cart and was removing a crystal box from it。 The box glowed with a blue…gray inner light。 Leto placed the box on the bed of his cart； opened the glowing lid and removed a crysknife。 Idaho recognized the blade immediately…the hawk engraved on the handle's butt； the green jewels at the hilt。
The crysknife of Paul Muad'Dib！
Idaho found himself deeply moved at the sight of this blade。 He stared at it as though the image in his eyes might reproduce the original owner。
Leto lifted the blade and held it high； revealing the elegant curve and milky iridescence。
〃The talisman of our lives；〃 Leto said。
The women remained silent； raptly attentive。
〃The knife of Muad'Dib；〃 Leto said。 〃The tooth of Shai…Hulud。 Will Shai…Hulud e again？〃
The response was a subdued murmur made deeply powerful by contrast with the previous shouting。
〃Yes； Lord。〃
Idaho returned his attention to the enraptured faces of the Fish Speakers。
〃Who is Shai…Hulud？〃 Leto asked。
Again； that deep murmur： 〃You； Lord。〃
Idaho nodded to himself。 Here was undeniable evidence that Leto had tapped into a monstrous reservoir of power never before unleashed in quite this way。 Leto had said it but the words were a meaningless noise pared to the thing seen and felt in this great hall。 Leto's words came back to Idaho； though； as if they had waited for this moment to cloak themselves in their true meaning。 Idaho recalled that they had been in the crypt； that dank and shadowy place which Leto seemed to find so attractive but which Idaho found so repellent…the dust of centuries there and the odors of ancient decay。
〃I have been forming this human society； shaping it for more than three thousand years； opening a door out of adolescence for the entire species；〃 Leto had said。
〃Nothing you say
