fh.godemperorofdune-第61部分

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　〃With　Hwi？　But　you　surely　cannot。　。　。〃
　〃Memories　of　emotions　are　never　enough；　Moneo。〃
　〃Are　you　telling　me　that　you　are　indulging　yourself　in　a　。　。　。〃
　〃Indulgence）　Certainly　not！　But　the　tripod　upon　which　Eternity　swings　is　posed　of　flesh　and　thought　and　emotion。　I　felt　that　I　had　been　reduced　to　flesh　and　thought。〃
　〃She　has　worked　some　kind　of　witchery；〃　Moneo　accused。
　〃Of　course　she　has。　And　how　grateful　I　am　for　it。　If　we　deny　the　need　for　thought；　Moneo；　as　some　do；　we　lose　the　powers　of　reflection；　we　cannot　define　what　our　senses　report。　If　we　deny　the　flesh；　we　unwheel　the　vehicle　which　bears　us。　But　if　we　deny　emotion；　we　lose　all　touch　with　our　internal　universe。　It　was　emotions　which　I　missed　the　most。〃
　〃I　insist；　Lord；　that　you。　。　。〃
　〃You　are　making　me　angry；　Moneo。　That　is　an　emotion。〃
　Leto　saw　Moneo's　frustrated　fury　cool；　quenched　like　a　hot　iron　plunged　into　icy　water。　There　was　still　some　steam　in　him；　though。
　〃I　care　not　for　myself；　Lord。　My　concern　is　mostly　for　you；　and　you　know　this。〃
　Leto　spoke　softly。　〃It　is　your　emotion；　Moneo；　and　I　hold　it　dear。〃
　Moneo　inhaled　a　deep；　trembling　breath。　He　had　never　be…
　fore　seen　the　God　Emperor　in　this　mood；　reflecting　this　emotion。　Leto　appeared　both　elated　and　resigned；　if　Moneo　were　reading　it　correctly。　One　could　not　be　certain。
　〃That　which　makes　life　sweet　for　the　living；〃　Leto　said；　〃that　which　makes　life　warm　and　filled　with　beauty；　that　is　what　I　would　preserve　even　though　it　were　denied　to　me。〃
　〃Then　this　Hwi　Noree　。　。　。〃
　〃She　makes　me　recall　the　Butlerian　Jihad　in　a　poignant　way。　She　is　the　antithesis　of　all　that's　mechanical　and　non…human。　How　odd　it　is；　Moneo；　that　the　lxians；　of　all　people；　should　produce　this　one　person　who　so　perfectly　embodies　those　qualities　which　I　hold　most　dear。〃
　〃I　do　not　understand　your　reference　to　the　Butlerian　Jihad；　Lord；　Machines　that　think　have　no　place　in。。　。〃
　〃The　target　of　the　Jihad　was　a　machine…attitude　as　much　as　the　machines；〃　Leto　said。　〃Humans　had　set　those　machines　to　usurp　our　sense　of　beauty；　our　necessary　selfdom　out　of　which　we　make　living　judgments。　Naturally；　the　machines　were　destroyed。〃
　〃Lord；　I　still　resent　the　fact　that　you　wele　this。　。　。〃
　〃Moneo！　Hwi　reassures　me　merely　by　her　presence。　For　the　first　time　in　centuries；　I　am　not　lonely　unless　she　is　away　from　my　side。　If　I　had　no　other　proof　of　the　emotion；　this　would　serve。〃
　Moneo　fell　silent；　obviously　touched　by　Leto's　evocation　of　loneliness。　Surely；　Moneo　could　understand　the　absence　of　the　intimate　sharing　in　love。　His　expression　betrayed　as　much。
　For　the　first　time　in　a　long　while；　Leto　noted　how　much　Moneo　had　aged。
　It　happens　so　suddenly　to　them。　Leto　thought。
　It　made　Leto　deeply　aware　of　how　much　he　cared　for　Moneo。
　I　should　not　let　attachments　happen　to　me；　but　I　cannot　help　it。。。especially　now　that　Hwi　is　here。
　〃They　will　laugh　at　you　and　make　obscene　jests；〃　Moneo　said。
　〃That　is　a　good　thing。〃
　〃How　can　it　be　good？〃
　〃This　is　something　new。　Our　task　has　always　been　to　bring　the　new　into　balance　and；　with　it；　modify　behavior　while　not　suppressing　survival。〃
　〃Even　so；　how　can　you　wele　this？〃
　〃The　making　of　obscenities？〃　Leto　asked。　〃What　is　the　opposite　of　obscenity？〃
　Moneo's　eyes　went　wide　with　a　sudden　questioning　awareness。　He　had　seen　the　action　of　many　polarities…the　thing　made　known　by　its　opposite。
　The　thing　stands　out　against　a　background　which　defines　it；　Leto　thought。　Surely　Moneo　will　see　this。
　〃It's　too　dangerous；〃　Moneo　said。
　The　ultimate　verdict　of　conservatism！
　Moneo　was　not　convinced。　A　deep　sigh　wracked　him。
　I　must　remember　not　to　take　away　their　doubts；　Leto　thought。　That's　how　I　failed　my　Fish　Speakers　in　the　plaza。　The　lxians　are　holding　on　to　the　ragged　end　of　human　doubts。　Hwi　is　the　evidence　of　that。
　A　disturbance　sounded　in　the　anteroom。　Leto　sealed　the　portal　against　impetuous　intrusions。
　〃My　Duncan　has　e；〃　he　said。
　〃He's　probably　heard　about　your　wedding　plans…〃
　〃Probably。〃
　Leto　watched　Moneo　wrestle　with　doubts；　his　thoughts　utterly　transparent。　In　that　moment；　Moneo　fit　so　precisely　into　his　human　niche　that　Leto　wanted　to　hug　him。
　He　has　the　full　spectrum：　doubt…to…trust；　love…to…hate。。。everything！　All　of　those　dear　qualities　which　e　to　fruition　in　the　warmth　of　emotion；　in　the　willingness　to　spend　yourself　on　Life。
　〃Why　is　Hwi　accepting　this？〃　Moneo　asked。
　Leto　smiled。　Moneo　cannot　doubt　me；　he　must　doubt　others。
　〃I　admit　it　is　not　a　conventional　union。　She　is　a　primate　and　I　no　longer　am　fully　primate。〃
　Again；　Moneo　wrestled　with　things　he　could　only　feel　and　not　express。
　Watching　Moneo；　Leto　felt　the　flow　of　an　observational　awareness；　a　thought　process　which　occurred　so　rarely　but　with　such　vivid　amplication　when　it　did　occur；　that　Leto　did　not　stir　lest　he　cause　a　ripple　in　the　flow。
　The　primate　thinks　and；　by　thinking；　survives。　Beneath　his　thinking　is　a　thing　which　came　with　his　cells。　It　is　the　current　of　human　concerns　for　the　species。　Sometimes；　they　cover　it　up；　wall　it　off　and　hide　it　behind　thick　barriers；　but　I　have　deliberately　sensitized　Moneo　to　these　workings　of　his　innermost　self。　He　follows　me　because　he　believes　I　hold　the　best　course　for　human　survival。　He　knows　there　is　a　cellular　awareness。　It　is　what　I　find　when　I　scan　the　Golden　Path。　This　is　humanity　and　both　of　us　agree：　it　must　endure！
　〃Where；　when　and　how　will　the　wedding　ceremony　be　conducted？〃　Moneo　asked。
　Not　why？　Leto　noted。　Moneo　no　longer　sought　to　understand　the　why。　He　had　returned　to　safe　ground。　He　was　the　majordomo；　the　director　of　the　God　Emperor's　household；　the　First　Minister。
　He　has　names　and　verbs　and　modifiers　with　which　he　can　perform。　The　words　will　work　for　him　in　their　usual　ways。　Moneo　may　never　glimpse　the　transcendental　potential　of　his　words；　but　he　well　understands　their　everyday；　mundane　uses。
　〃What　of　my　question？〃　Moneo　pressed。
　Leto　blinked　at　him；　thinking：　；　on　the　other　hand；　feel　that　words　are　mostly　useful　if　they　open　for　me　a　glimpse　of　attractive　and　undiscovered　places。　But　the　use　of　words　is　so　little　understood　by　a　civilization　which　still　believes　unquestioningly　in　a　mechanical　universe　of　absolute　cause　and　effect…obviously　reducible　to　one　single　root…cause　and　one　primary　seminal…effect。
　〃How　like　a　limpet　the　Ixian…Tleilaxu　fallacy　clings　to　human　affairs；〃　Leto　said。
　〃Lord；　it　disturbs　me　deeply　when　you　don't　pay　attention。〃
　〃But　I　do　pay　attention；　Moneo。〃
　〃Not　to　me。〃
　〃Even　to　you。〃
　〃Your　attention　wanders；　Lord。　You　do　not　have　to　conceal　that　from　me。　I　would　betray　myself　before　I　would　betray　you。〃
　〃You　think　I'm　woolgathering？〃
　〃What　gathering；　Lord？〃　Moneo　had　never　questioned　this　word　earlier；　but　now　。　。　。
　Leto　explained　the　allusion；　thinking：　How　ancient！　The　looms　and　shuttles　clicked　in　Leto's　memory。　Animal　fur　to　human　garments。。。huntsman　to　herdsman。。。the　long　steps　up　the　ladder　of　awareness。。。and　now　they　must　make　another　long　step；　longer　even　than　the　ancient　ones。
　〃You　indulge　in　idle　thoughts；〃　Moneo　accused。
　〃I　have　time　for　idle　thoughts。　That's　one　of　the　most　interesting　things　about　my　existence　as　a　singular　multitude。〃
　〃But；　Lord；　there　are　matters　which　demand　our。　。　。〃
　〃You'd　be　surprised　what　es　of　idle　thinking；　Moneo。　I've　never　minded　spending　an　entire　day　on　things　a　human　would　not　bother　with　for　one　minute。　Why　not？　With　my　life　expectancy　of　some　four　thousand　years；　what's　one　day　more　or　less？　How　much　time　does　one　human　life　count？　A　million　minutes？　I've　already　experienced　almost　that　many　days。〃
　Moneo　stood　frozen　in　silence；　diminished　by　this　parison。　He　felt　his　own　lifetime　reduced　to　a　mote　in　Leto's　eye。　The　source　of　the　allusion　did　not　escape　him。
　Words。。。words。。。words；　Moneo　thought。
　〃Words　are　often　almost　useless　in　sentient　affairs；〃　Leto　said。
　Moneo　held　his　breathing　to　a　shallow　minimum。　The　Lord　can　read　thoughts！
　〃Throughout　our　history；〃　Leto　said；　〃the　most　potent　use　of　words　has　been　to　round　out　some　transcendental　event；　giving　that　event　a　place　in　the　accepted　chronicles；　explaining　the　event　in　such　a　way　th