fh.godemperorofdune-第7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！


s　and　right　here　in　the　crypt。
　〃The　art　of　government　requires　that　you　never　give　up　the　initiative　to　radical　elements；〃　he　said。
　How　pedantic。　Radicals　crop　up　in　every　generation　and　you　must　not　try　to　prevent　this。　That's　what　he　means　by　〃give　up　the　initiative。〃　He　wants　to　crush　them；　suppress　them；　control　them；　prevent　them。　He　is　living　proof　that　there　is　little　difference　between　the　police　mind　and　the　military　mind。
　I　told　him；　〃Radicals　are　only　to　be　feared　when　you　try　to　suppress　them。　You　must　demonstrate　that　you　will　use　the　best　of　what　they　offer。〃
　〃They　are　dangerous。　They　are　dangerous！〃　He　thinks　that　by　repeating　he　creates　some　kind　of　truth。
　Slowly；　step　by　step；　I　lead　him　through　my　method　and　he　even　gives　the　appearance　of　listening。
　〃This　is　their　weakness；　Duncan。　Radicals　always　。see　matters　in　terms　which　are　too　simple…black　and　white；　good　and　evil；　them　and　us。　By　addressing　plex　matters　in　that　way；　they　rip　open　a　passage　for　chaos。　The　art　of　government　as　you　call　it；　is　the　mastery　of　chaos。〃
　〃No　one　can　deal　with　every　surprise。〃
　〃Surprise？　Who's　talking　about　surprise？　Chaos　is　no　surprise。　It　has　predictable　characteristics。　For　one　thing；　it　carries　away　order　and　strengthens　the　forces　at　the　extremes。〃
　〃Isn't　that　what　radicals　are　trying　to　do？　Aren't　they　trying　to　shake　things　up　so　they　can　grab　control？〃
　〃That's　what　they　think　they're　doing。　Actually；　they're　creating　new　extremists；　new　radicals　and　they　are　continuing　the　old　process。〃
　〃What　about　a　radical　who　sees　the　plexities　and　es　at　you　that　way？〃
　〃That's　no　radical。　That's　a　rival　for　leadership。〃
　〃But　what　do　you　do？〃
　〃You　co…opt　them　or　kill　them。　That's　how　the　struggle　for　leadership　originated；　at　the　grunt　level。〃
　〃Yes；　but　what　about　messiahs？〃
　〃Like　my　father？〃
　The　Duncan　does　not　like　this　question。　He　knows　that　in　a　very　special　way　I　am　my　father。　He　knows　I　can　speak　with　my　father's　voice　and　persona；　that　the　memories　are　precise；　never　edited　and　inescapable。
　Reluctantly；　he　says：　〃Well。　。　。　if　you　want。〃
　〃Duncan；　I　am　all　of　them　and　I　know。　There　has　never　been　a　truly　selfless　rebel；　just　hypocrites…conscious　hypocrites　or　unconscious　hypocrites；　it's　all　the　。same。〃
　That　stirs　up　a　small　hornet's　nest　among　my　ancestral　memories。　Some　of　them　have　never　given　up　the　belief　that　they　and　they　alone　held　the　key　to　all　of　humankind's　problems。　Well；　in　that；　they　are　like　me。　I　can　sympathize　even　while　I　tell　them　that　failure　is　its　own　demonstration。
　I　am　forced　to　block　them　off；　though。　There's　no　sense　dwelling　on　them。　They　now　are　little　more　than　poignant　reminders。。。as　is　this　Duncan　who　stands　in　front　of　me　with　his　lasgun。。。。
　Great　Gods　below！　He　has　caught　me　napping。　He　has　the　lasgun　in　his　hand　and　it　is　pointed　at　my　face。
　〃You；　Duncan'？　Have　you　betrayed　me；　too？〃
　Et　tu；　Brute？
　Every　fiber　of　Leto's　awareness　came　to　full　alert。　He　could　feel　his　body　twitching。　The　worm…flesh　had　a　will　of　its　own。
　Idaho　spoke　with　derision：　〃Tell　me；　Leto：　How　many　times　must　I　pay　the　debt　of　loyalty？〃
　Leto　recognized　the　inner　question：　〃How　many　of　me　have　there　been？〃　The　Duncans　always　wanted　to　know　this。　Every　Duncan　asked　it　and　no　answer　satisfied。　They　doubted。
　In　his　saddest　Muad'Dib　voice；　Leto　asked：　〃Do　you　take　no　pride　in　my　admiration；　Duncan？　Haven't　you　ever　wondered　what　it　is　about　you　that　makes　me　desire　you　as　my　constant　panion　through　the　centuries？〃
　〃You　know　me　to　be　the　ultimate　fool！〃
　〃Duncan！〃
　The　voice　of　an　angry　Muad'Dib　could　always　be　counted　on　to　shatter　Idaho。　Despite　the　fact　that　Idaho　knew　no　Bene　Gesserit　had　ever　mastered　the　powers　of　Voice　as　Leto　had　mastered　them；　it　was　predictable　that　he　would　dance　to　this　one　voice。　The　lasgun　wavered　in　his　hand。
　That　was　enough。　Leto　was　off　the　cart　in　a　hurtling　roil。　Idaho　had　never　seen　him　leave　the　cart　this　way；　had　not　even　suspected　it　could　happen。　For　Leto；　there　were　only　two　requirements…a　real　threat　which　the　worm…body　could　sense　and　the　release　of　that　body。　The　rest　was　automatic　and　the　speed　of　it　always　astonished　even　Leto。
　The　lasgun　was　his　major　concern。　It　could　scratch　him　badly；　but　few　understood　the　abilities　of　the　pre…worm　body　to　deal　with　heat。
　Leto　struck　Idaho　while　rolling　and　the　lasgun　was　deflected　as　it　was　fired。　One　of　the　useless　flippers　which　had　been　Leto's　legs　and　feet　sent　a　shocking　burst　of　sensations　crashing　into　his　awareness。　For　an　instant；　there　was　only　pain。　But　the　worm…body　was　free　to　act　and　reflexes　ignited　a　violent　paroxysm　of　flopping。　Leto　heard　bones　cracking。　The　lasgun　was　thrown　far　across　the　floor　of　the　crypt　by　a　spasmodic　jerk　of　Idaho's　hand。
　Rolling　off　of　Idaho；　Leto　poised　himself　for　a　renewed　attack　but　there　was　no　need。　The　injured　flipper　still　sent　pain　signals　and　he　sensed　that　the　tip　of　the　flipper　had　been　burned　away。　The　sandtrout　skin　already　had　sealed　the　wound。　The　pain　had　eased　to　an　ugly　throbbing。
　Idaho　stirred。　There　could　be　little　doubt　that　he　had　been　mortally　injured。　His　chest　was　visibly　crushed。　There　was　obvious　agony　when　he　tried　to　breathe；　but　he　opened　his　eyes　and　stared　up　at　Leto。
　The　persistence　of　these　mortal　possessions！　Leto　thought。
　〃Siona；〃　Idaho　gasped。
　Leto　saw　the　life　leave　him　then。
　Interesting；　Leto　thought。　Is　it　possible　that　this　Duncan　and　Siona。。。No！　This　Duncan　always　displayed　a　true　sneering　disdain　for　Siona's　foolishness。
　Leto　climbed　back　onto　the　Royal　Cart。　That　had　been　a　close　one。　There　could　be　little　doubt　that　the　Duncan　had　been　aiming　for　the　brain。　Leto　was　always　aware　that　his　hands　and　feet　were　vulnerable；　but　he　had　allowed　no　one　to　learn　that　what　had　once　been　his　brain　was　no　longer　directly　associated　with　his　face。　It　was　not　even　a　brain　of　human　dimensions　anymore；　but　had　spread　in　nodal　congeries　throughout　his　body。　He　had　told　this　to　no　one　but　his　journals。
　
　Oh；　the　landscapes　I　have　seen！　And　the　people！　The　far　wanderings　of　the　Fremen　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　Even　back　through　the　myths　to　Terra。　Oh；　the　lessons　in　astronomy　and　intrigue；　the　migrations；　the　disheveled　flights；　the　leg　aching　and　lung…aching　runs　through　so　many　nights　on　all　of　those　cosmic　specks　where　we　have　defended　our　transient　possession。　I　tell　you　we　are　a　marvel　and　my　memories　leave　no　doubt　of　this。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　THE　WOMAN　working　at　the　small　wall　desk　was　too　big　for　the　narrow　chair　on　which　she　perched。　Outside；　it　was　midmorning；　but　in　this　windowless　room　deep　beneath　the　city　of　Onn　there　was　but　a　single　glowglobe　high　in　a　corner。　It　had　been　tuned　to　warm　yellow　but　the　light　failed　to　dispel　the　gray　utility　of　the　small　room。　Walls　and　ceiling　were　covered　by　identical　rectangular　panels　of　dull　gray　metal。
　There　was　only　one　other　piece　of　furniture；　a　narrow　cot　with　a　thin　pallet　covered　by　a　featureless　gray　blanket。　It　was　obvious　that　neither　piece　of　furniture　had　been　designed　for　the　occupant。
　She　wore　a　one…piece　pajama　suit　of　dark　blue　which　stretched　tightly　across　her　wide　shoulders　as　she　hunched　over　the　desk。　The　glowglobe　illuminated　closely　cropped　blonde　hair　and　the　right　side　of　her　face；　emphasizing　the　square　block　of　jaw。　The　jaw　moved　with　silent　words　as　her　thick　fingers　carefully　depressed　the　keys　of　a　thin　keyboard　on　the　desk。　She　handled　the　machine　with　a　deference　which　had　originated　as　awe　and　moved　reluctantly　into　fearsome　excitement。　Long　familiarity　with　the　machine　had　eliminated　neither　emotion。
　As　she　wrote；　words　appeared　on　a　screen　concealed　within　the　wall　rectangle　exposed　by　the　downward　folding　of　the　desk。
　〃Siona　continues　actions　which　predict　violent　attack　on　Your　Holy　Person；〃　she　wrote。　〃Siona　remains　unswerving　in　her　avowed　purpose。　She　told　me　today　that　she　will　give　copies　of　the　stolen　books　to　groups　whose　loyalty　to　You　cannot　be　trusted。　The　named　recipients　are　the　Bene　Gesserit；　the　Guild　and　the　Ixians。　She　says　the　books　contain　Your　enciphered　words　and；　by　this　gift；　she　seeks　help　in　translating　Your　Holy　Words。
　〃Lor