fh.godemperorofdune-第9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！


m　now。　The　God　Emperor　required　a　small　passage　of　time　to　grieve　the　loss　of　another　Duncan。。。but　then　life　went　on。。。and　on。。。and　on。。。。
　The　lift　slid　silently　downward　with　its　superb　Ixian　dependability。　Once；　just　once；　the　God　Emperor　had　cried　out　to　his　majordomo：　〃Moneo！　Sometimes　I　think　you　were　made　by　the　Ixians！〃
　Moneo　felt　the　lift　stop。　The　door　opened　and　he　looked　out　across　the　crypt　at　the　shadowy　bulk　on　the　Royal　Cart。　There　was　no　indication　that　Leto　had　noticed　the　arrival。　Moneo　sighed　and　began　the　long　walk　through　the　echoing　gloom。　There　was　a　body　on　the　floor　near　the　cart。　No　need　for　deja　vu。　This　was　merely　familiar。
　Once；　in　Moneo's　early　days　of　service。　Leto　had　said：　〃You　don't　like　this　place；　Moneo。　I　can　see　that。〃
　〃No；　Lord。〃
　With　just　a　little　prodding　of　memory；　Moneo　could　hear　his　own　voice　in　that　naive　past。　And　the　voice　of　the　God　Emperor　responding：
　〃You　don't　think　of　a　mausoleum　as　a　forting　place；　Moneo。　I　find　it　a　source　of　infinite　strength。〃
　Moneo　remembered　that　he　had　been　anxious　to　get　off　this　topic。　〃Yes；　Lord。〃
　Leto　had　persisted：　〃There　are　only　a　few　of　my　ancestors　here。　The　water　of　Muad'Dib　is　here。　Ghani　and　Harq…al…Ada　are　here；　of　course；　but　they're　not　my　ancestors。　No；　if　there's　any　true　crypt　of　my　ancestors；　l　am　that　crypt。　This　is　mostly　the　Duncans　and　the　products　of　my　breeding　program。　You'll　be　here　someday。〃
　Moneo　found　that　these　memories　had　slowed　his　pace。　He　sighed　and　moved　a　bit　faster。　Leto　could　be　violently　impatient　on　occasion　but　there　was　still　no　sign　from　him。　Moneo　did　not　take　this　to　mean　that　his　approach　went　unobserved。
　Leto　lay　with　his　eyes　closed　and　only　his　other　senses　to　record　Moneo's　progress　across　the　crypt。　Thoughts　of　Siona　had　been　occupying　Leto's　attention。
　Siona　is　my　ardent　enemy；　he　thought。　I　do　not　need　Nayla's　words　to　confirm　this。　Siona　is　a　woman　of　action。　She　lives　on　the　surface　of　enormous　energies　which　fill　me　with　fantasies　of　delight。　I　cannot　contemplate　those　living　energies　without　a　feeling　of　ecstasy。　They　are　my　reason　for　being；　the　justification　for　everything　I　have　ever　done。。。even　for　the　corpse　of　this　foolish　Duncan　in　front　of　me　now。
　Leto's　ears　told　him　that　Moneo　had　not　yet　crossed　half　the　distance　to　the　Royal　Cart。　The　man　moved　slower　and　slower；　then　picked　up　his　pace。
　What　a　gift　Moneo　has　given　me　in　this　daughter；　Leto　thought。　Siona　is　fresh　and　precious。　She　is　the　new　while　I　am　a　collection　of　the　obsolete；　a　relic　of　the　damned；　of　the　lost　and　strayed。　I　am　the　waylaid　pieces　of　history　which　sank　out　of　sight　in　all　of　our　pasts。　Such　an　accumulation　of　riffraff　has　never　before　been　imagined。
　Leto　paraded　the　past　within　him　then　to　let　them　observe　what　had　happened　in　the　crypt。
　The　minutiae　are　mine！
　Siona；　though。。。Siona　was　like　a　clean　slate　upon　which　great　things　might　yet　be　written。
　I　guard　that　slate　with　infinite　care。　I　am　preparing　it；　cleansing　it。
　What　did　the　Duncan　mean　when　he　called　out　her　name？
　Moneo　approached　the　cart　diffidently　yet　consummately　aware。　Surely　Leto　did　not　sleep。
　Leto　opened　his　eyes　and　looked　down　as　Moneo　came　to　a　stop　near　the　corpse。　At　this　moment；　Leto　found　the　majordomo　a　delight　to　observe。　Moneo　wore　a　white　Atreides　uniform　with　no　insignia；　a　subtle　ment。　His　face；　almost　as　well　known　as　Leto's；　was　all　the　insignia　he　needed。　Moneo　waited　patiently。　There　was　no　change　of　expression　on　his　flat；　even　features。　His　thick；　sandy　hair　lay　in　a　neat；　equally　divided　part。　Deep　within　his　gray　eyes　there　was　that　look　of　directness　which　went　with　knowledge　of　great　personal　power。　It　was　a　look　which　he　modified　only　in　the　God　Emperor's　presence；　and　sometimes　not　even　there。　Not　once　did　he　glance　toward　the　body　on　the　crypt's　floor。
　When　Leto　continued　silent；　Moneo　cleared　his　throat；　then：　〃I　am　saddened；　Lord。〃
　Exquisite！　Leto　thought。　He　knows　l　feel　true　remorse　about　the　Duncans。　Moneo　has　seen　their　records　and　has　seen　enough　of　them　dead。　He　knows　that　only　nineteen　Duncans　died　what　people　usually　refer　to　as　natural　deaths。
　〃He　had　an　Ixian　lasgun；〃　Leto　said。
　Moneo's　gaze　went　directly　to　the　gun　on　the　floor　of　the　crypt　off　to　his　left；　demonstrating　that　he　already　had　seen　it。　He　returned　his　attention　to　Leto；　sweeping　a　glance　down　the　length　of　the　great　body。
　〃You　are　injured；　Lord？〃
　〃Inconsequential。〃
　〃But　he　hurt　you。〃
　〃Those　flippers　are　useless　to　me。　They　will　be　entirely　gone　within　another　two　hundred　years。〃
　〃I　will　dispose　of　the　Duncan's　body　personally；　Lord；〃　Moneo　said。　〃Is　there。　。　。〃
　〃The　piece　of　me　he　burned　away　is　entirely　ash。　We　will　let　it　blow　away。　This　is　a　fitting　place　for　ashes。〃
　〃As　my　Lord　says。〃
　〃Before　you　dispose　of　the　body；　disable　the　lasgun　and　keep　it　where　I　can　present　it　to　the　Ixian　ambassador。　As　for　the　Guildsman　who　warned　us　about　it；　present　him　personally　with　ten　grams　of　spice。　Oh…and　our　priestesses　on　Giedi　Prime　should　be　alerted　to　a　hidden　store　of　melange　there；　probably　old　Harkonnen　contraband。〃
　〃What　do　you　wish　done　with　it　when　it's　found；　Lord？〃
　〃Use　a　bit　of　it　to　pay　the　Tleilaxu　for　the　new　ghola。　The　rest　of　it　can　go　into　our　stores　here　in　the　crypt。〃
　〃Lord。〃　Moneo　acknowledged　the　orders　with　a　nod；　a　gesture　which　was　not　quite　a　bow。　His　gaze　met　Leto's。
　Leto　smiled。　He　thought：　We　both　know　that　Moneo　will　not　leave　without　addressing　directly　the　matter　which　most　concerns　us。
　〃I　have　seen　the　report　on　Siona；〃　Moneo　said。
　Leto's　smile　widened。　Moneo　was　such　a　pleasure　in　these　moments。　His　words　conveyed　many　things　which　did　not　require　open　discussion　between　them。　His　words　and　actions　were　in　precise　alignment；　carried　on　the　mutual　awareness　that　he；　of　course；　spied　on　everything。　Now；　there　was　a　natural　concern　for　his　daughter；　but　he　wished　it　understood　that　his　concern　for　the　God　Emperor　remained　paramount。　From　his　own　traverse　through　a　similar　evolution；　Moneo　knew　with　precision　the　delicate　nature　of　Siona's　present　fortunes。
　〃Have　I　not　created　her；　Moneo？〃　Leto　asked。　〃Have　I　not　controlled　the　conditions　of　her　ancestry　and　her　upbringing？〃
　〃She　is　my　only　daughter；　my　only　child；　Lord。〃
　〃In　a　way；　she　reminds　me　of　Harq　al…Ada；〃　Leto　said。　〃There　doesn't　appear　to　be　much　of　Ghani　in　her；　although　that　has　to　be　there。　Perhaps　she　harks　back　to　our　ancestors　in　the　Sisterhood's　breeding　program。〃
　〃Why　do　you　say　that；　Lord？〃
　Leto　reflected。　Was　there　need　for　Moneo　to　know　this　peculiar　thing　about　his　daughter？　Siona　could　fade　from　the　prescient　view　at　times。　The　Golden　Path　remained；　but　Siona　faded。　Yet　。。。she　was　not　prescient。　She　was　a　unique　phenomenon。。。and　if　she　survived。。。Leto　decided　he　would　not　cloud　Moneo's　efficiency　with　unnecessary　information。
　〃Remember　your　own　past；〃　Leto　said。
　〃Indeed；　Lord！　And　she　has　such　a　potential；　so　much　more　than　I　ever　had。　But　that　makes　her　dangerous；　too。〃
　〃And　she　will　not　listen　to　you；〃　Leto　said。
　〃No；　but　I　have　an　agent　in　her　rebellion。〃
　That　will　be　Topri；　Leto　thought。
　It　required　no　prescience　to　know　that　Moneo　would　have　an　agent　in　place。　Ever　since　the　death　of　Siona's　mother；　Leto　had　known　with　increasing　sureness　the　course　of　Moneo's　actions。　Nayla's　suspicions　pinpointed　Topri。　And　now；　Moneo　paraded　his　fears　and　actions；　offering　them　as　the　price　of　his　daughter's　continued　safety。
　How　unfortunate　he　fathered　only　the　one　child　on　that　mother。
　〃Recall　how　I　treated　you　in　similar　circumstances；〃　Leto　said。　〃You　know　the　demands　of　the　Golden　Path　as　well　as　I　do。〃
　〃But　I　was　young　and　foolish；　Lord。〃
　〃Young　and　brash；　never　foolish。〃
　Moneo　managed　a　tight　smile　at　this　pliment；　his　thoughts　leaning　more　and　more　toward　the　belief　that　he　now　understood　Leto's　intentions。　The　dangers；　though！
　Feeding　his　belief；　Leto　said：　〃You　know　how　much　I　enjoy　surprises。〃
　That　is　true；　Leto　thought。　Moneo　does　know　it。　But　even　while　Siona　surprises　me；　she　reminds　me　of　what　I　fear　most…the　sameness　and　boredom　which　could　break　the　Golden　Path。　Look　at　how　bore