fh.godemperorofdune-第97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！


　〃Yes；　and　pray　that　you　get　the　same；〃　he　husked。　〃Perhaps　the　spice　will　give　you　time。〃
　〃Where　is　your　spice？〃　she　demanded。
　〃Deep　in　Sietch　Tabr；〃　he　said。　〃Duncan　will　find　it。　You　know　the　place；　Duncan。　They　call　it　Tabur　now。　The　outlines　are　still　there。〃
　〃Why　did　you　do　it？〃　Idaho　whispered。
　〃My　gift；〃　Leto　said。　〃Nobody　will　find　the　descendants　of　Siona。　The　Oracle　cannot　see　her。〃
　〃What？〃　They　spoke　in　unison；　leaning　close　to　hear　his　fading　voice。
　〃I　give　you　a　new　kind　of　time　without　parallels；〃　he　said。　〃It　will　always　diverge。　There　will　be　no　concurrent　points　on　its　curves。　I　give　you　the　Golden　Path。　That　is　my　gift。　Never　again　will　you　have　the　kinds　of　concurrence　that　once　you　had。〃
　Flames　covered　his　vision。　The　agony　was　fading；　but　he　could　still　sense　odors　and　hear　sounds　with　a　terrible　acuity。　Both　Idaho　and　Siona　were　breathing　in　quick；　shallow　gasps。　Odd　kinesthetic　sensations　began　to　weave　their　way　through　Leto…echoes　of　bones　and　joints　which　he　knew　he　no　longer　possessed。
　〃Look！〃　Siona　said。
　〃He's　disintegrating。〃　That　was　Idaho。
　〃No。〃　Siona。　〃The　outside　is　falling　away。　Look！　The　Worm！〃
　Leto　felt　parts　of　himself　settling　into　warm　softness。　The　agony　removed　itself。
　〃What're　those　holes　in　him？〃　Siona。
　〃I　think　they　were　the　sandtrout。　See　the　shapes？〃
　〃I　am　here　to　prove　one　of　my　ancestors　wrong；〃　Leto　said　（or　thought　he　said；　which　was　the　same　thing　as　far　as　his　journals　were　concerned）。　〃I　was　born　a　man　but　I　do　not　die　a　man。〃
　〃I　can't　look！〃　Siona　said。
　Leto　heard　her　turn　away；　a　rattle　of　rocks。
　〃Are　you　still　there；　Duncan？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　So　I　still　have　a　voice。
　〃Look　at　me；〃　Leto　said。　〃I　was　a　bloody　bit　of　pulp　in　a　human　womb；　a　bit　no　larger　than　a　cherry。　Look　at　me；　I　say！〃
　〃I'm　looking。〃　Idaho's　voice　was　faint。
　〃You　expected　a　giant　and　you　found　a　gnome；〃　Leto　said。　〃Now；　you're　beginning　to　know　the　responsibilities　which　e　as　a　result　of　actions。　What　will　you　do　with　your　new　power；　Duncan？〃
　There　was　a　long　silence；　then　Siona's　voice：　〃Don't　listen　to　him！　He　was　mad！〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Leto　said。　〃Madness　in　method；　that　is　genius。〃
　〃Siona；　do　you　understand　this？〃　Idaho　asked。　How　plaintive；　the　ghola　voice。
　〃She　understands；〃　Leto　said。　〃It　is　human　to　have　your　soul　brought　to　a　crisis　you　did　not　anticipate。　That's　the　way　it　always　is　with　humans。　Moneo　understood　at　last。〃
　〃I　wish　he'd　hurry　up　and　die！〃　Siona　said。
　〃I　am　the　divided　god　and　you　would　make　me　whole；〃　Leto　said。　〃Duncan？　I　think　of　all　my　Duncans　I　approve　of　you　the　most。〃
　〃Approve？〃　Some　of　the　rage　returned　to　Idaho's　voice。
　〃There's　magic　in　my　approval；〃　Leto　said。　〃Anything's　possible　in　a　magic　universe。　Your　life　has　been　dominated　by　the　Oracle's　fatality；　not　mine。　Now；　you　see　the　mysterious　caprices　and　you　would　ask　me　to　dispel　this？　I　wished　only　to　increase　it。〃　The　others　within　Leto　began　to　reassert　themselves。　Without　the　solidarity　of　the　colonial　group　to　support　his　identity；　he　began　to　lose　his　place　among　them。　They　started　speaking　the　language　of　the　constant　〃IF。〃　〃If　you　had　only。。。If　we　had　but。　。　。〃　He　wanted　to　shout　them　into　silence。
　〃Only　fools　prefer　the　past！〃
　Leto　did　not　know　if　he　truly　shouted　or　only　thought　it。　The　response　was　a　momentary　inner　silence　matched　to　an　outer　silence　and　he　felt　some　of　the　threads　of　his　old　identity　still　intact。　He　tried　to　speak　and　knew　the　reality　of　it　because　Idaho　said；　〃Listen；　he's　trying　to　say　something。〃
　〃Do　not　fear　the　lxians；〃　he　said；　and　he　heard　his　own　voice　as　a　fading　whisper。　〃They　can　make　the　machines；　but　they　no　longer　can　make　arafel。　I　know。　I　was　there。〃
　He　fell　silent；　gathering　his　strength；　but　he　felt　the　energy　flowing　from　him　even　as　he　tried　to　hold　it。　Once　more；　the　clamor　arose　within　him…voices　pleading　and　shouting。
　〃Stop　that　foolishness！〃　he　cried；　or　thought　he　cried。
　Idaho　and　Siona　heard　only　a　gasping　hiss。
　Presently；　Siona　said：　〃I　think　he's　dead。〃
　〃And　everyone　thought　he　was　immortal；〃　Idaho　said。
　〃Do　you　know　what　the　Oral　History　says？〃　Siona　asked。　〃If　you　want　immortality；　then　deny　form。　Whatever　has　form　has　mortality。　Beyond　form　is　the　formless；　the　immortal。〃
　〃That　sounds　like　him；〃　Idaho　accused。
　〃I　think　it　was；〃　she　said。
　〃What　did　he　mean　about　your　descendants。。。hiding；　not　finding　them？〃　Idaho　asked。
　〃He　created　a　new　kind　of　mimesis；〃　she　said；　〃a　new　biological　imitation。　He　knew　he　had　succeeded。　He　could　not　see　me　in　his　futures。〃
　〃What　are　you？〃　Idaho　demanded。
　〃I'm　the　new　Atreides。〃
　〃Atreides！〃　It　was　a　curse　in　Idaho's　voice。
　Siona　stared　down　at　the　disintegrating　hulk　which　once　had　been　Leto　Atreides　II。。。and　something　else。　The　something　else　was　sloughing　away　in　faint　wisps　of　blue　smoke　where　the　smell　of　melange　was　strongest。　Puddles　of　blue　liquid　formed　in　the　rocks　beneath　his　melting　bulk。　Only　faint　vague　shapes　which　might　once　have　been　human　remained…a　collapsed　foaming　pinkness；　a　bit　of　red…streaked　bone　which　could　have　held　the　forms　of　cheeks　and　brow　。　。　。
　Siona　said：　〃I　am　different；　but　still　I　am　what　he　was。〃
　Idaho　spoke　in　a　hushed　whisper：　〃The　ancestors；　all　of。　。　。〃
　〃The　multitude　is　there　but　I　walk　silently　among　them　and　no　one　sees　me。　The　old　images　are　gone　and　only　the　essence　remains　to　light　his　Golden　Path。〃
　She　turned　and　took　Idaho's　cold　hand　in　hers。　Carefully；　she　led　him　out　of　the　cave　into　the　light　where　the　rope　dangled　invitingly　from　the　barrier　Wall's　top；　from　the　place　where　the　frightened　Museum　Fremen　waited。
　Poor　material　with　which　to　shape　a　new　universe；　she　thought；　but　they　would　have　to　serve。　Idaho　would　require　gentle　seduction；　a　care　within　which　love　might　appear。
　When　she　looked　down　the　river　to　where　the　flow　emerged　from　its　man…made　chasm　to　spread　across　the　green　lands；　she　saw　a　wind　from　the　south　driving　dark　clouds　toward　her。
　Idaho　withdrew　his　hand　from　hers；　but　he　appeared　calmer。　〃Weather　control　is　increasingly　unstable；〃　he　said。　〃Moneo　thought　it　was　the　Guild's　doing。〃
　〃My　father　was　seldom　mistaken　about　such　things；〃　she　said。　〃You　will　have　to　look　into　that。〃
　Idaho　experienced　a　sudden　memory　of　the　silvery　shapes　of　sandtrout　darting　away　from　Leto's　body　in　the　river。
　〃I　heard　the　Worm；〃　Siona　said。　〃The　Fish　Speakers　will　follow　you；　not　me。〃
　Again；　Idaho　sensed　the　temptation　from　the　ritual　of　Siaynoq。　〃We　will　see；〃　he　said。　He　turned　and　looked　at　Siona。　〃What　did　he　mean　when　he　said　the　lxians　cannot　create　arafel？〃
　〃You　haven't　read　all　the　journals；〃　she　said。　〃I'll　show　you　when　we　return　to　Tuono。〃
　〃But　what　does　it　mean…arafel？〃
　〃That's　the　cloud…darkness　of　holy　judgment。　It's　from　an　old　story。　You'll　find　it　all　in　my　journals。〃
　
　Excerpt　from　the　Hadi　Benotto　secret　summation　on　the　discoveries　at　Dar…es…Balat：
　Herewith　THE　minority　report。　We　will；　of　course；　ply　with　the　majority　decision　to　apply　a　careful　screening；　editing　and　censorship　to　the　journals　from　Dar…es…Balat；　but　our　arguments　must　be　heard。　We　recognize　the　interest　of　Holy　Church　in　these　matters　and　the　political　dangers　have　not　escaped　our　notice。　We　share　a　desire　with　the　Church　that　Rakis　and　the　Holy　Reservation　of　the　Divided　God　not　bee　〃an　attraction　for　gawking　tourists。〃
　However；　now　that　all　of　the　journals　are　in　our　hands；　authenticated　and　translated；　the　clear　shape　of　the　Atreides　Design　emerges。　As　a　woman　trained　by　the　Bene　Gesserit　to　understand　the　ways　of　our　ancestors；　I　have　a　natural　desire　to　share　the　pattern　we　have　exposed　which　is　so　much　more　than　Dune　to　Arrakis　to　Dune；　thence　to　Rakis。
　The　interests　of　history　and　science　must　be　served。　The　journals　throw　a　valuable　new　light　onto　that　accumulation　of　personal　recollections　and　biographies　from　the　Duncan　Days；　the　Guard　Bible。　We　cannot　be　unmindful　of　those　familiar　oaths：　〃By　the　Thousand　Sons　of　Idaho！〃　and　〃By　the　Nine　Daughters　of　Siona！〃　The　persistent　Cult　of　Sister　Chenoeh　assumes　new　significance　because　of　the　journals'　disclosures。　Certainly；　the　Church's　characterization　of　Juda