bh.houseatreides-第126部分

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ng　to　make　a　judgment　about　him。　He　saw　no　love；　approval；　or　disrespect　in　their　faces　　just　a　nothingness；　as　if　he　had　truly　mitted　a　heinous　act　and　no　longer　existed。
　The　sneering　face　of　his　mother　appeared；　faded。
　Don't　trust　anyone；　he　thought。
　A　feeling　of　despondency　settled　over　Leto；　followed　by　extreme；　bitter　loneliness。　Deep　inside　himself；　in　a　lifeless　and　bleak　place；　Leto　saw　his　own　emotionless　gray　eyes；　staring　back　at　himself。　It　was　cold　here；　and　he　shivered。
　〃Leadership　is　a　lonely　task。〃
　Would　the　Atreides　lineage　stop　here　with　him　at　this　nexus…moment；　or　would　he　father　children　whose　voices　would　be　added　to　those　of　all　the　Atreides　since　the　days　of　the　ancient　Greeks？　He　listened　for　his　children　in　the　cacophony；　but　did　not　sense　their　presence。
　The　accusing　eyes　did　not　waver。
　Leto　spoke　the　words　to　himself。　Government　is　a　protective　partnership；　the　people　are　in　your　care；　to　thrive　or　die　based　upon　your　decisions。
　The　images　and　sounds　faded；　and　his　mind　became　a　quiet；　dark　place。
　Barely　a　second　had　passed　in　his　tension…spawned　mental　journey；　and　Leto　knew　exactly　what　he　had　to　do；　regardless　of　the　consequences。
　〃Activate　shields！〃　he　shouted。
　PEERING　AT　AN　observation　screen　in　the　belly　of　the　seemingly　innocent　Harkonnen　frigate；　Rabban　was　surprised　by　what　he　saw。　He　raced　up　from　one　deck　to　the　next；　until　finally　he　stood　red…faced　and　puffing　in　front　of　his　uncle。　Before　the　indignant　but　timid　Tleilaxu　pilot　could　open　fire；　a　shield　began　to　shimmer　around　the　Atreides　ship！
　But　shields　were　forbidden　by　Guild　transport　contract；　because　they　shattered　a　Navigator's　trance　and　disrupted　the　foldspace　field。　The　Heighliner's　enormous　Holtzman　generators　would　not　function　properly　with　the　interference。　Rabban　and　the　Baron　both　cursed。
　The　Heighliner　shuddered　around　them　as　it　plunged　out　of　foldspace。
　I　N　THE　NAVIGATION　chamber　high　atop　the　cargo　enclosure；　the　veteran　Navigator　felt　his　trance　crumble。　His　brain　waves　diverged　and　circled　back　into　themselves；　spinning　and　twisting　out　of　control。
　The　Holtzman　engines　groaned；　and　foldspace　rippled　around　them；　losing　stability。　Something　was　wrong　with　the　ship。　The　Navigator　spun　in　his　tank　of　melange。　His　webbed　feet　and　hands　flailed；　and　he　sensed　darkness　ahead。
　The　massive　ship　veered　off　course；　hurled　back　into　the　real　universe。
　WHILE　RHOMBUR　WAS　thrown　to　the　carpeted　deck　of　the　frigate　in　a　tumble　of　purple…and…copper　cloth；　Leto　grabbed　a　bulkhead　rail　to　keep　his　balance。　He　uttered　a　silent　prayer。　He　and　his　valiant　crew　could　only　ride　this　out　and　hope　the　Heighliner　didn't　emerge　inside　a　sun。
　Like　a　tree　beside　Leto；　Thufir　Hawat　somehow　maintained　his　balance　by　sheer　force　of　will。　The　Mentat　teacher　stood　in　a　trance　sorting　through　veiled　regions　of　logic　and　analysis。　Leto　wasn't　certain　how　such　projections　could　benefit　them　now。　Perhaps　the　question　　the　odds　of　disaster　following　shield　activation　inside　a　Heighliner　　was　so　plex　that　it　required　layers　and　layers　of　mentation。
　〃Prime　projection；〃　Hawat　announced；　at　long　last。　He　licked　his　cranberry…colored　lips　with　a　tongue　of　matching　hue。　〃Thrown　out　of　foldspace　at　random；　odds　of　encountering　a　celestial　body　are　calculated　at　one　in。。。〃
　The　frigate　jerked；　and　something　thudded　belowdecks。　Hawat's　words　were　drowned　out　in　the　motion；　and　he　slipped　back　into　the　secret　realm　of　his　Mentat　trance。
　Rhombur　stumbled　to　his　feet；　tugging　an　earclamp　headset　in　place　over　his　tousled　blond　hair。　〃Activate　shields　on　a　moving　Heighliner？　That's　as　crazy　as；　uh；　someone　firing　on　the　Tleilaxu　in　the　first　place。〃　With　wide　eyes　he　looked　at　his　friend。　〃This　must　be　a　day　for　crazy　events。〃
　Leto　leaned　over　a　bank　of　instruments；　made　a　number　of　adjustments。　〃I　had　no　choice；〃　he　said。　〃I　see　it　now。　Someone　is　trying　to　make　it　look　like　we　attacked　the　Tleilaxu　　an　incident　that　could　spark　a　major　war　among　the　factions　of　the　Landsraad。　I　can　envision　all　the　old　feuds　ing　into　play；　and　battle　lines　being　drawn　here　on　the　Heighliner。〃　He　wiped　his　brow；　smearing　sweat　away。　The　intuition　had　e　from　his　gut　level；　like　something　a　Mentat　might　have　realized。　〃I　had　to　stop　everything　now；　Rhombur；　before　it　escalated。〃
　The　Heighliner's　erratic　motion　finally　ceased。　The　background　noise　quieted。
　Hawat　finally　snapped　out　of　his　trance。　〃You　are　right；　my　Duke。　Almost　every　House　has　a　representative　ship　aboard　this　Heighliner；　en　route　to　the　Emperor's　coronation　and　wedding。　The　battle　lines　drawn　here　would　extend　out　into　the　Imperium；　with　war　councils　called　and　planets　and　armies　aligning　themselves　on　one　side　or　another。　Inevitably　more　factions　would　arise；　too；　like　the　branches　of　a　jacaranda　tree。　Since　the　death　of　Elrood；　alliances　are　already　shifting　as　Houses　look　for　new　opportunities。〃
　Leto's　face　flushed　hot；　his　heart　jackhammered。　〃There　are　powder　kegs　all　over　the　Imperium；　and　one　of　them　is　right　here　within　this　cargo　hold。　I'd　rather　see　everyone　on　this　Heighliner　die　　because　it　would　be　nothing　pared　to　the　alternative。　Conflagrations　in　every　corner　of　the　universe。　Billions　of　deaths。〃
　〃We've　been　set　up？〃　Rhombur　asked。
　〃If　war　breaks　out　here；　no　one　will　care　whether　or　not　I　really　fired。　We've　got　to　stop　this　cold；　and　then　take　the　time　to　sort　out　the　real　answers。〃　Leto　opened　a　link　and　spoke　into　it；　his　voice　brisk　and　manding。　〃This　is　Duke　Leto　Atreides　calling　Guild　Navigator。　Respond；　please。〃
　The　line　crackled；　and　an　undulating　voice　came　back；　ponderous　and　distorted；　as　if　the　Navigator　could　not　recall　how　to　converse　with　mere　humans。　〃All　of　us　could　have　been　killed；　Atreides。〃　The　way　he　pronounced　the　House　name　　A…tray…a…dees　　brought　to　Leto's　mind　the　word　〃traitor。〃　〃We　are　in　unknown　sector。　Foldspace　gone。　Shields　negate　navigation　trance。　Shut　down　Atreides　shields　immediately。〃
　〃Respectfully；　I　must　refuse；〃　Leto　said。
　Across　the　system　he　could　hear　other　messages　being　shouted　to　the　navigation　chamber　　accusations　and　demands　from　the　ships　aboard。　Muffled；　angry　tones。
　The　Navigator　spoke　again。　〃Atreides　must　shut　off　shields。　Obey　Guild　laws　and　regulations。〃
　〃Refused。〃　Leto　stood　firm；　but　his　skin　had　gone　pale　and　cold；　and　he　knew　his　expression　just　barely　concealed　his　terror。　〃I　don't　think　you　can　get　us　out　of　here　as　long　as　my　shields　are　on；　so　we　stay　here；　wherever　we　are；　until　you　accede　to　my。。。request。〃
　〃After　destroying　a　Bene　Tleilax　ship　and　activating　your　shields；　you　are　in　no　position　to　make　any　requests！〃　cried　an　accented　voice；　a　Tleilaxu。
　〃Impertinent；　Atreides。〃　It　was　the　mutated　Navigator's　rumbling；　underwater…sounding　voice。
　More　muffled　munications　ensued；　which　the　Navigator　abruptly　silenced。　〃State。。。request。。。Atreides。〃
　Pausing；　Leto　met　the　inquiring　but　respectful　gazes　of　his　friends；　then　spoke　into　the　system。　〃First；　we　assure　you　we　did　not　fire　upon　the　Tleilaxu；　and　we　intend　to　prove　it。　If　we　lower　our　shields；　the　Guild　must　guarantee　the　safety　of　my　ship　and　crew；　and　transfer　jurisdiction　of　this　matter　to　the　Landsraad。〃
　〃The　Landsraad？　This　ship　is　under　Spacing　Guild　jurisdiction。〃
　〃You　are　bound　by　honor；〃　Leto　said；　〃as　are　the　members　of　the　Landsraad；　as　am　I。　There　is　in　the　Landsraad　a　legal　procedure　known　as　Trial　by　Forfeiture。〃
　〃My　Lord！〃　Hawat　protested。　〃You　can't　mean　to　sacrifice　House　Atreides；　all　the　centuries　of　noble　tradition　〃
　Leto　shut　off　the　voice　pickup。　Placing　a　hand　on　the　warrior　Mentat's　shoulder；　he　said；　〃If　billions　have　to　die　for　us　to　keep　our　fief；　then　Caladan　isn't　worth　the　price。〃　Thufir　lowered　his　gaze　in　acquiescence。　〃Besides；　we　know　we　did　not　do　this　　a　Mentat　of　your　stature　shouldn't　have　much　difficulty　proving　that。〃
　Reactivating　the　link；　Leto　said；　〃I　will　submit　myself　to　Trial　by　Forfeiture；　but　all　hostilities　must　cease　immediately。　There　must　be　no　retaliation；　or　I　will　refuse　to　deactivate　my　shields；　and　this　Heighliner　will　remain　here；　nowhere。〃
　Leto　thought　of　bluffing；　threatening　to　fire　lasguns　at　his　own　shiel