bh.houseatreides-第13部分

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　Many　minutes　later；　panting　and　hot；　Kynes　stood　awestruck　in　front　of　the　towering　mass　of　the　ancient　worm。　Its　skin　was　scaled；　covered　with　gravel；　thick　with　abrasion…proof　calluses。　Yet　between　the　segments　that　sagged　open　from　the　explosions；　he　saw　pink；　tender　skin。　The　gaping　mouth　of　the　worm　itself　was　like　a　mine　shaft　lined　with　crystal　daggers。
　〃It's　the　most　fearsome　creature　on　this　miserable　planet！〃　Rabban　crowed。　〃And　I've　killed　it！〃
　The　soldiers　peered；　none　of　them　wanting　to　approach　closer　than　several　meters。　Kynes　wondered　how　the　Baron's　nephew　intended　to　haul　this　trophy　back　with　him。　With　the　Harkonnen　penchant　for　extravagance；　however；　he　assumed　Rabban　would　find　a　way。
　The　Planetologist　turned　to　see　that　the　exhausted　Thekar　had　plodded　up　beside　them。　His　eyes　held　a　silvery　sheen；　as　if　some　inner　fire　blazed　bright。　Perhaps　by　ing　so　close　to　death　and　seeing　the　Fremen　desert　god　laid　low　by　Harkonnen　explosives；　his　perspective　on　the　world　had　changed。
　〃Shai…Hulud；〃　he　whispered。　Then　he　turned　to　Kynes；　as　if　sensing　a　kindred　spirit。　〃This　is　an　ancient　one。　One　of　the　oldest　of　the　worms。〃
　Kynes　stepped　forward　to　look　at　the　encrusted　skin；　at　its　segments；　and　wondered　how　he　might　go　about　dissecting　and　analyzing　the　specimen。　Certainly　Rabban　couldn't　object　to　that？　If　necessary；　Kynes　would　invoke　his　assignment　from　the　Emperor　to　make　the　man　understand。　But　as　he　approached　closer；　intending　to　touch　it；　he　saw　that　the　skin　of　the　old　worm　was　shimmering；　moving；　shifting。　The　beast　itself　wasn't　still　alive　　its　nerve　functions　had　ceased　even　to　twitch。。。and　yet　its　outer　layers　trembled　and　shifted；　as　if　melting。
　While　Kynes　stared　in　amazement；　a　rain　of　translucent　cellular　flaps　dripped　off　the　hulk　of　the　old　worm；　like　scales　shed　to　the　churned　sand；　where　they　vanished。
　〃What's　going　on？〃　Rabban　cried；　his　face　purpling。　Before　his　eyes　the　worm　seemed　to　be　evaporating。　The　skin　sloughed　off　into　tiny　flopping　amoebalike　patches　that　jiggled　and　then　burrowed　into　the　sand　like　molten　solder。　The　ancient　behemoth　slumped　into　the　desert。
　In　the　end；　only　skeletal；　cartilaginous　ribs　and　milky　teeth　were　left。　Then　even　these　remains　sank　slowly；　dissolving　into　mounds　of　loose　gelatin　covered　by　sand。
　The　Harkonnen　troops　stepped　back　to　a　safer　distance。
　To　Kynes；　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　seen　a　thousand　years　of　decay　in　only　a　few　seconds。　Accelerated　entropy。　The　hungry　desert　seemed　eager　to　swallow　every　shred　of　evidence；　to　conceal　the　fact　that　a　human　had　defeated　a　sandworm。
　As　Kynes　thought　about　it；　more　in　confusion　and　growing　amazement　than　in　dismay　at　losing　all　chance　of　dissecting　the　specimen；　he　wondered　just　how　strange　the　life　cycle　of　these　magnificent　beasts　must　be。
　He　had　so　much　to　learn　about　Arrakis。。。。
　Rabban　stood；　seething　and　furious。　The　muscles　in　his　neck　stretched　taut　like　iron　cables。　〃My　trophy！〃　He　whirled；　clenched　his　fists；　and　struck　Thekar　full　across　the　face；　knocking　him　flat　onto　the　sands。　For　a　moment；　Kynes　thought　the　Baron's　nephew　might　actually　kill　the　desert　man；　but　Rabban　turned　his　rage　and　fury　on　the　still…dissolving；　shuddering　heap　of　the　sandworm　sinking　into　the　exploded　sands。
　He　screamed　curses　at　it。　Then　as　Kynes　watched；　a　determined　look　came　into　Rabban's　cold；　menacing　eyes。　His　sunburned　face　flushed　a　deeper　red。　〃When　I　return　to　Giedi　Prime；　I'll　hunt　something　a　lot　more　satisfying。〃　Then；　as　if　distracted　from　all　thoughts　of　the　sandworm；　Rabban　turned　and　stalked　away。
　One　observes　the　survivors；　and　learns　from　them。
　…Bene　Gesserit　Teaching
　0f　all　the　fabled　million　worlds　in　the　Imperium；　young　Duncan　Idaho　had　never　been　anywhere　but　Giedi　Prime；　an　oil…soaked；　industry…covered　planet　filled　with　artificial　constructions；　square　angles；　metal；　and　smoke。　The　Harkonnens　liked　to　keep　their　home　that　way。　Duncan　had　known　nothing　else　in　his　eight　years。
　Even　the　dark　and　dirt…stained　alleys　of　his　lost　home　would　have　been　a　wele　sight　now；　though。　After　months　of　imprisonment　with　the　rest　of　his　family；　Duncan　wondered　if　he　would　ever　again　go　outside　the　huge　enslavement　city　of　Barony。　Or　if　he　would　live　to　see　his　ninth　birthday；　which　shouldn't　be　too　far　off　now。　He　wiped　a　hand　through　his　curly　black　hair；　felt　the　sweat　there。
　And　he　kept　running。　The　hunters　were　ing　closer。
　Duncan　was　beneath　the　prison　city　now；　with　his　pursuers　behind　him。　He　hunched　down　and　rushed　through　the　cramped　maintenance　tunnels；　feeling　like　the　spiny…backed　rodent　his　mother　had　let　him　keep　as　a　pet　when　he　was　five。　Ducking　lower；　he　scuttled　along　in　tiny　crawl　spaces；　smelly　air　shafts；　and　power…conduit　tubes。　The　big　adults　with　their　padded　armor　could　never　follow　him　here。　He　scraped　his　elbow　on　the　metal　walls；　worming　his　way　into　places　no　human　should　have　been　able　to　navigate。
　The　boy　vowed　not　to　let　the　Harkonnens　catch　him　　at　least　not　today。　He　hated　their　games；　refused　to　be　anyone's　pet　or　prey。　Negotiating　his　way　through　the　darkness　by　smell　and　instinct；　he　felt　a　stale　breeze　on　his　face　and　noted　the　direction　of　the　air　circulation。
　His　ears　recorded　echoes　as　he　moved：　the　sounds　of　other　prisoner　children　running；　also　desperate。　They　were　supposedly　his　teammates；　but　Duncan　had　learned　through　previous　failures　not　to　rely　on　people　whose　feral　skills　might　not　match　his　own。
　He　swore　he　would　get　away　from　the　hunters　this　time　but　knew　he　would　never　be　entirely　free　of　them。　In　this　controlled　environment　the　stalking　teams　would　catch　him　again　and　run　him　through　the　paces；　over　and　over。　They　called　it　〃training。〃　Training　for　what；　he　didn't　know。
　Duncan's　right　side　still　ached　from　the　last　episode。　As　if　he　were　a　prized　animal；　his　tormentors　had　put　his　injured　body　through　a　skin…knit　machine　and　ace…cellular　repair。　His　ribs　still　didn't　quite　feel　right；　but　they　had　been　getting　better　each　day。　Until　now。
　With　the　locator　beacon　implanted　in　the　meat　of　his　shoulder；　Duncan　could　never　really　escape　from　this　slaveholding　metropolis。　Barony　was　a　megalithic　construction　of　plasteel　and　armor…plat；　950　stories　tall　and　45　kilometers　long；　with　no　ground…level　openings　whatsoever。　He　always　found　plenty　of　places　to　hide　during　the　Harkonnen　games；　but　never　any　freedom。
　The　Harkonnens　had　many　prisoners；　and　they　had　sadistic　methods　of　making　them　cooperate。　If　Duncan　won　in　this　training　hunt；　if　he　eluded　the　searchers　long　enough；　the　keepers　had　promised　that　he　and　his　family　could　return　to　their　former　lives。　All　the　children　had　been　promised　the　same　thing。　Trainees　needed　a　goal；　a　prize　to　fight　for。
　He　ran　by　instinct　through　the　secret　passageways；　trying　to　muffle　his　footfalls。　Not　far　behind；　he　heard　the　blast　and　sizzle　of　a　stun　gun　firing；　a　child's　high…pitched　squeal　of　pain；　and　then　teeth…chattering　spasms　as　another　one　of　the　young　boys　was　brought　to　ground。
　If　the　searchers　captured　you；　they　hurt　you　　sometimes　seriously　and　sometimes　worse；　depending　upon　the　current　supply　of　〃trainees。〃　This　was　no　child's　game　of　hide…and…seek。　At　least　not　for　the　victims。
　Even　at　his　age；　Duncan　already　knew　that　life　and　death　had　a　price。　The　Harkonnens　didn't　care　how　many　small　candidates　suffered　during　the　course　of　their　training。　This　was　how　the　Harkonnens　played。　Duncan　understood　cruel　amusements。　He　had　seen　others　do　such　things　before；　especially　the　children　with　whom　he　shared　confinement；　as　they　pulled　the　wings　off　insects　or　set　tiny　rodent　babies　on　fire。　The　Harkonnens　and　their　troops　were　like　adult　children；　only　with　greater　resources；　greater　imaginations；　greater　malice。
　Without　making　a　sound；　he　found　a　narrow；　rusted　access　ladder　and　scrambled　up　into　the　darkness；　wasting　no　time　on　thought。　Duncan　had　to　do　the　unexpected；　hide　where　they'd　have　trouble　reaching　him。　The　rungs；　pitted　and　scarred　with　age；　hurt　his　hands。
　This　section　of　ancient　Barony　still　functioned；　power　conduits　and　suspensor　tubes　shot　through　the　main　structure　like　wormholes　　straight；　curved；　hooking　off　at　obliqu