bh.houseatreides-第142部分

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nside　the　chamber　applauded　and　cheered　him。　He　looked　across　the　audience　that　was　a　microcosm　of　everything　he　ruled；　and　his　gaze　came　to　rest　on　doe…eyed　Anirul；　who　had　moved　to　stand　just　below　the　dais　with　her　honor　guard　and　ladies…in…waiting。　The　Emperor　extended　a　hand；　beckoning　her。
　Harishka；　Mother　Superior　of　the　Bene　Gesserit；　guided　Anirul　to　Shaddam's　side。　The　magnificent　women　moved　with　the　faultless　glide…walk　of　the　Sisterhood；　as　if　Shaddam　were　a　magnet　drawing　them　into　his　presence。　Then　ancient　Harishka　returned　to　her　seat　with　the　other　Bene　Gesserit。
　The　priest　said　words　over　the　couple；　while　the　new　Emperor　slipped　two　diamond　rings　onto　the　marriage　finger　of　Anirul's　hand；　followed　by　a　breathtaking　red　soostone　band　that　had　belonged　to　his　paternal　grandmother。
　When　they　were　pronounced　Emperor　and　Lady；　the　High　Priest　of　Dur　presented　them　to　the　assemblage。　In　the　audience；　Hasimir　Fenring　leaned　over　and　whispered　to　Margot；　〃Shall　we　step　forward　and　see　if　the　High　Priest　can　squeeze　in　another　quick　ceremony？〃
　She　giggled；　nudged　him　playfully。
　THAT　EVENING；　HEDONISM　in　the　capital　city　reached　a　fever　pitch　of　adrenaline；　pheromones；　and　music。　The　royal　couple　attended　a　sumptuous　dinner　banquet　followed　by　a　grand　ball　and　then　by　a　magnificent　culinary　orgy　that　made　the　earlier　meal　appear　to　have　been　no　more　than　an　appetizer。　As　the　newlyweds　departed　for　the　Imperial　Palace；　they　were　showered　with　merh…silk　roses　and　chased　by　the　nobles。
　Finally　Emperor　Shaddam　IV　and　Lady　Anirul　retired　to　their　marriage　bed。　Outside　their　room　drunken　noblemen　and　ladies　rang　crystal　bells　and　floated　bright　glowglobes　at　the　windows　　the　traditional　shivaree　that　would　bring　blessings　of　fertility　upon　the　union。
　These　festivities　continued　much　as　they　had　for　millennia；　going　back　to　pre…Butlerian　days；　to　the　very　roots　of　the　Imperium。　More　than　a　thousand　expensive　gifts　were　arrayed　on　the　lawn　of　the　Palace。　These　offerings　would　be　gathered　by　Imperial　servants　and　distributed　later　to　the　populace；　in　conjunction　with　an　additional　week　of　festivities　on　Kaitain。
　After　all　the　celebrations　were　plete；　Shaddam　would　finally　be　able　to　get　down　to　the　business　of　ruling　his　Empire　of　a　Million　Worlds。
　In　the　final　analysis；　the　legendary　event　called　Leto's　Gambit　became　the　basis　of　the　young　Duke　Atreides's　immense　popularity。　He　successfully　projected　himself　as　a　shining　beacon　of　honor　in　a　galactic　sea　of　darkness。　To　many　members　of　the　Landsraad；　Leto's　honesty　and　naivete　became　a　symbol　of　honor　that　shamed　many　of　the　Great　and　Minor　Houses　to　alter　their　behavior　toward　each　other。。。for　a　short　time；　at　least；　until　familiar　old　patterns　reemerged。
　…Origins　of　House　Atreides：　Seeds　of　the　Future　in　the　Galactic　Imperium；　by　Bronso　of　Ix
　Furious　that　his　plot　had　failed；　Baron　Harkonnen　raged　up　and　down　the　halls　of　his　family　Keep　on　Giedi　Prime。　He　screamed　demands　that　his　personal　staff　find　a　dwarf　for　him　to　torture；　he　needed　a　creature　to　dominate；　something　he　could　crush　entirely。
　When　Yh'imm；　one　of　the　Baron's　entertainment　monitors；　plained　that　it　wasn't　exactly　sporting　for　him　to　persecute　a　man　solely　on　the　basis　of　his　physical　size；　the　Baron　ordered　Yh'imm's　legs　amputated　at　the　knees。　In　that　way；　the　soon…to…be…shortened　entertainment　monitor　would　fit　the　Procrustean　bill　nicely。
　As　the　howling；　pleading　man　was　hauled　away　to　the　Harkonnen　surgeons；　the　Baron　summoned　his　nephew　Glossu　Rabban　and　the　Mentat　Piter　de　Vries　to　attend　him　for　a　vital　discussion；　to　be　held　in　the　Baron's　workroom。
　Waiting　for　them　at　a　worktable　spread　with　papers　and　ridulian　crystal　reports；　the　Baron　boomed　in　his　basso　voice；　〃Damn　the　Atreides；　from　the　boy…Duke　to　his　bastard　ancestors！　I　wish　they'd　all　died　in　the　Battle　of　Corrin。〃
　He　whirled　when　de　Vries　entered　the　workroom　doorway；　and　the　Baron　nearly　lost　his　balance　with　suddenly　clumsy　muscle　control。　He　grasped　the　edge　of　the　table　to　steady　himself。　〃How　could　Leto　survive　that　trial？　He　had　no　proof；　no　defense。〃　Muted　glowglobes　floated　overhead　in　the　room。　〃He　still　doesn't　have　a　clue　what　really　happened。〃
　The　Baron's　bellow　echoed　through　the　enclosure　and　out　an　open　door　into　the　halls；　which　were　lined　with　polished　stone　and　brasswork。　Rabban　hurried　down　the　corridor。　〃And　damn　Shaddam　for　his　meddling！　Just　because　he's　Emperor；　what　gives　him　the　right　to　take　sides？　What's　in　it　for　him？〃
　Both　Rabban　and　de　Vries　hesitated　at　the　iron…arched　entrance　to　the　workroom；　not　anxious　to　step　into　the　maelstrom　of　the　Baron's　wrath。　The　Mentat　closed　his　eyes　and　rubbed　his　thick　eyebrows；　trying　to　think　of　what　to　say　or　do。　Rabban　went　to　an　alcove　and　poured　himself　a　strong　glass　of　kirana　brandy。　He　made　slurping　animal　noises　as　he　drank。
　The　Baron　stepped　away　from　the　table　and　paced　the　floor；　his　movements　oddly　jerky；　as　if　he　were　having　difficulty　controlling　his　equilibrium。　His　clothes　seemed　tight　on　him　from　his　recent　weight　gains。
　〃It　was　supposed　to　start　a　sudden　war；　and　after　the　carnage　who　could　pick　up　the　pieces？　But　somehow　the　damned　Atreides　kept　everyone　from　killing　each　other。　By　insisting　on　a　risky　Trial　by　Forfeiture　　ancient　rites　be　damned！　　and　his　willingness　to　sacrifice　himself　just　to　protect　his　precious　friends　and　crew；　Leto　Atreides　has　gained　favorable　attention　in　the　Landsraad。　His　popularity　is　soaring。〃
　Piter　de　Vries　cleared　his　throat。　〃Perhaps；　my　Baron；　it　was　a　mistake　to　pit　them　against　the　Tleilaxu。　Nobody　cares　about　the　Tleilaxu。　It　was　difficult　to　foster　a　general　sense　of　outrage　among　the　Houses。　We　never　planned　for　this　matter　to　e　to　trial。〃
　〃We　made　no　mistakes！〃　Rabban　grunted；　immediately　defending　his　uncle。　〃Do　you　value　your　life；　Piter？〃
　De　Vries　didn't　respond；　nor　did　he　show　any　fear。　He　was　a　formidable　fighter　in　his　own　right；　with　tricks　and　experience　that　could　undoubtedly　defeat　Rabban's　brawn；　should　it　e　to　physical　bat。
　The　Baron　looked　at　his　nephew；　disappointed。　You　never　seem　to　grasp　anything　buried　beneath　even　a　single　layer　of　subtlety。
　Rabban　glared　at　the　Mentat。　〃Duke　Leto　is　just　an　impetuous　young　ruler　from　an　unremarkable　family。　House　Atreides　makes　its　ine　through　selling。。。pundi　rice！〃　He　spat　the　words。
　〃The　fact　is；　Rabban；〃　the　twisted　Mentat　said　smoothly；　with　the　voice　of　a　snake；　〃that　the　other　members　of　the　Landsraad　Council　actually　seem　to　like　him。　They　admire　what　this　boy…Duke　has　acplished。　We've　made　him　a　hero。〃
　Rabban　finished　his　drink；　poured　another；　slurped　it。
　〃The　Landsraad　Council　being　altruistic？〃　The　Baron　snorted。　〃That's　even　more　unbelievable　than　Leto　winning　his　case。〃
　From　the　surgery　rooms　down　the　long；　dim　halls；　grisly　noises　could　be　heard；　screams　of　agony　that　echoed　along　the　corridors　all　the　way　to　the　Baron's　workroom。　The　muted　glowglobes　flickered；　but　maintained　their　low　level　of　illumination。
　The　Baron　looked　piercingly　at　de　Vries；　then　gestured　toward　the　operating　rooms。　〃Perhaps　you'd　better　attend　to　this　yourself；　Piter。　I　want　to　make　certain　that　idiot　entertainment　monitor　survives　his　surgery。。。at　least　until　I've　made　sufficient　use　of　him。〃
　〃Yes；　my　Baron；〃　the　Mentat　said　and　scuttled　down　the　halls　to　the　medical　chambers。　The　screams　grew　higher…pitched　and　womanish。　The　Baron　heard　the　sounds　of　sizzling　cutterays　and　a　grinding　saw。
　The　Baron　thought　of　his　newly　shortened　plaything　and　what　he　would　do　to　Yh'imm　as　soon　as　the　painkillers　began　to　wear　off。　Or　could　it　be　possible　the　doctors　had　managed　their　task　without　using　any　painkillers？　Perhaps。
　Rabban　let　his　thick…lidded　eyes　fall　closed　in　supreme　pleasure；　just　listening　and　enjoying。　Given　the　choice；　he　would　rather　have　hunted　the　man　down　in　Giedi　Prime's　wilderness　preserve。　But　the　Baron　thought　that　sounded　like　too　much　trouble　　all　that　running　and　chasing　and　climbing　snow…covered　rocks。　He　could　e　up　with　far　better　ways　of　spending　his　time。　Besides；　the　Baron's　limbs　and　joints　had　been　growing　increasingly　sore　of　late；　his　muscles　were　weakened