bh.houseatreides-第24部分

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ripped　of　any　real　power；　Abulurd　secured　a　victory　unmatched　by　anyone　else　in　his　extended　family：　He　learned　how　to　be　happy　with　his　life。
　…Landsraad　Encyclopedia　of　Great　Houses；　post…Jihad　edition
　Though　the　Harkonnens　were　formidable　foes　in　the　arena　of　manipulations；　subterfuge；　and　disinformation；　the　Bene　Gesserit　were　undisputed　masters。
　In　order　to　achieve　the　next　step　in　their　grand　breeding　scheme；　a　plan　that　had　been　in　place　since　ten　generations　before　the　downfall　of　thinking　machines；　the　Sisterhood　needed　to　find　a　fulcrum　that　would　make　the　Baron　bend　to　their　will。
　It　didn't　take　them　long　to　figure　out　the　weak　point　in　House　Harkonnen。
　Presenting　herself　as　a　new　domestic　servant　on　cold　and　blustery　Lankiveil；　the　young　Bene　Gesserit　Sister　Margot　Rashino…Zea　infiltrated　the　household　of　Abulurd　Harkonnen；　the　Baron's　younger　half　brother。　Beautiful　Margot；　hand…selected　by　Kwisatz　Mother　Anirul；　had　been　trained　in　the　ways　of　spying　and　ferreting　out　information；　of　connecting　mismatched　tidbits　of　data　to　construct　a　broader　picture。
　She　also　knew　sixty…three　ways　to　kill　a　human　being　using　nothing　but　her　fingers。　The　Sisterhood　worked　hard　to　maintain　their　appearance　as　brooding　intellectuals；　but　they　also　had　their　mandos。　Sister　Margot　was　counted　among　their　best。
　The　lodge　house　of　Abulurd　Harkonnen　sat　on　a　rugged　spit　of　land　that　extended　into　deep　water　bordered　by　narrow　Tula　Fjord。　A　fishing　village　surrounded　the　wooden　mansion；　farms　pushed　inland　into　the　thin　and　rocky　valleys；　but　most　of　the　planet's　food　supply　came　from　the　frigid　sea。　Lankiveil's　economy　was　based　on　the　rich　whalefur　industry。
　Abulurd　lived　at　the　base　of　dripping　mountains；　whose　tops　were　rarely　seen　through　the　looming　steel…gray　clouds　and　lingering　mist。　The　main　house　and　surrounding　village　was　the　closest　thing　to　a　capital　center　this　frontier　world　had　to　offer。
　Since　strangers　were　rare；　Margot　took　precautions　not　to　be　noticed。　She　stood　taller　than　many　of　the　stocky　and　muscular　natives；　so　she　disguised　herself　with　a　slight　stoop。　She　dyed　her　honey…blonde　hair　dark　and　cut　it　thick　and　shaggy；　a　style　favored　by　many　of　the　villagers。　With　chemicals；　she　treated　her　smooth；　pale　skin　to　make　it　weathered　and　lend　it　a　darker　cast。　She　blended　in；　and　everyone　accepted　her　without　a　second　glance。　For　a　woman　trained　by　the　Sisterhood；　maintaining　the　sham　was　easy。
　Margot　was　only　one　of　numerous　Bene　Gesserit　spies　dispatched　to　the　widespread　Harkonnen　holdings；　where　they　would　surreptitiously　scour　any　and　all　business　records。　The　Baron　had　no　reason　to　suspect　such　scrutiny　at　this　time　　he'd　had　very　few　dealings　with　the　Sisterhood　　but　if　any　of　their　female　spies　were　discovered；　the　lean　and　vicious　man　would　have　no　punctions　against　torturing　them　for　explanations。　Luckily；　Margot　thought；　any　well…trained　Bene　Gesserit　could　stop　her　own　heart　long　before　inflicted　pain　could　force　her　to　reveal　secrets。
　Traditionally；　the　Harkonnens　were　adept　at　manipulation　and　concealment；　but　Margot　knew　she　would　find　the　necessary　incriminating　evidence。　Though　other　Sisters　had　argued　for　digging　closer　to　the　heart　of　Harkonnen　operations；　Margot　had　concluded　that　Abulurd　would　make　the　perfect　patsy。　The　younger　Harkonnen　demibrother　had；　after　all；　run　the　spice　operations　on　Arrakis　for　seven　years：　He　must　have　some　information。　If　anything　needed　to　be　hidden；　the　Baron　would　likely　do　it　here；　unexpectedly；　right　under　Abulurd's　nose。
　Once　the　Bene　Gesserit　uncovered　a　few　of　the　Harkonnens'　mistakes　and　held　proof　of　the　Baron's　financial　indiscretions；　they　would　have　the　blackmail　weapon　so　desperately　needed　to　advance　their　breeding　program。
　Dressed　as　an　indigenous　villager　in　dyed　wools　and　furs；　Margot　slipped　into　the　rustic　great　house　at　the　docks。　The　structure　stood　tall　and　was　posed　of　massive　wood；　stained　dark。　Fireplaces　in　every　room　filled　the　air　with　resinous　smoke；　and　glowglobes　tuned　to　yellow…orange　did　their　best　to　approximate　sunlight。
　Margot　cleaned；　she　dusted；　she　helped　with　the　cooking。。。she　searched　for　financial　records。　Two　days　in　a　row；　the　Baron's　amiable　half　brother　greeted　her；　smiling；　weling；　he　noticed　nothing　whatsoever　amiss。　A　trusting　sort；　he　seemed　unconcerned　for　his　own　safety；　and　allowed　locals　and　strangers　to　wander　into　the　main　rooms　and　guest　quarters　of　his　mansion；　even　close　to　his　person。　He　had　gray…blond　hair；　long　to　his　shoulders；　and　a　seamed；　ruddy　face　that　was　disarmed　by　a　perpetual　half　smile。　It　was　said　that　he'd　been　a　favorite　of　his　father　Dmitri；　who　had　encouraged　Abulurd　to　take　over　the　Harkonnen　holdings。。。but　Abulurd　had　made　so　many　bad　choices；　so　many　decisions　based　on　people　rather　than　business　necessities。　It　had　been　his　downfall。
　Wearing　warm　and　prickly　Lankiveil　clothing；　Margot　kept　her　gray…green　eyes　downcast　and　concealed　behind　lenses　that　made　them　appear　brown。　She　could　have　made　herself　into　a　golden…haired　beauty　and　had；　in　fact；　considered　seducing　Abulurd　and　simply　taking　the　information　she　needed；　but　she　had　decided　against　that　plan。　The　man　seemed　unshakably　devoted　to　his　squat　and　wholesome　native　wife；　Emmi　Rabban；　the　mother　of　Glossu　Rabban。　He　had　fallen　in　love　with　her　long　ago　on　Lankiveil；　married　her　to　the　dismay　of　his　father；　and　carried　her　with　him　from　world　to　world　during　his　chaotic　career。　Abulurd　seemed　impervious　to　any　feminine　temptations　but　hers。
　Instead；　Margot　used　simple　charm　and　quiet　innocence　to　gain　access　to　written　financial　records；　dusty　ledgers；　and　inventory　rooms。　No　one　questioned　her。
　In　time；　taking　advantage　of　every　surreptitious　opportunity；　she　found　what　she　needed。　Using　flash…memorization　techniques　learned　on　Wallach　IX；　Margot　scanned　through　stacks　of　etched　ridulian　crystals　and　absorbed　columns　of　numbers；　cargo　manifests；　lists　of　equipment　demissioned　or　placed　into　service；　suspicious　losses；　storm　damage。
　In　nearby　rooms；　groups　of　women　skinned　and　gutted　fish；　chopped　herbs；　peeled　roots　and　sour　fruits　for　steaming　cauldrons　of　fish　stew；　which　Abulurd　and　his　wife　served　for　the　entire　household。　They　insisted　on　eating　the　same　meals；　at　the　same　tables；　as　all　of　their　workers。　Margot　finished　her　surreptitious　scanning　well　before　the　meal　call　sounded　throughout　the　rooms　of　the　great　house　。。。。
　Later；　in　private　while　listening　to　a　blustery　storm　outside；　she　reviewed　the　data　in　her　mind　and　studied　spice…production　records　from　Abulurd's　tenure　on　Arrakis　and　the　Baron's　current　filings　with　CHOAM；　along　with　the　amounts　of　melange　spirited　away　from　Arrakis　by　various　smuggler　organizations。
　Normally；　she　would　have　set　aside　the　data　until　entire　teams　of　Sisters　had　a　chance　to　analyze　it。　But　Margot　wanted　to　discover　the　answer　herself。　Pretending　to　sleep；　she　dived　into　the　problem　behind　her　eyelids　with　abandon；　falling　into　a　deep　trance。
　The　numbers　had　been　masterfully　manipulated；　but　after　Margot　stripped　away　the　masks　and　thin　screens；　she　found　her　answer。　A　Bene　Gesserit　could　see　it；　but　she　doubted　even　the　Emperor's　financial　advisors　or　CHOAM　accountants　would　detect　the　deception。
　Unless　it　was　pointed　out　to　them。
　Her　discovery　suggested　serious　underreporting　of　spice　production　to　CHOAM　and　the　Emperor。　Either　the　Harkonnens　were　selling　melange　illicitly　　doubtful；　because　that　could　easily　be　tracked　　or　accumulating　secret　stockpiles　of　their　own。
　Interesting；　Margot　thought；　raising　her　eyebrows。　She　opened　her　eyes；　went　over　to　a　reinforced　window　casement；　and　stared　out　at　the　liquid　metal　seas；　the　choppy　waves　trapped　within　the　bottleneck　fjords；　the　murky　black　clouds　hovering　above　the　rugged　bulwarks　of　rock。　In　the　bleak　distance；　fur…whales　set　up　an　eerie；　humming　song。
　The　following　day　she　booked　passage　on　the　next　Guild　Heighliner。　Then；　shucking　her　disguise；　she　rode　up　in　a　cargo　hauler　filled　with　processed　whale…fur。　She　doubted　that　anyone　on　Lankiveil　had　noticed　her　arrival　or　her　departure。
　Four　things　cannot　be　hidden　　Love；　smoke；　a　pillar　of　fire；　and　a　man　stri