bh.houseatreides-第77部分

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s　in　the　south；　using　a　mode　of　transportation　they　had　kept　secret　from　him。
　During　those　frantic　first　weeks　of　information　gathering；　two　Fremen　men　were　lost　　though　Kynes　never　learned　of　it。　He　reveled　in　the　glorious　data　flooding　to　him。　This　was　more　than　he　had　ever　dreamed　of　acplishing　in　years　of　working　alone　as　the　Imperial　Planetologist。　He　was　in　a　scientific　paradise。
　The　day　before　his　wedding；　he　wrote　up　his　first　carefully　edited　report　since　joining　the　sietch；　culminating　weeks　of　work。　A　Fremen　messenger　delivered　it　to　Arrakeen；　where　it　was　then　transmitted　to　the　Emperor。　Kynes's　work　with　the　Fremen　threatened　to　put　him　in　a　conflict　of　interest　as　Imperial　Planetologist；　but　he　had　to　keep　up　appearances。　Nowhere　in　his　report　did　he　mention；　or　even　hint　at；　his　newfound　relationship　with　the　desert　people。　Kaitain　must　never　suspect　that　he　had　〃gone　native。〃
　In　his　mind；　Arrakis　no　longer　existed。　This　planet　was　now；　and　forever　would　be；　Dune；　after　living　in　the　sietch　he　could　not　think　of　it　by　anything　other　than　its　Fremen　name。　The　more　he　discovered；　the　more　Pardot　Kynes　realized　that　this　strangely　dry　and　barren　planet　held　far　deeper　secrets　than　even　the　Emperor　realized。
　Dune　was　a　treasure　box　waiting　to　be　opened。
　Brash　young　Stilgar　had　recovered　pletely　from　his　Harkonnen　sword　wound　and　insisted　on　helping　Kynes　with　chores　and　tedious　duties。　The　ambitious　Fremen　youth　claimed　it　was　the　only　way　to　decrease　a　heavy　water　burden　upon　his　clan。　The　Planetologist　did　not　feel　he　was　owed　such　an　obligation；　but　he　bent　against　pressure　from　the　sietch；　like　a　willow　before　the　wind。　The　Fremen　would　not　overlook　or　forget　a　thing　like　that。
　Stilgar's　unwed　sister　Frieth　was　offered　to　him　as　a　wife。　Almost　without　the　Planetologist　noticing；　she　seemed　to　have　adopted　him；　mending　his　clothes；　offering　him　food　before　he　realized　he　was　hungry。　Her　hands　were　quick；　her　blue　eyes　alive　with　a　lightning　intelligence；　and　she　had　saved　him　from　many　faux　pas　even　before　he　could　react。　He　had　considered　her　attentions　little　more　than　appreciation　for　saving　the　life　of　her　brother；　and　had　accepted　her　without　further　consideration。
　Kynes　had　never　before　thought　about　marriage；　for　he　was　too　solitary　a　man；　too　driven　in　his　work。　Yet　after　being　graciously　weled　into　the　munity；　he　began　to　understand　how　quickly　the　Fremen　took　offense。　Kynes　knew　he　dared　not　refuse。　He　also　realized　that；　given　the　many　Harkonnen　political　restrictions　against　Fremen　on　this　world；　perhaps　his　marriage　to　Frieth　would　smooth　the　way　for　future　researchers。
　And　so；　with　the　rising　of　both　full　moons；　Pardot　Kynes　joined　the　other　Fremen　for　the　marriage　ritual。　Before　this　night　was　over；　he　would　be　a　husband。　He　had　a　sparse　beard　now；　the　first　of　his　life。　Frieth；　though　hesitant　to　speak　her　mind　about　anything；　seemed　to　like　it。
　Led　by　pirate…eyed　Heinar；　as　well　as　the　Sayyadina　of　the　sietch　　a　female　religious　leader　much　like　a　Reverend　Mother　　the　wedding　party　came　down　from　the　mountains　after　a　long　and　careful　journey　and　out　onto　the　open　sands　rippled　with　dunes。　The　moons　shone　down；　bathing　the　sandscape　with　a　pearly；　glistening　luster。
　Staring　at　the　sinuous　dunes；　Kynes　thought　for　the　first　time　that　they　reminded　him　of　the　gentle；　sensuous　curves　of　a　woman's　flesh。　Perhaps　I　have　my　mind　on　the　marriage　more　than　I'd　thought。
　They　walked　single　file　onto　the　dunes；　climbing　the　packed　windward　side　and　then　breaking　a　trail　along　the　soft　crest。　Alert　for　wormsign　or　Harkonnen　spycraft；　spotters　from　the　sietch　had　climbed　to　lookout　points。　With　his　fellow　tribesmen　keeping　watch；　Kynes　felt　entirely　safe。　He　was　one　of　them　now；　and　he　knew　the　Fremen　would　give　their　lives　for　him。
　He　gazed　at　lovely　young　Frieth　standing　in　the　moonlight；　with　her　long；　long　hair　and　her　large　blue…within…blue　eyes　focused　on　him；　assessing；　perhaps　even　loving。　She　wore　the　black　robe　that　signified　she　was　a　woman　betrothed。
　For　hours　back　in　the　caves；　other　Fremen　wives　had　braided　Frieth's　hair　with　her　metal　water　rings；　together　with　those　belonging　to　her　future　husband；　to　symbolize　the　mingling　of　their　existence。　Many　months　ago；　the　sietch　had　taken　all　of　the　supplies　from　Kynes's　groundcar　and　added　his　containers　of　water　to　the　main　stores。　Once　he　had　been　accepted　among　them；　he　received　payment　in　water　rings　for　what　he　had　contributed；　and　Kynes　thus　entered　the　munity　as　a　relatively　wealthy　man。
　As　Frieth　looked　at　her　betrothed；　Kynes　realized　for　the　first　time　how　beautiful　and　desirable　she　was　　and　then　chastised　himself　for　not　having　noticed　before。　Now　the　unmarried　Fremen　women　rushed　out　onto　the　dunefield；　their　long；　unbound　hair　flying　in　the　night　breeze。　Kynes　watched　as　they　began　the　traditional　wedding　dance　and　chant。
　Rarely　did　members　of　the　sietch　explain　their　customs　to　him；　where　the　rituals　had　e　from；　or　what　they　signified。　To　the　Fremen；　everything　simply　was。　Long　in　the　past；　ways　of　life　had　been　developed　out　of　necessity　during　the　Zensunni　wanderings　from　planet　to　planet；　and　the　ways　had　remained　unchanged　ever　since。　No　one　here　bothered　to　question　them；　so　why　should　Kynes？　Besides；　if　he　truly　was　the　prophet　they　considered　him　to　be；　then　he　should　understand　such　things　intuitively。
　He　could　easily　decipher　the　custom　of　binding　water　rings　into　the　braid　of　the　woman　to　be　married；　while　the　unbetrothed　daughters　kept　their　hair　loose　and　free。　The　troupe　of　unmarried　women　flitted　across　the　sands　in　their　bare　feet；　their　footsteps　floating。　Some　were　mere　girls；　while　others　had　ripened　to　full　marriageable　age。　The　dancers　whipped　and　whirled；　spinning　about　so　that　their　hair　streamed　in　all　directions　like　halos　around　their　heads。
　Symbolic　of　a　desert　sandstorm；　he　thought。　Coriolis　whirlwinds。　From　his　studies　he　knew　that　such　winds　could　exceed　eight　hundred　kilometers　per　hour；　bearing　dust　and　sand　particles　with　enough　force　to　scour　the　flesh　off　a　man's　bones。
　With　sudden　concern　Kynes　looked　up。　To　his　relief；　the　sky　of　the　desert　night　was　clear　and　scattered　with　stars；　a　precursor　fog　of　dust　would　be　carried　up　in　advance　of　any　storm。　The　Fremen　spotters　would　see　impending　weather　with　sufficient　warning　to　take　immediate　precautions。
　The　young　girls'　dancing　and　chanting　continued。　Kynes　stood　beside　his　wife…to…be；　but　he　looked　up　at　the　twin　moons；　thinking　of　their　tidal　effects；　how　the　gentle　flexings　of　gravity　might　have　affected　the　geology　and　climate　of　this　world。　Perhaps　deep　core　soundings　would　tell　him　more　of　what　he　needed　to　know。。。。
　In　future　months；　he　wished　to　take　extensive　samples　from　the　ice　cap　at　the　northern　pole。　By　measuring　the　strata　and　analyzing　isotopic　content；　Kynes　would　be　able　to　draw　a　precise　weather　history　of　Arrakis。　He　could　map　the　heating　and　melting　cycles；　as　well　as　ancient　precipitation　patterns；　using　this　information　to　determine　where　all　the　water　must　have　gone。
　So　far　this　planet's　aridity　made　no　sense。　Could　a　world's　supply　of　water　somehow　be　hydrated　into　rock　layers　beneath　the　sands；　locking　it　into　the　planetary　crust　itself？　An　astronomical　impact？　Volcanic　explosions？　None　of　the　options　seemed　viable。
　The　plex　marriage　dance　finished；　and　the　one…eyed　Naib　came　forward　with　the　old　Sayyadina。　The　holy　woman　looked　at　the　wedding　couple　and　fixed　Kynes　with　the　gaze　of　her　eyes；　so　dark　in　the　moonlight　that　they　resembled　the　predatory　orbs　of　a　raven：　the　total　blue…within…blue　of　spice　addiction。
　After　eating　Fremen　food　for　months；　each　taste　laced　with　the　richness　of　melange；　Kynes　had　looked　in　a　reflecting　glass　one　morning　and　noticed　that　the　whites　of　his　own　eyes　had　begun　to　take　on　a　sky…blue　tinge。　The　change　startled　him。
　Still；　he　did　feel　more　alive；　his　mind　sharper　and　his　body　suffused　with　energy。　Some　of　this　could　be　a　consequence　of　the　enthusiasm　for　his　research　activities；　but　he　knew　the　spice　must　also　have　something　to　do　with　it。
　Here　the　spice　was　everywhere：　in　the　air；　food；　garments；　wall　hangings；　and　rugs。　Melan