bh.houseatreides-第81部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　had　employed　high…order　mathematics　and　dimensional　changes　to　peer　into　the　future　　much　the　same　way　the　long…necked　monster　had　looked　into　his　tank。
　〃A　Navigator　must　do　more　than　observe；〃　Grodin's　scratchy　voice　said　over　the　speaker。　〃A　Navigator　utilizes　what　he　sees　in　order　to　guide　spaceships　safely　through　the　void。　Failure　to　apply　certain　basic　principles　may　lead　to　Heighliner　disasters　and　the　loss　of　all　lives　and　cargo　aboard。〃
　Before　any　of　the　new　adepts　like　D'murr　could　bee　Pilots　into　foldspace；　they　must　master　how　to　deal　with　crises　such　as　partially　folded　space；　faulty　prescience；　the　onset　of　spice　intolerance；　malfunctioning　Holtzman　generators；　or　even　deliberate　sabotage。
　D'murr　tried　to　envision　the　fates　that　had　befallen　some　of　his　unfortunate　predecessors。　Contrary　to　popular　belief；　Navigators　did　not　themselves　fold　space；　the　Holtzman　engines　did　that。　Navigators　used　their　limited　prescience　to　choose　safe　paths　to　travel。　A　ship　could　move　through　the　void　without　their　guidance；　but　that　perilous　guessing　game　invariably　led　to　disaster。　A　Guild　Navigator　did　not　guarantee　a　safe　journey　　but　he　vastly　improved　the　odds。　Problems　still　arose　when　unforeseen　events　occurred。
　D'murr　was　being　trained　to　the　limit　of　the　Guild's　knowledge。。。which　could　not　include　every　eventuality。　The　universe　and　its　inhabitants　were　in　a　state　of　constant　change。　All　of　the　old　schools　understood　this；　including　the　Bene　Gesserit　and　the　Mentats。　Survivors　learned　how　to　adjust　to　change；　how　to　expect　the　unexpected。
　At　the　edge　of　his　awareness；　his　melange　tank　began　to　move　on　its　suspensor　field　and　fell　into　line　behind　the　tanks　of　the　other　students。　He　heard　an　assistant　instructor　reciting　passages　from　the　Spacing　Guild　Manual；　gas　circulation　mechanisms　hummed　around　him。　Every　detail　seemed　so　sharp；　so　clear；　so　important。　He　had　never　felt　so　alive！
　Inhaling　deeply　of　the　orange…hued　melange；　he　felt　his　concerns　begin　to　dissipate。　His　thoughts　drew　back　into　order；　sliding　smoothly　into　the　neuropathways　of　his　Guild…enhanced　brain。
　〃D'murr。。。D'murr；　my　brother。　。　。〃
　The　name　swirled　with　the　gas；　like　a　whisper　in　the　universe　　a　name　he　no　longer　used　now　that　he　had　been　assigned　a　Guild　navnumber。　Names　were　associated　with　individuality。　Names　imposed　limitations　and　preconceptions；　family　connections　and　past　histories；　they　imposed　individuality　　the　antithesis　of　what　it　meant　to　be　a　Navigator。　A　Guildsman　merged　with　the　cosmos　and　saw　safe　paths　through　the　wrinkles　of　fate；　prescient　visions　that　enabled　him　to　guide　matter　from　place　to　place　like　chesspieces　in　a　cosmic　game。
　〃D'murr；　can　you　hear　me？　D'murr？〃　The　voice　came　from　the　speaker　inside　his　tank；　but　also　from　a　great　distance。　He　heard　something　familiar　in　the　timbre；　the　inflections。　Could　he　have　forgotten　so　much？　D'murr。　He'd　almost　erased　that　name　from　his　thoughts。
　D'murr's　mind　made　connections　that　were　being　less　and　less　important；　and　his　slack　mouth　formed　gurgling　words。　〃Yes。　I　hear　you。〃
　Nudged　by　its　attendant；　D'murr's　tank　glided　along　a　paved　path；　toward　an　immense；　bulbous　building　where　the　Navigators　lived。　No　one　else　seemed　to　hear　the　voice。
　〃This　is　C'tair；〃　the　transmission　continued。　〃Your　brother。　You　can　hear　me？　Finally；　this　thing　worked。　How　are　you？〃
　〃C'tair？〃　The　fledgling　Navigator　felt　his　mind　fold　back　into　itself；　pressing　to　the　remnants　of　its　sluggish；　pre…Guild　state。　Trying　to　be　human　again；　just　for　a　moment。　Was　that　important？
　This　was　painful　and　limiting；　like　a　man　putting　blinders　on　himself；　but　the　information　was　there：　yes；　his　twin　brother。　C'tair　Pilru。　Human。　He　got　flashes　of　his　father　in　ambassadorial　dress；　his　mother　in　Guild　Bank　uniform；　his　brother　（like　himself）　with　dark　hair　and　dark　eyes；　playing　together；　exploring。　Those　images　had　been　shunted　out　of　his　thoughts；　like　most　everything　of　that　realm。。。but　not　quite　gone。
　〃Yes；〃　D'murr　said。　〃I　know　you。　I　remember。〃
　ON　IX；　IN　a　shadowed　alcove　where　he　used　his　cobbled…together　transmission　device；　C'tair　hunched　over；　desperate　to　avoid　discovery　　but　this　was　worth　any　risk。　Tears　streaked　down　his　cheeks；　and　he　swallowed　hard。　The　Tleilaxu　and　the　suboids　had　continued　their　rampages　and　purges；　destroying　any　residue　of　unfamiliar　technology　that　they　found。
　〃They　took　you　away　from　me；　in　the　Guild　testing　chamber；〃　C'tair　said；　his　voice　a　husky　whisper。　〃They　wouldn't　let　me　see　you；　wouldn't　let　me　say　goodbye。　Now　I　realize　you　were　the　lucky　one；　D'murr；　considering　everything　that's　happened　here　on　Ix。　It　would　break　your　heart　to　see　it　now。〃　He　took　a　deep；　shuddering　breath。　〃Our　city　was　destroyed　not　long　after　the　Guild　took　you　away　from　us。　Hundreds　of　thousands　are　dead。　The　Bene　Tleilax　now　rule　here。〃
　D'murr　paused；　taking　time　to　slide　back　into　the　limited　manner　of　person…to…person　munication。　〃I　have　guided　a　Heighliner　through　foldspace；　brother。　I　hold　the　galaxy　in　my　mind；　I　see　mathematics。〃　His　sluggish　words　garbled　together。　〃Now　I　know　why。。。I　know。。。Uhhh；　I　feel　pain　from　your　connection。　C'tair；　how？〃
　〃This　munication　hurts　you？〃　He　drew　back　from　the　transmitter；　concerned；　and　held　his　breath；　fearful　that　one　of　the　furtive　Tleilaxu　spies　might　hear　him。　〃I'm　sorry；　D'murr。　Maybe　I　should　〃
　〃Not　important。　Pain　shifts；　like　a　headache。。。but　different。　Swimming　through　my　mind。。。and　beyond　it。〃　D'murr　sounded　distracted；　his　voice　distant　and　ethereal。　〃What　connection　is　this？　What　device？〃
　〃D'murr；　didn't　you　hear　me？　Ix　is　destroyed　　our　world；　our　city　is　now　a　prison　camp。　Mother　was　killed　in　an　explosion！　I　couldn't　save　her。　I've　been　hiding　here；　and　I'm　at　great　risk　while　making　this　munication。　Our　father　is　in　exile　somewhere。。。on　Kaitain；　I　think。　House　Vernius　has　gone　renegade。　I'm　trapped　here；　alone！〃
　D'murr　remained　focused　on　what　he　considered　the　primary　question。　〃munication　directly　through　foldspace？　Impossible。　Explain　it　to　me。〃
　Taken　aback　at　his　twin　brother's　lack　of　concern　over　the　horrendous　news；　C'tair　nonetheless　chose　not　to　rebuke　him。　D'murr　had；　after　all；　undergone　extreme　mental　changes　and　couldn't　be　blamed　for　the　way　he　was　now。　C'tair　could　never　understand　what　his　twin　had　been　through。　He　himself　had　failed　the　Guild's　tests；　he　had　been　too　fearful　and　rigid。　Otherwise；　he；　too；　might　be　a　Navigator　now。
　Holding　his　breath；　he　listened　to　a　creaking　sound　in　the　passageway　overhead；　distant　footsteps　that　faded。　Whispering　voices。　Then　silence　returned；　and　C'tair　was　able　to　continue　the　conversation。
　〃Explain；〃　D'murr　said　again。
　Eager　for　any　kind　of　conversation；　C'tair　told　his　brother　of　the　equipment　he　had　salvaged。　〃Do　you　remember　Davee　Rogo？　The　old　inventor　who　used　to　take　us　into　his　laboratory　and　show　us　the　things　he　was　working　on？〃
　〃Crippled。。。suspensor　crutches。　Too　decrepit　to　walk。〃
　〃Yes；　he　used　to　talk　about　municating　in　neutrino　energy　wavelengths？　A　network　of　rods　wrapped　in　silicate　crystals？〃
　〃Uhhh。。。pain　again。〃
　〃You're　hurting！〃　C'tair　looked　around；　fearful　of　the　risk　he　continued　to　take　himself。　〃I　won't　talk　much　longer。〃
　The　tone　was　impatient。　D'murr　wanted　to　hear　more。　〃Continue　explanation。　Need　to　know　this　device。〃
　〃One　day　during　the　fighting；　when　I　really　wanted　to　talk　with　you；　bits　and　pieces　of　his　conversation　came　back　to　me。　In　the　rubble　of　a　ruined　building；　I　thought　I　saw　a　hazy　image　of　him　next　to　me。　Like　a　vision。　He　was　talking　in　that　creaky　old　voice；　telling　me　what　to　do；　what　parts　I　would　require　and　how　to　put　them　together。　He　gave　me　the　ideas　I　needed。〃
　〃Interesting。〃　The　Navigator's　voice　was　flat　and　bloodless。
　His　brother's　lack　of　emotion　and　passion　disturbed　him。　C'tair　tried　to　ask　questions　about　D'murr's　Spacing　Guild　experiences；　but　his　twin　had　no　patience　for　the　queries　and　said　that　he　couldn't　discuss　Guild　secrets；　not　even　with　his　brother。　He　had　traveled　through　foldspace；　and　it　was　incredible。　That　was　all　D'murr　would　say。
　〃When　can　we　talk　again？〃　C'tair　asked。　The　apparatus　felt　dangerously　warm；　re