bh.houseatreides-第93部分

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　He　glanced　up　at　the　ducal　box；　touching　the　hooked　tip　of　the　banderilla　to　his　forehead　in　a　salute。　Leto　and　Prince　Rhombur　had　leaped　to　their　feet　in　excitement；　but　Helena　remained　frozen　in　her　chair；　her　expression　clouded；　hands　clasped　in　her　lap。
　The　bull　wheeled　about　and　reoriented　itself。　Normally；　Salusan　bulls　became　dizzy　after　missing　their　target；　but　this　one　did　not　slow　a　bit。　Duke　Paulus　realized　that　his　monstrous　opponent　had　a　greater　energy　than　he　had　ever　seen；　keener　eyesight；　hotter　fury。　Still；　he　smiled。　Defeating　this　worthy　opponent　would　be　his　finest　hour；　and　a　fitting　tribute　to　the　exiled　Ixians　in　his　care。
　The　Duke　played　with　the　bull　for　a　few　more　passes；　dancing　beyond　the　reach　of　its　horns；　pleting　his　expected　performance　for　the　excited　spectators。　Around　him　the　partial　shield　shimmered。
　Seeing　that　the　bull　did　not　tire　after　the　better　part　of　an　hour；　though；　and　that　it　remained　focused　on　killing　him；　Duke　Paulus　grew　concerned　enough　that　he　made　up　his　mind　to　end　the　contest　as　swiftly　as　possible。　He　would　use　his　shield；　a　trick　he　had　learned　from　one　of　the　finest　matadors　in　the　Imperium。
　The　next　time　the　creature　shot　past；　hooves　hammering　the　packed　sand；　its　horns　ricocheted　off　the　Duke's　personal　shield；　a　collision　that　finally　disoriented　the　beast。
　The　Duke　grasped　the　banderilla　and　plunged　it　into　the　bull's　back　like　a　stake；　setting　the　barbed　hook　into　cable…thick　neck　muscles。　Oily　blood　spilled　out　from　the　slash　in　its　hide。　Paulus　released　the　handle　of　the　poisoned　spear　as　he　twirled　out　of　the　way。　The　drug　on　the　barbed　tip　should　begin　to　act　immediately；　burning　out　the　neurotransmitters　in　the　beast's　double　brain。
　The　crowd　cheered；　and　the　bull　roared　with　pain。　It　spun　about　and　stumbled　as　its　legs　seemed　to　give　way。　The　Duke　thought　this　was　caused　by　the　poison；　but　to　his　surprise　the　Salusan　bull　floundered　to　its　feet　once　more　and　rocketed　toward　him。　Paulus　again　sidestepped；　but　the　bull　managed　to　snag　the　muleta　on　its　multiple　horns；　thrashing　its　head　and　tearing　the　bright　ceremonial　cloth　to　shreds。
　The　Duke　narrowed　his　eyes　and　released　his　hold。　This　was　going　to　be　a　greater　challenge　than　he　had　expected。　The　audience　cried　out　in　dismay；　and　he　couldn't　stop　himself　from　offering　them　a　brave　smile。　Yes；　the　difficult　fights　are　the　best；　and　the　people　of　Caladan　will　remember　this　one　for　a　long；　long　time。
　Paulus　held　up　his　second　banderilla；　slashing　it　in　the　air　like　a　thin　fencing　sword；　and　turned　to　face　the　heavily　muscled　oning　bull。　He　had　no　cape　to　distract　the　animal　now；　so　it　would　see　his　body　core　as　its　main　target。　He　had　only　one　short；　barbed　spear　as　his　weapon；　and　a　partial　shield　for　protection。
　He　saw　Atreides　guards；　even　Thufir　Hawat；　standing　at　the　ringside；　ready　to　race　out　and　assist　him。　But　the　Duke　raised　his　hand；　forcing　them　back。　He　must　do　this　himself。　It　simply　would　not　do　to　have　a　mob　of　other　fighters　rushing　to　his　rescue　the　moment　things　got　a　little　sticky。
　The　Salusan　bull　pawed　the　ground；　glaring　at　him　with　its　multifaceted　eyes；　and　the　Duke　thought　he　saw　a　flash　of　understanding　there。　This　creature　knew　exactly　who　he　was　　and　it　intended　to　kill　him。　But　the　Duke　had　similar　thoughts　in　his　own　mind。
　The　bull　charged　directly　toward　him　and　picked　up　speed。　Paulus　wondered　why　the　neurotoxin　hadn't　yet　slowed　it　down。　Deadly　questions　occurred　to　him：　How　can　this　be？　I　dipped　the　banderillas　in　poison　myself。　But　was　it　really　poison？
　Wondering　if　there　had　been　sabotage；　the　Duke　held　out　the　banderilla；　its　sharp　barb　glinting　in　the　cloudy　sunlight。　The　bull　approached；　steaming；　frothing。　Foam　from　its　nostrils　and　mouth　flew　up　to　fleck　its　black　scaly　face。
　As　they　closed　to　within　meters　of　each　other；　the　bull　feinted　to　the　right。　Duke　Paulus　jabbed　with　his　short　spear；　but　the　beast　instantly　swerved　and　attacked　from　a　different　direction。　This　time　the　barb　caught　on　a　knob　of　the　bull's　horny　skin；　but　did　not　sink　in。　The　small　weapon　tore　out　of　the　Duke's　grasp　and　dropped　to　the　sand　as　the　bull　dashed　past。
　For　a　moment　Paulus　was　weaponless。　He　scrambled　backward　and　snatched　for　the　banderilla　on　the　ground。　Turning　his　back　on　the　bull；　he　listened　for　it　to　grind　to　a　stop；　spin　around；　and　e　back　　but　as　he　bent　over　to　retrieve　his　weapon；　the　huge　bull　was　suddenly　there　with　impossible　speed；　horns　lowered。
　The　Duke　scrambled　to　one　side；　trying　to　get　out　of　the　way；　but　the　bull　was　already　within　his　safety　zone；　ducking　under　the　partial　shield　and　ramming　home。　Its　long；　curved　horns　gouged　deep　into　the　Duke's　back；　breaking　through　his　ribs　and　into　his　lungs　and　heart。
　The　bull　roared　with　triumph。　To　the　horror　of　the　crowd；　it　lifted　Paulus　up；　thrashing　him　from　side　to　side。　Blood　sprayed　on　the　sand；　red　droplets　slowed　by　the　concave　surface　of　the　small　shield。　The　doomed　Duke　flailed　and　twitched；　impaled　on　the　forest　of　horns。
　The　audience　fell　deathly　silent。
　Within　seconds；　Thufir　Hawat　and　the　Atreides　guards　surged　out　onto　the　field；　their　lasguns　cutting　the　rampaging　Salusan　bull　into　piles　of　smoking　meat。　The　creature's　own　momentum　caused　pieces　of　the　carcass　to　fly　apart　in　different　directions。　The　decapitated　but　otherwise　intact　head　thumped　onto　the　ground。
　The　Duke's　body　pirouetted　in　the　air　and　landed　on　its　back　in　the　trampled　sand。
　Up　in　the　ducal　box；　Rhombur　cried　out　in　disbelief。　Kailea　sobbed。　The　Lady　Helena　let　her　chin　sink　against　her　chest　and　wept。
　Leto　rose　to　his　feet；　all　color　draining　from　his　skin。　His　mouth　opened　and　closed；　but　he　could　find　no　words　to　express　his　utter　shock。　He　wanted　to　run　down　into　the　arena；　but　saw　from　the　mangled　condition　of　his　father　that　he　would　never　reach　him　in　time。　There　would　be　no　gasping　and　whispering　of　last　words。
　Duke　Paulus　Atreides；　this　magnificent　man　of　his　people；　was　dead。
　Deafening　wails　erupted　from　the　spectator　stands。　Leto　could　feel　the　vibration　rumbling　through　the　ducal　box。　He　couldn't　tear　his　eyes　from　his　father；　lying　broken　and　bloodied　on　the　ground；　and　he　knew　it　was　a　nightmare　vision　that　would　remain　with　him　for　the　rest　of　his　life。
　Thufir　Hawat　stood　next　to　the　fallen　Old　Duke；　but　even　a　warrior　Mentat　could　do　nothing　for　him　now。
　Oddly；　his　mother's　quiet　voice　cut　through　the　surrounding　din；　and　Leto　heard　the　words　clearly；　like　ice　picks。　〃Leto；　my　son；〃　Helena　said；　〃you　are　Duke　Atreides　now。〃
　Machine…vaccine　principle：　Every　technological　device　contains　within　it　the　tools　of　its　opposite；　and　of　its　own　destruction。
　…GIAN　KANA；
　Imperial　Patent　Czar
　It　didn't　take　the　invaders　long　to　make　permanent　changes　in　the　prosperous　underground　cities。　Many　innocent　Ixians　died　and　many　disappeared；　while　C'tair　waited　for　someone　to　find　and　kill　him。
　During　brief　sojourns　from　his　shielded　hiding　room；　C'tair　learned　that　Vernii；　the　former　capital　city　of　Ix；　had　been　renamed　Hilacia　by　the　Tleilaxu。　The　fanatical　usurpers　had　even　changed　Imperial　records　to　refer　to　the　ninth　planet　in　the　Alkaurops　system　as　Xuttuh；　rather　than　Ix。
　C'tair　wanted　to　strangle　any　Tleilaxu　he　found；　but　instead　he　developed　a　subtler　plan。
　He　dressed　like　a　low…level　worker　and　doctored　forms　to　show　that　he　had　once　been　a　minor　line　supervisor；　one　step　above　a　suboid；　who　had　watched　over　a　labor　crew　of　twelve　men。　He'd　read　enough　about　hull…plate　welding　and　sealing　so　that　he　could　claim　it　had　been　his　job。　No　one　would　expect　much　from　him。
　All　around　him；　the　Bene　Tleilax　were　gutting　his　city　and　rebuilding　it　into　a　dark　hell。
　He　abhorred　the　changes；　loathed　the　Tleilaxu　gall。　And　from　what　he　could　see；　Imperial　Sardaukar　had　actually　assisted　in　this　abomination。
　C'tair　could　do　nothing　about　it　at　the　moment；　he　had　to　bide　his　time。　He　was　alone　here：　his　father　exiled　to　Kaitain　and　afraid　to　return；　his　mother　murdered；　his　twin　brother　taken　away　by　the　Guild。　Only　he　remained　on　Ix；　like　a　rat　hiding　within　the　walls。
　But　even　rats　could　cause　significant　damage。
　Over　the　month