bh.houseatreides-第98部分

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　maps　I　received　from　satellite　cartography　were　woefully　inaccurate。〃
　Old　Heinar　had　smiled　at　him；　squinting　his　one　eye。　〃We　pay　a　substantial　bribe　to　the　Spacing　Guild　to　keep　them　from　watching　us　too　closely。　The　cost　is　high；　but　the　Fremen　are　free　　and　the　Harkonnens　remain　in　the　dark；　along　with　the　rest　of　the　Imperium。〃
　Kynes　was　astonished　at　first；　then　simply　pleased；　to　have　much　of　the　geographical　information　he　needed。　Immediately　he　dispatched　traders　to　deal　with　smugglers　and　obtain　genetically　engineered　seeds　of　vigorous　desert　plants。　He　had　to　design　and　build　an　entire　ecosystem　from　scratch。
　In　large　council　meetings；　the　Fremen　asked　their　new　〃prophet〃　what　the　next　step　might　be；　how　long　each　process　would　take；　when　Dune　would　bee　green　and　lush。　Kynes　had　tallied　up　his　estimates　and　calmly　looked　down　at　the　number。　In　the　manner　of　a　teacher　answering　a　child　who　has　asked　an　absurdly　simple　question；　Kynes　shrugged　and　told　them；　〃It　will　take　anywhere　from　three　hundred　to　five　hundred　years。　Maybe　a　little　more。〃
　Some　of　the　Fremen　bit　back　groans　of　despair；　while　the　rest　listened　stoically　to　the　Umma；　and　then　set　about　doing　what　he　asked。　Three　hundred　to　five　hundred　years。　Long…term　thinking；　beyond　their　personal　lifetimes。　The　Fremen　had　to　alter　their　ways。
　Seeing　a　vision　from　God；　the　would…be　assassin　Uliet　had　sacrificed　himself　for　this　man。　From　that　moment　on；　the　Fremen　had　been　fully　convinced　of　Kynes's　divine　inspiration。　He　had　only　to　point；　and　any　Fremen　in　the　sietch　would　do　as　he　bid。
　The　feeling　of　power　might　have　been　abused　by　any　other　person。　But　Pardot　Kynes　simply　took　it　in　stride　and　continued　his　work。　He　envisioned　the　future　in　terms　of　eons　and　worlds；　not　in　terms　of　individuals　or　small　plots　of　land。
　Now；　as　the　sun　vanished　below　the　sands　in　a　brassy　symphony　of　color；　Kynes　drained　the　last　drops　of　his　spice　coffee；　then　wiped　a　forearm　across　his　sandy　beard。　Despite　what　Heinar　had　said；　he　found　it　difficult　to　reflect　patiently　on　the　past　year。。。the　demands　of　the　labors　for　centuries　to　e　seemed　so　much　more　significant；　so　much　more　demanding　of　his　attention。
　〃Heinar；　how　many　Fremen　are　there？〃　he　asked；　staring　across　the　serene　open　desert。　He'd　heard　tales　of　many　other　sietches；　had　seen　isolated　Fremen　in　the　Harkonnen　towns　and　villages。。。but　they　seemed　like　the　ghosts　of　an　endangered　species。　〃How　many　in　the　whole　world？〃
　〃Do　you　wish　us　to　count　our　numbers；　Umma　Kynes？〃　Heinar　asked；　not　in　disbelief；　simply　clarifying　an　order。
　〃I　need　to　know　your　population　if　I'm　to　project　our　terraforming　activities。　I　must　understand　just　how　many　workers　we　have　available。〃
　Heinar　stood　up。　〃It　shall　be　done。　We　shall　number　our　sietches；　and　rally　the　people　in　them。　I　will　send　sandriders　and　distrans　bats　to　all　the　munities；　and　we　shall　have　an　accounting　for　you　soon。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Kynes　picked　up　his　cup；　but　before　he　could　gather　the　dishes　himself；　Frieth　rushed　out　of　the　cave　shadows　　she　must　have　been　waiting　there　for　them　to　finish　　and　gathered　up　the　pieces　of　the　coffee　service。　Her　pregnancy　hadn't　slowed　her　down　at　all。
　The　first　Fremen　census；　Kynes　thought。　A　momentous　occasion。
　BRIGHT…EYED　AND　EAGER；　Stilgar　came　to　Kynes's　cavern　quarters　the　next　morning。　〃We　are　packing　for　your　long　journey；　Umma　Kynes。　Far　to　the　south。　We　have　important　things　to　show　you。〃
　Since　his　recovery　from　the　Harkonnen　knife　wound；　Stilgar　had　bee　one　of　Kynes's　most　devoted　followers。　He　seemed　to　draw　status　from　his　relationship　with　the　Planetologist；　his　brother…in…law。　Stilgar　served　not　for　himself；　though；　but　for　the　greater　good　of　the　Fremen。
　〃How　long　will　the　journey　be？〃　Kynes　inquired。　〃And　where　are　we　going？〃
　The　young　man's　grin　sparkled；　a　broad　display　of　white。　〃A　surprise！　This　is　something　you　must　see；　or　you　may　not　believe。　Think　of　it　as　a　gift　from　us　to　you。〃
　Curious；　Kynes　looked　over　at　his　work　alcove。　He　would　bring　along　his　notes　to　document　this　journey。　〃But　how　long　will　it　take？〃
　〃Twenty　thumpers；〃　Stilgar　answered　in　the　terminology　of　the　deep　desert；　then　called　over　his　shoulder　as　he　left；　〃Far　to　the　south。〃
　Kynes's　wife　Frieth；　now　enormously　pregnant；　nevertheless　spent　long　hours　working　the　looms　and　the　stillsuit…repair　benches。　This　morning　Kynes　finished　his　coffee　and　breakfasted　at　her　side；　though　they　spoke　little　to　each　other。　Frieth　simply　watched　him；　and　he　felt　he　didn't　understand　a　thing。
　Fremen　women　seemed　to　have　their　own　separate　world；　their　own　place　in　the　society　of　these　desert　dwellers；　with　no　connection　to　the　interaction　Kynes　had　found　elsewhere　in　the　Imperium。　It　was　said；　though；　that　Fremen　women　were　among　the　most　vicious　of　fighters　on　the　battlefield；　and　that　if　an　enemy　were　left　wounded　and　at　the　mercy　of　these　ferocious　women；　he　would　be　better　served　to　kill　himself　outright。
　Then；　too；　there　was　the　unanswered　mystery　of　the　Sayyadinas；　the　holy　women　of　the　sietch。　Thus　far　Kynes　had　seen　only　one　of　their　number；　dressed　in　a　long　black　robe　like　that　of　a　Bene　Gesserit　Reverend　Mother　　and　no　Fremen　seemed　willing　to　tell　him　much　about　them。　Different　worlds；　different　mysteries。
　Someday；　Kynes　thought　it　might　be　interesting　to　pile　a　sociological　study　of　how　different　cultures　reacted　and　adapted　to　extreme　environments。　He　wondered　what　the　harsh　realities　of　a　world　could　do　to　the　natural　instincts　and　traditional　roles　of　the　sexes。　But　he　already　had　too　much　work　to　do。　Besides；　he　was　a　Planetologist；　not　a　sociologist。
　Finishing　his　meal；　Kynes　leaned　forward　and　kissed　his　Fremen　wife。　Smiling；　he　patted　her　rounded　belly　beneath　her　robes。　〃Stilgar　says　I　must　acpany　him　on　a　journey。　I'll　be　back　as　soon　as　I　can。〃
　〃How　long？〃　she　inquired；　thinking　of　the　baby's　impending　birth。　Apparently　Kynes；　obsessed　with　his　long　view　of　events　on　this　planet；　had　not　noted　his　own　child's　expected　due　date　and　had　forgotten　to　allow　for　it　in　his　plans。
　〃Twenty　thumpers；〃　he　said；　though　he　wasn't　exactly　certain　how　much　distance　that　meant。
　Frieth　raised　her　eyebrows　in　quiet　surprise；　then　lowered　her　gaze　and　began　to　clean　up　their　breakfast　dishes。　〃Even　the　longest　journey　may　pass　more　quickly　when　the　heart　is　content。〃　Her　tone　betrayed　only　the　slightest　disappointment。　〃I　shall　await　your　return；　my　husband。〃　She　hesitated；　then　said；　〃Choose　a　good　worm。〃
　Kynes　didn't　know　what　she　meant。
　Moments　later；　Stilgar　and　eighteen　other　young　Fremen　decked　out　in　full　desert　garb　led　Kynes　through　the　tortuous　passages　down　and　out　of　the　barrier　mountain　and　onto　the　enormous　western　sea　of　sands。　Kynes　felt　a　pang　of　worry。　The　parched　expanse　seemed　too　far　and　too　dangerous。　Now　he　was　glad　he　wasn't　alone。
　〃We're　going　across　the　equator　and　below；　Umma　Kynes；　to　where　we　Fremen　have　other　lands；　our　own　secret　projects。　You　shall　see。〃
　Kynes's　eyes　widened；　he　had　heard　only　grim　and　terrible　stories　about　the　uninhabitable　southern　regions。　He　stared　into　the　forbidding　distance　as　Stilgar　rapidly　checked　over　the　Planetologist's　stillsuit；　tightening　fastenings　and　adjusting　filters　to　his　own　satisfaction。　〃But　how　will　we　travel？〃　He　knew　the　sietch　had　its　own　ornithopter；　just　a　skimmer　actually；　not　nearly　large　enough　to　carry　so　many　people。
　Stilgar　looked　at　him　with　an　expectant　expression。　〃We　shall　ride；　Umma　Kynes。〃　He　nodded　toward　the　youth　who　had　long　ago　taken　a　wounded　Stilgar　back　to　the　sietch　in　Kynes's　groundcar。　〃Ommun　will　bee　a　sandrider　this　day。　It　is　a　great　event　among　our　people。〃
　〃I'm　sure　it　is；〃　Kynes　said；　his　curiosity　piqued。
　In　their　desert…stained　robes　the　Fremen　marched　out　across　the　sand；　walking　single　file。　Beneath　the　robes　they　wore　stillsuits；　and　on　their　feet　temag　desert　boots。　Their　indigo…blue　eyes　gazed　out　of　the　far　past。
　One　dark　figure　raced　forward　along　a　dune　crest　several　hundred　meters　ahead　of　the　rest　of　his　group。　There　he　took　a　long　dark　stake　and　shoved　it　into　the　sand；　tinkering　with　controls　until　finally　Kynes　could　hear　the　reverberating