fh.godemperorofdune-第31章

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　And　what　of　the　Golden　Path　while　he　indulged　in　such　selfish　goals？
　To　hell　with　the　Golden　Path！　Have　these　folly…bound　idiots　ever　thought　once　of　me？　Not　once！
　But　that　was　not　true。　Hwi　thought　of　him。　She　shared　his　torture。
　These　were　thoughts　of　madness　and　he　tried　to　put　them　away　while　his　senses　reported　the　soft　movement　of　the　guards　and　the　flow　of　water　beneath　his　chamber。
　When　I　made　this　choice；　what　were　my　expectations？
　How　the　mob　within　laughed　at　that　question！　Did　he　not　have　a　task　to　plete？　Was　that　not　the　very　essence　of　the　agreement　which　kept　the　mob　in　check？
　〃You　have　a　task　to　plete；〃　they　said。　〃You　have　but　one　purpose。〃
　Single　purpose　is　the　mark　of　the　fanatic　and　I　am　not　a　fanatic！
　〃You　must　be　cynical　and　cruel。　You　cannot　break　the　trust。〃
　Why　not？
　〃Who　took　that　oath？　You　did。　You　chose　this　course。〃
　Expectations！
　〃The　expectations　which　history　creates　for　one　generation　are　often　shattered　in　the　next　generation。　Who　knows　that　better　than　you？〃
　Yes。。。and　shattered　expectations　can　alienate　whole　populations。　I　alone　am　a　whole　population！
　〃Remember　your　oath！〃
　Indeed。　I　am　the　disruptive　force　unleashed　across　the　centuries。　I　limit　expectations。。。including　my　own。　I　dampen　the　pendulum。
　〃And　then　release　it。　Never　forget　that。〃
　I　am　tired。　Oh；　how　tired　I　am。　If　only　I　could　。sleep　。　。　really　sleep。　…
　〃You're　full　of　self…pity；　too。〃
　Why　not？　What　am　'　The　ultimate　loner　forced　to　look　at　what　might　have　been。　Every　day　I　look　at　it。。。and　now。　Hwi！　
　〃Your　original　unselfish　choice　fills　you　now　with　selfishness。〃
　There　is　danker　all　around。　I　must　wear　my　selfishness　like　a　。suit　of　armor。
　〃There's　danger　for　everyone　who　touches　you。　Isn't　that　your　very　nature'？〃
　Danger　even　for　Hwi。　Dear；　delectable；　dear　Hwi…
　〃Did　you　build　high　walls　around　you　only　to　sit　within　them　and　indulge　in　self…pity'？〃
　The　walls　were　built　because　great　forces　have　been　unleashed　in　my　Empire。
　〃You　unleashed　them。　Will　you　now　promise　with　them？〃
　It's　Hwi's　doing。　These　feelings　have　never　before　been　this　powerful　in　me。　It's　the　damnable　lxians。'
　〃How　interesting　that　they　should　assault　you　with　flesh　rather　than　with　a　machine。〃
　Because　they　have　discovered　my　secret。
　〃You　know　the　antidote。〃
　Leto's　great　body　trembled　through　its　entire　length　at　this　thought。　He　well　knew　the　antidote　which　had　always　worked　before：　lose　himself　for　a　time　in　his　own　past。　Not　even　the　Bene　Gesserit　Sisters　could　take　such　safaris；　striking　inward　along　the　axis　of　memories…back；　back　to　the　very　limits　of　cellular　awareness；　or　stopping　by　a　wayside　to　revel　in　a　sophisticated　sensory　delight。　Once；　after　the　death　of　a　particularly　superb　Duncan；　he　had　toured　great　musical　performances　preserved　in　his　memories。　Mozart　had　tired　him　quickly。　Pretentious！　But　Bach。。。ahhh；　Bach。
　Leto　remembered　the　joy　of　it。
　I　sat　at　the　organ　and　let　the　music　drench　me。
　Only　three　times　in　all　memory　had　there　been　an　equal　to　Bach。　But　even　Licallo　was　not　better；　as　good；　but　not　better。
　Would　female　intellectuals　be　the　proper　choice　for　this　night？　Grandmother　Jessica　had　been　one　of　the　best。　Experience　told　him　that　someone　as　close　to　him　as　Jessica　would　not　be　the　proper　antidote　for　his　present　tensions。　The　search　would　have　to　venture　much　farther。
　He　imagined　then　describing　such　a　safari　to　some　awestruck　visitor；　a　totally　imaginary　visitor　because　none　would　dare　question　him　about　such　a　holy　matter。
　〃I　course　backward　down　the　flight　of　ancestors；　hunting　along　the　tributaries；　darting　into　nooks　and　crannies。　You　would　not　recognize　many　of　their　names。　Who　has　ever　heard　of　Norma　Cenva？　I　have　lived　her！〃
　〃Lived　her？〃　his　imaginary　visitor　asked。
　〃Of　course…　Why　else　would　one　keep　one's　ancestors　around''　You　think　a　man　designed　the　first　Guild　ship：'　Your　history　books　told　you　it　was　Aurelius　Venport？　They　lied。　It　was　his　mistress；　Norma。　She　gave　him　the　design；　along　with　five　children。　He　thought　his　ego　would　take　no　less。　In　the　end。　the　knowledge　that　he　had　not　really　fulfilled　his　own　image；　that　was　what　destroyed　him。〃
　〃You　have　lived　him；　too？〃
　〃Naturally。　And　I　have　traversed　the　far　wanderings　of　the　Fremen。　Through　my　father's　line　and　the　others；　I　have　gone　right　back　to　the　House　of　Atreus。〃
　〃Such　an　illustrious　line！〃
　〃With　its　fair　share　of　fools。〃
　Distraction　is　what　I　need；　he　thought。
　Would　it　be　a　tour　through　sexual　dalliances　and　exploits；　then'？
　〃You　have　no　idea　what　internal　orgies　are　available　to　me！　I　am　the　ultimate　voyeur…participant（s）　and　observer（s）。　Ignorance　and　misunderstandings　about　sexuality　have　caused　so　much　distress。　How　abysmally　narrow　we　have　beenhow　miserly。〃
　Leto　knew　he　could　not　make　that　choice；　not　this　night；　not　with　Hwi　out　there　in　his　City。
　Would　he　choose　a　review　of　warfare；　then'？
　〃Which　Napoleon　was　the　greater　coward？〃　he　asked　his　imaginary　visitor。　〃I　will　not　reveal　it；　but　I　know。　Oh；　yes；　I　know。〃
　Where　can　I　go。〃　With　all　of　the　past　open　to　me；　where　can　I　go'
　The　brothels；　the　atrocities；　the　tyrants；　the　acrobats；　nudists；　surgeons；　male　whores；　musicians；　magicians；　ungenciers；　priests；　artisans；　priestesses　。　。　。
　〃Are　you　aware；〃　he　asked　his　imaginary　visitor　that　the　hula　preserves　an　ancient　sign　language　which　once　belonged　only　to　males？　You've　never　heard　of　the　hula''　Of　course。　Who　dances　it　anymore？　Dancers　have　preserved　many　things；　though。　The　translations　have　been　lost；　but　I　know　them。
　〃One　whole　night　I　was　a　series　of　caliphs　moving　eastward　and　westward　with　Islam…a　traverse　of　centuries。　I　will　not　bore　you　with　the　details。　Be　gone　now；　visitor'〃
　How　seductive　it　is；　he　thought；　this　call　of　the　siren　which　would　have　me　live　only　in　the　past。
　And　how　useless　that　past　now；　thanks　to　the　damnable　lxians　How　boring　the　past　when　Hwi　is　here。　She　would　e　to　me　right　now　if　I　summoned　her。　But　I　cannot　call　for　her。。。not　now。　。　。　not　tonight。
　The　past　continued　to　beckon。
　I　could　make　a　pilgrimage　into　my　past。　It　does　not　have　to　be　a　safari。　I　could　go　alone。　Pilgrimage　purifies。　Safaris　make　me　into　a　tourist。　That's　the　difference。　I　could　go　alone　into　my　inner　world。
　And　never　return。
　Leto　felt　the　inevitability　of　it；　that　the　dream…state　would　eventually　trap　him。
　　create　a　special　dream…state　throughout　my　Empire。　Within　this　dream；　new　myths　form；　new　directions　appear　and　new　movements。　New。。。new。。。new。。。The　things　emerge　a　from　my　own　dreams；　out　of　my　myths。　Who　more　。susceptible　to　them　than　l？　The　hunter　is　caught　in　his　own　net。
　Leto　knew　then　that　he　had　encountered　a　condition　for　which　no　antidote　existed…past。　present　or　future。　His　great　body　trembled　and　shivered　in　the　gloom　of　his　audience　chamber。
　At　the　portal；　one　Fish　Speaker　guard　whispered　to　another：　〃Is　God　troubled？〃
　And　her　panion　replied：　〃The　sins　of　this　universe　would　trouble　anyone。〃
　Leto　heard　them　and　wept　silently。
　
　When　I　set　out　to　lead　humankind　along　my　Golden　Path。　I　promised　them　a　lesson　their　bones　would　remember。　I　know　a　profound　pattern　which　humans　deny　with　their　words　even　while　their　actions　affirm　it。　They　say　they　seek　security　and　quiet；　the　condition　they　call　peace。　Even　as　they　speak。　they　create　the　seeds　of　turmoil　and　violence。　If　they　find　their　quiet　security。　they　squirm　in　it。　How　boring　they　find　it。　Look　at　them　now。　Look　at　what　they　do　while　I　record　these　words。　Hah！　I　give　them　enduring　eons　of　enforced　tranquility　which　plods　on　and　on　despite　their　every　effort　to　escape　into　chaos。　Believe　me；　the　memory　of　Leto's　Peace　shall　abide　with　them　forever。　They　will　seek　their　quiet　security　thereafter　only　with　extreme　caution　and　steadfast　preparation。
　…The　Stolen　Journals
　MUCH　AGAINST　his　will；　Idaho　found　himself　at　dawn　with　Siona　beside　him　being　taken　to　〃a　safe　place〃　in　an　Imperial　ornithopter　It　raced　eastward　toward　the　golden　arc　of　sunlight　which　lifted　over　a　landscape　carved　into　rectangular　green　plantations。
　The　'thopter　was　a　big　one；　large　enough　to　carry　a　small　squad　of　Fish　Speakers　with　their　two　guests。　The　pilot　captain　of　the　squad；　a　brawny　women　with　a　face　Idaho　could　believe　had　never　smiled；　had　given　her　name　as　Inmeir。　She　sat　in　the　pilot's　seat　directly　ahead　of　Idaho；　two　muscular　Fish　Speaker　guards　on　either　side　of　her。　Five　more　guards　sat　behind　Idaho　and　Siona。
　〃God　has　ordered　me　to　take　you　away　from　the　City；〃　Inmeir　had　said；　ing　up　to　him　in　the　mand　post　beneath　the　central　plaza。　〃It　is　for　your　own　safety。　We　will　return　by　tomorrow　morning　for　Siaynoq。〃
　Idaho；　fatigued　by　a　night　of　alarms；　had　sensed　the　futility　of　arguing　against　the　orders　of　〃God　Himself。〃　Inmeir　appeared　quite　capable　of　trundling　him　off　under　one　of　her　thick　arms。　She　had　led　him　from　the　mand　post　into　a　chilly　night　canopied　with　stars　like　stone　edged　facets　of　shattered　brilliants。　It　was　only　when　they　reached　the　'thopter　and　Idaho　recognized　Siona　waiting　there　that　he　had　begun　to　question　the　purpose　of　this　outing。
　During　the　night；　Idaho　had　e　to　realize　that　not　all　of　the　violence　in　Onn　had　originated　with　the　organized　rebels。　When　he　had　inquired　after　Siona；　Moneo　had　sent　word　that　〃my　daughter　is　safely　out　of　the　way；〃　adding　at　the　end　of　the　message：　〃I　mend　her　to　your　care。〃
　In　the　'thopter；　Siona　had　not　responded　to　Idaho's　questions。　Even　now；　she　sat　in　sullen　silence　beside　him。　She　reminded　him　of　himself　in　those　first　bitter　days　when　he　had　vowed　vengeance　against　the　Harkonnens。　He　wondered　at　her　bitterness。　What　drove　her'？
　Without　knowing　why；　Idaho　found　himself　paring　Siona　with　Hwi　Noree。　It　had　not　been　easy　to　encounter　Hwi；　but　he　had　managed　it　in　spite　of　the　importunate　demands　of　Fish　Speakers　that　he　attend　to　duties　elsewhere。
　Gentle；　that　was　the　word　for　Hwi。　She　acted　from　a　core　of　unchanging　gentleness　which　was；　in　its　own　way；　a　thing　of　enormous　power。　He　found　this　intensely　attractive。
　I　must　see　more　of　her。
　For　now；　though；　he　had　to　contend　with　the　sullen　silence　of　Siona　seated　beside　him。　Well。　。　。　silence　could　be　met　with　silence。
　Idaho　peered　down　at　the　passing　landscape。　Here　and　there　he　could　see　the　clustered　lights　of　villages　winking　out　as　the　sunlight　approached。　The　desert　of　the　Sareer　lay　far　behind　and　this　was　land　that；　by　its　appearance；　might　never　have　been　parched。
　Some　things　do　not　change　very　much；　he　thought。　They　are　merely　taken　from　one　place　and　reformed　in　another　place。
　This　landscape　reminded　him　of　Caladan's　lush　gardens　and　made　him　wonder　what　had　bee　of　the　verdant　planet　where　the　Atreides　had　lived　for　so　many　generations　before　ing　to　Dune。　He　could　identify　narrow　roads；　market　roads　with　a　scattered　traffic　of　vehicles　drawn　by　six…legged　animals　which　he　guessed　were　thorses。　Moneo　had　said　that　thorses　tailored　to　the　needs　of　such　a　landscape　were　the　main　work　beasts　not　only　here　but　throughout　the　Empire。
　〃A　population　which　walks　is　easier　to　control。〃
　Moneo's　words　rang　in　Idaho's　memory　as　he　peered　downward。　Pastureland