fh.godemperorofdune-第52章

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caress。　Only　his　human　ears；　hearing　the　abrasive　rasp　of　his　heavy　body；　reported　otherwise。　It　was　a　sensory　conflict　which　he　had　learned　to　accept。
　He　heard　Siona　walking　behind　him；　a　lightness　in　her　tread；　a　gentle　spilling　of　sand　as　she　climbed　to　his　level　atop　a　dune。
　The　longer　I　endure；　the　more　vulnerable　I　bee；　he　thought。
　This　thought　often　occurred　to　him　these　days　when　he　went　into　his　desert。　He　peered　upward。　The　sky　was　cloudless　with　a　blue　density　which　the　old　days　of　Dune　had　never　seen。
　What　was　a　desert　without　a　cloudless　sky？　Too　bad　it　could　not　have　Dune's　silvery　hue。
　Ixian　satellites　controlled　this　sky；　not　always　to　the　perfection　he　might　desire。　Such　perfection　was　a　machine…fantasy　which　faltered　under　human　management。　Still；　the　satellites　held　a　sufficiently　steady　grip　to　give　him　this　morning　of　desert　stillness。　He　gave　his　human　lungs　a　deep　breath　of　it　and　listened　for　Siona's　approach。　She　had　stopped。　He　knew　she　was　admiring　the　view。
　Leto　felt　his　imagination　like　a　conjurer　calling　up　everything　which　had　produced　the　physical　setting　for　this　moment。　He　felt　the　satellites。　Fine　instruments　which　played　the　music　for　the　dance　of　warming　and　cooling　air　masses；　perpetually　monitoring　and　adjusting　the　powerful　vertical　and　horizontal　currents。　It　amused　him　to　recall　that　the　lxians　had　thought　he　would　use　this　exquisite　machinery　in　a　new　kind　of　hydraulic　despotism…withholding　moisture　from　those　who　defied　their　ruler；　punishing　others　with　terrible　storms。　How　surprised　they　had　been　to　f…and　themselves　mistaken！
　My　controls　are　more　subtle。
　Slowly；　gently；　he　began　to　move；　swimming　on　the　sand　surface；　gliding　down　off　the　dune；　never　once　looking　back　at　the　thin　spire　of　his　tower；　knowing　that　it　would　vanish　presently　into　the　haze　of　daytime　heat。
　Siona　followed　him　with　an　uncharacteristic　docility。　Doubt　had　done　its　work。　She　had　read　the　stolen　journals。　She　had　listened　to　the　admonitions　of　her　father。　Now；　she　did　not　know　what　to　think。
　〃What　is　this　test？〃　she　had　asked　Moneo。　〃What　will　he　do？〃
　〃It　is　never　the　same。〃
　〃How　did　he　test　you？〃
　〃It　will　be　different　with　you。　I　would　only　confuse　you　if　I　told　you　my　experience。〃
　Leto　had　listened　secretly　while　Moneo　prepared　his　daughter；　dressing　her　in　an　authentic　Fremen　stillsuit　with　a　dark　robe　over　it；　fitting　the　boot…pumps　correctly。　Moneo　had　not　forgotten。
　Moneo　had　looked　up　from　where　he　bent　to　adjust　her　boots。　〃The　Worm　will　e。　That　is　all　I　can　tell　you。　You　must　find　a　way　to　live　in　the　presence　of　the　Worm。〃
　He　had　stood　then；　explaining　about　the　stillsuit；　how　it　recycled　her　body's　own　waters。　He　made　her　pull　the　tube　from　a　catchpocket　and　suck　on　it；　then　reseal　the　tube。
　〃You　will　be　alone　with　him　on　the　desert；〃　Moneo　had　said。　〃Shai…Hulud　is　never　far　away　when　you're　on　the　desert。〃
　〃What　if　I　refuse　to　go？〃　she　asked。
　〃You　will　go。。。but　you　may　not　return。〃
　This　conversation　had　occurred　in　the　ground…level　chamber　of　the　Little　Citadel　while　Leto　waited　in　the　aerie。　He　had　e　down　when　he　knew　Siona　was　ready；　drifting　down　in　the　predawn　darkness　on　his　cart's　suspensors。　The　cart　had　gone　into　the　ground　level　room　after　Moneo　and　Siona　emerged。　While　Moneo　marched　across…the　flat　ground　to　his　'thopter　and　left　in　a　whispering　of　wings；　Leto　had　required　Siona　to　test　the　sealed　portal　of　the　ground…level　chamber；　then　look　upward　at　the　tower's　impossible　heights。
　〃The　only　way　out　is　across　the　Sareer；〃　he　said。
　He　led　her　away　from　the　tower　then；　not　even　manding　her　to　follow；　depending　on　her　good　sense；　her　curiosity　and　her　doubts。
　Leto's　swimming　progress　took　him　down　the　dune's　slipface　and　onto　an　exposed　section　of　the　rocky　basement　plex；　then　up　another　sandy　face　at　a　shallow　angle；　creating　a　path　for　Siona　to　follow。　Fremen　had　called　such　pression　tracks　〃God's　gift　to　the　weary。〃　He　moved　slowly；　giving　Siona　plenty　of　time　in　which　to　recognize　that　this　was　his　domain；　his　natural　habitat。
　He　came　out　atop　another　dune　and　turned　to　watch　her　progress。　She　held　to　the　track　he　had　provided　and　stopped　only　when　she　reached　the　top。　Her　glance　went　once　to　his　face　then　she　turned　a　full　circle　to　examine　the　horizon。　He　heard　the　sharp　intake　of　her　breath。　Heat　haze　hid　the　spire's　top。　The　base　might　have　been　a　distant　outcropping。
　〃This　is　how　it　was；〃　he　said。
　There　was　something　about　the　desert　which　spoke　to　the　eternal　soul　of　people　who　possessed　Fremen　blood；　he　knew。　He　had　chosen　this　place　for　its　desert　impact…a　dune　slightly　higher　than　the　others。
　〃Take　a　good　look　at　it；〃　he　said；　and　he　slipped　down　the　dune's　other　side　to　remove　his　bulk　from　her　view。
　Siona　took　one　more　slow　turn；　looking　outward。
　Leto　knew　the　innermost　sensation　of　what　she　saw。　Except　for　that　insignificant；　blurred　blip　of　his　tower's　base；　there　was　not　the　slightest　lift　of　horizon…flat；　everywhere　flat。　No　plants；　no　living　movement。　From　her　vantage；　there　was　a　limit　of　approximately　eight　kilometers　to　the　line　where　the　planet's　curvature　hid　everything　beyond。
　Leto　spoke　from　where　he　had　stopped；　just　below　the　dune's　crest。　〃This　is　the　real　Sareer。　You　only　know　it　when　you're　down　here　afoot。　This　is　all　that's　left　of　the　bahr　bela　ma。〃
　〃The　ocean　without　water；〃　she　whispered。
　Again；　she　turned　and　examined　the　entire　horizon。
　There　was　no　wind　and；　Leto　knew；　without　wind；　the　silence　ate　at　the　human　soul。　Siona　was　feeling　the　loss　of　all　familiar　reference　points。　She　was　abandoned　in　dangerous　space。
　Leto　glanced　at　the　next　dune。　In　that　direction；　they　would　e　presently　to　a　low　line　of　hills　which　originally　had　been　mountains　but　now　were　broken　into　remnant　slag　and　rubble。　He　continued　to　rest　quietly；　letting　the　silence　do　his　work　for　him。　It　was　even　pleasant　to　imagine　that　these　dunes　went　on；　as　they　once　had；　without　end　pletely　around　the　planet。　But　even　these　few　dunes　were　degenerating。　Without　the　original　Coriolis　storms　of　Dune；　the　Sareer　saw　nothing　stronger　than　a　stiff　breeze　and　occasional　heat　vortices　which　had　no　more　than　local　effect。
　One　of　these　tiny　〃wind　devils〃　danced　across　the　middle　distance　to　the　south。　Siona's　gaze　followed　its　track。　She　spoke　abruptly：　〃Do　you　have　a　personal　religion？〃
　Leto　took　a　moment　posing　his　reply。　It　always　astonished　him　how　a　desert　provoked　thoughts　of　religion。
　〃You　dare　ask　me　if　I　have　a　personal　religion？〃　he　demanded。
　Betraying　no　surface　sign　of　the　fears　he　knew　she　felt；　Siona　turned　and　stared　down　at　him。　Audacity　was　always　an　Atreides　hallmark；　he　reminded　himself。
　When　she　didn't　answer；　he　said：　〃You　are　an　Atreides　for　sure。〃
　〃Is　that　your　answer？〃　she　asked。
　〃What　is　it　you　really　want　to　know；　Siona？〃
　〃What　you　believe！〃
　〃Ho！　You　ask　after　my　faith。　Well；　now…I　believe　that　something　cannot　emerge　from　nothing　without　divine　intervention。〃
　His　answer　puzzled　her。　〃How　is　that　an。　。　。〃
　〃Natura　non　facit　saltus；〃　he　said。
　She　shook　her　head；　not　understanding　the　ancient　allusion　which　had　sprung　to　his　lips。　Leto　translated：
　〃Nature　makes　no　leaps。〃
　〃What　language　was　that？〃　she　asked。
　〃A　language　no　longer　spoken　anywhere　else　in　my　universe。〃
　〃Why　did　you　use　it　then？〃
　〃To　prod　your　ancient　memories。〃
　〃I　don't　have　any！　I　just　need　to　know　why　you　brought　me　here。〃
　〃To　give　you　a　taste　of　your　past。　e　down　here　and　climb　onto　my　back。〃
　She　hesitated　at　first；　then　seeing　the　futility　of　defiance；　slid　down　the　dune　and　clambered　onto　his　back。
　Leto　waited　until　she　was　kneeling　atop　him。　It　was　not　the　same　as　the　old　times　he　knew。　She　had　no　Maker　hooks　and　could　not　stand　on　his　back。　He　lifted　his　front　segments　slightly　off　the　surface。
　〃Why　am　I　doing　this？〃　she　asked。　Her　tone　said　she　felt　silly　up　there。
　〃I　want　you　to　taste　the　way　our　people　once　moved　proudly　across　this　land；　high　atop　the　back　of　a　giant　sandworm。〃
　He　began　to　glide　along　the　dune　just　below　the　crest。　Siona　had　seen　holos。　She　knew　this　experience　intellectually；　but　the　pulse　of　reality　had　a　different　beat　and　he　knew　she　would　resonate　to　it。
　Ahhh；　Siona；　he　thought；　you　do　not　even　begin　to　suspect　how　I　will　test　you。
　Leto　steeled　himself　then。　I　must　have　no　pity。　If　she　dies；　she　dies。　If　any　of　them　dies；　that　is　a　required　event；　no　more。
　And　he　had　to　remind　himself　that　this　applied　even　to　Hwi　Noree。　It　was　just　that　all　of　them　could　not　die。
　He　sensed　it　when　Siona　began　to　enjoy　the　sensation　of　riding　on　his　back。　He　felt　a　faint　shift　in　her　weight　as　she　eased　back　onto　her　legs　to　lift　her　head。
　He　drove　outward　then　along　a　curving　barracan；　joining　Siona　in　enjoyment　of　the　old　sensations。　Leto　could　just　glimpse　the　remnant　hills　at　the　horizon　ahead　of　him。　They　were　like　a　seed　from　the　past　waiting　there；　a　reminder　of　the　self…sustaining　and　expanding　force　which　operated　in　a　desert。　He　could　forget　for　a　moment　that　on　this　planet　where　only　a　small　fraction　of　the　surface　remained　desert；　the　Sareer's　dynamism　existed　in　a　precarious　environment。
　The　illusion　of　the　past　was　here；　though。　He　felt　it　as　he　moved。　Fantasy；　of　course；　he　told　himself；　a　vanishing　fantasy　as　long　as　his　enforced　tranquility　continued。　Even　the　sweeping　barracan　which　he　traversed　now　was　not　as　great　as　the　ones　of　the　past。　None　of　the　dunes　were　that　great。
　This　whole　maintained　desert　struck　him　suddenly　as　ridiculous。　He　almost　stopped　on　a　pebbled　surface　between　the　dunes；　continuing　but　more　slowly　as　he　tried　to　conjure　up　the　necessities　which　kept　the　whole　system　working。　He　imagined　the　planet's　rotation　setting　up　great　air　currents　which　shifted　cold　and　heated　air　to　new　regions　in　enormous　volume…everything　monitored　and　ruled　by　those　tiny　satellites　with　their　Ixian　instruments　and　heat…focusing　dishes。　If　the　high　monitors　saw　anything；　they　saw　the　Sareer　partly　as　a　〃relief　desert〃　with　both　physical　and　cold…air　walls　girdling　it。　This　tended　to　create　ice　at　the　edges　and　required　even　more　climatic　adjustments。
　It　was　not　easy　and　Leto　forgave　the　occasional　mistakes　for　that　reason。
　As　he　moved　once　more　out　onto　dunes；　he　lost　that　sense　of　delicate　balance；　put　aside　memories　of　the　pebbly　wastelands　outside　the　central　sands；　and　gave　himself　up　to　enjoyment　of　his　〃petrified　ocean〃　with　its　frozen　and　apparently　immovable　waves。　He　turned　southward；　parallel　to　the　remnant　hills。
　He　knew　that　most　people　were　offended　by　his　infatuation　with　desert。　They　were　uneasy　and　turned　away。　Siona；　however；　could　not　turn　away。　Everywhere　she　looked；　the　desert　demanded　recognition。　She　rode　silently　on　his　back；　but　he　knew　her　eyes　were　full。　And　the　old…old　memories　were　beginning　to　churn。
　He　came　within　three　hours　to　a　region　of　cylindrical　whaleback　dunes；　some　of　them　more　than　one　hundred　and　fifty　kilometers　long　at　an　angle　to　the　prevailing　wind。　Beyond　them　lay　a　rocky　corridor　between　dunes　and　into　a　region　of　star　dunes　almost　four　hundred　meters　high。　Finally；　they　entered　the　braided　dunes　of　the　central　erg　where　the　general　high　press