bh.houseatreides-第101节

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ilk　our　current　spice　production　for　as　much　hard　profit　as　possible；　because　it　may　disappear　at　any　moment。〃
　The　Baron　looked　over　at　Rabban。　〃We　need　to　squeeze。　Oh；　and　I'll　have　your　idiot　father　step　up　whale…fur　harvesting　on　Lankiveil。　We　need　to　stuff　our　coffers。　The　uping　battles　may　be　quite　taxing　to　our　resources。〃
　The　Mentat　wiped　a　red　drop　from　his　lips。　〃We　must　do　this　in　utmost　secrecy。　CHOAM　watches　our　financial　activity　carefully　and　would　detect　if　we　suddenly　started　doing　something　unusual。　For　now　it's　best　we　don't　tip　our　hand　about　the　Tleilaxu　research。　We　don't　want　CHOAM　or　the　Guild　joining　forces　with　our　new　Emperor　against　House　Harkonnen。〃
　〃We've　got　to　keep　the　Imperium　properly　dependent　upon　us；〃　the　Baron　said。
　Rabban　scowled；　trying　to　wrestle　his　way　through　the　implications　by　brute　force。　〃But　if　the　Tleilaxu　are　entrenched　on　Ix；　how　do　we　destroy　this　research　without　exposing　it　for　what　it　is？　Without　giving　away　our　own　involvement　and　bringing　all　of　our　enemies　against　us？〃
　De　Vries　sat　back　to　stare　at　the　sexual　designs　on　the　walls。　The　rotting　corpses　hung　in　their　display　cases　like　hideous　eavesdroppers。　His　mind　churned　through　Mentat　calculations　until　finally　he　said；　〃We　must　have　someone　else　fight　for　us。　Preferably　without　their　knowledge。〃
　〃Who？〃　Rabban　asked。
　〃That's　why　we　brought　Piter　here；〃　the　Baron　said。　〃We　need　suggestions。〃
　〃Prime　projection；〃　de　Vries　said。　〃House　Atreides。〃
　Rabban's　mouth　dropped　open。　〃The　Atreides　would　never　fight　for　us！〃
　De　Vries　shot　back　a　response。　〃The　Old　Duke　is　dead；　and　House　Atreides　is　currently　unstable。　Paulus's　successor　Leto　is　an　impetuous　young　pup。　He　has　no　friends　in　the　Landsraad　and　recently　gave　a　rather　embarrassing　speech　at　the　Council。　He　went　home　humiliated。〃
　The　Baron　waited；　trying　to　see　where　his　Mentat　was　going　with　this。
　〃Second　data　point：　House　Vernius；　staunch　ally　to　Atreides；　has　been　ousted　from　Ix　by　the　Tleilaxu。　Dominic　Vernius　remains　at　large　with　a　price　on　his　head；　while　Shando　Vernius　has　just　been　killed；　based　on　her　renegade　status。　House　Atreides　has　offered　sanctuary　to　the　two　children　of　Vernius。　They're　in　thick　with　the　victims　of　the　Tleilaxu。〃
　De　Vries　raised　a　finger　to　assemble　the　points。　〃Now；　brash　young　Leto　is　a　close　friend　of　the　exiled　Prince　of　Ix。　Duke　Leto　blames　the　Tleilaxu　for　the　takeover　of　Ix；　for　the　bounty　on　the　mother；　and　for　the　ruined　situation　of　their　family。　'House　Atreides　values　loyalty　and　honor　far　above　politics；'　Leto　said　to　the　Landsraad。　He　may　see　it　as　his　duty　to　help　Rhombur　Vernius　regain　his　position　on　Ix。　Who　better　to　strike　a　blow　for　us？〃
　The　Baron　now　smiled　as　he　followed　the　implications。　〃So。。。start　a　war　between　House　Atreides　and　the　Tleilaxu！　Let　them　tear　each　other　apart。　That　way　House　Atreides　and　the　synthetic…spice　research　will　both　be　destroyed。〃
　Rabban　was　clearly　having　trouble　envisioning　this。　From　the　intense　look　on　his　face；　the　Baron　could　see　that　his　nephew　was　thinking　as　hard　as　he　could；　just　trying　to　keep　up。
　The　Mentat　nodded。　〃If　played　properly；　we　could　acplish　this　in　such　a　manner　that　House　Harkonnen　remains　pletely　apart　from　the　hostilities。　We　get　what　we　want；　and　our　hands　stay　entirely　clean。〃
　〃Brilliant；　Piter！　I'm　glad　I　didn't　execute　you　all　those　times　when　you　were　so　annoying。〃
　〃So　am　I；〃　de　Vries　said。
　The　Baron　opened　one　of　the　nullentropy　chambers　to　remove　a　flagon　of　expensive　kirana　brandy。　〃We　must　have　a　toast。〃　Then　he　smiled　slyly。　〃Because　I've　just　realized　when　and　how　we　can　make　all　this　happen。〃　His　two　listeners　couldn't　have　been　more　attentive。
　〃The　new　Duke　is　overwhelmed　with　the　plexities　of　running　his　holdings。　Naturally；　he　will　attend　the　coronation　of　Shaddam　IV。　No　Great　House　could　risk　offending　the　new　Padishah　Emperor　by　scorning　him　on　his　greatest　day。〃
　De　Vries　caught　on　immediately。　〃When　Duke　Leto　travels　to　the　coronation。。。that　will　be　our　chance　to　strike。〃
　〃On　Kaitain？〃　Rabban　said。
　〃Something　more　interesting　than　that；　I　suspect；〃　de　Vries　said。
　The　Baron　sipped　the　warm　sweetness　of　the　aged　brandy。　〃Ahhh；　it　will　be　delicious　revenge。　And　Leto　won't　even　see　it　ing；　won't　know　which　direction　it　came　from。〃
　Rabban's　eyes　lit　up。　〃We'll　make　him　squirm；　Uncle？〃
　The　Baron　handed　crystal　snifters　to　his　nephew　and　his　Mentat。　Rabban　drained　his　brandy　in　a　single　gulp；　while　de　Vries　simply　stared　at　it　as　if　performing　a　chemical　analysis　with　his　eyes。
　〃Yes；　Rabban；　he'll　squirm　and　squirm　until　a　big　Imperial　boot　steps　on　him。
　No　one　but　a　Tleilaxu　may　set　foot　in　Bandalong；　holiest　city　of　the　Bene　Tleilax；　for　it　is　fanatically　guarded　hallowed　ground；　purified　by　their　God。
　…Diplomacy　in　the　Imperium；
　a　Landsraad　publication
　The　burn…scarred　building　had　once　been　an　Ixian　fighting…mek　factory。。。one　of　the　sacrilegious　industries　that　defied　the　holy　mandments　of　the　Butlerian　Jihad。　But　not　anymore。　Hidar　Fen　Ajidica　gazed　at　the　rows　of　tanks　and　attendants；　satisfied　now　to　see　that　the　place　had　been　fully　cleansed　and　put　to　good　use。　God　will　approve。
　Following　the　Tleilaxu　victory；　the　facility　had　been　emptied　of　its　poisonous　machinery　and　blessed　by　fully　robed　Masters；　so　that　it　could　be　used　for　the　exalted　purposes　of　the　Bene　Tleilax。　Despite　the　mandment　and　support　from　old　Emperor　Elrood；　now　dead；　Ajidica　had　never　considered　this　an　Imperial　project。　The　Tleilaxu　did　not　act　for　the　benefit　of　anyone　but　themselves　and　their　God。　They　had　their　own　purposes；　which　would　never　be　understood　by　the　unclean　outsiders。
　〃Tleilaxu　strategy　is　always　woven　within　a　web　of　strategies；　any　one　of　which　may　be　the　real　strategy；〃　he　intoned　the　axiom　of　his　people。　〃The　magic　of　our　God　is　our　salvation。〃
　Every　axlotl　tank　contained　the　ingredients　of　a　different　experiment；　each　representing　an　alternate　avenue　for　solving　the　artificial　melange　problem。　No　outsider　had　ever　seen　a　Tleilaxu　axlotl　tank；　and　none　understood　their　true　function。　To　produce　the　precious　spice；　Ajidica　knew　he　would　have　to　use　unsettling　means。　Others　would　be　horrified；　but　God　will　approve；　he　repeated　in　his　secret　soul。　Eventually；　they　would　mass…produce　the　spice。
　Realizing　the　plexity　of　his　challenge；　the　Master　Researcher　had　brought　in　technological　adepts　from　Tleilax　One　　learned　men　who　had　widely　divergent　views　on　how　that　goal　might　be　attained。　At　this　early　point　in　the　process；　all　options　must　be　considered；　all　evidence　studied　for　clues　to　be　inserted　directly　into　the　DNA　code　of　organic　molecules；　which　the　Tleilaxu　called　the　Language　of　God。
　All　of　the　technological　adepts　agreed　that　artificial　spice　must　be　grown　as　an　organic　substance　in　an　axlotl　tank；　because　the　tanks　were　holy　sources　of　life　and　energy。　Master　Researchers　had　nurtured　countless　previous　programs　with　astonishing　results；　from　digs　to　clones　and　gholas。。。though　there　had　been　many　unfortunate　failures；　as　well。
　These　exotic　vessels　were　the　most　sacred　of　Tleilaxu　discoveries；　with　their　workings　shielded　even　from　Crown　Prince　Shaddam；　his　aides；　and　his　Sardaukar。　Such　secrecy　and　security　here　on　Ix　　now　Xuttah　　had　been　a　requirement　of　the　original　bargain　with　Emperor　Elrood。　The　old　man　had　agreed　with　deprecating　amusement；　must　have　assumed　he　could　take　those　secrets　whenever　he　wished。
　Many　people　made　such　ridiculous　assumptions　about　the　Tleilaxu。　Ajidica　was　accustomed　to　being　dismissed　by　fools。
　No　one　other　than　a　Tleilaxu　Master　or　a　full…blooded　Tleilaxu　Researcher　would　ever　have　access　to　this　knowledge。　Ajidica　drew　a　deep　breath　of　the　rank　chemicals；　the　unpleasant　humid　stink　that　was　an　inevitable　consequence　of　the　functioning　tanks。　Natural　odors。　I　feel　the　presence　of　my　God；　he　thought；　forming　the　words　in　Islamiyat　　the　arcane　language　that　was　never　spoken　aloud　outside　of　kehls；　the　secret　councils　of　his　race。　God　is　merciful。　He　alone　can　guide　me。
　A　glowglobe　floated　in　front　of　his　eyes；　blinking　red。。。long；　long；　short；　pause。。。long；　short；　color　change　to　blue。。。five　rapid　blinks　and　back　to　red。　The　Crown　Prince's　emissary　was　anxious　to　see　him。　Hidar　Fen　Ajidica　knew　not　to　keep　Hasimir　Fenring　waiting。　Though　he　had　no　noble　title　of　his　own；　the　impatient　Fenring　was　the　Imperial　heir's　closest　friend；　and　Fenring　understood　the　manipulations　of　personal　power　better　than　most　great　leaders　in　the　Landsraad。　Ajidica　even　bore　a　certain　amount　of　respect　for　the　man。
　With　resignation　Ajidica　turned　and　passed　easily　through　an　identity　zone　that　would　have　been　deadly　to　anyone　not　properly　sanctioned。　Even　the　Crown　Prince　himself　would　be　unable　to　pass　through　safely。　Ajidica　smiled　at　the　superiority　of　his　people's　ways。　Ixians　had　used　machinery　and　force　fields　for　security；　as　the　ruthless　and　clumsy　suboid　rebels　had　discovered。。。causing　messy　detonations　and　collateral　damage。　Tleilaxu；　on　the　other　hand；　used　biological　agents；　unleashed　through　ingenious　interactions　　toxins　and　nerve　mists　that　rendered　powindah　infidels　lifeless　the　moment　they　set　foot　where　they