bh.houseatreides-第102节

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　toxins　and　nerve　mists　that　rendered　powindah　infidels　lifeless　the　moment　they　set　foot　where　they　didn't　belong。
　Outside　in　the　secure　waiting　area；　a　smiling　Hasimir　Fenring　greeted　Ajidica　as　the　researcher　exited　the　identity　zone。　From　some　angles　the　weak…chinned　man　looked　like　a　weasel　and　from　others　a　rabbit；　innocuous　in　appearance；　but　oh　so　dangerous。　The　two　faced　each　other　in　what　had　once　been　an　Ixian　lobby　connected　through　an　intricate　network　of　clear…plaz　lift　tubes。　This　deadly　Imperial　killer　stood　more　than　a　head　taller　than　the　Master　Researcher。
　〃Ah；　my　dear　Fen　Ajidica；〃　Fenring　purred；　〃your　experiments　go　well；　hm…m…m…m…ah？　Crown　Prince　Shaddam　is　eager　to　receive　an　update　as　he　begins　the　work　of　his　Imperium。〃
　〃We　make　good　progress；　sir。　Our　uncrowned　Emperor　has　received　my　gift；　I　presume？〃
　〃Yes；　very　nice；　and　he　sends　his　appreciation。〃　He　smiled　tightly　as　he　thought　of　it：　a　silver…furred　hermafox；　capable　of　self…replication；　an　unusual　living　bauble　that　served　no　useful　purpose　whatsoever。　〃Wherever　did　you　e　up　with　such　an　interesting　creature？〃
　〃We　are　adepts　with　the　forces　of　life；　sir。〃　The　eyes；　Ajidica　thought。　Watch　his　eyes。　They　reveal　dangerous　emotions。　Vicious　now。
　〃So　you　enjoy　playing　God？〃　Fenring　said。
　With　controlled　indignation；　Ajidica　retorted；　〃There　is　but　one　God　All　High。　I　would　not　presume　to　take　His　place。〃
　〃Of　course　not。〃　Fenring's　eyes　narrowed。　〃Our　new　Emperor　sends　his　gratitude；　but　points　out　one　gift　he　would　have　greatly　preferred　　a　sample　of　artificial　spice。〃
　〃We　are　working　hard　on　the　problem；　sir；　but　we　told　Emperor　Elrood　from　the　outset　that　it　would　take　many　years；　possibly　even　decades；　to　develop　a　pleted　product。　Much　of　our　labor　heretofore　has　simply　been　consolidating　our　control　on　Xuttah　and　adapting　the　existing　facilities。〃
　〃You've　made　no　tangible　progress；　then？〃　Fenring's　scorn　was　so　extreme　that　he　couldn't　conceal　it。
　〃There　are　many　promising　signs。〃
　〃Good；　then　may　I　tell　Shaddam　when　he　should　expect　his　gift？　He　would　like　to　receive　it　prior　to　his　coronation；　in　six　weeks'　time。〃
　〃I　don't　think　that　is　possible；　sir。　You　brought　us　a　supply　of　melange　as　a　catalyst　less　than　a　Standard　Month　ago。〃
　〃I　gave　you　enough　of　the　stuff　to　buy　several　planets。〃
　〃Of　course；　of　course；　and　we　are　moving　as　quickly　as　possible。　But　the　axlotl　tanks　must　be　grown　and　modified；　probably　through　several　generations。　Shaddam　must　be　patient。〃
　Fenring　studied　the　little　Tleilaxu；　looking　for　signs　of　deception。　〃Patient？　Remember；　Ajidica；　an　Emperor　does　not　have　unlimited　patience。〃
　The　dwarf…sized　man　did　not　like　this　Imperial　predator。　Something　in　Fenring's　overlarge　dark　eyes　and　his　speech　carried　a　threatening　undertone；　even　when　discussing　mundane　subjects。　Make　no　mistake。　This　man　will　be　our　new　Emperor's　enforcer　　the　one　who　will　murder　me　if　I　fail。
　Ajidica　took　a　deep　breath；　but　concealed　it　in　a　yawn　to　avoid　showing　fear。　When　he　spoke；　it　was　in　the　calmest　of　tones。　〃When　God　wills　our　success；　it　will　happen。　We　move　according　to　His　schedule；　not　our　own；　and　not　Prince　Shaddam's。　That　is　the　way　of　the　universe。〃
　Fenring's　huge　eyes　flashed　dangerously。　〃You　realize　how　important　this　is？　Not　only　to　the　future　of　House　Corrino　and　the　economy　of　the　Imperium。。。but　to　your　personal　survival；　as　well？〃
　〃Most　certainly。〃　Ajidica　did　not　react　to　the　threat。　〃My　people　have　learned　the　value　of　waiting。　An　apple　plucked　too　soon　may　be　green　and　sour；　but　if　one　merely　waits　until　it　is　ripe；　then　the　fruit　is　sweet　and　delicious。　When　perfected；　the　artificial　spice　will　alter　the　entire　power　structure　of　the　Imperium。　It　is　not　possible　to　engineer　such　a　substance　overnight。〃
　Fenring　glowered。　〃We　have　been　patient；　but　that　cannot　continue。〃
　With　a　generous　smile；　Ajidica　said；　〃If　you　wish；　we　can　convene　regular　meetings　to　display　our　work　and　progress。　Such　distractions；　however；　would　only　slow　our　experiments；　our　substance　analyses；　our　settings。〃
　〃No；　keep　on；〃　Fenring　growled。
　I've　got　the　bastard　where　I　want　him；　Ajidica　thought；　and　he　doesn't　like　it　one　bit。　Still；　he　had　the　distinct　impression　that　this　assassin　would　do　away　with　him　without　a　second　thought。　Even　now；　despite　the　tightest　security　scans；　Fenring　no　doubt　carried　a　number　of　weapons　concealed　within　his　clothing；　skin；　and　hair。
　He　will　make　the　attempt　as　soon　as　I'm　not　needed；　when　Shaddam　thinks　he　has　everything　he　wants。
　Hidar　Fen　Ajidica　had　his　own　concealed　weapons；　though。　He　had　set　up　contingency　plans　to　deal　with　the　most　dangerous　of　outsiders。。。to　ensure　that　the　Tleilaxu　remained　in　control　at　all　times。
　Our　laboratories　may　indeed　e　up　with　a　substitute　for　the　spice；　he　thought。　But　no　powindah　will　ever　learn　how　it　is　made。
　Our　timetable　will　achieve　the　stature　of　a　natural　phenomenon。　A　planet's　life　is　a　vast；　tightly　interwoven　fabric。　Vegetation　and　animal　changes　will　be　determined　at　first　by　the　raw　physical　forces　we　manipulate。　As　they　establish　themselves；　though；　our　changes　will　bee　controlling　influences　in　their　own　right　　and　we　will　have　to　deal　with　them；　too。　Keep　in　mind；　though；　that　we　need　control　only　three　percent　of　the　energy　surface　　only　three　percent　　to　tip　the　entire　structure　over　into　our　self…sustaining　system。
　…PARDOT　KYNES；　Arrakis　Dreams
　When　his　son　Liet　was　a　year　and　a　half　old；　Pardot　Kynes　and　his　wife　embarked　on　a　journey　into　the　desert。　They　dressed　their　silent　child　in　a　custom…fitted　stillsuit　and　robes　to　shield　his　skin　against　the　sun　and　the　heat。
　Kynes　was　delighted　to　spend　time　with　his　family；　to　show　them　what　he　had　acplished　in　the　transformation　of　Dune。　His　entire　life　rested　on　sharing　his　dreams。
　His　three　apprentices；　Stilgar；　Turok；　and　Ommun；　had　tried　to　insist　on　going　along　to　protect　and　guide　him；　but　Kynes　would　hear　none　of　it。　〃I've　spent　more　years　alone　in　the　wilderness　than　any　of　you　have　been　alive。　I　can　handle　a　few　days'　sojourn　with　my　family。〃　He　made　a　shooing　gesture　with　his　hands。　〃Besides；　haven't　I　given　you　enough　work　to　do　　or　shall　I　find　additional　tasks？〃
　〃If　you　have　more　for　us　to　do；〃　Stilgar　said；　〃we　will　gladly　do　it　for　you。〃
　〃Just。。。just　keep　yourselves　busy；〃　Kynes　said；　nonplussed；　then　set　off　on　foot　with　Frieth　and　young　Liet。　The　baby　rode　one　of　the　sietch's　three　kulons；　a　domesticated　desert　ass　that　had　been　brought　to　Dune　by　smugglers　and　prospectors。
　The　animal's　water　price　was　high；　despite　its　inbred　adaptation　to　a　harsh；　arid　environment。　The　Fremen　had　even　developed　a　modified　four…legged　stillsuit　for　the　beast；　which　saved　some　of　the　moisture　the　animal　exuded。　But　in　such　a　contraption　the　kulon　had　difficulty　moving　　in　addition　to　the　fact　that　it　looked　ridiculous　　and　Kynes　decided　not　to　bother　with　such　extreme　measures。　This　required　taking　extra　water　on　the　journey；　which　the　animal　carried　in　literjons　attached　to　its　back。
　In　the　shadow　of　morning；　the　tall；　bearded　Kynes　led　his　small　party　up　a　winding　thread　that　only　a　Fremen　would　have　called　a　path。　His　eyes；　like　Frieth's；　were　the　blue　of　the　Ibad。　The　desert　ass　picked　its　way　up　the　precipitous　slope；　but　made　no　sound　of　plaint。　Kynes　didn't　mind　walking；　he　had　done　so　for　much　of　his　life；　during　his　years　of　ecological　study　on　Salusa　Secundus　and　Bela　Tegeuse。　His　muscles　rippled；　whipcord…tough。　Besides；　when　he　went　on　foot　he　could　keep　his　eyes　focused　more　on　the　pebbles　and　varying　grains　of　sand　beneath　his　boots　than　on　the　distant　mountains　or　the　sweltering　sun。
　Eager　to　please　her　husband；　Frieth　turned　her　attention　every　time　Kynes　pointed　out　a　rock　formation；　studied　a　spot　of　ground　for　its　position；　or　assessed　sheltered　crannies　as　possible　sites　for　planting　future　vegetation。　After　a　time　of　uncertainty；　she　also　pointed　things　out　to　him。　〃A　Fremen's　greatest　strength　is　in　observation；〃　Frieth　said；　as　if　quoting　an　old　proverb　for　him。　〃The　more　we　observe；　the　more　we　know。　Such　knowledge　gives　us　power；　especially　when　others　fail　to　see。〃
　〃Interesting。〃　Kynes　knew　little　about　his　Fremen　wife's　background。　He'd　been　too　busy　to　ask　her　for　many　details　about　her　childhood　and　her　own　passions；　but　she　didn't　seem　in　the　least　offended　by　his　preoccupation　with　the　terraforming　work。　In　Fremen　culture；　husbands　and　wives　lived　in　different　worlds　connected　by　only　a　few　narrow　and　fragile　bridges。
　Kynes　knew；　however；　that　Fremen　women　had　a　reputation　as　ferocious　fighters　　deadly　on　the　battlefield　and　feared　above　even　Imperial　soldiers　in　one…on…one　bat。　So　far；　he　had　managed　to　avoid　uncovering　Frieth's　vicious　streak；　and　he　hoped　never　to　see　it　for　himself。　Fiercely　loyal；　she　would　make　as　formidable　a　foe　as　she　did　a　friend。
　As　he　trudged　along；　a　small　piece　of　vegetation　caught　his　eye。　Halting　the　kulon　behind　him；　he　knelt　to　inspect　the　small；　pale　green　plant　that　grew　in　a　shaded　niche　where　dust　and　sand　had　collected。　He　recognized　the　specimen　as　a　rare　root　plant　and　brushed　the　dust　from　its　tiny　waxy　leaves。
　〃Look　here；　Frieth；〃　he