bh.houseatreides-第11节

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pon　the　shimmering　rock。　The　others　in　the　party　piled　out　afterward；　Kynes　waited　his　turn　and　emerged　from　the　rear。
　The　guards　took　up　watch　positions；　directing　the　oil　lenses　of　their　binoculars　at　the　small　running　figure。　Rabban　stood　tall；　holding　a　high…powered　lasgun；　though　Kynes　couldn't　imagine　what　he　intended　to　do　with　the　weapon　at　this　point。　Through　a　spotting…scope；　the　Baron's　nephew　stared　out　into　the　heat…addled　air；　seeing　the　ripples　and　mirages。　He　centered　on　the　clacking　thumper　and　the　dark　landmark　of　piled　explosives。
　One　of　the　high　spotter　'thopters　reported　possible　wormsign　about　two　kilometers　to　the　south。
　Out　on　the　desert；　Thekar　ran　frantically；　kicking　up　sand。　He　advanced　toward　the　archipelago　of　safety；　the　rocky　islands　in　the　sea　of　sand　　but　he　was　still　many　minutes　away。
　Kynes　watched　the　odd　manner　in　which　Thekar　placed　his　footsteps。　He　seemed　to　jitter　and　hop　erratically；　running　like　a　spastic　insect。　Kynes　wondered　if　this　was　some　sort　of　arrhythmic　pattern　to　fool　an　oning　sandworm。　Was　this　technique　something　that　desert　travelers　learned？　If　so；　who　could　teach　it　to　Kynes？　He　had　to　know　everything　about　this　place　and　its　people；　the　worms　and　the　spice　and　the　dunes。　Not　only　was　it　his　Imperial　directive：　Pardot　Kynes　wanted　to　know　for　himself。　Once　he　became　involved　in　a　project；　he　hated　unanswered　questions。
　The　group　waited；　and　time　passed　slowly。　The　soldiers　talked。　The　desert　man　continued　his　peculiar　running；　moving　imperceptibly　closer。　Kynes　could　feel　the　stillsuit　micro…sandwich　layers　sucking　up　his　droplets　of　sweat。
　He　knelt　and　studied　the　umber　rock　at　his　feet。　Basaltic　lava；　it　contained　eroded　pockets　that　had　been　formed　from　leftover　gaseous　bubbles　in　the　molten　rock；　or　softer　stone　eaten　away　by　the　legendary　Coriolis　storms　of　Arrakis。
　Kynes　picked　up　a　handful　of　sand　and　let　it　run　through　his　fingers。　Not　unexpectedly；　he　saw　that　the　grains　of　sand　were　quartz　particles；　shimmering　in　the　sun　with　a　few　flecks　of　darker　material　that　might　have　been　magnetite。
　At　other　places　he　had　seen　rusty　colorations　in　the　sand；　striations　of　tan；　orange；　and　coral；　hinting　at　various　oxides。　Some　of　the　coloring　could　also　have　been　from　weathered　deposits　of　the　spice　melange；　but　Kynes　had　never　seen　unprocessed　spice　in　the　wild　before。　Not　yet。
　Finally；　the　spotter　'thopters　overhead　confirmed　an　approaching　worm。　A　large　one；　moving　fast。
　The　guards　rose　to　their　feet。　Looking　out　onto　the　blurry　landscape；　Kynes　saw　a　ripple　on　the　sand；　like　an　immense　finger　being　drawn　beneath　the　surface；　disturbing　the　upper　layers。　The　size　of　it　astounded　him。
　〃Worm's　ing　in　from　the　side！〃　the　Bator　called。
　〃It's　going　straight　for　Thekar！〃　Rabban　shouted；　with　cruel　glee。　〃He's　between　the　worm　and　the　thumper。　Awe；　bad　luck。〃　His　wide　face　now　showed　a　different　kind　of　anticipation。
　Even　from　this　distance；　Kynes　could　see　Thekar　put　on　a　burst　of　speed；　forgetting　his　staggering　walk　as　he　saw　the　mound　of　the　approaching　worm　tunneling　toward　him　faster　and　faster。　Kynes　could　well　imagine　the　look　of　horror　and　hopeless　despair　on　the　desert　man's　face。
　Then　with　a　grim　resolve　and　a　sudden　desperation；　Thekar　came　to　a　full　stop　and　lay　flat　on　the　sand；　motionless；　staring　up　at　the　sky；　perhaps　praying　fervently　to　Shai…Hulud。
　With　the　tiny　footstep　vibrations　stopped；　the　distant　thumper　seemed　as　loud　as　an　Imperial　band。　Thump；　thump；　thump。　The　worm　paused　　then　altered　its　path　to　head　straight　toward　the　cache　of　explosives。
　Rabban　gave　a　twitch　of　a　shrug；　nonchalant　acceptance　of　an　irrelevant　defeat。
　Kynes　could　hear　the　underground　hiss　of　shifting　sands；　the　approach　of　the　behemoth。　It　came　closer　and　closer；　attracted　like　an　iron　filing　to　a　deadly　magnet。　As　it　neared　the　thumper；　the　worm　dived　deeper　underground；　circled；　and　came　up　to　engulf　that　which　had　attracted　it；　angered　it　　or　whatever　instinctive　reaction　these　blind　leviathans　experienced。
　When　the　worm　rose　from　the　sands；　it　revealed　a　mouth　large　enough　to　swallow　a　spacecraft；　ascending　higher　and　higher；　its　maw　opening　wider　as　its　flexible　jaws　spread　like　the　petals　of　a　flower。　In　an　instant　it　engulfed　the　insignificant　black　speck　of　the　thumper　and　all　the　explosives。　Its　crystal　teeth　shone　like　tiny　sharp　thorns　spiraling　down　its　bottomless　gullet。
　From　three　hundred　meters　away；　Kynes　saw　ridges　of　ancient　skin；　overlapping　folds　of　armor　that　protected　the　creature　in　its　passage　beneath　the　ground。　The　worm　gulped　the　booby…trapped　bait　and　began　to　wallow　into　the　sands　again。
　Rabban　stood　up　with　a　demonic　grin　on　his　face　and　worked　small　transmitting　controls。　A　hot　breeze　dusted　his　face；　peppering　his　teeth　with　grains　of　sand。　He　pushed　a　button。
　A　distant　thunderclap　sent　a　tremor　through　the　desert。　The　sands　shifted　in　tiny　avalanches　from　the　fingernail　dunes。　The　sequenced　bomb　ripped　through　the　internal　channels　of　the　worm；　blasting　open　its　gut　and　splitting　its　armored　segments。
　As　the　dust　cleared；　Kynes　saw　the　writhing；　dying　monstrosity　that　lay　in　a　pool　of　disrupted　sand；　like　a　beached　fur…whale。
　〃That　thing's　more　than　two　hundred　meters　long！〃　Rabban　cried；　taking　in　the　extent　of　his　kill。
　The　guards　cheered。　Rabban　turned　and　pounded　Kynes　on　the　back　with　nearly　enough　strength　to　dislocate　his　shoulder。
　〃Now　there's　a　trophy；　Planetologist。　I'm　going　to　take　this　back　to　Giedi　Prime　with　me。〃
　Almost　unnoticed；　Thekar　finally　arrived；　sweating　and　panting；　hauling　himself　up　to　safety　on　the　rocks。　He　looked　behind　him　with　mixed　emotions　at　the　faraway　dead　creature　sprawled　on　the　sands。
　Rabban　led　the　charge　as　the　worm　ceased　its　final　writhing。　The　eager　guards　sprinted　across　the　sands；　shouting；　cheering。　Kynes；　anxious　now　to　see　the　amazing　specimen　up　close；　hurried　along；　stumbling　as　Harkonnen　troops　plowed　a　battered　path　ahead　of　him。
　Many　minutes　later；　panting　and　hot；　Kynes　stood　awestruck　in　front　of　the　towering　mass　of　the　ancient　worm。　Its　skin　was　scaled；　covered　with　gravel；　thick　with　abrasion…proof　calluses。　Yet　between　the　segments　that　sagged　open　from　the　explosions；　he　saw　pink；　tender　skin。　The　gaping　mouth　of　the　worm　itself　was　like　a　mine　shaft　lined　with　crystal　daggers。
　〃It's　the　most　fearsome　creature　on　this　miserable　planet！〃　Rabban　crowed。　〃And　I've　killed　it！〃
　The　soldiers　peered；　none　of　them　wanting　to　approach　closer　than　several　meters。　Kynes　wondered　how　the　Baron's　nephew　intended　to　haul　this　trophy　back　with　him。　With　the　Harkonnen　penchant　for　extravagance；　however；　he　assumed　Rabban　would　find　a　way。
　The　Planetologist　turned　to　see　that　the　exhausted　Thekar　had　plodded　up　beside　them。　His　eyes　held　a　silvery　sheen；　as　if　some　inner　fire　blazed　bright。　Perhaps　by　ing　so　close　to　death　and　seeing　the　Fremen　desert　god　laid　low　by　Harkonnen　explosives；　his　perspective　on　the　world　had　changed。
　〃Shai…Hulud；〃　he　whispered。　Then　he　turned　to　Kynes；　as　if　sensing　a　kindred　spirit。　〃This　is　an　ancient　one。　One　of　the　oldest　of　the　worms。〃
　Kynes　stepped　forward　to　look　at　the　encrusted　skin；　at　its　segments；　and　wondered　how　he　might　go　about　dissecting　and　analyzing　the　specimen。　Certainly　Rabban　couldn't　object　to　that？　If　necessary；　Kynes　would　invoke　his　assignment　from　the　Emperor　to　make　the　man　understand。　But　as　he　approached　closer；　intending　to　touch　it；　he　saw　that　the　skin　of　the　old　worm　was　shimmering；　moving；　shifting。　The　beast　itself　wasn't　still　alive　　its　nerve　functions　had　ceased　even　to　twitch。。。and　yet　its　outer　layers　trembled　and　shifted；　as　if　melting。
　While　Kynes　stared　in　amazement；　a　rain　of　translucent　cellular　flaps　dripped　off　the　hulk　of　the　old　worm；　like　scales　shed　to　the　churned　sand；　where　they　vanished。
　〃What's　going　on？〃　Rabban　cried；　his　face　purpling。　Before　his　eyes　the　worm　seemed　to　be　evaporating。　The　skin　sloughed　off　into　tiny　flopping　amoebalike　patches　that　jiggled　and　then　burrowed　into　the　sand　like　molten　solder。　The　ancient　behemoth　slumped　into　the　desert。
　In　the　end；　only　skeletal；　cartilaginous　ribs　and　milky　teeth　were　left。　Then　even　these　remains　sank　slowly；　dissolving　into　mounds　of　loose　gelatin　covered　by　sand。
　The　Harkonnen　troops　stepped　back　to　a　safer　distance。
　To　Kynes；　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　seen　a　thousand　years　of　decay　in　only　a　few　seconds。　Accelerated　entropy。　The　hungry　desert　seemed　eager　to　swallow　every　shred　of　evidence；　to　conceal　the　fact　that　a　human　had　defeated　a　sandworm。
　As　Kynes　thought　about　it；　more　in　confusion　and　growing　amazement　than　in　dismay　at　losing　all　chance　of　dissecting　the　specimen；　he　wondered　just　how　strange　the　life　cycle　of　these　magnificent　beasts　must　be。
　He　had　so　much　to　learn　about　Arrakis。。。。
　Rabban　stood；　seething　and　furious。　The　muscles　in　his　neck　stretched　taut　like　iron　cables。　〃My　trophy！〃　He　whirled；　clenched　his　fists；　and　struck　Thekar　full　across　the　face；　knocking　him　flat　onto　the　sands。　For　a　moment；　Kynes　thought　the　Baron's　nephew　might　actually　kill　the　desert　man；　but　Rabban　turned　his　rage　and　fury　on　the　still…dissolving；　shud