bh.houseatreides-第114节

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t　panion。　〃Our　suspicion　of。。。the　Tleilaxu　connection。　We　can　use　that　for　a　convoluted　bluff　within　a　bluff。　But　can　we　do　it　without　harming　Shaddam　or　House　Corrino？〃
　Anirul　stiffened。　〃My　future　husband　　and　even　the　Golden　Lion　Throne　itself　　are　secondary　to　our　breeding　program。〃
　〃Of　course　you're　right。〃　Margot　nodded　in　resignation；　as　if　shocked　at　her　own　gaffe。　〃But　how　should　we　proceed？〃
　〃We　begin　with　a　message　to　Leto。〃
　Truth　is　a　chameleon。
　…Zensunni　Aphorism
　On　the　second　morning　of　Leto's　confinement　in　Landsraad　Prison　on　Kaitain；　an　official　arrived　with　important　documents　for　him　to　sign　　the　official　demand　for　a　Trial　by　Forfeiture；　and　Leto's　formal　surrender　of　all　property　held　by　House　Atreides。　It　was　the　moment　of　truth　for　him；　the　point　at　which　he　had　to　certify　the　dangerous　course　of　action　he　had　demanded。
　Though　undeniably　a　prison；　the　cell　had　two　rooms；　a　fortable　sling　couch；　a　desk　made　of　polished　Ecaz　jacaranda；　a　filmbook　reader；　and　other　fine　appointments。　These　so…called　courtesies　had　been　granted　to　him　because　of　his　status　in　the　Landsraad。　No　leader　of　a　Great　House　would　ever　be　treated　as　a　mon　criminal　　at　least；　not　until　he　either　lost　everything　through　due　process；　or　went　renegade　like　House　Vernius。　Leto　knew　he　might　never　again　be　surrounded　by　such　elegant　trappings；　unless　he　could　prove　his　innocence。
　His　cell　was　warm；　the　food　sufficient　and　palatable；　the　bed　fortable　　though　he　had　hardly　slept　at　all　while　preparing　for　his　ordeal。　He　had　little　hope　of　a　swift　and　simple　resolution　to　this　matter。　The　Courier　could　only　be　bringing　more　problems。
　The　official；　a　Landsraad　courtech　with　security　clearance；　wore　a　brown…and…teal　Landsraad　uniform　with　silver　epaulets。　He　referred　to　Leto　as　〃Monsieur　Atreides；〃　without　the　customary　ducal　title；　as　if　the　forfeiture　documents　had　already　been　processed。
　Leto　chose　not　to　make　a　point　of　this　faux　pas；　though　officially　he　remained　a　Duke　until　the　papers　were　signed　and　the　sentence　thumbprint…sealed　by　the　magistrates　of　the　court。　In　all　the　centuries　of　the　Imperium；　Trial　by　Forfeiture　had　been　invoked　previously　only　three　times；　in　two　of　those　cases；　the　defendant　had　lost；　and　the　accused　Houses　were　ruined。
　Leto　hoped　to　beat　those　odds。　He　could　not　allow　House　Atreides　to　crumble　to　dust　less　than　a　year　after　his　father's　death。　That　would　earn　him　a　permanent　place　in　the　Landsraad　annals　as　the　most　inpetent　House　leader　in　recorded　history。
　Wearing　his　black…and…red　Atreides　uniform；　Leto　took　a　seat　at　a　blueplaz　table。　Thufir　Hawat；　acting　as　Mentat…advisor；　lowered　himself　ponderously　into　a　chair　beside　his　Duke。　Together；　they　examined　the　sheaf　of　legal　documents。　Like　most　formal　matters　of　the　Imperium；　the　evidence　forms　and　trial　documents　were　inscribed　on　microthin　sheets　of　ridulian…crystal　paper；　permanent　records　that　could　last　for　thousands　of　years。
　At　their　touch；　each　sheet　illuminated　so　that　Leto　and　Hawat　could　study　the　fine　text。　The　old　Mentat　used　his　skills　to　imprint　each　page　onto　his　memory；　he　would　absorb　and　prehend　it　all　in　greater　detail　later。　The　documents　spelled　out　precisely　what　was　to　occur　during　the　preparations　and　the　actual　trial。　Each　page　bore　the　identification　marks　of　various　officers　of　the　court；　including　Leto's　own　attorneys。
　As　part　of　the　unorthodox　procedure；　the　crew　of　the　Atreides　frigate　had　been　released　and　permitted　to　return　to　Caladan；　though　many　loyal　followers　remained　on　Kaitain　to　offer　their　silent　support。　Any　individual　or　collective　culpability　had　been　shouldered　entirely　by　the　mander；　Duke　Atreides。　In　addition；　the　guaranteed　sanctuary　of　the　Vernius　children　would　continue；　regardless　of　the　status　of　the　House。　Even　with　the　worst　possible　oute　of　the　trial；　Leto　could　take　fort　in　that　small　victory。　His　friends　would　remain　safe。
　Under　the　forfeiture　provision　　which　even　his　estranged　mother　could　not　countermand　from　her　retreat　with　the　Sisters　in　Isolation　　Duke　Leto　surrendered　all　of　his　family　assets　（including　the　House　atomics　and　stewardship　of　the　planet　Caladan　itself）　to　the　general　supervision　of　the　Landsraad　Council；　while　he　prepared　for　a　trial　before　his　peers。
　A　trial　that　might　be　rigged　against　him。
　Win　or　lose；　though；　Leto　knew　he　had　averted　a　major　war　and　saved　billions　of　lives。　His　action　had　been　the　right　one；　regardless　of　the　consequences　to　himself。　Old　Duke　Paulus　himself　would　have　made　no　other　choice；　given　the　alternatives。
　〃Yes；　Thufir；　this　is　all　correct；〃　Leto　said；　turning　the　last　page　of　shimmering　ridulian　crystal。　He　removed　his　ducal　signet　ring；　snipped　the　red　armorial　hawk　from　his　uniform；　and　handed　the　items　over　to　the　courtech。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　just　cut　away　pieces　of　himself。
　If　he　lost　this　desperate　gambit；　the　holdings　on　Caladan　would　bee　the　prize　in　a　Landsraad　free…for…all；　the　citizens　on　the　watery　world　no　more　than　helpless　bystanders。　He　had　been　stripped；　his　future　and　fortune　placed　in　limbo。　Perhaps　they'll　give　Caladan　to　the　Harkonnens；　Leto　thought　in　despair；　just　to　spite　us。
　The　courtech　handed　him　a　magnapen。　Leto　pressed　his　forefinger　against　the　soft　side　of　the　tiny　inking　device　and　signed　the　crystal　documents　in　a　wide；　flowing　script。　He　felt　a　faint　crackle　of　static　electricity　on　the　top　sheet；　or　perhaps　that　was　just　his　own　anxiety。　The　courtech　added　his　own　ID　print　to　witness　the　papers。　With　obvious　reluctance；　Hawat　did　the　same。
　As　the　courtech　departed　in　a　swirl　of　brown…and…teal　livery；　Leto　announced　across　the　table；　〃I　am　a　moner　now；　without　title　or　fief。〃
　〃Only　until　our　victory；〃　Hawat　said。　With　the　faintest　tremor　in　his　voice；　he　added；　〃Regardless　of　the　oute；　you　will　always　be　my　Honored　Duke。〃
　The　Mentat　paced　the　length　of　the　cell　like　a　captive　marsh　panther。　He　paused　with　his　back　to　a　tiny　window　that　looked　out　on　the　immense　flat　black　plain　of　an　outbuilding　to　the　Imperial　Palace。　The　morning　sun　flowing　from　behind　him　cast　Hawat's　face　in　shadow。
　〃I　have　studied　the　official　evidence；　the　data　taken　by　scanners　in　the　Heighliner　hold；　and　eyewitness　accounts。　I　agree　with　your　attorneys　that　it　looks　very　bad　for　you；　m'Lord。　We　must　begin　with　the　assumption　that　you　did　not　instigate　this　act　in　any　way　and　extrapolate　from　there。〃
　Leto　sighed。　〃Thufir；　if　you　don't　believe　me；　we　have　no　chance　whatsoever　in　the　Landsraad　court。〃
　〃I　take　your　innocence　as　fact。　Now；　there　are　several　possibilities；　which　I　will　list　in　the　order　of　least　likelihood。　First；　though　it　is　a　remote　possibility；　the　destruction　of　the　Tleilaxu　ship　may　have　been　an　accident。〃
　〃We　need　something　better　than　that；　Thufir。　No　one　will　believe　it。〃
　〃More　likely；　the　Tleilaxu　blew　up　their　own　ship　simply　to　incriminate　you。　We　know　the　small　value　they　place　on　life。　The　passengers　and　crew　on　the　destroyed　craft　may　have　only　been　gholas；　and　thus　expendable。　They　can　always　grow　more　duplicates　in　their　axlotl　tanks。〃
　Hawat　tapped　his　fingers　together。　〃Unfortunately；　the　problem　is　lack　of　motive。　Would　the　Tleilaxu　concoct　such　a　plex　and　outrageous　scheme　merely　to　get　petty　revenge　against　you　for　harboring　the　children　of　House　Vernius？　What　would　they　gain　by　this？〃
　〃Remember；　Thufir；　I　did　declare　my　clear　enmity　against　them　in　the　Landsraad　Hall。　They　see　me　as　an　enemy　as　well。〃
　〃I　still　don't　think　that　is　sufficient　provocation；　my　Duke。　No；　this　is　something　bigger；　something　for　which　the　perpetrator　was　willing　to　risk　all…out　war。〃　He　paused；　then　added；　〃I　am　unable　to　determine　what　the　Bene　Tleilax　could　possibly　gain　by　the　embarrassment　or　destruction　of　House　Atreides。　You　are　a　peripheral　enemy　to　them；　at　best。〃
　Leto　wrestled　with　the　conundrum　himself；　but　if　even　the　Mentat　could　not　find　a　chain　of　associations；　then　a　mere　Duke　wouldn't　be　able　to　follow　such　subtle　threads。　〃All　right；　what's　another　possibility？〃
　〃Perhaps。。。Ixian　sabotage。　The　result　of　an　Ixian　renegade　who　sought　to　strike　back　against　the　Tleilaxu。　A　misguided　attempt　to　assist　the　exiled　Dominic　Vernius。　It's　also　possible　that　Dominic　himself　was　involved；　though　there　have　been　no　sightings　of　him　since　he　went　renegade。〃
　Leto　digested　this　information；　but　the　practical　question　nagged　him。　〃Sabotage？　By　what　means？〃
　〃Difficult　to　say。　The　gutting　of　the　Tleilaxu　ship's　interior　suggests　a　multiphase　projectile。　Chemical　residue　analysis　also　confirms　this。〃
　Leto　leaned　back　in　the　unfortable　chair。　〃But　how？　Who　could　have　fired　such　a　projectile？　Let's　not　forget　that　witnesses　claim　to　have　seen　shots　launched　from　the　direction　of　our　frigate。　The　Heighliner　hold　was　empty　in　the　vicinity。　You　and　I　were　both　watching。　Ours　was　the　only　ship　close　enough。〃
　〃The　few　answers　I　can　suggest　are　extremely　unlikely；　my　Duke。　A　small　attack　craft　could　have　fired　such　a　projectile；　but　it　is　not　possible　to　hide　such　a　vessel。　We　saw　nothing。　Even　an　individual　suited　up　with　breathing　apparatus　would　have　been　noticed　in　the　cargo　hold；　so　that　rules　out　shoulder…launched　missiles。　Besides　which；