bh.houseatreides-第17节

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ose。　His　grip　on　hope　and　his　enthusiasm　for　the　job　had　faded　into　apathy。　Why　not　spend　the　days　playing　shield…ball？
　〃You're　a　bastard；〃　Shaddam　said。　〃Let's　start　another　game。〃
　Ignoring　his　friend's　suggestion；　Fenring　shut　down　the　console。　〃Maybe　so；　but　the　Imperium　has　too　many　critical　matters　that　require　attention；　and　you　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　your　father　is　bungling　the　job。　If　a　pany　head　ran　his　business　the　way　your　father　runs　the　Empire；　he'd　be　sacked。　Think　of　the　CHOAM　scandal；　for　example；　the　soostone　skimming　operation。〃
　〃Ah；　yes。　Can't　argue　with　you　on　that；　Hasimir。〃　Shaddam　heaved　a　deep　sigh。
　〃Royal　impersonators　　a　Duke；　a　Duchess。。。a　whole　damned　family　of　fakes；　right　under　your　father's　nose。　Who　was　watching？　Now　they've　disappeared　to　a　rogue　planet　somewhere　beyond　Imperial　control。　That　should　never　have　occurred；　hmm…m…m…m？　Just　imagine　the　lost　profits　for　Buzzell　and　the　adjoining　systems。　What　was　Elrood　thinking？〃
　Shaddam　looked　away。　He　didn't　like　to　bother　with　serious　Imperial　matters。　They　gave　him　headaches。　Given　his　father's　apparent　vigor；　such　details　seemed　distant　and；　by　and　large；　irrelevant　to　him。
　But　still　Fenring　persisted。　〃The　way　it　looks　now；　you　won't　get　a　chance　to　do　better。　One　hundred　and　fifty…five　years；　and　still　in　remarkable　health。　Fondil　III　before　him　lived　to　be　one　hundred　seventy…five。　What's　the　longest　a　Corrino　Emperor　has　ever　lived？〃
　Shaddam　frowned　and　looked　longingly　at　the　gaming　apparatus。　〃You　know　I　don't　pay　attention　to　things　like　that；　even　when　the　tutor　gets　angry　with　me。〃
　Fenring　jabbed　a　finger　at　him。　〃Elrood　will　live　to　two　hundred；　mark　my　words。　You　have　a　serious　problem；　friend。。。unless　you　listen　to　me。〃　He　raised　his　thin　eyebrows。
　〃Ah；　yes；　more　ideas　from　the　Assassins'　Handbook；　I　suppose。　Be　careful　with　that　information。　You　can　get　in　a　lot　of　trouble　with　it。〃
　〃Timid　people　are　destined　for　nothing　better　than　timid　jobs。　You　and　I；　Shaddam；　have　much　more　in　our　futures。　Think　of　the　possibilities；　hypothetically　of　course。　Besides；　what's　wrong　with　poison？　It　works　nicely　and　affects　only　the　targeted　person；　as　required　by　the　Great　Convention。　No　collateral　deaths；　no　loss　of　revenue；　no　destruction　of　inheritable　property。　Nice　and　neat。〃
　〃Poisons　are　for　House…to…House　assassinations；　not　for　what　you're　talking　about。〃
　〃You　didn't　plain　when　I　took　care　of　Fafnir；　hm…m…m…m…ah？　He'd　be　in　his　sixties　now；　still　waiting　to　taste　the　throne。　Do　you　want　to　wait　that　long？〃
　〃Stop；〃　Shaddam　insisted；　digging　in　his　heels。　〃Don't　even　imagine　such　a　course。　This　isn't　right。〃
　〃And　denying　you　your　birthright　is？　How　effective　an　Emperor　would　you　be　if　you　couldn't　exercise　power　until　you　were　old　and　senile　　like　your　father？　Look　what's　happened　on　Arrakis。　By　the　time　we　replaced　Abulurd　Harkonnen；　the　damage　to　spice　production　was　already　done。　Abulurd　had　no　idea　how　to　crack　the　whip；　so　the　workers　didn't　respect　him。　Now　the　Baron　cracks　it　too　much；　and　so　morale　is　way　down；　leading　to　rampant　defections　and　sabotage。　But　you　can't　really　blame　the　Harkonnens。　It　all　traces　back　to　your　father；　the　Padishah　Emperor；　and　the　bad　decisions　he's　made。〃　He　continued　more　quietly。　〃You　owe　it　to　the　stability　of　the　Imperium。〃
　Shaddam　glanced　up　at　the　ceiling；　as　if　searching　for　spy…eyes　or　other　listening　devices；　though　he　knew　that　Fenring　kept　his　private　penthouse　impeccably　shielded　and　regularly　scanned。　〃What　kind　of　poison　are　you　considering？　Hypothetically　speaking；　only？〃　Again　he　stared　across　the　lights　of　the　city　at　the　Imperial　Palace。　The　shimmering　structure　seemed　like　a　legendary　grail；　an　unattainable　prize。
　〃Perhaps　something　slow…acting；　hm…m…m…m？　So　Elrood　will　appear　to　be　aging。　No　one　will　question　what's　happening；　since　he's　so　old　already。　Leave　it　to　me。　As　our　future　Emperor；　you　shouldn't　concern　yourself　with　the　details　of　such　matters　　I　have　always　been　your　expediter；　remember？〃
　Shaddam　chewed　his　lower　lip。　No　one　in　the　Imperium　knew　more　about　this　man　than　he　did。　But　could　his　friend　ever　turn　on　him？　Possibly。。。though　Fenring　knew　full　well　his　best　path　to　power　lay　through　Shaddam。　How　to　keep　this　ambitious　friend　under　control；　how　to　stay　a　step　ahead　of　him　　that　was　the　challenge。
　Emperor　Elrood　IX；　aware　of　Hasimir　Fenring's　deadly　skills；　had　made　use　of　him　in　a　number　of　clandestine　operations；　all　of　which　had　been　successful。　Elrood　even　suspected　Fenring's　role　in　Crown　Prince　Fafnir's　death；　but　accepted　it　as　part　of　Imperial　politics。　Over　the　years；　Fenring　had　murdered　at　least　fifty　men　and　a　dozen　women；　some　of　whom　had　been　his　lovers；　of　either　sex。　He　took　a　measure　of　pride　in　being　a　killer　who　could　face　the　victim　or　strike　behind　his　back；　without　punction。
　There　were　days　Shaddam　wished　he　and　the　pushy　Fenring　had　never　formed　a　boyhood　relationship：　Then　he　wouldn't　be　hemmed　in　with　difficult　choices　that　he　didn't　want　to　think　about。　Shaddam　should　have　abandoned　his　crib…panion　as　soon　as　he　could　walk。　It　was　risky　to　be　around　such　an　unrelenting　assassin；　and　at　times　he　felt　tainted　by　the　association。
　Still；　Fenring　was　his　friend。　There　was　an　attraction　between　them；　an　undefinable　something　of　which　they'd　spoken　on　occasion　without　fully　understanding　it。　For　the　present　Shaddam　found　it　easier　to　accept　the　friendship　　and　for　his　own　sake；　he　hoped　it　was　friendship　　instead　of　trying　to　sever　it。　That　course　of　action　could　be　extremely　dangerous。
　Close　beside　him；　Shaddam　heard　a　voice　that　broke　his　train　of　thought。　〃Your　favorite　brandy；　my　Prince。〃　Looking　to　one　side；　Shaddam　saw　Fenring　offering　him　a　large　snifter　of　smoky…dark　kirana　brandy。
　He　accepted　the　snifter　but　stared　at　the　liquid　suspiciously；　swirling　it　around。　Was　there　another　color　to　it；　something　not　quite　mixed　in？　He　put　his　nose　over　the　lip；　inhaling　the　aroma　as　if　he　were　a　connoisseur　　though　he　was　actually　trying　to　detect　any　foreign　chemical。　The　brandy　smelled　normal。　But　then　Fenring　would　have　made　sure　of　that。　He　was　a　subtle　and　devious　man。
　〃I　can　drag　out　the　snooper　if　you　like；　but　you　never　need　worry　about　poison　from　me；　Shaddam；〃　Fenring　said　with　a　maddening　smile。　〃Your　father；　however；　is　in　an　entirely　different　position。〃
　〃Ah；　yes。　A　slow…acting　poison；　you　say？　I　suspect　you　already　have　a　substance　in　mind。　How　long　will　my　father　live　after　you　begin　the　process？　If　we　do　this　at　all；　I　mean。〃
　〃Two　years；　maybe　three。　Long　enough　to　make　his　decline　appear　natural。〃
　Shaddam　raised　his　chin；　trying　to　look　regal。　His　skin　was　perfumed；　his　reddish　hair　pomaded　and　slicked　back。　〃You　understand；　I　might　only　entertain　such　a　treasonous　idea　for　the　sake　of　the　Imperium　　to　avoid　continued　calamities　at　the　hands　of　my　father。〃
　A　crafty　smile　worked　at　the　edges　of　the　weasel　face。　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Two　or　three　years；〃　Shaddam　mused。　〃Time　for　me　to　prepare　for　the　great　responsibilities　of　leadership；　I　suppose。。。while　you　attend　to　some　of　the　more　unpleasant　tasks　of　empire。〃
　〃Aren't　you　going　to　drink　your　brandy；　Shaddam？〃
　Shaddam　met　the　hard　gaze　of　the　oversize　eyes；　and　felt　fear　course　along　his　spine。　He　was　in　too　deep　not　to　trust　Fenring　now。　He　drew　another　shaky　breath　and　sipped　the　rich　liqueur。
　THREE　DAYS　LATER；　Fenring　slipped　like　a　ghost　through　the　shields　and　poison…snoopers　of　the　Palace　and　stood　over　the　sleeping　Emperor；　listening　to　the　smooth　purr　of　his　snores。
　Not　a　care　in　the　universe；　this　one。
　No　one　else　could　have　gotten　into　the　most　secure　sleeping　chamber　of　the　ancient　Emperor。　But　Fenring　had　his　ways：　a　bribe　here；　a　manipulated　schedule　there；　a　concubine　made　ill；　a　doorman　distracted；　the　Chamberlain　sent　off　on　an　urgent　errand。　He　had　done　this　many　times　before；　practicing　for　the　inevitable。　Everyone　in　the　Palace　was　used　to　Fenring　slinking　around；　and　they　knew　better　than　to　ask　too　many　questions。　Now；　according　to　his　precise　assessment　which　would　have　made　even　a　Mentat　proud　　Fenring　had　three　minutes。　Four；　if　he　was　lucky。
　Enough　time　to　change　the　course　of　history。
　With　the　same　perfect　timing　he　had　demonstrated　during　the　shield…ball　game；　as　well　as　during　his　rehearsals　on　mannequins　and　two　unfortunate　serving　women　from　the　kitchen　storehouses；　Fenring　froze　in　place　and　waited；　gauging　the　breathing　of　his　victim　like　a　Laza　tiger　about　to　pounce。　In　one　hand　he　cradled　a　long　microhair　needle　between　two　slender　fingers；　while　in　the　other　hand　he　held　a　mist…tube。　Old　Elrood　lay　on　his　back；　in　the　precisely　correct　position；　looking　like　a　mummy；　his　parchment　skin　stretched　tight　over　his　skull。
　Guided　by　a　certain　hand；　the　mist…tube　moved　closer。　Fenring　counted　to　himself；　waiting　。。。。
　In　a　space　between　Elrood's　breaths；　Fenring　squeezed　a　lever　on　the　tube　and　sprayed　a　powerful　anesthetic　mist　in　the　old　man's　face。
　There　was　no　discernible　change　in　Elrood；　but　Fenring　knew　the　nerve　deadener　had　taken　effect；　instantaneously。　Now　he　made　his　thrust。　A　fiber…fine；　self…guiding　needle　snaked　up　the　old　man's　nose；　through