bh.houseatreides-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ous　cargo　capacity；　the　mechanical　monstrosity　was　incredibly　expensive　　and　worth　every　solari　expended　to　maintain　it。　Its　excavators　kicked　up　cinnamon…red　dust；　gray　sand；　and　flint　chips　as　they　dug　down；　scooping　up　the　surface　of　the　desert；　sifting　for　aromatic　spice。
　Mobile　ground　units　ranged　across　the　open　sand　in　the　vicinity　of　the　factory；　dipping　probes　beneath　the　surface；　scraping　samples；　mapping　the　extent　of　the　buried　spice　vein。　Overhead；　heavier　machinery　borne　by　jumbo　ornithopters　circled；　waiting。　Peripherally；　spotter　craft　cruised　up　and　down　the　sands　with　alert　watchers　searching　for　the　telltale　ripples　of　wormsign。　One　of　the　great　sandworms　of　Arrakis　could　swallow　their　entire　operation　whole。
　〃M'Lord　Baron；〃　the　pilot　said　and　handed　the　municator　wand　over　to　him；　〃the　captain　of　the　work　crew　wishes　to　speak　with　you。　This　is　your　Baron。〃　He　touched　his　ear　to　listen　to　the　pickup。　〃Give　me　an　update。　How　much　have　you　found？〃
　Below　on　the　sands；　the　crew　captain　answered；　his　voice　gruff；　his　manner　annoyingly　unimpressed　with　the　importance　of　the　man　to　whom　he　was　speaking。　〃Ten　years　working　spice　crews；　and　this　deposit's　beyond　anything　I've　ever　seen。　Trouble　is；　it's　buried　deep。　Normally；　you　know；　we　find　the　spice　exposed　by　the　elements。　This　time　it's　densely　concentrated；　but。。。〃
　The　Baron　waited　for　only　a　moment。　〃Yes；　what　is　it？〃
　〃Something　strange　going　on　here；　sir。　Chemically；　I　mean。　We've　got　carbon　dioxide　leaking　from　below；　some　sort　of　a　bubble　beneath　us。　The　harvester's　digging　through　outer　layers　of　sand　to　get　at　the　spice；　but　there's　also　water　vapor。〃
　〃Water　vapor！〃　Such　a　thing　was　unheard…of　on　Arrakis；　where　the　moisture　content　of　the　air　was　nearly　unmeasurable；　even　on　the　best　of　days。
　〃Could　have　stumbled　on　an　ancient　aquifer；　sir。　Maybe　buried　under　a　cap　of　rock。〃
　The　Baron　had　never　imagined　finding　running　water　beneath　the　surface　of　Arrakis。　Quickly　he　considered　the　possibilities　of　exploiting　a　free…flowing　water　resource　by　selling　it　to　the　populace。　That　was　sure　to　upset　the　existing　water　merchants；　who　had　grown　too　swollen　with　self…importance　anyway。
　His　basso　voice　rumbled。　〃Do　you　think　it's　contaminating　the　spice　somehow？〃
　〃Not　able　to　say；　sir；〃　said　the　crew　captain。　〃Spice　is　strange　stuff；　but　I've　never　seen　a　pocket　like　this　before。　It　doesn't　seem。。。right　somehow。〃
　The　Baron　looked　over　at　the　'thopter　pilot。　〃Contact　the　spotters。　See　if　they've　picked　up　any　wormsign　yet。〃
　〃No　wormsign；　m'Lord；〃　the　pilot　said；　scanning　the　reply。　The　Baron　noticed　sparkles　of　sweat　on　the　man's　forehead。
　〃How　long　has　the　harvester　been　down　there？〃
　〃Nearly　two　standard　hours；　sir。〃
　Now　the　Baron　scowled。　One　of　the　worms　should　definitely　have　e　before　now。
　Inadvertently；　the　pilot　had　left　the　system　open；　and　the　crew　captain　gruffly　acknowledged　over　the　speaker。　〃Never　had　this　much　time　either；　sir。　The　worms　always　e。　Always。　But　something's　going　on　down　here。　Gases　are　increasing。　You　can　smell　it　in　the　air。〃
　Taking　a　deep　breath　of　the　recycled　cabin　air；　the　Baron　detected　the　musky　cinnamon　smell　of　raw　melange　scooped　from　the　desert。　The　ornithopter　flew　in　a　holding　pattern　now；　several　hundred　meters　from　the　main　harvester。
　〃We're　also　detecting　vibrations　underground；　some　kind　of　a　resonance。　I　don't　like　it；　sir。〃
　〃You're　not　paid　to　like　it；〃　the　Baron　replied。　〃Is　it　a　deep　worm？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；　sir。〃
　He　scanned　the　estimates　being　transmitted　from　the　spice　harvester。　The　numbers　boggled　his　mind。　〃We're　getting　as　much　from　this　one　excavation　as　a　month's　production　on　my　other　sites。〃　He　drummed　his　fingers　on　his　right　thigh　in　a　rhythmic　pattern。
　〃Nevertheless；　sir；　I　suggest　that　we　prepare　to　pack　up　and　abandon　the　site。　We　could　lose　〃
　〃Absolutely　not；　Captain；〃　the　Baron　said。　〃There's　no　wormsign；　and　you've　already　got　nearly　a　full　factory　load。　We　can　bring　down　a　carryall　and　give　you　an　empty　harvester　if　you　need　it。　I'm　not　leaving　behind　a　fortune　in　spice　just　because　you're　getting　nervous。。。just　because　you　have　an　uneasy　feeling。　Ridiculous！〃
　When　the　work　leader　tried　to　push　his　point；　the　Baron　interrupted；　〃Captain；　if　you're　a　nervous　coward；　you're　in　the　wrong　profession　and　in　the　employ　of　the　wrong　House。　Carry　on。〃　He　switched　off　the　municator　and　made　a　mental　note　to　remove　that　man　from　his　position　as　soon　as　possible。
　Carryalls　hovered　above；　ready　to　retrieve　the　spice　harvester　and　its　crew　as　soon　as　a　worm　appeared。　But　why　was　it　taking　so　long　for　one　to　e？　Worms　always　protected　the　spice。
　Spice。　He　tasted　the　word　in　his　thoughts　and　on　his　lips。
　Veiled　in　superstition；　the　substance　was　an　unknown　quantity；　a　modern　unicorn's…horn。　And　Arrakis　was　inhospitable　enough　that　no　one　had　yet　deciphered　the　origin　of　melange。　In　the　vast　canvas　of　the　Imperium；　no　explorer　or　prospector　had　found　melange　on　any　other　planet；　nor　had　anyone　succeeded　in　synthesizing　a　substitute；　despite　centuries　of　attempts。　Since　House　Harkonnen　held　the　planetary　governorship　of　Arrakis；　and　therefore　controlled　all　spice　production；　the　Baron　had　no　wish　to　see　a　substitute　developed；　or　any　other　source　found。
　Expert　desert　crews　located　the　spice；　and　the　Imperium　used　it　　but　beyond　that；　the　details　didn't　concern　him。　There　was　always　risk　to　spice　workers；　always　the　danger　that　a　worm　would　attack　too　soon；　that　a　carryall　would　malfunction；　that　a　spice　factory　would　not　be　lifted　away　in　time。　Unexpected　sandstorms　could　e　up　with　startling　speed。　The　casualty　rate　and　the　equipment　losses　to　House　Harkonnen　were　appalling。。。but　melange　paid　off　nearly　any　cost　in　blood　or　money。
　As　the　ornithopter　circled　in　a　steady；　thrumming　rhythm；　the　Baron　studied　the　industrial　spectacle　below。　Baking　sun　glinted　off　the　spice　factory's　dusty　hull。　Spotters　continued　to　prowl　the　air；　while　groundcars　cruised　beneath　them；　taking　samples。
　Still　no　sign　of　a　worm；　and　every　moment　allowed　the　crew　to　retrieve　more　spice。　The　workers　would　receive　bonuses　　except　for　that　captain　　and　House　Harkonnen　would　bee　richer。　The　records　could　be　doctored　later。
　The　Baron　turned　to　the　pilot。　〃Call　our　nearest　base。　Summon　another　carryall　and　another　spice　factory。　This　vein　seems　inexhaustible。〃　His　voice　trailed　off。　〃If　a　worm　hasn't　shown　up　by　now；　there　just　might　be　time。。。。〃
　The　ground　crew　captain　called　back；　broadcasting　on　a　general　frequency　since　the　Baron　had　shut　down　his　own　receiver。　〃Sir；　our　probes　indicate　that　the　temperature　is　rising　deep　below　　a　dramatic　spike！　Something's　going　on　down　there；　a　chemical　reaction。　And　one　of　our　ground…roving　teams　just　broke　into　a　swarming　nest　of　sandtrout。〃
　The　Baron　growled；　furious　with　the　man　for　municating　on　an　unencrypted　channel。　What　if　CHOAM　spies　were　listening？　Besides；　no　one　cared　about　sandtrout。　The　jellylike　creatures　deep　beneath　the　sand　were　as　irrelevant　to　him　as　flies　swarming　around　a　long…abandoned　corpse。
　He　made　a　mental　note　to　do　more　to　this　weakling　captain　than　just　remove　him　from　the　work　crews　and　deny　him　a　bonus。　That　gutless　bastard　was　probably　handpicked　by　Abulurd。
　The　Baron　saw　tiny　figures　of　scouts　tracking　through　the　sands；　running　about　like　ants　maddened　with　acid　vapor。　They　rushed　back　to　the　main　spice　factory。　One　man　leaped　off　his　dirt…encrusted　rover　and　scrambled　toward　the　open　door　of　the　massive　machine。
　〃What　are　those　men　doing？　Are　they　abandoning　their　posts？　Bring　us　down　closer　so　I　can　see。〃
　The　pilot　tilted　the　ornithopter　and　descended　like　an　ominous　beetle　toward　the　sand。　Below；　the　men　leaned　over；　coughing　and　retching　as　they　tried　to　drag　filters　over　their　faces。　Two　stumbled　on　the　shifting　sand。　Others　were　rapidly　battening　down　the　spice　factory。
　〃Bring　the　carryall！　Bring　the　carryall！〃　someone　cried。
　The　spotters　all　reported　in。　〃I　see　no　wormsign。〃
　〃Still　nothing。〃
　〃All　clear　from　here；〃　said　a　third。
　〃Why　are　they　evacuating？〃　the　Baron　demanded；　as　if　the　pilot　would　know。
　〃Something's　happening；〃　the　crew　captain　yelled。　〃Where's　that　carryall？　We　need　it　now！〃
　The　ground　bucked。　Four　workers　stumbled　and　pitched　facefirst　onto　the　sand　before　they　could　reach　the　ramp　to　the　spice　factory。
　〃Look；　m'Lord！〃　The　pilot　pointed　downward；　his　voice　filled　with　awe。　As　the　Baron　stopped　focusing　on　the　cowardly　men；　he　saw　the　sand　trembling　all　around　the　excavation　site；　vibrating　like　a　struck　drumhead。
　The　spice　harvester　canted；　slipped　to　one　side。　A　crack　opened　in　the　sands；　and　the　whole　site　began　to　swell　from　beneath　the　ground；　rising　in　the　air　like　a　gas　bubble　in　a　boiling　Salusan　mudpot。
　〃Get　us　out　of　here！〃　the　Baron　shouted。　The　pilot　stared　for　a　fraction　of　a　second；　and　the　Baron　swept　his　left　hand　with　the　speed　of　a　cracked　whip；　striking　the　man　hard　on　the　cheek。　〃Move！〃
　The　pilot　grabbed　the　'thopter　controls　and　wrenched　them　into　a　steep　ascent。　The　articulated　wings　flapped　furiously。
　On　the　terrain　below；　the　swollen　underground　bubble　reached　its　apex　　then　burst；　hurling　the