bh.houseatreides-第22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！


in　fact；　considered　seducing　Abulurd　and　simply　taking　the　information　she　needed；　but　she　had　decided　against　that　plan。　The　man　seemed　unshakably　devoted　to　his　squat　and　wholesome　native　wife；　Emmi　Rabban；　the　mother　of　Glossu　Rabban。　He　had　fallen　in　love　with　her　long　ago　on　Lankiveil；　married　her　to　the　dismay　of　his　father；　and　carried　her　with　him　from　world　to　world　during　his　chaotic　career。　Abulurd　seemed　impervious　to　any　feminine　temptations　but　hers。
　Instead；　Margot　used　simple　charm　and　quiet　innocence　to　gain　access　to　written　financial　records；　dusty　ledgers；　and　inventory　rooms。　No　one　questioned　her。
　In　time；　taking　advantage　of　every　surreptitious　opportunity；　she　found　what　she　needed。　Using　flash…memorization　techniques　learned　on　Wallach　IX；　Margot　scanned　through　stacks　of　etched　ridulian　crystals　and　absorbed　columns　of　numbers；　cargo　manifests；　lists　of　equipment　demissioned　or　placed　into　service；　suspicious　losses；　storm　damage。
　In　nearby　rooms；　groups　of　women　skinned　and　gutted　fish；　chopped　herbs；　peeled　roots　and　sour　fruits　for　steaming　cauldrons　of　fish　stew；　which　Abulurd　and　his　wife　served　for　the　entire　household。　They　insisted　on　eating　the　same　meals；　at　the　same　tables；　as　all　of　their　workers。　Margot　finished　her　surreptitious　scanning　well　before　the　meal　call　sounded　throughout　the　rooms　of　the　great　house　。。。。
　Later；　in　private　while　listening　to　a　blustery　storm　outside；　she　reviewed　the　data　in　her　mind　and　studied　spice…production　records　from　Abulurd's　tenure　on　Arrakis　and　the　Baron's　current　filings　with　CHOAM；　along　with　the　amounts　of　melange　spirited　away　from　Arrakis　by　various　smuggler　organizations。
　Normally；　she　would　have　set　aside　the　data　until　entire　teams　of　Sisters　had　a　chance　to　analyze　it。　But　Margot　wanted　to　discover　the　answer　herself。　Pretending　to　sleep；　she　dived　into　the　problem　behind　her　eyelids　with　abandon；　falling　into　a　deep　trance。
　The　numbers　had　been　masterfully　manipulated；　but　after　Margot　stripped　away　the　masks　and　thin　screens；　she　found　her　answer。　A　Bene　Gesserit　could　see　it；　but　she　doubted　even　the　Emperor's　financial　advisors　or　CHOAM　accountants　would　detect　the　deception。
　Unless　it　was　pointed　out　to　them。
　Her　discovery　suggested　serious　underreporting　of　spice　production　to　CHOAM　and　the　Emperor。　Either　the　Harkonnens　were　selling　melange　illicitly　　doubtful；　because　that　could　easily　be　tracked　　or　accumulating　secret　stockpiles　of　their　own。
　Interesting；　Margot　thought；　raising　her　eyebrows。　She　opened　her　eyes；　went　over　to　a　reinforced　window　casement；　and　stared　out　at　the　liquid　metal　seas；　the　choppy　waves　trapped　within　the　bottleneck　fjords；　the　murky　black　clouds　hovering　above　the　rugged　bulwarks　of　rock。　In　the　bleak　distance；　fur…whales　set　up　an　eerie；　humming　song。
　The　following　day　she　booked　passage　on　the　next　Guild　Heighliner。　Then；　shucking　her　disguise；　she　rode　up　in　a　cargo　hauler　filled　with　processed　whale…fur。　She　doubted　that　anyone　on　Lankiveil　had　noticed　her　arrival　or　her　departure。
　Four　things　cannot　be　hidden　　Love；　smoke；　a　pillar　of　fire；　and　a　man　striding　across　the　open　bled。
　…Fremen　Wisdom
　Alone　in　the　quiet；　stark　desert　　exactly　as　it　should　be。　Pardot　Kynes　found　that　he　worked　best　with　nothing　but　his　own　thoughts　and　plenty　of　time　to　think　them。　Other　people　provided　too　many　distractions；　and　few　others　had　the　same　focus　or　the　same　drive。
　As　Imperial　Planetologist　to　Arrakis；　he　needed　to　absorb　the　huge　landscape　into　every　pore　of　his　being。　Once　he　got　into　the　right　mind…set　he　could　actually　feel　the　pulse　of　a　world。　Now；　standing　atop　a　rugged　formation　of　black…and…red　rock　that　had　been　uplifted　from　the　surrounding　basin；　the　lean；　weathered　man　stared　in　both　directions　at　the　vastness。　Desert；　desert　everywhere。
　His　map　screen　named　the　mountainous　line　Rimwall　West。　His　altimeter　proclaimed　the　tallest　peaks　to　be　substantially　higher　than　six　thousand　meters。。。yet　he　saw　no　snow；　glaciers；　or　ice；　no　signs　of　precipitation　whatsoever。　Even　the　most　rugged　and　atomic…blasted　mountaintops　on　Salusa　Secundus　had　been　covered　with　snow。　But　the　air　here　was　so　desperately　dry　that　exposed　water　could　not　survive　in　any　form。
　Kynes　stared　southward　across　the　ocean　of　sand　to　the　world…girdling　desert　known　as　the　Funeral　Plain。　No　doubt　geographers　could　have　found　ample　distinctions　to　categorize　the　landscape　into　further　labeled　subsections　　but　few　humans　who　ventured　out　there　ever　returned。　This　was　the　domain　of　the　worms。　No　one　really　needed　maps。
　Bemused；　Kynes　remembered　ancient　sailing　charts　from　the　earliest　days　of　Old　Terra；　their　mysterious　unexplored　areas　marked　simply；　〃Here　Be　Monsters。〃　Yes；　he　thought　as　he　recalled　Rabban's　hunt　of　the　incredible　sandworm。　Here　be　monsters　indeed。
　Exposed　atop　the　serrated　ridge　of　the　Rimwall；　he　removed　the　stillsuit's　nostril　plugs　and　rubbed　a　sore　spot　where　the　filter　constantly　brushed　against　his　nose。　Then　he　pulled　away　the　covering　on　his　mouth　so　he　could　take　a　deep　breath　of　the　scorched；　brittle　air。　According　to　his　desert…prep　instructions；　he　knew　he　should　not　expose　himself　unnecessarily　to　such　water　loss；　but　Kynes　needed　to　draw　in　the　aromas　and　vibrations　of　Arrakis；　needed　to　sense　the　heartbeat　of　the　planet。
　He　smelled　hot　dust；　the　subtle　saltiness　of　minerals；　the　distinct　tastes　of　sand；　weathered　lava；　and　basalt。　This　was　a　world　entirely　without　the　moist　scents　of　either　growing　or　rotting　vegetation；　without　any　odor　that　might　betray　the　cycles　of　life　and　death。　Only　sand　and　rock　and　more　sand。
　Upon　closer　inspection；　though；　even　the　harshest　desert　teemed　with　life；　with　specialized　plants；　with　animals　and　insects　adapted　to　hostile　ecological　niches。　He　knelt　to　scrutinize　shadowy　pockets　in　the　rock；　tiny　hollows　where　the　barest　breath　of　morning　dew　might　collect。　There；　lichens　gripped　the　rough　stone　surface。
　A　few　hard　pellets　marked　the　droppings　of　a　small　rodent；　perhaps　a　kangaroo　rat。　Insects　might　make　their　homes　here　at　high　altitude；　along　with　a　bit　of　windblown　grass　or　hardy　and　solitary　weeds。　On　the　vertical　cliffs；　even　bats　took　shelter　and　surged　out　at　dusk　to　hunt　night　moths　and　gnats。　Occasionally　in　the　enamel…blue　sky　he　spotted　a　dark　fleck　that　must　have　been　a　hawk　or　a　carrion　bird。　For　such　larger　animals；　survival　must　be　particularly　hard。
　How；　then；　do　the　Fremen　survive？
　He'd　seen　their　dusty　forms　walking　the　village　streets；　but　the　desert　people　kept　to　themselves；　went　about　their　business；　then　vanished。　Kynes　noticed　that　the　〃civilized〃　villagers　treated　them　differently；　but　it　wasn't　clear　whether　this　came　from　awe　or　disdain。　Polish　es　from　the　cities；　went　an　old　Fremen　saying；　wisdom　from　the　desert。
　According　to　a　few　sparse　anthropological　notes　he　had　found；　the　Fremen　were　the　remnants　of　an　ancient　wandering　people；　the　Zensunni；　who　had　been　slaves　dragged　from　world　to　world。　After　being　freed；　or　perhaps　escaping；　from　their　captivity　they　had　tried　to　find　a　home　for　centuries；　but　were　persecuted　everywhere　they　went。　Finally；　they'd　gone　to　ground　here　on　Arrakis…and　somehow　they　had　thrived。
　Once；　when　he'd　tried　to　speak　to　a　Fremen　woman　as　she　walked　past；　the　woman　had　fixed　him　with　the　gaze　of　her　shockingly　blue…within…blue　eyes；　the　whites　pletely　swallowed　in　the　indigo　of　pure　spice　addiction。　The　sight　had　jolted　all　questions　from　his　mind；　and　before　Kynes　could　say　anything　else　to　her；　the　Fremen　woman　had　hurried　on　her　way；　hugging　her　tattered　brown　jubba　cloak　over　her　stillsuit。
　Kynes　had　heard　rumors　that　entire　Fremen　population　centers　were　hidden　out　in　the　basins　and　the　rocky　buttresses　of　the　Shield　Wall。　Living　off　the　land；　when　the　land　itself　provided　so　little　life。。。how　did　they　do　it？
　Kynes　still　had　much　to　learn　about　Arrakis；　and　he　thought　the　Fremen　could　teach　him　a　great　deal。　If　he　could　ever　find　them。
　IN　DIRTY；　ROUGH…EDGED　Carthag；　the　Harkonnens　had　been　reluctant　to　outfit　the　unwanted　Planetologist　with　extravagant　equipment。　Scowling　at　the　Padishah　Emperor's　seal　on　Kynes's　requisition；　the　supply　master　had　authorized　him　to　take　clothes；　a　stilltent；　a　survival　kit；　four　literjons　of　water；　some　preserved　rations；　and　a　battered　one…man　ornithopter　with　an　extended　fuel　supply。　Those　items　were　enough　for　a　person　like　Kynes；　who　was　a　stranger　to　luxury。　He　didn't　care　about　formal　trappings　and　useless　niceties。　He　was　much　more　focused　on　the　problem　of　understanding　Arrakis。
　After　checking　the　predicted　storm　patterns　and　prevailing　winds；　Kynes　lit　off　in　the　ornithopter　toward　the　northeast；　heading　deeper　into　the　mountainous　terrain　surrounding　the　polar　regions。　Because　the　mid…latitudes　were　broiling　wastelands；　most　human　habitation　clustered　around　the　highlands。
　He　piloted　the　old　surplus　'thopter；　listening　to　the　loud　hum　of　its　engines　and　the　flutter　of　movable　wings。　From　the　air；　and　all　alone：　This　was　the　best　way　to　see　the　vistas　below；　to　get　a　broad　perspective　on　the　geological　blemishes　and　patterns；　the　colors　of　rock；　the　canyons。
　Through　the　sand…scratch