bh.houseatreides-第3节

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y。
　On　the　terrain　below；　the　swollen　underground　bubble　reached　its　apex　　then　burst；　hurling　the　spice　harvester；　the　mobile　crews；　and　everything　else　up　off　the　surface。　A　gigantic　explosion　of　sand　sprayed　upward；　carrying　broken　rock　and　volatile　orange　spice。　The　mammoth　factory　was　crushed　and　blasted　to　pieces；　scattered　like　lost　rags　in　a　Coriolis　storm。
　〃What　the　devil　happened？〃　The　Baron's　dark　eyes　went　wide　in　disbelief　at　the　sheer　magnitude　of　the　disaster。　All　that　precious　spice　gone；　swallowed　in　an　instant。　All　the　equipment　destroyed。　The　loss　in　lives　hardly　occurred　to　him；　except　for　the　wasted　costs　of　crew　training。
　〃Hang　on；　m'Lord；〃　the　pilot　cried。　His　knuckles　turned　white　on　the　controls。
　A　hammer…blast　of　wind　struck　them。　The　armored　ornithopter　turned　end　over　end　in　the　air；　wings　flailing。　The　engines　whined　and　groaned；　trying　to　maintain　stability。　Pellets　of　high…velocity　sand　struck　the　plaz　windowports。　Dust…clogged；　the　'thopter's　motors　made　sick；　coughing　sounds。　The　craft　lost　altitude；　dropping　toward　the　seething　maw　of　the　desert。
　The　pilot　shouted　unintelligible　words。　The　Baron　clutched　his　crash　restraints；　saw　the　ground　ing　toward　them　like　an　inverted　bootheel　to　squash　an　insect。
　As　head　of　House　Harkonnen；　he　had　always　thought　he　would　die　by　a　treacherous　assassin's　hand。。。but　to　fall　prey　to　an　unpredictable　natural　disaster　instead　　the　Baron　found　it　almost　humorous。
　As　they　plunged；　he　saw　the　sand　open　like　a　festering　sore。　The　dust　and　raw　melange　were　being　sucked　down；　turned　over　by　convection　currents　and　chemical　reactions。　The　rich　spice　vein　of　only　moments　before　had　turned　into　a　leprous　mouth　ready　to　swallow　them。
　But　the　pilot；　who　had　seemed　weak　and　distractible　during　their　flight；　became　rigid　with　concentration　and　determination。　His　fingers　flew　over　sky　rudder　and　engine　throttle　controls；　working　to　ride　the　currents；　switching　flow　from　one　motor　to　another　to　discharge　dust　strangulation　in　the　air　intakes。
　Finally　the　ornithopter　leveled　off；　steadied　itself　again；　and　cruised　low　over　the　dune　plain。　The　pilot　emitted　an　audible　sigh　of　relief。
　Where　the　great　opening　had　been　ripped　into　the　layered　sand；　the　Baron　now　saw　glittering　translucent　shapes　like　maggots　on　a　carcass：　sandtrout；　rushing　toward　the　explosion。　Soon　giant　worms　would　e；　too。　The　monsters　couldn't　possibly　resist　this。
　Try　as　he　might；　the　Baron　couldn't　understand　spice。　Not　at　all。
　The　'thopter　gained　altitude；　taking　them　toward　the　spotters　and　the　carryalls　that　had　been　caught　unawares。　They　hadn't　been　able　to　retrieve　the　spice　factory　and　its　precious　cargo　before　the　explosion；　and　he　could　blame　no　one　for　it　　no　one　but　himself。　The　Baron　had　given　them　explicit　orders　to　remain　out　of　reach。
　〃You　just　saved　my　life；　pilot。　What　is　your　name？〃
　〃Kryubi；　sir。〃
　〃All　right；　then；　Kryubi　　have　you　ever　seen　such　a　thing？　What　happened　down　there？　What　caused　that　explosion？〃
　The　pilot　took　a　deep　breath。　〃I've　heard　the　Fremen　talking　about　something　they　call　a。。。spice　blow。〃　He　seemed　like　a　statue　now；　as　if　the　terror　had　transformed　him　into　something　much　stronger。　〃It　happens　in　the　deep　desert；　where　few　people　can　see。〃
　〃Who　cares　what　the　Fremen　say？〃　He　curled　his　lip　at　the　thought　of　the　dirty；　nomadic　indigents　of　the　great　desert。　〃We've　all　heard　of　spice　blows；　but　nobody's　ever　actually　seen　one。　Crazy　superstitions。〃
　〃Yes；　but　superstition　usually　has　some　kind　of　basis。　They　see　many　things　out　in　the　desert。〃　Now　the　Baron　admired　the　man　for　his　willingness　to　speak　out；　though　Kryubi　must　know　of　his　temper　and　vindictiveness。　Perhaps　it　would　be　wise　to　promote　him　。。。。
　〃They　say　a　spice　blow　is　a　chemical　explosion；〃　Kryubi　continued；　〃probably　the　result　of　a　pre…spice　mass　beneath　the　sands。〃
　The　Baron　considered　this；　he　couldn't　deny　the　evidence　of　his　own　eyes。　One　day　maybe　someone　would　understand　the　true　nature　of　melange　and　be　able　to　prevent　disasters　like　this。　So　far；　because　the　spice　was　seemingly　inexhaustible　to　those　willing　to　make　the　effort；　no　one　had　bothered　with　a　detailed　analysis。　Why　waste　time　on　tests；　when　fortunes　waited　to　be　made？　The　Baron　had　a　monopoly　on　Arrakis　　but　it　was　also　a　monopoly　based　on　ignorance。
　He　gritted　his　teeth　and　knew　that　once　they　returned　to　Carthag　he　would　be　forced　to　blow　off　some　steam；　to　release　his　pent…up　tensions　on　〃amusements；〃　perhaps　a　bit　more　vigorously　than　he　had　earlier　intended。　He　would　have　to　find　a　special　candidate　this　time　　not　one　of　his　regular　lovers；　but　someone　he　would　never　have　use　for　again。　That　would　free　him　of　restraint。
　Looking　down；　he　thought；　No　longer　any　need　to　hide　this　site　from　the　Emperor。　They　would　record　it；　log　it　as　a　find；　and　document　the　destruction　of　the　crew　and　equipment。　No　need　to　manipulate　the　records　now。　Old　Elrood　would　not　be　pleased；　and　House　Harkonnen　would　have　to　absorb　this　financial　setback。
　As　the　pilot　circled　around；　the　surviving　spice　crew　assessed　their　damages　on　the　ground；　and　over　the　link　reported　losses　of　men；　equipment；　and　spice　load。　The　Baron　felt　rage　boiling　within　him。
　Damn　Arrakis！　he　thought。　Damn　the　spice；　and　damn　our　dependence　on　it！
　
　We　are　generalists。　You　can't　draw　neat　lines　around　planetwide　problems。　Planetology　is　a　cut…and…fit　science。
　…PARDOT　KYNES；　Treatise　on　the　Environmental　Recovery　of　Post…Holocaust　Salusa　Secundus
　0n　the　Imperial　planet　Kaitain；　immense　buildings　kissed　the　sky。　Magnificent　sculptures　and　opulent　tiered　fountains　lined　the　crystal…paved　boulevards　like　a　dream。　A　person　could　stare　for　hours。
　Pardot　Kynes　managed　to　catch　only　a　glimpse　of　the　urban　spectacle　as　the　royal　guards　marched　him　at　a　rapid　clip　into　the　Palace。　They　had　no　patience　for　a　simple　Planetologist's　curiosity；　nor　any　apparent　interest　in　the　city's　wonders。　Their　job　was　to　escort　him　to　the　tremendous　vaulted　throne　room；　without　delay。　The　Emperor　of　the　Known　Universe　could　not　be　kept　waiting　for　mere　sight…seeing。
　The　members　of　Kynes's　escort　wore　gray…and…black　uniforms；　impeccably　clean　and　adorned　with　braids　and　medals；　every　button　and　bauble　polished；　every　ribbon　straightened　and　pressed。　Fifteen　of　the　Emperor's　handpicked　staff；　the　Sardaukar；　surrounded　him　like　an　army。
　Still；　the　splendor　of　the　capital　world　overwhelmed　Kynes。　Turning　to　the　guard　closest　to　him；　he　said；　〃I'm　usually　out　in　the　dirt；　or　tromping　through　swamps　on　a　planet　where　nobody　else　wants　to　be。〃　He　had　never　seen；　or　even　imagined；　anything　like　this　in　all　of　the　rugged　and　out…of…the…way　landscapes　he　had　studied。
　The　guard　made　no　response　to　this　tall；　lean　off…wonder。　Sardaukar　were　trained　to　be　fighting　machines；　not　conversationalists。
　〃Here　I've　been　scrubbed　clean　down　to　the　third　layer　of　my　skin　and　dressed　like　a　noble。〃　Kynes　tugged　at　the　thick　corded　fabric　of　his　dark　blue　jacket；　smelled　the　soap　and　scent　of　his　own　skin。　He　had　a　high　forehead；　with　sparse；　sandy　hair　bed　straight　back。
　The　escort　hurried　up　a　seemingly　endless　waterfall　of　polished　stone　steps；　ornately　highlighted　with　gold　filigree　and　creamy；　sparkling　soostones。
　Kynes　turned　to　the　guard　on　his　left。　〃This　is　my　first　trip　to　Kaitain。　I'd　wager　you　don't　even　notice　the　sights　anymore；　if　you　work　here　all　the　time？〃　His　words　hung　on　a　wistful　smile；　but　again　fell　on　deaf　ears。
　Kynes　was　an　expert　and　well…respected　ecologist；　geologist；　and　meteorologist；　with　added　specialties　in　botany　and　microbiology。　Driven；　he　enjoyed　absorbing　the　mysteries　of　entire　worlds。　But　the　people　themselves　often　remained　a　plete　mystery　to　him　　like　these　guards。
　〃Kaitain　is　a　lot　more。。fortable　than　Salusa　Secundus　　I　grew　up　there；　you　know；〃　he　continued。　〃I've　been　to　Bela　Tegeuse；　too；　and　that's　almost　as　bad；　dim　and　bleak　with　two　dwarf　suns。〃
　Finally　Kynes　faced　forward；　consenting　to　mutter　to　himself。　〃The　Padishah　Emperor　called　me　from　halfway　across　the　galaxy。　I　wish　I　knew　why。〃　None　of　these　men　ventured　to　offer　any　explanations。
　The　entourage　passed　under　a　pitted　archway　of　crimson　lava　rock　that　bore　the　ponderous　oppression　of　extreme　age。　Kynes　looked　up；　and　with　his　geological　expertise　recognized　the　massive　rare　stone：　an　ancient　archway　from　the　devastated　world　of　Salusa　Secundus。
　It　puzzled　him　that　anyone　would　keep　such　a　relic　from　the　austere　planet　where　Kynes　had　spent　so　many　years；　an　isolated　prison　world　with　a　ruined　ecosystem。　But　then　he　recalled；　feeling　like　a　fool　for　having　forgotten　it；　that　Salusa　had　once　been　the　Imperial　capital；　millennia　ago。。。before　the　disaster　changed　everything。　No　doubt　House　Corrino　had　brought　this　archway　here　intact　as　a　reminder　of　their　past；　or　as　some　sort　of　trophy　to　show　how　the　Imperial　family　had　overe　planet…destroying　adversity。
　As　the　Sardaukar　escort　stepped　through　the　lava　arch　and　into　the　echoing　splendor　of　the　Palace　itself；　fanfare　rang　out　from　brassy　instruments　Kynes　could　not　name。　He'd　never　been　much　of　a　student　in　music　or　the　arts；　not　even　as　a　child。　Why　bother；　when　t