bh.houseatreides-第6节

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ecision　at　all。　In　the　play；　Leto　thought　the　Old　Duke　sympathized　most　with　the　great　general；　a　man　after　his　own　heart。
　The　chorus　of　old　men　droned　on；　Clytemnestra　stepped　out　of　the　palace　to　deliver　a　speech；　and　the　chorus　continued　again。　A　herald；　pretending　to　have　disembarked　from　a　ship；　came　onto　the　stage；　kissed　the　ground；　and　recited　a　long　soliloquy。
　〃Agamemnon；　glorious　king！　How　you　deserve　our　joyous　wele；　for　annihilating　Troy　and　the　Trojan　homeland。　Our　enemy's　shrines　lie　in　ruins；　nevermore　forting　their　gods；　and　their　soils　are　barren。〃
　Warfare　and　mayhem　　it　made　Leto　think　of　his　father's　younger　days；　when　he　had　charged　out　to　fight　battles　for　the　Emperor；　crushing　a　bloody　rebellion　on　Ecaz；　adventuring　with　his　friend　Dominic；　who　was　now　the　Earl　of　House　Vernius　on　Ix。　In　private　times　with　Leto；　the　Old　Duke　often　talked　about　those　days　with　great　fondness。
　In　the　shadows　of　their　box；　Paulus　heaved　a　too…loud　sigh；　not　concealing　his　boredom。　Lady　Helena　shot　him　a　daggered　glare；　then　returned　her　attention　to　the　play；　reconstructing　her　face　to　form　a　more　placid　smile　in　case　anyone　should　look　at　her。　Leto　gave　his　father　a　crooked　and　sympathetic　grin；　and　Paulus　winked　back　at　him。　The　Duke　and　his　wife　played　their　parts　and　fit　their　own　fortable　roles。
　Finally；　on　the　stage　below；　the　victorious　Agamemnon　arrived　in　a　chariot；　acpanied　by　his　spoils…of…war　mistress；　the　half…insane　prophetess　Cassandra。　Meanwhile；　Clytemnestra　made　preparations　for　her　hated　husband's　appearance；　feigning　devotion　and　love。
　Old　Paulus　started　to　loosen　the　collar　of　his　uniform；　but　Helena　reached　over　quickly　to　pull　his　hand　away。　Her　smile　didn't　waver。
　Seeing　this　ritual　his　parents　often　went　through；　Leto　smiled　to　himself。　His　mother　constantly　struggled　to　maintain　what　she　called　〃a　sense　of　decorum；〃　while　the　old　man　behaved　with　far　less　formality。　Though　his　father　had　taught　him　much　about　statecraft　and　leadership；　Lady　Helena　had　taught　her　son　protocol　and　religious　studies。
　A　daughter　of　Richese；　Lady　Helena　Atreides　had　been　born　into　a　House　Major　that　had　lost　most　of　its　power　and　prestige　through　failed　economic　petitions　and　political　intrigues。　After　being　ousted　from　the　planetary　governorship　of　Arrakis；　Helena's　family　had　salvaged　some　of　its　respectability　through　an　arranged　marital　alliance　with　the　Atreides；　several　of　her　sisters　had　been　married　off　to　other　Houses。
　Despite　their　obvious　differences；　the　Old　Duke　had　once　told　Leto　he　had　truly　loved　Helena　in　the　first　years　of　their　union。　Over　time；　that　had　eroded；　and　he'd　dabbled　with　many　mistresses；　possibly　producing　illegitimate　children；　though　Leto　was　his　sole　official　heir。　As　decades　passed；　an　enmity　built　up　between　husband　and　wife；　causing　a　deep　rift。　Now　their　marriage　was　strictly　political。
　〃I　married　for　politics　in　the　first　place；　lad；〃　he　had　said。　〃Never　should　have　tried　to　make　it　otherwise。　At　our　station；　marriage　is　a　tool。　Don't　muck　everything　up　by　trying　to　throw　love　into　the　mix。〃
　Leto　sometimes　wondered　if　Helena　herself　had　ever　loved　his　father；　or　if　it　had　only　been　his　title　and　station　that　she　loved。　Of　late；　she　seemed　to　have　assumed　the　role　of　Paulus's　royal　caretaker；　she　constantly　strove　to　keep　him　groomed　and　presentable。　It　bore　as　much　on　her　own　reputation　as　on　his。
　On　the　stage；　Clytemnestra　greeted　her　husband；　strewing　purple　tapestries　on　the　ground　so　he　could　walk　on　them　rather　than　on　the　dirt。　Amidst　great　pomp　and　fanfare；　Agamemnon　marched　into　his　palace；　while　the　oracle　Cassandra；　speechless　in　terror；　refused　to　enter。　She　foretold　her　own　death　and　the　murder　of　the　general；　of　course；　no　one　listened　to　her。
　Through　carefully　cultivated　political　channels；　Leto's　mother　maintained　contacts　with　other　powerful　Houses；　while　Duke　Paulus　developed　strong　bonds　with　the　mon　people　of　Caladan。　The　Atreides　Dukes　led　their　subjects　by　serving　them　and　by　paying　themselves　only　what　was　fair　from　family　business　enterprises。　This　was　a　family　of　wealth；　but　not　to　excess　　not　at　the　expense　of　its　citizens。
　In　the　play；　when　the　returning　general　went　to　his　bath；　his　treacherous　wife　tangled　him　in　purple　robes　and　stabbed　both　him　and　his　oracular　mistress　to　death。　〃My　gods！　A　deadly　blow　has　befallen　me！〃　Agamemnon　wailed　from　offstage；　out　of　sight。
　Old　Paulus　smirked　and　bent　over　to　his　son。　〃I've　killed　many　a　man　on　the　battlefield；　and　I　have　yet　to　hear　one　say　that　as　he　died！〃
　Helena　hushed　him。
　〃Gods　protect　me；　another　blow！　I　shall　die！〃　cried　the　voice　of　Agamemnon。
　While　the　audience　was　engrossed　in　the　tragedy；　Leto　tried　to　sort　through　his　thoughts　of　the　situation；　how　it　related　to　his　own　life。　This　was　supposedly　his　family's　heritage；　after　all。
　Clytemnestra　admitted　the　murder；　claiming　vengeance　against　her　husband　for　his　bloody　sacrifice　of　their　daughter；　for　his　whoring　in　Troy；　and　for　blatantly　bringing　his　mistress　Cassandra　into　her　own　home。
　〃Glorious　king；〃　wailed　the　chorus；　〃our　affection　is　boundless；　our　tears　unending。　The　spider　has　ensnared　you　in　its　ghostly　web　of　death。〃
　Leto's　stomach　churned。　House　Atreides　had　mitted　horrible　deeds　in　the　distant　past。　But　the　family　had　changed；　perhaps　driven　by　the　ghosts　of　history。　The　Old　Duke　was　an　honorable　man；　well　respected　by　the　Landsraad　and　beloved　by　his　people。　Leto　hoped　he　could　do　as　well　when　it　came　his　turn　to　rule　House　Atreides。
　The　final　lines　of　the　play　were　spoken；　and　the　pany　of　actors　marched　across　the　stage；　bowing　to　the　assembled　political　and　business　leaders；　all　of　whom　were　dressed　in　finery　befitting　their　stations。
　〃Well；　I'm　glad　that's　over；〃　Paulus　sighed　as　the　main　glowglobes　went　on　in　the　performance　hall。　The　Old　Duke　rose　to　his　feet　and　kissed　his　wife's　hand　as　they　filed　out　of　the　royal　box。　〃On　your　way　now；　my　dear。　I　have　something　to　say　to　Leto。　Wait　for　us　in　the　reception　room。〃
　Helena　glanced　once　at　her　son　and　went　down　the　corridor　of　the　ancient　stone…and…wood　theatre。　Her　look　said　she　knew　exactly　what　Paulus　intended　to　say；　but　she　bowed　to　his　archaic　tradition　of　having　the　men　speak　of　〃important　matters〃　while　the　women　busied　themselves　elsewhere。
　Merchants；　important　businessmen；　and　other　well…respected　locals　began　filling　the　corridor；　sipping　Caladanian　wine　and　munching　hors　d'oeuvres。　〃This　way；　lad；〃　the　Old　Duke　said；　taking　a　backstage　passage。　He　and　Leto　strode　past　two　Atreides　guards；　who　saluted。　Then　they　took　a　lift　tube　up　four　levels　to　a　gilded　dressing　room。　Balut　crystal　glowglobes　floated　in　the　air；　flickering　a　warm　orange。　Formerly　the　living　quarters　of　a　legendary　Caladanian　actor；　this　chamber　was　now　used　exclusively　by　the　Atreides　and　their　closest　advisors　for　times　requiring　privacy。
　Leto　wondered　why　his　father　had　taken　him　here。
　After　closing　the　door　behind　him；　Paulus　slipped　into　a　green…and…black　suspensor　chair　and　motioned　for　Leto　to　take　one　opposite　him。　The　young　man　did　so　and　adjusted　the　controls　to　lift　the　floating　chair　higher　in　the　air；　so　that　his　eye　level　was　equal　to　that　of　his　father。　Leto　only　did　this　in　private；　not　even　in　the　presence　of　his　mother；　who　would　consider　such　behavior　unseemly　and　disrespectful。　By　contrast；　the　Old　Duke　found　his　son's　brashness　and　high　spirits　to　be　an　amusing　reflection　of　the　way　he　himself　had　been　as　a　young　man。
　〃You　are　of　age　now；　Leto；〃　Paulus　began；　removing　an　ornate　wooden　pipe　from　a　partment　in　the　arm　of　his　chair。　He　did　not　waste　time　with　chitchat。　〃And　you　must　learn　more　than　your　own　backyard。　So　I'm　sending　you　to　Ix　to　study。〃　He　examined　the　black…haired　youth　who　looked　so　similar　to　his　mother；　but　with　lighter；　more　olive…toned　skin　than　hers。　He　had　a　narrow　face　with　sharp　angles　and　deep　gray　eyes。
　Ix！　Leto's　pulse　accelerated。　The　machine　planet。　A　strange　and　alien　place。　Everyone　in　the　Imperium　knew　of　that　mysterious　world's　incredible　technology　and　innovations；　but　few　outsiders　had　ever　been　there。　Leto　felt　disoriented；　as　if　on　the　deck　of　a　boat　in　a　storm。　His　father　loved　to　pull　surprises　like　this；　to　see　how　well　Leto　could　react　to　a　changed　situation。
　Ixians　maintained　a　strict　veil　of　secrecy　around　their　industrial　operations。　They　were　rumored　to　skirt　the　fringes　of　legality；　manufacturing　devices　that　came　close　to　violating　Jihad　prohibitions　against　thinking　machines。　Why　then　is　my　father　sending　me　to　such　a　place；　and　how　has　it　been　arranged？　Why　hasn't　anyone　asked　me？
　A　robo…table　emerged　from　the　floor　beside　Leto　and　produced　a　cold　glass　of　cidrit　juice。　The　young　man's　tastes　were　known；　just　as　it　was　known　that　the　Old　Duke　would　want　nothing　but　the　pipe。　Leto　took　a　sip　of　the　tart　drink；　puckering　his　lips。
　〃You'll　study　there　for　a　year；〃　Paulus　said；　〃according　to　the　tradition　of　the　allied　Great　Houses。　Living　on　Ix　will　be　quite　a　contrast　with　our　bucolic　planet。　Learn　from　it。〃　He　stared　at　the　pipe　in　his　hand。　Carved　from　Elaccan　jacaranda　wood；　it　was　deep　brown；　with　swirls　that　glinted　in　the　light　cast　by　the　glowglobes