bh.houseatreides-第68节

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nd　either　destroy　the　virulent　pathogens。。。or　render　them　latent　in　their　bodies；　keeping　the　diseases　themselves　as　resources　for　later　use。　Mohiam　carried　several　such　latencies　within　her；　and　she　could　activate　those　diseases　by　controlling　her　own　biochemistry。
　Now　the　Baron　lay　on　top　of　her；　grunting　like　an　animal；　his　jaw　clenched；　his　lips　curled　back　in　a　sneer。　Beadlets　of　stinking　sweat　covered　his　reddened　face。　She　stared　up。　Their　eyes　met；　and　he　thrust　harder；　grinning。
　That　was　when　Mohiam　selected　the　particular　disease；　an　oh…so…gradual　vengeance；　a　neurological　disorder　that　would　destroy　his　beautiful　body。　The　Baron's　physique　obviously　brought　him　much　pleasure；　was　a　source　of　great　pride。　She　could　have　infected　him　with　any　number　of　fatal；　suppurating　plagues　　but　this　affliction　would　be　a　deeper　blow　to　him；　much　slower　in　its　course。　She　would　make　the　Baron　face　his　own　appearance　every　day　as　he　grew　fatter　and　weaker。　His　muscles　would　degenerate；　his　metabolism　would　go　haywire。　In　a　few　years；　he　wouldn't　even　be　able　to　walk　by　himself。
　It　was　such　a　simple　thing　for　her　to　do。。。but　its　effects　would　last　for　years。　For　the　rest　of　his　life。　Mohiam　envisioned　the　Baron　pain…wracked；　so　obese　he　couldn't　even　stand　erect　unassisted；　screaming　out　in　agony。
　Finished；　smug　in　the　belief　that　he　had　shown　the　witch　who　was　the　more　powerful；　Baron　Vladimir　Harkonnen　withdrew　and　stood　up；　frowning　at　her　in　disgust　now。　〃Piter；　get　me　a　towel；　so　I　can　wipe　the　whore's　slime　off　of　me。〃
　The　Mentat　scuttled　out　of　the　room；　chuckling。　The　hall　doors　were　opened　again。　Uniformed　house　guards　marched　in　to　watch　as　Mohiam　regained　the　use　of　her　muscles；　bit　by　bit。
　Baron　Harkonnen　admonished　the　Reverend　Mother　with　a　cruel　smile。　〃Tell　the　Bene　Gesserit　never　to　annoy　me　again　with　their　genetic　schemes。〃
　She　raised　herself　to　one　arm；　then　gradually　gathered　her　torn　clothes　and　climbed　to　her　feet　with　nearly　full　coordination。　Mohiam　raised　her　chin　proudly；　but　could　not　hide　her　humiliation。　And　the　Baron　could　not　hide　his　pleasure　at　watching　her。

　You　think　you　have　won；　she　thought。　We　shall　see　about　that。
　Satisfied　with　what　she　had　done；　and　the　inevitability　of　her　terrible　revenge；　the　Reverend　Mother　strode　out　of　Harkonnen　Keep。　The　Baron's　Burseg　followed　her　for　part　of　the　way；　then　let　her　return　alone　and　unescorted　to　the　shuttle　like　a　chastened　dog。　Other　guards　remained　rigid　and　at　attention；　guarding　the　foot　of　the　ramp。
　Mohiam　calmed　herself　as　she　approached　the　craft　and　finally　allowed　herself　a　slight　smile。　No　matter　what　had　occurred　back　there；　she　now　carried　another　Harkonnen　daughter　inside　her。　And　that；　of　course；　was　what　the　Bene　Gesserit　had　wanted　all　along。。。。
　How　simple　things　were　when　our　Messiah　was　only　a　dream。
　…STILGAR；　Naib　of　Sietch　Tabr
　For　Pardot　Kynes；　life　would　never　be　the　same　now　that　he　had　been　accepted　into　the　sietch。
　His　wedding　day　to　Frieth　approached；　requiring　that　he　spend　hours　on　preparation　and　meditation；　learning　Fremen　marriage　rituals；　especially　the　ahal；　the　ceremony　of　a　woman　choosing　a　mate　　and　Frieth　had　certainly　been　the　initiator　in　this　relationship。　Many　other　fascinations　distracted　him；　but　he　knew　he　could　not　make　any　mistakes　in　such　a　delicate　matter。
　For　the　sietch　leaders；　this　was　a　grand　occasion；　more　spectacular　than　any　normal　Fremen　wedding。　Never　before　had　an　outsider　married　one　of　their　women；　though　Naib　Heinar　had　heard　of　it　happening　occasionally　in　other　sietches。
　After　the　would…be　assassin　Uliet　had　sacrificed　himself；　the　tale　told　throughout　the　sietch　（and　no　doubt　spread　among　other　hidden　Fremen　munities）　was　that　Uliet　had　received　a　true　vision　from　God；　that　he　had　been　directed　in　his　actions。　Old　one…eyed　Heinar；　as　well　as　sietch　elders　Jerath；　Aliid；　and　Garnah；　were　suitably　chagrined　for　having　questioned　the　impassioned　words　of　the　Planetologist　in　the　first　place。
　Though　Heinar　gravely　offered　to　step　down　as　Naib；　bowing　to　the　man　he　now　believed　to　be　a　prophet　from　beyond　the　stars；　Kynes　had　no　interest　in　being　the　leader　of　the　sietch。　He　had　too　much　work　to　do　　challenges　on　a　scale　grander　than　mere　local　politics。　He　was　perfectly　happy　to　be　left　alone　to　concentrate　on　his　terraforming　plan　and　study　the　data　collected　from　instruments　scattered　all　around　the　desert。　He　needed　to　understand　the　great　sandy　expanse　and　its　subtleties　before　he　could　know　precisely　how　to　change　things　for　the　better。
　The　Fremen　worked　hard　to　ply　with　anything　Kynes　suggested；　no　matter　how　absurd　it　might　seem。　They　believed　everything　he　said　now。　So　preoccupied　was　Kynes；　however；　that　he　barely　noticed　their　devotion。　If　the　Planetologist　said　he　needed　certain　measurements；　Fremen　scrambled　across　the　desert；　setting　up　collection　points　in　remote　regions；　reopening　the　botanical　testing　stations　that　had　been　long　abandoned　by　the　Imperium。　Some　devoted　assistants　even　traveled　to　the　forbidden　territories　in　the　south；　using　a　mode　of　transportation　they　had　kept　secret　from　him。
　During　those　frantic　first　weeks　of　information　gathering；　two　Fremen　men　were　lost　　though　Kynes　never　learned　of　it。　He　reveled　in　the　glorious　data　flooding　to　him。　This　was　more　than　he　had　ever　dreamed　of　acplishing　in　years　of　working　alone　as　the　Imperial　Planetologist。　He　was　in　a　scientific　paradise。
　The　day　before　his　wedding；　he　wrote　up　his　first　carefully　edited　report　since　joining　the　sietch；　culminating　weeks　of　work。　A　Fremen　messenger　delivered　it　to　Arrakeen；　where　it　was　then　transmitted　to　the　Emperor。　Kynes's　work　with　the　Fremen　threatened　to　put　him　in　a　conflict　of　interest　as　Imperial　Planetologist；　but　he　had　to　keep　up　appearances。　Nowhere　in　his　report　did　he　mention；　or　even　hint　at；　his　newfound　relationship　with　the　desert　people。　Kaitain　must　never　suspect　that　he　had　〃gone　native。〃
　In　his　mind；　Arrakis　no　longer　existed。　This　planet　was　now；　and　forever　would　be；　Dune；　after　living　in　the　sietch　he　could　not　think　of　it　by　anything　other　than　its　Fremen　name。　The　more　he　discovered；　the　more　Pardot　Kynes　realized　that　this　strangely　dry　and　barren　planet　held　far　deeper　secrets　than　even　the　Emperor　realized。
　Dune　was　a　treasure　box　waiting　to　be　opened。
　Brash　young　Stilgar　had　recovered　pletely　from　his　Harkonnen　sword　wound　and　insisted　on　helping　Kynes　with　chores　and　tedious　duties。　The　ambitious　Fremen　youth　claimed　it　was　the　only　way　to　decrease　a　heavy　water　burden　upon　his　clan。　The　Planetologist　did　not　feel　he　was　owed　such　an　obligation；　but　he　bent　against　pressure　from　the　sietch；　like　a　willow　before　the　wind。　The　Fremen　would　not　overlook　or　forget　a　thing　like　that。
　Stilgar's　unwed　sister　Frieth　was　offered　to　him　as　a　wife。　Almost　without　the　Planetologist　noticing；　she　seemed　to　have　adopted　him；　mending　his　clothes；　offering　him　food　before　he　realized　he　was　hungry。　Her　hands　were　quick；　her　blue　eyes　alive　with　a　lightning　intelligence；　and　she　had　saved　him　from　many　faux　pas　even　before　he　could　react。　He　had　considered　her　attentions　little　more　than　appreciation　for　saving　the　life　of　her　brother；　and　had　accepted　her　without　further　consideration。
　Kynes　had　never　before　thought　about　marriage；　for　he　was　too　solitary　a　man；　too　driven　in　his　work。　Yet　after　being　graciously　weled　into　the　munity；　he　began　to　understand　how　quickly　the　Fremen　took　offense。　Kynes　knew　he　dared　not　refuse。　He　also　realized　that；　given　the　many　Harkonnen　political　restrictions　against　Fremen　on　this　world；　perhaps　his　marriage　to　Frieth　would　smooth　the　way　for　future　researchers。
　And　so；　with　the　rising　of　both　full　moons；　Pardot　Kynes　joined　the　other　Fremen　for　the　marriage　ritual。　Before　this　night　was　over；　he　would　be　a　husband。　He　had　a　sparse　beard　now；　the　first　of　his　life。　Frieth；　though　hesitant　to　speak　her　mind　about　anything；　seemed　to　like　it。
　Led　by　pirate…eyed　Heinar；　as　well　as　the　Sayyadina　of　the　sietch　　a　female　religious　leader　much　like　a　Reverend　Mother　　the　wedding　party　came　down　from　the　mountains　after　a　long　and　careful　journey　and　out　onto　the　open　sands　rippled　with　dunes。　The　moons　shone　down；　bathing　the　sandscape　with　a　pearly；　glistening　luster。
　Staring　at　the　sinuous　dunes；　Kynes　thought　for　the　first　time　that　they　reminded　him　of　the　gentle；　sensuous　curves　of　a　woman's　flesh。　Perhaps　I　have　my　mind　on　the　marriage　more　than　I'd　thought。
　They　walked　single　file　onto　the　dunes；　climbing　the　packed　windward　side　and　then　breaking　a　trail　along　the　soft　crest。　Alert　for　wormsign　or　Harkonnen　spycraft；　spotters　from　the　sietch　had　climbed　to　lookout　points。　With　his　fellow　tribesmen　keeping　watch；　Kynes　felt　entirely　safe。　He　was　one　of　them　now；　and　he　knew　the　Fremen　would　give　their　lives　for　him。
　He　gazed　at　lovely　young　Frieth　standing　in　the　moonlight；　with　her　long；　long　hair　and　her　large　blue…within…blue　eyes　focused　on　him；　assessing；　perhaps　even　loving。　She　wore　the　black　robe　that　signified　she　was　a　woman　betrothed。
　For　hours　back　in　the　caves；　other　Fremen　wives　had　braided　Frieth's　hair　with　her　metal　water　rings；