bh.houseatreides-第69节

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　For　hours　back　in　the　caves；　other　Fremen　wives　had　braided　Frieth's　hair　with　her　metal　water　rings；　together　with　those　belonging　to　her　future　husband；　to　symbolize　the　mingling　of　their　existence。　Many　months　ago；　the　sietch　had　taken　all　of　the　supplies　from　Kynes's　groundcar　and　added　his　containers　of　water　to　the　main　stores。　Once　he　had　been　accepted　among　them；　he　received　payment　in　water　rings　for　what　he　had　contributed；　and　Kynes　thus　entered　the　munity　as　a　relatively　wealthy　man。
　As　Frieth　looked　at　her　betrothed；　Kynes　realized　for　the　first　time　how　beautiful　and　desirable　she　was　　and　then　chastised　himself　for　not　having　noticed　before。　Now　the　unmarried　Fremen　women　rushed　out　onto　the　dunefield；　their　long；　unbound　hair　flying　in　the　night　breeze。　Kynes　watched　as　they　began　the　traditional　wedding　dance　and　chant。
　Rarely　did　members　of　the　sietch　explain　their　customs　to　him；　where　the　rituals　had　e　from；　or　what　they　signified。　To　the　Fremen；　everything　simply　was。　Long　in　the　past；　ways　of　life　had　been　developed　out　of　necessity　during　the　Zensunni　wanderings　from　planet　to　planet；　and　the　ways　had　remained　unchanged　ever　since。　No　one　here　bothered　to　question　them；　so　why　should　Kynes？　Besides；　if　he　truly　was　the　prophet　they　considered　him　to　be；　then　he　should　understand　such　things　intuitively。
　He　could　easily　decipher　the　custom　of　binding　water　rings　into　the　braid　of　the　woman　to　be　married；　while　the　unbetrothed　daughters　kept　their　hair　loose　and　free。　The　troupe　of　unmarried　women　flitted　across　the　sands　in　their　bare　feet；　their　footsteps　floating。　Some　were　mere　girls；　while　others　had　ripened　to　full　marriageable　age。　The　dancers　whipped　and　whirled；　spinning　about　so　that　their　hair　streamed　in　all　directions　like　halos　around　their　heads。
　Symbolic　of　a　desert　sandstorm；　he　thought。　Coriolis　whirlwinds。　From　his　studies　he　knew　that　such　winds　could　exceed　eight　hundred　kilometers　per　hour；　bearing　dust　and　sand　particles　with　enough　force　to　scour　the　flesh　off　a　man's　bones。
　With　sudden　concern　Kynes　looked　up。　To　his　relief；　the　sky　of　the　desert　night　was　clear　and　scattered　with　stars；　a　precursor　fog　of　dust　would　be　carried　up　in　advance　of　any　storm。　The　Fremen　spotters　would　see　impending　weather　with　sufficient　warning　to　take　immediate　precautions。
　The　young　girls'　dancing　and　chanting　continued。　Kynes　stood　beside　his　wife…to…be；　but　he　looked　up　at　the　twin　moons；　thinking　of　their　tidal　effects；　how　the　gentle　flexings　of　gravity　might　have　affected　the　geology　and　climate　of　this　world。　Perhaps　deep　core　soundings　would　tell　him　more　of　what　he　needed　to　know。。。。
　In　future　months；　he　wished　to　take　extensive　samples　from　the　ice　cap　at　the　northern　pole。　By　measuring　the　strata　and　analyzing　isotopic　content；　Kynes　would　be　able　to　draw　a　precise　weather　history　of　Arrakis。　He　could　map　the　heating　and　melting　cycles；　as　well　as　ancient　precipitation　patterns；　using　this　information　to　determine　where　all　the　water　must　have　gone。
　So　far　this　planet's　aridity　made　no　sense。　Could　a　world's　supply　of　water　somehow　be　hydrated　into　rock　layers　beneath　the　sands；　locking　it　into　the　planetary　crust　itself？　An　astronomical　impact？　Volcanic　explosions？　None　of　the　options　seemed　viable。
　The　plex　marriage　dance　finished；　and　the　one…eyed　Naib　came　forward　with　the　old　Sayyadina。　The　holy　woman　looked　at　the　wedding　couple　and　fixed　Kynes　with　the　gaze　of　her　eyes；　so　dark　in　the　moonlight　that　they　resembled　the　predatory　orbs　of　a　raven：　the　total　blue…within…blue　of　spice　addiction。
　After　eating　Fremen　food　for　months；　each　taste　laced　with　the　richness　of　melange；　Kynes　had　looked　in　a　reflecting　glass　one　morning　and　noticed　that　the　whites　of　his　own　eyes　had　begun　to　take　on　a　sky…blue　tinge。　The　change　startled　him。
　Still；　he　did　feel　more　alive；　his　mind　sharper　and　his　body　suffused　with　energy。　Some　of　this　could　be　a　consequence　of　the　enthusiasm　for　his　research　activities；　but　he　knew　the　spice　must　also　have　something　to　do　with　it。
　Here　the　spice　was　everywhere：　in　the　air；　food；　garments；　wall　hangings；　and　rugs。　Melange　was　intertwined　with　sietch　life　as　much　as　water。
　That　day　Turok；　who　still　came　to　take　him　out　on　daily　explorations；　had　noticed　Kynes's　eyes；　the　new　blue　tint。　〃You　are　being　one　of　us；　Planetologist。　That　blue　we　call　the　Eyes　of　Ibad。　You　are　part　of　Dune　now。　Our　world　has　changed　you　forever。〃
　Kynes　had　offered　a　smile；　but　it　was　only　tentative；　because　he　felt　some　fear。　〃That　it　has；〃　he　said。
　And　now　he　was　about　to　be　married　　another　important　change。
　Standing　before　him；　the　mysterious　Sayyadina　uttered　a　series　of　words　in　Chakobsa；　a　language　Kynes　did　not　understand；　but　he　gave　the　appropriate　responses　he　had　memorized。　The　sietch　elders　had　taken　extreme　care　to　prepare　him。　Perhaps　one　day；　with　more　research；　he　would　understand　the　rituals　surrounding　him；　the　ancient　language；　the　mysterious　traditions。　But　for　now　he　could　only　make　reasoned　guesses。
　During　the　ceremony　he　remained　preoccupied；　devising　various　tests　he　could　run　in　sandy　and　rocky　areas　of　the　planet；　dreaming　of　new　experimental　stations　he　would　erect；　considering　which　test　gardens　to　plant。　He　had　vast　plans　to　implement　and；　at　last；　all　the　manpower　he　could　possibly　desire。　It　would　take　an　incredible　amount　of　work　to　reawaken　this　world　　but　now　that　the　Fremen　shared　his　dream；　Pardot　Kynes　knew　it　could　be　done。
　It　could　be　done！
　He　smiled；　and　Frieth　gazed　up　at　him；　smiling　in　her　own　right；　though　almost　certainly　her　thoughts　diverged　widely　from　his。　Nearly　oblivious　to　the　activities　around　him　and　paying　little　mind　to　their　import；　Kynes　found　himself　married　in　the　Fremen　way；　almost　before　he　realized　it。
　The　haughty　do　but　build　castle　walls　behind　which　they　seek　to　hide　their　doubts　and　fears。
　…Bene　Gesserit　Axiom
　The　dawn　mists　carried　an　iodine　tang　from　the　sea；　rising　from　the　wet　black　cliffs　that　supported　the　spires　of　Castle　Caladan。　Normally；　Paulus　Atreides　found　it　peaceful　and　refreshing；　but　today　it　made　him　uneasy。
　The　Old　Duke　stood　out　on　one　of　the　tower　balconies；　drawing　a　deep　breath　of　fresh　air。　He　loved　his　planet；　especially　the　early　mornings；　the　fresh；　pure　kind　of　silence　gave　him　more　energy　than　a　good　night's　sleep　ever　could。
　Even　in　troubled　times　such　as　these。
　To　ward　off　the　chill　he　wrapped　himself　in　a　thick　robe　trimmed　with　green　Canidar　wool。　His　wife　paused　behind　him　in　the　bedchamber；　hanging　on　every　breath　as　she　always　did　after　they　had　been　fighting。　It　was　a　matter　of　form。　When　Paulus　didn't　object；　she　came　closer　to　stand　next　to　him　to　gaze　out　upon　their　world。　Her　eyes　were　tired；　and　she　looked　hurt；　but　unconvinced；　he　would　hold　her；　and　she　would　warm　to　him；　and　then　she　would　try　to　press　the　issue　again。　She　still　insisted　that　House　Atreides　was　in　grave　danger　because　of　what　he　had　done。
　From　below；　shouts　and　muted　laughter　and　the　sounds　of　exercise　drifted　upward。　The　Duke　looked　down　to　the　sheltered　courtyard；　pleased　to　see　his　son　Leto　already　out　doing　his　training　routines　with　the　exiled　Prince　of　Ix。　Both　wore　body…shields　that　hummed　and　flickered　in　the　orange　early…morning　light。　The　young　men　carried　blunted　stun…daggers　in　their　left　hands　and　training　swords　in　their　right。
　In　the　weeks　they　had　lived　on　Caladan；　Rhombur　had　recovered　quickly　and　pletely　from　the　concussion　he'd　received　during　their　escape　from　Ix。　The　exercise　and　fresh　air　had　improved　his　health；　his　muscle　tone；　his　plexion。　But　the　stocky　young　man's　heart　and　his　mood　would　take　much　longer　to　heal。　He　seemed　all　at　sea　yet　from　what　had　happened　to　him。
　The　two　circled　and　parried；　slashing　down；　trying　to　judge　just　how　fast　they　could　move　their　blades　without　having　them　deflected　by　the　protective　fields。　They　challenged　and　pounced；　striking　with　a　flurry　of　attacks　that　had　no　hope　of　penetrating　the　other's　defenses。　Blades　sang　and　ricocheted　from　the　shimmering　shields。
　〃The　boys　have　so　much　energy　for　such　an　hour；〃　Helena　said；　rubbing　her　red…rimmed　eyes。　A　safe　ment；　not　likely　to　raise　any　objections。　She　took　half　a　step　closer。　〃Rhombur's　even　lost　weight。〃
　The　Old　Duke　looked　over　at　her；　noting　the　age…sharpened　porcelain　of　her　features；　a　few　strands　of　gray　in　her　dark　hair。　〃This　is　the　best　time　for　training。　Gets　the　blood　flowing　for　the　entire　day。　I　taught　Leto　that　when　he　was　just　a　boy。〃
　From　far　out　at　sea　he　heard　the　clang　of　a　reef…marking　buoy　and　the　putter　of　a　fishing　coracle；　one　of　the　local　wickerwood　boats　with　waterproofed　hulls。　He　saw　the　hazy　fog　lights　of　a　trawler　farther　out；　cutting　through　the　low…lying　banks　of　sea　mist　as　it　harvested　melon…kelp。
　〃Yes。。。the　boys　are　exercising；〃　Helena　said；　〃but　have　you　noticed　Kailea　sitting　there？　Why　do　you　think　she's　up　so　early？〃　The　lilt　at　the　end　of　her　question　made　him　think　twice。
　The　Duke　looked　down；　for　the　first　time　marking　the　lovely　daughter　of　House　Vernius。　Kailea　lounged　on　a　polished…coral　bench　in　the　sunshine；　daintily　eating　from　a　plate　of　assorted　fruits。　She　had　h