bh.houseatreides-第9节

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　Upon　hearing　that　someone　else　wanted　her；　Elrood's　male　pride　suddenly　made　him　change　his　mind　　but　it　was　too　late。　He　had　resented　Dominic　ever　since；　feeling　like　a　cuckold；　paranoid　about　what　bedroom　secrets　Shando　might　be　sharing　with　her　husband。
　Roody。
　The　Bene　Gesserit　witch　who　hovered　near　the　throne　faded　deeper　into　the　shadows　behind　a　speckled　column　of　Canidar　granite。　Dominic　couldn't　tell　if　the　cowled　woman　was　pleased　or　annoyed　with　the　events。
　Forcing　himself　not　to　waver；　not　to　hurry；　Dominic　strode　confidently　past　a　pair　of　Sardaukar　guards　and　entered　the　outer　hallway。　At　a　signal　from　Elrood；　they　could　execute　him　instantly。
　Dominic　increased　his　pace。
　The　Corrinos　were　known　for　rash　behavior。　On　more　than　one　occasion　they'd　had　to　make　up　for　their　hasty　and　ill…advised　reactions；　using　their　vast　family　wealth　for　payoffs。　Killing　the　head　of　House　Vernius　during　an　Imperial　audience　might　just　be　one　of　those　rash　acts　　if　it　weren't　for　the　involvement　of　the　Spacing　Guild。　The　Guild　had　favored　Ix　with　increased　attention　and　benefits　　and　had　adopted　the　new　Heighliner　design　　and　not　even　the　Emperor　and　his　brutal　Sardaukar　could　oppose　the　Guild。
　This　was　an　ironic　circumstance；　considering　the　military　might　of　House　Corrino；　for　the　Guild　had　no　fighting　forces；　no　armaments　of　its　own。　But　without　the　Guild　and　their　Navigators　to　see　a　safe　path　across　folded　space；　there　would　be　no　space　travel；　no　interplanetary　banking　　and　no　empire　for　Elrood　to　rule。　On　a　moment's　notice；　the　Guild　could　withhold　its　favors；　stranding　armies　and　putting　an　end　to　military　campaigns。　Of　what　use　would　the　Sardaukar　be　if　they　were　planet…bound　on　Kaitain？
　Finally　reaching　the　main　exit　gate　of　the　Imperial　Palace；　passing　under　the　Salusan　lava　arch；　Dominic　waited　while　three　guards　ran　him　through　a　security　scan。
　Unfortunately；　Guild　protection　only　went　so　far。
　Dominic　had　very　little　respect　for　the　old　Emperor。　He　had　tried　to　hide　his　contempt　for　the　pathetic　ruler　of　a　million　worlds；　but　he'd　made　a　dire　mistake　by　allowing　himself　to　think　of　him　as　a　mere　man；　a　former　lover　of　his　wife's。　Elrood；　snubbed；　could　annihilate　an　entire　planet　in　a　fit　of　pique。　The　Emperor　was　the　vindictive　sort。　All　Corrinos　were。
　I　HAVE　MY　contacts；　Elrood　thought　as　he　watched　his　adversary　depart。　I　can　bribe　some　of　the　workers　who　are　building　ponents　for　those　improved　Heighliners　　though　that　may　be　difficult；　since　suboids　are　said　to　be　mindless。　Failing　that；　Dominic；　I　can　find　other　people　you've　pushed　aside　and　taken　for　granted。　Your　mistake　will　be　in　overlooking　them。
　In　his　mind's　eye　Elrood　envisioned　the　lovely　Shando；　and　recalled　their　most　intimate　moments　together；　decades　ago。　Purple　merh…silk　sheets；　the　sprawling　bed；　incense　burners；　and　mirrored　glowglobes。　As　Emperor；　he　could　have　any　woman　he　wanted　　and　he　had　chosen　Shando。
　For　two　years　she　had　been　his　favorite　concubine；　even　when　his　wife　Habla　had　been　alive。　Small…boned　and　petite；　she　had　a　fragile　porcelain…doll　appearance；　which　she　had　cultivated　during　her　years　on　Kaitain；　but　Elrood　also　knew　she　had　a　monsense　strength　and　resiliency　deep　inside　her。　They　had　enjoyed　doing　multilingual　word　puzzles　together。　Shando　had　whispered　〃Roody〃　in　his　ear　when　he　had　invited　her　to　the　Imperial　bedchamber；　and　she　had　cried　it　loudly　during　climactic　moments　of　passion。
　In　memory　he　heard　her　voice。　Roody。。。Roody。。。Roody。。。
　Being　a　moner；　however；　Shando　simply　wasn't　suitable　for　him　to　marry。　It　had　not　even　been　an　option。　The　heads　of　royal　Houses　rarely　wed　their　concubines；　and　an　Emperor　never　did。　Dashing　young　Dominic；　with　his　wiles　and　flattery；　had　gotten　Shando　to　talk　herself　free；　to　trick　Elrood；　and　then　had　spirited　her　away　to　Ix；　where　he　had　married　her　in　secret。　The　astonishment　in　the　Landsraad　came　later；　and　despite　the　scandal　the　two　had　remained　married　these　many　years。
　And　the　Landsraad；　despite　Elrood's　petition　to　them；　had　refused　to　do　anything　about　it。　After　all；　Dominic　had　married　the　girl　and　the　Emperor　never　had　any　intention　of　doing　so。　Everything　according　to　law。　Despite　his　petty　jealousies；　Elrood　couldn't　claim　Shando　had　been　adulterous；　not　by　any　legal　standard。
　But　Dominic　Vernius　knew　her　intimate　nickname　for　him。　What　else　had　Shando　told　her　husband？　It　ate　at　him　like　a　Poritrin　fester。
　On　the　screen　of　a　wrist…strap　security　monitor；　he　watched　Dominic　at　the　main　gate；　as　pale　security　beams　washed　over　him　　from　a　scanner　that　was　another　sophisticated　Ixian　machine。
　He　could　send　a　signal；　and　the　probes　would　obliterate　the　other　man's　mind；　leave　him　a　vegetable。　An　unexpected　power　surge。。。a　most　terrible　accident。。。How　ironic　if　Elrood　were　to　use　an　Ixian　scanner　to　kill　the　Earl　of　Ix。
　Oh；　how　he　wanted　to　do　it！　But　not　now。　The　time　wasn't　right；　and　there　could　be　embarrassing　questions；　maybe　even　an　investigation。　Such　vengeance　required　subtlety　and　planning。　In　that　way；　the　surprise　and　ultimate　victory　would　be　so　much　more　satisfying。
　Elrood　switched　off　the　monitor；　and　the　screen　darkened。
　Standing　beside　the　blocky　throne；　Chamberlain　Aken　Hesban　didn't　ask　why　his　Emperor　was　smiling。
　The　highest　function　of　ecology　is　the　understanding　of　consequences。
　…PARDOT　KYNES；　Ecology　of　Bela　Tegeuse；　Initial　Report　to　the　Imperium
　Over　a　razor…edged　horizon　the　shimmering　atmosphere　was　filled　with　pastel　colors　of　sunrise。　In　a　brief　instant　the　clean　stillness　of　Arrakis　allowed　warm　light　to　flood　over　the　wrinkled　landscape。。。a　sudden　deluge　of　brightness　and　rising　heat。　The　white　sun　lurched　above　the　horizon；　without　much　precursor　glow　in　the　arid　air。
　Now　that　he　had　finally　arrived　on　the　desert　world；　Pardot　Kynes　drew　a　deep　breath；　then　remembered　to　put　the　face　mask　over　his　nose　and　mouth　to　prevent　extreme　moisture　loss。　His　sparse；　sandy　hair　blew　in　a　light　breeze。　He　had　only　been　on　Arrakis　four　days；　and　already　he　sensed　that　this　barren　place　held　more　mysteries　than　a　lifetime　could　ever　unravel。
　He　would　have　preferred　to　have　been　left　to　his　own　devices。　He　wanted　to　wander　alone　across　the　Great　Bled　with　his　instruments　and　logbooks；　studying　the　character　of　lava　rock　and　the　stratified　layers　of　dunes。
　However；　when　Glossu　Rabban；　nephew　of　the　Baron　and　heir　apparent　to　House　Harkonnen；　announced　his　intention　to　go　into　the　deep　desert　to　hunt　one　of　the　legendary　sandworms；　such　an　opportunity　was　too　great　for　Kynes　to　ignore。
　As　a　mere　Planetologist　in　the　entourage；　a　scientist　instead　of　a　warrior；　he　felt　like　the　odd　man　out。　Harkonnen　desert　troops　brought　along　weaponry　and　explosives　from　the　armored　central　keep。　They　took　a　troop　transport　led　by　a　man　named　Thekar；　who　claimed　to　have　once　lived　in　a　desert　village；　though　he　was　now　a　water　merchant　in　Carthag。　He　had　more　of　a　Fremen　look　to　him　than　he　admitted；　though　none　of　the　Harkonnens　seemed　to　notice。
　Rabban　had　no　specific　plan　for　tracking　one　of　the　huge　sinuous　beasts。　He　didn't　want　to　go　to　a　spice…harvesting　site；　where　his　crew　might　disrupt　the　work。　He　wanted　to　hunt　down　and　kill　such　a　beast　by　himself。　He　just　brought　along　all　the　weaponry　he　could　imagine　and　relied　upon　his　instinctive　talent　for　destruction。。。。
　Days　earlier；　Kynes　had　arrived　on　Arrakis　by　diplomatic　shuttle；　landing　in　the　dirty　though　relatively　new　city。　Eager　to　get　started；　he　had　presented　his　Imperial　assignment　papers　to　the　Baron　himself。　The　lean；　red…haired　man　had　scrutinized　Kynes's　orders　carefully；　then　verified　the　Imperial　seal。　He　pursed　his　thick　lips　before　he　grudgingly　promised　his　cooperation。　〃So　long　as　you　know　enough　to　stay　out　of　the　way　of　real　work。〃
　Kynes　had　bowed。　〃I　like　nothing　better　than　to　be　alone　and　out　of　the　way；　m'Lord　Baron。〃
　He'd　spent　his　first　two　days　in　the　city　purchasing　desert　gear；　talking　to　people　from　the　outlying　villages；　learning　what　he　could　about　the　legends　of　the　desert；　the　warnings；　the　customs；　the　mysteries　to　explore。　Understanding　the　importance　of　such　things；　Kynes　spent　a　substantial　sum　to　obtain　the　best　stillsuit　he　could　find　for　desert　survival；　as　well　as　a　parapass；　water　distilleries；　and　reliable　note…keeping　devices。
　It　was　said　that　many　tribes　of　the　enigmatic　Fremen　lived　in　the　trackless　wastes。　Kynes　wanted　to　talk　with　them；　to　understand　how　they　squeezed　survival　from　such　a　harsh　environment。　But　the　out…of…place　Fremen　seemed　reticent　within　the　boundaries　of　Carthag；　and　they　hurried　away　whenever　he　tried　to　talk　with　them　。。。。
　Kynes　didn't　much　care　for　the　city　himself。　House　Harkonnen　had　erected　the　new　headquarters　en　masse　when；　four　decades　earlier；　Guild　manipulations　had　given　them　Arrakis　as　a　quasi…fief　to　govern。　Carthag　had　been　built　with　the　rapidity　of　inexhaustible　human　labor；　without　finesse　or　attention　to　detail：　blocky　buildings　constructed　of　substandard　materials　for　ostentatious　purposes　or　functionality。　No　elegance　whatsoever。
　Carthag　did　not　appear　to　belong　here；　its　architecture　and　placement　were　offensive　to　his　sensibilitie