bh.houseatreides-第22部分
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in fact； considered seducing Abulurd and simply taking the information she needed； but she had decided against that plan。 The man seemed unshakably devoted to his squat and wholesome native wife； Emmi Rabban； the mother of Glossu Rabban。 He had fallen in love with her long ago on Lankiveil； married her to the dismay of his father； and carried her with him from world to world during his chaotic career。 Abulurd seemed impervious to any feminine temptations but hers。
Instead； Margot used simple charm and quiet innocence to gain access to written financial records； dusty ledgers； and inventory rooms。 No one questioned her。
In time； taking advantage of every surreptitious opportunity； she found what she needed。 Using flash…memorization techniques learned on Wallach IX； Margot scanned through stacks of etched ridulian crystals and absorbed columns of numbers； cargo manifests； lists of equipment demissioned or placed into service； suspicious losses； storm damage。
In nearby rooms； groups of women skinned and gutted fish； chopped herbs； peeled roots and sour fruits for steaming cauldrons of fish stew； which Abulurd and his wife served for the entire household。 They insisted on eating the same meals； at the same tables； as all of their workers。 Margot finished her surreptitious scanning well before the meal call sounded throughout the rooms of the great house 。。。。
Later； in private while listening to a blustery storm outside； she reviewed the data in her mind and studied spice…production records from Abulurd's tenure on Arrakis and the Baron's current filings with CHOAM； along with the amounts of melange spirited away from Arrakis by various smuggler organizations。
Normally； she would have set aside the data until entire teams of Sisters had a chance to analyze it。 But Margot wanted to discover the answer herself。 Pretending to sleep； she dived into the problem behind her eyelids with abandon； falling into a deep trance。
The numbers had been masterfully manipulated； but after Margot stripped away the masks and thin screens； she found her answer。 A Bene Gesserit could see it； but she doubted even the Emperor's financial advisors or CHOAM accountants would detect the deception。
Unless it was pointed out to them。
Her discovery suggested serious underreporting of spice production to CHOAM and the Emperor。 Either the Harkonnens were selling melange illicitly doubtful； because that could easily be tracked or accumulating secret stockpiles of their own。
Interesting； Margot thought； raising her eyebrows。 She opened her eyes； went over to a reinforced window casement； and stared out at the liquid metal seas； the choppy waves trapped within the bottleneck fjords； the murky black clouds hovering above the rugged bulwarks of rock。 In the bleak distance； fur…whales set up an eerie； humming song。
The following day she booked passage on the next Guild Heighliner。 Then； shucking her disguise； she rode up in a cargo hauler filled with processed whale…fur。 She doubted that anyone on Lankiveil had noticed her arrival or her departure。
Four things cannot be hidden Love； smoke； a pillar of fire； and a man striding across the open bled。
…Fremen Wisdom
Alone in the quiet； stark desert exactly as it should be。 Pardot Kynes found that he worked best with nothing but his own thoughts and plenty of time to think them。 Other people provided too many distractions； and few others had the same focus or the same drive。
As Imperial Planetologist to Arrakis； he needed to absorb the huge landscape into every pore of his being。 Once he got into the right mind…set he could actually feel the pulse of a world。 Now； standing atop a rugged formation of black…and…red rock that had been uplifted from the surrounding basin； the lean； weathered man stared in both directions at the vastness。 Desert； desert everywhere。
His map screen named the mountainous line Rimwall West。 His altimeter proclaimed the tallest peaks to be substantially higher than six thousand meters。。。yet he saw no snow； glaciers； or ice； no signs of precipitation whatsoever。 Even the most rugged and atomic…blasted mountaintops on Salusa Secundus had been covered with snow。 But the air here was so desperately dry that exposed water could not survive in any form。
Kynes stared southward across the ocean of sand to the world…girdling desert known as the Funeral Plain。 No doubt geographers could have found ample distinctions to categorize the landscape into further labeled subsections but few humans who ventured out there ever returned。 This was the domain of the worms。 No one really needed maps。
Bemused； Kynes remembered ancient sailing charts from the earliest days of Old Terra； their mysterious unexplored areas marked simply； 〃Here Be Monsters。〃 Yes； he thought as he recalled Rabban's hunt of the incredible sandworm。 Here be monsters indeed。
Exposed atop the serrated ridge of the Rimwall； he removed the stillsuit's nostril plugs and rubbed a sore spot where the filter constantly brushed against his nose。 Then he pulled away the covering on his mouth so he could take a deep breath of the scorched； brittle air。 According to his desert…prep instructions； he knew he should not expose himself unnecessarily to such water loss； but Kynes needed to draw in the aromas and vibrations of Arrakis； needed to sense the heartbeat of the planet。
He smelled hot dust； the subtle saltiness of minerals； the distinct tastes of sand； weathered lava； and basalt。 This was a world entirely without the moist scents of either growing or rotting vegetation； without any odor that might betray the cycles of life and death。 Only sand and rock and more sand。
Upon closer inspection； though； even the harshest desert teemed with life； with specialized plants； with animals and insects adapted to hostile ecological niches。 He knelt to scrutinize shadowy pockets in the rock； tiny hollows where the barest breath of morning dew might collect。 There； lichens gripped the rough stone surface。
A few hard pellets marked the droppings of a small rodent； perhaps a kangaroo rat。 Insects might make their homes here at high altitude； along with a bit of windblown grass or hardy and solitary weeds。 On the vertical cliffs； even bats took shelter and surged out at dusk to hunt night moths and gnats。 Occasionally in the enamel…blue sky he spotted a dark fleck that must have been a hawk or a carrion bird。 For such larger animals； survival must be particularly hard。
How； then； do the Fremen survive？
He'd seen their dusty forms walking the village streets； but the desert people kept to themselves； went about their business； then vanished。 Kynes noticed that the 〃civilized〃 villagers treated them differently； but it wasn't clear whether this came from awe or disdain。 Polish es from the cities； went an old Fremen saying； wisdom from the desert。
According to a few sparse anthropological notes he had found； the Fremen were the remnants of an ancient wandering people； the Zensunni； who had been slaves dragged from world to world。 After being freed； or perhaps escaping； from their captivity they had tried to find a home for centuries； but were persecuted everywhere they went。 Finally； they'd gone to ground here on Arrakis…and somehow they had thrived。
Once； when he'd tried to speak to a Fremen woman as she walked past； the woman had fixed him with the gaze of her shockingly blue…within…blue eyes； the whites pletely swallowed in the indigo of pure spice addiction。 The sight had jolted all questions from his mind； and before Kynes could say anything else to her； the Fremen woman had hurried on her way； hugging her tattered brown jubba cloak over her stillsuit。
Kynes had heard rumors that entire Fremen population centers were hidden out in the basins and the rocky buttresses of the Shield Wall。 Living off the land； when the land itself provided so little life。。。how did they do it？
Kynes still had much to learn about Arrakis； and he thought the Fremen could teach him a great deal。 If he could ever find them。
IN DIRTY； ROUGH…EDGED Carthag； the Harkonnens had been reluctant to outfit the unwanted Planetologist with extravagant equipment。 Scowling at the Padishah Emperor's seal on Kynes's requisition； the supply master had authorized him to take clothes； a stilltent； a survival kit； four literjons of water； some preserved rations； and a battered one…man ornithopter with an extended fuel supply。 Those items were enough for a person like Kynes； who was a stranger to luxury。 He didn't care about formal trappings and useless niceties。 He was much more focused on the problem of understanding Arrakis。
After checking the predicted storm patterns and prevailing winds； Kynes lit off in the ornithopter toward the northeast； heading deeper into the mountainous terrain surrounding the polar regions。 Because the mid…latitudes were broiling wastelands； most human habitation clustered around the highlands。
He piloted the old surplus 'thopter； listening to the loud hum of its engines and the flutter of movable wings。 From the air； and all alone： This was the best way to see the vistas below； to get a broad perspective on the geological blemishes and patterns； the colors of rock； the canyons。
Through the sand…scratch
