Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

Dr. Keynes was ordered to betray these people, but seeing them for the first time shocked him deeply.He is proud of being a scientist.For him, legends are just interesting clues to a search for cultural roots.But the boy was so strikingly consistent with the ancient prophecy, that "sightful eye", "hidden justice", that demeanor, he was a little overwhelmed. Of course, there is room for legends. It is not stated whether the Goddess brought Mesa... the savior from the sky to this place, or was born here.Still, the dovetailing of legend and reality does hold many puzzling mysteries.

They met in the administrative command building at the landing field outside the city of Alakane in the morning. An unmarked patrol plane was parked nearby, still humming like a sleepy insect.An Atrez guard stood guard with a shining sword in his hand, and the shield on his body made the surrounding air slightly vibrate. Keynes scoffed at the shielding defense, thinking: Arrakis will surprise them. The planetary ecologist raised a hand, signaling his Freeman guards to back off.He strode toward the building's entrance...a black hole in plastic-coated rock.It was a stone building, he thought: no bigger than a cave.

Movements in the building caught his attention.He stopped and straightened his jacket and the filtration suit over his left shoulder. The door opened suddenly, and a group of Atrez soldiers in full armor appeared, and a tall man with dark skin and eagle face stepped out from behind them.He wears a Jaba cloak with an Atrez eagle on his chest.But it can be seen that he is not familiar with the clothes on his body. The cloak is tightly attached to the filtration device next to his left leg, which makes him feel very uncomfortable even when he walks and turns.Beside him was a young man with the same dark hair as himself, but with a rounder and broader face.Keynes knew the young man was only fifteen, but his appearance made him appear smaller.This young man has a natural sense of self-confidence and dignity, as if he knows everything around him well, but others don't know it.The cloak he wore was the same pattern as his father's, but it fitted him so naturally, as if he had been born wearing it.

The prophecy says: "Muaddi sees things that are hard for others to see." Keynes shook his head, telling himself that they were just people. In addition to these two people dressed like those in the desert, Keynes recognized another person, and he was Gurney Halleck.Keynes took a deep breath and calmed down his inner dissatisfaction with Halleck, because he once told Keynes how to meet the Duke and his heir, and the etiquette to pay attention to when meeting. "You can address the Duke 'Sir' or 'Sir'. 'Sir' is also good, but it is more used in formal occasions. You can address the Duke's son as 'Master' or 'Sir.' The Duke is kind, but I don’t want to get too close to people.”

Keynes watched the group of people approaching and thought: They will soon know who is the master of Arrakis.You actually asked me to accept half the night's inquiries from that Mentat!Want me to help them oversee spice mining?Who do they think they are? The real intention of Hawat's inquiry could not be hidden from Keynes' judgment.They want to get the royal base.Obviously, it was Idaho who revealed the news to them. "I want Stilger to return Idaho's head to the Duke." Keynes said to himself. The Duke was only a few steps away from him, and his boots screeched on the sand.

Keynes bent over and said, "Your Excellency the Duke." When the Duke approached the man standing alone beside the reconnaissance plane, he looked at Keynes carefully: tall, thin, dressed in desert attire, loose coat, wearing a filtration suit and ankle boots; Throwing back, the veil hung, revealing long sandy hair, a sparse beard, and under thick lashes a pair of deep, bottomless, blue eyes with black spots in their sockets. "You're an ecologist," said the Duke. "Your Excellency, we prefer the old-fashioned title: Planetary Scientist," Keynes said. "You are welcome," the Duke said, casting a glance at Paul. "Son, this is the Response Judge, the arbitrator of disputes, tasked with overseeing everything here to see whether it is subject to our effective rule." He glanced at Cain again "This is my son," S said.

"Your Excellency," Keynes said. "Are you a Freeman?" Paul asked. Keynes smiled and said, "The tribes and villages here regard me as their own. But I am the emperor's servant, the royal planetologist." Paul nodded, secretly admiring his strong demeanor.While still upstairs, Halleck pointed Keynes to Paul from the window, saying, "That's the guy standing there with the Freeman guards, and he's walking toward the scout plane right now." Paul took a broad look at Keynes through the binoculars, noting his angular mouth and high forehead.Halleck once murmured in Paul's ear: "A strange fellow, speaking concisely, directly, without any pretensions."

Standing behind them, the Duke said, "Scientist type." Now, just a few steps away from this man, Paul felt a power in Keynes, a personal influence, as if he were of royal blood, born to be a leader. "I understand we have to thank you for the filtration suits and cloaks you gave us," said the Duke. "Hope they fit, sir," said Keynes. "They're Fremen, and they're made as close as possible to the dimensions that this Halleck has given us." "You said you couldn't take us to the desert without us wearing these suits, which caught my attention," said the Duke. "We can carry a lot of water. We don't plan to go very long, and there will be air cover...  It's the guards flying over us right now. It seems unlikely that we'll be forced to land."

Keynes stared at the Duke, noticed his well-hydrated body, and said coldly: "In Arrakis, we never talk about possibilities. We only pay attention to what will happen." Halleck said bluntly, "To address the Duke you should use 'His Excellency' or 'Sir'." The Duke gave him a signal signal and said: "Gurney, our habits are unknown to others, and exceptions should be allowed." "Yes, sir" "Dr. Keynes, we owe you," Redo said, "your gift of clothing and your care for us will remain in our memory." Suddenly, a sentence from the "OC Bible" flashed through Paul's mind, and he blurted out: "'The gift is the blessing and blessing of the river.'"

These words echoed loudly in the quiet air. The Freeman guards brought by Keynes were resting in the shadow of the building. After hearing these words, they all stood up excitedly, emotionally, with a Shouted loudly: "Lisang al-Ghab (Voice from Outer Space)!" Keynes turned sharply and made a brief downward chop, sending the Fremen apart.They backed away, still muttering quietly. "It's very interesting," Redo said. Keynes took a serious look at the Duke and Paul, and said, "Most of the desert natives here are superstitious. Don't mind, they mean no harm." But he was thinking about the legendary prophecy: "They will greet you with holy words." You, your gift will be a blessing."

Leido's impression of Keynes was based in part on Hawat's oral report (suspicious and conservative), and now he suddenly came to the conclusion that the man was a Freeman.Keynes came with the Fremen guard, the purpose was just to test the freedom of the Fremen to enter the city... But this guard seems to be only ceremonial.From his demeanor, Keynes was an arrogant man, accustomed to freedom, whose speech and demeanor were governed only by his own suspicions.Paul's questions really hit the nail on the head. Keynes was already a member of the Aboriginal people. "Shall we go, sir?" Halleck asked. The Duke nodded and said, "I'll take my own aircraft, and Keynes can sit with me and give me directions. You and Paul take the second." "Wait, please," Keynes said, "if you have no objection, I want to check that your dialysis suit is safe." The Duke wanted to say something, but Keynes continued to press: "Your Excellency, I care about your body as much as I care about my own life... I know very well that if an accident happens to you two under my care, the one who loses his head is Who that is self-evident." The Duke frowned, thinking: This is really a great way to embarrass people!If I refuse, I may offend him, and this person's value to me may be immeasurable.but…… Is it safe to let him into my shield, to have him close to me when I know so little about him? These thoughts quickly flashed through his mind, and the Duke made a decision. "We are at your disposal," said the Duke.He took a step forward and opened his robe, noticing Halleck walking beside him, ready to strike, but still calm.The Duke said: "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear about the function and function of the filtration suit. It's a good time for you to tell us, because this kind of equipment is closely related to your life." "Of course," Keynes said, his hand reaching up to the shoulder under the robe, looking for the sealing valve.As he checked, he explained to the duke, "It's basically a desert ration unit... a high-efficiency filter heat exchange system." He adjusted the sealing valve on his shoulder, and continued, "The layer in contact with the skin is porous and permeable. material, perspires and cools the body... just like the normal evaporation process. There are two layers of heat exchange filament material and salt precipitation device." He tightened the chest strap. The Duke raised his hand and said, "It's very interesting." "Take a deep breath," Keynes told him. The Duke took a deep breath. Keynes checked the underarm seal valve again, adjusted it, and said, "The movement of the body, especially the act of breathing and osmosis powers the device." He loosened the chest strap: "Recovered moisture flows into the storage bag, a A tube goes from the storage bag to the clip on your shoulder, and you suck up the water through that tube." The Duke turned his jaw and went down to look for the pipe, saying, "It's very convenient and effective, and the workmanship is well designed." Keynes knelt down, checked the leg seal, and said, "Urine and feces are processed in the thigh device." He stood up, touched the neck device, lifted a movable cover and said, "In the desert, You wear a filter mask over your face. Use these clips to hold the tubes in your nose. Breathe in through the filter in your mouth and out through the tubes in your nose. Wear a well-functioning Freeman filter suit, and you lose every day You have very little water, even when you have to expend a lot of energy." "Very little moisture is lost every day," Duke said. Keynes pressed his finger against the forehead pad and said, "This thing can rub. If it doesn't feel right, let me know and I can tighten it up." "Thank you," said the Duke, and he moved his shoulders, and Keynes stepped aside.The Duke did feel a lot more comfortable... tighter, more at ease. Keynes turned to Paul and said, "Now, lad, let me check your costume." The Duke thought to himself: This man is not bad, but he should learn to address us correctly. Paul stood motionless while Keynes checked the clothes.When he put on this strange suit, he had a strange feeling.His subconscious mind clearly told him that this kind of clothes had never been worn before, but when Gurney helped him put it on awkwardly, he felt a natural instinct, knew how to put it on, how to adjust it, everything Naturally familiar.As he sucked in his stomach and took deep breaths to provide enough motivation, Paul knew what he should do and why.As soon as he put the neck and forehead pads on, Paul knew they should tighten them to prevent chafing. Keynes straightened his body and retreated with a puzzled expression.He asked, "Have you ever worn a filtration suit before?" "This is the first time." "So anyone help you?" "No." "You're wearing sand boots with slippery ankles, who told you to do that." "This... seems to be the case." "You're doing exactly right." Keynes rubbed his cheeks, thinking of the legendary words: "He will know your methods, as if he was born knowing them." "Let's not waste any more time." The Duke said, pointing to the patrol plane waiting beside him, and walked over by himself first.The guard stood to attention and saluted, and the Duke nodded.He climbed into the cabin, fastened his seat belt, and checked the controls and gauges.The aircraft made a slight sound, and other people got on the plane. Keynes fastened his seat belt himself, and noticed that the seats on the aircraft were comfortable, with luxurious soft cushions and gleaming instruments.The cabin door is closed, and the cabin is filled with filtered fresh air, and the ventilation fan starts to rotate. so soft!he thinks. "It's all right, sir," said Halleck. Leido sent power to the wings, felt a slight shock, and they had risen to a height of ten meters in the air.The wings swung up and down, the rear engine boosted, and with a whistling sound, they rose steeply into the sky. Keynes said, "Go southeast over the shield wall, and I'll have your miners concentrate their equipment there." "it is good!" The Duke flew obliquely towards the range of the air cover, and the other aircraft followed in a fan shape and flew towards the southeast. "These filtration suits are designed and manufactured with a very high level of precision and craftsmanship," Duke said. Keynes responded, "Sometime I can show you a tribal factory." "That must be very interesting," said the duke, "I found out that some of the strongholds are producing such garments." "Shoddy imitation," said Keynes, "any dune walker who cares about his skin wears a filtration suit made by the Fremen." "Does it really minimize water loss from the body?" the Duke asked. "The only loss of moisture is in the palms, if worn correctly," Keynes replied. "If you don't have to do anything important with your hands, you can also wear filtration gloves. But most of the Fremen who travel to and from the desert They all use a kind of juice from the leaves of Prunus japonica to smear on the palms to prevent sweating." The Duke looked down from the left window, and there was an incomplete and dilapidated scene around the shielding wall, with broken rocks and patches of yellow-brown stains, as if someone had landed here from the sky, leaving a ruin. They skimmed a low basin of gray sand surrounded by a ring of rocks.On the south side there is a gap through which the sand juts into the center of the basin, forming a delta that mirrors the surrounding black rock. Keynes leaned back in the chair, thinking about the well-hydrated skin he touched just now.They all wore shields, slow-shot guns strapped to their waists, and emergency launchers the size of coins around their necks.Both the duke and his son had sheathed knives at their belts.These people gave Keynes the impression that they were gentle but armed to the teeth.Their style of work is completely different from that of the Harkonnen. "When you reported the transfer of power here to the emperor, would you say that we did it according to legal procedures?" Leido asked Keynes with a glance. "The Harkonnen left, and you are here," Keynes said. "Is everything in order?" asked the Duke again. Keynes opened his palate, and the atmosphere seemed a little tense. After a pause, he replied: "As a planetary scientist and emergency judge, I am directly under the jurisdiction of the royal family...Your Excellency." The Duke smiled darkly: "We both know what reality is." "I remind you that my work is supported by the Emperor." "Really? What's your job?" During the brief silence, Paul thought: The Duke is pushing Keynes too hard.He glanced at Halleck, the troubadour-warrior looking out at the desolate landscape. Keynes replied bluntly, "Of course you mean my duties as a planetary scientist." "right!" "Mostly dry land biology and botany...plus some geological work...drilling, sampling and testing. There are always endless resources and questions to be explored about a complete planet." "Are you also investigating the situation of decaying spices?" Keynes turned and Paul noticed the stern look on his face. "Your Excellency, this question is a bit inexplicable." "Keynes, please remember that this place is now my fiefdom. My method is completely different from that of the Harkonnen. I don't mind how you study spices, but you must let me share your discoveries." He glanced at the planetologist, and continued, "The Harkonnen object and forbid any research on spices, do they?" Keynes stared at the Duke without saying a word. "You can speak up and not worry about your skin," the Duke said. "The Royal Courts are indeed far away," Keynes whispered.He thought: What exactly does this well-hydrated invader want?Is he stupid enough to think I'm going to work with them? The Duke laughed out loud, and while he was paying attention to the course, he said: "Sir, I noticed that your tone of voice is not very friendly. We have brought a group of gentle killers to this planet, huh? I want you to pay attention right away." to the difference between us and the Harkonnen." "I've seen your brochures," Keynes said, "'Beloved the good duke!' Your troops . . . " "Enough!" Halleck yelled, leaning forward. Paul put a hand on Halleck's arm. "Gurney!" said the Duke, looking back, "this man has lived under the Harkonnen rule for a long time." Halleck sat back on his chair and responded with an "oh". "Your man, Hawat, is more moderate," Keynes said, "but his purpose is clear." "Will you help us open those bases?" the Duke asked. Keynes replied firmly: "They are the property of the emperor." "But it was left unused." "Sooner or later they will be used." "Does the emperor agree?" Keynes gave the Duke a stern look and said, "If the rulers of Arrakis hadn't greedily plundered the spices, this place would have turned into a paradise like Eden." The duke thought: He didn't answer my question. "How can a planet become a beautiful Garden of Eden without money?" asked the Duke. "What good is money if you can't buy the services you need?" Keynes asked rhetorically. Oh, right now!thought the duke.He continued: "Let's talk about that next time. Now, I think we've reached the edge of the shield wall. Still on course?" "Keep heading," Keynes replied. Paul looked out of the window, and below, intermittently, the earth began to disappear, to be replaced by a rock and a cliff; Bland patches, not sand, maybe rocks, or some kind of vegetation.Paul didn't know. He asked, "Are there any plants down here?" "There are some." Keynes replied, "The life zone at this latitude is often called the micro-moisture accumulation zone... Some are moist and can absorb dew. Some places in the desert also have life. They have learned how to survive in harsh environments. If people fall, they have to imitate their way of survival, otherwise they will only die." "You mean stealing water droplets from each other?" Paul asked.The thought infuriated him, and his tone betrayed his emotion. Keynes replied, "That kind of thing happens. But that's not what I mean. You see, the climate here is such that people take water very seriously. You're going to have a water problem at any time. You don't waste any Moisture." And the duke was thinking: ... the weather here! "Sir, another 2 degrees to the south," said Keynes, "a storm to the west." The Duke nodded, he had already seen the fog over there.He let the aircraft draw an arc in the air, and saw the escort fleet behind him also bank to maintain formation.Under the sunlight, a milky white light appeared in the sky. "That should have kept the storm out of the way," Keynes said. "If you fly into the sand mist, it must be very dangerous," Paul said, "Can the hard metal really be broken?" Keynes replied: "At this altitude, it will not be sand, but dust, and the main danger is blindness and cyclones and blockages." "Can we witness spice mining today?" Paul asked. "Very likely," Keynes replied. Paul leaned back in the chair. He had just completed what his mother called "recording" through asking questions and his own extrasensory awareness, that is, "recording" all the personal characteristics of Keynes...voice, face and movement Every detail features.The left sleeve of his coat was rolled up unnaturally, indicating that he had a Hidden Sword; his waist bulged out strangely. It is said that people who walk in the desert wear a bag on their belt, which contains some necessities. Maybe he also has such a bag around his waist. One thing, of course, would not be a shield; there was a brass rabbit pin on the neck of the coat, and another on the back. Halleck, sitting next to Paul, turned and took out his nine-string Barrys from behind, and Keynes glanced back. "What do you want to hear, little master?" Halleck asked. "Whatever you want, Gurney," Paul replied. Halleck listened to the speakers, plucked the strings, and sang: Keynes glanced at the Duke and said, "Your Excellency, you travel with such a light-hearted guard. Are all your people so versatile?" "Gurney, you?" said the Duke, laughing. "That's the kind of man he is. I like his powers of observation. Nothing escapes him." The planetologist frowned. Halleck sang in the same rhythm and tune as before: The Duke took out a microphone from the toolbox below, turned on the switch, and said to it: "This is the leader of the Zimma Guard. There is a flying object in area B at nine o'clock, please confirm." "It's just a bird," Keynes said. "Your eyes are very keen." There was a burst of noise from the microphone, and then said: "This is the Gemma Guard. The flying object has been zoomed in and identified. It is a big bird." Paul looked in the indicated direction, and there was a black dot in the distance, a point of intermittent motion.He realized how vigilant his father was, how alert he must be. "I didn't know there was such a big bird deep in the desert," said the Duke. "That looks like an eagle," Keynes replied. "There are many creatures that have adapted to the environment of this planet." The scout plane skims over a stretch of bare rock.Paul looked down from an altitude of two thousand meters and saw the shadow of the flying team on the ground.The terrain below appears to be flat, but the irregular shadows suggest otherwise. "Has anyone ever walked across the desert?" asked the Duke. Halleck stopped playing and leaned over to hear the answer. "No one has ever been to the depths of the desert," Keynes replied. "People have crossed the second area several times. They took the rocky area where the sand lizards are rarely seen, so they succeeded." "Ah, Sand Lizard," said the Duke, "I must see it sometime." "You can see it today," Keynes said, "where there are spices, there are sand lizards." "Forever?" Halleck asked. "always like this." "Is there any connection between the sand lizard and spices?" asked the duke. Keynes turned around, and Paul raised his lips when he spoke: "They protect the sand with spices. Each sand lizard has its own...a territory. As for the spices...who knows? Sampling and analysis led us to suspect some sort of chemical communication between them. We found traces of hydrochloric acid in the salamander's duct glands, and more complex acids elsewhere. I'll give you a few of the ones I wrote Dissertation." "It is said that shielding has no defensive effect?" the Duke asked. "Shield!" Keynes said sarcastically, "activating the shield in the area where the sand lizard is active is tantamount to suicidal. The sand lizard will lose the sense of territory and rush to attack the shield from all directions. Anyone who uses the shield can't escape such crazy attack." "How can I subdue the Sand Lizard?" "Separately delivering high-voltage electric shocks to each ring area of ​​the sand lizard is currently the only way to kill and keep the sand lizard intact," Keynes replied, "bombs can stun and shatter them, but each ring of the sand lizard The first ring area has independent life. Apart from the atomic bomb, as far as I know, there is no bomb that is powerful enough to completely wipe out a huge sand lizard. They are particularly tenacious." "Why doesn't anyone try to wipe them all out?" Paul asked. "Too expensive," Keynes replied. "Too much area and scope." Paul leaned back in his chair, his sense of falsehood noticing the slight change in Keynes' tone, knowing that the man was lying, telling only half-truths.He thought: If there is any connection between the sand lizard and the spice, then killing the sand lizard means destroying the decaying spice. The duke said: "People will not have to go out of the desert, just turn on this tiny transmitter mounted on our neck, and rescuers will move immediately. Soon, all workers will be equipped with this device. We are establishing a special rescue team." system." "It's a really nice act of kindness," Keynes said. "It sounds like you don't approve of that." "Pro? Of course I'm for it, but it's not very useful. The static from the sand lizard interferes with many signals, so the transmitter won't do much. It's been used before, you know. Arrakis is fussy about equipment. And when the sand lizards start attacking the target, the available time is very short, usually only ten to fifteen minutes." "Well, what advice do you have?" asked the Duke. "You want advice?" "Of course, you're a planetologist." "Will you take my advice?" "If it's reasonable." "Well, sir. Never travel alone." The Duke turned his head and asked, "That's all?" "On that note, don't go out alone." "What if there's a storm and you're separated and you're forced to land?" Halleck asked. "Is there anything special that should be done?" "Everything has a range," Keynes said. Paul asked, "What would you do?" Keynes gave Paul a stern look over his shoulder, then said to the Duke, "I'm going to take care of my dialysis suit first. If I'm in a rocky area or away from sand lizards, I don't leave the ship. If I'm in an exposed desert , you should stay away from the spaceship as soon as possible, about a kilometer is enough, and then hide under your robe. The sand lizard will find the spaceship, but it may not notice people." "Then what?" Halleck asked. Keynes shrugged and said, "Wait for the sand lizard to leave." "That's all?" Paul asked. "When the sand lizard is gone, one can try to get out," Keynes said. "You have to walk gently, avoiding drum sand and tidal sand lowlands...go to the nearest rocky area. There are many such areas. Generally successful." "Drum sand?" Halleck asked. Keynes replied: "This is what happens when the density of the sand becomes tighter. Even the slightest stepping creates a drumming sound. Sand lizards always come to hear the sound." "And what about the tidal lowlands?" the Duke continued. "Sags in the desert that have been formed over hundreds of years and are filled with sand. Some are very wide and there will be sand waves and sand tides. Anything that accidentally breaks in will be submerged." Halleck sat back in his chair and continued playing.Suddenly he sings: He stopped suddenly, leaned forward, and said, "Sir, there is dust ahead." "I saw it, Gurney." "That's what we're looking for," Keynes said. Paul sat up straight in his seat and looked forward, and saw a yellow cloud rolling over the desert about thirty kilometers ahead. "There's one of your mining locomotives over there," Keynes said. "It's on the surface of the sand, which means it's mining spices. The smog is blown up when it picks up spices and centrifuges, unlike other smogs. Same." "Fly over there," said the Duke. "I see two... three... four observation posts," Keynes said, "They are watching the sand lizards." "What about the sand lizard?" the Duke asked. "Sand waves moving in the direction of mining. They also have vibration detectors on the desert surface. Sometimes the sand lizards dive too deep and cannot see the sand waves." Keynes searched the surrounding sky carefully, "There should be a carrier The instrument is nearby. Why didn't I see it?" "The sand lizards come every time, don't they?" Halleck asked. "Come every time." Paul leaned forward, touched Keynes on the shoulder, and asked, "How big is the range of motion for each sand lizard?" Keynes frowned, why does this kid keep asking adults questions. "It depends on how big the sand lizard is." "What is the degree of the difference in size?" asked the Duke. "The territory occupied by the large sand lizard generally covers three to four hundred square kilometers, and the small ones..." The Duke stepped on the brake suddenly, and Keynes' words were interrupted.The spaceship shook and stopped suddenly in mid-air.The Duke tilted the fuselage slightly and let the wings flap gently.With his left hand, he pointed to the place far away from the mining locomotive to the east and said, "Is that the movement of the sand lizard?" Keynes leaned forward and looked in the direction the Duke pointed. Paul and Halleck huddled together, looking in the same direction.Paul noticed that the escort crew found the Duke suddenly stopped in the air, and was a little caught off guard. He rushed forward and is now turning around and flying back.The mining locomotive was about three kilometers ahead. Where the Duke pointed, the smooth surface of the sand dunes rippled, like a big fish swimming across the bottom. "Sand lizard," Keynes said, "is very big." He moved back, grabbed the microphone on the dashboard, pressed a new frequency, glanced at the orientation map above his head, and said into the microphone: "Call the mining locomotive in the triangle area, there are sand lizards, mining locomotives, pay attention, there are sand lizards. Please answer." He waited. There was a burst of static from the microphone on the dial, and then a voice: "Who's calling the Triangle mining locomotive, over." Keynes said into the microphone: "Unregistered flight... three kilometers northeast of you. A sand lizard is moving towards you. Estimated time is twenty-five minutes." Another voice came from the microphone: "I am observing the console. Sand Lizard has confirmed, please be ready to accept contact." After a pause, another voice came: "Twenty-six minutes, the time is very tight. Who is doing it Unregistered flight? Over!" Halleck unbuckled his seat belt, stood between the Duke and Keynes, and asked, "Keynes, is this a normal working frequency?" "Yes, what's the matter?" "Who can hear?" "Staff in this area, eliminating distractions." The microphone rang again: "This is a mining locomotive, who should get the alarm transmission bonus? Over." Halleck glanced at the Duke. Keynes said: "Whoever raises the sand lizard alarm first will get a share of the spice harvest and get a bonus. They want to know..." "Tell them who saw the sand lizard first," Halleck said. The Duke nodded. Keynes hesitated for a moment, picked up the microphone and said, "The alarm transmission bonus should go to Duke Redo Atrez, it's Duke Redo Atrez, over." The voice from the microphone was a little dry. "Got it, thank you." "Now, tell them the Duke wants them to share the prize money, that's what the Duke means," Halleck told Keynes. Keynes took a deep breath, and then said, "The Duke wants you to share the prize money yourself, do you hear me? Over!" "I see, thank you." "I forgot to tell you that Gurney is also a genius public relations expert," the Duke said. Keynes frowned, and glanced at Gurney suspiciously. "It's done to let these people know that the Duke cares about their safety," Halleck said. "Words will spread among the workers, and the walkie-talkie is on the working frequency of this area... It's unlikely that a Harkonnen spy Heard." He glanced at the air cover crew outside and said, "We are also very strong, and it is worth the risk." The Duke flew obliquely towards the mining locomotive: "What should we do now?" "There should be a carrier near here," Keynes said, "and it will come and take the locomotive away." "What if something happens to the vehicle?" Halleck asked. "You'll lose some equipment," Keynes replied. "Your Excellency, get close to the mining locomotive. You'll find it interesting." The Duke frowned, busy manipulating the aircraft, and came over the mining area. Paul looked down and saw that the big monster below was still spraying sand, like a huge brown-blue beetle, with many long arms stretching around, and a large funnel-shaped nozzle in the front. "Look at the color is a rich spice deposit," Keynes said, "and they'll keep mining it until the very end." The Duke put more power on the wings, plunged down, stopped at a low altitude, and hovered over the head of the mining machine.His bodyguard remained at altitude, circling above. Paul looked down carefully at the yellow sand mist ejected from the air duct of the mining locomotive, and then raised his head to notice the sand lizards approaching in the distant desert. "Should we hear them calling the carrier?" Halleck asked. "They often use another frequency," Keynes replied. The Duke asked: "Should there be two carriers near each mining locomotive? There should be 26 workers on the lower machine, plus equipment." Keynes replied: "You don't have enough..." An angry growl from the microphone cut him off. "Did any of you see the carrier? He didn't answer us." 麦克风里传出一阵嘈杂声，接着突然安静下来，然后一个人开始说话：“请依次报告，完毕！” “这是观察台，我最后看见它时，它飞得相当高，然后转向北方飞走。现在看不见。完毕。” “一号观察点：没有，完毕。” “二号观察点：没有，完毕。” “三号观察点：没有，完毕。” 安静无声。 公爵看着下边，他的飞船的影子刚刚掠过采矿机车。他问：“只有四架观察机，对吗？” “对。”凯因斯说。 “我们有五架飞行器，”公爵说：“我们的飞行器较大，可以再加三个人。他们自己的观察机应该可以救两个人。”保罗暗暗地计算了一下说：“那还剩下三个人。” “他们为什么不为每个采矿机车配备两架运载器？”公爵怒气冲冲地吼道。 “你们没有足够的设备。”凯因斯说。 “这就更应该保护我们目前现有的资源！” “运载器会飞到什么地方去呢？”哈莱克问。 公爵抓过麦克风，手指在开关上犹豫起来：“他们怎么会让一架运载器消失呢？” “他们的注意力都在地面，在搜寻沙蜥的踪迹。”凯因斯解释道。 公爵拨动了麦克风上的开关，对着麦克风说：“我是你们的公爵。我们下来营救三角区采矿机的员工。全部观察机听从命令。观察机在东边着陆，我们在西边降落，完毕。”他伸手向下，打开自己的指挥频率，对自己的掩护机组重复了刚才的命令，然后把麦克风递给凯因斯。 凯因斯拨回正常工作频率，麦克风里传来了爆炸似的说话声：“……差不多一整块香料！我们采到了一整块香料。不能让混账沙蜥把它给毁了，完毕。” “去他妈的香料！”公爵怒吼道，一把抓住麦克风说，“我们总能找到更多的香料！我们的飞船能把你们救走，但有三个人装不下。你们自己抽签或用别的方式决定谁走谁留下。但你们必须离开，这是命令。” 他将麦克风使劲扔给凯因斯，嘟哝着说：“对不起。”凯因斯摇摇受伤的手指。 “还有多少时间？”保罗问。 “九分钟。”凯因斯回答。 公爵说：“这艘飞船的动力更大。如果我们在喷气状态下以四分之三翼起飞，还可以多装一个人。” “沙地是软的。”凯因斯说。 “多载四个人进行喷气起飞，可能折断机翼，先生。”哈莱克说。 “这架飞船不会。”公爵说。当飞行器滑进采矿机车附近时，他向后拉动操纵杆，机翼翘起，飞船在离机车二十米处停下来。 采矿机车已停机，管道没有再喷沙雾，只有嗡嗡的振动声。公爵打开了舱门。 一股浓烈的芳香味立即扑鼻而来。 保罗看着这巨大的采矿工厂，飞船在它旁边显得很微小…… 就像战车旁的蚊子。 “哥尼，你和保罗把后座打开，”公爵说。他用手操纵，把机翼调到四分之三位，对好角度，检查喷气螺旋控制器。“他们怎么还不走出那鬼机器？” “他们希望运载器会出现，”凯因斯解释说，“他们还有几分钟时间。”他说完看了一眼东边。 大家扭头朝同一方向看去，没有沙蜥的踪迹，但空气中弥漫着一种紧张压抑、让人透不过气的沉闷气氛。 公爵抓起麦克风，接到指挥频率，说：“两架飞船扔掉屏蔽发动机，按编号顺序做。这样你们就可以分别多载一个人。我们不会给那魔鬼留下一个人。”他又调回工作频率，大声吼道：“够啦！在采矿机车里的人马上出来！这是公爵的命令！如不立即服从，我就用激光炮轰掉那机车。” 工厂前部的两条门闩被拉开，人们跌跌撞撞地跑了出来，在沙地上连滚带爬往前冲。一个穿着方格工作袍的高个最后出来，他跳到一条铁轨上，然后再跳进沙里。 公爵把麦克风挂在仪表盘上，站到机翼弦梯上，大叫道：“两人一组上你们的观察机！” 穿方格袍的人把工人分成两人一组，让他们朝另一边的飞行器跑去。 “四个人到这儿来！”公爵吼道，“四个人上后边的飞船！”他用手指着后边的飞行器，卫兵正在将屏蔽发动机往外推。“四个人上那边的飞船！”他指着另外一架已扔掉发动机的飞行器。“其余的三人一组上其他巡侦机！快跑，你们这些沙狗！” 高个将全部工人分配好，带着另外三个人跌跌撞撞地跑过来。 “我听见了沙蜥，但却看不见它。”凯因斯说。 其他人也听见了……一种沙沙的滑动声，由远及近，越来越大声。 “真他妈拖拉，快！”公爵骂道。 周围的飞船开始起飞，吹起一片沙尘，这使公爵想起在家乡丛林中所做的紧急降落，空地周围惊起一群鸟雀，只留下动物的尸体。 香料开采工人艰难地爬上飞船，哈莱克也伸手使劲拽他们，把他们推进后座。 “伙计们，快进去！”公爵厉声叫道，“快跑！” 保罗被这些汗流浃背的人挤到了角落里，闻到一股恐惧的汗味，注意到其中两人滤析服的颈部装置已乱了套。他把这一情况录入记忆库里，以备将来使用。父亲将发布命令，严格滤析服的使用纪律。人们在危急时就变得顾此失彼，不做出强硬规定，他们就会无所谓。 最后一个人喘着粗气进了后座，喊道：“沙蜥！已经到了！快起飞！” 公爵坐进椅于，皱着眉说：“按开始的估计，我们差不多还有三分钟，对吗，凯因斯？”他关上门，同时检查一下装备。 “阁下，很精确。”凯因斯边说边想：这公爵很冷静！ “全部安全进机，先生。”哈莱克说。 公爵点头，看着最后一架护航机起飞。他调整引擎，看了一眼机翼和仪表，按动喷气起飞程序。 起飞使公爵和凯因斯深深地陷进坐椅里，后座的人也向后仰。 凯因斯观察着公爵操纵飞船……信心十足，轻柔准确。巡侦机已完全升到空中。公爵注视着仪表，一边还观察左右两翼的情况。 “飞船很沉，先生。”哈莱克说。 “这飞船还可以承受，”公爵说，“你不会真以为我会拿这架飞行器冒险吧，哥尼？” 哈莱克咧嘴笑了，说：“一点也没有，先生。” 公爵倾斜飞行器绕了一个弯……掠过采矿机车。 被挤在角落里的保罗望着窗外沙地上寂静的机器。沙蜥的踪迹在离机器约四百米处消失了，而采矿工厂周围的沙地现在却好像开始旋转震荡。 “沙蜥现在已到了采矿机车下面，”凯因斯说，“你们将目睹一个百年难遇的景象。” 一片片尘烟盖住了机车周围的沙地，那庞大的机器开始向右倾斜。机器的右边形成了一个巨大的旋涡，越转越快。方圆几百米的空中充满了沙尘。 接着，他们看见了一切！ 沙里出现了一个巨大的洞，在阳光下，洞中闪烁着一道道白光。这洞的直径至少是采矿机车的两倍。保罗看见机器随着一排沙浪轰的一声斜着掉进了洞里。那洞缩了回去。 “老天，这怪物真可怕！”坐在保罗身边的人轻声说。 “把我们的香料吞得干干净净！”另一个气愤地说。 “有人将为此付出代价，”公爵说，“我向你们保证。” 保罗感到父亲那平淡的语气里隐藏着巨大的愤怒，他发觉自己也一样。这是罪恶的浪费！ 在一阵沉默以后，凯因斯说：“托上帝和他的水之福，愿他的来去保佑我们，愿他的经过能纯洁世界，祈求他为他的子民保护这个世界。” “你说的什么？”公爵问。 凯因斯沉默不语。 保罗看了一眼紧紧挤在他周围的人，他们都极其敬畏地看着凯因斯的后背。其中一个悄声说：“列特！” 凯因斯转过头，眉头紧皱。那人吓得向后一仰。 被救出的另一个人开始咳嗽……干燥沙哑。他喘着粗气说：“诅咒那个地狱般的洞！” 最后一个走出机床的高个说：“科斯，别说了。那只会使你咳得更凶。”他移动一下身体，使自己能看见公爵的头，说道：“您就是雷多公爵，我们的性命都是你们给的。要不是你们来得及时，我们已准备就地了结。” “安静。让公爵驾驶飞船，别打扰他。”哈莱克低声说。 保罗看了一眼哈莱克。他也注意到父亲面颊紧绷。公爵发怒时，走路都得小心。 公爵开始校正飞行器，慢慢停止倾斜飞行，他踩了制动器，因为发现沙地上有新的动静。沙蜥已退到沙地深处。在刚才停机处附近，有两个人影正在离开刚才发生沙陷的地方。他们似乎在沙上轻轻地滑行，没有留下一点痕迹。 “谁在下边？”公爵大声问。 “两个想搭机的家伙，先生。”高个说。 “为什么没告诉我们有这两个人？” “他们自己愿意冒险，先生。” 凯因斯说：“阁下，这些人知道在沙蜥出没的地方被困住，不会有多少办法逃脱。” 公爵厉声说：“我们将从基地派一艘飞船接应他们。” “阁下，您可以这么做，但是当飞船来到时，他们可能已不知去向了。”凯因斯说。 “我们还是派一架飞船来。”公爵坚持说。 “他们就在沙蜥出现的地方不远，”保罗说，“他们怎么逃脱的？” “洞穴边向里，给人一个距离上的错觉。”凯因斯解释道。 “先生，您在浪费燃料。”哈莱克壮着胆告诉公爵。 “嗯，哥尼。” 公爵把飞船掉过头，朝屏蔽墙飞去。他的护航机组也各就各位。 保罗思考着刚才凯因斯和沙丘崽所说的话。他觉得其中另有隐情，肯定撤了谎。沙漠上的那两个人行走如飞，充满自信。行进的方式老到熟练，决不会引起藏在沙漠深处的沙蜥的注意。 弗雷曼人！保罗想：谁还能在沙地上走得那么轻松自如？谁还敢放心大胆地在沙漠上行走？因为他们根本就不会遇到危险。他们知道在那种地方该如何生存！他们能够战胜沙蜥！ “弗雷曼人在采矿机车上干什么？”保罗问。 凯因斯忽地转过身。 那个高个沙丘崽也转身目瞪口呆地看着保罗……一双蓝蓝的眼睛。 “这小伙子是什么人？”他问。 哈莱克插到保罗和高个中间，答道：“保罗·阿特雷兹，爵位继承人。” “他为什么说我们的机器上有弗雷曼人？”高个问。 “他们与我听说的特征相符。”保罗说。 凯因斯哼了一声说：“光凭外貌并不能认出弗雷曼人！”他看着高个问：“你，告诉我那些人是谁！” “是别人的朋友，”高个说，“只是从附近村子里来的朋友，想看看香料沙地。” 凯因斯转回身：“弗雷曼人！” 但他记起了传说中的话：“李桑·阿·盖布能洞悉真伪，看清本质。” “他们初在多半已经完了，小主人，”沙丘崽说，“我们不应该说他们的坏话。” 但保罗听出他们在说谎，感到一种威胁，这种感觉也传给了哈莱克，使他全神戒备。 保罗冷冰冰地说：“死在一个多么可怕的地方。” 凯因斯未转身，说道：“当上帝决定让某个境在一个地方结束，他会引导那个人的愿望，让他到达那个地方。” 雷多扭头瞪了一眼凯因斯。 凯因斯也看着公爵，由于自己今天目睹了发生的一切，内心感到深深的不安。他想：这公爵关心人胜过关心香料。他冒着自己和儿子的生命危险救了这些人，他并不在意香料开采设备的损失。人的生命受到威胁，这使他怒发冲冠。这样的领袖一定会赢得疯狂的爱戴和忠诚。要战胜他一定异常困难。 与自己的愿望和以前的判断相反，凯因斯暗暗承认：我喜欢这位公爵。