bh.houseatreides-第12节

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ight　actually　kill　the　desert　man；　but　Rabban　turned　his　rage　and　fury　on　the　still…dissolving；　shuddering　heap　of　the　sandworm　sinking　into　the　exploded　sands。
　He　screamed　curses　at　it。　Then　as　Kynes　watched；　a　determined　look　came　into　Rabban's　cold；　menacing　eyes。　His　sunburned　face　flushed　a　deeper　red。　〃When　I　return　to　Giedi　Prime；　I'll　hunt　something　a　lot　more　satisfying。〃　Then；　as　if　distracted　from　all　thoughts　of　the　sandworm；　Rabban　turned　and　stalked　away。
　One　observes　the　survivors；　and　learns　from　them。
　…Bene　Gesserit　Teaching
　0f　all　the　fabled　million　worlds　in　the　Imperium；　young　Duncan　Idaho　had　never　been　anywhere　but　Giedi　Prime；　an　oil…soaked；　industry…covered　planet　filled　with　artificial　constructions；　square　angles；　metal；　and　smoke。　The　Harkonnens　liked　to　keep　their　home　that　way。　Duncan　had　known　nothing　else　in　his　eight　years。
　Even　the　dark　and　dirt…stained　alleys　of　his　lost　home　would　have　been　a　wele　sight　now；　though。　After　months　of　imprisonment　with　the　rest　of　his　family；　Duncan　wondered　if　he　would　ever　again　go　outside　the　huge　enslavement　city　of　Barony。　Or　if　he　would　live　to　see　his　ninth　birthday；　which　shouldn't　be　too　far　off　now。　He　wiped　a　hand　through　his　curly　black　hair；　felt　the　sweat　there。
　And　he　kept　running。　The　hunters　were　ing　closer。
　Duncan　was　beneath　the　prison　city　now；　with　his　pursuers　behind　him。　He　hunched　down　and　rushed　through　the　cramped　maintenance　tunnels；　feeling　like　the　spiny…backed　rodent　his　mother　had　let　him　keep　as　a　pet　when　he　was　five。　Ducking　lower；　he　scuttled　along　in　tiny　crawl　spaces；　smelly　air　shafts；　and　power…conduit　tubes。　The　big　adults　with　their　padded　armor　could　never　follow　him　here。　He　scraped　his　elbow　on　the　metal　walls；　worming　his　way　into　places　no　human　should　have　been　able　to　navigate。
　The　boy　vowed　not　to　let　the　Harkonnens　catch　him　　at　least　not　today。　He　hated　their　games；　refused　to　be　anyone's　pet　or　prey。　Negotiating　his　way　through　the　darkness　by　smell　and　instinct；　he　felt　a　stale　breeze　on　his　face　and　noted　the　direction　of　the　air　circulation。
　His　ears　recorded　echoes　as　he　moved：　the　sounds　of　other　prisoner　children　running；　also　desperate。　They　were　supposedly　his　teammates；　but　Duncan　had　learned　through　previous　failures　not　to　rely　on　people　whose　feral　skills　might　not　match　his　own。
　He　swore　he　would　get　away　from　the　hunters　this　time　but　knew　he　would　never　be　entirely　free　of　them。　In　this　controlled　environment　the　stalking　teams　would　catch　him　again　and　run　him　through　the　paces；　over　and　over。　They　called　it　〃training。〃　Training　for　what；　he　didn't　know。
　Duncan's　right　side　still　ached　from　the　last　episode。　As　if　he　were　a　prized　animal；　his　tormentors　had　put　his　injured　body　through　a　skin…knit　machine　and　ace…cellular　repair。　His　ribs　still　didn't　quite　feel　right；　but　they　had　been　getting　better　each　day。　Until　now。
　With　the　locator　beacon　implanted　in　the　meat　of　his　shoulder；　Duncan　could　never　really　escape　from　this　slaveholding　metropolis。　Barony　was　a　megalithic　construction　of　plasteel　and　armor…plat；　950　stories　tall　and　45　kilometers　long；　with　no　ground…level　openings　whatsoever。　He　always　found　plenty　of　places　to　hide　during　the　Harkonnen　games；　but　never　any　freedom。
　The　Harkonnens　had　many　prisoners；　and　they　had　sadistic　methods　of　making　them　cooperate。　If　Duncan　won　in　this　training　hunt；　if　he　eluded　the　searchers　long　enough；　the　keepers　had　promised　that　he　and　his　family　could　return　to　their　former　lives。　All　the　children　had　been　promised　the　same　thing。　Trainees　needed　a　goal；　a　prize　to　fight　for。
　He　ran　by　instinct　through　the　secret　passageways；　trying　to　muffle　his　footfalls。　Not　far　behind；　he　heard　the　blast　and　sizzle　of　a　stun　gun　firing；　a　child's　high…pitched　squeal　of　pain；　and　then　teeth…chattering　spasms　as　another　one　of　the　young　boys　was　brought　to　ground。
　If　the　searchers　captured　you；　they　hurt　you　　sometimes　seriously　and　sometimes　worse；　depending　upon　the　current　supply　of　〃trainees。〃　This　was　no　child's　game　of　hide…and…seek。　At　least　not　for　the　victims。
　Even　at　his　age；　Duncan　already　knew　that　life　and　death　had　a　price。　The　Harkonnens　didn't　care　how　many　small　candidates　suffered　during　the　course　of　their　training。　This　was　how　the　Harkonnens　played。　Duncan　understood　cruel　amusements。　He　had　seen　others　do　such　things　before；　especially　the　children　with　whom　he　shared　confinement；　as　they　pulled　the　wings　off　insects　or　set　tiny　rodent　babies　on　fire。　The　Harkonnens　and　their　troops　were　like　adult　children；　only　with　greater　resources；　greater　imaginations；　greater　malice。
　Without　making　a　sound；　he　found　a　narrow；　rusted　access　ladder　and　scrambled　up　into　the　darkness；　wasting　no　time　on　thought。　Duncan　had　to　do　the　unexpected；　hide　where　they'd　have　trouble　reaching　him。　The　rungs；　pitted　and　scarred　with　age；　hurt　his　hands。
　This　section　of　ancient　Barony　still　functioned；　power　conduits　and　suspensor　tubes　shot　through　the　main　structure　like　wormholes　　straight；　curved；　hooking　off　at　oblique　angles。　The　place　was　one　enormous　obstacle　course；　where　the　Harkonnen　troops　could　fire　upon　their　prey　without　risking　damage　to　more　important　structures。
　Above　him　in　a　main　corridor；　he　heard　booted　feet　running；　filtered　voices　through　helmet　municators；　then　a　shout。　A　nearby　pinging　sound　signaled　that　the　guards　had　homed　in　on　his　locator　implant。
　Hot　white　lasgun　fire　blasted　the　ceiling　over　his　head；　melting　through　metal　plates。　Duncan　let　go　of　the　ladder　and　allowed　himself　to　drop；　freefall。　One　armed　guard　peeled　up　the　hot…edged　floor　plate　and　pointed　down　at　him。　The　others　fired　their　lasguns　again；　severing　the　struts　so　that　the　ladder　fell　in　tandem　with　the　small　boy。
　He　landed　on　the　floor　of　a　lower　shaft；　and　the　heavy　ladder　clattered　on　top　of　him。　But　Duncan　didn't　cry　out　in　pain。　That　would　only　bring　the　pursuers　closer。。。though　he　had　no　real　hope　of　eluding　them　for　long　because　of　the　pulsing　beacon　in　his　shoulder。　How　could　anyone　but　Harkonnens　win　this　game？
　He　pushed　himself　to　his　feet　and　ran　with　a　new；　frantic　desire　for　freedom。　To　his　dismay；　the　small　tunnel　ahead　opened　into　a　wider　passage。　Wider　was　bad。　The　bigger　men　could　follow　him　there。
　He　heard　shouts　behind；　more　running　feet；　gunfire；　and　then　a　gurgling　scream。　The　pursuers　were　supposed　to　be　using　stun　guns；　but　Duncan　knew　that　this　late　in　the　day's　hunt；　most　everyone　else　would　have　been　captured　　and　the　stakes　were　higher。　The　hunters　didn't　like　to　lose。
　Duncan　had　to　survive。　He　had　to　be　the　best。　If　he　died；　he　couldn't　go　back　to　see　his　mother　again。　But　if　he　lived　and　defeated　these　bastards；　then　perhaps　his　family　would　get　their　freedom。。。or　as　much　freedom　as　Harkonnen　civil　service　workers　could　ever　have　on　Giedi　Prime。
　Duncan　had　seen　other　trainees　who　had　defeated　the　pursuers　before；　and　those　children　had　disappeared　afterward。　If　he　could　believe　the　announcements；　the　winners　and　their　captive　families　had　been　set　free　from　the　hellhole　of　Barony。　Duncan　had　no　proof　of　this；　though；　and　had　plenty　of　reasons　to　question　what　the　Harkonnens　told　him。　But　he　wanted　to　believe　them；　could　not　give　up　hope。
　He　didn't　understand　why　his　parents　had　been　thrown　into　this　prison。　What　had　minor　government　office　workers　done　to　deserve　such　punishment？　He　remembered　only　that　one　day　life　had　been　normal　and　relatively　happy。。。and　the　next；　they　were　all　here；　enslaved。　Now　young　Duncan　was　forced　nearly　every　day　to　run　and　fight　for　his　life；　and　for　the　future　of　his　family。　He　was　getting　better　at　it。
　He　remembered　that　last　normal　afternoon　out　on　a　manicured　lawn　planted　high　up　in　one　of　the　Harko　City　terraces；　one　of　the　rare　balcony　parks　the　Harkonnens　allowed　their　subjects　to　have。　The　gardens　and　hedges　were　carefully　fertilized　and　tended；　because　plants　did　not　fare　well　in　the　residue…impregnated　soil　of　a　planet　that　had　been　too　long　abused。
　Duncan's　parents　and　other　family　members　had　been　playing　frivolous　lawn　games；　tossing　self…motivated　balls　at　targets　on　the　grass；　while　internal　high…entropy　devices　made　the　balls　bounce　and　ricochet　randomly。　The　boy　had　noticed　how　different；　how　dry　and　structured　the　games　of　adults　were　pared　with　the　reckless　romping　he　did　with　his　friends。
　A　young　woman　stood　near　him；　watching　the　games。　She　had　chocolate…colored　hair；　dusky　skin；　and　high　cheekbones；　but　her　pinched　expression　and　hard　gaze　detracted　from　what　might　have　been　remarkable　beauty。　He　didn't　know　who　she　was　and　understood　only　that　her　name　was　Janess　Milam；　and　she　worked　with　his　parents　somehow。
　As　Duncan　had　watched　the　adult　yard　game；　listening　to　the　laughter；　he　smiled　at　the　woman　and　observed；　〃They're　practicing　to　be　old　men。〃　It　became　apparent；　though；　that　Janess　had　no　real　interest　in　him　or　his　opinion；　for　she'd　given　him　a　sharp　verbal　brush…off。
　Under　the　hazy　sunlight　Duncan　had　continued　to　watch　the　game；　but　with　increasing　curiosity　about　the　stranger。　He　sensed　tension　in　her。　Janess；　who　didn't　participate；　frequently　glanced　over　her　shoulder；　as　if　watching　f