按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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…scratched front windows he could see dry rills and gorges； the diverging brooms of alluvial fans from ancient floods。 Some of the steep canyon walls appeared to have been cut by water abrasion； like a shigawire strand sawing through strata。 Once； in the distance shimmering with the ripples of a heat mirage； he thought he saw a sparkling salt…encrusted playa that could easily have been a dried sea bottom。 But when he flew in that direction； he couldn't find it。
Kynes became convinced that this planet had once held water。 A lot of it。 The evidence was there for any Planetologist to see。 But where had it all gone？
The amount of ice in the polar caps was insignificant； mined by water merchants and hauled down to the cities； where it was sold at a premium。 The caps certainly did not hold enough to explain vanished oceans or dried rivers。 Had the native water somehow been destroyed or removed from the planet。。。or was it just hiding？
Kynes flew on； keeping his eyes open and searching； constantly searching。 Diligently piling his journals； he took notes of every interesting thing he spotted。 It would take years to gather enough information for a well…founded treatise； but in the past month he had already transmitted two regular progress reports back to the Emperor； just to show he was doing his appointed job。 He'd handed these reports to an Imperial Courier and a Guild representative； one in Arrakeen； the other in Carthag。 But he had no idea if Elrood or his advisors even read them。
Kynes found himself lost most of the time。 His maps and charts were deplorably inplete or absolutely wrong； which puzzled him。 If Arrakis was the sole source of melange which； therefore； made this planet one of the most important in the Imperium then why was the landscape so poorly charted？ If the Spacing Guild would just install a few more high…resolution satellites； much of the problem could be solved。 No one seemed to know the answer。
For a Planetologist's purposes； though； being lost caused little concern。 He was an explorer； after all； which required him to wander about with no plan and no destination。 Even when his ornithopter began to rattle； he pressed on。 The ion…propulsion engine was strong and the battered craft handled reasonably well； even in powerful gusts and updrafts of hot air。 He had enough fuel to last him for weeks。
Kynes remembered all too well the years he had spent on harsh Salusa； trying to prehend the catastrophe that had ruined it centuries before。 He had seen ancient pictures； knew how beautiful the former capital world had once been。 But in his heart it would always remain the hellish place it was now。
Something epochal had happened here on Arrakis； too； but no witnesses or records had survived that ancient disaster。 He didn't think it could have been atomic； though that solution might be easy to postulate。 The ancient wars before and during the Butlerian Jihad had been devastating； had turned entire solar systems into rubble and dust。
No。。。something different had happened here。
MORE DAYS； MORE WANDERING。
On a barren； silent ridge halfway around the world； Kynes climbed to the top of another rocky peak。 He had landed his 'thopter on a flat； boulder…strewn saddle； then walked up the slope； picking his way hand over hand with jangling equipment on his back。
In the unimaginative fashion of early cartographers； this curving arm of rock that formed a barrier between the Habanya Erg to the east and the great sink of the Cielago Depression to the west had been forever named False Wall West。 He determined this would be a good spot to establish a data…collection outpost。
Feeling the exertion in his thighs and hearing the click…ticking of his overworked stillsuit； Kynes knew he must be perspiring heavily。 Even so； his suit absorbed and recycled all of his bodily moisture； and he was in good shape。 When he could stand it no longer； he drew a lukewarm sip through the catchtube near his throat； then continued to trudge upward on the rough surface。 The best place to conserve water is in your own body； said conventional Fremen wisdom； according to the vendor who had sold him his equipment。 He was accustomed to the slick stillsuit by now； it had bee a second skin to him。
At the craggy pinnacle about twelve hundred meters high； according to his altimeter he stopped at a natural shelter formed by a broken tooth of hard stone。 There； he set up his portable weather station。 Its analytical devices would record wind speeds and directions； temperatures； barometric pressures； and fluctuations in relative humidity。
Around the globe； centuries…old biological testing stations had been erected in the days long before the properties of melange had been discovered。 Back then； Arrakis had been no more than an unremarkable； dry planet with little in the way of desirable resources of no interest to any but the most desperate of colonists。 Many of those testing stations had fallen into disrepair； unattended； some even forgotten。
Kynes doubted the information gleaned from those stations would be very reliable。 For now