Dune_ House Atreides - Brian Herbert [262]
Ajidica shook his head. “Though we breed those creatures, we do not consume them ourselves. Please forgive me, Sire. You need offer me no amenities. Let us discuss what we must. I am anxious to return to Xuttah and my laboratories.”
Shaddam sniffed, relieved that he didn’t have to make any further attempts to be polite. He had no interest in displaying proper etiquette to this man. Instead, he rubbed his temples, where his long-standing headache threatened to grow even worse within the hour. “I must make a request—no, a demand as your Emperor.”
“Forgive me, my Lord Prince,” Ajidica interrupted, “but you have not yet been crowned.”
The guards at the door stiffened. Shaddam’s eyes flew open wide in astonishment. “Does any man’s command bear more weight than mine? In all the Imperium?”
“No, m’Lord. I was merely correcting a matter of semantics.”
Shaddam pushed the food platter to one side and leaned over the table like a predator, so close that he could smell the man’s unpleasant odors. “Listen to me, Hidar Fen Ajidica. Your people must withdraw your charges in the trial of Leto Atreides. I don’t want this matter to come to open court.” He sat back again, took another bite of slig meat, and continued with his mouth full. “So, just drop your accusations, I’ll send some treasure your way, and everything will settle down.”
He made the solution sound so simple. When the Tleilaxu man did not respond immediately, Shaddam rambled on, trying to be gracious. “After discussing this with my advisors, I have decided that the Tleilaxu can be compensated, paid blood money for their losses.” Shaddam brought his reddish eyebrows together in a stern expression. “Real losses only, though. Gholas don’t count.”
“I understand, Sire, but I am sorry to say that what you ask is impossible.” Ajidica’s voice remained low and smooth. “We cannot ignore such a crime committed against the Tleilaxu people. It strikes to the heart of our honor.”
Shaddam nearly choked on another bite of his food. “ ‘Tleilaxu’ and ‘honor’ aren’t words usually used in the same conversation.”
Ajidica brushed the insult aside. “Nevertheless, all of the Landsraad is aware of this horrible event. If we withdraw our objections, then House Atreides will have attacked us openly—destroyed our ships and people—with impunity.” The pointed tip of his nose twitched. “Surely you have enough statecraft, Sire, to know that we cannot back down on this matter.”
Shaddam fumed. His headache was getting worse. “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.”
The little man considered this for some time, his dark eyes glittering. “Might I inquire as to why the fate of Leto Atreides is so important to you, Sire? The Duke represents a relatively unimportant House. Why not throw him to the wolves and give us our satisfaction?”
Shaddam growled deep in his throat. “Because somehow Leto knows about your artificial-spice activities on Ix.”
Alarm finally registered on Ajidica’s masked features. “Impossible! We have maintained the utmost security.”
“Then why did he send me a message?” Shaddam demanded as he half stood from his seat. “Leto is using this knowledge as a bargaining chip, to blackmail me. If he is found guilty at trial, he will expose all of your work, and our collusion in it. I’ll be faced with a rebellion in the Landsraad. Think of it—my father, with my help, allowed a Great House of the Landsraad to be overthrown. Unprecedented! And not just by any rival House, but by you . . . the Tleilaxu.”
Now the researcher seemed to take offense, but still did not respond.
Shaddam groaned, then remembered appearances and glowered instead. “If it becomes known that I did all this in order to have access to a private source of artificial spice, thereby cutting the Landsraad and the Bene Gesserit and the Guild out of their profits, my reign won’t last a week.”
“Then we are at an impasse, m’Lord.”
“No, we are not!” Shaddam roared. “The pilot of the surviving Tleilaxu ship is your key witness. Get him to change his story.