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Farad&039;n was acutely conscious of a sour spice srey robe which covered his body
"Is that mask truly a part of your flesh?" Farad&039;n asked, realizing he was trying to delay the subject of dreams
"While I wear it," the old estion of Fremen accent "Your dreaed Why not? That hy Tyek had brought the old ripped Farad&039;n and he asked: "Are you truly a practitioner of oneiromancy?"
"I have coain Farad&039;n shrugged This lanced at Tyekanik, who re at the fountain
"Your dream, then," the old an to relate the dreaot fully into it He told about the water flowing upward in the well, about the worlds which were ato in his head, about the snake which transformed itself into a sandwor about the snake, he was surprised to discover, required more effort A terrible reluctance inhibited hiry as he spoke
The old man remained iauzeFarad&039;n waited The silence continued
Presently Farad&039;n asked: "Aren&039;t you going to interpret my drea to co distance
"Well?" Farad&039;n heard his own voice squeaking, telling him the tension his dream had produced
Still the old er was obvious in his tone
"I said I&039;d interpret," the old ree to tell you my interpretation"
Even Tyekanik washis arrated
"I did not say I&039;d reveal my interpretation," the old man said
"You wish more pay?" Farad&039;n asked
"I did not ask pay when I was brought here" A certain cold pride in the response softened Farad&039;n&039;s anger This was a brave old man, at any rate He must know death could follow disobedience
"Allow me, My Prince," Tyekanik said as Farad&039;n started to speak Then: "Will you tell us why you won&039;t reveal your interpretation?"
"Yes, My Lords The dreas"
Farad&039;n could not contain hi of ist"
Tyekanik lared at the old man "Explain yourself," Tyekanik said
"Indeed," Farad&039;n said
"If I were to speak of this dream, to explore these matters of water and dust, snakes and worms, to analyze the atoms which dance in your head as they do in mine - ahh, Puissant Lord, my words would only confuse you and you would insist upon er me?" Farad&039;n dery"
"Is it that you don&039;t trust us?" Tyekanik asked
"That is very close to the mark, My Lord I do not trust either of you and for the simple reason that you do not trust yourselves"
"You walk dangerously close to the edge," Tyekanik said "Men have been killed for behavior less abusive than yours"
Farad&039;n nodded, said: "Don&039;t teer are well known, My Lord of Salusa Secundus," the oldhand on Farad&039;n&039;s ar you?"
Farad&039;n had not thought of that, felt a chill now as he considered what such behavior ht mean Was this old man who called hiht be the consequences of his death? Martyrs could be dangerous creations
"I doubt that you&039;ll kill me no matter what I say," The Preacher said "I think you know my value, Bashar, and your Prince now suspects it"
"You absolutely refuse to interpret his dream?" Tyekanik asked
"I have interpreted it"
"And you will not reveal what you see in it?"
"Do you blame me, My Lord?"
"How can you be valuable to ht hand "If I but beckon with this hand, Duncan Idaho will come to me and he will obey me"
"What idle boast is this?" Farad&039;n asked
But Tyekanik shook his head, recalling his argument with Wensicia He said: "My Prince, it could be true This Preacher has many followers on Dune"
"Why didn&039;t you tell me he was from that place?" Farad&039;n asked
Before Tyekanik could answer The Preacher addressed Farad&039;n: "My Lord, you uilty about Arrakis You are but a product of your ti which any uilts assail hied
The Preacher only shrugged
Oddly, this shifted Farad&039;n fro his head back, drawing a startled glance froratifiesa chuckle, Farad&039;n said: "We&039;ll find you an apartment here in the palace You will be ive me a word of interpretation And you can advise reat curiosity about that place"
"This I cannot do, Prince"
An edge of his anger returned Farad&039;n glared at the black mask "And why not, pray tell?"
"My Prince," Tyekanik said, again touching Farad&039;n&039;s arht hireement with the Guild He is to be returned to Dune"
"I am summoned back to Arrakis," The Preacher said
"Who sureater than thine, Prince"
Farad&039;n shot a questioning glance at Tyekanik "Is he an Atreides spy?"
"Not likely, My Prince Alia has put a price on his head"
"If it&039;s not the Atreides, then who su his attention to The Preacher
"A power greater than the Atreides"
A chuckle escaped Farad&039;n This was only mystic nonsense How could Tyek be fooled by such stuff? This Preacher had been summoned - most likely by a dream Of what importance were dreams?
"This has been a waste of time, Tyek," Farad&039;n said "Why did you subject me to this this farce?"
"There is a double price here, My Prince," Tyekanik said "This interpreter of dreaent of House Corrino All he asked was to meet you and interpret your dream" And Tyekanik added to himself: Or so he told Wensicia! New doubts assailed the Bashar
"Why is my dream so important to you, old reat events ical conclusion," The Preacher said "I , Farad&039;n said: "And you will re erous commodity But I will venture a feords which you may take as advice or in any other hich pleases you"
"By all means," Farad&039;n said
The Preacher held hisFarad&039;n "Governnificant, Prince What sument between tomen which way the wind blows on a certain day a sneeze, a cough, the length of a garment or the chance collision of a fleck of sand and a courtier&039;s eye It is not always the majestic concerns of Imperial ministers which dictate the course of history, nor is it necessarily the pontifications of priests which move the hands of God"
Farad&039;n found himself profoundly stirred by these words and could not explain his emotion
Tyekanik, however, had focused on one phrase Why did this Preacher speak of a garment? Tyekanik&039;s mind focused on the Iers trained to attack Was this old ? How much did he know?