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Al-Fali thrust his way past Jessica, looked froe, caers of his left hand rigid They caught the Priest in the throat and he collapsed, strangling Without a backward glance at the ry face toward the dais
"Dalal-il &039;an-nubua!" al-Fali called, placing both pal them "The Qadis as-Salaf will not let me be silenced! If I do not slay those who interfere, others will slay theet, Jessica realized She looked down at her sleeve, put a finger in the neat hole left by the maula pellet Poisoned, no doubt
The supplicants had dropped the Priest He lay writhing on the floor, dying with his larynx crushed Jessicaat her left, said: "I want thatIf he dies, you die!" As they hesitated, peering toward the dais, she used Voice on them: "Move!"
The pair ed him: "You are a fool, Naib! They were after me, not you"
Several people around thelanced at the dais with its one toppled throne and Alia still seated on the other The look of realization which came over his face could&039;ve been read by a novice
"Fedaykin," Jessica said, re him of his old service to her family, "ho have been scorched kno to stand back to back"
"Trustimmediately
A gasp behind Jessica brought her whirling, and she felt al-Fali arb of a city Fre from beside the Priest on the floor The two courtiers were nowhere to be seen The wolance at Jessica, but lifted her voice in the ancient keening of her people - the call for those who serviced the deathstills, the call for theather a body&039;s water into the tribal cistern It was a curiously incongruous noise co from one dressed as this woman was Jessica felt the persistence of the old ways even as she saw the falseness in this city woaudy dress obviously had killed the Priest to make sure he was silenced
Why did she bother? Jessica wondered She had only to wait for the n of deep fear
Alia sat forward on the edge of her throne, her eyes aglitter atchfulness A slender wouards strode past Jessica, bent over the Priest, straightened, and looked back at the dais "He is dead"
"Have hiuards below the dais "Straighten the Lady Jessica&039;s chair"
So you&039;ll try to brazen it out! Jessica thought Did Alia think anyone had been fooled? Al-Fali had spoken of the Qadis as-Salaf, calling on the holy fathers of Freency had brought a maula pistol into this roo Javid&039;s people was the only answer, and Alia&039;s unconcern about her own person told everyone she was a part of that conspiracy
The old Naib spoke over his shoulder to Jessica: "Accept ies, My Lady We of the desert come to you as our last desperate hope, and noe see that you still have need of us"
"Matricide does not sit well on hter," Jessica said
"The tribes will hear of this," al-Fali promised
"If you have such desperate need of me," Jessica asked, "why did you not approach ar would not perht, the rule of the Naibs! In Tabr, Stilgar&039;s as law
The toppled throne had been straightened Alia motioned for her mother to return, said: "All of you please note the death of that traitor-Priest Those who threaten lanced at al-Fali "My thanks to you, Naib"
"Thanks for a mistake," al-Fali e removed one who should&039;ve been questioned"
Jessica whispered: "Mark those two courtiers and the woman in the colorful dress, Fedaykin I want them taken and questioned"
"It will be done," he said
"If we get out of here alive," Jessica said "Coo back and play our parts"
"As you say, My Lady"
Together, they returned to the dais, Jessicaher position beside Alia, al-Fali re in the supplicant&039;s position below
"Now," Alia said
"One hter," Jessica said She held up her sleeve, exposed the hole with a finger through it "The attack was ai You will all note that the er down there" She pointed "Who has it?"
There was no response
"Perhaps it could be traced," Jessica said
"What nonsense!" Alia said "I was the -"
Jessica half turned toward her daughter, motioned with her left hand "Someone down there has that pistol Don&039;t you have a fear that -"
"One ofthe weapon to me," Jessica said
"She&039;s already taken it away"
"How convenient," Jessica said
"What are you saying?" Alia de that two of your people were charged with saving that traitor-Priest I warned them that they would die if he died They will die"
"I forbid it!"
Jessica ed
"We have a brave Fedaykin here," Alia said, ument can wait"
"It can wait forever," Jessica said, speaking in Chakobsa, her words double-barbed to tell Alia that no argument would stop the death command
"We shall see!" Alia said She turned to al-Fali "Why are you here, Ghadhean al-Fali?"
"To see the mother of Muad&039;Dib," the Naib said "What is left of the Fedaykin, that band of brothers who served her son, pooled their poor resources to buy uardians who shield the Atreides fro the Fedaykin require, they have only -"
"He came to see me," Jessica interrupted "What is your desperate need, Fedaykin?"
Alia said: "I speak for the Atreides here! What is -"
"Be silent, you murderous Abohter! I say it for all here to know You can&039;t have everyone in this hall killed to silence them - as that Priest was silenced Yes, the Naib&039;s bloould&039;ve killed the man, but he could&039;ve been saved He could&039;ve been questioned! You have no concern that he was silenced Spray your protests upon us as you will, your guilt is written in your actions!"
Alia sat in frozen silence, face pale And Jessica, watching the play of ely familiar movement of Alia&039;s hands, an unconscious response which once had identified a deadly ene rhyther twice, little finger once, ring finger twice and back through the tapping in the same order
The old Baron!
The focus of Jessica&039;s eyes caught Alia&039;s attention and she glanced down at her hand, held it still, looked back at herse upon us," Jessica whispered
"Have you gone mad, mother?" Alia asked
"I wish I had," Jessica said And she thought: She knoill confirm this to the Sisterhood She knows She may even suspect I&039;ll tell the Fremen and force her into a Trial of Possession She cannot let ue," Alia said
Jessica forced her attention back to the old Naib She brought her responses under control, said: "You came to see me, Ghadhean"
"Yes, My Lady We of the desert see terrible things happening The Little Makers come out of the sand as was foretold in the oldest prophecies Shai-Hulud no longer can be found except in the deeps of the Empty Quarter We have abandoned our friend, the desert!"
Jessica glanced at Alia, who merely motioned for Jessica to continue Jessica looked out over the throng in the Chamber, saw the shocked alertness on every face The ihter had not been lost on this throng, and they must wonder why the audience continued She returned her attention to al-Fali
"Ghadhean, what is this talk of Little Makers and the scarcity of sandwor her old Fremen title, "arned of this in the Kitab al-Ibar We beseech thee Let it not be forgotten that on the day Muad&039;Dib died, Arrakis turned by itself! We cannot abandon the desert"
"Hah!" Alia sneered "The superstitious riffraff of the Inner Desert fear the ecological transformation They -"
"I hear you, Ghadhean," Jessica said "If the woroes, what coin do we have to buy our way?"
Sounds of surprise: gasps and startled whispers could be heard spreading across the Great Hall The Chaed "Superstitious nonsense!"
Al-Fali lifted his right hand to point at Alia "I speak to the Mother of Moisture, not to the Coan-Teen!"
Alia&039;s hands gripped the arms of her throne, but she remained seated
Al-Fali looked at Jessica "Once it was the land where nothing gre there are plants They spread like lice upon a wound There have been clouds and rain along the belt of Dune! Rain, My Lady! Oh, precious mother of Muad&039;Dib, as sleep is death&039;s brother, so is rain on the Belt of Dune It is the death of us all"
"We do only what Liet-Kynes and Muad&039;Dib hined for us to do," Alia protested "What is all of this superstitious gabble? We revere the words of Liet-Kynes, who told us: &039;I wish to see this entire planet caught up in a net of green plants&039; So it will be"
"And what of the worms and the spice?" Jessica asked