Chapter 5 chapter Five

Mrs. Jessica's spaceship swooped down from the sky and landed on the dark brown landing field, the fuselage was still rumbling and panting.There is a sea of ​​people around the landing field and into the distance.She estimated there were about half a million people, a third of whom may have been pilgrims.They stood there, eerily silent, focused on the ship's exit platform.The shadow of the hatch on the platform obscured her and her entourage. It was still two hours before noon, but already the dust was glimmering in the air above the crowd, heralding a hot day ahead. Jessica, who wore a turban symbolizing the Virgin, ran her hand through the bronze-colored hair — flecked with silver flecks — that hugged her duck-egg-shaped face.She knew she wasn't in very good shape after the long journey, and the black headscarf didn't suit her either.But she had worn it here before, and the Fremen would not forget the special significance of the robe.She sighed, interstellar travel was not easy for her, and there were also heavy memories brought to her by the past-when her Duke was forced to enter this fief against his will, she also traveled from Kara through interstellar travel. Dan came to Arrakis.

Slowly, through the ability to discover key details and characteristics endowed by Bee Geist training, she began to carefully study the sea of ​​people in front of her.Among them were Fremen from the depths of the desert in gray stills; pilgrims in white robes with the token of atonement on their shoulders; They didn't care about the loss of moisture in the hot air of Arakon... and the delegation sent by the "faithful", in green robes and heavy hoods, stood silently in their own holy circle inside. She looked away from the crowd, and only then could she feel a slight resemblance between this welcome and the one she had received when she arrived with her dear Duke.How long ago was that?More than twenty years.She doesn't like to recall the heartbreaking events that happened in between.In her heart, time was heavy and stagnant, as if the years she had been away from this planet did not exist.

Once again in the jaws of death, she thought. It was here, on this plain, that her son took over from the late Shadham IV, a land engraved in the hearts and beliefs of the people by this great upheaval in history . The entourage behind her made disturbing noises, and she sighed again.They must have been waiting for Alia who was late.Alia and her entourage could already be seen gradually approaching here from the periphery of the crowd, and the royal guards cleared the passage in front of them, causing waves of fluctuations in the crowd. Jessica scanned her surroundings again.In her eyes, many places are different from before.A prayer balcony has been added to the landing pad tower.In the visible place on the left side of the plain stands a huge plastic-steel building, which is the castle built by Paul-his "cave outside the desert", the largest integrated building in human history.Even if the entire city were contained within its walls, there would still be room to spare.Now there is the most powerful ruling force in the imperial polity, the "Faithful Church" that Alia built on the corpse of her brother.

That place has to get rid of, Jessica thought. Alia's delegation had reached the foot of the exit ramp, and stopped there as expected. Jessica recognized Stilgar's stocky figure.God, there is still Princess Yirulan!Her alluring figure belied her wildness, and the breeze lifted her blonde hair.Infuriating, Irulan doesn't look like she's aged at all.There was also Alia standing at the front of the line, her young figure was flamboyant and presumptuous, her eyes fixed on the shadow of the spaceship hatch. Jessica studied her daughter's face carefully, the corners of her mouth tightened.A throbbing passed through Jessica's body, and she heard her own heart screaming in her ears.

Those rumors are true!too terrifying!too terrifying!Alia took the forbidden road.The facts are there, and a trained person can make a judgment.Distorted evil spirits! Jessica took a moment to adjust her mood.Only then did she realize how much she had hoped to see that those rumors were all false. What will happen to the twins?she asked herself.Have they also lost themselves? Slowly, Jessica walked out of the shadows in a posture suitable for the mother of God, and came to the port of the gangway.Her entourage was instructed to remain where they were.Then comes the most critical moment. Now, Jessica is alone in everyone's sight.Behind her she heard Gurney Halleck clearing his throat nervously.Gurney objected to her doing this many times: "You don't have any shielding field on your body? God, you woman! It's just crazy!"

But at the heart of all Gurney's admirable qualities is obedience.He will voice his disagreement and follow orders.Now he is obeying orders. When Jessica appeared, there was a low cry from the crowd, like the hiss of a giant sandworm.She raised her arms in the gesture of blessing that priests receive when they are crowned emperors.One by one, people fell to their knees, like a huge organism, although the response time of people in different areas varied.Even the official representatives expressed their respect. Jessica stayed at the gangway for a while.She knew that the others behind her and her agents mingling with the crowd had formed a temporary map in their minds.With this map, they were able to spot in the crowd those who hesitated to kneel.

With Jessica still in the raised arms, Gurney and his men emerged.They quickly bypassed her and walked down the gangway, ignoring the surprised expressions of the official representatives, but directly joined the agents in the crowd who were gesturing to identify themselves.Soon, they spread out in the crowd, jumping over the heads of crowds of kneeling people from time to time, and ran quickly between the narrow gaps between people.Only a few of the target persons realized the danger and wanted to flee.They became the easiest prey: a throwing knife or a rope loop, and the escapee was down.Others were pushed out of the crowd, their hands bound and their feet staggering.

Throughout, Jessica stands with her arms outstretched, blesses the crowd with her presence, and keeps the crowd subdued.She knew the rumors that were widespread, and she knew what the dominant rumor was because she had planted it in advance: Our Lady had returned to weed.Hail the Mother of our God! When it was all over, several dead bodies were lying limp on the ground, and the prisoners were locked in pens under the landing pad tower. Jessica dropped her arms.It only took about three minutes.She knew that it was nearly impossible for Gurney and his men to catch any of the ringleaders—the ones who were the most threatening.These guys are very alert and very sensitive.But there will be a few interesting little fish among the captives, and of course the usual scum and chumps.

After Jessica lowered her arms, the crowd rose to their feet amidst cheers. Jessica walked down the gangway alone as if nothing had happened.She avoided eye contact with her daughter, focusing on Stilgar.The neck of the hood of his still suit was covered by a large black beard, which was already speckled with gray, but his eyes still gave her the same shocking feeling they had when they first met in the desert.Stilgar knew what had just happened and accepted it.He acted like a true Freemeneb, the leader of the boys, who dared to make bloody decisions.His first words fit perfectly with his personality.

"Welcome home, ma'am. It's always a pleasure to appreciate immediate and effective action." Jessica forced a smile. "Lockdown, Stilgar. No one is allowed to leave until the prisoners are interrogated." "It has been ordered, ma'am," Stilgar said. "Gurney's men worked out the plan with me." "So those are your people—those who help." "Some of them, ma'am." She nodded when she saw his hesitation. "You have studied me well in the past, Stilgar." "As you've told me in the past, ma'am, people watch survivors and learn from them."

Alia stepped forward, and Stilgar stepped aside, allowing Jessica to face her daughter directly. Jessica knew she couldn't hide what she had learned, and she didn't even want to.Alia could clearly see details that needed attention whenever she had to, and she was as adept at it as any sorority master.Through Jessica's behavior, she already knows what Jessica saw, and Jessica's own perception of what she saw.They are mortal enemies, the meaning of this word, ordinary people only have the most superficial understanding. Alia's choice was to bluntly burst into anger, which was the easiest and most appropriate response. "How dare you make such a plan without asking me?" she asked in Jessica's face. Jessica said softly, "As you've just heard, Gurney didn't even involve me in the whole plan. We thought..." "And you, Stilgar!" Alia turned to face Stilgar, "Who is your allegiance to?" "My allegiance is to Muad'di's children," Stilgar said stiffly. "We have removed a threat to them." "Why doesn't this news please you... daughter?" Jessica asked. Alia blinked and glanced at her mother, suppressing the inner commotion.She even managed to pull off a toothy smile. "I'm so happy...Mother," she said. She did feel happy, which surprised even Alia herself.There was a burst of ecstasy in her heart: she finally had a showdown with her mother.The moment that had terrified her was over, and the balance of power had not changed. "We'll talk more about this when it's convenient," Alia said to her mother and Stilgar at the same time. "Of course." Jessica said, signaling the end of the conversation, and turned to look at Princess Irulan. For a few heartbeats, Jessica and Princess stood silently, studying each other—two Bee Geist, both breaking with the sorority for the same reason: love... two loved men are dead.The princess's love for Paul was not reciprocated, and she became his wife but not his lover.Now she lived only for the two children that Paul's Freeman lover had borne for him. Jessica spoke first: "Where are my grandchildren?" "At the Tebu Cave." "It's too dangerous for them to be here, I understand." Yirulan nodded slightly.She saw the exchange between Jessica and Alia, but Alia had put a concept into her beforehand: "Jessica has returned to the sorority, and we both know that they are genetically sensitive to Paul's children. What's the plan?" So she interpreted what she saw in light of this idea.Irulan has never been able to become a master of bee gist - her value lies in the fact that she is the daughter of Shadum IV; she has always been too arrogant to fully expand her abilities.Now, she has chosen her position hastily. With her training, she would not have done so. "Seriously, Jessica," Irulan said, "you should have consulted the Royal Council of State before taking action. What you are doing is wrong, just by—" "Should I think that neither of you trust Stilgar. Is that so?" Jessica asked. Yirulan realizes that there is no answer to this question, she still has this cleverness.She was glad to see the delegation of priests approaching, their patience exhausted.She and Alia exchanged glances and thought: Jessica is still the same, confident and arrogant!A Bee Geist axiom popped up in her mind unexpectedly: Pride is just a wall to hide doubts and fears.Is that what Jessica is?Obviously not.That must have been just a gesture.But what is this for?The question troubled Irulan deeply. The clerics pestered Muad'di's mother in a fuss.Some just touched her arm, but most bowed deeply and offered their blessings.Finally, it was the turn of the two leaders of the delegation to step forward, which was stipulated by etiquette, and they were the last to appear with a high status.With trained smiles on their faces, they told her that the official cleansing ceremony would take place inside the castle, which used to be Paul's stronghold. Jessica studied the two men in front of her and found them repulsive.One of them was Javid, a sullen, round-faced young man with suspicion in the depths of his melancholy eyes; A son - this, he himself did not forget to remind her.It was easy to see what kind of guy he was: a cheerful exterior that belied grimness, a lanky face, blond hair, and a self-satisfied, knowledgeable air.She judged Javed to be the more dangerous of the two, enigmatic, attractive, and—for lack of a better word for him—repulsive.She noticed that his accent was strange, an old-fashioned Fremen accent, as if it came from some isolated Fremen tribe. "Tell me, Javid," she said, "where are you from?" "I'm just an ordinary Fremen in the desert," he said, and every syllable of his voice suggested he was lying. Zhebatrav interrupted them in a tone that bordered on affront, bordering on mocking. "There is so much to talk about in the past, ma'am. You know, I was one of the first to realize your son's divine mission." "But you're not his death squad," she said. "No, ma'am. My hobby is more philosophical, and I'm learning how to be a priest." To protect your skin, she thought. Javed said: "They are waiting for us in the castle, ma'am." She noticed his strange accent again, and this issue must be investigated. "Who's waiting for us?" she asked. "The Faithful, all who follow the name and deeds of your divine Son," Javed said. Jessica glanced around and saw Alia smile at Javed, so she asked, "Is he your subordinate, daughter?" Alia nodded. "A man who is destined to achieve great things." But Jessica found that Javid did not show the slightest joy because of this praise.She secretly remembered this person in her heart, and was going to ask Gurney to investigate him. At this time, Gurney and five cronies came over, saying that they had interrogated those suspicious elements who hesitated when they knelt down.He walked vigorously, his eyes flicked to the left and then to the right, looking around, every muscle relaxed and alert.This ability was taught to him by Jessica, from the record in Bee Geist's training manual.He is an ugly big man, all the reactions of the body have been strictly trained, and he is an out-and-out killer.Some saw him as the devil, but Jessica loved and valued him more than anyone else alive.There was a twisted scar on his jaw from being whipped by the black vine whip, making him look very vicious.But when he saw Stilgar, the smile that emerged softened the lines on his face. "Well done, Stilgar," he said.They grabbed each other's arms like the Fremen. "Cleansing ceremony," Javed said, touching Jessica's arm. Jessica turned around.She carefully organized her words, and her pronunciation used the magic sound method that can control others. At the same time, she carefully calculated her tone and posture to ensure that her words could accurately affect the emotions of Javid and Zheba Traf: "I Back in the dunes just to see my grandson and granddaughter. Do we have to waste time on this boring religious activity?" Zheba Traf's reaction was one of shock.He opened his mouth wide, his eyes widened in horror, and he looked around at the people who heard this sentence.His eyes picked up the reaction of everyone who heard the words.Boring religious activities!What were the consequences of such words coming from the mouth of their prophet's mother? However, Javed's reaction confirmed Jessica's judgment of him.The corners of his mouth tightened, but then he smiled again.However, there was no smile in his eyes, nor was he looking around, noticing the reactions of others.Javid already knows everyone on this team like the back of his hand.He knew which of them he should pay special attention to from this moment on.After just a few seconds, Javed suddenly stopped smiling, indicating that he had realized that he had exposed himself just now.Javed had done a good job of preparing: he knew Lady Jessica's powers of observation. In a flash, Jessica weighed various means.A slight gesture to Gurney can kill Javed.The execution could be carried out right here to serve as a warning to others, or it could be quietly found at a later time to make the death look like an accident. She thought: Our appearance betrays us when we wish to hide our deepest motives.Bee Geist's training can recognize the various signs of exposure, improve the ability of masters, and go beyond this stage, allowing them to read the naked flesh of others condescendingly.She realizes that Javed's intellect is highly exploitable, a weight that can keep the balance of power.If he can be won over, he can act as the link that is needed most, allowing her to go deep into the religious world of Araken.Moreover, he is also Alia's person. Jessica said: "The number of official entourage must be kept small. We can only add one more person. Javid, you join us. I can only apologize to you, Zheba Traf. And, Javid... I will participate in this ...this ritual...if you insist." Javed took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Follow the orders of Muad'di's mother." He looked at Alia, then at Jebat Raf, and finally back at Jessica, "Delaying you and your grandson It pains me so much that we are reunited, but this is... for the Empire..." Jessica thought: Good.He is still a businessman at heart.Once we figured out the right price, we'd be able to buy him.He insisted on letting her participate in that amazing ceremony, and she even felt a little joy about it.This small victory would give him authority among his peers, and they both knew it.Acceptance of his cleansing ritual was an advance payment for his future service. "I think you've got your transport ready," she said.