Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

"My name is Muritz," said a thin Fremen. He sat on the rock in the cave, and a spice lamp was lit in the cave. The dancing light illuminated the damp cave wall, and several passages extending from here disappeared in the darkness.There was the sound of dripping water from one of the passages.For the Freemen, water meant heaven, but the six bound men across from Muritz didn't want to hear the rhythmic ticking.The dead man's alembic deep in the stone chamber passage gave off a rotten smell. A boy about fourteen standard years old came out of the passage and stood on Muritz's left.Under the illumination of the spice lamp, an unsheathed howling knife reflected a pale yellow light.The boy raised his knife and compared each of the bound people.

Muritz pointed to the little boy and said, "This is my son, Asan Trigg, who is about to undergo an adult test." Muritz cleared his throat and looked at the six prisoners in turn.They sat opposite him in a loose semicircle, their legs tightly bound with spice-fiber rope, their hands behind their backs, and the rope tied in a dead knot at their necks.The distillate suit at the neck was cut open. The bound man looked at Muritz without fear.Two of them wear loose alien attire that suggests they are wealthy residents of the city of Araken.Both were much smoother-skinned and lighter-skinned than their companions, who had a shriveled appearance and prominent bones, clearly born in the desert.

Muritz's appearance was that of a native of the desert, but his eyes were more sunken, and even in the light of the spice lamp they did not reflect the slightest light.His son is like a minor version of him, with a flat face that can't hide the storm in his heart. "Those of us who are deported have special adult tests," Muritz said. "One day, my son will be a judge in Sharutz. We have to know whether he can fulfill his mission. Our judges cannot. Forget Jakrutu and our Days of Despair. Claritzk - the violent typhoon - churned in our hearts." He finished these words in monotonous chanting.

A city man sitting across from Muritz moved and said, "You can't threaten us like this and kidnap us. We came here peacefully to find Uma." Muritz nodded. "In search of personal religious awakening, right? Well, you're going to get awakened." People in the city said: "If we..." A dark-skinned Fremen beside him interrupted him: "Be quiet, fool! These are water stealers, the ones we thought were wiped out." "It's just a legend." The city man said. "Jarklutu is not just a legend," Muritz said.He pointed to his son again, "I have introduced you to Asan Trigg. I am Alifa of this place, your only judge. My son will also be trained to be a man who can spot demons. The traditional way is always the best way."

"That's why we came deep in the desert," protested the townsman, "we chose the traditional way, in the desert—" "With the hired guide," Muritz pointed to the dark-skinned captives, "Can you buy the road to heaven?" Muritz looked up at his son, "Ah Sang, are you ready? " "I think back to a night long ago, when they broke into our place and killed our people." Ah Sang said, with a hint of tension in his tone, "They owe us water." "Your father gave you six of them," said Muritz, "and their water is ours. Their ghosts are yours. Their ghosts will be your slaves and will warn you of the coming of the devil. What are you going to do, my son?"

"I thank my father," Ah Sang said.He took a small step forward, "I take the adult test of the deportee. This is our water." After speaking, the boy walked towards the captives.Starting from the far left, he grabbed the man's hair and thrust the Screaming Blade from the jaw up into the brain.He was skillful and only wasted the smallest amount of blood.Only one townsman protested and yelled when the boy grabbed his hair.Everyone else spat at Asan Trigg in the traditional fashion, saying: "Look, I don't value my water when animals take it!" When the killing was over, Muritz clapped his hands.Servants came forward to clean up the corpse.

"Now you are a grown man," said Muritz, "the water of our enemies is fit only for slaves. As for you, my son..." Asan Trigg glanced nervously at his father.The boy curled his tight lips, barely revealing a smile. "The missionaries must not know about this," Muritz said. "I know, father." "You did a good job," Muritz said. "Anyone who breaks into Sharutz must die." "Yes, father." "You were trusted to carry out such an important mission," Muritz said. "I'm so proud of you."