Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

Just after midday, most pilgrims take cover in whatever shade they can find, try to relax and drink whatever drinks they can find. The missionaries came to the great square below the Temple of Alia.With his hand on the shoulder of the leader, the young Asan Trigg - in the lower pocket of the missionary's flowing robes, he kept the black veil he had worn on the planet Salusa Sedidas. mask.The mask serves exactly the same purpose as the child: camouflage.Thinking of this made him want to laugh.As long as he still needs a substitute for the eyes, the doubts about his identity will continue.

Let the myth grow, but not the doubt, he thought. It must not be discovered that the mask is just a piece of cloth and not a product of the Ekonites.Nor could he take his hands off Asan Trigg's thin shoulders.Once people saw the missionary walking as if he had eyes, even though his eyes were two eye sockets without eyeballs, people's suspicions were still completely dispelled.The little hope he had cultivated would be dashed.Every day, he prayed for change, stumbled upon something he didn't expect, but to him even the planet Salusa Secundus was a pebble he knew every detail of.There is no change; no change can happen...not yet.

Many people noticed his movements as he passed shops and arcades.His head turned from side to side, now and then locking onto a doorway or a person.The fact that he doesn't always move his head like a blind man also helps the myth spread. Alia watched from openings in the temple battlements.She looked at the scarred face far below, looking for signs—clear signs of identity.Every rumor was reported to her.Every new rumor brings fear. She had thought her order to arrest the missionary would be a secret, but now it had returned to her as a new rumor.Even among her guards, there were those who couldn't keep a secret.She now only hoped that the guards would carry out her new orders not to arrest the mysterious figure in the robes in public, people would see the action and spread the word.

It was extremely hot in the square.The missionary's young guide had pulled up the hood of his robe over the bridge of his nose, revealing only his dark eyes and thin forehead.The water collection tube of the still suit under the mask forms a bulge on the mask.This tells Alia that they are from the desert.Where are they hiding in the desert? The missionary didn't use a mask to protect against the scorching air, and even the water collection tube on the still suit was scattered on the chest.His face was exposed to the sun and waves of invisible heat rising from the plaza floor tiles.

On the steps of the temple, nine pilgrims are performing a farewell ceremony.In the shadows on the square there may still be about fifty people standing, most of them pilgrims, piously atoning for their sins in various ways prescribed by the church.Among the bystanders were messengers, and a few merchants who hadn't made enough to continue their transactions in the heat. Alia, who was watching them from the opening, felt herself being swallowed up by the heat.She knew that she was caught in the contradiction between conscious thinking and physical perception.In the past, she often saw her brother fall into it and couldn't extricate himself.The urge to consult with the life inside her tempted her from time to time, like an ominous buzzing, lingering.The Baron was there, ready to answer her call, but whenever she couldn't make the rational decision whether what was happening around her belonged to the past, present, or future, he took advantage of her fear.

What if the person below is Paul?she asked herself. "Crap!" said the voice inside her. But the reports of the missionaries' words and deeds are indisputable.Does Paul want to tear down the mansion that bears her name?Fear welled up in her mind at the thought of the possibility. But why not? She remembered her speech at the Council of State this morning, when she had lost her temper with Irulan, who insisted on accepting the clothes from the Corino family. "What does it matter? As usual, all gifts for the twins will be checked thoroughly," Irulan argued. "What if we find out that this gift is harmless?" cried Alia.

For whatever reason, that was what worried her most: finding out that the gift was not in danger. Eventually, they accepted the fine clothing and moved on to another issue: was there a place for Mrs. Jessica in the Council of State?Alia managed to delay the vote.These were the things she thought of as she looked down at the missionary. Plus, what's happening in her church is like the changes they're making on this planet.Dunes once seemed to symbolize the power of the endless desert.Physically, the power has indeed shrunk, but myths about the dunes are growing rapidly.The only thing left intact on this planet was the Sand Sea, the great Mother Desert, whose fringes were fringed with thornbushes, which the Fremen still called the Queen of the Night.Behind the thorn bushes lie green hills that look down on the desert.All hills are man-made, and each one is piled up by laborers working like reptiles.The greenness of these hills was hard for Alia, who grew up in the desert.In her mind, and that of all Fremen, the Sand Sea still controls the dunes, never letting go.Once she closed her eyes, she could see the desert.

Green hills can be seen on the edge of the desert, and swamps reach out to the desert with green claws - but the sand sea is still as strong as ever. Alia shook her head, staring down at the missionary. He had already walked up the first step in front of the temple, turned around, and looked at the empty square.Alia pressed a button beside her, amplifying the sound below.She felt sorry for herself, trapped here alone.Who else could she trust?Stilgar counted as one, but he was already tainted by the blind man. "Do you know how he counts?" Stilgar had asked her. "I've heard him count money to pay his guides. His voice was strange, a little scary to my Freeman ears. This is how he counted: shuc, ishcai, qimsa, chuascu, picha, sucta, etc. I have only heard this numbering in the desert long ago."

After hearing his words, Alia knew she couldn't send Stilgar on the mission that had to be done.She must be wary of even those guards who take the slightest hint of the Church as an absolute imperative. What is he doing down there, that missionary? The market under the awnings and street arcades around the square was the same tacky old one, with wares on display stands and only a few boys looking on.Only a few merchants are awake, sniffing spices from the backcountry or listening to the jingle in a pilgrim's purse. Alia studied the Pilgrim's back.He seemed ready to speak, but hesitated a little.

Why am I standing here looking at that old, broken body?she asked herself.That piece of trash down there can't possibly be my brother's "holy body." Anger and despair filled her heart.How could she find out the truth about this missionary, how could she find out the truth without getting to the bottom of it?It's really embarrassing.She could only show a little interest in this heretic, not daring to be too curious. Yirulan also felt this weakness.She lost the Bee Geist composure she had always maintained, screaming at the council of states: "We have lost the power of self-confidence to see ourselves as righteous."

Even Stilgar was shaken by her words. Javid brought them back to their senses: "We don't have time for this crap." Javid is right.It doesn't matter how they evaluate themselves, what matters is the power of the empire. But Irulan, regaining his composure, becomes even more devastating: "I tell you, we have lost something of vital importance. In losing it, we have lost the ability to make wise decisions. We act recklessly. To make decisions one by one is like rushing recklessly at the enemy. Or to wait, which is to give up decisions and let other people's decisions drive us. Have we forgotten? We are the ones who make the current trend." And all these debates started with the trivial matter of whether to accept the gift from the Corino family. Irulan must be removed, Alia decided to herself. What is the old man waiting for below?He calls himself a missionary, why not preach? Irulan's accusation of our decision was wrong, Arya said to herself, I can still make the right decision!Those who hold the power of life and death must make decisions, or they will become puppets.Paul used to always say that being still is the most dangerous thing, and being in constant change is eternal.Change is the most important thing. I'll let them see the change!Alia thought. The missionary raised his arms in a gesture of blessing. Those who were still in the square approached him, and Alia could feel that they were hesitating in their actions.Yes, because there were rumors that the preacher had displeased Alia.She leaned over the speaker next to her.The noise of the crowd in the square, the sound of the wind, and the sound of feet rubbing against the sand came from the loudspeaker. "I have brought you four messages!" said the missionary. His voice boomed through Alia's speakers, and she turned it down. "Each message is sent to a specific person." The missionary said, "The first message is sent to Alia, the lord of this world." He pointed to the observation hole of the temple behind him, "I will bring her Here comes a warning: with the secret of time wrapped around your belt, you sold your future for an empty wallet!" He is so brave.Alia thought.But his words made her stiff and unable to move. "My second message," said the preacher, "to Stilgar, Neb of Freeman. He believes he can turn the power of the Horde into the power of the Empire. I warn you, Stilgar: yes The greatest danger of all creative endeavors is a rigid code of ethics. It will destroy you and drive you home!" He is too much!I must send guards, Alia thought, no matter what the consequences.But her hands were still hanging by her sides, without any movement. The missionary turned around, looked at the temple, climbed up one step, then turned back to face the square, his left hand still resting on the guide's shoulder.He said aloud: "My third message is to Irulan. Princess, no one can forget his humiliation. I tell you, try to escape!" What is he saying?Alia asked herself.We do want to deal with Irulan, but... why did he warn her to run away?I just made this decision!A wave of fear gripped her body.How did the missionaries know? "My fourth message to Duncan Idaho," he cried, "Duncan! You have been educated to believe that loyalty pays for itself. Oh, Duncan, don't believe history, for history is made of money Pushed. Duncan! Take off your cuckold and do what you think is right." Alia bit the back of her right hand.Cuckold!She tried to reach out and press the button that summoned the guards, but her hand refused to move. "Now I will preach to you," said the preacher, "a sermon from the desert. I want the clerics of Muad'di's church, those who preach with arms, to hear my sermon. Oh, you who believe in a predetermined destiny but do you know that there is an evil side to the established destiny? You claim to be blessed to live under the blessing of Muad'dhi, and I say you have abandoned Muad'd'dhi. In your religion, holiness has replaced love !You will have the desert's revenge!" The missionary bowed his head as if in prayer. Alia felt herself trembling.Oh, God!that voice!Years of hot winds had made it hoarse, but it still carried traces of Paul's voice. The missionary looked up again.The deep voice echoed in the square, and more people were attracted to the square by this strange man from the past. "It is written in the books!" cried the missionary. "Those who pray for dew on the edge of the desert will bring floods! Reason will not save them from perdition! For their reason was born of pride." He lowered his voice, "It is said that Muad'di died predicting the future, and that the knowledge of the future killed him and caused him to cross the real universe and enter the secret realm. I tell you, it is all illusion. Ideas cannot exist without matter, they cannot exist without your The body does anything practical. Muad'di himself said that he has no magic and cannot code and decode the universe. Don't doubt him." The preacher raised his arms again, loudly. "I warn the Church of Muad'di! The fire on the cliff will burn you! Those who deceive themselves will be destroyed by lies. The blood of brothers cannot be washed away." He lowered his arms and found his young guide.Before the stunned Alia could recover from the shock, he had left the square. What a fearless pagan!Definitely Paul.She had to warn her guards not to lay hands on missionaries in public.The signs in the square below confirmed her idea. Although he preached paganism, no one below stopped the missionary from leaving.No temple guards pursued him, no pilgrims tried to stop him.What a charming blind man!Everyone who saw or heard him felt his apocalyptic power. Although it was hot, Alia suddenly felt a chill.She felt herself clinging to the Empire as if she were grasping something tangible, but her power was so fragile that she could miss it at any moment.She clutched the viewing port, as if that would give her a tighter grip on power.How fragile is this power.The Legislative Council, Yulian Corporation, and the Freeman Corps form the axis of power, and the Astronautics Guild and the Bee Geist Sisterhood are also hiding in the dark and exerting their power.And technological developments, even from the furthest frontiers of humanity, have implications for power.Even if the factories in Ekon and Treylax are allowed to let go of production, it still cannot completely release the pressure brought about by technological development.In addition, Farakon of the Corino family, the heir of Shadham IV, has been eyeing him all the time. Without the Fremen, without the Atreides monopoly on spices, she would lose her absolute grip on power.All power will disintegrate.She could feel the power slipping from her hands.People listen to this preacher.It would be dangerous to get rid of him, but it was equally dangerous to let him continue preaching in her square as he did today.She has already seen the signs of failure, and she is very clear about the development trend. Bee Geist has already codified this development model and the countermeasures: "In our universe, it is commonplace for a large number of people to be ruled by a small powerful force. Here, we propose the main conditions that cause people to rebel against their rulers— "One, when they find a leader. This is the deadliest threat to power. Those in power must keep in their hands those who can act as leaders of the masses. "Two, when they are aware of the links in the chain of power. To keep the people ignorant of the links. "Three. When they entertain the hope of escape from slavery. The people must never be convinced that there is a possibility of escape." Alia shook her head, feeling her cheeks tremble with the movement.There are already signs of these among her people.The reports given to her by spies scattered throughout the empire all confirmed her suspicions.The effects of the endless Freemen crusade are everywhere.Wherever the "sword of religion" is swung, the people there will have all the attitudes of an oppressed nation: wary, disloyal, and elusive.The Authority—essentially the Church Authority—has slowly become an object of abhorrence.Oh, and pilgrims still flock, and some of them may be very religious indeed.But no matter how you look at it, in addition to pilgrimage, pilgrims have other purposes.The most common is to seek a certain future.Power in the true sense can only be gained after expressing obedience, and this power can easily be transformed into wealth.After returning home from Arrakis, they were able to gain new power and social status, allowing them to make economic decisions that paid off for them without complaining about their home world. Alia knows the all-time riddle: "What can you see in an empty wallet you brought home from the planet Dune?" The answer is: "Eye of Muad'di (Fire Diamond)." The traditional method of suppressing social unrest emerges in Alia's consciousness: the people must understand that fighting against power will always be punished, and that helping the ruler will definitely be rewarded.Royal armies must switch defenses randomly.The queen regent's suppression of potential rebels had to be timed so that the rebels were caught off guard. Have I lost my sense of exact timing?she thought. "What a silly guess," said a voice inside her.She felt a little calmer.Yes, the Baron's plan is very good.Get rid of Mrs. Jessica's threat, and at the same time put the blame on the Corino family.good idea.Come back to this missionary in a while.She understands what he stands for, what he stands for.He is a wild and ancient spirit, a living heretic, rooted in the desert beyond her orthodox rule.That's his strength, it doesn't matter if he's Paul or not... as long as people doubt it.But Alia's Bee Geist ability taught her that the Preacher's strength also buries his weakness. We'll find the missionary's weakness.I'm going to send spies on him, all the time.When the time comes, we'll destroy him.