Chapter 59 Chapter Fifty-Nine

Gurney Halleck sits on a hill in Suruchi with balisins on spice cushions beside him.The basin below him is full of workers planting plants.The spice-covered ramp used by the Outcasts to lure sandworms has been blocked by a new aqueduct.Vegetation spread down the slope to protect the aqueduct. It was almost lunchtime, and Halleck had been sitting on the hill for nearly an hour.He needed to be alone for a while, to think.The people below are working hard, and all the labor here is related to spices.According to Leto's estimates, the production of spices soon declined, and then stabilized at about one-tenth of the peak production during the Harkonnen period.The value of spices stockpiled across the empire doubles every time an inventory is taken.It is said that someone exchanged 321 liters of spices for half of the rights to Planet Novens from the Metuli family.

The deportees worked with such a fever that it was as if a devil was driving them.Perhaps that is also the case.Before each meal, they faced Tanzaofor and prayed to Shahulu.In their eyes, this Xia Hulu already has an anthropomorphic representative, and that is Leto.Through their eyes, Halleck saw a future that almost everyone believed was bound to become a reality.But Halleck wondered if he would like such a future. When Leto arrived with Halleck and the Missionaries in the orthopter that Halleck had stolen, he immediately became the master of the place. With only two hands, Leto destroyed Suluqi's diversion canal, and the fifty-meter-long stone dam was thrown back and forth in his hands like a toy.The outcast tried to stop him, and with a mere wave of his arm he beheaded the first man who came up to him.He threw the man's body back among his companions, laughing loudly at their weapons.In a devilish voice, he snarled at them: "Your shots cannot touch me! Your knives cannot harm me! I wear the skin of Xia Hulu."

The deportees recognized him, remembering how he "jumped straight off the cliff into the desert" as he fled.They bowed before him.Then he issued his order. "I have brought you two guests. You are to protect them and honor them. You are to rebuild the aqueduct and start an oasis garden. Someday, I will make my home here. You must be ready My home. You shall no longer sell your spices, and any morsel of spices you gather must be stored." He continued to issue his orders.The deportees heard every word, and they watched him with horror and awe. Xia Hulu finally got out from under the sand!

Leto was unaware of Leto's mutation when he found Hallek, who was staying with Gandhi al-Fari, in Digal Ruden, a small rebel den.Together with his blind companion, Leto traveled from the depths of the desert along the ancient spice route.They hitched a ride on a sandworm across a vast area where sandworms are rarely seen today.He said they had to change course several times because there was enough moisture in the sand to kill the worms.They arrived in the early afternoon and were led by guards into a stone common room. That scene still haunts Halleck. "This is the missionary," he said.

Halleck walked around the blind man a few times, looking carefully at him.He remembered the story about the missionary.Since he was inside the cave, his face was not covered by the mask of the still suit, and Halleck could directly look at his facial features and compare them with the image in memory.The man resembled the old duke after whom Leto was named.Is it a coincidence? "Do you know that story?" Halleck turned his head and asked Leto beside him, "It is said that he is your father, who came back from the depths of the desert." "I heard it before." Halleck turned to look at Leto.Leto was wearing an old still suit, with curled bumps on his face and ears.A black robe concealed his body, and sand boots hid his feet.

There are many things Halleck doesn't know: Why is he here?How did he escape again? "Why did you bring the missionary here?" Halleck asked. "In Jakrutu, they say he works for them." "Not anymore. I brought him because Alia wanted him dead." "So, do you think this is his refuge?" "You are his refuge." Throughout the conversation the missionary stood beside them, listening to their conversation, but making no indication of which subject he was more interested in. "He has served me well, Gurney," Leto said. "The Atreides will not relinquish their duty to those who serve us."

"The Atreides family?" "I represent House Atreides." "You escaped from Jakrutu before I completed the test task assigned by your grandmother." Halleck said coldly, "How can you represent—" "You should protect this man as you would protect your own life," Leto said in an unquestionable tone.He met Halleck's gaze fearlessly. Jessica taught Halleck many ingenious Bee Geist observations.In Leto's expression he found nothing but peaceful confidence.Yet Jessica's order is still in effect. "Your grandmother ordered me to complete your education and let me know whether you have fallen into the devil's way."

"I have not entered the magic way." A straightforward statement. "Then why did you run away?" "Namri was instructed to kill me no matter what. It was Alia who gave him the order." "What, are you a truthsayer?" "Yes." Another calm and confident statement. "Ganima too?" "no." The missionary broke the silence, pointing his empty eye sockets at Halleck, but pointing at Leto. "Do you think you can test him?" "You don't know anything about the problem and its consequences, please don't interfere." Halleck shouted without looking back.

"Oh, I know the consequences very well," said the missionary. "I was tested once by an old woman who thought she knew what she was doing. It turned out she didn't." Halleck turned to look at him. "Are you another truthsayer?" "Anyone can be a truthsayer, even you," said the missionary. "You just have to be honest with your own feelings. Your heart must admit the obvious." "Why are you interfering?" Halleck asked.He reached for the Screaming Blade. Who is this missionary? "These things are related to me." The missionary said, "My mother can put her own blood on the altar, but I am different, and I have different motives. Moreover, I also see your problem."

"Oh?" Halleck actually showed curiosity. "Mrs. Jessica orders you to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf, between a Zib and a Kalib. According to her definition, a wolf is someone who has power and can abuse it. However, there is an overlap between wolves and dogs. , you can't tell them apart within the overlapping period." "That makes sense," Halleck said.He noticed that more and more people living in this cave were crowding into the common room, listening to their conversation, "How do you know?" "Because I know the planet. Don't you understand? Think about it. Beneath the surface are rocks and dirt and sediment and sand. That's the planet's memory, its history. Humans too. Dogs have wolves' memories. Every planet has a core and revolves around this core. From this core outward, there are layers of rocks, dirt, and other memories until the surface."

"Interesting," said Halleck, "how does it help me carry out my orders?" "Take a look back at the layers of your own history." Halleck shook his head.Preacher has an aggressive candor.He often found similar qualities in members of the Atreides family, and he also vaguely sensed that this person was using the magic sound method.Halleck felt his heart start beating wildly.Could it be him? "Jessica needs a final test to pass to fully reveal her grandson's heart," said Preacher, "but his heart is there, you just have to keep your eyes open." Halleck turned his eyes to Leto.He completed this action subconsciously, as if some irresistible force was driving him. The missionary continued talking, as if he was teaching disobedient schoolchildren. "This young man eludes you because he is not a single individual. He is a collective. Like any oppressed collective, any member of it can jump out and assume leadership. This leadership is not Always benign, that's why we have the story of the aberrant spirit. You've hurt the collective before, but, Gurney Halleck, don't you see the transformation that's taking place in the collective? This young man has won within cooperation, which is so powerful that it cannot be broken. Even without eyes, I saw it. I was against him, but now I follow him. He is the healer of society." "Who are you?" Halleck asked. "I am the man you see. Don't look at me, look at the man you've been commissioned to educate and test. He's been through a lot of crises. He's survived deadly circumstances. He's here." "Who are you?" Halleck insisted. "I'm telling you, just look at this young Atreides! He is the ultimate feedback loop that our species needs to survive. He reinjects the results of the past into the entire system. There is no one else like him Know the past. Such a man, and you want to destroy him!" "I was ordered to test him, and it didn't..." "But you actually did!" "Is he a deformed evil spirit?" A strange smile appeared on the missionary's face. "You are still clinging to Bee Geist's broken theory. They want to create a myth by choosing what kind of man to sleep with!" "Are you Paul Atreides?" Halleck asked. "Paul Atreides is dead. He tried to be a supreme moral figure, rejecting all commonplace. He became a saint, but there was no God he worshiped. Every word he said was blasphemy against God. How do you Can you think..." "Your voice sounded like his." "Are you going to test me, Gurney Halleck? Be careful, Gurney Halleck." Halleck swallowed, and forced himself to refocus on Leto, who was silent and watching. "Who's going to be tested?" asked the preacher. "Is it possible that Mrs. Jessica is testing you, Gurney Halleck?" The thought made Halleck extremely disturbed, and he couldn't understand why he had such a strong reaction to the preacher's words.It is said that followers of House Atreides have a natural obedience to dictatorship deep in their hearts.Jessica had explained why, but it had only confused him further.Halleck felt something was going on inside of him, a change that could only be detected by the Bee Geist method that Jessica had taught him.He doesn't want to change! "Who among you is playing this God who makes the final judgment? And for what purpose?" asked the missionary. "Answer this question, but don't answer it purely by logic." Slowly, Halleck deliberately shifted his attention from Leto to the blind man.Jessica has always taught him to learn Cadiz balance-to master the "should-shouldn't" measure.It's a form of self-control, she says, but a self-control "without words, without expressions, without rules, without opinions."It is his naked and true heart, embracing the original and keeping one, but covering everything.The blind man's voice, tone, and demeanor stirred him into this state of utter calm. "Answer my question," said the missionary. In his voice, Halleck felt his focus grow more focused, on this place, this moment.His place in the universe has been determined entirely by his focus.He no longer has doubts.This is Paul Atreides, not dead, but back.And this child who is not a child, Leto.Halleck took another look at Leto, actually seeing him.He sees the pressure in his eyes, the balance in his posture, the mouth that spits out some uncanny puns but doesn't say a word at the moment.Leto stands out from the background behind him, as if a spotlight is shining on him.He accepted the scene in front of him and achieved inner harmony. "Tell me, Paul," Halleck said, "does your mother know?" The missionary let out a sigh. "For a sorority, harmony can be achieved simply by accepting reality." "Tell me, Paul," Halleck said, "does your mother know?" The missionary sighed again. "I'm dead to the sorority. Don't try to resurrect me." Halleck pressed, "But why did she..." "She did what she had to do. She had her own life and she thought she was protecting the lives of so many people. We all do that, play God." "But you're still alive," Halleck said softly.He finally believed what he had found, and he looked at the man in front of him.Paul should be younger than himself, but the relentless wind and sand made this man look twice his age. "What do you mean?" Paul asked. "Alive?" Halleck looked around, at the Fremen surrounding him.There was a mixture of disbelief and awe on their faces. "My mother didn't have to know my story." It was Paul's voice! "Being God means the ultimate boredom and depravity. I call for the emergence of free will! Even God may wish to escape to sleep and sleep on his pillow." "But you are alive!" Halleck said a little louder. Paul ignored the excitement in his old friend's words.He asked: "Are you really going to have this young man duel his sister in your test? How horrible! Each of them will say: 'No! Kill me! Let the other live!' such a test What is the result? What's the point of living, Gurney?" "Tests aren't like that," Halleck protested.He didn't like the fact that the Fremen around him were creeping closer to them.They just stared at Paul, ignoring Leto completely. But Leto suddenly interjected. "Look at the cause and effect, father." "Yes... yes..." Paul raised his head, as if sniffing the air, "So, it's Farakon!" "It's all too easy to act on what we think instead of what we feel," Leto said. Halleck failed to understand Leto's thoughts.He was about to ask a question when Leto cut him off by grabbing his arm. "Don't ask, Gurney. You may suspect me of being a demon again. No! Let what happens, Gurney. If you insist, you may destroy yourself." But Halleck felt he was surrounded by a thick fog.Jessica once warned him, "These people who have memories before birth, they are very deceptive. Their tricks you will never imagine." Halleck shook his head slowly.And Paul!Paul is alive and in an alliance with his troubled son! The Fremen surrounding them could hold back no longer.They got in between Halleck and Paul, and Leto and Paul, pushing those two back.The air was filled with hoarse voices. "Are you Paul Muad'di? Are you really Paul Muad'di? Is it true? Tell us!" "You have to see me as a missionary," Paul said, pushing them away. "I can't be Paul Atreides or Paul Muad'di. Never again. I'm not Ghani's spouse or emperor." Halleck was terribly worried.Once these desperate questions are not answered satisfactorily, the situation may spiral out of control on the spot. He was about to make a move when Leto was ahead of him.It was then that Halleck saw for the first time the terrible change in Leto. There was a bull roar: "Stand aside!"—and Leto pushed forward, separating the grown-up Fremen from either side, pushing some to the ground.He shooed them away with his arms, grabbed the knives they drew directly with his hands, and twisted the knives into a heap of waste. For a minute, the remaining Fremen who were still standing were clung to the wall in horror.Leto stood beside his father. "When Xia Hulu speaks, you just need to obey." Leto said. Several Fremen expressed doubts.Leto broke a stone from the passage wall and crushed it into powder in his hands, smiling all the while. "I can tear down this den before your eyes," he said. "Desert Devil." Someone whispered. "And your aqueduct," Leto nodded, "I'll tear it apart. We've never been here, do you understand?" All the heads were shaking back and forth in submission. "None of you have seen us," Leto said. "If any news leaks out, I'll come right back and drive you into the desert without a drop of water." Halleck saw many hands raised up in a gesture of protection, which was a sign representing the sandworm. "We're leaving now, my father and I, our old friends with us," Leto said. "Get us the orthopters." Later, Leto took them to Suruqi.On the way, he explained to them that they had to act quickly, because "Falrakon will be coming to Arrakis soon. Like my father said, you'll see the real test then, Gurney." Sitting on the Suluqi hill, looking at the scene below, Halleck asked himself again.He asks himself this question every day: "What test? What does he mean?" But Leto has left Suruzzi, and Paul refuses to answer the question.