Chapter 11 chapter Ten

Alia crouched, elbows on knees, chin in fist, staring at a remains on the dune—a small pile of bones and bits of flesh that once belonged to a young woman.The hands, head, and most of the body above the torso were gone, eaten away by the wind.The sand was covered with the footprints of my brother's medical examiner and judges.They were all gone now, except for the entourage who stood aside waiting to collect the body, and Hayter, the necromancer, who waited for her to take a closer look at what was going on here. The sky was pale yellow, and the murder scene was shrouded in a blue-green light.At this latitude, and it was about three o'clock in the afternoon, this color of light could not be more normal.

The body was discovered hours earlier by a low-flying messenger oropter.Instruments on the orthopter picked up signs of water in the deserted area, and a call was made, bringing in experts.But they found out—what?This woman was about twenty years old, Fremenian, Samuta addicted to drugs... abandoned in this desert cauldron, and died of some kind of delicate trealax poison. It was common to die in the desert, but it was very rare for the dead to be addicted to the poison of Samuta, so Paul asked her to come over and use the Bee Geist method taught by his mother to investigate the scene. Her arrival casts an even more miraculous halo on the already mysterious scene, but Alia herself feels that she has not discovered anything special.She heard the necromancer's feet stirring the sand and glanced at him.His eyes turned immediately to the escort orthopters hovering like a flock of crows overhead.

Beware of this Guild gift, Arya thought. The orthopter responsible for picking up the corpses and her own were parked in the sand behind the undead, near a ledge of rock.Alia looked at the orthopter parked on the ground, wishing she could leave here immediately. But Paul thought she might find something here that no one else could.She writhed uncomfortably in her stillsuit.Wearing it again after a few months of city life without a distilled suit felt strange and awkward.She eyed the Necromancer, wondering if he knew anything important about the death.A strand of curly black hair peeked out from the hood of the necromantic still suit.She felt herself longing to reach up and tuck the lock of hair in.

As if knowing her desire, the necromancer turned to her with twinkling gray metallic eyes.Those eyes made her tremble, and it was with difficulty that she took her eyes off him. A Freemen woman died here, from a poison called Bloody Throat.A Fremen addicted to Samuta. Like Paul, she was uneasy about such a coincidence. The entourage who collected the body waited patiently.There is not much water to recover from this corpse, and they don't need to hurry up.They believed that Alia was using a method that ordinary people could not understand to read the truth from the remains. But she didn't discover any truth.

There was only a faint anger in her heart at what was going on in the heads of her entourage.damn religion.She and her brother cannot be ordinary people.They must be superhuman.The Sisterhood of Bee Geist planned it all, and it was for this that they carefully controlled the Atreides bloodline.The mother also helped, and it was because of her that the brother and sister would embark on this path of wizarding. Paul also made their difference from ordinary people legendary, so that they could never be ordinary people again. Many memories of the Virgin Mary began to stir in Alia's mind, and spontaneous memories kept pouring in: "Be quiet, little one! You are who you are. There will be compensation."

compensate! She made a gesture to summon the undead. He came to her with an air of concentration and patience. "What do you think?" she asked. "We may never know who died," he said, "with no head, no teeth, no hands... a person whose genetic records cannot be kept anywhere, and cannot be compared with her genetic records." Cell comparison." "Trealax Poison," she said. "What do you think of this?" "A lot of people buy this poison." "That's right. This body has been dead for too long, and it is impossible to grow back like your body."

"Even if you could trust the Trealax to let them reshape this flesh," he said. She nodded and stood up, "Now, send me back to the city." They rose into the air and headed north."You fly exactly like Duncan Idaho," she said. He glanced at her curiously, "Others said the same." "What are you thinking?" she asked. "I think about it a lot." "Don't duck my questions, damn it!" "what is the problem?" She glared at him. He met her gaze and shrugged. So much like Duncan Idaho, in that pose, she thought.Her voice was a little rough, and she said in a reproachful tone: "I hope you can speak out your thoughts so that we can make up our minds. The death of that young woman makes me very disturbed."

"I'm not thinking about it." "Then what are you thinking?" "What I'm thinking of is the strange behavior when people refer to my predecessor, my possible predecessor." "possible?" "The Trealax are very wise." "But not that clever. It's impossible to be that clever. You were Duncan Idaho." "Very likely. That's the most likely outcome." "Are you emotional?" "In a way, yes. I had a craving, and I was restless. My body wanted to shake, and I had to pay attention to get it under control. I felt... a lot of images flashing through my mind."

"What image?" "Too fast, I still can't recognize it. Flash. Suddenly... almost all the memories, flashed out at once." "Aren't you curious about these memories?" "Naturally. Curiosity was driving me, but I was very reluctant. I thought: 'What if I'm not who they think I am?' I didn't like the idea." "That's all you're thinking about right now?" "You know it, Alia." How dare he call me by my first name?Anger welled up, but subsided.Because the tone of his speech evoked her memory: trembling and deep male voice, inadvertently revealing the confidence of a man, and the hard Adam's apple muscles twisted up and down.She gritted her teeth and said nothing.

"Is that Al Coutts down there?" he asked, flying sideways down a bit, and the escort oropters hurriedly changed their flight movements. She looked down.Their shadows drifted across Hag Pass.Her father's skull is preserved in a rock pyramid on the cliff.El Coutts - Holy Land. "It's a holy place," she said. "I'm going to look there someday," he said. "The proximity of your father's remains may give me some recollection." She suddenly found that he wanted very much to know who he had been.For him, it was an overriding desire.She looked back at the rocky mountain: craggy cliffs, the bottom extending to a dry river bank and then into a sea of ​​sand.The yellow-brown rocks tower above the dunes, like a ship breaking the waves.

"Turn back," she said. "It can protect the orthopter..." "They'll follow. Just turn around under them." He did as he was told. "Are you truly loyal to my brother?" she asked.He set off on the new course, followed by the escort orpter. "My allegiance to House Atreides," he said, his voice stiff. His hand was raised and lowered—almost exactly like the old Caladan gesture of respect.A pensive expression appeared on his face, gazing down at the rocky pyramids below. "What are you thinking?" she asked. His lips moved—the voice came out, thin and difficult: "Your father, he is...he is..." A tear rolled down his cheek. Aria was stunned, the awe of the Freemen.He gave water to the dead! She couldn't help touching his cheek with her fingers, feeling the wetness of tears. "Duncan," she said softly. He tightly held the joystick of the orthopter with both hands, but his eyes were fixed on the cemetery below. She raised her voice: "Duncan!" He swallowed, shook his head, looked at her, metal eyes sparkling, "I... felt... an arm... on my shoulder." He whispered, "I felt it! An arm. His throat quivered. "It's...a friend...my friend." "Who?" "I don't know. I think it's . . . I don't know." A call signal light flashed in front of Alia.The captain of the escorting oropter wanted to know why they turned back to the desert.She took the microphone and explained that she wanted to honor her father's grave.The captain reminded her that it was getting late. "We're going back to Araken now," she said, taking off the microphone.Hayter took a deep breath, banked their orthopters, and headed north. "It was my father's arm you felt just now, right?" she asked. "Maybe." It was the sound of Mentat calculating the possibilities.He has regained his composure. "Do you know how I found out about my father?" she asked. "know a little." "Let me tell you," she said.She briefly described how she had the consciousness of the Virgin before she was born, a horrific fetus with a myriad of life-consciousness implanted in her nerve cells, all after her father's death. "I know my father as well as my mother knows him," she said, "every experience she had with him, every detail. In a way, I am my mother—I have her. All memories, until the moment she drank the water of life and entered into a state of trance." "Your brother explained it in the same way." "Him? Why?" "I asked." "why?" "Mentat needs data." "Oh." She looked at the wide and flat mountain of shield walls below: broken rocks, full of cracks and potholes. He followed her gaze and said, "An unobstructed place, down here." "But it's also an easy place to hide," she said.Looking at him, "It reminds me of the human brain...can hide everything." "Aha," he said. "Aha? What does that mean—aha?" She was suddenly annoyed with him, but for no reason. "You want to know what's going on in my head," he said.This is a declarative sentence, not an interrogative sentence. "How do you know that I didn't check you out a long time ago, using my predictive power?" she asked. "Have you used it?" He seemed genuinely interested to know. "No!" "It seems that the prophetess is not omnipotent," he said. He seemed to be enjoying himself, which eased Alia's anger. "Is it funny? You don't respect my strength?" she asked.Even to her own ears, these words were so feeble. "I respect your powers of foreknowledge, perhaps beyond your imagination," he said, "and I am a faithful listener of your morning prayers." "What does that mean?" "You're very good at juggling spells," he said, concentrating on piloting the orthopter. "In my opinion, I owe it to the Bee Geist and Sisterhood. But you, too, are like many witches." , too indulging your magic power." She only felt a burst of panic, and glared at him: "You are so brave!" "I'm more courageous than the maker expected," he said. "That's why your brother didn't drive me away." Alia studied his steel eyes: there was no human expression.The hood of his stillsuit concealed his lower collar, but his mouth was steely, with strength...and determination.There was also a soothing power to his words, "...I am more courageous than..." Duncan Idaho could well have said.Could it be that the Trealax people created a necromancer beyond their expectations?Or was it all a disguise, part of his training? "Explain your words, Necromancer," she ordered. "Know yourself. That's your commandment, isn't it?" he asked. She found that the other party was very happy again. "Don't play tricks with me, you... you thing!" She said, reaching out to hold the Xiaoren knife, "Why did they give you to my brother?" "Your brother said you saw the whole gift," he said. "You've heard the answer." "Answer it again... listen to me!" "My purpose is to destroy him." "Is it Mentat who said that?" "You know it without asking," he reproached, "and you know that this gift is unnecessary. Your brother is destroying himself." She weighed the weight of this sentence, her hand was still on the handle of the knife.This answer was very sly, but the voice was extremely sincere. "In that case, why do you still want to give this gift?" she pressed. "Perhaps the Trealax think it's fun to do this, and besides, the Guild also asked me to be given to your brother as a gift." "why?" "The answer is the same, I think it's fun." "How did I indulge my magic power?" "How do you use this power?" he asked rhetorically. His question came down like a whip, shaking off her doubts and fears.She took her hand away from the knife and asked, "Why do you say my brother is destroying himself?" "Oh, come on, boy! Is there really such a thing as his so-called sensational powers? Where is it? Don't you know how to reason?" Trying to suppress her anger, she said, "Go ahead with your reasoning, Mentat." "Okay." He glanced at the escort orthoplanes around him, and turned his gaze to the flight path.On the northern edge of the Shield Wall Mountain, the plains of Araken began to loom.Under the cover of dust and fog, the depressions and villages were still not clearly visible, but the flickering lights of Araken were vividly seen. "The signs," he said. "Your brother has an official lyricist who..." "He's a gift from the Fremenebs!" "If they were your brother's friends, it would be a strange gift," he said. "Why should he be surrounded by flattery and obsequiousness? Have you ever heard the work of that eulogist?" Mucha Dee illuminated the people. Umma Regent, our Emperor, came out of the darkness and shone brilliantly, illuminating everyone. He is our Majesty, he is the endless spring. He spread joy to the universe .'Pooh!" Alia said softly: "If I repeat what you said to our Freemen guards, they will chop you into meat paste and feed them to the birds." "Then you tell them it's over." "My brother rules the world by the natural laws of heaven!" "You don't believe it yourself, why do you say that?" "How do you know what I believe?" Her voice trembled, and it was difficult to restrain it with Bee Geist's mind.She never thought that this undead would have such a great influence on her. "You just ordered me to state my reasoning in Mentat fashion," he reminded. "But no Mentat knows what I believe!" She trembled, taking two deep breaths, "How dare you judge us!" "Judging you? I'm not judging." "You have no idea what education we have!" "You have both been educated to govern," he said, "and you have been brought up with an inordinate thirst for power. You have mastered politics and art, and you have mastered war and religion. The Laws of Nature What natural law? That's nothing but a myth that haunts man. It's a ghost, immaterial, unreal. Is your jihad the law of nature?" "A garrulous Mentat," she sneered. "I am a servant of House Atreides, and speak frankly," he said. "Servants? We have no servants, only believers." "Then I'm a believer who hasn't lost my sense of self," he said. "Understand that, boy, you..." "Don't call me baby!" she snapped.Pulled the Xiaoren knife halfway out of the scabbard. "I accept your correction." He glanced at her, smiled, and focused on the orthopter.The cliff-facing side of the Atreides family palace is already clearly visible, overlooking the entire northern outskirts of Araken. "From the physical point of view, you are just a child." He said, "and this body is still deeply troubled by adolescent desires. " "I don't understand why I should listen to your nonsense," she growled.But the Xiaoren knife slipped through the palm covered under the robe, and was inserted back into the scabbard.The palms are already dripping with sweat.The Fremen's sense of frugality disturbed her: what a waste of body water! "You listen because you know my allegiance to your brother," he said. "My actions are clear and understandable." "You have nothing clear and easy to understand. You are the most complex creature I have ever seen. How do I know what the Trealax made of you?" "Whether it was some kind of mistake or some kind of purpose," he said, "they let me make myself whatever I wanted." "It's just true Sunni nonsense," she accused. "The wise man knows how to shape himself, and the fool lives like this until he dies." Her voice was full of derision. Self-aware believer! I must tell Paul all of your words." "Most of them he's already heard." She was surprised and curious, "But what happened to you, you are still alive...and free? What did he say?" "He laughed. He said: 'The people don't want their emperor to be just a bookkeeper; they want a master, someone to protect them.' But he also admitted that the ruin of the empire was his own." "Why would he say that?" "Because I convinced him that I understood his difficulty and was willing to help him." "What did you say to make him believe you so much?" He was silent, and turned the oropter to one side, preparing to land on the heavily guarded roof of the palace. "I order you, tell me what you said at that time!" "I'm not sure you'll take those words." "I will judge for myself! I order you, speak up immediately!" "Allow me to land first," he said.Without waiting for her permission, he turned straight onto the landing path, adjusted the lift of the wings, and gently landed on the bright orange landing platform on the roof. "Say it now," Alia said. "Say it quickly." "I told him that the hardest thing in the universe is to accept yourself." She shook her head, "It's really...it's..." "A bitter medicine," he said.As soon as they saw the guards running towards them, they quickly took their positions and performed the guard duty. "Nonsense!" "Whether it is the most honorable landed count or the humblest slave, the same problem is faced. You can't hire a Mentat or some other wise person to solve this problem for you. The sacred books can't provide the answer, Not even a clever mind. No servant...or believer...can bind up the wound torn open by this question. Only you can bind it up, or you'll have to let it bleed for all to see .” She turned sharply, but no sooner had she turned than she realized that the gesture gave away her feelings.There was no deceit in his voice, no cunning artifice of witchcraft, yet once again it touched her heart deeply.How did he do that? "You told him what to do?" she asked in a low voice. "I told him to rule boldly, to kill decisively, to impose order." Alia glared at the guards.How patiently they waited there--how orderly. "It's just a cliché, and there's fairness and justice," she muttered. "Nothing like that!" he snapped. "I advise him to make a decision, that's all. There is only one principle of decision, if possible..." "What principle?" "Save his courageous friends and destroy his enemies." "That is to say, the judgment cannot be done impartially." "What is justice? Two forces confront each other. As long as they are viewed from their respective perspectives, both sides represent justice. Here, only the emperor's order can solve the problem and finally bring about order. He cannot prevent the conflict from happening-but he can resolve it. it." "How to deal with it?" "In the simplest way: he makes the decisions." "Save his friends and destroy his enemies." "Wouldn't that bring stability? The people want order, order of one kind or another. They're starving and watching war as a game for the powerful. It's complicated, it's dangerous, it's hopeless." sequence." "I want to suggest to my brother that you are the most dangerous thing and must be eliminated," she said, turning to face him. "I've suggested it," he said. "That's where your danger lies." She said carefully, "so calm, so sensible, completely in control of your emotions." "My danger is not there." Before she could move, he leaned over, grabbed her chin with one hand, and pressed his lips against hers. A tender kiss, fleeting.He let her go. She stared at him, stunned, but immediately regained her composure, and glanced at the guards who were still standing motionless on guard outside, and saw a smile flitting across their faces like a spasm. Alia reached out and touched her lips, feeling a certain deja vu in the kiss.His lips appeared in the future.She had seen visions of it.Her chest rose and fell: "I should have someone peel your skin." "Just because I'm dangerous?" "Because you are presumptuous!" "I'm not presumptuous at all. If I don't give it, I won't take it. I haven't taken everything that was given to me, so be happy." He opened the hatch on his side , slid out of the cockpit, "Come on. I've been busy, the time has been delayed for too long." He strode toward the entrance to the dome beyond the landing pad. Alia jumped up and ran to keep up with him. "I told him everything you said, and everything you did," she said. "Okay." He opened the door for her. "He'll sentence you to death," she said, stepping into the dome. "Why? Because I got a kiss I wanted?" He followed her, forcing her to turn around.The door closed softly behind him. "The kiss you want?" She was very angry. "Okay, Alia, it's the kiss you wanted. Is that all right?" He started to walk around her, down the stairs. His movements seemed to clear her mind more than usual.She found him straightforward - utterly honest.The kiss I wanted, she told herself, was the truth. "Your honesty is the danger," she said.follow him. "You're smart again," he said, still striding. "Even Mentat couldn't have said it better. Tell me: what did you see in the desert?" She grabbed his arm to stop him.And he did it again: uttering astonishing words that cleared her mind beyond compare. "I'm always thinking about the face-changers," she said. "I don't know why. Why?" "That's why your brother sent you to the desert," he said, nodding. "Tell him about this lingering intention." "But why?" She shook her head, "Why the face-changer?" "A young woman died there," he said, "but probably no Fremen would report a young woman missing at all."