Chapter 13 Chapter Twelve

A moment of inappropriateness brings fatal error, Our Lady Keith Helen Mohiam reminded herself. She staggered along, looking absent-minded.A troop of Freemen guards followed her.She knew that there was a deaf-mute among them, and the magic sound Dafa was useless to him.There is no doubt that if she showed even the slightest resistance, she would be shot dead by this man. Why did Paul summon her?She was puzzled.Are you going to sentence her to death?She remembered testing him herself a long time ago... when Kwizaki Hadenatch was a child.He has always been very scheming and secretive. His damn mother!It was her mistake that caused the Bee Geist Sisterhood to lose control of this genetic strand.

silence.Silence surged forward along the front corridor.She could feel the silence conveying the news of her arrival.Paul would have heard the silence, would have known it long before she arrived.She wasn't going to delude herself into thinking that her magic power could surpass him. damn it! The years had pressed its weight on her shoulders, irritating her: her joints ached;There are still long days ahead, long lives.She would pass the days away with the Dune Tarot, searching in vain for clues to her fate.But Solitaire was as slow to respond as she was. The guards escorted her around a corner and into another seemingly endless arched corridor.On the left are triangular windows with tempered glass.Looking up through these windows, you can see a grid of vines and indigo flowers cast in heavy shadows from the afternoon sun.The tiles underfoot are inlaid with patterns of alien aquatic life.Everywhere is reminiscent of water.Wealth...abundance.

Figures in robes passed in front of her, walking toward another hall.They took a furtive glance at the Virgin, with nervous expressions, apparently recognizing who she was. She forced herself to focus on the back of the head of the guard walking ahead of her: the hairline was sharply shaved, the youthful skin was streaked pink by the uniform collar. She was amazed at the size of the fortress-like palace.A long corridor...a long corridor...they walked through an open door, drowned in the sound of bronze drums and flutes coming from inside, ancient music, melodious and melodious.People in the room glared at her: blue and blue Fremen eyes.She saw in those eyes the frenzy and rebellion that had become legendary—from their savage genes.

She knew that, in a way, she was personally responsible for this.There was no way Bee Geist was unaware of the gene and its possible consequences.A deep sense of loss seized her: that stubborn Atreides fool!How dare he refuse to raise a gem-precious offspring with his damned genitals?Kwizaki Hadnaci!Out of time, yet real, real--as real as his damned sister... that one was another unpredictable danger.An uninhibited Madonna, she would give birth to a lot of children regardless of any Bee Geist taboos, and she had no qualms about genetic development.But she certainly possesses the same magical powers as her brother, and more than that.

The sheer size of the palace suffocated her.Will the corridor never end?A terrible physical force pervades the place.There has never been any planet or civilization in human history that can create such a huge man-made structure.Its wide and high walls could hide a dozen ancient castles inside! They passed one oval doorway with flickering lights after another.She recognized it as the work of the Exar: the pneumatic portal.Why did she have to walk such a long way when she had all the equipment?She began to have an answer in her mind: deliberately oppressing her, so as to prepare for the emperor's summoning.

Just one small clue, but there were other details: the guards escorting her were careful in their words, and there was a natural shyness in their eyes when they addressed her as Our Lady.And those halls, cold and flat, without any smell.All of this combined is enough for a Bee Geist to make a judgment call. Paul wanted something from her! She concealed her excitement and pride.She has the leverage to pry each other.The problem now is to find this lever and test its strength.There are levers that have moved something bigger than this palace.With the flick of a finger, some civilizations will collapse.

Our Lady suddenly remembered what Scytel said: When something evolves to a certain extent, it would rather die than evolve into its own opposite. The passage they walked seemed to grow wider and wider, a gimmick of architectural design: the curving arc of the arches, the gradual thickening of the bases of the pillars, the triangular windows becoming larger rectangular or oval windows.A double door finally appeared in front, standing far away in the middle of the high wall at the other end of the reception room.The door was too tall and wide, and when she measured its area with her well-trained subconscious mind, she managed to control herself so as not to gasp.A full eighty meters high and forty meters wide.

As she and the guards approached, the door opened inwards—a huge movement, yet silent, clearly equipped with hidden traps.Another masterpiece by the Exars.They passed through the towering doorway and entered the majestic and magnificent reception hall of Emperor Paul Atreides. "Muad'di, in front of him, everyone becomes a dwarf." Now she finally knew how reasonable everyone was saying. She walked towards Paul, who sat on a distant throne.Our Lady found herself less awed by the grandeur of the palace buildings than by the exquisite works of art that surrounded her.The space is so large that it can hold the entire palace of any other ruler in human history.The open and winding rooms contain architectural majesty and boldness, but at the same time there is no lack of sophistication and elegance, and they appear harmonious and perfect.The beams and columns behind the great walls, the vaulted ceilings high in the air, all present an unparalleled grandeur.Everything shows the handwriting of genius.

It wasn't always this wide either.As the hall extends inward, the area becomes narrower and narrower.In this way, Paul, who sat on the central throne on the high platform at the end of the hall, would not become a dwarf like everyone else.If an untrained mind is overwhelmed by the huge buildings around him, seeing him at first sight will definitely magnify his actual size and height many times.And the colors, too, would overwhelm the untrained mind: Paul's green throne was carved from a single Hagar emerald.Green symbolizes growth, and in Freeman mythology, green is the color of mourning.It's whispering to you that the people sitting here can make you mourn.The same color symbolizes life and death at the same time.What a brilliant combination of opposites.Behind the throne, colorful curtains hang down like waterfalls.There are blazing oranges, curry gold like dune land, and cinnamon flecks of spice.To the trained eye, the symbolism of these colors is very obvious.But to novices, their potential meaning is like an invisible hammer, which can make others submit in an instant.

But it is time that plays the most important role here. Our Lady counted the minutes it would take to approach the Emperor's throne with her own shambling steps.In the process, you have plenty of time to be intimidated.Under the berserk power of your body, all dissatisfaction and hatred will be squeezed out.You may be a dignified human being when you first start your journey to the throne.But when you end this long mileage, you become an insignificant mosquito. Aides and retinue stood in a neat circle around the emperor, and the rapt royal guards lined up against the curtained rear wall.The monster Alia stood two steps to Paul's left; Stilgar, the royal lackey, stood one step below Alia; on the right, on the first step of the hall floor, stood a lonely Figures: Duncan Idaho's The Walking Dead, Necromancer.She eyed the old Fremen among the guards, unshaven Nebs: still suits with scars on their noses and Screaming Blades at their belts.Some of them hang shotguns and even laser guns.These are the most trusted, she thought, to wear a lasgun in Paul's face.He was clearly wearing a shield generator, and she could see the shimmer of the shield around him.As long as the laser gun is fired at the shield field, the entire castle will be reduced to a huge hole in the ground.

The escorting guards stopped ten paces from the platform and parted in front of her so that the emperor could see her unobstructed. It was only then that she realized that Jani and Yirulan were not there.She doesn't know why.It is said that as long as they are not present, the emperor will not hold any important meetings. Paul nodded to her, without saying a word, weighing her in silence. She made a quick decision and decided to strike first. "It seems that the great Paul Atreides wants to condescend to this man whom he has forbidden from coming to Arrakis." Paul smiled faintly, thinking: She knows what I want from her.With her ability, it can only be like this.He knows her strength.A Bee Geist can't be a Madonna just by fluke. "Could we spare this arguing?" he asked. Will it be so easy?she doubted. "Say what you want." Stilgar moved and glanced at Paul.The emperor's lackey did not like her tone of voice. "Stilgar wants me to drive you away," Paul said. "Instead of killing me?" she asked. "I thought a Fremeneb would be more straightforward." Stilgar's face darkened, and he said, "I often have to say something that I don't mean. It's called diplomacy." "Then save all the diplomatic rhetoric," she said. "Is it necessary for me to go such a long way, I'm an old woman." "You must understand my ruthlessness," said Paul, "and then you will appreciate my magnanimity." "How dare you be so rough on a Bee Geist?" she asked. "Rough behavior has its own meaning," Paul said. She hesitated, wondering what he meant.That said—he meant, of course, to get rid of her in the same brutal way, unless she... unless she what? "Tell me what you want from me," she murmured. Alia glanced at her brother and nodded towards the curtain behind the throne.She knew why Paul did it, but she still didn't like it.Even if it was an unfounded premonition, anyway, she was extremely unwilling to get involved in this transaction. "Watch your manners when you talk to me, old woman," said Paul. Called me an old woman when he was a young man, the Virgin thought.Is he reminding me that my hand once decided his past?I made a decision then, do I have to adjust that decision now?She felt the weight of the decision, like a tangible weight, making her knees tremble and every muscle screaming with exhaustion. "It's been a long journey," said Paul. "I can see you're tired. Let's retreat to my den behind the throne. You can sit there." He gestured to Stilgar, stood up. Stilgar and the Necromancer came to her, helped her up the steps, and followed Paul through the long, curtained corridor.Now she understood why he had met her in the hall: a trick for the guards and the Nebs.That is, he was afraid of them.And now--now he pretended to be friendly and kind, trying to play such a trick in front of Bee Geist.Is it really a trick?She noticed that there were other people behind her, so she turned her head and took a look.Alia followed.There was malice in the young woman's thoughtful eyes.The Holy Mother couldn't help shaking. The private room at the end of the corridor is a cube with a side length of 20 meters, and the suspension lights are lit with yellow lights.The fabric covering the walls is desert distillation tent fabric.The room had couches, cushions, and a faint smell of spices.On a low table stood a crystal pitcher.Compared with the grand hall outside, the house seemed small. Paul sat her down on a couch and stood before her, studying the old face—hard teeth, expressionless eyes, wrinkled skin.He pointed to the pitcher.She shook her head, a lock of gray hair falling down. Paul whispered, "For the life of my loved one, I want to make a deal with you." Stilgar cleared his throat. Alia played with the handle of the Screaming Blade in the scabbard around her neck. The undead stood at the door with an indifferent expression, metal eyes looking at the air above the Virgin's head. "Will my hand cause her death? Did you see that in the vision?" asked the Virgin.She looked at the undead carefully, and for some reason, she felt uneasy in her heart.Why did she feel that this undead was a threat to her?He is a tool of their conspiracy. "I know what you want from me," Paul said, avoiding her question. So, he's just skeptical.she thinks.The Virgin looked down at the toes of her shoes protruding from the corner of her robe.Black robes...black shoes...shoes and robes bear the marks of imprisonment: stains, wrinkles.She looked up to meet Paul's exasperated stare.She felt happy for a while, but immediately pursed her mouth and lowered her eyelids to hide her satisfaction. "What price are you going to ask?" she asked. "You can have my sperm, but not me," Paul said. "I will divorce Irulan and have artificial insemination..." "How dare you!" The Holy Mother suddenly became furious, with a straight face. Stilgar took half a step forward. The Necromancer smiled uncomfortably.Alia looked at him instead. "We don't need to discuss the taboos of sorority," Paul said, "and I don't want to hear about sins, abnormalities, or beliefs left over from the last jihad. You can use my sperm to carry out your plans, but Iru Lan's children are not allowed to sit on my throne." "Your throne." She sneered. "My throne." "Then who will give birth to the heir to the empire?" "Gani." "She is barren." "She has a baby." She was stunned and involuntarily gasped. "You're lying!" she said angrily. Paul made a stop gesture to Stilgar who was rushing forward. "We just found out two days ago that she was pregnant with my child." "Ke Rulan..." "It can only be done manually. That's the price I'm offering." Our Lady closed her eyes so as not to see his face.Damn it!Gene's dice were thrown just like that, so casually!Disgust and hatred roiled in her chest.The beliefs of the Bee Geist Sisterhood, the lessons of the Butland Jihad—all forbade it.Human beings must not be belittled by any behavior, no machine can be allowed to think like a human brain, and humans cannot be artificially reproduced like animals. "What do you say?" Paul said. She shook her head.Genes, the invaluable Atreides genes - that's all that matters.Needs far outweigh taboos.For the Sisterhood, mating is much more than the mixing of sperm and eggs; their purpose is to master the minds of humans. Our Lady now understood the depth of Paul's price tag.Such an act would spark the outrage of the crowd, and in case the story got out, he wanted to bring in the Bee Geist Sisterhood to appease the crowd.If the emperor did not recognize the father-son relationship formed by artificial insemination, they had no choice but to do so.What he gave them might enable the Sisterhood to keep the Atreides genes, but they would never be able to take the throne further. She glanced around the room, studying everyone's expressions: Stilgar waiting docilely; Paul managed to maintain an outward calm, hiding his inner anger. "The only condition you offered is this, and it cannot be changed?" she asked. "Just this." She glanced at the Necromancer just in time to see a sudden twitch in the muscles in his cheek.express some kind of emotion? "You, necromancer," she said, "is the price right? Should you take it? Use your Mentat brains to figure it out for us." Metal eyes turned to Paul. "You are free to answer," he said. The Necromancer turned his shimmering eyes toward the Mother, startling her with his smile. “The right price can only be negotiated if you can actually buy something,” he said. “But here, the two sides are offering life for life. This kind of transaction has exceeded the scope of the price.” Alia gently brushed a strand of copper-colored hair that fell on her forehead, and said, "Could it be that there is something else hidden behind this transaction?" Our Lady did not want to look at Alia, but her words unsettled her.Yes, there must be a deeper meaning.The sister was a monster, it was true, but it was undeniable that she was a true Madonna, all that the name Madonna implies.At this moment, Keith Helen Mohiam felt that she was no longer alone, but all the people gathered in her memory.In an instant, every Madonna she inhaled was alert.Alia must have been in the same situation. "Anything else?" asked the Necromancer. "It's just that people will ask why the witches of the Bi-Gist Sisterhood don't use Trealax's method." Keith Helen Mohiam trembled, as did all the other Mothers in her consciousness.Yes, what the Trealax have done is disgusting.But if human beings are ready to accept artificial insemination in spite of taboos, will they do the same thing as the Trealax people in the next step?Controlled genetic variation? Paul observed the expressions of the people around him, and suddenly felt that he no longer understood these people.All he saw were strangers, even Alia. Arya said, "Who knows what will happen if we let Atreides genes float in Bee Gist's river?" Keith Helen Mohiam turned her head abruptly and met Alia's gaze.For a moment, they were two Holy Mothers in communication, both with the same thought in their heads: what was behind the actions of the Trealax?This necromancer is the work of Trealax.Had he put their plans into Paul's head?Will Paul make a deal directly with Trey Lax? She looked away, feeling at a loss and powerless.She reminded herself that the flaw in Bee Geist's training was the powers it bestowed on its trainees: powers that tended to make people proud, and those who exercised them were gradually deluded by them into believing that they could overcome any obstacle... …including their own ignorance. There was only one thing that mattered to Bi Gist.she told herself.That is the genetic pyramid of countless generations, culminating in Paul Atreides... and his evil sister.In case the choice is wrong this time, the pyramid will have to be rebuilt... Another genetic chain that lacks many necessary qualities is selected, and the sample is reproduced from scratch. Controllable genetic mutation, she thought.Did the Trealax actually try?What a great temptation!She shook her head, best to get rid of that thought quickly. "You reject my offer?" Paul asked. "I'm thinking about it," she said. She looked at the sister again.For the Atreides woman, the best human being to breed with, to achieve the best genetic combination was dead... killed by Paul.Another possibility remains, however, that the best qualities can be passed on to the next generation as well.Paul even used animal breeding as a bargaining chip with the Bee Geist Sisterhood!How much is he prepared to pay for Jani's life?Will he accept mating with his sister? To gain time, Our Lady said: "Tell me, Holy King of all Saints, what does Irulan think of your proposal?" "No matter what you say, Irulan will do as you say." Paul shouted. This is true, Mohiam thought.She tightened her collar and offered a new chip: "There are two Atreides ready." Paul knew what was going on in the old hag's mind, he felt blood rushing to his face, "Be careful what you propose!" "You're just using Irulan for your own ends, aren't you?" she asked. "Isn't she trained to be used?" Paul asked. And we're the ones training her, that's what he meant, Mohiam thought.Well... Yirulan has become a hard currency that both parties can use.Is there any other way to spend this hard currency? "You want Chani's child to inherit the throne?" asked the Holy Mother. "Inherit my throne," Paul said.He glanced at Alia, suddenly wondering if she understood the possibilities this deal would open up.Alia stood there with her eyes closed, seemingly distant from those around her.What is she thinking?Seeing his sister like this, Paul felt abandoned and could only drift with the tide, while Alia stood on the shore, farther and farther away from him. The Holy Mother had an idea, and said: "This is a big matter, and I cannot make the decision alone. I must discuss it with the committee members on Wallach. Will you allow me to inform them of this information?" As if she really can't do anything without my permission!thought Paul. "I agree. But don't delay too long. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing and wait for you to discuss and discuss," he said. "Will you make a deal with Trealax?" The Necromancer interrupted suddenly. Alia's eyes widened suddenly, staring straight at the undead, as if she had just been awakened from a deep sleep by a dangerous intruder. "I don't intend to do that," Paul said. "What I want to do is go back to the desert as soon as possible. Our baby will be born in a desert cave." "A wise decision," Stilgara said in a drawn voice. Alia didn't want to look at Stilgar.This is a wrong decision.Every cell in her body felt it.Paul knew for sure, too.Why did he choose to embark on this path, abandoning other options? "Has there been any such indication from Trealax?" Alia asked.She found that Mohiam cared deeply about the answers to his questions. Paul shook his head, "No." He looked at Stilgar, "Stilgar, make arrangements to send the information to Wallach." "I'll do it right away, Your Majesty." Paul turned around, waited for Stilgar to call the guards, and led the old witch away.He sensed that Alia was wondering if she should ask him more questions.But she finally turned her head and looked at the undead. "Mentat," she said, "will the Trealax offer to help us to please my brother?" The Necromancer shrugged. Paul felt a little distracted.Trealax people?No... at least not in the way Alia imagined.But her question also showed that she didn't see any other options either.Yep... the precognitive visions seen by one Madonna are very likely to be different from another Madonna, and the same goes for brothers and sisters.Mind wandering... Mind wandering... My thoughts wandered, and I woke up suddenly from time to time, only then did I hear a few words around me. "...you must know what the Trealax people want..." "...requires sufficient data..." "...Be more cautious..." Paul looked back at his sister and met her eyes.He knew she would see the tears on his face and be disturbed.If you are uneasy, be uneasy. At this moment, the uneasiness of your loved ones is a kind of comfort.He glanced at the Necromancer.Despite those metal eyes, he saw only Duncan Idaho.Sorrow and pity clashed violently in Paul's heart.What do these metal eyes record? There are all kinds of vision, and there are all kinds of blind spots, Paul thought.He remembered a passage in the "O.C. Bible": "What kind of discernment do we lack so that we can't see another world that is close to us?" Did the metal eyes possess a power of discernment other than sight? Alia walked up to her brother, aware of his sadness.She touched the teardrops on his face lightly, showing the Fremen's awe of tears in her actions. "We don't have to grieve ahead of time before our loved ones leave us." "Before you leave us," Paul said softly, "tell me, little sister, what was before?"