Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

Post by Freakzilla »

I will not argue with the Fremen claims that they are divinely inspired to
transmit a religious revelation, it is their concurrent claim to ideological
revelation which inspires me to shower them with derision. Of course, they make
the dual claim in the hope that it will strengthen their mandarinate and help
them to endure in a universe which finds them increasingly oppressive. It is in
the name of all those oppressed people that I warn the Fremen: short-term
expediency always fails in the long term.

-The Preacher at Arrakeen

Leto has talked Stilgar into accompanying him on a sand crossing to The Attendant, a nearby rock outcropping adjacent to Seitch Tabr. Leto is frustrated by his inner lives, he feels like he is merely an extension of them, a window for them to peer through. This is what destroyed Alia. They watch the sunrise, the day makes Stilgar nervous. Leto is trouble by the way the lives in their empire are going. Leto considers risking the spice so he can use his prescience but Stilgar doesn't want him to be destroyed by it as Paul was. Leto tells Stilgar he has brought him here to see the place he may die. He's seen it in a vision but it may have only been a dream. He saw three paths, one would require him to kill Jessica in order to preserve the Atreides spice monopoly. In the second, he and Ghani breed to preserve the Atreides bloodline. Stilgar warns against that, according to Fremen Law, incest is punishable by hanging. In the third path he must bring down the deification of Paul. Leto warns Stilgar against Alia should he die. This pisses Stilgar off, he tells Leto to wait until he's of age. Leto tells him he's the oldest person around. He insists the empire needs good government. Leto says his problem is that to be a good Fremen leader he must be rooted in the past, but his past goes back to ancient times. To live in the past is to risk destruction. Leto orders Stilgar to take Ghani and flee from Seitch Tabr if he should die in the desert. He reminds Stilgar of the time he and Paul met up with Gurney at Habbanya Ridge and Gurney berated Paul because he was more concerned about loosing the spice harvester than the men. He ask Stilgar to save lives. If he should die, Ghani will be the only hope for the Atreides. On the way down Leto comments on how beautifull the young women are this year.
They were destroyed because they lied pretentiously. Have no fear that my wrath
will fall upon you because of your innocent mistakes.

~Leto II, God Emperor
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