Chapter 37

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Chapter 37

Post by Freakzilla »

The hands move, the lips move --
Ideas gush from his words,
And his eyes devour!
He is an island of Selfdom.

-description from "A Manual of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan

Jessica is brought onto the ledge above the great hall in Sietch Tabr as more than twenty thousand Fremen gather below to witness her risk her life. She thinks she must do this in order to secure their place among the Fremen, even though she may not survive. She worries about her unborn daughter. Paul arrives and asks what's going on. Chani arrives then followed by four more women carrying another woman on a litter. Stilgar announces to the crowd that tonight they will leave and head South into the desert. The old Reverend Mother has told him she will not survive another hajra and Jessica has consented to pass within so that the tribe will not be without a Reverend Mother in such a difficult time. Chani is consecrated as sayyadina. Watermasters come forward through the crowd and deposit skins full of liquid on the ledge. Chani blesses the water, and administers it to Jessica. She realizes it's a drug and time stands still for her. She looks within and sees the black place where she knows she cannot go, the place only the Kwisatz Haderach may enter. She searches out the danger of the drug within her, recognizes it's chemical composition then begins to change it into something that won't harm her. This acts as a catalyst and spreads, time resumes normal speed. Chani collects a drop of moisture with the skin's spout to act as catalys for the rest of the poison drug water. They sit her down and the Old Reverend Mother Ramollo sits beside her and touches her, they share a mutual awareness. Ramallo realizes Jessica is pregnant and warns that this will change them both. She warns her to be strong and to be glad it's a daughter, this would have killed a male fetus. The fetus radiates terror and Jessica calms it wiht pure emotions of love, comfort and protection. Ramallo warns that she must give to her and the daughter might not remain sane. She then pours the experiences of her life into Jessicas awareness while dying. Jessica realizes after it's done that she is now a Reverend Mother. Jessica blesses the changed water and the Fremen have their orgy. The memory of the old Reverend Mother then opens up to her revealing all the Reverend mothers of the Fremen past. She sees how the drug, the Water of Life is made, a small worm is drowned and it's dying breath collected. Paul brings her back to reality asking if it's allright for him to drink, she says yes and looks at Stilgar. He says that now they know she cannot be false. She passes out and Chani makes Paul drink. The croud chants Lisan-al-gaib and Muad-dib, he senses wildness in their voices. Paul and Chani go off together and the drug works on Paul. He sees this time as a pause between period of great violence. They promise themselves to each other.

This is the end of Book II.
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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