Chapter 34

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Chapter 34

Post by Freakzilla »

God created Arrakis to train the faithful.
-from "The Wisdom of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan

Jessica is awakend by the begining of Jamis' funeral rite. Paul and Chani tell her that Paul has to witness the ceremony and give permission for the water to be weighed. The flesh belongs to the person but the water belongs to the tribe, except in the combat. The water of the loser belongs to the winner to replace what is lost fighting in the open without a stilsuit. But Paul doesn't want it, Jessica tells him he will accept it. Stilgar calls for the friends of Jamis, Paul goes, Chani and Jessica sit apart. Stilgar takes his robe, and for Jamis' woman and the guards Stilgar takes some rocks and a book, leader's right. Stilgar takes Jamis' marker for his coffee service to be given to Usul in a proper ceremony. He also takes Jamis' broken crysknife, for the Funeral Plain. Each person says something good about Jamis, then takes one of his belongings. Paul takes the baliset and says he was a friend of Jamis, Jamis taught him that when you kill, you pay for it. Tears come to Paul's eyes and the Fremen are astonished saying he gives moisture to the dead and touch his cheek. This impresses the value of water on Paul more than anything else. They say a prayer then Chani counts out the water rings for him. Chani tells him she will show him how to tie them into a kerchief to keep them from rattling and giving them away. Paul asks her if she will hold them for him. she smiles and looks at Stilgar who tells her he doesn't yet know their ways, he asks her to hold them for him without commitment until she shows him how. They take the water through a secret passage down to a catchbasin. Paul recognizes the place from his visions, on this path lies the Jihad and he can feel the race consciousness. He doesn't want it to happen but he senses that nothing short of the death of everyone here could stop it. Stilgar tells Jessica that they have thousands of such caches. They have calculated to within a million decaliters how much they need, when they have it they will change the face of Arrakis. Jessica senses Kynes' hand in this, a people with a fanatical goal are just what Paul needs, he can weild them like a sword to win his place back. Paul feels as though he's missed an essential decision here and he's now caught in his own myth, still the Jihad looms ahead. After they leave the catchbasin, Paul plays one of Gurney's songs for the troop. It's a love song for Chani and Jessica wonders why he plays it for her. Paul can't help but think of his mother as his enemy.
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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