His Servant (Dune)

|NINETEEN|

LISAN AL GAIB:

Paul walked slowly towards the woman, not as though he was afraid but as though he could sense her thoughts.

"You are not allowed in here."

She spoke in fremen, her words clear and direct yet shadowed with meaning.

"You should be welcoming my coming." Paul whispered.

The woman stood eyes wide. She held a glass up to Paul, it was filled with blue liquid that shimmered in the gold light cast by the room.

"If you drink, you will die. If you drink you will see."

Paul looked at his mother, she nodded then left. He turned back to the woman and took a sip.

Lights flashed in his vision, Voices whispered softly like a steady breeze.

Through the haze a finger touched the lips of muad'dib.

"Paul."

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I was shuffled into a huge area with holes in the ceiling where light filtered in. There were millions of fremen all kneeling around a circle in the middle.

The Reverend mother lead me to and area where the Other seiche mothers sat. "What is happening?" I whispered in her ear.

"Silence, it is beginning."

Paul Atreides walked to the circle eyes shadowy and dark. A man mumbled to Paul saying only tribe leaders could speak, The leader of his seitch, stood up offering his life.

The Reverend mother stared impassively at the commotion not blinking. Suddenly I heard a yell eco all around the cavern.

"I'M POINTING THE WAY."

The yell was in fremen, speaking from the heart.  The Reverend mother whispered not to me but as if she were willing Paul to do her bidding. "Slow down."

"THERE IS NO ONE IN THIS ROOM WHO CAN STAND AGAINST ME."

The whispered mumbles turned to angry shouts, the fremen stood up knifes at the ready. A shiver rippled through the room as everyone braced themselves.

"YOUR MOTHERS WARNED YOU ABOUT MY COMING, FEAR THE MOMENT."

Paul stopped to look at a man, he walked towards him slowly face blank. He crouched down and whispered.

"But you think you could have a chance?"

He spoke in English this time. Face like his mothers, impassive.

"But your afraid."

He Spoke in fremen switching back and forth.

"What if I, could be the one? This child be the moment you've been praying for all your life."

Paul stood and spoke directly to the fremen man.

"Your praying now to your grandmother. She died nine moons ago."

I heard a sharp intake of breath from lady jessica.

"She lost an eye, a rock smashed her face as she was crossing the belt. She was twelve when it happened."

"At that time this world had a Fremen name-"

"Dune..."

The man's eyes widened, he opened his mouth In shock.

"Lisan-Al-Gaib!"

Bowing down to Paul the cave filled with suddenly kneeling fremen. Lady Jessica raised her head then lowered it as a sign of respect.

Paul turned back and pointed at a fremen man just outside the circle.

"IN YOUR NIGHTMARES YOU GIVE WATER TO THE DEAD AS IT BRINGS JOY TO YOUR HEART."

"Mahdi!"

The man bowed down praising the
lisan-al-gaib.

Stilgar, the seitch leader spoke in a cracked voice.

"Mahdi, what do you foresee for us?"

"Green paradise." Paul said.

"Lisan-al-gaib" stilgar said falling to his knees. "Show us the way!"

Pulling something from a pocket, Muad'dib held a ring in the air.

"This was my fathers ducal signet."

A small tear fell from lady Jessica's eyes as Paul put the ring on.

"I AM PAUL MUAD'DIB ATREIDES, DUKE OF ARRAKIS. THE HAND OF GOF BE MY WITNESS. I AM THE VOICE FROM THE OUTER WORLD, I WILL LEAD YOU TO PARADISE!"

Cheers echoed throughout the cave as everyone started screaming lisan-al-gaib. Raising their crysknifes in the air lady Jessica turned to me.

"We still have much to do."

She started muttering words to herself eyes staring down at her feet.

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing! Only I will remain..."