"Silence!" the Emperor roared. He pushed himself forward on his throne. "Do not abuse my intelligence any longer. You stand there in your foolish innocence and --"
"Majesty," the old Truthsayer said.
He waved her to silence. "You say you don't know about the activity we found, nor the fighting qualities of these superb people!" The Emperor lifted himself half off his throne. "What do you take me for, Baron?"
The Baron took two backward steps, thinking: It was Rabban. He has done this to me. Rabban has . . .
"And this fake dispute with Duke Leto," the Emperor purred, sinking back into his throne. "How beautifully you maneuvered it."
"Majesty," the Baron pleaded. "What are you --"
"Silence!"
The old Bene Gesserit put a hand on the Emperor's shoulder, leaned close to whisper in his ear.
The child seated on the dais stopped kicking her feet, said: "Make him afraid some more, Shaddam. I shouldn't enjoy this, but I find the pleasure impossible to suppress."
"Quiet, child," the Emperor said. He leaned forward, put a hand on her head, stared at the Baron. "Is it possible, Baron? Could you be as simpleminded as my Truthsayer suggests? Do you not recognize this child, daughter of your ally, Duke Leto?"
"My father was never his ally," the child said. "My father is dead and this old Harkonnen beast has never seen me before."
The Baron was reduced to stupefied glaring. When he found his voice it was only to rasp: "Who?"
"I am Alia, daughter of Duke Leto and the Lady Jessica, sister of Duke Paul-Muad'Dib," the child said. She pushed herself off the dais, dropped to the floor of the audience chamber. "My brother has promised to have your head atop his battle standard and I think he shall."
"Be hush, child," the Emperor said, and he sank back into his throne, hand to chin, studying the Baron.
"I do not take the Emperor's orders," Alia said. She turned, looked up at the old Reverend Mother. "She knows."
The Emperor glanced up at his Truthsayer. "What does she mean?"
"That child is an abomination!" the old woman said. "Her mother deserves a punishment greater than anything in history. Death! It cannot come too quickly for that child or for the one who spawned her!" The old woman pointed a finger at Alia. "Get out of my mind!"
"T-P?" the Emperor whispered. He snapped his attention back to Alia. "By the Great Mother!"
"You don't understand. Majesty," the old woman said. "Not telepathy. She's in my mind. She's like the ones before me, the ones who gave me their memories.
She stands in my mind! She cannot be there, but she is!"
"What others?" the Emperor demanded. "What's this nonsense?"
The old woman straightened, lowered her pointing hand. "I've said too much, but the fact remains that this child who is not a child must be destroyed. Long were we warned against such a one and how to prevent such a birth, but one of our own has betrayed us."
"You babble, old woman," Alia said. "You don't know how it was, yet you rattle on like a purblind fool." Alia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and held it.
The old Reverend Mother groaned and staggered.
Alia opened her eyes. "That is how it was," she said. "A cosmic accident . .
. and you played your part in it."
The Reverend Mother held out both hands, palms pushing the air toward Alia.
"What is happening here?" the Emperor demanded. "Child, can you truly project your thoughts into the mind of another?"
"That's not how it is at all," Alia said. "Unless I'm born as you, I cannot think as you."
"Kill her," the old woman muttered, and clutched the back of the throne for support. "Kill her!" The sunken old eyes glared at Alia.
"Silence," the Emperor said, and he studied Alia. "Child, can you communicate with your brother?"
"My brother knows I'm here," Alia said.
"Can you tell him to surrender as the price of your life?"
Alia smiled up at him with clear innocence. "I shall not do that," she said.
The Baron stumbled forward to stand beside Alia. "Majesty," he pleaded, "I knew nothing of --"
"Interrupt me once more, Baron," the Emperor said, "and you will lose the powers of interruption . . . forever." He kept his attention focused on Alia, studying her through slitted lids. "You will not, eh? Can you read in my mind what I'll do if you disobey me?"
"I've already said I cannot read minds," she said, "but one doesn't need telepathy to read your intentions."
The Emperor scowled. "Child, your cause is hopeless. I have but to rally my forces and reduce this planet to --"
"It's not that simple," Alia said. She looked at the two Guildsmen. "Ask them."
"It is not wise to go against my desires," the Emperor said. "You should not deny me the least thing."
