Paul raised his voice: "Observe her, comrades! This is a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, patient in a patient cause. She could wait with her sisters --
ninety generations for the proper combination of genes and environment to produce the one person their schemes required. Observe her! She knows now that the ninety generations have produced that person. Here I stand . . . but . . . I
. . . will . . . never . . . do . . . her . . . bidding!"
"Jessica!" the old woman screamed. "Silence him!"
"Silence him yourself," Jessica said.
Paul glared at the old woman. "For your part in all this I could gladly have you strangled," he said. "You couldn't prevent it!" he snapped as she stiffened in rage. "But I think it better punishment that you live out your years never able to touch me or bend me to a single thing your scheming desires."
"Jessica, what have you done?" the old woman demanded.
"I'll give you only one thing," Paul said. "You saw part of what the race needs, but how poorly you saw it. You think to control human breeding and intermix a select few according to your master plan! How little you understand of what --"
"You mustn't speak of these things!" the old woman hissed.
"Silence!" Paul roared. The word seemed to take substance as it twisted through the air between them under Paul's control.
The old woman reeled back into the arms of those behind her, face blank with shock at the power with which he had seized her psyche. "Jessica, "she whispered. "Jessica."
"I remember your gom jabbar," Paul said. "You remember mine. I can kill you with a word."
The Fremen around the ball glanced knowingly at each other. Did the legend not say: "And his word shall carry death eternal to those who stand against righteousness."
Paul turned his attention to the tall Princess Royal standing beside her Emperor father. Keeping his eyes focused on her, he said: "Majesty, we both know the way out of our difficulty."
The Emperor glanced at his daughter, back to Paul. "You dare? You! An adventurer without family, a nobody from --"
"You've already admitted who I am," Paul said. "Royal kinsman, you said.
Let's stop this nonsense."
"I am your ruler," the Emperor said.
Paul glanced at the Guildsmen standing now at the communications equipment and facing him. One of them nodded.
"I could force it," Paul said.
"You will not dare!" the Emperor grated.
Paul merely stared at him.
The Princess Royal put a hand on her father's arm. "Father," she said, and her voice was silky soft, soothing.
"Don't try your tricks on me," the Emperor said. He looked at her. "You don't need to do this, Daughter. We've other resources that --"
"But here's a man fit to be your son," she said.
The old Reverend Mother, her composure regained, forced her way to the Emperor's side, leaned close to his ear and whispered.
"She pleads your case," Jessica said.
Paul continued to look at the golden-haired Princess. Aside to his mother, he said: "That's Irulan, the oldest, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Chani moved up on Paul's other side, said: "Do you wish me to leave, Muad'Dib?"
He glanced at her. "Leave? You'll never again leave my side."
"There's nothing binding between us," Chani said.
Paul looked down at her for a silent moment, then: "Speak only truth with me, my Sihaya." As she started to reply, he silenced her with a finger to her lips. "That which binds us cannot be loosed," he said. "Now, watch these matters closely for I wish to see this room later through your wisdom."
The Emperor and his Truthsayer were carrying on a heated, low-voiced argument.
Paul spoke to his mother: "She reminds him that it's part of their agreement to place a Bene Gesserit on the throne, and Irulan is the one they've groomed for it."
"Was that their plan?" Jessica said.
"Isn't it obvious?" Paul asked.
"I see the signs!" Jessica snapped. "My question was meant to remind you that you should not try to teach me those matters in which I instructed you."
Paul glanced at her, caught a cold smile on her lips.
Gurney Halleck leaned between them, said: "I remind you, m'Lord, that there's a Harkonnen in that bunch." He nodded toward the dark-haired Feyd-Rautha pressed against a barrier lance on the left. "The one with the squinting eyes there on the left. As evil a face as I ever say. You promised me once that --"
