God Emporer of Dune by Frank Herbert

without the need of either response.

If I sent her out to collect the stars, she would go and she would attempt it. She thinks I am testing her again. I do believe she could anger me.

“This damnable religion should end with me!” Leto shouted. “Why should I want to loose a religion upon my people? Religions wreck from within-Empires and individuals alike! It’s all the same.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Religions create radicals and fanatics like you!”

“Thank You, Lord.”

The short-lived pseudo-rage sank back out of sight into the depths of his memories. Nothing dented the hard surface of Nayla’s faith.

“Topri has reported to me through Moneo,” Leto said. “Tell me about this Topri.”

“Topri is a worm.”

“Isn’t that what you call me when you’re among the rebels?”

“I obey my Lord in everything.”

Touchй!

“Topri is not worth cultivating then?” Leto asked.

“Siona assessed him correctly. He is clumsy. He says things which others will repeat, thus exposing his hand in the matter. Within seconds after Kobat began to speak, she had confirmation that Topri was a spy.”

Everyone agrees, even Moneo, Leto thought. Topri is not a good spy.

The agreement amused Leto. The petty machinations muddied water which remained completely transparent to him. The performers, however, still suited his designs.

“Siona does not suspect you?” Leto asked.

“I am not clumsy.”

“Do you know why I summoned you?”

“To test my faith.”

Ahhh, Nayla. How little you know of testing.

“I want your assessment of Siona. I want to see it on your face and see it in your movements and hear it in your voice.” Leto said. “Is she ready?”

“The Fish Speakers need that one, Lord. Why do You risk losing her?”

“Forcing the issue is the surest way of losing what I treasure most in her,” Leto said. “She must come to me with all of her strengths intact.”

Nayla lowered her gaze. “As my Lord commands.” Leto recognized the response. It was a Nayla reaction to whatever she failed to understand. “Will she survive the test, Nayla?” “As my Lord describes the test. . .” Nayla lifted her gaze to Leto’s face, shrugged. “I do not know, Lord. Certainly, she is strong. She was the only one to survive the wolves. But she is ruled by hate.” “Quite naturally. Tell me, Nayla, what will she do with the things she stole from me?” “Did Topri not inform you about the books which they say contain Your Sacred Words?” Odd how she can capitalize words only with her voice, Leto thought. He spoke curtly. “Yes, yes. The Ixians have a copy and soon the Guild and Sisterhood as well will be hard at work on them.” “What are those books, Lord?” “They are my words for my people. I want them to be read. What I want to know is what Siona has said about the Citadel charts she took.” “She says there is a great hoard of melange beneath Your Citadel, Lord, and the charts will reveal it.” “The charts will not reveal it. Will she tunnel?” “She seeks Ixian tools for that.” “Ix will not provide them.” “Is there such a hoard of spice, Lord?” “Yes.”

“There is a story about how Your hoard is defended, Lord. That Arrakis itself would be destroyed if anyone tried to steal Your melange. Is it true?” “Yes. And that would shatter the Empire. Nothing would survive-not Guild or Sisterhood, not Ix or Tleilaxu, not even the Fish Speakers.” She shuddered, then: “I will not let Siona try to get Your spice.” “Nayla! I commanded you to obey Siona in everything. Is this how you serve me?” “Lord?” She stood in fear of his anger, closer to a loss of faith than he had ever seen her. It was the crisis he had created, knowing how it must end. Slowly, Nayla relaxed. He could see the shape of her thought as though she had laid it out for him in illuminated words. The ultimate test!

“You will return to Siona and guard her life with your own,” Leto said. “That is the task I set for you and that you accepted. It is why you were chosen. It is why you carry a blade from Stilgar’s household.” Her right hand went to the crysknife concealed beneath her robe. How sure it is, Leto thought, that a weapon can lock a person into a predictable pattern of behavior. He stared with fascination at Nayla’s rigid body. Her eyes were empty of everything except adoration. The ultimate rhetorical despotism . . . and I despise it! “Go then!” he barked. Nayla turned and fled the Holy Presence. Is it worth this? Leto wondered. But Nayla had told him what he needed to know. Nayla had renewed her faith and revealed with accuracy the thing which Leto could not find in Siona’s fading image. Nayla’s instincts were to be trusted. Siona has reached that explosive moment which I require.

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