Chapter 16
Posted: 12 Feb 2008 21:33
No matter how exotic human civilization becomes, no matter the developments of
life and society nor the complexity of the machine / human interface, there
always come interludes of lonely power when the course of humankind, the very
future of humankind, depends upon the relatively simple actions of single
individuals.
-from The Tlielaxu Godbuk
Paul is headed on foot to Otheym's house, alone, wearing a stilsuit and an unactivated shield. Security on foot and in ornithopters watch. He remembers his parting with Chani and he wishes he didn't know what was about to happen. He walks through the Qizarate office building and thinks of the new type of converted civil servant who uses melange because it's a status symbol and served the gods of routine and records. He stops in the square in front of Alia's temple for the evening rite and is pressed into the crowd. He thinks what a long way he's come since boyhood in Castle Caladan and what step it was that had set him on this course. As Alia's service begins he meets his Fremen guide. Acolytes sing and Alia comes out and changes the Water of Life. Alia says some profound things and answers some questions from the crowd. After the performance Paul lets himself be led through the streets on a track already laid out in his prescient visions. He believes Alia has seen Paul's future but did not cry out against it because she also saw the alternatives.
life and society nor the complexity of the machine / human interface, there
always come interludes of lonely power when the course of humankind, the very
future of humankind, depends upon the relatively simple actions of single
individuals.
-from The Tlielaxu Godbuk
Paul is headed on foot to Otheym's house, alone, wearing a stilsuit and an unactivated shield. Security on foot and in ornithopters watch. He remembers his parting with Chani and he wishes he didn't know what was about to happen. He walks through the Qizarate office building and thinks of the new type of converted civil servant who uses melange because it's a status symbol and served the gods of routine and records. He stops in the square in front of Alia's temple for the evening rite and is pressed into the crowd. He thinks what a long way he's come since boyhood in Castle Caladan and what step it was that had set him on this course. As Alia's service begins he meets his Fremen guide. Acolytes sing and Alia comes out and changes the Water of Life. Alia says some profound things and answers some questions from the crowd. After the performance Paul lets himself be led through the streets on a track already laid out in his prescient visions. He believes Alia has seen Paul's future but did not cry out against it because she also saw the alternatives.