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Moneo focused on the three Fish Speakers who stood just ahead of him on the bridge。 They lifted their arms high and began to dance； whirling and skipping away from him only a few paces distant。
How odd； he thought。 I've seen the other people dance in the open； but never Fish Speakers。 They only dance in the privacy of their quarters； in the intimacy of their own pany。
This thought was still in his mind when he heard the first awful humming of the lasgun and felt the bridge lurch beneath him。
This is not happening； his mind told him。
He heard the Royal Cart scrape sideways across the roadbed； then the snap…slap of the cart's cover slamming open。 A bedlam of screams and cries arose from behind him； but he could not turn。 The bridge's roadbed had tipped steeply to Moneo's right； spilling him onto his face while he went sliding toward the abyss。 He clutched a severed strand of cable to stop himself。 The cable went with him； everything grating in the spilling film of sand which had covered the roadbed。 He clutched the cable with both hands； turning with it。 He saw the Royal Cart then。 It skewed sideways toward the edge of the bridge； its cover open。 Hwi stood there； one hand steadying her on the folding seat while she stared past Moneo。
A horrible screaming of metal filled the air as the roadbed tipped even farther。 He saw people from the cortege falling； their mouths open； arms waving。 Something had caught Moneo's cable。 His arms were stretched out over his head as he turned once more； twisting。 He felt his hands； greased by the perspiration of fear； slipping along the cable。
Once more； his gaze came around to the Royal Cart。 It lay jammed against the stubs of broken girders。 Even as Moneo looked； the God Emperor's futile hands groped for Hwi Noree； but failed to reach her。 She fell from the cart's open end； silently； the golden gown whipping upward to reveal her body stretched out as straight as an arrow。
A deep； rumbling groan came from the God Emperor。
Why doesn't he activate the suspensors？ Moneo wondered。 The suspensors will support him。
But the lasgun was still humming and； as Moneo's hands slipped from the cable's severed end； he saw lancing flame strike the cart's suspensor bubbles； piercing one after another in eruptions of golden smoke。 Moneo stretched his hands over his head as he fell。
The smoke！ The golden smoke！
His robe whipped upward； turning him until his face was directed downward into the abyss。 With his gaze on the depths； he recognized a maelstrom of boiling rapids there； the mirror of his life…precipitous currents and plunges； all movement gathering up all substance。 Leto's words wound through his mind on a path of golden smoke： 〃Caution is the path to mediocrity。 Gliding； passionless mediocrity is all that most people think they can achieve。〃 Moneo fell freely then in the ecstasy of awareness。 The universe opened for him like clear glass； everything flowing in a no Time。
The golden smoke！
〃Leto！〃 he screamed。 〃Siaynoq！ I believe！〃
The robe tore away from his shoulders then。 He turned in the wind of the canyon…one last glimpse of the Royal Cart tipping。。。tipping from the shattered roadbed。 The God Emperor slid out of the open end。
Something solid smashed into Moneo's back…his last sensation。
Leto felt himself sliding from the cart。 His awareness held only the image of Hwi striking the river…the distant pearly fountain which marked her plunge into the myths and dreams of termination。 Her last words； calm and steady； rolled through all of his memories： 〃I shall go on ahead； Love。〃
As… he slipped from the cart； he saw the scimitar arc of the river； a sliver…edged thing which shimmered in its mottled shadows； a vicious blade of a river honed through Eternity and ready now to receive him into its agony。
I cannot cry； nor even shout； he thought。 Tears are no longer possible。 They're water。 I'll have water enough in a moment。 I can only moan in my grief。 I am alone； more alone than ever before。
His great ridged body flexed as it fell； twisting him about until his amplified vision revealed Siona standing at the broken brink of the bridge。
Now； you will learn！ he thought。
The body continued to turn。 He watched the river approach。 The water was a dream inhabited by glimpses of fish which ignited an ancient memory of a banquet beside a granite pool… pink flesh dazzling his hungers。
I join you； Hwi； in the banquet of the gods！
A bursting flash of bubbles enclosed him in agony。 Water； vicious currents of it； buffeted him all around。 He felt the gnashing of rocks as he struggled upward to broach in a torrential cascade； his body flexing in a paroxysm of involuntary； writhing splashes。 The canyon Wall； wet and black； sped past his frantic gaze。 Shattered spangles of what had been his skin exploded away from him； a rain of silver all around him darting away into the river； a ring of dazzling movement； brittle sequins…the scale…glitter of sandtrout leaving him to begin their own colony lives。
The agony continued。 Leto marveled that he could remain conscious； that he had a body to feel。
Instinct drove him。 He clutched at a rock around which the torrent spilled him； felt a clutching finger torn from his hand before he could release his grip。 The sensation of it was only a minor accent in the symphony of pain。
The river's course swept to the left around a chasm buttress and； as though saying it had enough of him； it sent him rolling onto the sloping edge of a sandbar。 He lay there a moment； the blue dye of spice…essence drifting away from him in the current。 The agony moved him； the worm body moving of itself； retreating from the water。 All the covering sandtrout were gone and he felt every touch more immediate； a lost sense restored when all it could bring him was pain。 He could not see his body； but he felt the thing that would have been a worm as it made its writhing； crawling progress out of the water。 He peered upward through eyes that saw everything in sheets of flame from which shapes coalesced of their own accord。 At last； he recognized this place。 The river had swept him to the turn where it left the Sareer forever。 Behind him lay Tuono and； just a ways down the barrier Wall； was all that remained of Sietch Tabr…Stilgar's realm； the place where all of Leto's spice had been concealed。
Exhuding blue fumes； his agonized body writhed its way noisily along a shingle of beach； dragged its blue…dyed way across broken boulders and into a damp hole which might have been part of the original sietch。 It was only a shallow cave now； blocked at its inner end by a rock fall。 His nostrils reported the wet dirt smell and clean spice essence。
Sounds intruded on his agony。 He turned in the confinement of the cave and saw a rope dangling at the entrance。 A figure slid down the rope。 He recognized Nayla。 She dropped to the rocks and crouched there； staring into the shadows at him。 The flame which was Leto's vision parted to reveal another figure dropping from the rope： Siona。 She and Nayla scrambled toward him in a rattle of rocks and stopped； peering in at him。 A third figure dropped off the rope： Idaho。 He moved with frantic rage； hurling himself at Nayla； screaming：
〃Why did you kill her！ You weren't supposed to kill Hwi！〃
Nayla sent him sprawling with a casual； almost indifferent sweep of her left arm。 She scrambled closer up the rocks and stopped on all fours to peer in at Leto。
〃Lord？ You live？〃
Idaho was right behind her； snatching the lasgun from her holster。 Nayla turned； astonished； as he leveled the weapon and pulled its trigger。 The burning started at the top of Nayla's head。 It split her； the pieces slumping apart。 A shining crysknife spilled from her burning uniform and shattered on the rocks。 Idaho did not see it。 A grimace of rage on his face； he kept burning and burning the pieces of Nayla until the weapon's charge was gone。 The blazing arc vanished。 Only wet and smoking bits of meat and cloth lay scattered among the glowing rocks。
It was the moment for which Siona had waited。 She scrambled up to him and pulled the useless lasgun from Idaho's hands。 He whirled toward her and she poised herself…to subdue him； but all the rage was gone。
〃Why？〃 he whispered。
〃It's done；〃 she said。
They turned and looked into the cave shadows at Leto。
Leto could not even imagine what they saw。 The sandtrout skin was gone； he knew。 There would be some kind of surface pocked with cilia holes from the departed skin。 As for the rest； he could only look back at the two figures from a universe furrowed by sorrow。 Through the vision flames he saw Siona as a female demon。 The demon name came unbidden to his minds and he spoke it aloud； amplified by the cave and much louder than he had expected：
〃Hanmya！〃
〃What？〃 She moved a step closer to him。
Idaho put both harass over his face。
〃Look at what you've done to poor Duncan；〃 Leto said。
〃He'll find other loves。〃 How callous she sounded； an echo of his own angry youth。
〃You don't know what it is to love；〃 he said。 〃What have you ever given？〃 He could only wring his hands then those travesties which once had been his hands。 〃Gods below！ What I've given！〃
She sled closer and reached toward him； then drew back。
〃I am reality； Siona。 Look upon me。 I exist。 You can touch me if you dare。 Reach out your hand。 Do it！〃
Slowly； she reached toward what had been his front segment； the place where she had slept in the Sareer。 Her hand was touched with blue when she withdrew it。
〃You have touched me and felt my body；〃 he said。 〃Is that not strange beyond any other thing in this universe？〃
She started to turn away。
〃No！ Don't turn away from me！ Look at what you have wrought； Siona。 How is it that you can touch me but you cannot touch yourself？〃
She whirled away from him。
〃There is the difference between us；〃 he said。 〃You are God embodied。 You walk around within the greatest miracle of this universe； yet you refuse to touch or see or feel or believe in it。〃
Leto's awareness went wandering then into a night…encircled place； a place where he thought he could hear the metal insect song of his hidden printers clacking away in their lightless room。 There was a plete absence of radiation in this place； an Ixian no…thing which made it a place of anxiety and spiritual alienation because it had no connection with the rest of the universe。
But it will have a connection。
He sensed then that his Ixian printers had been set in motion； that they were recording his thoughts without any special mand。
Remember what I did！ Remember me！ I will be innocent again！
The flame of his vision parted to reveal Idaho standing where Siona had stood。 There was gesturing motion somewhere out of focus behind Idaho。。。ah； yes： Siona waving instructions to someone atop the barrier Wall。
〃Are you still alive？〃 Idaho asked。
Leto's voice came in wheezing gasps： 〃Let them scatter； Duncan。 Let them run and hide anywhere they want in any universe they choose。〃
〃Damn you！ What're you saying？ I'd have sooner let her live with you！〃
〃Let？ I did not let anything。〃
〃Why did you let Hwi die？〃 Idaho moaned。 〃We didn't know she was in there with you。〃
Idaho's head sagged forward。
〃You will be repensed；〃 Leto husked。 〃My Fish Speakers will choose you over Siona。 Be kind to her； Duncan。 She is more than Atreides and she carries the seed of your survival。〃
Leto sank back into his memories。 They were delicate myths now； held fleetingly in his awareness。 He sensed that he might have fallen into a time which； by its very being； had changed the past。 There were sounds； though； and he struggled to interpret them。 Someone scrambling on rocks？ The flames parted to reveal Siona standing beside Idaho。 They stood hand…in…hand like two children reassuring each other before venturing into an unknown place。
〃How can he live like that？〃 Siona whispered。
Leto waited for the strength to respond。 〃Hwi helps me；〃 he said。 〃We had something few experience。 We were joined in our strengths rather than in our weaknesses。〃
〃And look what it got you！〃 Siona sneered。
〃Yes； and pray that you get the same；〃 he husked。 〃Perhaps the spice will give you time。〃
〃Where is your spice？〃 she demanded。
〃Deep in Sietch Tabr