Дюна
Book Three: The Prophet
ShehadquotedaBeneGesseritproverbtohim:“Whenreligionandpoliticstravelinthesamecart,theridersbelievenothingcanstandintheirway.Theirmovementbecomeheadlong—fasterandfasterandfaster.Theyputasideallthoughtofobstaclesandforgetthataprecipicedoesnotshowitselftothemaninablindrushuntilit’stoolate.”
Paulrecalledthathehadsatthereinhismother’squarters,intheinnerchambershroudedbydarkhangingswiththeirsurfacescoveredbywovenpatternsoutofFremenmythology.Hehadsatthere,hearingherout,notingthewayshewasalwaysobserving—evenwhenhereyeswerelowered.Herovalfacehadnewlinesinitatthecornersofthemouth,butthehairwasstilllikepolishedbronze.Thewide-setgreeneyes,though,hidbeneaththeirovercastingofspice-imbuedblue.
“TheFremenhaveasimple,practicalreligion,”hesaid.
“Nothingaboutreligionissimple,”shewarned.
ButPaul,seeingthecloudedfuturethatstillhungoverthem,foundhimselfswayedbyanger.Hecouldonlysay:“Religionunifiesourforces.It’sourmystique.”
“Youdeliberatelycultivatethisair,thisbravura,”shecharged.“Youneverceaseindoctrinating.”
“Thusyouyourselftaughtme,”hesaid.
Butshehadbeenfullofcontentionsandargumentsthatday.IthadbeenthedayofthecircumcisionceremonyforlittleLeto.Paulhadunderstoodsomeofthereasonsforherupset.Shehadneveracceptedhisliaison—the“marriageofyouth”—withChani.
