Commander of Dune

Chapter 10

Never fear the event.
Horatio, Lord Nelson – Warrior (1801)

Arista had received the report of Alexi’s failure to bring her son to Shakira.  There would be no repeat with her.  She sent for her son and together they headed for the Chambers of the tester.  There would be no resistance to this summons. 

 
~*~*~*~*~

 
Dax followed.

 
As he followed he thought to himself, Who carries the greater weight in my life? Arista my Mother? Or Arista the Empress? He gave a mental shrug. Which ever it was it really didn’t matter for he obeyed – to the best of his ability.  Even to leaving his brother behind.  Amasso’s trail was nearing the end and yet mother has summoned me.

 
Still he followed.

 
They entered the Chamber of a Reverend Mother.

 
“Dax.” Arista said.  He turned to face his mother. “This is the Reverend Mother Shakira… Do as she asks.”  On that note she turned walked out, but paused at the door. “Dax…” he turned to look at her, “It’s important.” Then she left.

 
Dax refocused on the woman and waited.

She in turned eyed him from head to toe.  “Come.”

 
He remained where he was.  She used the voice on him. “Come here.”

Eventually he moved.  I really need to work on my resistance to The Voice. He thought as he moved forward and found himself before the woman.

 
“You are about to test me?” He asked calmly.

 
“What do you know of it?” She covered her surprise.

 
“That you use it to separate humans from animals; that you tested Paul Atreides. That then as now you hardly ever test males.”

 
“You know much.” She replied.

 
“I know much.” He echoed.  “I know that you will not test me today.” He turned to leave.

But she was swift.  “Hold!” She ordered.  “If you know all that then you know I hold the Gom Jabbar at your throat. You will also know that you are to place your hand in that little black box there.  So indulge an old woman.” The purr hardened. “Put your hand in.”

 
There was no choice now.  He reluctantly put his hand in the box, and simultaneously he recited the litany against fear…

 
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will allow my fear to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
And where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

 
As had happened in the beginning so it unfolded now.  The nerve-induced pain began as a twitch; it grew to an itch then a burning and finally a peeling of the skin. 

 
The Reverend Mother held onto him as a praying mantis did to her prey.  Through him she felt every phase of the test.  It was easy to endure the itch at the start, then the burning, the sensation of skin peeling then falling off by the end of the trial Dax screamed from the effort. Drenched with sweat from the effort, he almost collapsed taking Sharika with him.

~*~*~*~*~

 
When Commander For’resten stood to deliver his closing argument, the atmosphere of the courtroom changed. He cleared his throat and walked to a position in front of the jury box. His major points were recounted, and then he said something that surprised Alexi and the other observers in the room.