DUNE Page #26

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INTERIOR:
CAVE FOR THE GREAT CEREMONY.

Jessica heaves a sigh of relief and, still a little dazed, she opens her eyes and smiles.

REVEREND MOTHER:

She has transformed the poison. She has changed the water of death into the water of Life. THIS IS HER!

The fremen people utter cries of joy.

The women who carried the boards are overcome with a frenetic agitation and rush towards Jessica and the Reverend-Mother. They take off Jessica’s green veil and undress the Reverend Mother. They put the Bene Guesserit costume on Jessica.

They place the naked body of the old woman on Jessica’s lap, as if she were a baby.

THE OLD WOMAN:

Look at me. I am going to pass on my knowledge to you.

Jessica looks at the old woman, who changes, her face becoming younger. Soon Jessica is holding a beautiful naked girl between her arms. The girl presses her mouth to Jessica’s.

THE GIRL:

This is how I am. Don’t fight against me. I haven’t got much more time. Open your mouth, let me enter.

Jessica opens her mouth. The inside of Jessica’s mouth can be seen, dark and red.

INTERIOR:
JESSICA’S VISIONS

A red sphere is floating on the rhythm of a heartbeat in the middle of the darkness. A green point appears, which grows until it becomes a green sphere.

GREEN SPHERE:

(voice of the old woman).

Don’t be afraid, we are going to come together.

RED SPHERE:

(voice of Jessica)

I’m not afraid.

GREEN SPHERE:

There is some interference...

A blue point is now forming. It increased in volume, finally becoming a blue sphere.

GREEN SPHERE:

You didn’t tell me that you were pregnant! It’s a woman! I’ve no more time, I must come together with both of you. Help me, unite with your daughter... gently...absorb her fear... calm her... gently...

RED SPHERE:
My daughter ... my poor little girl... I brought you into life and I have subjected you to knowledge, defenseless.

Slowly, the red sphere absorbs the blue sphere. United, the two spheres are now only one, a violet color.

GREEN SPHERE:

Now, accept me. I have four hundred years to bequeath you. I am the Missionaria Protectiva... You will carry me forever, as I have carried so many others!

The green sphere and the violet sphere come together, making a purple sphere.

PURPLE SPHERE:

Jessica is dead!

Inside the sphere Jessica’s face appears. It splits vertically in two, revealing the face of an old woman. The face again divides, and again still more faces appear, young faces and old, young and old. Soon the changes are being made at a dizzy speed.

INTERIOR:
THE CAVE FOR THE GREAT CEREMONY.

Jessica, changed and completely awake, takes the corpse of the Reverend Mother between her arms and approaches the Fremen.

JESSICA:

I wasn’t lying. I am the Reverend Mother! The knowledge had been passed on. Let the ceremony continue!

The Fremen stand up, take each other by the arm and begin to move their feet on the spot in a rhythmic motion, while singing. Jessica takes the tube, fills her mouth with liquid, and spits in the glass put in front of her. The women empty this glass into the basin containing the poison. The water immediately begins to boil and ferment. It changes color, becoming red.

JESSICA:

I have changed the water of death into the water of life. Let the fremen people drink and be united from now on!

Everyone passes round flasks filled with the liquid taken from the basin and drinks. Chani hands a flask to Paul.

CHANI:

We are going to become as one being. We are going to dissolve in life...

Paul drinks. The Fremen start shouting.

THE FREMEN:

Mahdi... Mahdi... Mahdi...

Paul comes closer to Jessica. She takes him by the shoulder and both walk towards the center of the cave. Thousands of Fremen are surrounding Paul and Jessica. They eventually form a large, dense wheel of bodies, Singing and turning around faster and faster.

EXTERIOR:
THE ARENA. DAYLIGHT.

The walls surrounding the arena look like the wall of a medieval castle. The place is black with people.

Printed card:
GIEDI PRIME - FOUR YEARS LATER.

A band is playing a military march with strange instruments. A matador is parading in the arena with his assistants: there are horses with their backs in shells, torero-gladiators armed with large whips and, in the middle, Feyd Rautha, wearing boots, a small loincloth, and a big hat.

Vladimir Harkonnen is spread out on a couch in the royal box. Hawatt and a group of bodyguard soldiers are with him. Slaves are carrying fruit and flowers.

In a corner of the box are Count and Lady Fenring, together with a group of Sardaukar as bodyguards. Baron Vladimir is applauding his nephew Feyd, who approaches the box, takes off his hat, and instead of throwing it to Vladimir gallantly hands it to Lady Fenring.

Vladimir, red with anger and jealousy, apologizes to the count.

VLADIMIR:

The empire’s representative should not be offended by this homage to his wife’s beauty. My nephew is young and ignorant of court protocol.

Count Fenring who brought his hand to the tetanizer hanging at his belt, smiles sourly. Lady Fenring takes a flower and throws it into the arena. Feyd receives it, smells it, and puts in in his loincloth, Vladimir shouts loudly for the band to start playing again.

VLADIMIR:

Muuusic!!!

The arena is deserted. A wooden door is opened. A gladiator, his eyes bulging out of his head and his mouth dribbling, runs out. This is Farok who, overcome with a murderous madness, runs with an arm in his hand.

VLADIMIR:

(to Fenring)

He has drunk some elacca and that produces a mad fit of violence.

The audience is impressed and cries out.

Four horse picadors chase the gladiator and drive him into a corner. One of them sinks a pike in his left side. The four horsemen go off again leaving Farok with a gaping wound. Farok throws down his arm like an animal, takes off his cape, tears it up, and bandages his side.

Two torero-gladiators run in and bind Farok’s wrists with their whips. They almost completely immobilize him holding his arms in a cross-like position.

Feyd Rautha, with two banderillas in his hand, runs towards Farok amid the cheering of the audience. He also sinks the banderillas in Farok’s shoulders. He moves away, applauded. The gladiator-toreros free Farok, who runs towards Feyd to kill him. Two other gladiators bar his way and immobilize him again with their whips.

Feyd Rautha sinks two more banderillas into Farok’s shoulders. At a signal from Rautha, the band plays a tune. The audience is screaming frantically. Rautha takes a long sword and a short dagger. The gladiator free Farok. Rautha and Farok are the only people left in the arena.

Rautha draws nearer to Farok. The tense audience watches the scene in silence.

Rautha runs towards Farok, and a fight begins between the two warriors. Despite his wounds, Farok is getting the better of Feyd. His arm chips Rautha’s flesh in the biceps. This is a superficial wound. Baron Harkonnen screams despairingly. The crowd is shouting.

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