Dune Page #19

Alia is brought in by the Sardaukar soldiers. She

is smiling.

ALIA:

I am the messenger from Muad'dib. Poor

Emperor, I'm afraid my brother won't be

very pleased with you.

EMPEROR:

Silence!... I do not court your brother's

pleasure.

Suddenly the Reverend Mother looks horrified and

grabs her throat.

REVEREND MOTHER:

(struggling, speaking)

Kill this child!! She's an abomination!!

Kill her.

(points to Alia, who is smiling at

her)

Get out of my mind!!!

ALIA:

Not until you tell them both who I really

am.

REVEREND MOTHER:

(strained speech void of emotion)

Sister of Paul Muad'dib.

The Reverend Mother slumps. The Baron's mouth flies

open. The Emperor's face goes pale, his lips

tremble.

EMPEROR:

Paul's sister... Paul is Muad'dib?!

He turns quickly and looks at the two Guild agents

present in the room. They stare at him icily. Alia

is smiles happily.

268. INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM - ARRAKEEN - DAY

Paul smiles.

PAUL:

(laughs)(to Gurney and Stilgar)

Alia keeps pace with the storm.

--

Gurney and Stilgar don't understand. Suddenly

enormous dust clouds and LIGHTNING sweep up over the

Shield Wall.

PAUL:

Gurney, now!

Gurney gives a hand signal and...

GURNEY:

(they put on their hoods)

Atomics!

269. EXT. SHIELD WALL - ARRAKEEN - DAY

...TWENTY EXPLOSIONS of hydrogen bomb intensity go

off in a row, cutting a huge gorge through the width

of the massive Shield Wall. As the EXPLOSIONS go

off, a WIND howls, destroying much of Arrakeen and

covering the rest with tons of sand. Sand rips at

the Palace and the Emperor's ship.

270. INT. STEEL TENT - EMPEROR'S SPACE SHIP - DAY

Alia smiles as they HEAR the tremendous roaring,

atomic screams of the explosions. The Emperor's

ship's warning SIGNALS are now close and loud.

ALIA:

My brother is coming... with many Fremen

warriors.

A Sardaukar rushes in.

SARDAUKAR OFFICER #2

The Shield Wall is gone.

EMPEROR:

Impossible!

ALIA:

Not impossible. I told you... He is here

now.

SARDAUKAR OFFICER #2

Majesty, into the ship!

EMPEROR:

(to his officers)(rising)

Release the Sardaukar. Baron... give this

little abomination to the storm.

They all leave the room, including the Sardaukars.

--

270A. through 271. (Deleted)

272. INT. STEEL TENT - EMPEROR'S SPACE SHIP - DAY

BARON:

I have her, Majesty!

The Baron floats down to her. Alia turns to him --

still smiling. With a flash of her hand she reaches

out and swipes at the Baron's face. He CRIES OUT in

pain. She pulls his suspensor plugs and pushes him

back, then slowly shows him the tiny needle she

holds in her hand. He spins crazily as he screams

from the poison.

273. EXT. SHIELD WALL - ARRAKEEN - DAY

Worms, each with hundreds of Fremen on them, come

slithering through the newly-formed canyon in the

Shield Wall.

273A. EXT. WORMS - SHIELD WALL - ARRAKEEN - DAY

Paul rides the lead worm with Gurney and Stilgar by

his side. The storm is howling and blowing with

horrifying intensity.

273B. INT. EMPEROR'S SPACE SHIP - CONTROL ROOM - DAY

The Emperor and his Sardaukar officers in a darkened

room where they are horrified to see on the screens

the hundreds of worms which are coming into the

Arrakeen valley. All their faces show fear.

272. BACK TO SCENE

INT. EMPEROR'S SPACE SHIP - GREEN THRONE ROOM - DAY

Suddenly the wall behind Alia and the spinning Baron

is completely blown away by a BLAST.

The Baron floats and spins out into the storm.

274. EXT. ARRAKEEN - DAY

As the worms enter the Arrakeen basin they meet the

Sardaukar. The Sardaukar don't have a chance -- the

worms suck them up by the hundreds. The Fremen on

the worm's backs fire weapons, killing the few

Sardaukar the worms leave behind.

275. EXT. LANDING FIELD - ARRAKEEN - DAY

The space ships which were recently airborne are now

crashing because of the storm.

--

272A. NEW SCENE

The Baron floats and spins high in the dust clouds

of the storm over the Arrakeen Valley.

274A. NEW SCENE

The worm, that Paul, Gurney and Stilgar are riding,

suddenly rears up. Its mouth opens. The Baron

appears as a tiny spinning shape. He flies directly

into the mouth of this collosal worm and is

devoured.

277. EXT. STEEL TENT - LANDING FIELD - ARRAKEEN - DAY

A thousand Fremen battle Sardaukar outside the

Emperor's tent. They soon overpower them and rush

into the giant steel structure.

278. EXT. LANDING FIELD - ARRAKEEN - DAY

The entire airfield is now filled with wild worms,

Fremen, and dead or dying Sardaukar.

276. EXT. LANDING FIELD - ARRAKEEN - DAY

Alia moves dreamily among the dying Sardaukar.

279. through 280. (Deleted)

281. INT. GREAT HALL - ARRAKEEN PALACE - DAY

Paul enters the Palace hall and the first thing he

sees is the giant bull's head. The horns have been

blown off and the Atreides banner has been stuffed

and wired into the mouth.

A WIND moans through the Palace.

Paul turns. Gurney and several guards bring in the

Emperor, Irulan, the Reverend Mother, Sardaukar

generals, Guildsmen, Feyd and Thufir. The Fedaykin

and Fremen troops line the walls.

Paul's eyes meet Feyd's -- Feyd gives him an evil

smile.

Paul turns and looks at the Emperor, who stares back

defiantly. Paul moves his gaze to Irulan, who

lowers her eyes. He then sees his old teacher,

Thufir Hawat, whose tired eyes wander helplessly.

--

PAUL:

Gurney... I see Thufir Hawat among the

captives. Let him stand free.

GURNEY:

My Lord?

PAUL:

Let him stand free!

The Emperor turns nervously to Feyd, who passes a

golden dagger to Thufir.

FEYD:

(to Thufir)

The antidote...

GURNEY:

(gestures to Thufir)

Thufir. Come.

Thufir approaches Paul, concealing the knife. They

come face to face. The Emperor seems strangely

tense at this moment. Paul notices this. He looks

Thufir over.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(inner voice)

A knife....

(out loud)

In payment of the many years of service to

my family, you may know ask of me anything

you wish. Anything at all.

(quietly)

Do you need my life, old friend?

He turns his back on him.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(quiet)

It is yours.

Thufir's eyes grow sad and wide.

PAUL:

I mean this, Thufir. If you are to

strike, do it now.

Thufir's hand rises, as Jessica gasps, but the old

Mentat pulls his heart plug out with a quick tearing

motion. Paul turns and catches him as he sags.

His head lolls back and he looks up to Paul

urgently.

--

THUFIR (CONT'D)

Three... generations... of you...

His breath escapes him and he is dead.

PAUL:

(to the guards)

Carry this noble Atreides warrior away.

Do him all honor.

The guards do as they are instructed.

PAUL:

Emperor Shadam the IV... there are Guild

Heighliners above us containing many Great

Houses of the Lansraad.... SEND THEM

BACK!

EMPEROR:

How dare you speak to me...

GUILDSMAN #2

(speaking into electric microphone)

Stop your speaking!!

PAUL:

(to the Guildsmen)

Good. You have some idea of what I would

do but I will tell it to one who has never

been seen... one who hides deep in the

Heighliner control rooms. He will hear it

first.

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