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.She dropped in a crouch on soft sand.Odrade and Waff moved forward and watched with fascination as Sheeana sloggedthrough the sand to the front of the creature.There, Sheeana placed both handson her hips and faced the gaping mouth.Hidden flames played orange lightacross the young face. "Shaitan, why are we here?" Sheeana demanded.Again, the worm twitched."He wants all of you off him," Sheeana called.Waff looked at Odrade."If God wishes thee to die, He causes thy steps to leadthee to the place of thy death."Odrade gave him back a paraphrase from the cant of the Shariat: "Obey God'smessenger in all things."Waff sighed.Doubt was plain on his face.But he turned and was first off theworm, dropping just ahead of Odrade.They followed Sheeana's example, moving tothe front of the creature.Odrade, every sense alert, fixed her gaze onSheeana.It was much hotter in front of the gaping mouth.The familiar bite of melangefilled the air around them."We are here, God," Waff said.Odrade, getting more than a little tired of his religious awe, spared a glancefor their surroundings -- the shattered rocks, the eroded barrier reaching intothe dusky sky, sand sloping against the time-scarred stones, and the slowscorching huff-huff of the worm's internal fires.But where is here? Odrade wondered.What is special about this place to makeit the worm's destination?Four of the watching 'thopters passed in line overhead.The sound of their wingfans and the hissing jets momentarily drowned out the worm's backgroundrumblings.Shall I call them down? Odrade wondered.It would take only a hand signal.Instead, she lifted two hands in the signal for the watchers to remain aloft.Evening's chill was on the sand now.Odrade shivered and adjusted hermetabolism to the new demands.She felt confident that the worm would notengulf them with Sheeana beside them.Sheeana turned her back on the worm."He wants us to be here," she said.As though her words were a command, the worm twisted its head away from them andslid off through the tall scattering of giant boulders.They could hear itspeeding away back into the desert.Odrade faced the base of the ancient wall.Darkness would be upon them soon butenough light remained in the high desert's long dusk that they might yet seesome explanation of why the creature had brought them here.A tall fissure inthe rock wall to her right seemed as good a place to investigate as any.Keeping part of her attention on the sounds from Waff, Odrade climbed a sandyincline toward the dark opening.Sheeana kept pace with her."Why are we here, Mother?"Odrade shook her head.She heard Waff following. The fissure directly in front of her was a shadowy hole into darkness.Odradestopped and held Sheeana beside her.She judged the opening to be about a meterwide and some four times that in height.The rocky sides were curiously smooth,as though polished by human hands.Sand had drifted into the opening.Lightfrom the setting sun reflected off the sand to bathe one side of the opening ina wash of gold.Waff spoke from behind them: "What is this place?""There are many old caves," Sheeana said."Fremen hid their spice in caves."She inhaled deeply through her nose."Do you smell it, Mother?"There was a definite melange odor to the place, Odrade agreed.Waff moved past Odrade and into the fissure.He turned there, looking up at thewalls where they met in a sharp angle above him.Facing Odrade and Sheeana, hebacked farther into the opening, his attention on the walls.Odrade and Sheeanastepped closer to him.With an abrupt hissing of spilled sand, Waff vanishedfrom their sight.In the same instant, the sand all around Odrade and Sheeanaslipped forward into the fissure, dragging both of them with it.Odrade grabbedSheeana's hand."Mother!" Sheeana cried.The sound echoed from invisible rock walls as they slid down a long slope ofspilling sand into concealing darkness.The sand drifted them to a stop in afinal wash of gentle movement.Odrade, in sand up to her knees, extricatedherself and pulled Sheeana with her onto a hard surface [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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