BOOK ONE - CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 

Music is highly evocative of emotions and thoughts, and should therefore be avoided by all but the strongest among us. The place a Reverend Mother derives much of her power from - her Other Memories - has proven to be a disadvantage when it comes to music: cascading associations and confusing memory-emotions are stimulated by listening to it. Music, like love, removes substantial parts of free will and negates clarity of thought. Music enslaves.
-Bene Gesserit Analysis-
 

"There's still no change?"

For the first time in many weeks, Miles Teg and Garimi met. All attempts to track down the Bashar after the expulsion from the no-ship had proven fruitless - it was obvious he did not want to be found. Now Teg came to her of his own volition. She could sense there was something bothering him, although he masked it well.

"They haven't tried anything since we were chased out," Garimi answered.

"This was six weeks ago, correct?"

"Yes. How do you know this?"

Teg did not look at the Proctor once, but watched the no-ship and the surrounding area intently. "I've been in the area several times the past few weeks. As much as you girls are skilled in many things, you really aren't very well-versed in the art of reconaissance."

"Girls?", Garimi asked, as if she had been insulted in the most offensive manner possible.

A boyish grin formed on the Bashar's face, but it quickly disappeared. "I'm going to take a closer look."

"Wait! Where have you been all those weeks?" Garimi sounded slightly more desperate than she wanted.

Can I tell them?, Teg wondered. I have to!

"This rift in our group," he said. "It couldn't have come at a worse time. I've found traces of human-like life not too far from this location. I suspect they, whomever they are, wanted me to find out that they were here. There's a vast underground base."

"They wanted you to discover them?"

"Yes. Several clues suggest they have something to do with Face Dancers - perhaps they are Face Dancers themselves. The fact I was allowed to find them is also consistent with their custom to offer any opponent a way out of a confrontation."

He walked a few paces and scanned the area, spotting a plateau in the distance that he thought would be be relatively easy to defend. He pointed at it, and said: "Take everyone there, making sure not to come too close to the no-ship. I'll join you later."

He ran over to the no-ship under cover of a rock ledge, the size of the ship dwarfing him, the many oddly-shaped protrusions on its hull hiding him as he tried to make his way to a hatch without being detected by any of the ship's scanners.

What a peculiar invention a no-ship is, Teg couldn't help thinking. These metal rods help fold electromagnetic radiation in such a way to suggest to any observer the ship isn't really there. Ix is very secretive about their inventions, and has not disclosed how this process works, but Bene Gesserit research indicates they might have found a way to influence the movements and interaction of matter and energy on the most fundamental level.

A creaking sound made Teg emerge from his thoughts. A few metres away from him a man-sized hatch opened, and a tall form appeared. With incredible speed, it ran around one of the gigantic metal spikes attached to the hull of the ship, wanting to confront Teg, but the Bashar, using the speed the Honoured Matre T-Probe had unlocked in him, had already positioned himself a short distance away in the clearing that stretched out at this side of the ship, ready to fight.

Faster than even Teg could follow, the attacker approached him, and struck him down to the ground with incredible force. Teg got up, barely managing to evade a second blow, and spun around, succeeding in tripping his assailant with his outstretched leg.

For a brief moment, Teg looked at the attacker, seeing not the cancerous growths and ill-smelling sores, but a very familiar face - his own!

The shock that this realisation caused stunned Teg for a split-second, and this was all Scytale's Teg-ghola needed. A powerful blow broke the Bashar's jaw, and a violent kick splintered his right kneecap.

The attacker moved in for the kill, but suddenly stopped and looked around, his nose pointed up and sniffing the air, as if he sensed something coming closer. He grunted once, a strange sound conveying an intense fear, turned around and ran back to the no-ship, entering through the open hatchway, closing it behind him.

While Teg lay on the ground, hovering just this side of the line between consciousness and unconsciousness, he noticed Garimi and her group approaching. For a moment, all was silent - the wind had died down and the customarily omnipresent birds and insects either didn't make a sound or had fled the area. All Bene Gesserit and Jews stood unmoving, listening, waiting for someone or something to arrive - its presence could be felt all around rather than detected with the senses, an undefined but unmistakeably real sensation. Dusk fell quickly, and in the retreating light the shadows of the trees distorted before dissolving into the darkness.

In the distance a rustling could be heard, like many beings - man or animal, this wasn't immediately apparent - moving through the dry shrubbery surrounding the trees of the forest, but taking care not to make too much noise. The sounds grew louder, the visitors apparently coming closer, until the sound had grown so loud as to suggest they had to be almost upon them. Suddenly, all was quiet again. Still, no one or nothing could be seen.

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