76.
93 EXT. ARRAKEEN RESIDENCY - BALCONY - NIGHT 93
Harkonnen warships hang triumphant over the war-torn city.
Weapons fire and cries of agony ring out in the streets.
Piter de Vries stands watching with a bound and battered
Thufir Hawat, guarded by four Sardaukar. Piter is gloating.
PITER DE VRIES
Checkmate, old friend.
Hawat, humiliated, doesn’t answer.
88 INT. ORNITHOPTER (IN FLIGHT) - NIGHT 88
The ornithopter holds its heading, leaving the Troopers
little to do. They turn. Their eyes finding Jessica.
FIRST TROOPER
I never had a highborn. You?
SECOND TROOPER
Bene Gesserit ain’t all highborn.
FIRST TROOPER
Highborn enough for me.
The Deaf Trooper reads lips; he’s followed this exchange.
DEAF TROOPER
Let’s feed the cub to the worms and
give her a long goodbye.
Paul studies the First Trooper with Bene Gesserit intensity.
His eyes. His lips. His hands. The pulse in his neck.
PAUL
Don’t you dare touch my mother!
The Deaf Trooper gets up and kicks Paul in the stomach. Paul
grunts in pain, gasping for air.
DEAF TROOPER
Don’t talk.
The ornithopter enters the desert proper, low over the dunes.
Paul slows his breathing. Masters his body. Gets his breath.
Beside him, Jessica sees what he’s about to do and stiffens.
He’s not ready. She tries to catch his attention in vain,
doing precise hand signals.
76.
