104.
STILGAR
What wealth can you offer beyond
the water in your flesh?Stilgar clenches his jaw.
He does know the law.
He considers Jessica and Paul, and passes sentence.
STILGAR (CONT'D)
The boy is young. He can learn.
Liet favors him. He may have
sanctuary. But the woman is
untrained and too old to learn our
ways.Stilgar looks at Jessica with grave courtesy.
He reaches for his crysknife.
Jessica flashes into motion: trapping his hand, pummeling his
body. She spins him around. The knife she seized from the
troopers on the ornithopter flashes into her hand.
In a moment she’s backed up against the cliff, Stilgar pinned
before her in a chokehold, her knife at his throat.
Paul darts for the shadows. Jamis leaps to intercept him.
Paul kicks him in the solar plexus, chops his neck with
perfect precision, and catches his pistol as it falls.
The Fremen swiftly close in on Jessica, weapons ready -- but
she tightens her grip until Stilgar shouts:
STILGAR (CONT'D)
Back, you dogs! She’ll cut my
throat!Paul swarms up the rock face until he finds a ledge that will
hold him. He crouches in the shadows, controlling his
breathing. The pistol aimed at Stilgar.
PAUL
One move and you die.STILGAR
(to Jessica)
Why didn’t you say you were a
weirding woman and a fighter?JESSICA
The conversation ran short.