The most intricate thing to find in this world.
Is it a needle that you lost in the desert?
The most intricate thing to find in this world.
Is it a crow’s feather that you lost in the darkness of the night?
The most intricate thing to find in this world is,
Realizing your own erroneous contemplation.
—From “Shintosunni sutras IV” by Frederica Bernkastel
Where was Rika? Satoko wondered, Mion and Shion decided to go anyway, take the ‘topher and arrive at the place where the smugglers held the spice. It was getting too late, and if it took them longer to arrive, they wouldn’t be able to get the so much needed spice. She was supposed to be there, to help them negotiate and act as a truthsayer, she also had to give them a status report on the soldiers of Arrakeen, how tight would their security be, when and where to leave the planet. They would deal with that later, the time window to get the spice was narrowing.
Shion looked at the place where the exchange of spice would happen. The weariness in the eyes of the people around them. They know? But how… Rena and Keiichi would arrive entirely on their own, exchange the knives for the pellets. She looked at the Fremen around them, they were asking questions among themselves in hand language, they knew Bene Gesserit speak Chakobsa.
Once they opened the warehouse the smell of blood hit Shion’s nose, she turned to see Satoko. Rena! The negotiating did not work, and Rena had to do the killing. They probably had investigated us more than we give them credit for… No stab scars, all traumas from the edge of the sword, only a handful of people in the universe know how to do that and they know our swordsmaster does that too.
Ahmed the smuggling leader looked at them then back at the bodies piled up behind him “I must admit your plan was good, it could have worked but we are aware of what your demon servant can do”
They know of the Harkonnen war! Shion thought. Mion was scared, but she showed none of it “Rena does not attack unless my husband was threatened. You threaten our water and we will respond. The deal is off!” She turned around and began walking away, the group closed on them.
Ahmed walked in front of them “Your water belongs to us now”
Mion smiled, she looked at the man and his own soldiers “Back off or it’ll be worse for you! You have no idea what we are capable of” Not much really, Rika I hope you saw this coming or else we are dead.
“A House Minor? We had received worse threats from bigger houses. These men had fought the Sardaukar and come out victorious so have I, three witches do not scare us” He laughed in her face.
Mion did not move “Let it be then, you will regret it” In the distance a flash of light broke out, they were far away from Arrakeen if they weren’t, they would had gone blind. At the right place at the right time, just how Rika does it… Who set off the stone burners anyway? She sent us to the planet right in the middle of an insurrection! She continued waiting, the explosion finally making Ahmed flinch.
“Atomics!” He screamed
Mion winked “There are more where that came from. The Jihad was coming to us, so we decided to act first. Do not worry sir, we just want spice and nobody in this planet will ever hear of us again”
Ahmed signaled his man to lower their weapons. How mad is she? Using atomics for a negotiation. “Very well then, but Muad’Dib will come for you”
Mion looked at the men “What are you waiting for? Load the spice onto our ‘topher!” She crossed her arms and have a smug smile.
Shion couldn’t help it but chuckle. What a miracle this was, typical of Rika.
Satoko began thinking where the last place was where they saw Rika, she had to be near Arrakeen, and she was not in the city, she would know about the Stone Burners, Rika relied on them in her plan for their survival. Rock formations around Arrakeen, most of them Fremen settlements, or cave systems where the Atreides went to die. It only leaves a handful of places where she can be.
Editorial 