Frank Herbert's

Children of Dune

PART TWO
by

JOHN HARRISON

Based on the Novels:

Dune Messiah & Children of Dune

by
Frank Herbert

Contact: New Amsterdam Entertainment

© 2001 Victor Television Productions, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

October 11, 2001

FIRST REVISED DRAFT

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ACT 1

FADE IN

EXT. ROCKY TERRAIN SOMEWHERE - DAY

Dawn is breaking over this desolate wilderness. A landscape

of red rocks thinly covered by wiry bushes and scrub thorns.
Inhospitable terrain. Ominous. Suddenly...

A BOY and a GIRL come scrambling up a rocky hill. Wearing

desert stillsuits and traditional, if somewhat elegant...
Fremen robes.

They're running hard. As if...pursued.

And as they get closer, it's obvious...

The children are TWINS. Teenagers. Maybe sixteen.

Delicate features. Distorted now by fear.

The girl keeps looking over her shoulder.

Straining to see whatever it is that's after them.
Something not far behind... something that...

ROARS. A terrifying, beastly scream. Excited. Bloodthirsty.

The boy pulls her forward, urging her to go faster. But...

A piece of her robe catches and tears on the vegetation.

A scrap of embroidery float to the ground.
The royal seal of HOUSE ATREIDES.

The girl looks back one more time. A fatal mistake.

Because that's when....

SOMETHING POUNCES! Dragging her down.

Her neck snaps instantly.

The boy gets a few steps further. But it's a futile effort.
He is brought down in an orange blur of dust and blood.

EXT. NEARBY PLATEAU - SAME

A SARDAUKAR soldier stands alone. Smiling with professional

satisfaction as he watches...

POV...two "LAZA" HUNTING TIGERS in the distance.

Ferocious sabre toothed brutes.
Feeding on their prey until...

He presses some commands on the communicator he's holding.

A quiet, chime-like beeping interrupts the animals.

(CONTINUED)

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Both stop instantly. Looking up from their victims.

Poised, alert, as if awaiting further instructions.

ON THE HORIZON...a 'thopter approaches fast.

The Sardaukar looks up. He can SEE...

The seal of House Corrino emblazoned on its side.

INT. 'THOPTER - SAME

PRINCESS WENSICIA scans the desert below. Next to her...

TYEKANIK, her trusted Sardaukar aide-de-camp.
Piloting the 'thopter.

TYEKANIK
Flawless execution. It appears your
patience is about to be rewarded,
m'Lady.

PRINCESS WENSICIA
I've waited fifteen years for
another opportunity to attack the
Atreides, Tyek. Patience has been
my only nourishment.

TYEKANIK
Our allies on Arrakis continue to
instigate civil unrest. Alia's hold
on power is beginning to slip,
(looking down at the tigers)
And now we have the means to deal
with Muad'dib's twins. I I hope
m'Lady is satisfied.

Her stare hardens with venomous contempt.

PRINCESS WENSICIA
I'll only be satisfied when every
bastard Atreides is crushed beneath
the jack-boots of a Corrino
Sardaukar.

And she casually reaches for a small device just like the one
the Sardaukar used in controlling the tigers.

Tyek eyes her suspiciously. But before he can object...

She enters a commands on the communicator.

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EXT. DESERT - SAME

The Sardaukar trainer is watching the tigers when he HEARS...

That chime-like beeping.

IN THE DISTANCE...the tigers are instantly alert.

Suddenly they leap in his direction.

The Sardaukar sees them coming. He calmly tries to override

their commands with his own console. But the tigers ignore
his signals. They just keep coming. Faster and faster.

The Sardaukar realizes he's been betrayed. He looks up at the

'thopter hovering some distance away. Then he bravely turns
to face the onslaught. He knows it would be futile to run.

INT. 'THOPTER - SAME

Wensicia watches impassively as the tigers strike.

TYEKANIK
(appalled)
Sardaukar never reveal secrets,
Princess.

PRINCESS WENSICIA
Neither do dead men.

EXT. THE DESERT - DAY

The Laza tigers make short work of their trainer as...

Wensicia's 'thopter veers away toward the horizon.

And that's when...

A CHOIR OF VOICES starts chattering all at once.

CUT TO:

INT. DARK ROOM SOMEWHERE - NIGHT

The dissonant chorus continues. Strange words.

Incomprehensible languages.

The atmosphere in this room is humid and dense. And in it...

Faces. Dim and indistinguishable. Spectral, tortured faces.
Distorted by intense emotions. And in the middle of them...

(CONTINUED)

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ALIA. Older now. In her early 30's. Still achingly gorgeous.

But tormented by the rage of noise swirling around her. She
looks utterly lost, desperately confused...until...

The face of DUNCAN IDAHO appears among the mob. But unlike
these others, he is serene. Concerned, and sympathetic.

IDAHO
Alia.....

Suddenly, the turgid atmosphere evaporates.

And with it, the noise. And the faces...
Which dissolve to REVEAL...

INT. ALIA'S APARTMENTS/ROYAL KEEP / ARRAKEEN - DAY

Alia comes out of her trance to FIND...

She is alone. All the faces are gone.
All except Idaho's.

There he is. Across the room.

ALIA
Duncan....love....

She moves toward him. Almost stumbles. Clearly intoxicated.

He rushes to support her. Unable to hide his frustration.
As he leads her to a couch...

IDAHO
You've taken too much Spice again.

ALIA
I've opened a bottomless pit. A
swarm of locusts flies up to harass
me. Why can't I see it, Duncan?
Why?

IDAHO
See what?

ALIA
The future. It's there, Duncan.
Just out of reach. Why am I always
being pulled back?

IDAHO
Perhaps you should ask yourself why
it's necessary to see it.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALIA
Don't patronize me.

IDAHO
I don't patronize. I care.

ALIA
You fear! That's it, isn't it?

IDAHO
I don't want...to lose you.

For a moment, she is disarmed. By his honesty.

By those metallic eyes boring into her.
She can't hold the stare.

She gets up. Goes unsteadily to her balcony.

And she stares down over the city.

The prayer chants reverberate across the Temple Plaza as...

Thousands of pilgrims mill about waiting for blessing.
Nearby...

Arrakeen traders and merchants work the edges of the crowd.

Like predators feeding on a herd. And everywhere...

Qizarate Priests and Imperial soldiers.

ALIA
Why is she coming, Duncan? Why now?

IDAHO
So that's it.

ALIA
After all these years...why has my
mother chosen to come now!?

IDAHO
Muad'dib's children are almost "of
age". She hasn't seen them since
they were infants...

ALIA
(impatient)
Reason for me, Duncan. Be my mentat
for a moment, not my husband. Tell
me what the danger is.

Idaho comes to her. He tenderly turns her face toward him.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

IDAHO
And if I reasoned there was no
danger, would you accept it?

Alia stares at him a moment. Expression hardening.

This isn't what she wants to hear. She pushes away.

ALIA
No Bene Gesserit acts without
preordained plans, Duncan, without
well-planned deceit. And my mother,
for all her renowned independence,
is still a Bene Gesserit adept.

And she stares out the balcony again. This time looking to
the sky. As if she could see...

EXT. SPACE

...where a Guild HEIGHLINER moves into orbit above ARRAKIS.

A strange sight. Because...

Unlike before, there are now strange white wisps forming in

the planet's atmosphere. Cottony threads of moisture.
Floating serenely over several regions of the desert.

VOICE
Clouds...

INT. JESSICA'S QUARTERS/HEIGHLINER

It's Lady Jessica. Staring out portals at the fabled planet

below. Clearly unnerved by the sight.

JESSICA
Moisture in the air!

GURNEY
Seems almost a sacrilege.

He moves up behind her.

JESSICA
You sound like a Fremen.

GURNEY
I've not forgotten the years I
spent among them...
(beat)
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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GURNEY (cont'd)
I've not forgotten the honesty of
their ways.

JESSICA
There are times I wish I'd never
learned them,
(beat)
I hate this planet, Gurney. It took
both men I loved.

GURNEY
And it's still a place of danger,
m'Lady. The rumors of assassination
plots are too numerous to ignore.
Stilgar has sent word that Fremen
may even be involved.
(off her look)
Desert partisans who blame you for
Paul's interference in the ecology
of this planet.

JESSICA
I'm so weary of rumors, Gurney.

GURNEY
They are the life-blood of this
empire, I'm afraid. Reason enough
this trip should be delayed...

JESSICA
I must see my grandchildren. I must
know if they are...well.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE DESERT - DAWN

The sound of heavy breathing obscures all other sounds

except...

The soft grinding hiss reminiscent of...a worm.

And in the distance...racing across the crest of a dune...

Someone is running. Fast. And hard.

CLOSER....

It's a boy. A teenager. Maybe sixteen. Handsome. Strong.

Deep blue unblinking eyes. Piercing intensity.

He's sprinting effortlessly across the sand. His lean, almost

naked body gleams unnaturally in the early light. As if his
skin was coated with something.

(CONTINUED)

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He hurdles dunes with astonishing grace. Almost gliding.

Covering great distances with extraordinary speed.
Until...there, in the distance...

A squat ridge of mountains cuts the horizon.

A barren, ugly fortress. A grotesque ruin of nature.
And very familiar.

There is screaming there. Harrowing, ghostly cries of terror

and agony. As if the memory of some terrible slaughter were
being carried away on the wind.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. DESERT SIETCH - DAWN

The boy is here now. Moving swiftly through these excavated

corridors and sculptured rooms that suggest a Fremen Sietch.

The place seems abandoned...except for...

Those vaporous screams reverberating against the rocks.

IN THE DISTANCE...the dim light of a glowglobe spills into

the hallway from some unseen room.

The boy approaches...tentatively.

Finally turning the corner into...

INT. SANDTROUT PEN

A huge CORRAL OF SAND. Confined by sheer rock walls on all

sides. And underneath the sand...

Something moving. Swimming.

The boy approaches cautiously. Staring down at the obscure

creatures moving under the sand. Fascinated. Enchanted.

He dips a hand into the silica and...

A sudden swarm of movement gathers around it.

The boy quickly withdraws his hand.

And that's when he SEES...

A man. Across the canal. A Fremen. Meditation posture.

Impervious to his surroundings until...

MAN
Here I am. Here I remain. A slave
to the fate I helped make.

(CONTINUED)

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He finally looks up. It's PAUL! Muad'Dib.

Just as he was years ago. Before he was blind!

PAUL
It's up to you now...son. The
Golden Path. The path I couldn't
take...

Suddenly....a squall of wind obliterates the sietch.

Leaving only...

The boy. LETO. Paul and Chani's son.

Except he's no longer in the caves.
He's now at....

EXT. SIETCH TABR - DAWN

...sitting on a ledge overlooking the endless desert.

Staring at...

A delicate, gorgeous BUTTERFLY perched on the rock in front

of him. Posing there serenely, its wings gracefully swaying
in an unseen breeze. An anomaly in this environment.

Leto's preternatural poise is obviously owed to his father.

The intimidating clarity of his stare...to his mother.
His concentration on the butterfly never flags until...

VOICE
Leto...

Suddenly the butterfly takes flight. Revealing behind it...

Leto's twin sister, GHANIMA. Watching her brother with

affection and curiosity.

LETO
I was hoping to see a worm.

She sighs. Comes over to sit with him.

GHANI
You know they never come close
enough to see anymore...

And they stare out across the desert. Once uninterrupted all
the way to the horizon. Now mottled with patches of green.

GHANI
The water has driven them away.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

LETO
Everything is changing...too fast.

GHANI
You've had another vision, haven't
you?

LETO
(nodding)
My skin was not my own. I was
running across the desert...so
fast...running and running...
(turning to her)
...to Jacarutu.

She stiffens. The word disturbs her for some reason.

LETO
I saw him there. Again. Our
father...

GHANI
Are you sure it was him?

LETO
(nodding)
And he talked about the Golden
Path.

GHANI
It frightens me, Leto. I'm afraid
of what it could mean. About you.
About me...

LETO
We are not like Alia, Ghani.

GHANI
Are you sure?

He doesn't answer.

GHANI
Will you tell our grandmother all
this...when we see her?

LETO
Should I?

(CONTINUED)

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GHANI
(a beat; then)
It might be wise to understand her
better before we allow her to
understand us.

And Leto clearly agrees with her.

THWOP
THWOP
THWOP

The undeniable sound of 'thopters cuts the air.

There they are. Cresting a dune. Still some miles out.

But approaching fast.

Leto takes Ghani's hand. She grips it tight.

GHANI
They've come for us....

LETO
...haven't they, Irulan?

And they turn to SEE HER. Behind them.

In an entrance to the sietch.

She is clearly older now. Dressed less formally than before.

But still elegant even in these more functional clothes.
Still beautiful.

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. THE DESERT - MORNING

Only an occasional patch of green interrupts the beige carpet

below as...

An Atreides 'thopter makes its way across this endless ocean

of dunes. A flank of escort 'thopters pursues nearby in a
watchful, defensive formation.

INT. LEAD 'THOPTER - MORNING

Leto is at the helm. Expertly piloting the 'thopter.

An alert Fedaykin co-pilot is next to him.
Behind them...Irulan sits with Ghani.

(CONTINUED)

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IRULAN
...I expect you both to be
courteous and respectful. None of
your sly irony or cryptic comments.
She's a Bene Gesserit and she'll
know if you're keeping things from
her.

GHANI
Why should we keep anything from
her?

LETO
Do we have anything worth keeping?

IRULAN
That's what I mean, Leto. Stilgar
and I have about reached our limits
with your wit...

LETO
(interrupting)
Wormsign...

And he points to the horizon.

IRULAN
I don't see anything.

But Leto does. He veers his machine hard right. Not a word to
his co-pilot or the escort 'thopters out the window.

EXT. THE DESERT - SAME

Frantic radio chatter from the other 'thopters accompanies

their sudden change in course as...

They race to keep up with Leto who is now headed toward....

WORMSIGN. Now definitely visible. Heading this way.

INT. LETO'S 'THOPTER - MORNING

Leto masterfully dives to skim the sands only a few feet from
the ground. Making his Fedaykin co-pilot visibly nervous.
Irulan, too.

But Ghanima is like her brother. Calm and non-chalant.

(CONTINUED)

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FEDAYKIN CO-PILOT
(trying to be diplomatic)
Perhaps a slightly higher altitude
would be advisable, m'Lord...

LETO
My father loved being this close to
the ground when he flew.

IRULAN
And, of course, you know this
intuitively, don't you? Just as you
knew how to fly...without any
instruction....

LETO
Don't forget your Bene Gesserit
training, stepmother. Fear is the
mind-killer...

GHANI
I'm afraid she's about to let it
pass through her...

Ghani lets the double entendre sink in as...

Irulan white knuckles her seat.

EXT. THE DESERT - MORNING

The 'thopter is so close to the ground it's kicking up

dervishes of sand. And...

The vibrations are drawing the worm to it.

On a direct intercept course. Closer and closer...

INT. THE 'THOPTER - SAME

The radio chatter is increasing in urgency.

Leto ignores it. He is too focused on...

The wormsign just up ahead. Slinking across the desert floor

like some growing scar.

LETO
Magnificent creature. Have we
forgotten....?

Suddenly...the Worm explodes out of the sand like a missile.

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INT./EXT. LETO'S 'THOPTER/THE DESERT - MORNING

The escort 'thopters quickly fan out in different directions.

But instead of turning away, Leto pulls up radically.

His 'thopter ascends. Directly over the worm.
Which is coming straight at it...

...the gaping maw and flashing teeth of the creature coming

up fast underneath. Closer and closer...

LETO
Beautiful...

GHANI
...simply beautiful.

The Fedaykin co-pilot is wide-eyed.

Irulan is paralyzed with terror. But...
Leto never loses concentration.
He maintains his ascent without flinching.

Finally, the worm topples over.

Pitching to the ground like a felled Sequoia.
And as it dives into the sand to swim away...

LETO
Bless the maker and his water.
Bless his coming and his going. May
his passing cleanse the world. May
he keep his world for his people...

GHANI
Bi-la kaifa.

FEDAYKIN CO-PILOT
Bi-la kaifa.

IRULAN
That wasn't funny.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREETS OF ARRAKEEN - DAY

A convoy of Imperial SHUTTLES wends its way down the

boulevard that leads to the...

ROYAL KEEP. Looming over the city like a colossus.

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INT. HOVER CARRIAGE SHUTTLE - SAME

Leto and Ghani are sitting together. He is captivated by...

The blur of city life outside the window. But...

Ghanima is more interested in...

Irulan. Sitting opposite them.
Engrossed in one of her ever-present books.

GHANI
You're nervous, aren't you,
stepmother?

IRULAN
Why should I be?

GHANI
You haven't seen her for many
years.

IRULAN
Your grandmother and I had...an
unsettled relationship.

GHANI
But you wanted her affection,
didn't you? Her respect...

Irulan is annoyed by the intimacy of the question.

But resigned to it.

IRULAN
Affection wasn't possible...under
the circumstances.
(beat; then quietly)
But I am due some respect...after
all this time.

She holds Ghanima's stare. Refusing to concede her dignity.

Leto pays no attention. Something outside has caught his eye.

ON THE STREETS (POV)....A BLIND MAN is walking among the

crowds. A blind man being led by a Fremen youth. His clothes
are ragged and dusty. His face is leathery and scarred.

The BLIND MAN turns. As if he can see Leto's shuttle.

As if he can see young Leto inside...

...who instinctively backs away from the window...into the

shadows...but never taking his eyes off the street...or the
blind man being swallowed up in the crowd.

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EXT. ROYAL KEEP....LATER - DAY

Alia is waiting as the shuttle arrives.

Several priests are nearby. Bowing reverentially when...

Leto and Ghanima emerge from the vehicle. Irulan following.

They greet Alia with the familiar Fremen gesture.

ALIA
I heard about your little stunt in
the desert.

LETO
(mock offended)
I'd prefer to think of it as expert
flying.

ALIA
(to Ghanima)
With your encouragement, of course.

GHANI
Our father's memories are very
instructive...

Alia just glares at them both. Then...

ALIA
Well, I suppose I should be
thankful I don't have to tell your
grandmother you were lost to a worm
on the day she was supposed to meet
you...

GHANI
That would have been an unpleasant
task, wouldn't it?

Alia exchanges a look with Irulan.

A competitive moment of tension between them.

ALIA
I see your stepmother has told you
how I expect you to behave...

And she marches off toward the palace.

Ghani and Leto exchange a sly look. Which is not lost on

Irulan who gives them both a stem frown.

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INT. CORRIDORS /ROYAL KEEP....MOMENTS LATER - DAY

Leto and Ghanima accompany Alia down these quiet hallways.

Except for the occasional Fedaykin bodyguard, the place is
empty.

ALIA
It is rumored my mother has resumed
her allegiance to the Bene Gesserit
...and you both know what the
sisterhood thinks about those of us
who are pre-born...

LETO
You want us to pretend to be
something we're not...

ALIA
I expect you to protect yourselves.
No more talk of your father's
memories or his spirit or his
animus, do you understand!?

GHANI
Surely one can distinguish between
pre-born...

LETO
...and abomination...

ALIA
For some it's a distinction without
a difference. And for us that is
dangerous.

GHANI
What if she's simply coming as
mother, as grandmother, not as Bene
Gesserit inquisitor?

LETO
You share her memories, Alia. Her
motives can't be that complex.

Alia stops dead in her tracks.

ALIA
If my mother was not complex,
neither of you would be here.

The twins can't help being a little taken aback by her

intensity.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALIA
She would never have betrayed her
training. She would never have had
a son! I would have been her first
born...not your father. And none of
this...
(waving her hand)
...would ever have happened.

Her eyes flare. The tone of her voice sinks grimly.

ALIA
I warn you! Enemies often appear as
angels. I hope you two can tell the
difference.

And she moves off swiftly. Leaving them in her wake.

As they watch her go...

GHANI
(a whisper)
We're going to lose her.

LETO
We already have.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TEMPLE PLAZA, ARRAKEEN - DAY

A huge crowd has gathered. City Fremen. Off-world pilgrims

and tourists. Merchants. The ubiquitous military, bureaucracy
and of course...

Priests. Qizarate priests. Everywhere. Watching....

JESSICA'S SHUTTLE drift to a stop at the terrace steps

where...

Irulan waits with Leto and Ghanima. Stilgar is with them.

Surrounded by bodyguards, ministers, functionaries...and more
priests. And among them...

JAVID. That desert Fremen who helped the smugglers steal a

worm some years ago. A boy then. Now a man. Handsome and
keen-eyed. Never taking his eyes off...

Alia. Surrounded by a cadre of AMAZONIAN BODYGUARDS.

Intimidatingly beautiful and brawny women who survey the area
with icy stares.

Alia stiffens noticeably as the shuttle opens.

(CONTINUED)

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Jessica steps into the harsh sunlight. Followed by...

Gurney. And a troop of Atreides soldiers. All armed.

As soon as the crowd sees her, people fall to their knees.

A hush falls over the plaza.

Stilgar is the first to approach. Part of the protocol

apparently. He smiles warmly for a second then...
Kneels humbly in front of Jessica.

JESSICA
Stil, please...

She takes his hands. Pulls him up.

The affection for each other in their eyes is obvious.

STILGAR
On the first day you came here many
years ago, Muad'Dib told me his
father said beauty had finally
arrived to hold back the wilderness

A complex smile sweeps over Jessica.

STILGAR
In his honor, may I borrow your
Duke's words today?

JESSICA
Good friend. Good friend....

STILGAR
The Imperial Regent, m'Lady.

And he steps aside now in favor of Alia.

Jessica steps forward to her daughter.

The two women do not speak at first.
They seem to be sizing each other up.

And Jessica seems startled.

Almost frightened by the sight of...

Duncan Idaho. A man she saw killed in the desert.

Now staring back at her with metallic eyes.

Jessica quickly stuffs down the anxiety.

Reaches out to Alia..

...who tries to maintain a regal formality.

But finally, she surges forward into Jessica's embrace.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALIA
It's been so long...

Jessica holds her daughter tightly. But...

Her eyes are immediately drawn to...

Leto and Ghanima. Standing obediently next to Irulan.

Curious and hesitant expressions.

Alia can sense her Mother's distraction.

She pulls away abruptly.

ALIA
Of course, you recognize your
grandchildren...

Jessica steps forward to them. But...

They keep her at bay with formal Fremen gestures.

And in this public forum, she has no choice but to respond.

JESSICA
I hope we can find time to shed
formality and finally get to know
each other...

It's an awkward moment. No one knows quite what to say.

Alia signals with her eyes to the young Priest, Javid...

....who quickly steps forward to the crowd...

JAVID
The mother of our Lord has returned
to us.

And a spontaneous, unison cheer wells up from below.

A deafening roar that sweeps through the city.
It makes Jessica cringe noticeably.

LETO
You must offer them your blessing,
grandmother

JESSICA
(to Alia)
You know how much I hate this
ritual hypocrisy.

GHANI
They expect it, grandmother...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALIA
You would have done it for Paul...

In the silence that follows, Jessica turns to survey the

crowd. Noting the pilgrims, the off-worlders, the merchants.
The open displays of water-wealth. The "green" everywhere.

This is not the "dusty little garrison town" she once knew.
And it makes her uneasy.

There is MOVEMENT in the crowd.

The blur of a stillsuit here.
The swish of a desert cape there.

Jessica catches Gurney's eye. Remembers his warnings...

"...rumors of assassination plots."
"...Fremen may even be involved."

But Jessica remains calm. Raising her outstretched arms in

ritual Fremen blessing.

JESSICA
(ancient Chakobsa language)
Lak al mithra Mua'dib. Essa lak lan
musta al prejia d'el trial-ama.
(translated)
May the peace of Muad'Dib reside in
the hearts of all men. And tame the
passion of all our enemies...

CROWD
(in unison)
Bi-la kaifa...

But suddenly...A SHOUT!

VOICE
MOTHER...

It came from the crowd. Someone in the crowd. Calling out.

VOICE
Reverend Mother...!

The crowd shuffles. The official party on the terrace stirs.

A MAN steps forward. Out of the crush below. A BLIND MAN.

The one Leto saw out the window of his shuttle.
Being led by a young Fremen boy to the lower steps.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
(to Alia)
What is this...?

But Alia remains silent. Staring at the blind man with icy
eyes.

BLIND MAN
I bring you a warning. The
blessings of Muad'dib have been
corrupted.

Jessica looks around.

Priests are murmuring angrily.
Fedyakin shuffle nervously. But...

No one moves without a signal from...

Alia. Who is seething, but doing nothing as...

BLIND MAN
The religion of Muad'Dib is not
Muad'Dib. He renounces it...as he
renounces...you. All of you!

And he waves a bony finger at the royal entourage.

And now Jessica can hear the whispers, the hushed awe...
coming from the crowd....

VOICES
Muad'Dib...Muad'Dib...

BLIND MAN
(shouting to the crowd)
Muad'Dib is dead! And sand will
cover this place. Sand will cover
you...

But then suddenly....

WOMAN
(screaming)
ASSASSIN!!!!!!

SHOTS ring out. Fremen maula pistols from the sound of it.
Loud ricochets "ping" off the steps and walls.

Gurney grabs Jessica. Drags her down.

Idaho does the same with Alia.
Yanking her under cover as...

(CONTINUED)

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Fedaykin bodyguards surround Leto and Ghanima.

Imperial soldiers leap down the steps of the terrace.

More shots. Now there is screaming everywhere.

People are falling. People are running.

JESSICA
Take them alive!!!! Alive.....

Chaos and pandemonium. A virtual stampede erupts as the

terrified crowd flees helter-skelter in all directions.

Jessica frees herself from Gurney's grasp to stare down at

the riot. But what she's looking for is gone.

The Blind Man has vanished.

EXT. CITY STREETS....SERIES OF SHOTS

Several men are running for their lives.

A couple look like desert Fremen.

The others look like city dwellers.

A mob of pilgrims chases one into an alley.

There is no escape. The crowd moves in.
Starts to beat him unmercifully until...

Fedaykin troops arrive to back off the mob and arrest him.

EXT. ANOTHER STREET - SAME

Another desperate fugitive flees into...

INT. SMALL CAFE/STORE

The owner and his wife are terrified.

FUGITIVE
GET OUT! GET OUT!!!

They do. Out the door. Just as...

Fedaykin troops move in from several directions.

The fugitive can see them out the window.
There is no escape.

(CONTINUED)

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He pulls a small canister from his pocket.

Presses it against his chest.
Throws back his head and...

FUGITIVE
(screaming)
JACARUTU!!!!!!!!

EXT. THE STREET

The cafe/store suddenly explodes in a giant fireball.

Several Fedaykin are blown away.

The others are driven to the ground as....

EXT. THE CITY (POV FROM SHIELD WALL) - DAY

Smoke rises from the neighborhood like an angry snake. The

sounds of screaming and shouting and sirens follow into the
air as...

FADE TO BLACK

END ACT 1

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ACT 2

FADE IN

INT. PALACE CORRIDORS....LATER - DAY

Jessica, Gurney and her servants are hurried down these

hallways by Fedaykin bodyguards. Stilgar is with them.

So is Javid. That young Qizarate priest.

JESSICA
...I heard the voices...in the
crowd. Calling out. Calling out
Muad'dib....

STILGAR
No one knows where he comes from or
what his motives are. He simply
calls himself the Preacher.

JAVID
Just another psychotic pilgrim,
Reverend Mother. Don't trouble
yourself with the likes of him.

INT. PRIVATE QUARTERS /ROYAL KEEP - DAY

Stilgar and the servants bring Jessica and Gurney in.

As the servants scurry about with baggage...

JAVID
We want you to be as comfortable as
possible. Please let us know if we
can do anything for you...

Jessica manages a courteous smile. The fawning priest bows

formally and curtly signals to the servants who hurry out of
the room after him.

JESSICA
(to Stilgar)
People think he's Paul, don't they,
Stil? This Preacher...

Stilgar is obviously made nervous by the question.

STILGAR
Some do. Some...need to.

JESSICA
What do you think?

(CONTINUED)

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STILGAR
His kind are blown in from the
desert every day. Messianic
vagabonds...

JESSICA
And is it customary for my daughter
and her Qizarate priests to
tolerate such outright heresy?

STILGAR
Her priests would like to flay him
alive for the heresy he spews. But
she won't allow it. She says he's
harmless.

JESSICA
It's because she thinks it might be
true. Isn't it?

A beat. Then...

STILGAR
I wouldn't presume to know what's
in the Regent's mind.

Jessica clearly isn't satisfied with this evasion.

GURNEY
Paul's gone, m'Lady. He walked into
the desert, blind, alone.

STILGAR
Shai-Hulud came for him. He is
gone.

And Jessica finally nods sadly.

STILGAR
I want to supervise the
interrogation of the ones we took
in the streets...

As he starts to leave...

JESSICA
I'd like Gurney to go with you. If
that's agreeable...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:
STILGAR
It would be my honor. It's too long
since I've had the advantage of
Gurney Halleck's advice.

And the two men go off. Glad to be together again.

Allowing Jessica to...

...notice the room for the first time. Relatively empty.

Simple furnishings. More like the private quarters in a
desert sietch than the apartments of a royal palace.

She moves about the room slowly. Quietly. Drinking it in.

Until she finds...

A small green necklace. In a small jewel box. Chani's

necklace. The one the old Reverend Mother used to christen
her as Sayadina at Sietch Tabr. The one Chani gave to Paul.

And Jessica recognizes it instantly. Her hand closes tightly

around it. Holding it to her heart. A wave of emotion sweeps
over her.

Jessica takes a deep breath. Trying to calm her nerves.

And that's when...

LETO
This was their room.

He's in the doorway. With Ghani.

Silhouetted against the light from the hall.

GHANI
Alia kept it exactly as they did.

For a moment, Jessica is too startled and nervous to say

speak.

LETO
We used to play here when we were
little...

GHANI
...it made us feel close to them.

And the two of them come toward her.

GHANI
For a moment, you almost imagined
that's who we were...

(CONTINUED)

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LETO
...didn't you? You almost let
yourself believe we were Father and
Mother.

Jessica smiles inscrutably.

JESSICA
It was not an unpleasant moment.

She sits in one of the chairs. Beckoning to them.

JESSICA
Come. Let me see you better.

They come to her. Allowing her to touch them each.

A soft caress of a cheek. A gentle clasp of a hand.

JESSICA
I've missed so much...

Jessica is flooded with emotions...which she struggles to

control. And the twins realize it.

LETO
You've never been far from us,
Grandmother...

GHANI
Your presence is always strong
within us both...

Jessica's expression darkens slightly as she studies them.

She's scrutinizing. Analyzing. And...

They know it. Yet, neither Leto or Ghani withdraw.

They simply smile warmly. Openly. Unafraid. Until...

ALIA'S VOICE
I thought we agreed to let her rest
first...

There she is. Coming across the room toward them.

JESSICA
Nonsense. Seeing my grandchildren
is all the rest I need.

But Alia fumes. This is not the way she wanted things to go.
And the twins sense it immediately.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

LETO
There will be time enough for our
reunion, grandmother.

GHANI
Now's the time for you and your
daughter.

For a moment, they remain there with Jessica.

Holding her hands...and her stare. Until finally...

They break off with Fremen gestures.

Jessica studies Alia who glares at the twins as they leave.

When they're gone...

JESSICA
They are...complicated...

ALIA
What did you expect? They are
Muad'dib's children.

JESSICA
And he would be proud. You've done
well.

For a split second, Alia's tension evaporates.

She allows a small smile to pull at her lips.

JESSICA
You're looking wonderful, darling.

She comes closer to Alia. Clearly inviting intimacy. But...

ALIA
I do my best. The people expect it.

Her tone is proper again. Formal.

Jessica holds back.

INT. TERRACE/PALACE KEEP - DAY

Overlooking the Grand Reception Hall...

...which is immense.

Great gashes of sunlight stream in from narrow windows

hundreds of yards long that rim a vaulted ceiling almost too
high to see.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

The human bureaucrats, guards, priests and servants below are

dwarfed by the size of the place. Mere ants creating
intricate patterns of movement back and forth across...

...a seemingly limitless marbled floor of intricate design

and artistry that vanishes into the dim, almost ephemeral
perimeters of the hall.

CAMERA FINDS...Jessica. Walking with Alia along the terrace

hundreds of feet above the hall.

JESSICA
The reclamation proceeds, I see.

ALIA
Paul used to say the only
permanence is change.

JESSICA
I wasn't prepared for how fast the
desert is retreating.

ALIA
Only the great Mother wilderness of
the south remains untouched. We
still meet with some resistance...

JESSICA
As I've noticed...

ALIA
Some of the older Naibs have
withdrawn from our counsel. Taken
their tribes to the far regions,
(beat)
We're better off without them.

JESSICA
Though some remain to attack you
directly...

ALIA
We know how to deal with our
enemies.

Implacable words. Grim tone. Betrayed, however, by her

tentative eyes.

The few servants up here bow deferentially, averting their

gaze as Jessica and Alia pass. It makes Jessica visibly
uncomfortable.

(CONTINUED)

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JESSICA
It must be so hard for you...the
responsibility...the loneliness...

ALIA
What can you know of loneliness?

JESSICA
(after a beat)
I've had my share.

Alia stops. Turns to her mother. Her stare hardens.

ALIA
Is that why you've finally returned
then? Because you're lonely?

JESSICA
I came to see my grandchildren. To
see you.

ALIA
Don't try to conceal anything from
me, Mother. I can read truth in the
slightest tick of human behavior.
This was your "gift" to me.
Remember? It's in my blood. In my
blood before I was even
born...thanks to you.

JESSICA
Alia...

ALIA
Don't interrupt! I am the Regent of
this Empire. I rule in Paul's name
for his children. I am the supreme
authority here...

Jessica is startled by this abrupt display of temper.

She notices...

Servants are scurrying away. Pretending to be busy. But

really removing themselves from a scene they should not
witness.

And Alia instantly realizes the line she's just crossed.

For a moment, her facade of strength cracks.
(CONTINUED)

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ALIA
You abandoned me, Mother. Left me
here... alone...to fend for myself
after Paul died. I was only
fifteen. Fifteen!

JESSICA
You had Stilgar. Duncan. The
Council of Naibs. No one could
challenge you.
(beat)
You knew how I felt about this
place...

ALIA
And yet here you are. After all
these years. To judge me.

JESSICA
Not to judge. To observe.

ALIA
By observing you judge. Just like
that wicked Bene Gesserit bitch who
taught you. We were right to kill
her. Abomination. That's what she
called me...

Something frantic is now lurking behind her eyes.

JESSICA
I can't undo the past...

ALIA
But I can influence the future.
Paul taught me that well enough.

JESSICA
Be careful, Alia, please...

ALIA
That's what you're afraid of, isn't
it? You're afraid I have his
power...his vision...

And she masks her insecurity with a haughty smile.

But Jessica sees right through it. She comes over.

Takes her daughter's face in her hands.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
No, darling. I'm afraid...you'll
get lost trying to achieve it.

She has touched her daughter's greatest fear.

And Alia trembles...with anger, with frustration.

ALIA
I love you...
(beat)
I hate you...
(beat)
I'll never forgive you.

And she turns her back on her mother.

Leaving her mother there alone...

...to watch Alia as she goes. Measuring the emotional

distance that clearly separates them. Forever.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREETS OF ARRAKEEN - EVENING

A carnival of fanatic pilgrims, curious "tourists",

dislocated desert Fremen, and the merchants who prey on all
of them.

Ill-fitting faux stillsuits are the fashion. Water waste is

everywhere.

Obsession with fortune-tellers and oracles is rampant.

There are kiosks and storefronts devoted to nothing else.

MERCHANTS
(series of shots)
I have vials of water from the
reservoirs of Sietch Tabr...
guaranteed...

My hawks can bring your prayers to

heaven...

This cloth was touched by Muad'Dib

himself...

But the cries of Muezzins from the towers of the Temple

Palace are stark reminders that this is still a society
governed by severe tradition and despotic ritual.

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EXT. TEMPLE PLAZA - EVENING

Pilgrims crowd into this massive square bordered by the

colossal Palace Keep and Alia's intimidating Temple of the
Faithful.

Priests line the stairs of the Temple.

Accepting alms and penances.
Offering benedictions.

VOICE
BLASPHEMERS...!

A hush falls over the plaza. In the crush of dusty, sweating

humanity...

That blind mystic, the Preacher, and his young Fremen guide
make their way up the Temple steps. Ignoring or unaware of
the occasional whisper...

VOICES
Muad'Dib...

...or the reverential touch from some unfamiliar passerby.

PREACHER
IDOLATORS! You fool yourselves with
images of things you can't possibly
understand. You cripple yourselves
before these...
(pointing at the priests)
...toads of ritual and ceremony,
addicted to their own holiness.

The crowd stirs. The priests seethe.

But no one makes a move against the Preacher.

PREACHER
They give you only fear. And in
return you give them obedience. But
I give you...a warning.

IN THE CROWD...DUNCAN IDAHO.

Stillsuit and robe hiding his identity.
Gently slipping forward. Closer to the steps.
Closer to a good view of the Preacher.

PREACHER
Those who accept self-deception
shall perish by that deception...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

And now he turns. Looks in the direction of Idaho.

As if he could see him. As if he recognized him.

PREACHER
And those who pray for dew at the
desert's edge shall bring forth the
deluge....

VOICE
Damn him...

And suddenly...CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL....

ALIA. She's now on...

INT./EXT. BALCONY, ROYAL APARTMENTS - SAME

...high above the crowds below that are now parting like a
river around a dam as the Preacher is led out of the Plaza.

ALIA
Damn him...damn him...

Alia is visibly outraged. And her anger makes her vulnerable

again to that haunting choir of...

Voices in her head. Speaking all at once.

Unfamiliar languages. Incomprehensible words.
A chaos of noise that's driving her mad.

Her head pounds. She stumbles back into her apartment.

Pressing her fingers into her skull in a futile attempt to

relieve the pain. The only thing that stops it is...

JAVID
M'Lady...

He's there gently touching her arm.

Speaking softly. Tenderly....

JAVID
Don't torture yourself. He is mad.
A mere thunderclap in the night.
Startling for a moment, then gone.
Come back to the balcony...
come...let me show you who is the
real storm...come...

And he urges her back to the balcony.

And as they step into the light...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

A unison murmur becomes a unison gasp becomes a unison cry of

ecstacy...

CROWD
Alia...Alia...Alia....

JAVID
You see?

And Alia is rejuvenated. She swells with renewed confidence.

Her breathing quickens. Almost as if...she was becoming
sexually aroused.

The voices of the crowd drive out the demons of her mind.
And she raises her arms in blessing.

And then...Javid takes her by the arm.

Aides her back into the apartment.

ALIA
You always know the right thing to
do, don't you?

JAVID
I can't bear to see you suffer.

ALIA
Then if I asked you to kill him,
would you?

JAVID
I wouldn't hesitate. But...I would
advise against it.

She bores into him with those intense eyes of hers.

JAVID
I'd say it's not time to move
against the Preacher yet. Let him
gain some currency. Let our enemies
rally to his ideas. The man has
flaws. When the time is right, they
can be used to discredit him.
Better he is disgraced than
martyred.

Alia studies her young acolyte approvingly.

And she reaches out to stroke his cheek tenderly.

ALIA
You are always good medicine for my
distress, Javid.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JAVID
Whatever the cause of that
distress, M'Lady.

There is a compassion in his voice that hints of a deeper

relationship between these two than would seem appropriate.

She leans in. Kisses him sweetly on the lips.

He doesn't back away.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CORRIDORS/PALACE KEEP....LATER - EVENING

Idaho is returning from his reconnaissance on the streets.

Shedding his robe and stillsuit hood as he comes.
But he is slowed by sounds coming from...

The apartments at the end of the hall.

Where a door is slightly ajar.

It sounds like crying...or moaning.

Idaho approaches silently. Expression darkening as he gently

inches back the door to SEE...

Alia. And Javid. On the bed across the room. Wrapped in each
other's naked embrace. Oblivious in their frenzied passion.

INT. ROYAL APARTMENTS - SAME

At the climax of her ecstasy...Alia looms over Javid like a

predatory bird. Her pants are low, hoarse, almost dissociated
from her self.

ALIA
Such a beautiful boy...

FADE TO BLACK

END ACT 2

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ACT 3

FADE IN

EXT. WORM CORRAL/SALUSA SECUNDUS - DAY

An adolescent WORM swims just below the surface of these

acres of sand. Leaving its wake as it goes. But it's a
lethargic, aimless pattern. Pitiful to watch.

Which is what PRINCE FARAD'N is doing now. Making notes in a

small book or diary. By the canals of water which define the
worm's "cage".

FARAD'N
Like the desperate pacing of giant
cats in the zoos of ancient times.

His mother's aid-de-camp, the Sardaukar Tyekanik, is with

him.

TYEKANIK
I wouldn't know. I'm not the
scholar you are, young Prince.

FARAD'N
Back and forth. Back and forth...
until they made themselves sick.
Just like this worm...
(beat)
Just like my mother...with her
futile schemes to regain power for
House Corrino.

Farad'n is eighteen now. Leaner and clearly stronger than the

fleshy boy who couldn't/wouldn't excel in Sardaukar training.

But his eyes still betray a sensitivity, an introspection

that marks him for an intellectual, not a killer.

TYEKANIK
Your mother is... an ambitious
woman, my Prince.

FARAD'N
Her ambitions tend to be
undisturbed by reality, I'm afraid.

TYEKANIK
You don't share her desire to
reclaim your grandfather's throne
for yourself?

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:
FARAD'N
Only a fool covets power without
appreciating its delicate uses...or
fearing it's inherent perils.

Tyekanik levels his young Prince with an admiring stare.

TYEKANIK
I remember enough of my history to
recall a similar remark...made by
an ancient philosopher named
Machiavelli...

FARAD'N
The world of Shaddam IV remains
only in the texts of crumbling
history books. We hate the Empire
that defeated it, but we have no
idea what we'd like in its place.

TYEKANIK
The kind of society we once had, I
assume.

FARAD'N
My mother may believe that's
possible, Tyek. But anyone who has
read Machiavelli can't deceive
himself with such nonsense.

And he makes more notes as he watches the worm grind its way
haphazardly. Back and forth. Back and forth.

INT. GREENHOUSE.....ROYAL KEEP/ARRAKEEN - EVENING

This is the place Jessica discovered the first day she

arrived at the Palace with Paul so many years ago. Then, it
was perhaps the only oasis of green on the entire planet.

Jessica is here. Meditating over the still-glorious profusion

of exotic plants and flowers. Overwhelmed by the scents that
soak the atmosphere...by the memories that flood her mind.

And then...IRULAN appears in the doorway.

IRULAN
Reverend Mother.

Jessica turn's. Extends a hand to greet her "daughter-in-law"

as Irulan glides elegantly into the room.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

IRULAN
They told me I might find you here.

JESSICA
(looking around)
I was afraid it would be gone.

IRULAN
Paul...
(beat; then correcting herself)
...Muad'Dib would never have
permitted that. He said your
promise to the old housekeeper,
Mapes, would never be broken.

JESSICA
Seems a little silly now, though,
doesn't it? Considering the changes
everywhere...

IRULAN
People don't visit like they used
to. Still, it remains a symbol.

JESSICA
Symbolism is everywhere these days.
Just like these weeds...

She turns back to Irulan.

JESSICA
I am truly happy to see you,
Irulan. Your devotion to my
grandchildren has been a comfort to
me.

IRULAN
They are the source of my
happiness...

JESSICA
And occasionally your exasperation,
I hear.

IRULAN
They are...strong willed.

JESSICA
As I would have expected.
Considering...

(CONTINUED)

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IRULAN
And what else do you expect,
Reverend Mother? Considering...

And the two women lock eyes. A moment of mutual scrutiny.

IRULAN
I am...was a Bene Gesserit. Trained
just as you were. I know plots
within plots, feints within feints.
I suspect the sisterhood has never
lost interest in the children's
bloodlines...
(beat)
...although they would never
confide as much to a defector like
me.

JESSICA
Isn't it ironic, Irulan? We are
both Bene Gesserits who deserted
our sisterhood for the same reason.
Love. Love of men...who are now
dead.

Irulan has to steel herself against the emotions Jessica is

causing. Feelings for Paul...

IRULAN
I did love your son, Jessica.
Although he never loved me. I would
have made him a good wife. Instead,
I've satisfied myself being a good
teacher to his children...and
friend.

JESSICA
And I have come to respect you for
that.
IRULAN
I warn you...nothing...nothing will
ever harm them...as long as I can
prevent it. Do you understand?

And Jessica nods.

LETO'S VOICE
Maybe it'd be better if I never
became Emperor...

CUT TO:

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INT. JESSICA'S APARTMENTS/PALACE KEEP - DAY

He is sitting lotus-position across from...

Jessica. Stiff and formal in her high backed chair.

Clearly uncomfortable.

LETO
I'm being selfish, I know. But I
think it's necessary for me...and
Ghani...to have the freedom to
learn how to live with what we are.

JESSICA
And what are you, Leto, that you
need this time to learn about
yourself?

LETO
Why don't you tell me?

Jessica studies him. Refusing to be baited.

LETO
Isn't that why you're here?

JESSICA
You remind me of your father.

LETO
And...my grandfather? My namesake.
Your beloved Duke..."

Jessica hesitates. Now it's Leto's turn to study her.

LETO
Such an admission would be
complicated, wouldn't it? We might
have to enter a realm of intimacies
that would make us both
uncomfortable...

JESSICA
In a way I find it reassuring. That
he lives on in you.

LETO
(almost to himself)
How little you understand how he
lives on in me.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
Is that what you're struggling
with?

She's using the VOICE. The arcane Bene Gesserit method of

control and manipulation using overtones and vibrations. In
this case subtle and discreet. Just enough to be effective.
But Leto recognizes it for what it is, of course.

LETO
To know the future is to become
trapped by it, Grandmother. My
father knew it, but he couldn't
escape it. I want more freedom than
that. A universe of surprises...
that's what I pray for.

JESSICA
Is such a universe possible? For
someone like you?

LETO
Possible?
(beat)
Yes. But is it desirable?

Leto's stare turns inward.

LETO
I have a difficult decision to
make, Grandmother. Do I accept the
Atreides mystique? Do I dress
myself in our myths, live for my
subjects...die for them...?
(beat)
Or do I take another path. A Golden
Path...that might change me...
(beat)
...that might change human destiny.
Forever.

JESSICA
I don't understand.

LETO
I know you don't. Because you don't
understand time.

JESSICA
I can help you, Leto.

(CONTINUED)

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LETO
On the contrary, Grandmother.

And now...he uses the VOICE! Sophisticated. Practiced.

LETO
It is I who will help you.

Jessica is impressed...and a little frightened by his skill.

INT. PALACE CORRIDORS - SAME

Outside Jessica's quarters.

CAMERA FINDS...Alia. In the shadows near the door. Listening

to the soft voices of Jessica and Leto on the other side.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THE TWINS' ROOMS/PALACE KEEP - NIGHT

Alia is glaring at Leto and Ghanima who are calmly playing a

version of the old game of chess. Ignoring Alia...much to her
growing anger.

ALIA
I want to know what she said. I
want to know what she expects.

LETO
I don't think she knows for sure.

A blindingly fast pace on the chessboard.

Pieces are being moved seemingly without any thought.

ALIA
You're being coy.

GHANIMA
If you want to know how coy he is,
play this game with him

Move. Countermove. Move. Countermove.

And yet not one piece is taken.
It's like they can read each other's mind.

ALIA
This is not a game!

The twins finally look up from the chess set.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALIA
We must work together...

GHANIMA
We?

ALIA
Otherwise we are vulnerable...

LETO
To what?

ALIA
To the forces conspiring against
us. Powerful forces that want to
destroy House Atreides.

LETO
Grandmother is Atreides.

ALIA
She is Bene Gesserit! And we, have
to work together to divine their
schemes...

GHANIMA
You want us to engage in the Spice
Trance.

Leto slams a piece down. As if the idea alarmed him.

ALIA
Don't turn your backs on your
heritage. Your father was the
greatest man in history. He gave
you wonderful talents. They could
be put to great use. Why won't you
use them?

Leto turns to his Aunt. Nails her with a hard stare.

LETO
You just want us to see things you
can not, isn't that it?

Alia lowers her tone of voice. Trying to be reassuring.

Trying to be persuasive.

ALIA
There is nothing to fear.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:
LETO
Isn't there?

And he nails her with a hard stare.

GHANIMA
Other lives hover in the enigma of
our consciousness, Alia. Shared
lives. It is the curse of all pre-
born...

LETO
They are the real danger. Not our
Grandmother...
(beat)
...you should know that better than
most.

Alia stiffens with rage she can no longer control.

ALIA
One day each of you will come face
to face with the horror of your own
existence. One day you will cry out
for help. One day each of you will
find yourself...alone...

But it's Alia who sounds like she's crying out for help.
The twins' expressions can't conceal their compassion.
But they don't respond.

Alia storms out of the room.

GHANIMA
What if she's is right?

Leto doesn't answer. He makes a game-move instead.

LETO
Check.

INT. ALIA'S APARTMENTS....LATER - NIGHT

She is leaning against the window sill. Pale and weak.

Forcefully gripping the sill as...

The rage of noise in her mind torments her.

That CHORUS OF VOICES. All talking all at once.

Her head pounds as tries to stifle the mental chaos with deep
breaths and low moans.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:
ALIA
Please....please....

But nothing works. She staggers back into the room.

Into...

A swirl of faces. Floating in the atmosphere around her.

Spectral, tortured faces. Dim and unrecognizable.
Confronting her with strange words.
Incomprehensible languages. Until...

Laughter suddenly cuts through the noise.

Basso profunda laughter. Distant at first...
But getting louder and louder. Closer and closer.

The other voices become agitated.

Their pleading more frantic.
But the laughter gets louder.

It starts to dominate the other voices.

Overpowering them with its vehemence, its intensity.

And there...in the murkiness, a figure forms.

A swirling red cyclone. Forging itself in the spectral mists.
Becoming more distinct as the laughter gets closer. And
then...

VOICE
Out! Get out! All of you...OUT!

And now the other voices fade. Dissolving into a howl of wind
that sweeps through the room.

And his laughter rocks the room. Familiar laughter.

A familiar voice.

VOICE
So, granddaughter, you finally meet
the spiritual gom jabbar.

And Alia stares in horror at that reddish storm forming in

front of her. Becoming corporeal. Becoming...a face. A man.

The BARON HARKONNEN.

END ACT 3

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ACT 4

FADE IN

EXT. IMPERIAL PLAZA - NIGHT

Empty except for a few fanatics prostrating themselves in

front of the Temple. Lost in their messianic delirium.

The Imperial guards posted at strategic points ignore them.

INT. JESSICA'S APARTMENTS /ROYAL KEEP - NIGHT

She is listening patiently as Gurney paces across the room.

Stilgar sits nearby. Inscrutable as ever.

GURNEY
It was meant to look like rebel
Fremen. Tribes harboring resentment
toward the Atreides and the changes
to Arrakis.

STILGAR
But I don't believe it.

JESSICA
Why?

Gurney and Stilgar exchange a nervous look.

STILGAR
During interrogation, the ones we
captured cried out the name...
Jacarutu...

Jessica startles.

STILGAR
...and then died.

JESSICA
(to Stilgar; shocked)
You tortured them!?

GURNEY
Post hypnotic suicide compulsion,
m'Lady. The sound of the word
itself. It simply stopped their
hearts.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
Leto and I heard rumors of Jacarutu
Sietch when we first came here. We
could never find out if the place
actually existed.

STILGAR
The name Jacarutu is a synonym for
evil, Jessica. The Iduali tribe
came from there.

And as he talks...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE DESERT

Someone is running. Fast. And hard. The sound of heavy

breathing obscures all other sounds except...

The soft grinding hiss reminiscent of...a worm.

STILGAR'S VOICE
They were water stealers. The most
heinous criminals under Fremen law.
"The first and greatest sin"....

Dunes are hurdled with astonishing grace. Distant rock

formations are approached and passed with unnatural speed
until...there, in the distance...

A squat ridge of mountains. Sitting alone in the desolation.

A barren, ugly fortress. A grotesque ruin of nature.

This is the same place Leto has seen in his vision.

STILGAR'S VOICE
The other Fremen tribes finally
banded together to make war on
Jacarutu.

There is screaming in the mountains. Harrowing, ghostly cries

of terror and agony. As if the memory of some terrible
slaughter were being carried away on the wind.

STILGAR'S VOICE
The Iduali were slaughtered. Their
water spread upon the sands. Their
sietch was declared taboo. No
Fremen is allowed to look for it.

SMASH CUT TO:

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INT. JESSICA'S APARTMENTS - NIGHT

She is listening with rapt attention to Stilgar's tale.

STILGAR
But legend persists that not all
the Iduali were wiped out. That
some escaped...to become known as
the Cast Out.

JESSICA
And you think these... "cast out"
might have been responsible for
what happened the other day?

STILGAR
The possibility makes my blood run
cold.

GURNEY
If the Cast Out exist, they would
surely camouflage themselves as
something else.

STILGAR
We would not permit them to live if
we knew.

JESSICA
Gurney, contact your old smuggler
allies. The ones in the deep
desert. See what they" know of
Jacarutu...and the Cast Out.

And she moves off to the windows.

JESSICA
If such a people still exist, they
could turn out to be our greatest
threat.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ARRAKEEN CITY (FROM SHIELD WALL MOUNTAIN) - NIGHT

The white noise of the metropolis is punctuated by...

Evening prayer chimes ringing out from the temple.

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INT. DIRTY APARTMENT - SAME

Barren and unkempt. Somewhere deep in the city's interior.

Several men are in hushed conversation as they share a meager
meal of bread and fruit. Among them...

MURIZ. Looks like a smuggler.

NAMRI. A desert Fremen. Wild-eyed and intense.

NAMRI
The Atreides' man, Halleck, is
being sent to the desert to ask
questions. Sooner or later he will
encounter someone who can be
bought...

MURIZ
Then we must make sure he buys the
right answers.

And that's when CAMERA FINDS....

TARIQ. The young Fremen escort to the one they call The
Preacher. Sitting next to...

JAVID! Alia's priest acolyte lover.

JAVID
Alia's paranoia grows stronger by
the day. In her madness, she sees
enemies everywhere. And her only
solution is more and more
repression.

MURIZ
Exactly as we want. The more terror
we sow, the more fear and confusion
we harvest. The more severe Alia
reacts, the more Fremen she drives
into the South, and the sooner they
will openly rebel.

TARIQ
And now all the Atreides are on
Arrakis...

NAMRI
All the water in one cistern...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

TARIQ
(to Muriz)
What shall I do with the blind
fool, Father?

And he nods towards another room of the house.

MURIZ
He can still be useful. Take him
into the desert until we need his
"sermons'' again.

A menacing chuckle escapes Muriz as he smiles at Namri who

nods agreement.

MURIZ
Out of chaos comes civil war.
Fremen and Atreides destroying each
other.

NAMRI
The water of our enemies will feed
our revenge...

MURIZ
...our suffering will be repaid a
thousand fold...

Muriz puts his hand into the center of the group.

Each of the men clasps it in ritual fashion.

MURIZ
Jacarutu...

ALL
Jacarutu...

And CAMERA MOVES AWAY TO...

INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM - SAME

...where a lone figure sits meditating. It is the PREACHER.

And he seems oblivious to the conspiracies in the next room.
Because beyond those sightless, black holes that were eyes...

A desert storm rages...

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EXT. THE DESERT - DAWN

...a deafening tornado of wind and sand.

Racing across the dunes with enormous speed.

Coming faster and faster but suddenly...

Changing. Transforming. Becoming...

A delicate, gorgeous BUTTERFLY.

Landing on a rock in front of...

Leto. Who is sitting with Stilgar.

On a ledge of a small mountain.

The Shield Wall surrounding Arrakis is a just a black blur to

the East. The wind-kicked desert is spread out endlessly to
the West.

Neither one of them speaks for a moment.

Leto seems transfixed by...

...that delicate butterfly, resting there so peacefully,

wings gracefully swaying in an unseen breeze...until...

STILGAR
(re the butterfly)
It comes as if you summoned it.

Leto's reverie is interrupted. He turns to his mentor.

Studies him with an expression wiser than his years.

LETO
It summoned me, Stil.

STILGAR
Then may I ask why? We risked a
sand crossing at night. Without
bodyguards...

LETO
Come, Stil...how often do you ride
the sands any more...when you want,
where you want, calling a worm
instead of travelling with a flock
of 'thopters. How often do you just
arm the thumper... and go? Like the
Fremen you used to be...

STILGAR
Used to be?

A silence descends. Leto turns back to the butterfly.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

LETO
In many corners of the universe
this delicate thing is considered a
wondrous beauty. But here, it's a
symbol of the corruption infecting
Arrakis. It wouldn't exist but for
the changes we're forcing onto this
place.

STILGAR
Changes inspired by your father...

LETO
That's the official Stilgar
speaking. The government Stilgar.
The Fremen Stilgar is still
repulsed by this alien life, isn't
he?

Stilgar doesn't answer.

LETO
I have a serious problem, Stil.

STILGAR
So I've gathered.

LETO
The trouble with me is the trouble
with this place,
(beat)
My father left so many things
undone...

STILGAR
I don't understand.

LETO
A good ruler doesn't need to be a
prophet, Stil. Not even god-like. A
good ruler needs to be sensitive
...to the ones he rules.

STILGAR
The ancient meaning of our Fremen
word Naib is "servant of the
Sietch".

Leto unsheathes his crysknife.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

LETO
The crysknife dissolves when the
owner dies...

STILGAR
It is our legend.

LETO
Muad'dib has dissolved. But his
crysknife has not...

Stilgar is not sure where Leto is going with this.

LETO
A new path must be taken, Stil. A
path that may require me to
demystify my own father, to destroy
his legacy.

Stilgar stiffens. With confusion. With anger.

STILGAR
These are not sentiments I'd share
with your aunt or her priests,
young lord.

Leto turns to Stil. Eyes burning with an intensity that makes

even this calloused Fremen nervous.

LETO
Beware Alia, Stil. She is no longer
your friend.

And that's when the butterfly suddenly leaps from the rocks,
flying straight up into the air. Up and up until it's
invisible.

LETO
You must promise to protect
Ghanima. If anything should happen
to me, anything, my sister will be
your only hope.

Stilgar is deeply disturbed by Leto's remarks.

INT. IRULAN'S APARTMENTS/ROYAL KEEP - DAY

One of the servants is holding up what looks like a Fremen

tunic. A plain cloth shirt of simple tailoring. But...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

There is something familiar about it. Something about the

ornamental embroidery that makes it unique. Not unlike...

...the shirts those children were wearing on Salusa Secundus

the day they were killed by Princess Wencesia's tigers!

IRULAN
I don't like it.

She approaches from across the room. Fingers the tunic's

material as the servant holds it.

IRULAN
Why would the Corrino family send
gifts to Muad'Dib's children?

IDAHO
An attempt to curry favor with the
future Emperor and his sister...

He is with another servant who is holding some Fremen robes.

More gifts.

IRULAN
You don't believe that any more
than I do, Duncan.

And Idaho doesn't pursue it.

IRULAN
Nothing is ever as it appears with
my sister. Even an innocent gift of
clothing can be dangerous.
(to the servant)
I want these examined thoroughly
and a report brought back to roe
before they are given to the
children. Is that understood?

The servants nod and hurry out of the room with the clothing.
Irulan can feel the hot intensity of Idaho's stare.
But she doesn't turn to him.

IRULAN
I can feel your suspicion, Duncan.
You're wondering if there is
something more complex in my
motives, aren't you?

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

IDAHO
The history of what brought a
Corrino Princess into the Atreides
family is not easily forgotten,
m'Lady.

IRULAN
Plans within plans, is that it,
Mentat? You doubt my allegiance to
this family.

IDAHO
Allegiances...once changed, can
change again.

IRULAN
If I were you, I would search my
own house for changed allegiances.

And she leaves him there alone.

Analyzing what she just said.

INT. ALIA'S APARTMENTS....LATER - NIGHT

She is sitting alone in the dark. Staring at...nothing.

In some kind of trance. Eyes fogged with spice intoxication.

ALIA
...I had full consciousness long
before birth. The knowledge of all
the lives that came before...the
genetic river flowing in my
veins...the Reverend Mothers...the
Atreides... my entire heritage...
alive in me. Ever present...
(beat)
I had no defense against their
invasion of my mind...

VOICE
And so you are stalked by fear.

The deep, basso profunda rumble of...Baron Harkonnen.

ALIA
Fear...always fear. Of the
judgment. The pre born are...
possessed. They are...abomination.

BARON HARKONNEN
Bene Gesserit rubbish!

(CONTINUED)

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 161
CONTINUED:

And there he is! His grotesque face floating like some

predatory spectre behind Alia.

BARON HARKONNEN
If you succumb to the fear it will
defeat you.

ALIA
The trial of abomination ends
with...death.

BARON HARKONNEN
But we won't let that happen, will
we?

ALIA
We? You're dead. I killed you.

BARON HARKONNEN
Yes, you clever little minx. You
killed me. And yet here I am.

Alia is struggling emotionally.

It's obvious in her expression.
She's fighting it...

ALIA
Go away...please, go away....

BARON HARKONNEN
But you need help, granddaughter.
The others in here want your entire
consciousness. They want to drive
you out.

And now, he floats around to face her.

Becoming fully corporeal as he comes.
Becoming more and more... real

BARON HARKONNEN
But I only want a tiny little
corner of my own...an occasional
moment with your senses. An
occasional taste, an occasional...
touch...

His voice trembles with excitement.

BARON HARKONNEN
No one ever needs to know.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

ALIA
No...no. You murdered my father.
You tried to destroy my family. You
would have killed Paul...

BARON HARKONNEN
Oh yes. All that. Of course, I
would have killed you. You and your
brother stood in my way. But that's
old business. You won! I'm dead,
thanks to you, darling. I have only
a fragile existence. A mere memory-
self within you. You are alive. I
am yours to command. And how little
I ask in return...

ALIA
Mine...to command?

BARON HARKONNEN
Yours, my precious girl. Think of
what we can accomplish together.
Your power. My experience. There
will be nothing standing in our
way.

And he starts to move toward her. And as he does...

He starts to dissolve. Becoming a thick, blood-red mist.

A burgundy cloud that sweeps over Alia. Enveloping her.

ALIA
The voices in my mind...

BARON HARKONNEN
...will be silenced.

ALIA
My enemies...

BARON HARKONNEN
...will be destroyed.

And their voices are starting to blend.

To become one.

ALIA/BARON HARKONNEN
No one will stand in the way of our
powers. From this moment on, the
future is ours.

END ACT 4

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 163
ACT 5

FADE IN

EXT. GARDENS...PALACE KEEP - DAY

An exquisite terrace of exotic plants and flowers.

Shaded by billowing, multi-colored silk awnings.

The distant noise of the city is barely audible from this

lofty botanical refuge.

JESSICA
I never should have left here. It
was a cowardly thing to do.

She is marveling at the greenery here. No longer an oddity in

the open atmosphere of Arrakis.

GHANIMA
Why do you blame yourself?

And she is sitting on a bench nearby.

Busying herself making a garland of flowers.

GHANIMA
You lost so much here. I know it.
Leto knows it. Even Alia must know
it...in her way.

The mention of Alia forces Jessica to close her eyes.

To calm herself with meditative breathing.

Ghanima watches...with a knowing, intuitive stare.

GHANIMA
It helps, doesn't it?
(off Jessica's look)
The litany against fear. You were
thinking it, weren't you? "Fear is
the mindkiller...."

Jessica admits it with a nod. Comes over to sit with Ghani.

JESSICA
Ghani, I...have decided...
(beat)
I wish you to know my fear.

Ghani puts down the garland. Studies her grandmother...

...affectionately.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
Just before we came to Arrakis...
the first time...I brought a
Reverend Mother to meet your
father. He was only a boy...

GHANIMA
I remem...
(beat; catching herself)
I've been told.

Jessica lets this pass.

JESSICA
The Reverend Mother tested your
father...

GHANIMA
To see if he was human....

JESSICA
To see if he was...exceptional. And
he was. Born out of his time...a
Kwisatz Haderach before they...
we...were ready. There were fears
he would be corrupted. That he
might be...

GHANIMA
Abomination.

Jessica sighs deeply. The memory of all this is not pleasant.

JESSICA
The Reverend Mother brought a nerve
induction box. Tested Paul with it.
She held a gom jabbar at his throat
to enforce it.

As Jessica talks, a strange thing happens to Ghanima.

Just like her father, Paul, all those years ago...

She feels the pain. In her right hand.

As if it were in that horrible black box.

JESSICA
There was nothing I could do but
wait. He might have failed. He
might have died. I was forbidden to
interfere...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

And now Jessica notices Ghani wincing.

Staring at her right hand as if it were burning.

GHANIMA
But he survived.

And the memory of pain vanishes from her expression.

JESSICA
Of course, you remember this in a
way I cannot...

GHANIMA
And that's what you fear, isn't it?
The memories I have inherited. The
possibility of possession. The
possibility of... abomination.

JESSICA
Not you. I'm sure of that...now.

GHANIMA
But you're not sure about Leto.

JESSICA
(a beat; then)
Is he ready, Ghani? Leto. Is he
strong enough to withstand what's
coming?

GHANIMA
What is it that's coming?

JESSICA
The Golden Path?

Ghani startles.

JESSICA
Leto used those words. When he and
I were together...

It takes a while for Ghani to answer. But finally...

GHANIMA
He has visions...of a pilgrimage
deep into the desert. A journey to
a far away place where he...
(beat)
...where he talks to our father
about how things must change.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
Change...how?

GHANIMA
He can't tell me. I think he's
holding things back from me.

Jessica sinks back into herself a little.

A tear escapes her eye.

Ghanima takes her grandmother's hands in hers.

GHANIMA
But I know this, Grandmother. It is
not possession. It is not
abomination.

And she reaches over to Jessica's face.

Takes away the tear with her finger...

GHANIMA
And when it is my brother's turn to
be tested, he will survive. Just as
our father did.

...and she licks the tear away.

CUT TO:

EXT. COURTYARDS...CORRINO CITADEL/SALUSA SECUNDUS - DAY

Servants are moving crates of foodstuffs from trailers to the

kitchens. Vegetables, breads, fruits.

The bleats of penned animals cry out from the barns attached
to the building.

CAMERA FINDS...Princess Wensicia moving through the activity.

Examining the food. Accompanied by her aide-de-camp,
Tyekanik.

TYEKANIK
Our sources inside the Atreides
palace assure me the clothes were
delivered, m'Lady. It is your
sister who has refused to give them
to the children.

PRINCESS WENSICIA
Damn her!

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

TYEKANIK
The catalyst is well hidden. The
best Imperial security will never
discover it. Sooner or later Irulan
will have no justification for
withholding the "gifts".

She seems mollified by her aide's answers.

But her expression darkens when...
She glances over at...

THE WORM CORRAL (POV)...in the distance.

Farad'n is there. Making notes as usual.

PRINCESS WENSICIA
You're sure he doesn't know?

TYEKANIK
He knows only that we sent the
Atreides twins tokens of our esteem
and good wishes in his name,
(beat)
He seems curious about the girl,
Ghanima. Our reports from the
Arrakeen have intrigued him.

And that's when a BUTCHER comes out of the barn.

Dragging a small goat on a chain.
Bringing it to Wensicia for approval.

As the Princess moves over to inspect the animal...

PRINCESS WENSICIA
Just make sure Farad'n knows
nothing of our plans until it's
done. He doesn't have the stomach
for it.

She nods to the butcher who pulls a long knife from his belt.
He moves over the goat to kill it...but...

Wensicia grabs his hand. Takes the knife from him.

PRINCESS WENSICIA
My son loves to eat well, Tyek, but
he's not capable of doing what it
takes to get the food.

And with that she leans down and slashes the animal's throat.

DISSOLVE TO:

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EXT. THE DESERT - NIGHT

A smuggler camp hides in the shadows of a huge dune.

Several tents. A 'thopter or two. And lots of armed men.
Including...

Gurney Halleck. Sitting with a group of others.

Watching them eat. Keeping his own counsel until...

Another Smuggler approaches.

SMUGGLER
We have arranged for someone to
take you deeper into the desert,
Gurney Halleck. He will help you
find what you're looking for.

Without another word he moves off to one of the tents.

Gurney gets up to follow.

INT. SMUGGLER TENT....MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

Gurney pulls back the flap to find several smugglers sitting

together. Talking quietly. When they hear him come in...

They stand. Moving aside for the man who's come to guide
Gurney. And that man steps forward into the dim light so his
face is visible for the first time.

It's NAMRI! Javid's father. One of the Cast-Out!

One of the conspirators who swore revenge on the Atreides.
He's with a young WOMAN. Her name is...SABIHA.

ALIA'S VOICE
How dare you!

INT. ROYAL KEEP/ARRAKEEN - DAY

It's Alia. Pacing back and forth in front of...

Jessica. With Ghanima and..

Leto...who is holding one of those Fremen tunics sent as

gifts from House Corrino. Fingering it gently. Something
about it intrigues him.

ALIA
These robes are gifts from Prince
Farad'n. A gesture of goodwill. An
opportunity to ease tension between
the Houses...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

She is raving at...Irulan...who is standing defiantly across

the room.

ALIA
Javid arranged for this himself.

And they all look over at the young Qizarate priest nearby.

JAVID
With the Regent's approval, of
course.

Jessica makes particular note of this exchange.

IRULAN
I had to satisfy myself.

ALIA
Satisfy yourself!?

IRULAN
...that there was no subterfuge. No
danger.

ALIA
You insinuated yourself into a
diplomatic matter that's none of
your business!

IRULAN
The safety of the twins is every
bit my business!

ALIA
You bloodless bitch. Who do you
think you are?

The room is stunned silent by this invective.

ALIA
A shriveled excuse for a female. A
dried up mannikin stick. A palace
mockery...

JESSICA
Alia...

Irulan is stung by the vilification.

(CONTINUED)

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ALIA
How is it I'm blessed with such an
extraordinary counselor as you,
Irulan? What devious finger of fate
changed you from Corrino toad into
simpering Atreides sycophant!?

IRULAN
That's enough.

ALIA
No, it's not nearly enough. From
now on my niece and nephew are no
longer under your care.

IRULAN
You can't do that!

ALIA
I AM THE REGENT OF THE EMPIRE! I
am their guardian. I rule here in
their name...

And that's when Alia carelessly reveals her weakness.

A simple thing. Just a gesture....

A hand to the temple. Two fingers rubbing an invisible itch.

Just as... Baron Harkonnen used to do.

Across the room...Jessica is riveted. She instantly

recognizes the Baron's influence on her daughter. It's all
she can do to keep from crying out. But...

JESSICA
Perhaps...you should rest, Alia.

ALIA
Rest? How can I rest when I'm
surrounded by incompetent fools? Do
you see what's become of my world,
Mother? Do you see the chaos we
must endure?

JESSICA
Yes, I see it. I'm afraid I see it
all too clearly.

And that's when Alia realizes the gesture she's been absently
making. She quickly pulls down her hand.

ALIA
Get out! All of you. Out!

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

Irulan marches out of the room without another word.

Shaken but not broken.

Leto and Ghanima follow sadly.

Finally, Jessica slowly gets to her feet.

Comes toward Alia...

...who turns her back and goes to the window.

And Jessica finally turns to leave. And as she goes, she

can't help but feel...Javid's stare...from across the room.

INT. IRULAN'S APARTMENTS....MOMENTS LATER - DAY

Irulan is alone. Trying to stuff down her anger, her hurt

when...

Jessica hurries in. Unannounced.

And before Irulan can speak...

JESSICA
You must forgive my daughter,
Irulan. She has let temper get in
the way of judgement this
afternoon...

But what she's really saying is conveyed with subtle almost

imperceptible Bene Gesserit hand signals. Finger movements
that "sign" a language only the adept can understand.

JESSICA
You are in serious danger, Irulan.

And Irulan picks up on the signals immediately.

She smiles. Graciously leads Jessica to some chairs.
As she speaks, her fingers twitch with subtle movement.

IRULAN
Is it what we've feared?

JESSICA
I want to deny it, but I can't.
Something deep within has taken
control of her. She's slipping
away...

IRULAN
Abomination.

(CONTINUED)

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JESSICA
There's no telling what she might
do now. To you...and the children.

IRULAN
What do we do?

JESSICA
You must take the twins into the
desert. To Stilgar at Sietch Tabr.
Do you have men you can trust?

IRULAN
(nodding)
Fedaykin. Loyal to me because of my
devotion to Muad'dib's children.

JESSICA
Then do it. Now. And without Alia's
knowledge.

And Irulan stands. A pleasant smile. A casual tone of voice.

Just in case spies are listening.

IRULAN
(forced formality)
Thank you for your concern.
Reverend Mother. I will let Alia
know I bear no ill feelings because
of her harsh words.

But their fingers speak differently.

JESSICA
You must not fail.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREETS OF ARRAKEEN - EVENING

Teeming with activity. The hustle of merchants and tourists.

The procession of pilgrims to the Temple Square...and...

A small group of Fremen. Hurrying down a boulevard together.

Irulan. With Leto and Ghani. Accompanied by discreet Fedaykin

bodyguards. All wearing simple Fremen clothes. Avoiding eye
contact. Sticking close together until...

Leto tugs on his sister's robe.

Points across the street where...

(CONTINUED)

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A caravan of traders is moving a cargo of off-world

merchandise into he city. A crowd follows, excited by the
array of exotic goods. Especially...

A cart carrying animal cages. And in those cages...

TIGERS! Laza tigers. Just like the ones who killed those
children on Salusa Secundus.

And standing next to those cages, discussing the animals with

a young Fremen man, is Muriz. The smuggler conspirator who
was plotting against the Atreides.

Leto and Ghani exchange a look. Something passes between

them. Something only they can share. But they're interrupted
when...

Another Fremen intercepts their party.

Speaks quietly and quickly to Irulan and her Fedaykin.

FREMEN
We have a shuttle waiting.

EXT. ANOTHER STREET - EVENING

Irulan and the twins come around a corner to find a hover

shuttle being loaded with luggage and supplies. But as
everyone hurries aboard...

Leto can't help NOTICING...

Some men crossing the intersection up the street.

A young Fremen. Leading...a blind man.
The Preacher...

...who pauses and looks down the street as if he can see.

He seems to "stare" at Leto...who doesn't turn away until...

IRULAN
Leto, hurry!

And when Leto looks back...the Preacher is gone.

END ACT 5

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ACT 6

FADE IN

EXT. TEMPLE PLAZA...ARRAKEEN - DAY

The square is packed with pilgims and supplicants. All

chanting and praying. A unison chorus...

CROWD
Alia...Alia...Alia...

INT. PALACE KEEP - DAY

Alia enters from the terrace where she conducts her weekly
convocations. Dressed in her religious robes. Trailed by...

...a cadre of her Amazon bodyguards. One of whom, ZIA, is

keeping pace with a clearly furious Alia.

ZIA
We believe they were spirited out
of the city by Fedaykin loyal to
Irulan. Probably from Sietch Tabr.
As long as they're under Stilgar's
protection we can do nothing,
m'Lady.

ALIA
(ice cold fury)
This was my mother's doing.
(to the Amazon)
I want anyone who had anything to
do with this arrested and brought
to me. I will make an example of
all who defy me.....

And she turns a corner into her apartments and slams the door
behind her.

INT. ALIA'S APARTMENT....MOMENTS LATER

She's in a rage. Tearing off her sacramental robes.

Tossing them to the floor in a heap.

ALIA
I want her dead. I must be rid of
her. Now!

Suddenly, she is staggered by the pain in her head.

That cacophony of voices overwhelming her mind.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

The room darkens and swirls. She must grab on to a piece of

furniture for support. And then...

BASSO VOICE
Not yet.

The voices suddenly recede. Shriveling into terrorized

shrieks...as if fleeing something. Fleeing...

BARON HARKONNEN
Patience, my dear. Patience and
calm. That's the palliative for
fury and despair.

And there he is. Forming in red mists around her.

Glowing obscenely. Like an aroused giant squid.
Tentacles of scarlet miasma embracing her.

ALIA
Everyone is turning against me...

BARON HARKONNEN
Do not despair, child. There are
many clever ways to rid oneself of
a troublesome witch...

ALIA
Your efforts to the contrary, I
suppose...

BARON HARKONNEN
Unfortunately my efforts were,
shall we say, interrupted. By a
wonderfully cruel and devious
little girl...

ALIA
Ha!

BARON HARKONNEN
You took great pleasure in the act,
as I recall. I had to admire your
ruthlessness. Had you been only a
few years older...

ALIA
Why am I listening to you,
perverted old fool?

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

BARON HARKONNEN
Because I'm here to help you.
Because I'm the only one you can
trust.

Alia collapses on a couch.

Buries her face in the pillows there.

The Baron hovers over her.

Shrouding her with the murk of his spirit.

BARON HARKONNEN
Why don't we call in that lovely
boy. Hmmm? The priest. Javid. Mix
business and pleasure perhaps...

And as his corrupt chuckle fills the room...

He dissolves in a crimson fog.

EXT. THE DESERT - DAWN

And in the distance...racing across the crest of a dune...

Someone is running. Fast. And hard.

CLOSER....

It's Leto. Sprinting effortlessly across the sand in the

early light. Hurdling dunes with astonishing grace. Almost
gliding. Covering great distances with extraordinary speed.
Until...there, in the distance.^.

That familiar squat ridge of mountains cuts the horizon.

That barren, ugly fortress. A grotesque ruin of nature.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. SANDTROUT PEN/DESERT SIETCH - DAWN

That huge CORRAL OF SAND he visited earlier. Confined by

sheer rock walls on all sides. And underneath the sand...

Something moving. Swimming.

Leto approaches cautiously. Staring down at the obscure

creatures moving under the sand. Fascinated. Enchanted.

He dips a hand into the silica and...

A sudden swarm of movement gathers around it.
Only this time, Leto does not withdraw his hand.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

VOICE
Leto...

He finally looks up to SEE...

Ghani! Across the canal.

Suddenly....a squall of wind obliterates the sietch. Leaving

only his sister. Standing on a ledge overlooking...

EXT. SIETCH TABR - DAWN

...framed on this cliff by the comforting routine of Fremen

activity on one side and the ominous destiny of the desert on
the other.

Ghanima slowly comes over to sit with her brother.

GHANIMA
Stilgar has doubled our guard.

And they both turn in unison to see numerous Fedaykin

sentries posted in the nearby nooks and crannies of rocks.

LETO
Maybe he thinks we need
protection...from ourselves.

They share a look. Many things passing between them.

Many private thoughts, many private feelings...
Many private plans.

GHANIMA
You were having another vision....

LETO
Events are moving faster than we
anticipated. We have to go now,
Ghani. To Jacarutu. To find the one
they call the Preacher.

GHANIMA
Are you sure he'll be there?

LETO
(a beat)
I'm sure.

GHANIMA
Your...vision?

He nods.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

Ghani looks away. Clearly fighting to control the riot of

emotions going on inside of her.

LETO
We can't turn back now, Ghani. We
have to finish this. Muad'dib, the
god, must be destroyed. We must
find the Golden Path.

GHANIMA
It's a dangerous path.

LETO
It's the way out of the trap. He
saw it at the end. His last vision.
He knew it was possible. That is
why he left. He left... it to us...

GHANIMA
I'm afraid.

LETO
Fear is the mind killer.

GHANIMA
I will face my fear...

LETO
I will let it pass through me... He
takes her hand. She clasps his
firmly.

CUT TO:

INT. GRAND HALL, TEMPLE PALACE - DAY

Brilliant, hot daylight streams in through the open doors

as...

A heavily guarded cluster of poor and humble supplicants is

brought in for ritual petitions and entreaties.

Around the room, courtiers, priests, bureaucrats and armed

guards watch with quiet, even condescending murmurs and
gestures.

AT THE THRONE....

Alia sits with Jessica. Surrounded by...

A cadre of Alia's amazonian bodyguards...
Who survey the room with intense stares.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

Duncan Idaho stands patiently behind Alia...

Javid is here, too, casting a wary eye over the crowd.

Alia stands, signalling the room to quiet down.

Which it does immediately.

ALIA
Even though she is not of council
any longer, I have asked Lady
Jessica, adored mother of Muad'dib
and the Regent of this Empire, to
render the first judgement in honor
of her return to us.

And the room shuffles with anticipation as Alia sits. Jessica

watches her with cold, analytical eyes...

IN THE ROOM...

One of the priest/advocates brings forward a tall handsome

man...who is carrying a baliset.

PRIEST/ADVOCATE
We bring before the holy family a
Kadeshian troubadour. A miserable
wanderer who has lost everything
but the clothes on his back and now
must beg the court for....

JESSICA
(standing; interrupting)
I would prefer to hear the man's
plea in his own words. Priest.

The priest/advocate stutters and stammers.

Unaccustomed to this challenge of his authority.
But he bows obsequiously and steps back.

Jessica signals with a gesture for the troubadour to speak.

TROUBADOUR
I am Tagir Mohandis, holy Mother. A
wretched pilgrim who has been
relieved of his meager wealth by
Arrakeen bandits. A humble peddler
of songs and poems, begging the
mercy of Muad'Dib for passage home.

JESSICA
These bandits, they beat you?

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

TROUBADOUR
No, gracious Mother.

JESSICA
Then how is it they robbed you of
your purse?

The troubadour shuffles embarrassedly. But finally...

TROUBADOUR
Where I'm from, we are not used to
the potent spice beer of Arrakeen.

A dismissive ripple of laughter sweeps through the courtiers.

JESSICA
Can you play that baliset, Tagir
Mohandis?

TROUBADOUR
As well as the great Gurney Halleck
himself...some say.

JESSICA
We shall see.

And she gestures for the man to start playing.

As she returns to sit next to Alia...

The troubadour unstraps his baliset and plucks a soft,

sensuous melody that is both accomplished and provocative.
The effect on the court is immediate. Everyone is captivated.

Except for Jessica. She can't help noticing...

Alia's obvious agitation. The jerking knee.

The fidgeting fingers. The roving stare...

...scanning the crowd. As if looking for something.

Jessica concentrates her gaze upon the assembly of

petitioners...all seemingly focused on the troubadour and his
hypnotic playing.

But suddenly, there is movement in the crowd.

A jostle of bodies. A swirl of clothing.

Just then...a scuffle breaks out in the crowd.

There is pushing and shoving and harsh words as...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

A rail-thin, dirty desert Fremen pushes his way into the

open. Several priests are trying to restrain him but he
fights them off.

FREMEN
I am Ghadean Al-Fali...Naib of
Sietch Gara Kulan...

PRIEST/ADVOCATE
My ladies, do not listen to this
man. His appeal is not approved...

AL-FALI
I am here concerning a matter of
the desert!

And this brings an immediate hush to the room.

Alia and Jessica exchange a look.

JESSICA
A "matter of the desert" is a
concern of great magnitude
...Fedaykin.

AL-FALI
Yes, m'Lady. I am Fedaykin. Once
offering his life at the side of
Muad'dib.

ALIA
This is not the proper forum for...

JESSICA
(cutting her off)
We will hear this matter of the
desert.

The crowd shuffles. The priests murmur nervously.

The Fedaykin steps forward.

AL-FALI
We have abandoned our friend, the
desert, Holy Mother. Shai Hulud no
longer roams the sands. He can not
be found except in the Empty
Quarters far from our people...

ALIA
The superstitious of the inner
desert have always feared the
transformation of our land...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

AL-FALI
A land where nothing grew. Now
there are plants. They spread like
maggots upon a wound. There are
clouds in the sky! And rain.
Rain!!! Precious Mother of
Muad'Dib, rain from the skies of
Dune. It is death to us all.

ALIA
We do only what Liet and Muad'dib
intended us to do. Would you
challenge their holy words?

JESSICA
And what of the worms, then?

ALIA
There will always be some desert.
Some worms,

AL-FALI
As go the worms, so goes the spice.
And if the spice does not flow,
what coin do we have to buy our
way?

ALIA
Silence!

She jerks out of her chair. Comes forward.

ALIA
These are matters of state! And you
will NOT challenge the wisdom of
this government to do what it
decides is best.

And something is happening to Alia. Something terrible.

Her voice is suddenly deeper, more violent, more...male.

ALIA
The rabble of the desert must be
made to comply with our judgement.
It is we who rule here, not the mob
of the sands...

JESSICA
(Chakobsa)
No! Onsar akhaka seliman aw
maslumen!

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

"Support your brother in his time of need."

JESSICA
There are those of you who fear I
have retimed to Arrakis as Bene
Gesserit. That I've abandoned my
loyalty to the Atreides partnership
with the desert. But since the day
the Fremen gave life to roe and my
son, I have always been Fremen. And
I will always be. Fremen!

ALIA
Quiet!

JESSICA
We cannot abandon the desert. My
daughter is lying. The worms will
not survive if the desert shrinks.
She knows this! Spice production
will slow until it is only a
fraction of what it has been. And
when that happens...

ALIA
WE'LL HAVE A CORNER ON THE MOST
VALUABLE COMMODITY IN THE
UNIVERSE!!!

That was the BARON talking. Jessica turns to her daughter

with icy eyes.

JESSICA
We'll have a corner on hell!

And that's when...A SHOT rings out.

Jessica goes down!

Panic and pandemonium. There is screaming. Scuffling.

Jessica looks up. And is horrified to SEE...

Alia staring down at her. But it's not quite Alia.

The Baron Harkonnen is visible in her expression.

ALIA/BARON HARKONNEN
Now you know, Atreides bitch!

The Fedaykin Al-Fali rushes to Jessica. Pulls her up.

She pulls on her robe. A hole where the missile went through.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
Fedaykin...we who have been
scorched know how to stand back to
back...

AL-FALI
I have men here, m'Lady.

ALIA
Seize the Fedaykin. He has tried to
assassinate the royal family.

JESSICA
FEDAYKIN...FOLLOW ME!

An with that, a swarm of desert Fremen fight their way

through the crowd. Joining Al-Fali. Surrounding Jessica.

Alia's guards and Amazons move in.

But the Fedaykin hold them off...

...fighting their way to the door where...

Jessica looks back one last time to SEE...

Alia.. On the throne. Locking eyes with her mother.

An insane glare. Tormented and terrifying.

The Fedaykin spirit Jessica out the door into the city.

END ACT SIX

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 185
ACT 7

FADE IN

EXT. SIETCH TABR - EVENING

A gloomy twilight settles over the sietch.
Fremen children are helping prepare the communal meal.
And among them..

Leto and Ghanima. Distinguished by the clothing but...

Doing their share regardless of their heritage.
But as they work...

LETO
(quietly to Ghani)
Stilgar's eyes are everywhere...

And Ghani casually scans the rocks, the ledges, the doorways.
Fremen men make no effort to conceal their position.
They are there for one purpose only.
To protect the twins.

GHANIMA
Have you noticed that one?

A slight head turn indicates a young Fremen man nearby.

Pretending to be casual. But clearly keeping his eye on them.
The same Fremen who was with those tigers in Arrakeen.

LETO
One who's gone over to our enemies.

GHANIMA
No doubt about it.

They continue to prepare the table. Putting food and dishes

at their appropriate places. When they've finished...

LETO
We're delaying the inevitable.

Ghani meets his stare. Sighs deeply. Then nods.

ANOTHER ANGLE: The sietch from a rocky ledge. (POV)

Two Fremen bodyguards watch the activity below.

Particularly the twins. Moving toward the ovens where...

The twins are momentarily lost in a crush of women and

children.

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INT. STORAGE ROOM/SIETCH TABR - SAME

Leto and Ghani hurry in. Pulling off their more formal shirts
as the come.

Leto pulls out a bag hidden behind some rocks.

Retrieves those Fremen robes sent by the Corrinos.
As the two of them put them on...

GHANIMA
(re the clothes)
I find it ironic that we're using
gifts from our enemies as means of
escape.

GHANIMA
But you're enjoying the charade
nonetheless.

She nails him with a penetrating stare.

LETO
You know me too well.

GHANIMA
Yes. Too well. That is why you must
promise we'll only be as reckless
as necessary.

LETO
Only as necessary.

And he flashes a charming smile that only partially conceals

a mischievous excitement.

EXT. ROCKY LEDGE/SIETCH TABR....MOMENTS LATER

Those Fremen bodyguards are nervously moving from perch to

perch. Trying to get an unobstructed view of the twins.

But they're nowhere to be seen. Because...

EXT. SIETCH TABR - SAME

They're now moving among the other children disguised by the

Fremen robes they're now wearing.

No one pays them any attention. Everyone is too busy.

No one sees them disappear behind a stony archway.

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EXT. SIETCH TABR....MOUNTAINS....LATER - EVENING

Darkness is coming quickly.

Leto and Ghani emerge from an almost invisible cut in the

rockface. Step out on to a ledge. Hiding in the shadows.
Surveying the desert beyond.

LETO
No one saw us.

GHANIMA
But it won't be long before the
alarm goes out.

LETO
They'll spend precious time
searching the Sietch first. If we
hurry we can make those dunes...
(pointing)
...before Stil sends men out here.

And the two of them start down the rocks.

Staying close in. Staying in the shadows.

FROM A DISTANCE...POV...

They are virtually invisible.

INT. ALIA'S APARTMENTS/ROYAL KEEP - EVENING

She is wild with fury as she sits at her desk.

Putting her signature to...

ALIA
... an Official Warrant for the
arrest of Fedaykin Al-Fali and his
confederates from Sietch Gara
Kulan.

With a flourish she throws the warrant at...

Javid...who is waiting beside her.
With other priests and amazons.

Idaho is across the room. Watching this angry ceremony with a

complex expression.

ALIA
Post it in every city. Send word to
every sietch.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:
ALIA (cont'd)
The conspiracy to murder the
Imperial regent and kidnap the
mother of Muad'Dib will be crushed
without mercy.

Javid and his cohort hurry out of the room.

And once they're gone...

Alia looks to Duncan. Who is simply staring at her with those

gray metallic Tleilaxu eyes.

ALIA
Are you looking at me, or analyzing
me, Duncan?

IDAHO/GHOLA
I'm gathering data.

ALIA
You must find her, Duncan. You must
find her and return her to me.
Surely your data points to the
danger I'm...we're in.

IDAHO/GHOLA
You expect me to kill her, don't
you?

She comes over to him. Her tone is silky.

Her eyes are pleading, vulnerable.

ALIA
I lost my temper, Duncan. I know it
was a mistake. But I can fix it. It
was an accident of fatigue. Nothing
more. I can make everyone
understand. Everyone...except her.

IDAHO/GHOLA
Surely she would not turn against
you. She is your mother.

ALIA
She's Bene Gesserit...!

And her tone reverts to anger instantly.

And she turns away.

ALIA
... no matter what she said in
there. Those damnable hags would
love nothing more than to put me to
the test.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)
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CONTINUED:

ALIA (cont'd)
My mother will act against me if
she believes it's in the best
interests of her precious
Sisterhood. Count on that.

She regains control. Comes back to him.

ALIA
Please, Duncan. You're the only one
I can truly trust. You're the only
one who loves me enough...

And she falls into his arms. Holding her face against his
chest. Like a little girl looking for comfort.

For a long time he just stares at her. Then...

IDAHO/GHOLA
No harm must come to House
Atreides. No matter what the cost.

And she looks up at him.

ALIA
Thank you, Duncan. Thank you.
(beat)
Where will you take her?

IDAHO/GHOLA
It's better you don't know. That
way you'll be able to testify
honestly before any Truthsayer.

And a sly smile sweeps over Alia.

ALIA
Clever. Very clever. I knew I could
rely on you.

And she leans up. Kisses him.

A prolonged and tender embrace until..

He breaks it off. Turns to hurry from the room.

But as he goes...

He brushes at his eye. Quickly...so Alia doesn't see.

Tleilaxu eyes are not immune to tears, apparently.

Once he's gone...a voice speaks to Alia.

A distant, ominous voice.

BARON HARKONNEN'S VOICE

You handled that well.

(CONTINUED)
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CONTINUED:

ALIA
GO AWAY!

Across the room, that amazonian bodyguard, ZIA, thinks she's

talking to her.

ZIA
M'Lady?

Alia realizes her faux pas.

ALIA
(to the Amazon)
Go with him. You know what to do.

A sinister smile tugs at the Amazon's cheeks.

ZIA
(leaving)
As you wish, m'Lady.

When she's gone....

Alia remains there. Alone in the middle of the room.

Alone...and frightened...and alone.

She goes over to her desk. Stares down at all the official
documents awaiting her attention and...

...collapses in her chair. Soon her body starts to tremble

and shudder. She can't hold back the flood of emotions any
longer.

She sweeps all the papers to the floor.

Puts her head down on the desk...and weeps.

Somewhere that hideous basso voice starts to laugh.

Louder and louder.

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS OF ARRAKEEN - NIGHT

The Fedaykin Al-Fali and his Fremen brothers hustle

Jessica...covered with a threadbare desert robe...down these
narrow alleys until they come to...

INT. SAFE HOUSE...SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY - NIGHT

Another Fremen hurries to answer the urgent knocking. When he

opens the door...

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

AL-FALI
We honor the ways of the fathers.

The Fremen nods. Backs off as the Fedaykin and Jessica hurry
in. And Jessica recognizes the Fremen as soon as she sees
him.

JESSICA
I know you. You are Leam of Sietch
Tabr.

LEAM
I was your student, holy mother. I
am blessed to be at your service.

JESSICA
I wish no harm to fall on your
house or your family...

LEAM
My home is a sanctuary to any who
call from the desert.

AL-FALI
We can rest here until arrangements
are made to get you out of the
city.

JESSICA
Alia's agents must be swarming
everywhere by now.

AL-FALI
No doubt.

LEAM
But we have agents, too, Reverend
Mother. We'll know hours before
they get within a mile of here.

And he leads them into his humble home.

Offering them seats on rough cushions.
And without a word...

Several Fremen women appear with food and drink.

Hovering around Jessica with deference and humility.

AL-FALI
We will leave the city before dawn.
Take you to a little known Sietch
to the far south. You'll be
protected there.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

JESSICA
For how long?

AL-FALI
There is a gathering of forces,
m'Lady. I never thought I'd live to
see this, but events have overtaken
us all. Unless something is done,
civil war is inevitable.

And Jessica nods sadly.

JESSICA
We must get a message to Stilgar at
once. He must call for a Council of
Naibs. We must bring a Trial of
Possession against Alia.

Al-Fali and Learn exchange a look.

A look of sheer terror.

JESSICA
It is our only hope of averting a
war.

AL-FALI
You know what that will mean,
Reverend Mother. She is...after
all...your daughter.

JESSICA
I know what it means.
(beat)
But Alia has made her choice. There
is no turning back now.

END ACT SEVEN

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ACT 8

FADE IN

EXT. SIETCH TABR - PRE-DAWN

The moons have waned. That utter stillness that precedes

first light is ominous.

Stilgar is standing on a ledge.

Staring out at the empty desert.

His expression is stern and focused until...

A young Fremen man comes out to him.

FREMEN
We found some of their clothes in
the storage room off the
bakeries...but we're certain
they're no longer in the Sietch...

STILGAR
They've gone into the desert for
sure.

FREMEN
Alone!?

STILGAR
They know more about desert
survival than most Fremen...

FREMEN
But our search parties can't find a
single trace of their passage.

STILGAR
They won't. Unless the children
want us to, they won't.

EXT. RED CHASM SIETCH - PRE-DAWN

A 'thopter lands expertly in a cut of rocks almost too small

for it. But as soon as it's on the ground...

A swarm of Fremen emerge from the rocks to camouflage it with

sand colored tarps as...

Al-Fali and Jessica emerge with the other Fedaykin who saved
her. They are hurried inside...where...

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INT. CORRIDORS/RED CHASM SIETCH - PRE-DAWN

Fremen are everywhere. Fedaykin, no doubt.

Hard men. Of the deep desert, not the city.

They stand back deferentially as Jessica passes.

But their stares are narrow, suspicious.

JESSICA
(quietly to Al-Fali)
They do not appreciate my presence
here.

AL-FALI
These are puritans, Reverend
Mother. What they do not like is
what's become of their revolution.

JESSICA
Then I must convince them that
neither do I.

Just then they're interrupted by another Fremen...

FREMEN
A messenger has arrived under
immunity from Stilgar. It is
urgent.

And he exchanges a look with Al-Fali that puts the older man
on extreme alert.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. PRIVATE QUARTERS/RED CHASM SIETCH....MOMENTS LATER

Jessica is ushered past the curtains with Al-Fali to SEE...

A MAN in hooded robes waiting on the other side of the room.

JESSICA
You have a message from Sietch
Tabr?

The man turns. It's IDAHO!

Al-Fali immediately goes for his crysknife. But...

JESSICA
Fali...hold! He travels with
Stilgar's countenance.

Al-Fali freezes but keeps his knife poised.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

IDAHO
Your grandchildren are missing.

JESSICA
(stiffening)
Alia.

IDAHO
No. Stilgar suspects they may have
seen this crisis coming. He fears
they've gone into the desert. I am
to bring you to him as soon as
possible.

AL-FALI
You can't go with him, Holy Mother.
He is...a Ghola.

JESSICA
He was my Duke's most trusted
warrior. He died once saving
Muad'Dib's life...and mine.

AL-FALI
But he is...he is Alia's husband...

JESSICA
He is still Atreides!
(beat)
It's my daughter who is not.

And she and Idaho share a long, heavy-hearted look.

Finally...

IDAHO
We haven't much time, m'Lady.
Alia's reach is sure to extend here
eventually...

JESSICA
What about these Fedaykin who
helped me?

IDAHO
Alia has issued a warrant against
them. Crimes against the Imperium.

JESSICA
Of course she has.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

IDAHO
But Stilgar offers sanctuary if
they can get to Tabr.

Jessica turns to Al-Fali.

JESSICA
Then that is what you will do. When
Imperial agents find this place,
there must be nothing left but the
wind howling through the rocks.

AL-FALI
As the Holy Mother commands.

And they move quickly to the door.

EXT. RED CHASM SIETCH....MOMENTS LATER

Another 'thopter is already running at the back of the sietch

when...

Idaho hurries Jessica from the rocks to it's door.

But just as she is about to go in...

JESSICA
(to Al-Fali)
Ya hya chouhada...

"Long live the fighters of Muad’dib".

AL-FALI
May Shai Hulud clear the path
before you.

INT. THE 'THOPTER

Jessica hurries in to take a seat.

But she is stunned to FIND...

ZIA...Alia's amazonian bodyguard.

Sitting behind the co-pilot's seat...
...where Jessica is supposed sit.

But before Jessica can object...

Idaho takes the controls.
Begins the 'thopter's ascent.

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EXT. THE DESERT - DAWN

A dim purple stain on the horizon heralds the coming sunrise.

Idaho's 'thopter swoops down across the sands. Skimming them
like a gull on the ocean.

INT. THE 'THOPTER

Jessica divides her attention between Idaho piloting and...

The Amazon, ZIA, who never speaks. Never moves.
But finally...

JESSICA
This is not the course for Sietch
Tabr, is it, Duncan?

After a beat.

IDAHO
No, m'Lady. It's not. Another beat.

JESSICA
Are you going to tell me where
you're taking me?

IDAHO
It's best you don't know.

This is the only moment the Amazon moves.

Just slightly. A twitch. Almost imperceptible...
Except to Jessica. Who senses it behind her.

JESSICA
I have spent many nights reviewing
the mistakes I made with my
daughter, Duncan...

IDAHO
There have been many, m'Lady. And I
repeated most of them.

JESSICA
She will not survive the Trial of
Abomination, Duncan...

IDAHO
No.

(CONTINUED)

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 198
CONTINUED:

JESSICA
She is doomed.

IDAHO
Yes.

And that's when...this happens all at once...

Zia nimbly lurches forward.

Flashing a long sword-like knife.

Jessica feels it coming.

Ducks just in time.
Just as...

Idaho lashes out with his own knife and...

Slashes Zia's throat.

The Amazon falls back in her seat. Stunned. Disbelieving.

But unable to say anything because she has no more voice.
Blood seeps through her fingers as she desperately gasps.

But Idaho is instantly on his feet.

Jessica grabs the 'thopter controls as...

He drags the dying Amazon out of her seat to the rear.

Releases the hatch allowing the door to fly open.
And with a quick shove...

He throws the near-dead body out into space.

As he returns to his seat and resumes control...

JESSICA
You were meant to kill me...

IDAHO
And then she was meant to kill me.
All part of Alia's plan.

After they take a moment to catch their breath...

IDAHO
When Alia gets word that her Amazon
is missing she will scour the
planet looking. There will be no
haven for us...anywhere.

JESSICA
Then where can we go?

(CONTINUED)

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 199
CONTINUED:

IDAHO
Somewhere even Alia won't think to
look.

And he reaches for the controls.

Plots a new course.

EXT. THE DESERT - DAWN

As Idaho's 'thopter speeds away across the dunes...

Two figures emerge from their hiding place under the sands.
So expertly buried, not even a trained Fremen eye would
notice...

Leto and Ghani materializing. As if being created somehow by

the desert itself. They huddle together, watching....

...the 'thopter disappearing over the horizon.

GHANIMA
I don't think they saw us.

LETO
I don't think they were looking for
us.

Ghani turns to the dawn.

GHANIMA
We don't have much time.

And without another word, they emerge completely from the

sands and renew their trek.

EXT. THE DESERT....SERIES OF SHOTS - DAWN

Leto and Ghani in the desert. Pushing forward. Never pausing.

Finally struggling up the side of a massive dune...where...

LETO
(pulling off his stillsuit
mask)
We have to make those rocks before
sunrise. Search parties will
certainly come this far now...

Ghani nods. But just as they're about to set off again...

(CONTINUED)

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 200
CONTINUED:

A gust of wind sweeps up the dune and over them.

And in that wind...

A strange howl. Eerie and frightening.

Hard to tell how distant.

GHANIMA
That's not a worm.

LETO
But an animal.

GHANIMA
More than one.

And he urges her onward.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROCKFALL....SOMEWHERE - DAWN

A lone figure is huddled in the rocks here.

Wrapped in Fremen robes covering a stillsuit.
Staring out over the desert. And...

Holding some kind of device.

Looks like some kind of communicator.
Strangely familiar.

The figure manipulates the controls and the device emits a

quiet chime-like beeping. Also familiar.

And then...the figure stands. Surveys the terrain.

It's PALIMBASHA. That young Fremen man who was with the cast
out Muriz and the tigers in Arrakeen. The same Fremen the
twins recognized at Sietch Tabr.

He continues to manipulate the communicator as...

EXT. THE DESERT...ELSEWHERE - DAWN

The twins make it to those rocks they saw.

But just as they're about get into the shelter...

That HOWL again.

LETO
Closer now.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

GHANIMA
Much closer.

And now they can HEAR...

Footfall. Heavy footfall. Animal footfall.

The steady elegant gait of something four-legged.
And fast!

LETO
Run, Ghani... RUN!

And he drives his sister up the rocks.

Refusing to stop even when..

She stumbles forward...ripping her stillsuit on the rocks.

And now they can HEAR...

Panting. Animal efforts. Just below.

But just above them...there is a small cut in the rocks.

Sanctuary. If they make it...

GHANIMA
I'm caught....

Her robe is caught on a rock.

Leto slashes at her with a crysknife.
The robe tears. She is free. But...

A hideous wail cuts the air.

A terrifying, bloodcurdling scream.

Suddenly Ghanima feels herself shoved from behind.

As if by supernatural force...and she flies forward into...

INT. TINY CAVE - SAME

...just inside that cut in the rocks. She stumbles forward.

Banging her head hard against the stone wall.

She collapses in a heap. Dazed and bloody.

OUTSIDE....the screams of incensed animals fill the air.

Stunned and disoriented, Ghani struggles to her feet.

Grabs the crysknife from her belt and realizes...
She is alone. Leto is not here.

(CONTINUED)

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 202
CONTINUED:

OUTSIDE...a ghastly shriek rings out.

Can't tell if it's human or animal.
It seems to go on forever and then...

Nothing. Just silence. Horrible silence.

Ghani waits. Hoping, praying for some sign from her brother.
But there is none. And..

Her leg throbs with pain. She grabs the gash there.
Tries to staunch the blood with her fingers.

And slowly she weakens. Succumbing to shock.

She sinks back against the rocks.
And the last thing she SEES...

The ferocious, bloodthirsty snarl of a GIANT TIGER.

Trying to poke its head into the cave. And then...

EVERYTHING GOES BLACK.

END PART TWO

Written by: John Harrison

©2001 VICTOR TELEVISION PRODS.

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