INTERIOR OF JESSICA'S CHAMBER - CASTLE CALADAN - NIGHT
The Reverend Mother holds up a green metal cube.
REVEREND MOTHER
See this... Put your right hand in the
box.
Paul stares at the hole in the box.
--
PAUL
What's in the box?
REVEREND MOTHER
Pain.
Just then, she raises one hand to his neck. Paul
sees a glint of metal. He tries to back away.
REVEREND MOTHER
(using 'The Voice')
STOP! Put your hand in the box.
Paul's hand goes in. Fear passes over his face.
PAUL
(inner voice)
The Voice again.
REVEREND MOTHER
I hold at your neck the gom jabbar. Don't
pull away or you'll feel that poison. A
Duke's son must know about many poisons --
this one kills only animals.
PAUL
Are you suggesting a Duke's son is an
animal?
REVEREND MOTHER
Let us say I suggest you may be human.
Your awareness may be powerful enough to
control your instincts. Your instincts
will be to remove your hand from the box.
If you do so you will die. You will feel
an itching -- there... see? Now the
itching becomes burning... heat, upon
heat, upon heat.
PAUL
(whispering)
It burns.
REVEREND MOTHER
SILENCE... SILENCE.
PAUL
(inner voice)(struggling to compose
himself)
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total
obliteration. I will face my fear... I
will permit it to pass over me and through
me.
--
The Reverend Mother moves her face up to his. Her
ancient face with its metal teeth gleaming inches
away breathes hotly. She is smiling.
REVEREND MOTHER
You feel the flesh crisping?
Paul's inner mind sees his hand on fire with all
sorts of sores. The skin is bubbling.
REVEREND MOTHER
Flesh dropping off.
He pictures this. The destruction of his hand is
complete -- now only blood spurts out and burns.
39. INT. JESSICA'S CHAMBER - CASTLE CALADAN - NIGHT
Paul's face registers extreme pain.
PAUL
(cannot help himself now)
THE PAIN!
REVEREND MOTHER
NO!! ENOUGH!! Kull wahad! No woman child
ever withstood that much. I must have
wanted you to fail. Take your hand out of
the box and look at it, young human.... Do
it!
Paul pulls his hand out of the box. No sign of
anything wrong. He turns his hand, flexes his
fingers. He looks to the Reverend Mother.
REVEREND MOTHER
(explaining)
Pain by nerve induction... A human can
resist any pain. Our test is crisis and
observation.
PAUL
I see the truth of it.
--
REVEREND MOTHER
(inner voice)
Could he be the one?... Maybe... but will
he be ours to control?
(out loud)
You know when people speak the truth?
PAUL
I know it.
Suddenly the Reverend Mother holds her hand against
Paul's head. She closes her eyes.