The soft patter of raindrops falling on the window was interrupted by the soft sound of Chani's footsteps on the carpeted floor.
"Good morning, my Sihaya," Paul-Muad'Dib Atreides said without looking up from his shigawire spools.
"It's water," Chani murmured reverently. "Water, falling from the sky, all by itself."
A smile touched Paul's lips. He was glad he had agreed to this meeting with the Great Houses on Caladan and even more glad he had brought his family along. To a Fremen like his Chani, rain was a miracle. He lifted his eyes to her animated face.
"I want to take a walk in the water," Chani continued. "Irulan says I shouldn't, that the ground will be … 'muddy'." She tested the unfamiliar word. "What does 'muddy' mean?"
Paul almost corrected her- it's called rain when it falls from the sky, Chani. He stopped. The way she said "water" was endearing.
"When a lot of water mixes with soil, the ground becomes soft and sticky- something called mud." He paused, listening to the raindrops falling harder now. "There will be more than mud today."
"Is it safe to walk in the water? Even if it's muddy?"
Paul reached for his prescient sight. The rain could cause trouble along some of the possible paths for today. "Not alone. You don't know the ways of rain."
"Will you send Duncan to walk with me?"
"Wouldn't you prefer my company?"
Chani sat on his lap. "I thought you would be too busy. Will you walk with me after your meeting?"
Paul again peered into the possibilities. In some of the possible futures, he and Chani enjoyed a pleasant walk in a light rain. In others, the rain came down in cold, blinding sheets. He saw himself giving in to Chani's pleading, bundling her up and taking her out in a storm. Farther along that path, he saw his beloved lying in a bed, shivering in the grip of a fever.
"We'll see," he said at last. "I do not yet know what path the day will take."
Abruptly, a new vision filled his awareness. A possible path for the day, fraught with terror. A delicate way through emerged as well, dependent on carefully made choices. He held the images as long as he could, imprinting them on his memory.
"What if I watch the water from the balcony?" Chani's voice called him back to the present-now. "The air is so wonderfully moist."
"As long as you don't get wet," Paul cautioned.
"I'll be careful," she promised.
Author's Note: Following the storyline in the first Dune novel, this story depicts Paul's polygamous relationships. I wanted to make it clear that I don't actually approve of Paul's choice - God made marriage between one man and one woman. However, like Paul, many "heroes of the Bible", such as Jacob and David, had multiple wives and were still used by God in important ways, in spite of their failings. (They also found out the hard way the problems of polygamous marriage!) I wrote this story with this biblical background in mind, with Paul trying to treat both of his women honorably.
Thanks for reading and God bless you!
