Sandworms of Dune - Brian Herbert [111]
Shayama Sen marched into the large metal-walled room and took a comfortable seat facing her. He looked smug and safe, while she felt like a caged zoo animal. “You called me away from our work, Mother Commander?”
Despite the inherent awkwardness of her position, Murbella tried to take command of the meeting. “Chief Fabricator, you have had three years to duplicate the Obliterators we provided, but all we’ve received in exchange for our melange payments are reports on your tests, and promise after promise. The Enemy has destroyed more than a hundred planets, and their battleships keep coming. Chapterhouse itself was nearly eradicated by the recent plague.”
Sen bowed formally. “We are fully aware of this, Mother Commander, and you have my condolences.” He got up and poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher, then roamed the large meeting room, flaunting his own freedom.
Anger heated her cheeks and neck. How could this man sound so calm in the face of the crumbling human civilization? “We require the weapons you promised us—and without further delay.”
Sen tapped his circuitry-imprinted fingernails together, pondering her containment sphere with a blank stare. “But we have not yet received full payment, and we hear your New Sisterhood is in dire financial straits. If we continue to devote all our resources to these Obliterators, and you renege—”
“The agreed-upon amount of melange is yours the moment you finish installing Obliterators in our new warships. You know this.” She didn’t dare let Sen discover that she had released a great deal of stockpiled spice to help her fellow Reverend Mothers fight the plague.
“Ah, but if your spice is contaminated by the plague, of what use is it to us? How else will you pay?”
Murbella couldn’t believe his blindness. “The spice is not contaminated. We will implement any sterilization measures you require.”
“And what if that destroys its efficacy?”
“Then we will give you the original spice to decontaminate in whatever manner you see fit. Stop quibbling about nonsense when the extinction of the human race is imminent!”
Sen seemed scandalized. “You call it nonsense? The properties of spice are complex and could be harmed by such aggressive measures. The substance is of no value to us if we cannot use it.”
“The plague organism has a short lifetime. Unless it is transferred from host to host, the disease dies swiftly. Place the spice on an airless moon for a year if you choose to.”
“But the difficulties and the inconvenience . . . I believe these circumstances merit a renegotiation of our price.”
If the container wall had not prevented her, Murbella would have killed him for his insolence. “Have you any idea of how much destruction the Enemy has spread?”
He pursed his lips, and said, “Let me dispense with subtleties, Mother Commander. Honored Matres provoked this Enemy into launching its fleet against them, and in turn against the rest of us. Your association with the whores was your own folly, and the whole human race has paid for it. Ix has no quarrel with these robotic invaders. Since they evolved from ancient thinking machines, it is possible that we Ixians have more in common with them than with manipulative, murderous females.”
Ah. Now she was beginning to understand. Listening to the sharp voice of Odrade-within and a thousand other Reverend Mothers frantically offering advice, Murbella forced calm upon herself. It was clear that the Ixian was trying to escalate this discussion. But why? To distract her? Had he failed to make as much progress in developing the Obliterators as he claimed? Was production running behind schedule?
She selected a gambit that she hoped would shut down his blathering. “I authorize a thirty percent increase in your spice allotment, to be put in a trust fund held in the Guild Bank of your choosing. I expect that is sufficient to make up for any inconvenience? However, payment will be contingent upon your actual delivery of the weaponry in our contract. The Guild has delivered our new warships. Now, where are my Obliterators?”
Shayama Sen bowed,