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nd reassuring lies are much easier to find and believe。 If you find a truth； even a temporary one； it can demand that you make painful changes。 Conceal your truths within words。 Natural ambiguity will protect you then。 Words are much easier to absorb than are the sharp Delphic stabs of wordless portent。 With words； you can cry out in the chorus：
〃Why didn't someone warn me？〃
〃But I did warn you。 I warned you by example； not with words。〃
〃There are inevitably more than enough words。 You record them in your marvelous memory even now。 And someday； my journals will be discovered…more words。 I warn you that you read my words at your peril。 The wordless movement of terrible events lies just below their surface。 Be deaf！ You do not need to hear or； hearing； you do not need to remember。 How soothing it is to forget。 And how dangerous！
〃Words such as mine have long been recognized for their mysterious power。 There is a secret knowledge here which can be used to rule the forgetful。 My truths are the substance of myths and lies which tyrants have always counted on to maneuver the masses for selfish design。
〃You see？ I share it all with you； even the greatest mystery of all time； the mystery by which I pose my life。 I reveal it to you in words：
〃The only past which endures lies wordlessly within you。〃
The God Emperor fell silent then。 I dared to ask： 〃Are those all of the words that my Lord wishes me to preserve‘。'〃
〃Those are the words；〃 the God Emperor said； and I thought he sounded tired； discouraged。 He had the sound of someone uttering a last testament。 I recalled that he had said he would never see me again； and I was fearful but I praise my teachers because the fear did not emerge in my voice。
〃Lord Leto；〃 I said； 〃these journals of which you speak； for whom are they written？〃
〃For posterity after the span of millennia。 I personalize those distant readers； Sister Chenoeh。 I think of them as distant cousins filled with family curiosities。 They are intent on unraveling the dramas which only I can recount。 They want to make the personal connections to their own lives。 They want the meanings； the truth！〃
〃But you warn us against truth； Lord；〃 I said。
〃Indeed！ All of history is a malleable instrument in my hands。 Ohhh； I have accumulated all of these pasts and I possess every fact…yet the facts are mine to use as I will and； even using them truthfully； I change them。 What am I speaking to you now？ What is a diary； a journal‘？ Words。〃
Again； the Lord Leto fell silent。 I weighed the portent of what he had said； weighed it against the admonition of Reverend Mother Syaksa； and against the things that the God Emperor had uttered to me earlier。 He said I was his messenger and thus I felt that I was under his protection and might dare more than any other。 Thus it was that I said：
〃Lord Leto； you have said that you will not see me again。 Does that mean you are about to die？〃
I swear it here in my record of this event； the Lord Leto laughed！ Then he said：
〃No； gentle Sister； it is you who will die。 You will not live to be a Reverend Mother。 Do not be saddened by this for by your presence here today； by carrying my message back to the Sisterhood； by preserving my secret words as well； you will achieve a far greater status。 You bee here an integral part of my myth。 Our distant cousins will pray to you for intercession with me！〃
Again； the Lord Leto laughed； but it was gentle laughter and he smiled upon me warmly。 I find it difficult to record here with that accuracy which I am enjoined to employ in every accounting such as this one； yet in the moment that the Lord Leto spoke these terrible words to me； I felt a profound bond of friendship with him； as though some physical thing had leaped between us； tying us together in a way that words cannot fully describe。 It was not until the instant of this experience that I understood what he had meant by the wordless truth。 It happened； yet I cannot describe it。
Archivists' note：
Because of intervening events； the discovery of this private record is now little more than a footnote to history； interesting because it contains one of the earliest references to the God Emperor's secret journals。 For those wishing to explore further into this account； reference may be made to Archive Records； subheadings： Chenoeh； Holy Sister Quintinius Violet： Chenoeh Report； The； and Melange Rejection； Medical Aspects of。
（Footnote： Sister Quintinius Violet Chenoeh died in the fists third year of her Sisterhood； the cause being ascribed to melange inpatibility during her attempt to achieve the 。status of Reverend Mother。）
Our ancestor； Assur…nasir…apli； who was known as the cruelest of the cruel； seized the throne by slaying his own father and starting the reign of the sword。 His conquests included the Ururnia Lake region。 which led him to magene and Khabur。 His son received tribute from the Shuites； from Tyre； Sidon； Gebel and even from Jehu； son of Omri whose very name struck terror into thousands。 The conquests which began with Assur…nasirapli carried arms into Media and later into Israel； Damascus； Edom。 Arpad； Babylon and Umlias。 Does anyone remember these names and places now？ I have given you enough clues： Try to name the planet。
…The Stolen Journals
THF AIR was stagnant deep within the carved cut of the Royal Road leading down to the flat approach to the bridge across the Idaho River。 The road turned to the right out of the manmade immensity of rock and earth。 Moneo； walking beside the Royal Cart； saw the paved ribbon leading across a narrow ridgetop to the lacery of plasteel which was the bridge almost a kilometer distant。
The river； still deep in a chasm； turned inward toward him on the right and then ran straight through multi…stage cascades toward the far side of the Forbidden Forest where the confining walls dropped down almost to the level of the water。 There at the outskirts of Onn lay the orchards and gardens which helped to feed the city。
Moneo； looking at the distant stretch of river visible from where he walked； saw that the canyon top was bathed in light； while the water still flowed in shadows broken only by the faint silvery shimmering of the cascades。
Straight ahead of him； the road to the bridge was brilliant in sunlight； the dark shadows of erosion gullies on both sides set off like arrows to indicate the correct path。 The rising sun already had made the roadway hot。 The air trembled above it； a warning of the day to e。
We'll be safely into the City before the worst of the heat；
Moneo thought。
He trotted along in the weary patience which always overcame him at this point； his gaze fixed forward in expectation of the petitioning Museum Fremen。 They would e up out of one of the erosion gullies； he knew。 Somewhere on this side of the bridge。 That was the agreement he had made with them。 No way to stop them now。 And the God Emperor still showed signs of the Worm。
Leto heard the Fremen before any of his party either saw or heard them。
〃Listen！〃 he called。
Moneo came to full alert。
Leto rolled his body on the cart； arched the front upward cent of the bubble shield and peered ahead。
Moneo knew this kind of t