Arrakeen, Arrakis, Friday 10,224 AG

[future_sandworm]

"This audience is over." Leto rose from the throne and walked down the steps. His face was expressionless, leaving the Guildsmen to guess the reason behind this action. It was a game, of course, and a game they couldn't win. The cards were all in Leto's hand.

They knew better than to question him openly, so they bowed slightly - just an inclination

Comments

[blondecanary]

riiiing Dinah's outside Curb Stomp after her work-out, waiting on Kyle to come pick her up. But that's at least a half-hour away, she has coffee, and a phone. Time to check in with a few people.

[future_sandworm]

He always carried the phone with him. When Leto saw who was calling, he smiled.

"Hello, Dinah. How are you?"

[blondecanary]

"Hooooooot," Dinah whined, sipping her iced coffee, then snickering. "Although I bet it's hotter in Arrakeen. But New Gotham's got humidity and shiny shiny reflective surfaces, and I don't want to do anything strenuous now. So I'm calling you!"

[future_sandworm]

"I'm glad to hear you don't find it strenuous to talk to me," he said lightly, leaning back in the chair. "And yes, it's hot here, but by night it will be cold. The climate hasn't changed enough for that to be different. So, what are you up to?"

This was Dinah, of course she would be busy.

[vanillajello]

Kate wasn't calling about Alice, as much as the girl had been on her mind lately and as much as that had made her think of Leto in turn.

She just had a moment to spare for a call, and she was taking it.

[future_sandworm]

Oh, he needed a conversation with Kate right now.

"Hello, Kate." There was a smile on his face, which unfortunately wasn't audible.

[vanillajello]

Luckily Kate was good enough at picking up on tones. "Hello Leto," she replied with a little smile of her own. "How's things?"

[future_sandworm]

"As usual," he replied. "Politics isn't as entertaiing as it can be every day. And how are things at your end?"

[notyourpawn]

A single text message, typed into her phone and sent out into the ether.

turning and turning in the widening gyre. things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. yeats wrote that, not i. well past my time, long before yours.

She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't. But on days like this, she missed him more than ever.

[future_sandworm]

Leto's eyes fixed on the phone when he saw the message. Even without the name of the sender he would have known who this was. Where was she?

Alice, where are you?

[notyourpawn]

She was not tearing up, thank you very much. That would be ridiculous. They were words on a screen. Pixels, the little blocks were called. Pixels made blocks which made letters. Infinite pixels could make infinite blocks could make any words you like.

here. i used to be there, but it was too risky. matilda told me so. i can't be where you are; that's worse. so i'm here until a better idea presents itself. or until the situation changes.

[future_sandworm]

There was no use asking where 'here' was. This was Alice, after all.

Matilda? Her dead sister? I can come and see you wherever you are. Or so he hoped.