raitor to the Atreides But the recent finds on Rakis have made that long-held conclusion very doubtful A longer example from SAH challenges the official version of an empire during Leto's reign sunk into a glacial placidity, with its capital at Arrakeen the foremost model of well satisfied burghers and craftsmen Hardly a chapter of the Official History does not extol the contentment of the ordinary man or woman through that long stretch of tune There is a historian's rule of thumb that one finds the truth where the Official and Oral Histories agree, but the Oral History constantly contradicts the official version of "The Garden of Arrakeen ** One of many works to project a different image of the capital during Leto's reign is the ballad Lewm at the Wall," taken down from a troubadour on the out-of-the-way planet of Stormstile in 13934 The troubadour gave the title of the song as "News from Arrakeen ' The figure in the first of these titles is historical Iir Zhiik Lewm (11835^ 11891'), a carpenter originally from Libermann who eventually settled m Arrakeen He is cited in the Municipal Court Rolls of that city as being arrested for hcens ing violations in 11890, and his case was publicized as an example of governmental vigilance in protecting the consumer from sharp dealers According to the final disposition of the charge Lewm died in prison awaiting trial The ballad2 gives a different story As Lewm cut his apple through, He found a worm inside He killed it with his heavy shoe And spoke then in his pnde "The worm has eat the apple's core, Beneath the skin lies curled Just so, many a man lies sore, From the worm within the world " So he took his brush and tar and awl, And walked outside a way To fuid a space upon a wall, On that to have his sav And he painted up the wall that night To tell the worfd his tale And showed the town in morning light That one was not for sale The temple pnests they hunted him, And set on him a pnce But the hope they had was none or slim Until they otfered spice Then AI Badwi the butcher s son Said, Bnng a dozen hands And go down by the cattle run And take him as he stands They came then m the dark of moon When shadow covered all And heard there Lewm sing his tune As he painted on the wall O the Fremen guards were fast and all But Lewin faster yet And the first that come up to the wall The tar was what he met ORAL HISTORY ORANGE CATHOLIC BIBLE The second swore upon his word To kill him with his hand, But Lewin pulled the Bremen sword, Poured his water in the sand The third cut Lewin at the knee, A cut that brought him down, But with his awl full readily, Lewin turned him round When Lewin lay upon flw ground, They tied his hands up fast, And he called, 'O friends, O friends around, "This day will be my last " Now Lewin we will see no more, The walls, they scrubbed them clean, But a worm stilt hides inside the core Of die town of Arrakecn Whatever may be the historicity of the ballad, it should be noted that the folk do not as a rule make heroes of "sharp dealers " Many of the materials from the Oral History show a biting satire and a keen appreciation of political reality In The Little Book of RuMes, probably published anonymously on Gicdi Prime, Riddle 88 is this ' What goes on four legs in the rooming, on two legs in the afternoon, and slithers in the evening1?" And the answer is "Nothing that I know of" The contents of the Little Book are generations older than its first publication, about 13499 (SAft 534, toots.