Padme gave Anakin a warm smile as well, and the boy felt himself blush with pride.
'Me doen nutten!' Jar Jar insisted, still trying to defend himself, hands gesturing for emphasis.
'You were afraid,' the boy told him, looking up at the long-billed face solemnly. 'Fear attracts the fearful. Sebulba was trying to overcome his fear by squashing you.' He cocked his head at the Gungan. 'You can help yourself by being less afraid.'
'And that works for you?' Padme asked skeptically, giving him a wry look.
Anakin smiled and shrugged. 'Well... up to a point.'
Anxious to spend as much time as possible with the girl, he persuaded the group to follow him a short distance down the street to a fruit stand, a ramshackle affair formed by a makeshift ragged awning stretched over a framework of bent poles. Boxes of brightly colored fruit were arranged on a rack tilted toward the street for viewing. A weathered old lady, gray-haired and stooped, her simple clothing patched and worn, rose from a stool to greet them on their approach.
'How are you feeling today, Jira?' Anakin asked her, giving her a quick hug.
The old lady smiled. 'The heat's never been kind to me, you know, Annie.'
'Guess what?' the boy replied quickly, beaming. 'I've found that cooling unit I've been searching for. It's pretty beat up, but I'll have it fixed up for you in no time, I promise. That should help.'
Jira reached out to brush his pink cheek with her wrinkled hand, her smile broadening. 'You're a fine boy, Annie.'
Anakin shrugged off the compliment and began scanning the fruit display. 'I'll take four pallies, Jira.' He glanced at Padme eagerly. 'You'll like these. '
He reached into his pocket for the truguts he had been saving, but when he brought them out to pay Jira, he dropped one. The farmer, standing next to him, bent to retrieve it. As he did, his poncho opened just far enough that the boy caught sight of the lightsaber hanging from the belt about his waist.
The boy's eyes went wide, but he masked his surprise by focusing on the coins. He only had three, he found. 'Whoops, I thought I had more,' he said quickly, not looking up. 'Make that three pallies, Jira. I'm not that hungry anyway.'
The old woman gave Qui-Gon, Padme, and Jar Jar their pallies and took the coins from Anakin. A gust of wind whipped down the street, rattling the framework of poles and causing the awning to billow. A second gust sent dust swirling in all directions.
Jira rubbed her arms with her gnarled hands. 'Gracious, my bones are aching. There's a storm coming, Annie. You'd better get home quick.'
The wind gusted in a series of sharp blasts that sent sand and loose debris flying. Anakin glanced at the sky, then at Qui-Gon. 'Do you have shelter?' he asked.
The Jedi Master nodded. 'We'll head back to our ship. Thank you again, my young friend, for-'
'Is your ship far?' the boy interrupted hurriedly. All around them, shopkeepers and vendors were closing and shuttering windows and doors, carrying goods and wares inside, wrapping coverings over displays and boxes.
'It's on the city's outskirts,' Padme answered, turning away from the stinging gusts of sand.
Anakin took her hand quickly, tugging on it. 'You'll never reach the outskirts in time. Sandstorms are very, very dangerous. Come with me. You can wait it out at my home. It's not far. My mom won't mind. Hurry!'
With the wind howling all about them and the air clouded with sand, Anakin Skywalker shouted good-bye to Jira and led his newly adopted charges down the street in a rush.
On the outskirts of Mos Espa, Obi-Wan Kenobi stood near the nose of the Nubian as the wind gathered force, whipping at his robe, tearing across the broad expanse of the Tatooine desert. His troubled eyes looked off into the distance where Mos Espa was beginning to disappear behind a curtain of sand. He turned as Captain Panaka came down the ramp of the transport to join him.
'This storm's going to slow them down,' the Jedi observed worriedly.
Panaka nodded. 'It looks pretty bad. We'd better seal up the ship before it gets any worse.'
There was a beep from the soldier's comlink. Panaka retrieved the communicator from his belt. 'Yes?'
Ric Olie's voice rose from the speaker. 'We're receiving a message from home.'
Panaka and Obi-Wan exchanged glances. 'We'll be right there,' the captain advised.
They went up the ramp quickly, sealing it behind them. The transmission had been received in the Queen's chambers. At Ric Olie's direction, they found Amidala and her handmaidens Eirtae and Rabe viewing a hologram ofSio Bibble that was shimmering weakly at one end of the room, the governor's voice breaking up in transmission.
'... cut off all our food supplies until you return... death toll rising, catastrophic... must bow to their wishes, Your Highness...' Sio Bibble's image and voice faded and returned, garbled still. 'Please, I beg of you, tell us what to do! If you can hear me, Your Highness, you must contact me...'
The transmission flickered and disappeared. The governor's voice faded into silence. Queen Amidala sat staring at the empty space it left behind, her smooth face troubled. Her hands worked quietly in her lap, betraying a nervousness she could not quite manage to hide.
Her gaze shifted to Obi-Wan. The Jedi shook his head quickly. 'It is a trick. Send no reply, Your Highness. Send no transmission of any kind.'
The Queen stared at him uncertainly for a moment, then nodded in acquiescence. Obi-Wan left her chambers without further comment, hoping fervently he had made the right decision.
