No. Before the dinner, Leto is told that its customary for guests to clean their hands in a large vat of water, dry their hands with towels, then fling the towels into the street for water beggars to chew. He coldly orders that this custom stops now, and any beggar who comes to the door is to be given a full cup of water from the vat instead. The attendant is angry, because she had intended to sell the towels. Leto places a guard to make sure his orders are followed.
At the dinner, he turns his water cup over as he says “Here I remain!” indicating that he is now the major power on Arrakis. All the other diners are forced to do the same. IIRC, Liet Kynes, or one of the smugglers, pours the water into a container in his robes.
Grumman said:
Spitting on the ground would be wasting water. So that might be taken as an insult. “I’d rather waste this water than share it with you.”
[QUOTE]
Yeah, or like you’re daring them to let it be wasted. “Let’s see if you’re desperate enough to crawl around and collect this” sort of thing.
I’m really surprised by how much I’ve forgotten. I think I need to read it again!
Because of the water element or just because it’s such a bad movie? lol
Seriously though, I’m surprised Frank Herbert didn’t come with the device from Tank Girl that you stab someone with and it sucks out the person’s water. Either as a Fremen weapon or weapon against them.