Book Two: Muad‘dib

           Whenmyfather,thePadishahEmperor,heardofDukeLeto’sdeathandthemannerofit,hewentintosucharageaswehadneverbeforeseen.HeblamedmymotherandthecompactforcedonhimtoplaceaBeneGesseritonthethrone.HeblamedtheGuildandtheeviloldBaron.Heblamedeveryoneinsight,notexceptingevenme,forhesaidIwasawitchlikealltheothers.AndwhenIsoughttocomforthim,sayingitwasdoneaccordingtoanolderlawofself-preservationtowhicheventhemostancientrulersgaveallegiance,hesneeredatmeandaskedifIthoughthimaweakling.IsawthenthathehadbeenarousedtothispassionnotbyconcernoverthedeadDukebutbywhatthatdeathimpliedforallroyalty.

           AsIlookbackonit,Ithinktheremayhavebeensomeprescienceinmyfather,too,foritiscertainthathislineandMuad’Dib’ssharedcommonancestry.

           —“InMyFather’sHouse,”bythePrincessIrulan

           “NowHARKONNENshallkillHarkonnen,”Paulwhispered.

           Hehadawakenedshortlybeforenightfall,sittingupinthesealedanddarkenedstilltent.Ashespoke,heheardthevaguestirringsofhismotherwhereshesleptagainstthetent’soppositewall.

           Paulglancedattheproximitydetectoronthefloor,studyingthedialsilluminatedintheblacknessbyphosphortubes.

           “Itshouldbenightsoon,”hismothersaid.“Whydon’tyouliftthetentshades?”

           Paulrealizedthenthatherbreathinghadbeendifferentforsometime,that

           shehadlainsilentinthedarknessuntilcertainhewasawake.

           “Liftingtheshadeswouldn’thelp,”hesaid.“There’sbeenastorm.