Дюна
Book Two: Muad‘dib
Theprescience,herealized,wasanilluminationthatincorporatedthelimitsofwhatitrevealed—atonceasourceofaccuracyandmeaningfulerror.AkindofHeisenbergindeterminacyintervened:theexpenditureofenergythatrevealedwhathesaw,changedwhathesaw.
Andwhathesawwasatimenexuswithinthiscave,aboilingofpossibilitiesfocusedhere,whereinthemostminuteaction—thewinkofaneye,acarelessword,amisplacedgrainofsand—movedagiganticleveracrosstheknownuniverse.Hesawviolencewiththeoutcomesubjecttosomanyvariablesthathisslightestmovementcreatedvastshiftingsinthepattern.
Thevisionmadehimwanttofreezeintoimmobility,butthis,too,wasactionwithitsconsequences.
Thecountlessconsequences—linesfannedoutfromthiscave,andalongmostoftheseconsequence-lineshesawhisowndeadbodywithbloodflowingfromagapingknifewound.
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Myfather,thePadishahEmperor,was72yetlookednomorethan35theyearheencompassedthedeathofDukeLetoandgaveArrakisbacktotheHarkonnens.HeseldomappearedinpublicwearingotherthanaSardaukaruniformandaBurseg’sblackhelmetwiththeImperiallioningolduponitscrest.
Theuniformwasanopenreminderofwherehispowerlay.Hewasnotalwaysthatblatant,though.
Whenhewanted,hecouldradiatecharmandsincerity,butIoftenwonderintheselaterdaysifanythingabouthimwasasitseemed.Ithinknowhewasamanfightingconstantlytoescapethebarsofaninvisiblecage.
