Book Three: The Prophet

           Nowoman,noman,nochildeverwasdeeplyintimatewithmyfather.TheclosestanyoneevercametocasualcameraderiewiththePadishahEmperorwastherelationshipofferedbyCountHasimirFenring,acompanionfromchildhood.ThemeasureofCountFenring’sfriendshipmaybeseenfirstinapositivething:heallayedtheLandraad’ssuspicionsaftertheArrakisAffair.Itcostmorethanabillionsolarisinspicebribes,somymothersaid,andtherewereothergiftsaswell:slavewomen,royalhonors,andtokensofrank.ThesecondmajorevidenceoftheCount’sfriendshipwasnegative.Herefusedtokillamaneventhoughitwaswithinhiscapabilitiesandmyfathercommandedit.Iwillrelatethispresently.

           —“CountFenring:AProfile”bythePrincessIrulan

           THEBARONVladimirHarkonnenrageddownthecorridorfromhisprivateapartments,flittingthroughpatchesoflateafternoonsunlightthatpoureddownfromhighwindows.Hebobbedandtwistedinhissuspensorswithviolentmovements.

           Pasttheprivatekitchenhestormed—pastthelibrary,pastthesmallreceptionroomandintotheservants’antechamberwheretheeveningrelaxationalreadyhadsetin.

           Theguardcaptain,IakinNefud,squattedonadivanacrossthechamber,thestuporofsemutadullnessinhisflatface,theeeriewailingofsemutamusicaroundhim.Hisowncourtsatneartodohisbidding.

           “Nefud!”theBaronroared.

           Menscrambled.

           Nefudstood,hisfacecomposedbythenarcoticbutwithanoverlayofpalenessthattoldofhisfear.Thesemutamusichadstopped.

           “MyLordBaron,”Nefudsaid.