Chapter 12


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Freakzilla
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Chapter 12

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Over the exit of the Arrakeen landing field, crudely carved as though with a
poor instrument, there was an inscription that Muad'Dib was to repeat many
times. He saw it that first night on Arrakis, having been brought to the ducal
command post to participate in his father's first full staff conference. The
words of the inscription were a plea to those leaving Arrakis, but they fell
with dark import on the eyes of a boy who had just escaped a close brush with
death. They said: "O you who know what we suffer here, do not forget us in your
prayers. "

-from "Manual of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan

Duke Leto and Paul are alone in the confrence room at the landing field. Paul tells the Duke about the hunter seeker and the warning of a traitor. Leto blames Hawat but Paul defends him. Hawat marches in and starts to offer his resignation but the Duke tells him to quit acting like a fool. Paul survived because of Hawat's training. Gurney brings in the staff officers and their aids for a councel. Hawat reports that the Fremen are the allies they need but are waiting to see if they can trust the Atreides. They have provided intelligence and gifts, Duncan Idaho has told Hawat they are to be admired. They seem to be loyal to someone named Liet, but Hawat thinks he may be a local god. They are dealing with the smugglers. Leto doesn't mind the smugglers but wants them kept onder observation. Leto appoints Gurney as ambassador to the smugglers and orders a Ducal tithe which is to be banked in the name of the Emperor and deducted from their levies. Hawat has bought Harkonnen account books and estimates they made ten billion solaris a year from Arrakis. Everyone agrees that the Harkonnens would never simply walk away from that. Halleck reports that a lot of the spice harvesting equipment left by the Harkonnens is in disrepair. The Guild has maid it plain to Hawat that the price for weather control will always be out of reach. Hawat familiarizes the men with the equipment by showing projections. He confirms for Paul that the worms could easily eat a giant spice crawler in one gulp. They can't be shielded because shield attract worms from miles around. The de-emphasis on sheilds on Arrakis makes the Duke nervous. Atreides profits will be very low until the equipment can be repaired. Leto wants five battalions of Fremen before the next CHOAM audit, he thinks that added to their regular troops should be enough. He hopes to capture some Sardaukar and present them to the Landsraad. Duncan Idaho enters and starts to whisper to Leto who orders him to speak out. He's come back from a fight with Harkonnens disguised as Fremen. The Fremen sent a courrier to warn them of the Harkonnens who was mortally wounded. Idaho has brought the dead Fremen's crysnife and starts to show it to Leto when Stilgar, the chielf of the sietch Idaho visited, yells from the door for them not to unsheath the blade. No one who sees a crysknife blade may leave Arrakis without permission of the Fremen. Leto agrees and Stilgar spits on the table. Idaho has to remind the staff that water is prescious and that was a token of respect. In return for the Fremen courrier's service, Stilgar asks for Idaho to join the Fremen. The Duke offers a dual alleigence and Stilgar gives the crysknife to Idaho, on the condition that he be cleansed in the Fremen rite. Idaho and Stilgar leave. Duke Leto wants the imperial botanical testing stations for their equipment and wants Hawat to ask Kynes, the Imperial Planetologist about them. Hawat warns that taking the bases would jepordize their relation with the Fremen. The staff meeting ends in confusion.
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Re: Chapter 12

Post by Freakzilla »

This one was perfect, nothing to add. :D
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Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
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Freakzilla
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Posts: 18449
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 01:27
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Re: Chapter 12

Post by Freakzilla »

Cleaned
Image
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
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