House Atreides - Entry #3

Tio Holtzman was one of the most productive Ixian inventors on record.  He often went on creative binges, locking himself up for months on end so that he could work without interruption.  Sometimes upon emerging he required hospitalization, and there were constant concerns over his sanity and well-being.  Holtzman died young -- barely past thirty Standard years -- but the results of his efforts changed the galaxy forever.

-- Biographical Capsules, an Imperial filmbook

(House Atreides, p. 562)

Odd chapter starter.  First, I thought that Tio Holtzman was a native of Poritrin not Ix.  Second, based on the fact that he had already been inventing useful products before Norma Cenva even came to work in his employ and that there were a good number of years working with Norma before she worked on her own, I figure he was at least middle-aged when there was the atomic-like blast due to the interaction between lasgun fire and personal shields during the slave uprising on Poritrin that obliterated the capital city.  Just barely thirty Standard years does not sound right.  So this leads to the conclusion that the history books written for the Imperium did not get it right.  I will be keeping an eye on this.

The final fifth of House Atreides explores the political machinations of the Imperium ... the Landsraad, the position of the Emperor, and the Guild and its laws.  Not much about CHOAM but hints as to its importance.  Somehow I had completely neglected or forgotten that Anirul, the secret Kwisatz Mother, was the one offered to Crown Prince Shaddam by the Bene Gesserit to become the Emperess.  Anirul was in charge of the Kwisatz Saderach breeding program and extremely important to the Bene Gesserit because of that.  Harishka, the Mother Superior, must have decided that her placement as Emperess was key in assuring the success of the program.  Also, the disturbing relationship between Sister Margot Rashino-Zea, who was not a Reverent Mother, and Hasimer Fenring is developed fully in this part of the book.  They are a scary pair.

Finally, having read through all of the books, the scene after the Trial by Forfeiture was dismissed as described on pages 629 - 630 when Crown Prince Shaddam gifts the jewel-handled Hagal quartz knife to young Duke Leto  "as a reminder of your [Leto's] service to me [Shaddam]" (House Atreides, p. 630) has renewed importance.  I don't think I really noticed this part of the scene upon my previous reading of House Atreides which I had last read before reading the last two books: Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune.

I now have only a couple of pages left to House Atreides plus the Afterword (must always read the Foreword and Afterword) so I expect the next entry to include my first reflections on the next book House Harkonnen!