Children of Dune – Entry #6

It is clear that the story is building up to the meeting between father and son, between Paul and Leto, The Preacher and the no-longer human whose skin is not his own.  Although the dialogue between the two is fascinating, much is still difficult to follow.  One thing that was clear was how Paul had survived his walk out into the desert at the end of Dune Messiah.

     “If I’d only died,” Paul whispered.  “I truly wanted to die whne I went into the desert that night, but I knew I could not leave this world, I had to come back and –”

     “Restore the legend,” Leto said.  “I know.  And the jackals of Jacurutu were waiting for you that night as you knew they would be.  They wanted your visions!  You knew that.”

     “I refused.  I never gave them one vision.”

     “But they contaminated you.  They fed you spice essence and plied you with women and dreams.  And you did have visions.”

(Children of Dune, p. 347)

Also, it was clear that Paul knew of the choice that Leto had made and could have made himself, but didn’t.  But the dialogue about their visions and the choices made was very difficult to follow.  The end of their conversation provided the most clarity:

     After a long silence, Paul said: “The end adjusts the path behind it.  Just once I failed to fight for my principles.  Just once.  I accepted that Mahdinate.  I did it for Chani, but it made me a bad leader.”

     Leto found he couldn’t answer this.  The memory of the decision was there within him.

     “I cannot lie to you any more than I could lie to myself,” Paul said.  “I know this.  Every man should have such an auditor.  I will only ask this one thing: is the Typhoon Struggle necessary?”

     “It’s that or humans will be extinguished.”

     Paul heard the truth in Leto’s words, spoke in a low voice which acknowledged the greater breadth of his son’s vision.  “I did not see that among the choices.”

(Children of Dune, p. 350)

And meanwhile, Alia’s scheme to take Ghanima who was being protected by Stilgar at Sietch Tabr was in play and Duncan Idaho understood Alia’s motives.  He knew that he needed to make Stilgar “take Ghani and flee this place” (Children of Dune, p. 352). After staying up all night trying to guide Stilgar to this conclusion, Duncan realized that he had not succeeded and Stilgar was not going to take the immediate action that Duncan knew was necessary.  So Duncan baited Stilgar in a super intense scene.  First he murdered Javid without provocation right in front of Stilgar and then, knowing him as a true Fremen, he goaded him so hard, there was nothing else Stilgar could do.

     “You have defiled my honor!” Stilgar cried.  “This is neutral -- ”

     “Shut up!” Idaho glared at the shocked Naib.  “You wear a collar, Stilgar!”

     It was one of the three most deadly insults which could be directed at a Fremen.  Stilgar’s face went pale.

     “You are a servant,” Idaho said.  “You’ve sold Fremen for their water.”

     This was the second most deadly insult, the one which had destroyed the original Jacurutu.

     Stilgar ground his teeth, put a hand on his crysknife.  The aid stepped back away from the body in the doorway.

     Turning his back on the Naib, Idaho stepped into the door, taking the narrow opening beside Javid’s body and speaking without turning, delivered the third insult.  “You have no immortality, Stilgar.  None of your descendants carry your blood!”

(Children of Dune, p. 355)

Stilgar was so enraged, he could not see the bait and he killed Duncan right then … just what Duncan wanted.  Stilgar then realized, he had to flee into the desert and take Ghani with him.

     “Where will you go, Stilgar?”  Harah asked.

     “Into the desert.”

    “I will go with you,” she said.

     “Of course you’ll go with me.  All of my wives will go with me.  And Ghanima.  Get her Harah.  At once.”

     “Yes, Stilgar … at once.”  She hesitated. “And Irulan?”

     “If she wishes.”

     “Yes, husband,” Still she hesitated.  “You take Ghani as hostage?”

     “Hostage?” He was genuinely startled by the thought.  “Woman …” He touched Idaho’s body softly with a toe.  “If this mentat was right, I’m Ghani’s only hope.”  And he remembered then Leto’s warning: “Beware of Alia.  You must take Ghani and flee.”

(Children of Dune, p. 356)