Chapter 39

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Chapter 39

Post by Freakzilla »

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that
makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.

-from "The Sayings of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan

The Baron demands an explanation from Hawat as to why he insisted a message be sent to Rabban concerning the connection between Salusa Secundus and Arrakis. The Baron agreed in haste because the next Highliner departed immediately. Hawat thinks of all the other Great House leaders and considers the Baron a dangerous pig, and that it will be a service to mankind to destroy him. He thinks the Baron a clod who babbles too much compared to Duke Leto or the Old Duke. Hawat suggests that Salusa Secundus is where the emperor gets his Sardaukar and this is why he turned against House Atreides. Halleck and Idaho had trained a small force that rivaled the Sardaukar and Duke Leto would be able to recruit Fremen to enlarge that force. The Baron insists that they're but a few Fremen left after the Sardaukar and Rabban's pogroms and the warning was useless. Hawat reminds him that according to Rabban's own accounts, he's killed fifteen thousand Fremen and lost thirty thousand Harkonnen troops. The Sardaukar troop transportation manifests suggest that they lost five to one. Hawat estimates the Fremen Population at least ten million by Idaho's head count from Sietch Tabr. The Baron questions how loyal such recruits would be but Hawat insists it could be done by taking small groups and filling them with the mystique that there oppression was all secretly part of their training and promise them whatever they desired. The Baron begins to see the truth of it and recounts his meeting with Fenring when he told him he was thinking of making Arrakis a prison planet. That's when Fenring started asking questions about Hawat. Hawat gives the Baron two choices; he can either wipe out all the Fremen or abandon Rabban only demanding fixed amounts of spice. This will keep the Baron's hands clean and Rabban will make his Salusa for him. Each year they will raise the spice quota and eventually things will fall apart. Then the Baron can step in or send Feyd-Rautha to take over himself to "fix things". The Baron openly admires Hawat's deviousness and secretly wonders how all this fits into his personal plans. After he is dismissed, Hawat wonders about the new Muad'dib religion on Arrakis and the new Fremen battle tactics. They smack of Halleck, Idaho and himself. He wonders if maybe Duncan survived. Paul? He puts it out of his mind. The Baron is convinced all the Atreides are dead and Jessica had been his tool. He wonders at the hate she must have had for the Atreides to kill her own son and hopes his final blow to the Harkonnens will be as complete as hers.
They were destroyed because they lied pretentiously. Have no fear that my wrath
will fall upon you because of your innocent mistakes.

~Leto II, God Emperor
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