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pon the shimmering rock。 The others in the party piled out afterward； Kynes waited his turn and emerged from the rear。
The guards took up watch positions； directing the oil lenses of their binoculars at the small running figure。 Rabban stood tall； holding a high…powered lasgun； though Kynes couldn't imagine what he intended to do with the weapon at this point。 Through a spotting…scope； the Baron's nephew stared out into the heat…addled air； seeing the ripples and mirages。 He centered on the clacking thumper and the dark landmark of piled explosives。
One of the high spotter 'thopters reported possible wormsign about two kilometers to the south。
Out on the desert； Thekar ran frantically； kicking up sand。 He advanced toward the archipelago of safety； the rocky islands in the sea of sand but he was still many minutes away。
Kynes watched the odd manner in which Thekar placed his footsteps。 He seemed to jitter and hop erratically； running like a spastic insect。 Kynes wondered if this was some sort of arrhythmic pattern to fool an oning sandworm。 Was this technique something that desert travelers learned？ If so； who could teach it to Kynes？ He had to know everything about this place and its people； the worms and the spice and the dunes。 Not only was it his Imperial directive： Pardot Kynes wanted to know for himself。 Once he became involved in a project； he hated unanswered questions。
The group waited； and time passed slowly。 The soldiers talked。 The desert man continued his peculiar running； moving imperceptibly closer。 Kynes could feel the stillsuit micro…sandwich layers sucking up his droplets of sweat。
He knelt and studied the umber rock at his feet。 Basaltic lava； it contained eroded pockets that had been formed from leftover gaseous bubbles in the molten rock； or softer stone eaten away by the legendary Coriolis storms of Arrakis。
Kynes picked up a handful of sand and let it run through his fingers。 Not unexpectedly； he saw that the grains of sand were quartz particles； shimmering in the sun with a few flecks of darker material that might have been magnetite。
At other places he had seen rusty colorations in the sand； striations of tan； orange； and coral； hinting at various oxides。 Some of the coloring could also have been from weathered deposits of the spice melange； but Kynes had never seen unprocessed spice in the wild before。 Not yet。
Finally； the spotter 'thopters overhead confirmed an approaching worm。 A large one； moving fast。
The guards rose to their feet。 Looking out onto the blurry landscape； Kynes saw a ripple on the sand； like an immense finger being drawn beneath the surface； disturbing the upper layers。 The size of it astounded him。
〃Worm's ing in from the side！〃 the Bator called。
〃It's going straight for Thekar！〃 Rabban shouted； with cruel glee。 〃He's between the worm and the thumper。 Awe； bad luck。〃 His wide face now showed a different kind of anticipation。
Even from this distance； Kynes could see Thekar put on a burst of speed； forgetting his staggering walk as he saw the mound of the approaching worm tunneling toward him faster and faster。 Kynes could well imagine the look of horror and hopeless despair on the desert man's face。
Then with a grim resolve and a sudden desperation； Thekar came to a full stop and lay flat on the sand； motionless； staring up at the sky； perhaps praying fervently to Shai…Hulud。
With the tiny footstep vibrations stopped； the distant thumper seemed as loud as an Imperial band。 Thump； thump； thump。 The worm paused then altered its path to head straight toward the cache of explosives。
Rabban gave a twitch of a shrug； nonchalant acceptance of an irrelevant defeat。
Kynes could hear the underground hiss of shifting sands； the approach of the behemoth。 It came closer and closer； attracted like an iron filing to a deadly magnet。 As it neared the thumper； the worm dived deeper underground； circled； and came up to engulf that which had attracted it； angered it or whatever instinctive reaction these blind leviathans experienced。
When the worm rose from the sands； it revealed a mouth large enough to swallow a spacecraft； ascending higher and higher； its maw opening wider as its flexible jaws spread like the petals of a flower。 In an instant it engulfed the insignificant black speck of the thumper and all the explosives。 Its crystal teeth shone like tiny sharp thorns spiraling down its bottomless gullet。
From three hundred meters away； Kynes saw ridges of ancient skin； overlapping folds of armor that protected the creature in its passage beneath the ground。 The worm gulped the booby…trapped bait and began to wallow into the sands again。
Rabban stood up with a demonic grin on his face and worked small transmitting controls。 A hot breeze dusted his face； peppering his teeth with grains of sand。 He pushed a button。
A distant thunderclap sent a tremor through the desert。 The sands shifted in tiny avalanches from the fingernail dunes。 The sequenced bomb ripped through the internal channels of the worm； blasting open its gut and splitting its armored segments。
As the dust cleared； Kynes saw the writhing； dying monstrosity that lay in a pool of disrupted sand； like a beached fur…whale。
〃That thing's more than two hundred meters long！〃 Rabban cried； taking in the extent of his kill。
The guards cheered。 Rabban turned and pounded Kynes on the back with nearly enough strength to dislocate his shoulder。
〃Now there's a trophy； Planetologist。 I'm going to take this back to Giedi Prime with me。〃
Almost unnoticed； Thekar finally arrived； sweating and panting； hauling himself up to safety on the rocks。 He looked behind him with mixed emotions at the faraway dead creature sprawled on the sands。
Rabban led the charge as the worm ceased its final writhing。 The eager guards sprinted across the sands； shouting； cheering。 Kynes； anxious now to see the amazing specimen up close； hurried along； stumbling as Harkonnen troops plowed a battered path ahead of him。
Many minutes later； panting and hot； Kynes stood awestruck in front of the towering mass of the ancient worm。 Its skin was scaled； covered with gravel； thick with abrasion…proof calluses。 Yet between the segments that sagged open from the explosions； he saw pink； tender skin。 The gaping mouth of the worm itself was like a mine shaft lined with crystal daggers。
〃It's the most fearsome creature on this miserable planet！〃 Rabban crowed。 〃And I've killed it！〃
The soldiers peered； none of them wanting to approach closer than several meters。 Kynes wondered how the Baron's nephew intended to haul this trophy back with him。 With the Harkonnen penchant for extravagance； however； he assumed Rabban would find a way。
The Planetologist turned to see that the exhausted Thekar had plodded up beside them。 His eyes held a silvery sheen； as if some inner fire blazed bright。 Perhaps by ing so close to death and seeing the Fremen desert god laid low by Harkonnen explosives； his perspective on the world had changed。
〃Shai…Hulud；〃 he whispered。 Then he turned to Kynes； as if sensing a kindred spirit。 〃This is an ancient one。 One of the oldest of the worms。〃
Kynes stepped forward to look at the encrusted skin； at its segments； and wondered how he might go about dissecting and analyzing the specimen。 Certainly Rabban couldn't object to that？ If necessary； Kynes would invoke his assignment from the Emperor to make the man understand。 But as he approached closer； intending to touch it； he saw that the skin of the old worm was shimmering； moving； shifting。 The beast itself wasn't still alive its nerve functions had ceased even to twitch。。。and yet its outer layers trembled and shifted； as if melting。
While Kynes stared in amazement； a rain of translucent cellular flaps dripped off the hulk of the old worm； like scales shed to the churned sand； where they vanished。
〃What's going on？〃 Rabban cried； his face purpling。 Before his eyes the worm seemed to be evaporating。 The skin sloughed off into tiny flopping amoebalike patches that jiggled and then burrowed into the sand like molten solder。 The ancient behemoth slumped into the desert。
In the end； only skeletal； cartilaginous ribs and milky teeth were left。 Then even these remains sank slowly； dissolving into mounds of loose gelatin covered by sand。
The Harkonnen troops stepped back to a safer distance。
To Kynes； it seemed as if he had seen a thousand years of decay in only a few seconds。 Accelerated entropy。 The hungry desert seemed eager to swallow every shred of evidence； to conceal the fact that a human had defeated a sandworm。
As Kynes thought about it； more in confusion and growing amazement than in dismay at losing all chance of dissecting the specimen； he wondered just how strange the life cycle of these magnificent beasts must be。
He had so much to learn about Arrakis。。。。
Rabban stood； seething and furious。 The muscles in his neck stretched taut like iron cables。 〃My trophy！〃 He whirled； clenched his fists； and struck Thekar full across the face； knocking him flat onto the sands。 For a moment； Kynes thought the Baron's nephew might actually kill the desert man； but Rabban turned his rage and fury on the still…dissolving； shud