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The Baron looked at his nephew； disappointed。 You never seem to grasp anything buried beneath even a single layer of subtlety。
Rabban glared at the Mentat。 〃Duke Leto is just an impetuous young ruler from an unremarkable family。 House Atreides makes its ine through selling。。。pundi rice！〃 He spat the words。
〃The fact is； Rabban；〃 the twisted Mentat said smoothly； with the voice of a snake； 〃that the other members of the Landsraad Council actually seem to like him。 They admire what this boy…Duke has acplished。 We've made him a hero。〃
Rabban finished his drink； poured another； slurped it。
〃The Landsraad Council being altruistic？〃 The Baron snorted。 〃That's even more unbelievable than Leto winning his case。〃
From the surgery rooms down the long； dim halls； grisly noises could be heard； screams of agony that echoed along the corridors all the way to the Baron's workroom。 The muted glowglobes flickered； but maintained their low level of illumination。
The Baron looked piercingly at de Vries； then gestured toward the operating rooms。 〃Perhaps you'd better attend to this yourself； Piter。 I want to make certain that idiot entertainment monitor survives his surgery。。。at least until I've made sufficient use of him。〃
〃Yes； my Baron；〃 the Mentat said and scuttled down the halls to the medical chambers。 The screams grew higher…pitched and womanish。 The Baron heard the sounds of sizzling cutterays and a grinding saw。
The Baron thought of his newly shortened plaything and what he would do to Yh'imm as soon as the painkillers began to wear off。 Or could it be possible the doctors had managed their task without using any painkillers？ Perhaps。
Rabban let his thick…lidded eyes fall closed in supreme pleasure； just listening and enjoying。 Given the choice； he would rather have hunted the man down in Giedi Prime's wilderness preserve。 But the Baron thought that sounded like too much trouble all that running and chasing and climbing snow…covered rocks。 He could e up with far better ways of spending his time。 Besides； the Baron's limbs and joints had been growing increasingly sore of late； his muscles were weakened and trembled； his body was losing its edge。。。。
For now the Baron would simply make up his own sport。 Once Yh'imm's stumps were cauterized and sealed； he would pretend the hapless monitor was Duke Atreides himself。 That would be fun。
The Baron paused and realized how foolish it was for him to be so upset over the failure of a single plan。 For uncounted generations the Harkonnens had spun subtle traps for their hated mortal enemies。 But the Atreides were difficult to kill； especially when their backs were to the wall。 The feud extended all the way back to the Great Revolt； the betrayal； the accusations of cowardice。 Since that time； Harkonnen had always hated Atreides； and vice versa。
And so it would always be。
〃We still have Arrakis；〃 the Baron said。 〃We still control melange production； even though we're under CHOAM's thumb and the watchful eye of the Padishah Emperor。〃 He grinned at Rabban； who grinned back at him； strictly out of habit。
Deep in the heart of the dirty and dark grandeur of Harkonnen Keep； the Baron clenched his fist and raised it high in the air。 〃As long as we control Arrakis； we control our own fortunes。〃 He clapped a hand on his nephew's padded shoulder。 〃We will wring spice from the sands until Arrakis is nothing more than an empty husk！〃
The universe contains untapped and heretofore unimagined energy sources。 They are before your very eyes； yet you cannot see them。 They are in your mind； yet you cannot think them。 But I can！
…TIO HOLTZMAN；
Collected Lectures
On the Spacing Guild world of Junction； the one who had been D'murr Pilru was brought before a tribunal of Navigators。 They didn't tell him the reason； and even with all his intuition and conceptual understanding of the universe； he could not fathom what they wanted from him。
No other trainees joined D'murr； none of the new Pilots who had learned the ways of foldspace with him。 On a huge open parade ground of stunted blakgras； the sealed spice…filled tanks of the high…level tribunal were arrayed in a semicircle on grooved flagstones； where tracks from thousands of previous convocations could still be seen。
D'murr's smaller tank sat in front of them all； solitary at the center of the semicircle。 Relatively new to his life as a Navigator； still a low…ranking Pilot； he retained much of his human shape inside the enclosed tank。 The members of the tribunal Steersmen all； each inside his own tank showed only bloated heads and monstrously altered eyes peering out through the murk of cinnamon…orange。
I will be like them someday； D'murr thought。 At one time he would have recoiled in horror； now he accepted it as inevitable。 He thought of all the new revelations he would have along the way。
The Guild tribunal spoke to him in their shorthand； higher…order mathematical language； thoughts and words municated through the fabric of space itself vastly more efficient than any human conversation。 Grodin； the Head Instructor； acted as their mouthpiece。
〃You have been monitored；〃 said Grodin。 By long…standing procedure； Guild Instructors set up holorecording devices in every Heighliner navigation chamber and every training tank of the new and unproven Pilots。 Periodically in the ships' circuitous routes between the stars； these recordings were removed from the transports and cargo ships and delivered to Junction。
〃All evidence is studied in detail as a routine matter。〃 D'murr knew that Guild Bank officials and their economic partners in CHOAM had to make certain that important navigation rules and safeguards were being followed。 He questioned none of it。
〃The Guild is perplexed by targeted and unauthorized transmissions being directed to your navigation chamber。〃
His brother's munication device！ D'murr reeled inside his tank； floating free； seeing all the dizzy possibilities； the punishments and retributions he might face。 He could bee one of those pathetic failed Navigators； stunted and inhuman the physical price paid； but the benefits not reaped。 But D'murr knew his ability was strong！ Perhaps the Steersmen would forgive。。。。
〃We are curious；〃 Grodin said。
D'murr told them everything； explained everything he knew； gave them every detail。 Trying to remember what C'tair had told him； he reported on the conditions inside sealed Ix； the Tleilaxu decision to return to more primitive Heighliner designs。 The Heighliner decision disturbed them； but the tribunal was more interested in the functioning of the 〃Rogo transceiver〃 itself。
〃Never have we had instantaneous foldspace transmission；〃 Grodin said。 For centuries all messages had been carried by Couriers； in physical form； on a physical ship that traveled through foldspace much faster than any known method of transmission could skim across space。 〃Can we exploit this innovation？〃
D'murr realized the military and economic potential of such a device； if it could ever prove feasible。 Though he didn't know all the technical details； his brother had created an unprecedented system； and one most intriguing to the Spacing Guild。 They wanted it for themselves。
A senior tribunal member suggested the possibility of using a mentally enhanced Navigator on both ends； rather than a mere human； like C'tair Pilru。 Another questioned whether the link was more mental than technological； an enhanced connection because of the former closeness of the twins； the similarity of their brain patterns。
Perhaps； among the vast pool of Pilots； Navigators； and Steersmen； the Guild could find others with similar mental connections。。。though it would likely be rare。 Nevertheless； despite the cost and difficulty； this method of munication was perhaps a service that could be tested； and then offered at great expense to the Emperor。
〃You may retain your status as Pilot；〃 Grodin said； releasing him from the inquiry。
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS after returning in triumph from Kaitain； Duke Leto Atreides and Rhombur Vernius had awaited a response from the new Emperor to their request for an Imperial audience。 Leto was prepared to board a shuttle and travel to the Imperial Palace the moment a Courier arrived with a confirmed slot in the Emperor's calendar。 He had vowed to make no mention of his bluff message； decided not to pursue the matter of a Corrino…Tleilaxu connection。。。but Shaddam IV had to be curious。
If another week passed without a response； however； Leto would go there even without an appointment。
Attempting to ride the momentum of his increasing stature and popularity； Leto wished to discuss amnesty and reparations for House Vernius。 He believed this would be the best chance to bring the situation to a fortuitous conclusion； but as the days passed in Imperial silence； he saw the opportunity slipping like silt through his fingertips。 Even optimistic Rhombur became agitated and frustrated； while Kailea grew more and more resigned to their limited options in life。
Finally； in a standard munique via human Courier bearing a message cylinder； the Emperor suggested since he had very little free time for conversation with his cousin that they make use of a new and untried meth