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How observant he is, she thought, wondering why this filled her with disquiet Does he think I&039;ve taken Tyek as a lover? Nonsense, it wouldn&039;t matter one way or the other Then why this question?

"He calls me &039;My Lady,&039; " she said

"Why?"

"Because that&039;s the custo the Atreides, he thought

"It&039;s less suggestive if overheard," she explained "Soitimate aspirations"

"Who would be that stupid?" he asked

She pursed her lips, decided to let it pass A sns were s

"The Lady Jessica shouldn&039;t have left Caladan," he said

She shook her head sharply What was this? His ! She said: "What do you one back to Arrakis," he said "That&039;s bad strategy Makes one wonder Would&039;ve been better to have her grandchildren visit her on Caladan"

He&039;s right, she thought, dismayed that this had never occurred to her Tyek would have to explore this iain she shook her head No! What was Farad&039;n doing? He must know that the Priesthood would never risk both twins in space

She said this

"Is it the Priesthood or the Lady Alia?" he asked, noting that her thoughts had gone where he had wanted He found exhilaration in his new i It had been a long time since his mother&039;s mind had interested him She was too easily maneuvered

"You think Alia wants power for herself?" Wensicia asked

He looked away from her Of course Alia wanted the power for herself! All of the reports frohts took off on a new course

"I&039;ve been reading about their Planetologist," he said "There has to be a clue to the sandworms and the haploids in there somewhere, if only"

"Leave that to others now!" she said, beginning to lose patience with his we&039;ve done for you?"

"You didn&039;t do them for me," he said

"Wha-a-at?"

"You did it for House Corrino," he said, "and you&039;re House Corrino right now I&039;ve not been invested"

"You have responsibilities!" she said "What about all of the people who depend upon you?"

As if her words put the burden upon hiht of all those hopes and dreams which followed House Corrino

"Yes," he said, "I understand about thes done in ? We do what any Great House would do in pro its own fortunes!"

"Do you? I think you&039;ve been a bit gross No! Don&039;t interrupt me If I&039;m to be an Emperor, then you&039;d better learn how to listen to me Do you think I cannot read between the lines? Hoere those tigers trained?"

She re demonstration of his perceptive abilities

"I see" he said "Well, I&039;ll keep Tyek because I know you led hiood officer under ht for his own principles only in a friendly arena"

"His principles?"

"The difference between a good officer and a poor one is strength of character and about five heartbeats," he said "He has to stick by his principles wherever they&039;re challenged"

"The tigers were necessary," she said

"I&039;ll believe that if they succeed," he said "But I will not condone what had to be done in training them Don&039;t protest It&039;s obvious They were conditioned You said it yourself"

"What&039;re you going to do?" she asked

"I&039; to wait and see," he said "Perhaps I&039;ll becohed For a few moments there he&039;d terrified her She&039;d almost believed he would denounce her Principles! But he was coot up, went to the door and rang for his h, aren&039;t we?"

"Yes" She raised a hand as he started to leave "Where&039;re you going?"

"To the library I&039;ve become fascinated lately by Corrino history" He left her then, sensing how he carried his new commitment with hinized that there was a deep eawire and read at leisure, a deep difference between that kind of history and the history which one lived This new living history which he felt gathering around hi into an irreversible future Farad&039;n could feel himself driven now by the desires of all those whose fortunes rode with hie that he could not pin down his own desires in this

It is said of Muad&039;Dib that once when he saeed trying to groeen two rocks, he moved one of the rocks Later, when the as seen to be flourishing, he covered it with the re rock "That was its fate," he explained -The Commentaries

"Now!" Ghani the narrow cut in the rocks, did not hesitate He dove into the slit, crawled forward until darkness enfolded him He heard Ghanima drop behind hi or fearful:

"I&039; his head within reach of questing claws, reversed hie, crept back until he felt Ghanima&039;s outstretched hand

"It&039;s ht"

He heard rocks falling directly below theain

There was panting below theainst the rock, heaved on Ghanima&039;s arm Cloth ripped and he felt her jerk toward him She hissed and he knew she felt pain, but he pulled once more, harder She ca beside hih He turned, dropped to all fours, scra behind hi intensity to her movements which told hi, rolled over and peered upward out the narrow gap of their sanctuary The opening was about two e obscured the stars

A rurowl filled the air around the twins It was deep,to its prey

"How badly are you hurt?" Leto asked, keeping his voice even

She matched him, tone for tone: "One of the I&039;"

"How bad?"

"Vein I can stop it"

"Use pressure," he said "Don&039;t move I&039;ll take care of our friends"

"Careful," she said "They&039;re bigger than I expected"

Leto unsheathed his crysknife, reached up with it He knew the tiger would be questing doard, claws raking the narrow passage where its body could not go

Slowly, slowly, he extended the knife Abruptly so struck the top of the blade He felt the blow all along his ar his hand, spattered his face, and there came an immediate screa threshed and flung itself down the rocks toward the sand in a violent caterwauling

Once rowl The second tiger had moved into place, unmindful of its companion&039;s fate

"They&039;re persistent," Leto said

"You got one for sure," Ghani convulsions below theh, a curtain against the stars

Leto sheathed his blade, touched Ghanima&039;s arm "Give me your knife I want a fresh tip to make sure of this one"

"Do you think they&039;ll have a third one in reserve?" She asked

"Not likely Laza tigers hunt in pairs"

"Just as we do," she said

"As we do," he agreed He felt the handle of her crysknife slip into his palan that careful upward questing The blade encountered only eerous to his body He withdrew, pondering this

"Can&039;t you find it?"

"It&039;s not behaving the way the other one did"

"It&039;s still there Smell it?"

He sed in a dry throat A fetid breath, moist with the musky smell of the cat, assaulted his nostrils The stars were still blocked fro could be heard of the first cat; the crysknife&039;s poison had co to have to stand up," he said