Chapter 9 Chapter nine

This is a small room with a slight smell of ozone. The spherical lamp inside the room emits a dim yellow light, leaving a gray shadow on the ground.On the wall is a teleporter monitor that glows metallic blue.The screen is about one meter wide and only about two-thirds of a meter high.The image shows a barren, rocky remote valley where two Lazi tigers are feasting on the bloody carcass of their freshly caught prey.On the ridge above the tiger, a thin man could be seen wearing Saduka's training uniform, with Levenbrecher's badge on his collar.On his chest hung the keyboard of the servo controller.

There is a suspended chair in front of the screen, and a blond woman of unknown age is sitting on the chair.She has an oval face, and her slender hands grip the armrests as she looks at the screen.A white robe trimmed with gold covers her whole body, hiding her figure. A step away to her right stood a stocky man in the bronze-coloured pashar uniform of the traditional Royal Sadukkar Regiment.His gray hair was cut into a small crew cut, and under the hair was an expressionless Chinese character face. The woman coughed and said, "As you expected, Taikanik." "Indeed, princess." Adjutant Bashar replied in a hoarse voice.

She smiled because of his nervousness, and then asked, "Tell me, Taikanik, will my son like the title of Emperor Farakon I?" "The title suits him well, princess." "That's not what I asked." "He might not agree to some of the things that were done to get that, um, title." "That's it again..." She turned and looked at him in the dark, "You were loyal to my father. It was not your fault that he lost his throne to House Atreides. But of course, you and The sting of losing it all is felt as strongly as anyone else—” "Does Princess Vincia have any special missions for me?" Taikanik asked.His voice was as hoarse as ever, but now there was an added layer of longing.

"You have a bad habit of interrupting me," she said. He smiled, showing his teeth, which glistened in the light of the screen. "You remind me of your father now and then," he said, "for being so tactful before assigning a... well, tricky assignment." She looked away from him and back to the screen to hide her annoyance.She asked, "Do you really think those raz tigers can put my son on the throne?" "Very likely, princess. You have to admit that Paul Atreides' bastard child was nothing more than a nice extra meal for the two of them. When the twins are dead..." He shrugged.

"Sadham IV's grandson would be the logical heir," she said, "but it will have to depend on whether we can get the consent of the Fremen, the Legislative Council, and the Union Company, not to mention the Atreides. Any survivors would-" "Jarved assured me that his men would take on Alia easily. Lady Jessica doesn't count as Atreides in my opinion. Who else is there?" "The Legislative Council and the Union Corporation are nothing but profit-seekers," she said, "but what to do with the Freemen?" "We will drown them with Muad'di's religion!"

"Easy to say, my dear Tekanek!" "I see," he said, "we're back to the same old problem." "In order to fight for power, the Corino family has done worse things than this," she said. "However, to convert...to the religion of Muad'di..." "Don't forget, my son respects you," she said. "Princess, I've been looking forward to the Korino family regaining power. Every Saduka on Planet Salusa thinks so. But if you..." "Tekanik! This is the planet Salusa Secundus. Don't let the laziness that permeated our former empire affect you. Serious, careful—attention to every detail = these qualities will bring the Atreides to life." Bloodlines buried deep in the Arrakis desert. Every detail, Techanic!"

He knew the tricks she used.It was a deflection technique she had learned from her sister Irulan.He felt he was losing the argument. "Did you hear that, Tekanek?" "Understood, princess." "I want you to convert to Muad'di's religion," she said. "Princess, I will go through fire and water for you, but..." "This is an order, Tecanek—do you understand?" "I obey, princess." But his tone didn't change. "Don't mock me, Tecanek. I know you hate it. But if you can set an example..." "Your son still won't follow that example, princess."

"He will." She pointed to the screen, "One more thing, I think that Levenbrecher may cause trouble." "Trouble? How come?" "How many people know about tigers?" "That Levenbrecher, their trainer... a spaceship pilot, you, and of course..." He tapped on his chair. "Where's the buyer?" "They don't know anything. What are you worried about, princess?" "My son, how should I put it, is a little too sensitive." "Saduka does not tell secrets," he said. "Not even the dead." She stretched her hand forward and pressed a red button at the bottom of the screen.

Razhu raised his head immediately.They tense, staring at Levenbrecher on the hill.Immediately, the two tigers turned around in unison and ran up the mountain ridge. At first, Levenbrecher seemed relaxed, pressing a button on the controller.His movement is complete, but the two felines are still running towards him.He started to panic, pressing that button hard again and again.Afterwards, an expression of enlightenment appeared on his face, and he suddenly reached for the saber at his waist.But it was too late for him to act.A sharp claw struck his chest, knocking him to the ground.As he fell, another tiger grabbed his neck with its huge fangs and gave it a hard swipe.His neck was broken.

"Attention to detail," said the princess. She turned around and was dumbfounded when she saw Tekanek draw the knife.But he handed her the knife, hilt facing forward. "Perhaps you wish to use my knife for another detail," he said. "Sheath the knife and don't be a fool!" she yelled angrily. "Sometimes, Tekanek, you make me—" "That's a fine man, princess. The best I've had." "The best I have," she corrected him. He took a deep, trembling breath, and sheathed the knife. "What are you going to do with my spaceship pilot?"

"An accident," she said. "You're going to tell him to be very careful when transporting the pair of tigers back to us. Of course, after he's delivered the tigers to Javed's men on the spaceship..." She glanced at his face. Knife. "Is this an order, princess?" "yes." "What about me? Should I kill myself, or should you handle, um, this detail yourself?" She pretended to be calm and said solemnly, "Tekanik, if I hadn't been 100% sure that you would obey my orders, and even order you to kill yourself, you wouldn't be standing by my side—armed. " He swallowed and looked at the screen.The tiger started eating again. She held back, didn't look at the screen, and continued to stare at Taikanik and said: "Also, you have to tell the buyer not to send us twins who meet the requirements." "Yes, Princess." "Don't talk to me in that tone, Tekanek." "Yes, princess." His lips were drawn into a straight line.She asked, "How many sets of this kind of clothing do we have?" "Six sets, robes, stills, and sandboots, all embroidered with the crest of House Atreides." "Gorgeous like those two sets?" She nodded towards the screen. "Made for the royal family, princess." "Attention to detail," she said. "These garments will be sent to Arrakis as a gift for my royal nephew. They are a gift from my son, do you understand, Tecanik?" "Understood, princess." "Let him draw up an appropriate note. It should say that he regards these paltry items of clothing as a token of allegiance to House Atreides. Something like that." "On what occasion do you send it?" "There's always birthdays and holy days and other special days, Taikanik. I leave it to you. I trust you, my friend." He looked at her silently. Her face fell. "You should know, shouldn't you? Who can I trust after my husband dies?" He shrugged, imagining how much she resembled a spider.There was no good in getting too close to her, and he now suspected that his Levenbrecher was just getting too close to her. "Tekanik," she said, "one more detail." "Yes, princess." "My son is being trained to rule. Eventually he will have to hold the sword with his own hands. You should know when that time will come. When it does, I want you to notify me immediately." "Yes, Princess." She leaned back and looked at him with eyes that could see right through him. "You don't agree with me, I know. But I don't care, as long as you remember the lesson of that Levenbrecher." "He is very good at training animals, but it is also disposable; I remember, princess." "That was not what I meant!" "Isn't it? Well... I don't understand." "An army," she said, "is made up entirely of disposable, replaceable people. That's what we should learn from Levenbrecher." "Alternatives," he said, "including the Supreme Commander?" "Without the Supreme Commander, there would be no need for an army, Taikanik. It is for this reason that you are immediately converting to the religion of Muad'di and at the same time starting to convert my son." "I'll get to it right away, Princess. I suppose you're not going to cut back on your other lessons just to teach him religion?" She stood up from her chair, walked around him, and then stopped at the door.Without looking back, she said directly: "One day, you will feel the limit of my patience, Taikanik." After speaking, she walked out.