Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

"All theories of war boil down to danger," said the duke, "and when it endangers your own family, the element of war is linked to many others." He knew he had failed to control his anger.He turned around, walked a few steps along the long table, and returned. Only the Duke and Paul were in the conference room.It was a soundproof room that looked bare, with a long table surrounded by old-fashioned three-legged chairs, a map board and a projector on the other side.Paul sat at the table, close to the map board.He told his father about the dart hunt and reported that a traitor was threatening them.

The Duke stopped across from Paul, slapped the table and said, "Hawat told me the house was safe." Paul hesitated and said, "I was angry at first, too, and I blamed Hawat too. But the threat came from outside the house, simple, direct, and clever. Without the rigorous training you and many others, including Hawat, would have given me." I may have become a victim." "Are you defending him?" asked the Duke. "yes." "He's old, yes. He should..." "He has a lot of experience and a lot of wisdom," Paul said. "How many mistakes do you think he made?"

"I should speak for him, not you," said the duke. Paul laughed. Leido sat down at the front of the table and put his hand on his son's: "Son, recently, you... have matured a lot." He raised his hand: "I'm very happy." He also smiled. "Hawat will blame himself. He will be more angry with himself than the two of us combined." Paul looked up at the dark night outside the window.The railings on the balcony reflect the light from the house.Paul noticed something moving outside, it was an Atrez guard in uniform.Paul looked back at the white wall behind his father, looked down at the shiny tabletop, and noticed that his hands were clenched into fists.

The door opposite the Duke slammed open, and Hawat strode in, looking older and more tired than usual.He walked around the table, walked up to the Duke, stood at attention, and said, "Your Excellency, I just found out that an accident happened. It was my fault. I failed your trust in me. I cannot forgive you. I request to resign..." "Oh, sit down and don't talk stupid," said the Duke, pointing to the chair opposite Paul. "If you've made a mistake, it's that you've overestimated the Harkonnen. Their simple minds devised a simple plot. We don't pay attention to simple tricks. And my son has explained to me that there is no You have trained him well, and he is doomed, and in this regard, you have not disappointed me!" He patted the back of the chair, "Sit down and listen to me!"

Hawat sat down: "But..." "Let's not talk about it," said the Duke. "Let the past be the past. We have more pressing matters. Where are the others?" "I asked them to wait outside, I..." "Call them in." Hawat looked the Duke in the eyes and said, "Your Excellency, I..." "I know who my real friends are, Safi," said the Duke, "let them in." Hawat swallowed back what he was about to say. "Yes, sir," he called, jumping up from his chair, to the open door, "Gurney, come in, everybody."

Halleck led a group of people into the room, each officer with a serious expression, followed by his own assistants and experts.With a rhythmic sound, everyone took their seats. "There's coffee here," said the duke. The Duke glanced at his subordinates and thought to himself: They are excellent soldiers, and no one can perform better than them in this kind of war.Coffee was delivered to everyone from the side room. The Duke waited and found that many people had tired faces. The Duke stood up, his face calm and efficient.He tapped his knuckles on the table to get everyone's attention.

"Well, gentlemen," said he, "our civilization seems to be so entrenched in the habit of aggression that without ancient methods, we are at a loss for simple divine orders." Someone laughed.Paul found that his father used the right tone and the right words to enliven everyone's emotions.Even the revealing tiredness in the voice is just right. The Duke went on: "I would like to let everyone hear Safi's addition to the situation of the Fremans first. Safi?" Hawat glanced up at everyone and said: "I will first make a general introduction, and then discuss a few economic issues. It can be said that the Fremen are becoming more and more like the allies we need. They are watching whether we are reliable, and Their way of doing things seems to be public. They sent some gifts... there were filtration suits they made themselves... maps of certain desert areas with Harkonnen strongholds..." He glanced at the table, He went on: "Their intelligence has proven to be completely reliable, and has been of great help to us in our dealings with the emergency judge. From time to time they send other things...jewelry for Ms. Jessica, mulled wine, sweets, medicine. Mine People are processing what has been delivered, and there seems to be no conspiracy."

"Do you like them, Safi?" one asked. Hawat turned to his interrogator: "Duncan Idaho said they deserve respect." Paul glanced at his father, looked at Hawat, and asked, "Any new information on the Fremen population?" Hawat looked at Paul and replied: "Based on their food processing and other evidence, Idaho said that there may be 10,000 people in the cave complex he went to. Their leader said that the tribe he led had 2,000 people." Families. We have reason to believe that there were many such tribal groups. They all seemed to be loyal to a single man called Lett."

"This is new information." Leido said. "Your Excellency, maybe my information is wrong. There are circumstances that indicate that this Liet may be a local god." Another cleared his throat and asked, "Are they really dealing with smugglers?" "While Idaho was in that tribe, there was a smuggling caravan that left with a lot of spices. They used animals for the delivery, which means they would be traveling for more than two weeks." The duke said: "It appears that smugglers have taken advantage of this period of unrest to increase their operations. This deserves our attention. We don't have to worry about illegal interstellar smuggling ... it has always been there. But their actions are completely ignored ... it is also no."

"You have a plan, sir?" Hawat asked. The Duke looked at Halleck and said, "Gurney, I want you to lead a delegation, or a diplomatic mission, if you want, to contact and negotiate with these romantic businessmen, and tell them to pay a certain Duke tax, as long as I ignore their smuggling if they want to. Hawat estimates that they spent four times that amount on bribes and bodyguards." "What if the emperor hears the news?" Halleck asked, "He is very jealous of the profits of Chaum's company." Leido smiled softly: "We will openly deposit this income in the name of Shadam IV, and then deduct our legal expenses for taxation. Let the Harkonin jump for this! We will Knock down a few people who got rich during Harkonnen's time. No more bribes!"

A smile appeared on Halleck's face: "Ah, sir, what a beautiful downward punch. If only I could see the face of the Baron when he heard the news!" The Duke turned to Hawat and said, "Safi, Did you get the ledgers you said you could buy?" "Have it, sir. They are now being examined carefully. I have looked through it myself, and may speak in general terms." "Say it!" "The Harkonnen transport 10 billion cosmic cables from this planet every 330 standard days." Everyone present yelled in surprise, and even the young deputies who were already showing tired faces sat up straight and exchanged surprised glances with each other.Halleck said softly, "They're really going to suck up and scrape the riches out of the desert." "Look, gentlemen," said the duke, "is there anyone who is so naive as to believe that the Harkonnen will quietly pack up their beds and leave this planet at the king's behest?" All shook their heads in agreement with the duke. "We must be armed to the teeth," said the duke, turning to Hawat. "Now it's time to talk about the equipment. How many sand plows, harvesters, decaying spice mills, and ancillary equipment did they leave behind?" "A lot," said Hawat, asking his assistant to hand him a folder, which he opened on the table. "They didn't tell us that less than half of the sand plows were working, and only a third of the vehicles were flying. Transporting the equipment to the spice mines. All the equipment left by the Harkonnen could break down and turn into waste at any moment. We are lucky to be able to keep this equipment running, and it's really good to have a quarter of it working for six months Fortunately." "Better than we expected," Redo said. "What about the actual infrastructure?" Hawat glanced at the folder and said, "About 930 mining plants can be brought to the site within a few days. There are 6,250 reconnaissance planes for exploration, reconnaissance, and weather observations... close to 1,000 carriers." "Wouldn't it be cheaper to negotiate with the Gilders and get them to agree to open the spacecraft to us as a weather satellite?" Halleck said. The Duke looked at Hawat: "Is there no news on this, Safi?" "We have to look elsewhere now," Hawat said. "The Gilders are not really negotiating with us. They are just trying to make us understand that we can't afford what they're asking, and no matter how hard we try, that won't change. We Our task is to find out the cause before re-contact." One of Halleck's lieutenants spun around in his chair and said angrily, "It's not fair!" "Fairness?" The Duke looked at the speaker, "Who is looking for fairness? We have to establish justice by ourselves, right here... Arakis, life or death, we must strive to achieve it. Come here with me Come on, do you regret it?" The man stared at the Duke and said: "No, sir. You have no way out, and I have no choice but to follow you. Forgive my impulsiveness, but..." He shrugged. "...we all feel bad sometimes." He shrugged again. "...Yes, there are times when everyone feels aggrieved." "I understand," said the duke, "that since we have weapons and can use them, we need not bother about fairness. Who has a grievance in his heart? If so, let it out! This is a friendly meeting, and who Everyone can say whatever they want.” Halleck moved, and said: "My lord, the cause of the complaint is that we have no volunteers from the other Great Houses. They call you 'Ledo the Just,' and promise you eternal friendship, but this is only at the expense of Promises in their own interests." "They don't know yet who will win," said the duke. "Most of the families have made their fortunes by avoiding risks, and no one can blame them for that. One can only despise them." He looked at Hawat and said: " We're talking about equipment, can we have some slides? Let's get acquainted with the machines." Hawat nodded and gestured to the deputy next to the slide projector. A three-dimensional stereoscopic projection appeared on the surface of the table, and some people on the far side of the table stood up to get a better view. Paul leaned forward, staring at the machine. Compared with the figures around the table, the machine was obviously a giant, about 120 meters long and 40 meters wide, basically a long machine like a cockroach, with a working track. "It's a harvesting plant," Hawat said, "and we picked one that was in better repair for everyone to see. We also found a whole set of electric shovels that were used by the first royal ecologists who came here ...but it's still in use, and we...don't know how...why." "If this set is what people call the 'Old Mary,' it should belong in a museum," Said one aide, "I think the Harkonnen use it as a punishment. It's a wake-up call to the workers that anyone who doesn't obey will be assigned to 'Old Mary.'" Everyone laughed. Paul didn't smile, he was engrossed in looking at the machine projected on the table, his mind was full of questions.He pointed to the projection on the table and said, "Safie, is there a sand lizard big enough to swallow this whole machine?" Everyone immediately quieted down.The Duke cursed secretly, then thought: No...they have to face the reality here. "In the deep desert, there are sand lizards that can swallow this machine in one bite," Hawat said, "but most of our decay spice mining is done in the desert near the shield wall, where there are many sand lizards that can eat it." Destroy the factory and swallow it easily." "Why can't we shield them?" Paul asked. "According to reports from Idaho," Hawat replied, "it's dangerous to put shields on the desert. A body-sized shield will attract sand lizards within a few hundred meters, and they will become very ferocious and crazy. We got Frey There is no reason to doubt the warning of the Mann. Idaho has not found any signs of shielding devices among the Fremen tribes." "Not at all?" Paul asked. "It's very difficult to conceal this equipment in a venue of thousands of people," Hawat said. "Idaho can go to various places in the Freman tribe. He found no shielding, and he did not see any signs of using it. .” "It's a mystery," said the Duke. "The Harkonnen must have used a lot of shielding here," Hawat said. "They have maintenance depots in every fort village, and their accounts show a huge expense in replacing shields and spare parts." "Could the Fremen have a way of disabling the shielding system?" Paul asked. "It seems not," Hawat replied. "Theoretically, it is possible. . . A fairly large electrostatic inverting device is said to be possible, but no one has tried it successfully." "We've heard it before," Halleck said, "that the smugglers have a close relationship with the Fremen, and if this equipment exists, they'll be the first to get it and sell it on other planets." "I don't like to leave such an important question unresolved," Redo said. "Safi, I want you to make this a top priority and find an answer as soon as possible." "Your Excellency, we are already working on solving this mystery," Hawat cleared his throat, "Well... Idaho did say one thing, he said that the Fremen's attitude towards shielding is obvious, he said they feel that shielding Interesting." The Duke frowned and said, "We're talking about decaying spice equipment." Hawat gestured to his assistant by the projector. The projector reflected a winged contraption so massive that it made those around it look like dwarfs. "It's a vehicle," said Hawat, "actually a large flying cruiser whose sole purpose is to deliver the harvesting plant to the desert rich in decaying spices, and when the sand lizards show up. Rescue harvesting plants. Sand lizards are everywhere. Harvesting spices is about getting as much out and in as possible." "It fits well with Harkonnen morality," said the Duke. Everyone burst out laughing. The projector casts another image of an aircraft. "These are traditional flying cruisers," Hawat said. "The main improvements are the increased range and the addition of a seal against sand and dust. Only about a third of the craft have shields and may be thrown away." Shielding the engine is to reduce weight to increase range." "I don't think it's a good thing not to pay attention to shielding." The Duke murmured, thinking: Is this a secret of the Harkonnen people?Does that mean we have no possibility of escape with shielded craft when all is against us?He shook his head violently, trying to get rid of the thought.Then say, "Let's evaluate our progress. How profitable are we going to get?" Hawat flipped through two pages of his notebook and said: "After estimating the cost of maintenance and operating equipment, we have calculated the initial operating costs. The calculation method is naturally based on depreciation data, leaving a clear safety value. Hawat closed his eyes, put himself into Mentat's half-trance, and went on: "Under Harkonnen's reign, the ratio of maintenance costs to profits was 14 percent. If we could raise this ratio to 30% and as luck would have it. With reinvestment and other factors that may come up, including Chaum's share and military spending, our margins are going to be low, maybe as low as 6% to 7%, unless We can update the old equipment so the profit can go back to 12% to 15%.” He opened his eyes: "There is still another way, that is, your Excellency is willing to use the method of the Harkonnen." "We must lay a solid foundation for long-term stay on this planet," the Duke said. "We must try to make most of the people here stable and satisfied...especially the Fremen." "Yes, the main ones are the Fremen." Hawat echoed. The duke went on: "Our absolute superiority at Caladan comes from sea and air power. Here, too, we have to choose something to develop our superiority and power, call it desert power. This can include air power, without it No. I want you to pay attention to the lack of aircraft shielding." He shook his head, and continued: "The Harkonnen increase production and profits by acquiring certain important personnel from other planets. We dare not do this. Every There will be many spies in the batch of new personnel." "Then we'll have very low margins and volumes for quite some time," he said. "The last two seasons were probably a third lower than Harkonnen's," Hawat said. "It's nothing," said the Duke, "just as we expected. We need to expedite negotiations with the Fremen. Before the first audit of Chaum's company begins, I hope to get a full five Fremen. Legion." "That's a tight deadline, Your Excellency," said Hawat. "You know very well that our time is limited. Given the chance, Sadokar legions dressed as Hartuinnians will appear on this planet. Safi, how many do you think they will have?" "Maximum four or five legions, no more, because the transportation fees charged by the Gilders are too high." "Then five Fremen legions plus our own strength will be enough to deal with it. We will let a few Sadokar captives show up at the Landsrad Council, then the situation will change... Whether there is profit or not Row." "We will do our best, sir." Paul looked at his father, looked back at Hawat, and suddenly noticed that Mentat was getting older, realized that the old man had served the Atrez family for three generations, old, those cold brown eyes, his wrinkled cheeks , weather-beaten, all this shows that he is old. The burden on the old man's shoulders is too heavy.Paul thought. "We are going through a war of slaughter," said the duke, "but the war has not yet reached its climax. Safi, what is the condition of the machines left by the Harkonnen?" "We have eradicated 259 spies left by the Harkonnen, and there are still 3 Harkonnen strongholds left, with more than 100 people." "Are all the Harkonnens you're eradicating the bourgeoisie?" asked the Duke. "Most people are well off and belong to the management class." "I want you to issue them a certificate of allegiance, each of which must be signed," said the duke, "and organize the text and send it to the emergency judge. We will take legal action to prove that their allegiance is false, confiscate their property, and deprive them of Let them have nothing. Pay attention to let the emperor get 10% of the benefits. All actions must be legalized." Safi smiled, showing her red-stained teeth under her lips, and said, "Your Excellency, only you can have such a wonderful idea. I'm ashamed that I didn't think of it first." Halleck frowned, to the surprise of Paul, who scowled.Everyone else was nodding and laughing. That's wrong, Paul thought, Father letting people do this would only drive the enemy to the brink.There is no benefit for them to surrender, they will fight us desperately.Doing so is too dangerous and can bring us victory or it can destroy us. "'I was a stranger in a strange land,'" Halleck is quoted as saying. Paul stared at him, knowing the quote was from the OC Bible, thinking: Does Gurney want to end the machinations too? The Duke glanced out the dark window, looked back at Halleck, and said, "Gurney, how many sand workers have you persuaded to stay?" "A total of 286 people. I think it's our luck that they should be taken in. They are all useful people." "That's all?" the Duke pouted. "Okay, give my order..." A commotion around the table interrupted the Duke.Duncan Idaho stepped through the guards, walked quickly to the Duke at the table, and leaned over to whisper to the Duke. The Duke waved him to his feet and said, "Speak up, Duncan. You see, this is a strategy meeting." Paul stared at Idaho, noticing his cat-like cunning expression and nimble and ferocious movements. As a weapons instructor, it was difficult for anyone to match him.Idaho's dark round face turned to Paul, his deep eyes did not express anything, but Paul had already noticed the excitement in those quiet eyes. Idaho looked at the long table and said: "We subdued a group of Harkonnen mercenaries dressed as Fremen. Freemen sent a messenger to bring us information. During the attack, we found The Harkonnen ambushed the courier and he was badly wounded. We brought the Fremen here for treatment but he died. I found the courier too badly wounded to be revived. Before he died he tried to throw I dropped something, and I found it." Idaho glanced at Leido. "It's a knife, sir. A knife like you've never seen before." "Screaming Blade?" Someone asked. "That's right," Idaho replied, "creamy white with a special cold glow." He reached into his bosom and took out a scabbard with black ridges on the exposed hilt. "Don't pull out the knife!" The sound came from the door at the end of the house, and it was shocking.Everyone stood up. A tall, robed figure stood in the doorway, stopped by the crossed swords of the guards.The light black robe covered him from head to toe, leaving only a gap on the hood. Behind the black veil, a pair of blue eyes were exposed, without a trace of white. "Let him in," Idaho said softly. "Don't stop him!" ordered the Duke. The guard hesitated, and lowered his sword. The man came in and stood opposite the Duke. "This is Stilger, the leader of the tribe I went to, the leader of those who gave us information." Idaho said. "Welcome, sir," Redo said, "why can't we draw that knife?" Stilger glanced at Idaho and said, "You already know that I have the habit of being bold and respectful, and I agree with you to look at this blade, because its owner has become your friend." His eyes swept across the room The others said, "But I don't know anyone else. Will they desecrate this noble knife?" "I am the Duke of Ledo," said the Duke, "will you allow me to see the knife?" "I agree to give you the right to draw this knife." Stilger said.Then there was a murmur of displeasure around the table.He raised his veined hand and said, "Let me remind you that the owner of this sword is your friend." Everyone fell silent, and Paul watched the man carefully, feeling an air of authority exuding from him.He was a leader, a Freeman leader. In the middle of the table, across from Paul, a man said softly, "Who does he think he is? Tell us what rights we have in Arrakis?" "It is well known that Lord Ledo of Atrez rules by his conscience," said the Fremen, "so I must tell you the principles of our life: He who has seen the Shrieking Blade must bear a duty ’” He gave Idaho a meaningful look: “They belong to us. Arrakis must never be brought out without our consent.” Halleck and a few others began to stand up, angry expressions on their faces.Halleck said, "The Duke of Ledo has the power to decide whether..." "Please wait." Leido said, the gentleness in his tone controlled them.He thought: Can't let the situation get out of control.He said to the Fremen: "Sir, I will respect the man who upholds my dignity. Uphold his dignity. I do owe you. I will definitely reciprocate. If you follow your custom, This knife cannot be drawn out of its sheath here, and I order that no one can draw it out. If there is any other way to pay homage to our dead friend, you just need to say so.” The Freman stared at the Duke, Then slowly the veil was drawn back, revealing a dark bearded face with a narrow nose and full lips.He deliberately bent down and spit on the bright table. Everyone around the table was about to stand up, and Idaho yelled, "Don't move!" Everyone was stunned, and Idaho went on to say: "We thank you, Stilger, for the gift you gave with the water of life. We accept it and regard it as precious as life." Idaho also spit On the table in front of the duke. He said to the Duke next to him, "Note that water is very precious here, sir. That's a sign of respect." Leido sat back in the chair with confidence, noticed Paul's eyes and the contrite smile on his face, and realized that with the increase of understanding, the tense atmosphere had gradually eased. The Freman looked at Idaho and said, "Duncan, you have done well in my tribe. Do you have a contract with the Duke to serve him?" "Your Excellency, he asked me to join them," Idaho said. "Does he accept dual allegiance?" Redo asked. "What do you want me to do with him, sir?" "I want you to decide for yourself," the Duke said, but he couldn't hide the urgency in his tone. Idaho stared at the Fremen and asked, "Stilger, can you accept my status? I still have to work for my Duke." "You were a good fighter and did your best for our friend," said Stilgar, looking at the duke. "It was so decided, man Idaho, to have this howling blade as a token of allegiance to us. He must undergo purification and participate in the ceremony, and we will do it for him. He will be a Fremen, and at the same time a warrior of Atrez. There is also a precedent for this, Lett is loyal to two masters." "Duncan?" Redo asked. "I understand, sir," Idaho replied. "Okay, that's it," Redo said. "Your water is ours, Duncan Idaho," said Stilgar. "The body of our friend is given to the Duke, and his water is the water of Atrez. This is our contract." Redo sighed, glanced at Hawat, and watched old Mentat's eyes.Hawa nodded, looking very satisfied. "I'll wait below," Stilger said, "Itahe, say goodbye to your friends. Durok is the name of the friend who died. You are all friends of Durok." Stilger Turn around and walk out. "Don't you want to stay any longer?" Reido asked. The Freman turned around, raised his hand to cover the veil, and casually connected something behind the veil with his hand.Paul glanced and noticed what appeared to be a thin tube. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "We wish to pay our respects," replied the duke. "Fame demands that I go elsewhere," he said, glanced at Idaho, turned quickly, and strode out the door. "If other Fremen can be like him, then we can complement each other," Redo said. Idaho said with a feeling of distress: "He is quite special." "Duncan, do you know the purpose of your trip?" "I am the diplomat you sent to the Fremen." "It's all up to you, Duncan. We'll have at least five Fremen's before the Sadokar's come." "Sir, this still needs some work. The Fremen like to work on their own," Idaho seemed hesitant. "And, sir, there is one more thing. The mercenary we got rid of wanted to get rid of the dead one." The mercenary said that Harkonnen offered a reward of one million cosmic ropes for a shriek blade." Leido's jaw moved, obviously very surprised: "Why are they so eager to get a howling blade?" "This knife is ground from the sand lizard's teeth. It is the symbol and symbol of the Fremen. With it, a blue-eyed man can enter any Fremen tribe. If I am a stranger , they will ask, because I don't look like a Freeman. But..." "Peter Volley," said the duke. "A devilish and cunning man," Hawat said. Idaho hid the knife in his clothes. "Protect that knife," said the Duke. "I know, Your Excellency," he said, patting the walkie-talkie on his belt, "I will report to you as soon as possible. Safi has my calling code, in the language of wartime." He saluted, turned, and hurried to Join the Fremen. They heard footsteps echoing in the corridor. Leido and Hawat looked at each other knowingly and smiled. "We've got a lot to do, sir," said Halleck. "I delayed your work," Redo said. "I want to report on the situation at the forward base," Hawat said. "Would you like to talk about it next time, sir?" "Will it take long?" "In a nutshell, it won't be long. It is said that during the period of the desert plant experiment station, more than 200 such advance stations were built. Said the forward stations were sealed before they were scrapped." "Including the equipment inside?" the Duke asked. "According to reports it is so." "Where are they all located?" Halleck asked. Hawat replied: "The answer to this question is invariably: 'Leet knows.'" "God knows," Leido whispered. "Perhaps not quite, sir," Hawat said. "You heard Stilgar say the name just now, and he spoke as if there was such a person." "Let had two masters," said Halleck, "which sounds like a religious quote." "And you ought to know," said the Duke. Halleck smiled. "This contingency judge," Redo said, "will the royal ecologist...Keynes...will he know where these bases are?" "Sir," Hawat said cautiously, "this Keynes is a royal employee." "But the sky is high and the emperor is far away," Leido said. "I need those bases. There will be a lot of supplies there, which can be used for rescue and repair equipment." "Your Excellency!" said Hawat, "the bases still legally belong to the Emperor." "The weather here is so bad that it can destroy anything. The bad weather is the reason, the excuse. Find Keynes and at least find out if there are these bases." "There is a danger in taking them by force," Hawat said. "Duncan made one thing very clear: These bases, or the legends about them, have a special meaning to the Fremen. If they were taken, they would Create a estrangement with the Fremen." Paul watched the expressions on the faces of the people around him, noticing that everyone listened nervously to every word.They seemed deeply disturbed by their father's attitude. "Listen to him, Dad," Paul whispered, "he has a point." "Sir," Hawat went on, "the materials and supplies in those bases will allow us to repair all the equipment. But for strategic reasons, we can't get them. It would appear rash to act without further reconnaissance. Indiscretion. This Keynes has the privilege of the Emperor, we should remember that, and the Fremen hold him in awe." "Then, softly," said the Duke, "I just want to know if those bases really exist." "Yes, sir." Hawat sat down, looking down. "Well," said the Duke, "we know what we have to do, we work hard, and our usual training is for this day. We have experienced many battles, we know the benefits, and we know the consequences of failure. You will have Their respective tasks." He looked at Halleck and said, "Gurney, take care of the pirates first." "'I will go deep into the camp of the rebels,'" Halleck recited a quote. "One day, I'll catch the guy who doesn't say the quote and give him a naked look," Duke said. There was snickering around the table.But Paul heard the reluctance. The Duke said to Hawat: "Set up another ICT command post on this floor, Safi. Come see me when you're done." Hawat stood up and glanced around the room as if looking for help.He turned and led everyone out of the house.Everyone else seemed in a hurry, and there was a bit of a mess as someone tripped over a chair. Paul looked at the backs of the last few people and thought: The meeting ended in a bit of chaos.以前，会议总是在清楚明白、情绪高涨中结束，但这次会议似乎有点异常，结果不明确，争论没结果。 保罗第一次让自己考虑失败的真正可能性……并不是因为害怕而想到它，而是由于像圣母那些人所给的警告。由于自己对形势有了独立的看法，而常要面对这一点。 他想：我父亲发疯了。事情对我们大家都不利。 保罗想起了哈瓦特，这个老门泰特在会议期间的行为显得犹豫不安。 哈瓦特一定遇到了非常棘手的事。 “儿子，后半夜你最好在这儿过，”公爵说，“天马上就亮了。我会通知你妈妈。”他站起来，缓慢而僵硬。“你可以把这些椅子拼起来，睡一会儿。” “我不是特别累，爸。” “随你的便。” 公爵把手背在身后，开始沿着长桌来回踱步。 保罗想：像一只困兽。 “您准备与哈瓦特谈谈内奸的事吗？”他问。 公爵在儿子对面站住，对着黑洞洞的窗说：“这种可能性，我们已讨论过好几次。” “那老太太似乎很自信，有把握，”保罗说，“而且，妈妈的情报……” “已经采取了预防措施。”公爵说。他扫了一眼屋子四周。保罗注意到父亲那困兽般绝望的表情。 “你呆在这儿。我想去跟萨菲谈谈建指挥站的事。”他转身大步走了出去，轻轻向门卫点了一下头。 保罗看着父亲刚才站过的地方，公爵离开前那地方就空了。保罗想起了老妇人的话：“……父亲，没有希望了。”