Ahira's Hangar

How do we approach the study of Muad'Dib's father? A man of surpassing warmth and surprising coldness was the Duke Leto Atreides. Yet, many facts open the way to this Duke: his abiding love for his Bene Gesserit lady; the dreams he held for his son; the devotion with which men served him. You see him there- a man snared by Destiny, a lonely figure with his light dimmed behind the glory of his son. Still, one must ask: What is the son but an extension of the father?
~ from "Muad'Dib, Family Commentaries" bu the Princess Irulan

In this chapter we get to see the Duke Leto interact with his on Paul.

Many things become clear. Leto mentions that he is a leader of sorts for the Great Houses in the Landsraad. Leto also knows that he and his family are in grave danger, but is willing to step into the trap he knows is there. The potential rewards are as great as the danger.

The risks are not only from military attack from the Harkonnen and possibly from the Emporer - but they also face a possible attack on an economic front. Arrakis is the only sourse of the most priceless substance in the galaxy - the spice melange. The Harkonnen have undoubtedly been stockpiling melage for two decades. If they can cripple productin under the Atreides, they can cause economic troubles and ripples throughout the galaxy, while cleaning up themselves on the markets from their stockpiles. This will bring enmity and isolation upon House Atreides, and undermine Leto's leadership among the great Houses.

Leto tells Paul that he believes that the dreaded Imperial troops, the Sardauker, come from the hell world of Salusa Secundis. The horrible environmental conditions there form the toughest fighters in the galaxy. Paul is quick to make the connection with the Fremen on Arrakis. can those people, who live in conditions every bit as bad, also be formed into a force of elite and dreaded fighters? A force who will support the Atreides?

This is really where I start to wonder what Leto is up to. What does he want this elite force for? Is it just to protect his family from the Harkonnen and the Emperor , or does he have Imperial ambitions himself? The Emperor only has daughters...and from the Dune Houses series, we know that Leto is a cousin of Shaddam, and that Shaddam has killed all of his more closely related male relatives. Does Leto wish to sieze power, perhaps marry his son to one of the Imperial daughters? Does he want his children or grandchildren to rule the galaxy? Or does he really only wish to protect his family from evil and debased enemies?

We end with the note that Paul has the sort of mind that he could become a mentat with the right sort of training. He agrees to receive that training... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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An important chapter in terms of setting the scene I think. It gives us a background on the reasns for this move, intimates dark events to come perhaps, or at least the possibility thereof, and importantly, as Duchess notes, reveals that Paul is not all that he seems.

(To be honest, I haven't read this in a while. In fact, I think it's time for a re-read. I'm not sure where we are...before the gom jabbar?)

--A ____________________________________

"We have become a society in which the Artist is regarded as
A self-indulgent superfluity, and the person who juggles stocks and shares
Is an essential part of the economy. Something is Wrong" -Pam Brown.
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The gom jabbar happens in either chapter one or chapter two, IIRC.

This is one of our best views of Leto, either before or after they leave their beloved homeworld.

And I still wonder what he is up to. Protecting his family? Or more? ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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Aah, thanks. Like i said, it's been a while.

OK, so not the first time we have evidence that Paul is destined for great things, but an important indicator nonetheless.

Do you mean what Leto is up to in accepting the Emperors trap?

Aah, wait, I see...wanting an elite force.

Perhaps protection, perhaps ambition, but perhaps as a tool to defeat the Harkonnen?

--A ____________________________________

"We have become a society in which the Artist is regarded as
A self-indulgent superfluity, and the person who juggles stocks and shares
Is an essential part of the economy. Something is Wrong" -Pam Brown.
<i>Edited by: Avatar  at: 8/2/06 10:36 pm
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Wow! And I was just about to delete this forum! I just couldn't do it-duchess has SO busted her butt trying to keep this poor puppy alive (after the mega-hack) double duty, to say the least! *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

That hack was a tragedy. Many fine posts here lost in it. *sigh* I used to stop past just to read the Encyclopedia extracts when I had a chance.

And as I said in another post, this has always been one of my favourite sci-fi books. The series has an honoured place on the front row of my sci-fi shelves, even though I only read it every couple of years or so.

--A ____________________________________

"We have become a society in which the Artist is regarded as
A self-indulgent superfluity, and the person who juggles stocks and shares
Is an essential part of the economy. Something is Wrong" -Pam Brown.
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Nothing much to add, but I just want to put in a word for poor Leto...kind of sad to see a seemingly nice guy destined to fall. Sure, when you're Paul, the universe practically bows before you, but for the father...nothing. Being a smart leader means nothing if you're on the wrong side of destiny.

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But I wonder, was it destiny?

Leaving aside for a moment the dichotomy of Leto's nature that Jessica makes clear, I sometimes wonder if there really was nothing that could be done, if anybody had cared enough.

The BG didn't care...even if they didn't have an atreides daughter, the genes were preserved in Paul, which meant their breeding plan was on track.

Certainly the Imperium didn't care, all it cared about was the profits of the spice.

Did Leto make mistakes? Sure. Perhaps his greatest mistake was in not having the vision required...I don't know.

For the father...nothing. Why? Because he had outlived his usefullness?

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

Well, the Imperium did care. Leto was one of the very few male relatives left of the Emperor, who only had daughters rather than sons. Leto was a very popular man in the Great Houses, and was something of an opposition leader.

In short, Shaddam saw Leto as a huge threat.

And when Shaddam saw a threat, that threat had to go. Such is the way of unscrupulous Emperors (some of the early Roman emperors slaughtered their male relations, up to four and five generations removed, to secure their thrones - to the point where the ancient and powerful Claudian family was pretty much extinct when Nero died).

So Leto was a threat in the eyes of the Imperium - and I think he knew that. He knew that Arrakis was a huge death trap, but he thought he had a bit more time to try to make allies of the Fremen. Now - what he hoped to do with the Fremen with an opening for a new Imperial family in the fairly near future - that is another question.

If the Fremen could hold off the Saudauker - if he has control of the Spice - if he is one of the few males related to the Imperial family left alive - when there are only daughters to the Emperor and Leto has a son of an age to marry one of those daughters -

- this is why I keep wondering what Leto might be up to, other than simple survival for himself and his family... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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Excellent post Duchess. Very true. Maybe Leto did have a vision. Surely if he had not believed he had a chance, or if his only thoughts were of survival, then he would have taken the family atomics and gone renegade?

Quote:

If the Fremen could hold off the Saudauker - if he has control of the Spice - if he is one of the few males related to the Imperial family left alive - when there are only daughters to the Emperor and Leto has a son of an age to marry one of those daughters -

Yes...well said indeed.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

Yes, well-made points in your post, duchess.

I think at some level I'm just bothered - maybe even offended - by the whole notion of predestination, or whatever the correct term is. I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my own life. (Hmm, now doesn't that sound like Neo in The Matrix talking?)

Thus, I feel for Leto. He can fight as hard as he wants, but he can't fight free of the strings controlling his fate. He's just a puppet for show in a cruel charade.

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Haha, you and me both MM.

Good post too.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>