Ahira's Hangar

YUEH (yu-e),Wellington (weling-tun), Stdrd 10,082-10,191; medical doctor of the Suk School (grd 10,092-10,112); md: Wanna marcus, B.G. )Stdrd 10,092-10,186?); chiefly noted as betrayer of Duke Leto Atreides. (Cf: Bibiliography, Appendix VII (Imperial Conditioning) and Betrayal, The.)
~from "Dictionary of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan

Chapter five is a very short little chapter, which is important in that it shows who the betrayer of the Atreides is, and his motives in doing so.

Dr. Wellington Yueh is a physician, one who is considered so trustworthy he would be able to treat even members of the Imperial family. He is a graduate from a wekk known medical school, the Suk.

He is one of Paul's teachers, and comes to talk to Paul and tell him that he has assigned Paul some lessons for the crossing of interstellar space to Arrakis. He also talks to Paul about the Fremen, and answers some of Paul's questions about them.

He also gives Paul a gift of a precious old Orange Catholic Bible, designed to be used by space travellers - a priceless gift.

He also hates himself for what he knows he will do to the Atreides, and for his hypocracy in still pretending to be a loyal Atreides servant, and for the sheer waste of the loss of lives such as Paul's. It is clear that the betrayal has been brought about by the Harkonnen, whom Yueh passionately hates...the Harkonnen whom he hates as much as he loves his lost wife... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I've been thinking about this chapter in the back of my mind all day.

It is sheerly and horrifyingly evil the way the Harkonnens twist Yueh's love and concern for his wife into an instrument of betrayal.

That's just sick and wrong...to take what should be someone's strength, someone's goodness and turn it into a weapon of grief, death, and despair. To turn one deep loyalty into the destruction of another loyalty... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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Maybe we'll find out later on what really happened to Dr. Yueh's wife? I hope so, just for a sense of closure. (With all the stuff I've forgotten, I'm beginning to think I never actually read this book...)

Yeah, the Harkonnens are the twisted, scheming scumbags of the universe. How in heck did they get to be a major House? Oh, I see...because they're twisted, scheming scumbags!

It's interesting that Herbert chose to let the reader in on the identity of the Atreides betrayer right up front, rather than a whodunit-type scenario leading us along. Instead, Herbert has us think about the tragedy of Yueh's situation. It's a doom-laden sense of a man whose fate is already sealed.



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Yeah, I've never been able to decide whether I prefer knowing up front or not.

--A ____________________________________

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