House Atreides - By Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson Page 0,7

something about being honored and pleased, then cleared his throat and asked the real question. “But, sir, what exactly have I been chosen for?”

Elrood cackled at that and sat back. “How refreshing to see someone more concerned with satisfying his own curiosity than with saying the right thing, or pandering to these stupid clingers and buffoons.” As he smiled, Elrood’s face turned rubbery, the wrinkles stretching back. His skin had a grayish, parchment tone. “The report says you grew up on Salusa Secundus, and you wrote definitive, complex reports on the ecology of the planet.”

“Yes, Sire, uh, Your Majesty. My parents were bureaucratic functionaries, sent to work in your Imperial prison there. I was just a child and went along with them.”

In truth, Kynes had heard rumors that his mother or father had displeased Elrood somehow, and that they had been transferred in disgrace to the punishment planet. But young Pardot Kynes had found the wastelands fascinating. After the tutors were finished with him, he’d spent his days exploring the blasted wilderness— taking notes, studying the insects and weeds and hardy animals that had managed to survive the ancient atomic holocaust.

“Yes, yes, I understand that,” Elrood said. “After a while your parents were transferred to another world.”

Kynes nodded. “Yes, Sire. They went to Harmonthep.”

The Emperor waved a hand to dismiss the reference. “But later you returned to Salusa, of your own free will?”

“Well, uh, there was still much more for me to learn on Salusa,” he answered, stifling an embarrassed shrug.

Kynes had spent years by himself in the outback, piecing together the mysteries of the climate and ecosystems. He had suffered many hardships, endured much discomfort. He had even been pursued once by Laza tigers and survived. Afterward, Kynes had published an extensive treatise about his years there, opening remarkable windows of understanding to the once-lovely, now-abandoned Imperial capital planet.

“The wild desolation of the place whetted my interest in ecology. It’s so much more interesting to study a . . . damaged world. I find it difficult to learn anything in a place that’s too civilized.”

Elrood laughed at the visitor’s comment and looked around so that all the other members of the Court chuckled as well. “Like Kaitain, you mean?”

“Well, I’m sure there must be interesting places here, too, Sire,” Kynes said, hoping he hadn’t made an inexcusable faux pas.

“Well spoken!” Elrood boomed. “My advisors have chosen you wisely, Pardot Kynes.”

Not knowing what else to do or say, the Planetologist bowed awkwardly.

After his years on Salusa Secundus, he had gone on to the swampy tangles of dimly lit Bela Tegeuse, and then to other places that interested him. He could live off the land just about anywhere; his needs were few. To him, most important of all was the harvesting of scientific knowledge, looking under rocks and seeing what secrets the natural processes had left for him to find.

But his curiosity was piqued now. What had brought him to such impressive attention? “If I may ask again, Your Majesty . . . what exactly do you have in mind for me?” Then he added quickly, “Of course, I am happy to serve in whatever capacity my Emperor wishes.”

“You, Kynes, have been recognized as a true world-reader, a man capable of analyzing complex ecosystems in order to harness them to the needs of the Imperium. We have chosen you to go to the desert planet of Arrakis and work your magic there.”

“Arrakis!” Kynes could not restrain his astonishment— and yes, pleasure— at the prospect. “I believe the nomadic Fremen inhabitants call it Dune.”

“Whatever its name,” Elrood said a little sharply, “it is one of the most unpleasant yet important worlds in the Imperium. You know, of course, Arrakis is the sole source of the spice melange.”

Kynes nodded. “I’ve always wondered why no searchers have ever found spice on any other world. And why doesn’t anyone understand how the spice is created or deposited?”

“You are going to understand it for us,” the Emperor said. “And it’s about time, too.”

Kynes suddenly realized he might have overstepped his bounds, and he balked a little. Here he was in the grandest throne room on a million worlds, having an actual conversation with Emperor Elrood IX. The other members of the Court stared at him, some with displeasure, some with horror, some with wicked glee as if they anticipated a severe punishment momentarily.

But soon Kynes found himself thinking of the sweeping landscape of scoured sands, majestic dunes, and monstrous sandworms— visions he’d only seen in filmbooks.