Dune 2.5: The Winds of Dune by Frank Herbert

Author:Frank Herbert [Frank Herbert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Science Fiction, Dune (Imaginary place)
ISBN: 9780765362629
Publisher: Tor Science Fiction
Published: 2010-07-31T04:00:00+00:00

Wellington Yueh, the Suk doctor of House Atreides, is the most notorious traitor in the long and checkered history of the Imperium. Bronso of Ix, on the other hand, is more than a mere turncoat—he is a defiler of Muad’Dib’s memory. He does not simply betray, but rather hopes to destroy everything Muad’Dib created.

If a million deaths were not enough to punish Yueh, as the refrain goes, how many deaths would be sufficient for Bronso?

—The Legacy of Muad’Dib by the PRINCESS IRULAN

In the continuing search for Bronso of Ix, Duncan Idaho’s network of disguised Mentats patrolled the streets or worked menial spaceport jobs. They observed and processed millions of faces, then ignored them. They paid no attention to other criminals, fugitives from the Jihad, or rebels who had fought against Muad’Dib but were never caught. They sought only Bronso. That was Alia’s priority.

Gurney tried unsuccessfully to trace the treatises to their origins, and reading some of the outrageous claims made his blood boil. The Ixian had once been Paul’s friend, and now he had become a particularly malicious gadfly.

Still, Gurney had sworn to honor Jessica’s request, no matter how odd he found it, no matter how infuriating the Ixian fugitive was. And so, to throw Duncan off the scent, he chose carefully where to focus his efforts. He “misplaced” a few particularly promising leads, while expending manpower on dubious sightings. Through the weeks of hunting, Gurney surrounded himself with a flurry of activity, conducting dozens of interrogations personally. He dispatched spies and searchers and made a great show of his determination.

All the while, he did his best not to find Bronso.

Thus, when the fugitive was actually apprehended at the Arrakeen Spaceport, Gurney could not have been more astonished. “Gods below, they caught him? They have him in custody?”

The high-spirited messenger who pushed his way into their headquarters office could barely contain himself as he delivered his fresh news.

Duncan didn’t seem surprised at all. “It was only a matter of time, effort, and manpower. Bronso Vernius is a worthy adversary, but he could never match the resources we brought to bear against him. And now we’ve stopped him. We have done what honor demanded.”

Honor.

“That’s . . . good, Duncan,” Gurney managed, but a weight remained on his shoulders. He had failed Lady Jessica. She had seemed so earnest, and he had done what he could. Despite Gurney’s efforts to stall and divert attention, Duncan’s men had caught Bronso.

After Bronso’s earlier escape from a death cell, security was bound to be tighter than ever before. Gurney struggled to think of something he could do to honor his promise to Jessica. His stomach was in knots. Should he try to free the notorious prisoner? To what lengths did Jessica want him to go? If Gurney’s efforts became obvious, then questions would be asked, and Jessica’s involvement could be exposed. “Let me interrogate him in the prison. I’ll learn what we need to know.”

The breathless messenger shook his head, but the motion did not dislodge his smile.

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