Man of Two Worlds by Herbert Frank

Author:Herbert, Frank
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, science fiction, reality, dream, alien, sci fi, spaceship, humorous, space ship, witty, dune, frank herbert
Publisher: WordFire Press

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You better damn well believe I’m a war correspondent! I’ve been right in the middle of blood and dying and it wasn’t fun!

—From an interview with Lorna Subiyama

“It was your son, Ryll,” Habiba said. “A primal Dreen scream that came to me across the Spirals.”

She faced Jongleur in the original Dreenor home preserved beneath her cone. The mud-brown walls usually felt reassuring when she dealt with unpleasant matters, but not this evening.

“Is he. ..is he.. .”

Jongleur could not complete the question.

“I cannot say for sure, Jongleur. There was great pain and confusion . . . as though an Earther also were sending me his message of agony.

“That awful merging!”

“I fear that is the case.”

“But you located him on Venus?”

“There is no doubt of it. The circumstantial evidence, the reports from our operatives on Earth, the great pain I sensed. It was fire, Jongleur. I fear he was being consumed by fire.”

“Oh . . . my poor misguided son,” Jongleur moaned.

“The sad example of his life must be used to educate the young,” Habiba said. “In that way, Ryll’s mistakes will not be a total waste.”

“Yes . . . yes, of course.”

Jongleur found this small compensation for the emotional pain caused by Habiba’s information but it helped that she would make the effort to soothe him. Blessed Habiba!

“Tomorrow, we must gather the forces of our best idmagers and complete the shield,” Habiba said. “It must sound cruel, dear Jongleur, but nothing is more important. As for other matters, they must be set aside. The shield must be made.”

“And the replacement erasure ship?”

“Mugly tells me the improvements are taking more time than originally estimated. But whatever happens, Ryll’s fate cannot be the fate of all Dreendom.”

“Then you really think he is . . . he is . . .”

“It appears most likely, Jongleur. And that might be best for him. You know the fate of those who have merged.”

“Madness and . . .”

“Unpredictable behavior!”

It suddenly struck Jongleur as strange that Habiba should equate madness with unpredictability. Could she, indeed, predict the behavior of all sane Dreens? He found this repulsive. Was nothing private? Was nothing totally and uniquely his own? But, of course, in the Thoughtcon, Habiba shared any data she cared to read. Thus. . . thus, he must be part of Habiba’s thoughts. And she . . . could she control Dreen actions in Thoughtcon?

Jongleur’s recent concentration on Earther matters made him see this in a different light. Was it wrong to suppress all individuality? Or was that another mad thought?

“What are you thinking, Jongleur?” Habiba demanded.

For the first time in his life, Jongleur contemplated the concealment of his thoughts from Blessed Habiba.

“I am thinking how to strengthen tomorrow’s shield idmaging,” he lied.

Immediately, Jongleur felt icy cold. What were the consequences of misleading Habiba? But this was such a small lie. And he did want to strengthen the effort on the shield.

“Dear Jongleur,” Habiba said. “You are always so supportive of my every desire. With you helping, I know we cannot fail.

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