Navigators of Dune

Emperor Roderick Corrino might be a moral man in the human sense, but Norma’s morals were not the same as his, nor Manford Torondo’s … nor Josef’s, for that matter. Yet all of those men, in their righteous cocoons, professed to be taking actions for the proper reasons.

Because of who she was—and what she was—Norma’s obligations were greater than herself, greater than those men and their goals. The captive Navigator created an immense problem for her.

In the far-distant tank, Dobrec drifted, trapped, but Norma could see only visual echoes of his presence. The Emperor would do anything to understand Navigators, to find a way to strike against Venport Holdings. Roderick Corrino did not comprehend the great danger of his decisions, nor did Josef understand what he had provoked. And Manford Torondo, especially, did not know the terrible consequences of his actions, or actions that were to come.

She could not rescue Dobrec because of all the soldiers the Emperor had stationed to guard the laboratory, but she could help him in another way, show him how to take an infinite and necessary journey.…

Through her agitated awareness, Norma sensed the dark storm coming, a menace to her Navigators that was greater than any peril they had ever faced. The danger loomed over all of them on Kolhar, over all of Venport Holdings … over the future itself.

The threat and terror were crippling. She had no answer. Norma felt as if she were drowning inside her isolated tank. She felt … helpless. And the threat was coming here to Kolhar. And soon.

In a frantic attempt to understand, she reached out with the tendrils of her remarkable mind, probing, searching… 

Grant me the proper weapons and I will conquer the soul of humanity.

—RAYNA BUTLER, final public rally on Kellimor

After she returned from Lord Pondi’s planet, Anari Idaho’s report was exactly what Manford had hoped for. With her own eyes, the loyal Swordmaster had seen Pondi’s stockpile of atomics, doomsday weapons like those that had been used to wipe out the thinking machines.

But not all of the warheads had been used in that ruthless holocaust, and a planet-killing reserve had been set aside on Gillek. The nobleman was far too frightened to keep it there, and he was such an eager convert to the Butlerian movement that he had offered it all to Manford—who knew exactly how to make use of such unexpected bounty, and strength. It was just what he needed against Venport and his supposedly impregnable stronghold on Kolhar.

Over the course of several days on Pondi’s planet, Anari and her team had worked under cover of darkness to remove every one of the atomics. As she prepared to depart with her prize, the nervous nobleman had remained behind, bowing, weeping with happiness, thanking Anari for relieving him of such a terrible burden. Her Butlerian spacefolder raced back to Salusa Secundus with a full arsenal of forbidden atomics, and when the ship slipped in among Manford’s fleet, no one guessed how much destruction she carried in the hold.

Proud of her accomplishment, Anari shuttled down to rejoin the ever-growing hordes camped in Zimia’s palace square. Manford was relieved to have her back, and not just because of the news she brought. He was a far stronger leader with his Swordmaster present, and not merely in the physical sense. He could never have asked for a more perfect bodyguard, nor a better emotional bulwark, a stabilizer.

After Anari delivered her oral report in a low voice, close to his ear, Manford heaved a long, ecstatic sigh. Looking toward the towering Imperial Palace nearby, he narrowed his gaze. “I would prefer to keep this knowledge away from our dear Emperor Roderick. It does not concern him, and he has already shown that he is unwilling to take difficult but necessary actions. Therefore, we will use the atomics against our mutual enemy. And we will win. Anari, I am certain that Roderick Corrino will thank us.”

Both he and the Emperor were determined to crush Directeur Venport and erase his cursed technology, but Manford didn’t entirely trust Roderick’s convictions. While weak-willed Salvador could be pressured into doing what he was told, his brother had an unfortunate habit of thinking for himself.

Anari warned, “The use of atomics is strictly forbidden—particularly atomics against humans.”