Hello readers,

Welcome back to another check in for Dune. We're a little past the midway mark for the book and things are really ramping up. I've included questions in the comments as usual and a rough summary adapted from two sources (1,2) below. See you in the comments!

Chapter 5

The epigraph of this chapter contains just one line "At the age of fifteen, he had already learned silence". Paul lands safely with Jessica but the 'thopter was destroyed. He managed to navigate through the desert with this new found hyperawareness. A sandworm comes and devours the 'thopter, Paul and Jessica manages to escape. The sandworm destroys all evidence of their survival, so they're essentially free. They make their way across the desert and during a dangerous descent, Jessica gets buried by the sliding sand. Paul manages to pinpoint her location and digs her out, knowing that she would go into bindu suspension to conserve oxygen. He frees her then realised that their survival pack is lost. Paul was initially despondent but then meditates on the problem and then uses acid from his paracompass, spice and water to create foam that helps them dig into the sand and recover the pack. Paul and Jessica watches a worm pass and marvels at its size. They rest during the day and Jessica says that they have to continue Paul's lessons on control. Paul looks at his hand and sees how inadequate it is compared to a sandworm.

Chapter 6

The epigraph of this chapter talks about how Caladan has made them "soft". Guerney Hallack meets Staban Tuek, a smuggler who has some motivations to help them as his father, Esma Tuek who was killed in the Harkonnen attack. Staban gives sanctuary to Gurney and his men while warning them that the smugglers will cast them out if they make any move against the Harkonnens. Guerney also gets caught up on all the happenings so far. Staban says that Rabban will be the ruler of Arrakis again. Guerney still holds a grudge against Rabban for killing his family but he agrees to stay with the smugglers till the time is right to take revenge. Guerney gives the choice to his men to stay with the smugglers or leave and Staban also says he'll accept any good fighting men. Guerney visits his men and plays a song on his baliset for one of the dying men.

Chapter 7

The epigraph of this chapter describes life with the Emperor in the Royal Creche. Jessica and Paul decides to cross the desert through the open sand at night after seeing signs of plant life on a cliff face. They wait till night to conserve water, uses a thumper to distract the sandworms and walk like the Fremen, with unnatural footsteps, to prevent attracting the sandworms. The latter was recalled by Paul with his memory rewind ability. Although they made good progress, they still stumbled upon drum sand which attracted the sandworm. But just before it arrives, they head to the rocks for safety. They turn back then to see it's large mouth rising above the sand. Paul notes that when he entered the rocky area, he cannot sense the future. They then hear a thumper in the distance which draws the worm away, they deduce that it's the Fremen. They discover steps that leads into the cliffs and upon reaching the top, they find a basin filled with plant life which clues Paul into thinking it is a Fremen place. Then they hear a voice in the darkness telling them not to run as it'll waste their water, it is the Fremen. Paul is frightened as he is unable to see the future though he manages to keep his fear at bay.

Chapter 8

The epigraph of this chapter talks about the Fremen religious adaptation into "The Pillars of the Universe". Kynes crawls across the dunes, having been dropped there by the Harkonnens without any survival pack or anything. As he crawls, he smells pre-spice, and he would have to make a decision - he would better survive if he crawls under the sand but pre-spice means that the gases under the sand is pressurised to an explosive level. It's a tough call that he would have to make. In his delirious state, he hallucinates his father lecturing him about ecology and how to change the ecological system of Arrakis. Kynes gets annoyed at that and wishes the voice to stop. He knows that a worm will come but wonders how he could mount it without hooks. He attracts some hawks and hopes that would mean Fremen. However, as the hawk flies away, he realises that the pressure beneath the sand has reached critical mass and it explodes, thus killing Kynes. As he dies, Kynes thinks that "the most persistent principles of the universe were accident and error".

Chapter 9

The epigraph of this chapter shows Princess Irulean speculating on whether the prophet see the future or does he shape it. We're now back to Jessica and Paul who are surrounded by Fremen. Paul and Stilgar recognises each other and Stilgar accepts Paul into his tribe despite the protests of Jamis, another Fremen. He believes that Paul is the one that Liet told them about. However, Stilgar would not accept Jessica as she isn't trained in the desert ways so she is seen as a liability. Jessica, sensing danger on her life, moves fast and disarms Stilgar and Paul disarms Jamis. Stilgar, impressed by Jessica's skills, accepts her into the tribe in exchange for her teaching them to fight like her. Some Fremen wondered if Jessica is the one mentioned by the legend, and Jessica thinks to make use of the Missionaria Protectiva which has influenced the Fremen's religious beliefs to protect future Bene Gesserit members on Arrakis. She is able to say and act the right ways to make them believe that they are the people their legend speaks of. Paul meets Chani, daughter of Kynes. She is the girl he dreams of when he was at Caladan. The Fremen, with Paul and Jessica, move off. Paul and Jessica are amazed by their discipline and silence. Jessica thinks that the culture being trained like a military group would be a perfect tool for an outcasted Duke.

Chapter 10

The epigraph of this chapter talks about how the Fremen are extremely disciplined and masters in delayed gratification. They have now arrived at the Cave of Ridges and Stilgar takes Jessica on a little tour while Chani tends to Paul. He says that they are returning from delivering a spice bribe to the Spacing Guild. The Fremen bribes the Guild to not allow satellites over Arrakis as they don't want people to know that they are transforming the planet. Jessica sees Fremen riding a sandworm and is surprised by that sight. Stilgar is concerned that Jessica may challenge him for the leadership as it is a trial by combat. But Jessica senses that stilgar is strong and so does not do so. Instead, she chants religious words from the Missionaria Protectiva to convince Stilgar and the other Fremen that she is a Reverend Mother. She feels a little cynical for taking advantage of their religion like that. While she chants, Paul feels his prescient awareness take over which is amplified by the spice in the food. And he realises that seeing the future changes it, he feels that the possible futures are caught within a nexus in that cave, many of the possible futures have Paul being dead with blood flowing from a knife wound.

If you wish to see the questions in order, consider sorting the comments by 'Old'. Happy discussing!