Welcome back to Arrakis, fellow wanderers! Remember, the spice must flow.

The first thing I noticed is that my copy of the kindle book doesn't have a proper contents page. That's...helpful...

Anyway!

Chapter one

The chapter begins with a deep discussion of Paul, who he is, and the forces which shaped him into the emperor. This is a way to start the story and ground it in time, yes, but I suspect that it is also a means for the reader to refresh their memory about who Paul actually is.

As an aside, the sentence 'He brought the spacing guild to its knees and placed his own sister, Alia, on the religious throne the Bene Gesserit had thought their own' is reminding me of a scenario in The Old Republic game where you can save Revan from his three hundred year prison and say 'reports say you destroyed the republic as a Sith, and saved it as a Jedi.' But moving on.

The story reminds of why and how Paul was able to do all the things he did: SPICE. It must flow, and he controlled it. Unfortunately, he was betrayed, and fell.

Chapter two

We jump to the present, and the story proper begins in a meeting between the Bene Gesserit and one of the Guilds This is a conspiracy to overthrow Paul, and we learn quickly that this conspiracy may potentially involve princess Irulan herself! (As an aside, I really want to see a hairy whale now). Our viewpoint character, Scytale, seems both for and against conspiring against Paul. We also learn that he can change shape, (he is a Face Dancer) which sounds interesting. Is that a spice thing?

When asked what he thinks of the conspiracy against Paul, Scytale points out that martyrdom will do nothing to make a stand. Yes, I am very confused by this guy. Princess Irulan begins to wonder why she is present, and Scytale points out that one of their number, a guild steersman, will make it difficult for Paul to see the proceedings. All four discuss prescience, and how it can affect the world, how it can be affected by what is happening. It appears that Irulan wants to be the mother of the next Imperial generation, and to that end she is secretly giving Chani contraceptives. That's....pleasant...

Scytale talks about the nature of power while attempting to convince the princess (who, as noted remains princess because she was never crowned empress) to join their conspiracy. They go through various people who might also help them, including Jessica, who now lives on Caladan again. They also bring up Duncan Idaho, and I am intrigued, because isn't he dead? But the answer becomes clear - they can make him into a ghola, some kind of construct, to bring him back from the dead. Apparently this isn't the first time a significant person has been made into a ghola. They made a kwisatz haderach, who then killed himself at the enormity of the person he was supposed to be. Good grief.

So ends the meeting.

Chapter three

Paul comes back from a long walk and takes his boots off. He has stayed out too late, and worried everyone who is trying to keep him safe. Chani enters, and I have to say, a coffe pot shaped like a pregnant woman sounds very odd. They discuss Irulan wanting a child, and Chani points out that Irulan would become vulnerable if she were pregnant (and presumably could be controlled through her child). Paul doesn't want her to supplant Chani, but he does need an heir. We learn that Irulan came to see Paul after she had returned from the conspiracy meeting. Irulan wants a child, says she could find another man to father one for her, and then Paul threatens to garrotte her if that happens. We find out that Paul has lost control of the jihad going on in his name, that he wants to go home to the sietch in the desert. Chani informs him that a huge sandworm has been seen nearby. We also hear that the Fremen appear to have regressed to some rites of former times, which sounds ominous.

Chapter four

We return to the conspiracy, and Scytale meeting an old man. This man appears to be a Fremen, as he has the deep blue eyes of a spice user. Scytale is nervous, because he doesn't know for sure if he is safe. Fortunately, he and the old man recognise each other, and go inside. It transpires that the old man is part of the conspiracy because he does not approve of the way the Fremen are changing. Tale as old as time, really. We find out that the man's son is now blind from the jihad, and also that Face Dancers are hermaphrodites. The conversation turns to the war in general, with both sides employing roundabout methods of speaking when they convey information. We find out a lot more about how the Jihad worked, and how different things were for the Fremen.

Scytale is here to find out information about the Keep, the place that Chani and Paul stay in. He finds out that what is known and what is not known is all mixed up, and we find out that Paul has a garden. Apparently you can take the boy out of Caladan, but not Caladan out of the boy.

We hear a little about how things used to be,l and how they are now, from Farok. The way in which the Frmen count riches appears to have changed a lot in the past twelve years. Farok joined up to see a sea. He had known of the efforts of Liet-Kynes, and could think of some forms of surface water, but not a sea.

We find out that part of the conspiracy's plan is to break the stranglehold that Paul has on spice. They intend to capture a worm and use it produce melange in an undisclosed area. We are introduced to Otheym's daughter, who is being hypnotised by Farok's son into being his wife? I am honestly a bit confused by this bit, can somebody explain?

Before we can find out what Scytale intends to do with this poor woman, he kills both men, and takes her away with him.

Chapter five

We finally get to Alia, and se her realisation that the council meeting is not going to go well. We also charmingly get a glimpse of the fact that, while she might be something beyond human, she is also still quite young. She sits where she can look out of the window.

The council meeting goes downhill, with insults between Korba and Alia, and Irulan is struck by the knowledge that nobody really knows much about Alia, abotu what side she will be on when the conspiracy appears. Alia, at the moment, seems to be stirring up as much trouble as possible. The Tupile treaty is in chaos because of their demands, and Irulan recommends withholding their melange to force their hand. Stilgar asks if Paul cannot simply look into the future and see what is going to happen. Unfortunately, it can't be controlled in that fashion. The discussion ends with Paul signing the treaty.

They pass to a discussion of Salusa Secundus, where the deposed emperor is apparently doing drills with the few soldiers remaining to him. Paul questions Irulan on why he is doing this, but she retorts that her father has only one battalion. Enough to get him killed though, and Paul would be blamed.

The discussion again moves to an heir. The bene gesserit want to preserve his bloodline, and Chani wants an heir, We already know that Irulan wants a child. They all talk to Paul about his need for an heir to continue his line and his name. Paul is still ambivalent, and I think he seems to be avoiding children because that would perpetuate the Jihad and everything that is still happening in his name. Ultimately, Paul says no to Irulan's wish for a child, as it would be in the control of the Bene Gesserit.

Our chapter ends with Irulan triumphant over the knowledge that Paul cannot see a guild steersman, as she supposed.