I get the impression that Herbert was exposing the realities of modern day politics; everyone is out for themselves and covers their own paper trail. "A feint within a feint within a feint..." Correct me if I'm wrong but I find the story quite tragic and I dont really see any winners here. Sure, Paul surmounted the Emperor and the Harkonnens, claiming the throne. But he gets thrown into the big mess he truly want nothing a part of, I can't help but feel sorry for Paul because he feels trapped within his destiny with no escape. Everyone had there own motives, even amongst the loyalty of Halleck he still sought revenge above all else. All in all, I really enjoyed this. I look forward to the sequel Messiah