Contents
Chapter 35
Overview
Leto scouts the taboo site of Jacurutu/Fondak, noting ominous signs: an absence of scavengers and unnatural quiet around a windtrap. Despite caution, he approaches by night and is ensnared by a trapvine.
A spice-eyed captor reveals the trap was set specifically for Leto to “educate” him before rulership, then renders him unconscious, redirecting Leto’s path.
Summary
Leto reaches a sinuous rock formation he believes to be the hidden sietch of Jacurutu/Fondak and surveys it from a dune. He notes a windtrap but no visible life, especially the striking absence of scavenger birds—an anomaly that suggests poison, abandonment, or a deeper danger. He recalls warnings about the Golden Path and accepts responsibility for the choice he and Ghanima made.
Weighing risks, Leto hides through the day in his stilltent, then emerges at dusk as a storm brews. He observes bats and faint signaling lights on the cliff, further evidence of concealed occupants. Trusting stealth and Fremen caution, he approaches a shadowed cleft he spotted earlier.
Near the fissure, Leto triggers a trapvine that binds his shoulders and arms. Before he can free himself, flares ignite and an unseen, spice-eyed man disarms him with expert thoroughness, speaking with a heavy, familiar-sounding voice. The captor claims the trap was baited for Leto specifically.
The captor chastises Leto as merely a repository of dead lives seeking death, unfit to rule until “educated.” He belittles Paul as “only Paul Atreides,” signaling a ruthless agenda. Declaring this place Leto’s “school,” the man strikes him with a device, and Leto loses consciousness as the Atreides green banner swims in his mind.
Who Appears
- Leto Atreides IIScouts Jacurutu/Fondak, notes eerie absence of life, approaches at night, is trapped and captured for a planned ‘education’.
- Unidentified captorSpice-eyed adult who set a trap for Leto, disarms him, criticizes his unformed rulership, and knocks him unconscious.