Great Schools of Dune, #2
Mentats of Dune
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
Contents
Chapter 30 (One man’s mission is another man’s folly)
Overview
Draigo trains Taref’s Fremen cell to sabotage EsconTran ships, aiming to spike failures and cement VenHold’s monopoly while Venport openly urges Manford’s assassination. Concurrently, Draigo advances Mentat and Navigator programs with sapho and conversions. Venport approves transporting Ptolemy’s cymeks to Arrakis for tests, and Draigo plans a covert bid to turn Headmaster Gilbertus.
Summary
On Kolhar, Taref and his Fremen companions struggle with the planet’s moisture, strange food, and disguises as they train under Draigo Roget. Despite discomfort and homesickness, Taref’s perspective broadens as he learns the Imperium’s vast appetite for spice and the limited impact of small-scale sabotage on Arrakis.
Inside a captured Nalgan ship analogous to EsconTran vessels, Draigo teaches them targeted sabotage: fuel-flow tweaks, heat-sink misalignments, and resonance feedbacks to trigger post-fold failures. He sets a goal to push EsconTran’s loss rate above seven percent to instill fear and drive reliance on VenHold Navigators. Venport’s holo also urges eliminating Manford Torondo, a prospect that tempts Taref with the promise of greater glory.
Elsewhere on Kolhar, Draigo mentors top Mentat trainees Ohn, Jeter, and Impika, encouraging experimental sapho to sharpen their minds. Watching classmates undergo forced or voluntary Navigator conversions, they hear Royce Fayed justify suffering for higher attainment, reinforcing VenHold’s ruthless pragmatism.
After a poor Landsraad reception, Venport returns and shares Denali’s request: secret transport of new cymeks to Arrakis for harsh-environment tests. Draigo agrees to coordinate and attend, then proposes a covert visit to the Mentat School to sway Headmaster Gilbertus Albans from the Butlerians. Though wary, Venport permits the recruitment attempt.
Who Appears
- Draigo RogetVenHold Mentat; trains Fremen saboteurs, mentors sapho-using students, coordinates cymek test, plans to recruit Gilbertus.
- TarefFremen recruit; adapts poorly to moisture, learns ship sabotage, contemplates assassinating Manford for greater impact.
- Josef VenportDirecteur; debriefs Draigo, authorizes Arrakis cymek test, urges Manford’s elimination, permits outreach to Gilbertus.
- LillisFremen recruit; questions sabotage casualties, physically changes offworld, trains with Taref under Draigo.
- ShurkoFremen recruit; skeptical of serving VenHold, falls ill with unfamiliar food, learns sabotage techniques.
- WaddochFremen recruit; irritable in humid climate, participates in covert ship-sabotage training.
- BenturFremen recruit; uneasy offworld, trains to damage foldspace systems.
- ChumelFremen recruit; develops moisture-related skin rot, continues sabotage training.
- OhnTop Mentat trainee; uses experimental sapho, observes harsh Navigator conversions.
- JeterTop Mentat trainee; questions pain of conversions, continues sapho-enhanced studies.
- ImpikaTop Mentat trainee; notes not all conversions are voluntary, remains on sapho.
- Royce FayedExperienced Navigator; endorses forced attainment, addresses trainees from his tank.
- PtolemyDenali researcher; requests secure transport of new cymeks to Arrakis for testing.
- Manford TorondoButlerian leader; target of Venport’s assassination directive, used to motivate recruits.
- Gilbertus AlbansMentat Headmaster; absent figure Draigo aims to recruit from Butlerian alignment.