Mentats of Dune

Chapter 61 (I long for something that has always)

Vor stood on the aft deck of the sport-fishing boat, watching as a reticent Willem Atreides organized the nets, traps, floats, and other gear. The young man worked silently, going through the motions with efficient familiarity.

It was a modern craft and well maintained, with teak decks, custom storage lockers, and polished brass fittings. The boat glided through moderate seas, with Orry at the helm inside the cabin. The skies were gray, the air chilly.

“I’ve got years of experience on the sea,” Vor said to Willem. “Can I help?”

“No, thanks,” the tall blond man said as he yanked a knot tight. “This was Uncle Shander’s boat, and I know where he liked to keep everything, exactly how he wanted the lines rolled.” Willem drew a breath, let it out in a long sigh. The old man’s mysterious death still hung above them like a heavy storm. The coroner had verified that Shander had been struck in the head and then swept out to sea, but no one could prove it was a murder.

Vor didn’t think the young man intended to hurt his feelings with the remark, but it reminded him of how much he’d missed in his years away from Caladan. Family relationships were fraught with countless details, unseen threads, and tiny puzzle pieces of the past that formed a series of everyday events. The two brothers had spent most of their lives with Shander Atreides, building a comfortable nest of existence with untold thousands of interactions. Vor couldn’t just step into that and expect to be treated as part of the family even in the best of times, and now after the tragedy everyone was off-balance.

He could tell how much the two young men had loved their uncle. Willem and Orry had experienced devastating losses when their parents were killed in a monstrous hurricane that tore up the coastline, but they had been young at the time. The inexplicable, unexpected death of a kindly old man who liked to repair fishing nets seemed beyond their comprehension. Over more than two centuries, Vor had been through every possible emotional permutation of grief himself.…

He felt a gentle breeze on his face, heard the drone of the boat’s twin engines, and smelled the familiar salt air that he remembered from so long ago. The scent refreshed his memories, and he pictured the first time he’d seen Leronica Tergiet in a seaside tavern. The town had changed so little over the generations.…

Orry worked the controls, and Vorian felt the engines vibrate harder. They glided around foaming water and the shadows of submerged reefs, then picked up speed as the boat headed out to open sea.

Life was unpredictable, with some delightful surprises, but also shocking events. Vor had returned to Caladan in search of an anchor in his life, trying to regain a part of the happiness he’d left behind. Maybe he was naïve in that wish. He had been back only a short time before Shander Atreides died. It was a silly superstition to think so, but perhaps he carried the shadow of bad luck with him.

Unfortunate events occurred everywhere, to everyone — life just happened. Shander’s family might never learn the exact details of how he had died, or who might have been responsible, but Willem and Orry would mourn him and remember him. And eventually, they would move on. Orry was about to get married, Willem had a chance to be promoted in the Caladan Air Patrol … and Vor could try to forge the bonds he’d never had with his own sons.

He could never take Shander’s place, but he could be Vorian Atreides. He had battle ribbons from his service in the Jihad; Imperial coins had been minted with his face on them, but none of that mattered anymore. He would rather be recognized for his ability to love. He wanted to care about other people, about his family — however far estranged they might be — and have them care for him in return.

That would require a different type of commitment and endurance. He had found that for many years with Mariella on Kepler, but had been forced to leave it all behind in order to save his family. He wasn’t certain if he could reestablish a sense of family here on Caladan, but he vowed to try.

The boat continued chopping its way through the small waves, bouncing hard enough to jar Vor’s teeth. He gripped the side rail to keep his balance. Young Orry seemed intent on the boat’s controls, accelerating. Willem stood at the bow and let the spray and wind whip his face and hair. He closed his eyes, as if drinking it all in.

With a whirring noise, long, thin stabilizers extended outward on either side of the hull. Orry increased the speed even more. Vor peered over the rail, then looked up to shout at Willem. “What kind of a rig is this?”

Seeing his tight grip, Willem laughed as he shouted back. “Uncle Shander let Orry tinker with the engine compartment, making a few crackpot enhancements.”

From the cabin, Orry yelled at his brother, “They’re not crackpot modifications! You’ve seen them work.”

Vor knew about Caladan’s large sea animals — some predators, others passive. “Speed is always a good thing to have, when you need it.”

Orry pushed the controls forward, and Vor straightened, then laughed aloud as he shared the exhilaration with both young men. The bow lifted off the water, and spray flew like a rain shower all around them.

Willem said, “We don’t usually go this fast, so he must be showing off — maybe even trying to scare you.”

Vorian grinned. “I’ve told you about my record in the Jihad. Only a fool says he’s never scared — but it’ll take more than a fast boat to worry me as long as the engines can take it.” He watched Orry at the controls. “We don’t want to break down out here.”

Willem came closer so he didn’t have to shout over the roar of the wind and engines. “I could ask him to slow down, but he wouldn’t pay attention. I told him to slow down with his fiancée, too — see how well he listens? Now we’ve got a wedding in a few weeks.”

“I look forward to meeting her,” Vor said, and then felt a stuttering vibration in the hull. The engines sputtered; first one went off, then the other, and the boat coasted along in sudden silence. Orry tried to restart the engines, but they only made disturbing clinking noises.

Red-faced, Orry emerged from the cabin and opened a cooler-locker. “Time to stop for lunch anyway.” He handed out packets of sliced meats and cheese, which the three ate as the boat drifted on the open sea. After they finished, the two brothers each took toolkits and climbed into the cramped engine compartment while Vor remained on deck to watch the water. He listened to the clanking tools and the young men discussing what could be wrong, replacing parts, arguing at times, and laughing.

On deck, Vor saw the rolling curve of a large marine animal that surfaced not far off, then descended. Moments later, the back of another creature rolled through the water, extending a triangular fin the size of a warehouse door, before gliding back beneath the surface. Vor didn’t recognize the species.

He called down into the engine compartment, “We have visitors — several animals. Big ones.”

Willem and Orry climbed back on deck, saw the large humps on either side of the stranded boat. “Not good,” Willem said. “That’s all one animal — an Alada sea snake, the largest I’ve ever seen.”

“They usually stay deep.” Orry ran inside the cabin and returned with three rifles. “I’ve heard they can drag down whole boats.”

“Let’s hope that’s not true.” Vor took one of the rifles from Orry, and Willem took another. As they watched the curves of the dark sea snake ripple up and down, part of the beast’s back lifted to buffet the boat, and Willem fired two rounds at it.

Puffs of blood spurted from the thick hide, and the serpent’s body flinched away, then struck the hull again more aggressively. Off the port side, Vor saw the monster’s head surface — it seemed impossibly far away to be part of the same body. He fired at it several times, but the animal snapped its plated head back, and the shots missed.

The serpent collided with the boat and nearly capsized it, but the extended stabilizers kept the vessel afloat. The beast then curved around, its head cutting a wake as it churned closer. Smelling the fishy stench of the creature, Vor continued to fire the rifle, hitting it this time, but not deterring the beast. Orry and Willem also peppered the sea snake with bullets. The serpent recoiled, but still circled the boat.

Vor heard a distant buzz in the sky and saw two aircraft approaching. Willem looked at his brother. “You called in the Air Patrol? We could have fixed the boat ourselves.”

Orry seemed embarrassed. “I thought I’d give the search-and-rescue some practice. Besides, we don’t have the parts we need for the fuel system.”

The wounded sea snake lunged at the boat again, ramming the hull with its armored head. Vor heard wood splintering. “Put your pride away. I’m glad they’re here.”

The planes buzzed overhead and dropped concussion charges that made loud splashes in the water. The sea snake writhed and finally dipped beneath the waves to get away.

Feeling a wash of relief, Vor let himself grin. “Thanks for an exciting outing, boys.”

THE AIR PATROL arranged for the fishing boat to be towed into port for repairs. When Orry and Willem stepped onto the dock, they found half a dozen of their flight comrades ready with teasing remarks.

“We spotted you on the sat-screen cruising so fast that we thought you were a low-flying plane,” a young redhead said. “We decided the pilot was insane — and that’s how we knew it must be Orry Atreides.”

“Didn’t know if we’d have to shoot you down or rescue you,” said another man.

“Glad you helped drive that sea snake away,” Willem said. “Though we could have handled it on our own.”

“Yes,” Vor said. “Given a few months we probably could have paddled or drifted back to the coast.” Everyone in the group laughed.

He saw a pretty young blonde hurrying toward them with a bright smile and a gleam in her eyes — her gaze was directed entirely at Orry. She had a hypnotic way of moving, as if she had mastered the technique of drifting over the ground.

Orry lit up and pushed his way past his comrades to greet her. The others gave knowing smiles and lifted their eyebrows. She rushed forward to hug the young man. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I was worried about you!”

Willem just rolled his eyes.

Orry grabbed her arm and pulled her toward Vor. “There’s someone I want you to meet.” He seemed proud and love-struck, like a man showing off a great prize. “This is Vorian Atreides, my … distant relative.” Vor thought her face looked vaguely familiar, though he knew he had never seen her before. “And this is my fiancée, Tula. Tula Veil.”

Tula was indeed beautiful, but her eyes had an odd intensity when she looked at him. She extended her hand, and her grip was cold. “Vorian Atreides — I am very glad to meet you.”