Sleeping Like a Baby

[Tony]

In Dune:

"Jessica stared at her son, seeing the oval shape of face so like her own.
But the hair was the Duke's--coal-colored and tousled. Long lashes concealed the
lime toned eyes . . . . She thought of the boy's features as an exquisite
distillation out of random patterns--endless queues of happenstance meeting at
this nexus. The thought made her want to kneel beside the bed and take her son
in her arms, but she was inhibited by Yueh's presence. She stepped back, closed
the door softly

. . . . Jessica stopped beside him, said: "What delicious abandon in the sleep
of a child."
He spoke mechanically: "If only adults could relax like that."
"Yes."

"Where do we lose it?" he murmured.

Does any of these musing make sense? Would Paul ,as a 15-year-old
constantly threatened by poisoning, stabbing, and betrayal, really sleep like a
baby? What was the real reason he looked so relaxed?

[Stoned in Arrakeen]

Tony mused on 23/10/2009 15:28:

>
> Does any of these musing make sense?
>

Well, Tones, your musings may make sense, yes, though they may not, at
times, be *sensible* if you get my nautical asidage, i.e. drift. Be that
as it may, you have my complete support and I won't hear any criticism
of your good self. Keep on truckin'.

>
> Would Paul ,as a 15-year-old constantly threatened by poisoning, stabbing,
> and betrayal, really sleep like a baby?
>

Doubt it, Tones, though I like the image of the 15-year-old future
Emperor of Everything wearing blue pyjamas with teddy-bears and rabbits
on 'em. Thanks.

>
> What was the real reason he looked so relaxed?
>

It's just a question of trying to remember what *you* found particularly
relaxing tucked up in bed when you were 15, Tones. He'd probably just
had a good old "J. Arthur". Bet he had a pile of "lady mags" *that*
thick hidden under his bed, the saucy little devil.

[Raveem]

I recall reading how Bismarck had ravished any female peasant in reach
on his ancestral estates during his youth.

Raveem.

[Sammy Sands]

"Raveem" <rav...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:e4b4e79d-fd36-4aa3...@o36g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...

>I recall reading how Bismarck had ravished any female peasant in reach
> on his ancestral estates during his youth.
>
> Raveem.

Too early in the morning, I read that as "Pheasant".

Sammy

[Stoned in Arrakeen]

Raveem claimed Lordly shenanigans on 24/10/2009 01:28:

>
> I recall reading how Bismarck had ravished any female peasant
> in reach on his ancestral estates during his youth.
>

Just one of the many perks enjoyed by upper-class Prussians in them
there days, and why not. I suppose if they weren't in reach he'd use
some sort of lassoo or grappling-hook apparatus baited with money or
cake to "reel them in", as it were. I know I would've.

[Raveem]

I've missed these restorative balancings to Tony's well-meaning
attempts at generating traffic in the group.

Raveem.

[Freakzilla]

Maybe he had a particularly strenuous shield practice and prana-bindu
session the previous day.

Maybe it was a Bene Gesserit trick.

Maybe Dr. Yueh gave him a sedative.

[Tony]

"Freakzilla" <jl...@comcast.net> wrote in message news:

Yueh did give him a sedative, but that's not why Paul looked relaxed.

[fano...@gmail.com]

As you well know, Tony, Paul was faking. He wasn't really sleeping.
This whole chapter is steeped in irony, as Jessica is first fooled by
Paul, then mistakes Yueh's guilt over his upcoming betrayal as an
attempt to spare her feelings, and therefore holds back from
questioning him just as he's on the verge of confessing the truth.
It's a nice little chapter, and one of the best examples of Herbert's
use of the omniscient point of view, glancing into the thoughts of
both characters while they're talking.

[Tony]

<fano...@gmail.com> wrote in message news:

Hi Gunnar,

You made some great observations. This chapter was complicated because it
integrated the perspectives of multiple characters. In addition, Paul's
decision to avoid the sedative probably saved his life. It's difficult to avoid
a hunter seeker when one is sleeping:

"Paul lay on the bed feigning sleep. It had been easy to palm Dr. Yueh's
sleeping tablet, to pretend to swallow it. Paul suppressed a laugh. Even his
mother had believed him asleep. He had wanted to jump up and ask her permission
to go exploring the house, but had realized she wouldn't approve. Things were
too unsettled yet. No. This way was best. If I slip out without asking I
haven't disobeyed orders. And I will stay in the house where it's safe. . . .

Now was the moment to go exploring. Paul slipped out of the bed, headed for the
bookcase door that opened into the closet. He stopped at a sound behind him,
turned. The carved headboard of the bed was folding down onto the spot where he
had been sleeping. Paul froze, and immobility saved his life. From behind the
headboard slipped a tiny hunter-seeker no more than five centimeters long. Paul
recognized it at once--a common assassination weapon that every child of royal
blood learned about at an early age.

[Stoned in Arrakeen]

Tony made some great obfuscations on 30/10/2009 14:35:

>
> It's difficult to avoid a hunter seeker when one is sleeping
>

That's so true, Tones - unconsciousness can certainly be a "dampener" on
one's hardwired "fight-or-flight" capabilities, if you think about it
for long enough. In a fraught situation like that Paul's only hope would
have been if the Harkonnen guy controlling the thing had a sense of fair
play and waited till he woke up (and perhaps even had breakfast) before
he launched it at him. The worst-case scenario, I think, would have been
if the Harkonnen guy had a twisted sense of humour and got the seeker to
repeatedly prod Paul (without breaking skin) on the nose and ears to
simulate insect bites then finally "get" him just as he woke up. That's
what I would have done.