Chương 17: Deals upon deals
In the Dining hall, where two people sat, Krelln could be Seen sitting by Duncan as he ate. A bottle of liquor was in the middle of the table, and Krelln grabbed the Bottle with two glass cups with ice already in them.
"You've tasted the spice beer of Arrakis, and it's a delight. Despite the follies of early humans on Earth, they excelled in one thing." Krelln presented the bottle to Duncan, its label proudly displaying ' Jack Daniels '.
" Liquor, they called it. Here, have some, but drink it slowly. It will burn your throat. But focus on the aftertaste it leaves."
Duncan, unable to resist the allure, eagerly took a sip. The liquor mingled with the flavor of the steak in his mouth, creating a unique sensation. Then, the kick came, first with an oddly satisfying pungent smell, followed by a fiery trail down his throat.
" Hold it, hold it, let it take hold, and let burn your throat," Krelln said as he watched Duncan struggle with the liquor in his mouth; after he was done and tried to speak, he began to cough.
" That is some intense shit. " Duncan said. And Krelln, who sat on the table, began to laugh,
" Ahh, yes, it is strong, but you see, liquor is not meant to get you drunk, and sure, it can do it fast, but any man who has respect for such a drink knows you drink liquor to have the sense of satisfaction."
Duncan nodded at his words, but something bothered him. He looked to the side and saw the open windows; down below, he saw greenery. How is this possible, a desert planet of all places? Duncan thought.
" You wonder how this is all possible, and how the Harkonnens did not know of it, and how your Duke does not know of it. " Duncan nodded once again. He had failed to realize how this man could read him so well; it was as if he could read his mind.
" Tell me, do you want the real answer or one that will satisfy you?" The question sounded ominous as if he did not want to know the honest answer. Still, his duties as a soldier compelled him to learn more about this individual. He could become the bridge connecting Arrakis.
" Tell me the truth," Duncan said.
" The truth is that there are many smugglers on Arrakis; in the first years of our being here, there was no greenery outside the mountain, only storms and harsh winds. But we navigated our way through caves, and I had long created machines for digging without letting the worms know of my actions.
I have always been crafty, even as a child; simply the idea of creating something came easy to me; you see, I came from sietch Tabr, where Stilgar took you; I'm sure he had mentioned he saw my face when I was a child."
Duncan nodded as he listened to the story. "We Fremen are great fighters, but we also know how to steal things. When we killed a Harkonnen soldier, we took whatever they had on them. We would steal their ornithopters from under their noses and create secret bases. Closer to them than they might think.
We did not know how to use half the things we stole. We would sometimes throw them away, but when I was five, I began asking for most of those things and experimented with creating machinery. My first successful creation was this." Krelln pointed to his mask.
" You see, I am not from Arrakis, and even though I ate food filled with spice, my eyes never turned blue. They began to look down on me for that, but I did not care; two Fremen parents already loved me, and that was enough for me.
But as for how all of this you see before you was made possible, I did not do it alone. There is a smuggler named Esmar Tuek, and I'm sure you've heard of him. He has a son named Staban.
At first, he did not want to cooperate with me. You see, I asked him to tell me his partners in the business, and he did not want to.
So, I did what any good smuggler would do. His son Staban was the only heir to the business, so I stole the boy right under his nose. I told him I would give the boy back if he put me in contact with his partners.
Duncan smiled because he knew this was the only way to deal with smugglers; he knew how stubborn they could be.
" Around that time, I only had silos of spice reserve, and I did not have a way to transport them, so he became my middleman, but you would be surprised as to who he was selling to.
Duncan felt that cold, shivering sensation go up his arms and spine. " The spacing Guild and the guild are connected to the Landsraad. I became one of the distributors of spice in Arrakis. Esmer, as a smuggler, grew wealthy but still needed his son. As you know, the man is getting old.
All my accounts are connected to his; I am less wealthy than the Harkonnens. After all, they have been selling spice for eighty years, but now, since their recent purchase, I am at the same level of wealth as them.
As of last month, Staban went back to his family. He has been his father's second in command, running the family business, but the one who gives him spice is..."
Duncan interrupted, " You. "
" And that is why I have not been found, " Krelln said as he poured himself more liquor. A small chuckle escaped his lips.
" I see, then, you sell spice at a lower price, " Duncan said. " In doing so, you have struck a deal with the guild; they hide you and your business, and the deal will stand.
Krelln, walking back to his seat, said, " Someone gets it."
" But the guild is under the watchful eye of the emperor," Duncan said.
" Initially, it was meant to be that way, " Krelln responded. " But now the emperor himself must tread carefully when dealing with the spacing guild; no Emperor before him has held a firm grip on the spacing guild, and no emperor after him will, well, one that is named Corrino.
Duncan felt a chill at those words.
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