Duncan awoke in the door way of the chamber leading to the elevator. He looked back. The elevator he said to himself. That should not be there should it. He shook his head.
"Yes, it is exactly 2 meters from this spot and 27 meters from Leto's chamber. Leto!" He shouted in the chamber.
I must be a ghola... I should be better dressed.
20 Years later
The most recent campaign rolled to an end. Duncan the hero as usual.
Leto always wanted it that way he thought to himself.
The Freman preist stood before me ready to reward me for saving.. No, preserving their way of life.
Elitist.. came a whisper in his mind.
I had done very little by my own estimates. The guard following Leto's prescience plans had really done all the work, yet.. I still remained a figure head of the military.
This is to easy..
But it never felt right from the beginning. In the memories I could see myself as a brave warrior willing to sacrifice himself. But in this time and age the situation never arose. As I tried countless times to join the battles and even killing one of the Specialist Fishspeakers preventing me from entering the battle, only to find out Leto wanted the guard dead anyway. What was I? Why should I try...
I am only a vessel..
My wife.. An angry extremist that at my request would do any sexual or wife type duty that I desired. For years I found myself in orgies of Fish Speakers along side my so called chosen mate. Did I choose her, I wasn't sure, nor did I question it. The times as any man would put it, were very pleasurable.
I am a vessal..
The army of men did not follow me out of respect, I understand this now. I would walk the city streets for hours a night and no one would recognize me or so much be scare of me either. Even though I had ample size and strength and shear directness. They did not fear me. Not like they feared their god. Their so called god of the known universe. The keeper of spice. The.. The.. The worm.
I do have anger.
Nothing lead to anything. It was all pre-written by Leto. By a soul less god of obsessions that no man could ever fathom or dream of.
The nights of terror came when he remembered the loses of love. She or She's all came into my lives and so desired me that each time I never thought I would feel the same love or as intense love again no matter how many times the worm brought me back to life. But I lay here feeling the emptiness of the difference between those relationships and the one I am in currently. Lust for a true love and romance felt like an enteral link in time and space it's self. I could never love again cause of the anguish of missing a truly loved one, or in my case many loves that resembled everyone from Jessica to Mia-c. Oh how I remember loving Mia so much I wanted to crack my own chest open to stop the pain of missing her.
Leto took it all away..
But missing Mia was only a clone of the many relationships that he leveraged before me and teased and mostly won. I went for almost all of them from what I could remember. And for the one's I let slip away for what I thought was their own safety. Turned out to be just missed planned opportunities for Leto the God Emperor. He had plans, within plans, within plans, with in even more complex plans. And I was the joke of all of them. The great Duncan Idaho that would never leave an Atreides side. Like a dog or lamb or simpleton. What a fool I am. All of me.
I should kill my makers..
They loved me, I am sure. Not this sycophant of a woman. An extremely beautiful woman by any standards. As well as a strong individual whom any true warrior could appreciate. She found herself several times during the campaign. Admitting she could never understand me at any level and would accept if I left for a more fitting maid, even if it were at the disagreement of our god. Power would not suffice the woman's integrity. Sadly as my memories had always done, she was most likely a 10th generation relative of one of my predecessors. But I could not turn away her intensity. We found each other in battle and I loved every bit of it. The nights in bunkers alone with her. The make believe fear that our god created turned mad with lust and blood. But she deep down was not mine entirely, none of the loves were at this age and day. They all ..
They all loved Leto at some level, he had done the impossible and done it well. Even I could hardly find it deep inside of me to disagree.
He killed her..
J'ciaka's death left me a blank man. I am no longer a general of will. I am the empty shell that I should have always been. Upon arrival from the battle that ended her life, I walked straight to Leto's chamber below the surface.
A god is souless.
"Leto... Leto... I know your here... Listen to me for once in this miserable existence!"
"Duncan!" Leto's voice echoed out from deep within the enormous chamber. "I do not recall asking for you to visit me."
"Leto.. Please.. Hear me out." Duncan's voice more subdued.
"No need Duncan. I have heard many stories of your so called miserable existence. Do you not feel pride anymore?"
Duncan held his head low.
"Duncan look at me when I speak to you, you hollow of a man!" The God Emperor not holding back.
"I do not love you Leto, not like the others."
"You know I know that."
"This still seems like a puzzle to me."
"Then leave." Leto said with such direct sternness that Leto took a breath to calm himself and answer.
"I am."
"Shut up and remove yourself Duncan. If you truly honorable the Fremen, than you will do it in Freman way."
Duncan looked down again.
"Duncan, your god has made a request of you."
"Leto, you are not a god. You are a most vengeful creature. I can't just love, I can't leave service, I can not free myself because freedom would be a prison sentence in itself."
"The Tlialaux will pay dearly for making such a weak specimen."
"I am.. Me, Leto.. Why do you make such remarks."
"Why should I not.. You know, but do not think about that answer because you will never understand, my dear Duncan." Leto let the chamber fall completely silent before speaking again. "Duncan. Go now in to the desert like a true blooded Freman."
Duncan lowered his head and turned to walk away.
"I will know if you do not, understand this."
"I am Duncan Idaho.. And I am no fool Leto." He paused for a moment then finished his last words to the god emperor. "The second."
Leto attempted to turn away to contemplate the next coming of the Duncan. Though the worm body had other intentions. The tail rattled up and down for moment as Leto's eye's rolled back.
