Dune Messiah: Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

On Dune, an old man with blue eyes stands in his doorway staring suspiciously at Scytale. Semuta music—a music that could infiltrate a person’s brain and fill it with memories— issues from behind the old man. Scytale—who has taken on Duncan Idaho’s appearance—gives the greeting signal of the conspiracy. The old man asks Scytale if he knew his son. Scytale feels uneasy in this cul-de-sac of bleak houses built for veterans of the Jihad. The old man continues to question Scytale, and Scytale fears that there is some reason for the man’s caution.

The old man asks Scytale’s name. Scytale responds “Zaal”—his given name for this mission—and the old man introduces himself as Farok, a veteran of the Jihad. Farok lets Scytale inside to a covered courtyard. Farok describes the life he lived in Sietch, and Scytale realizes that Farok joined the conspiracy because he lost his old life in the war. The background music changes, and Scytale notices a seated boy with empty eye sockets striking up a song about wind that swept the world and sky away.

Scytale senses wisdom and loyalty in Farok and follows Farok to some cushions. They sit. Farok describes how his son (the seated boy) lost his eyes. He then ascertains that Scytale is a Face Dancer and says that Scytale’s appearance reminds him of Duncan Idaho. In response to Farok’s query, Scytale says Face Dancers can choose their sex. Scytale politely declines Farok’s offer of refreshments and blesses Abu d’ Dhur—a mythological idol—an action which clues Farok into Scytale’s allegiance with Edric.

In riddled language, Scytale insinuates that he wants to talk about Muad’Dib’s Keep. Farok evades his inquiry and explains that he tried to get his son Tleilaxu replacement eyes, but his son didn’t want metal eyes. Scytale subtly steers the conversation back to Muad’Dib’s Keep. Farok says that he entered Muad’Dib’s Imperial Keep for the celebration of the Jihad victory. Farok complains about the celebratory feast, at which the soldiers spoke of war and had orgies with enslaved women. He tells Scytale that Muad’Dib and Chani’s private chamber is hidden somewhere deep in the Keep.

Farok says that Muad’Dib has a few trusted Fremen officials and disregards everyone else. Muad’Dib has a private landing strip on the inner wall and singlehandedly controls its activity. Disapprovingly, Farok says that Muad’Dib implants wave translators inside men so they can carry messages indecipherable by political cryptology. Scytale asks if the Fremen people objected to making the Muad’Dib their god. Farok says that the Fremen think of the Jihad as a source of wealth and strange adventure.

While his son sings louder, Farok reminisces about Sietch. There, he owned simple possessions that held memories. He had no money, but he felt rich. He had two wives and had knowledge without having to think. When Paul Atreides came, hailed as the Muad’Dib, and called for the Jihad, Farok didn’t join. His friends joined, and returned with stories of wizardry, believing Paul was their savior. Farok says that he enlisted in the Jihad at last because he wanted to see something he’d never seen before: the sea.

Farok’s son ends his song and starts another. Scytale asks Farok if he found the sea. After a long pause, Farok tells of the time he and his fellow soldiers witnessed a glorious sunset over the sea. The water made him sick when he drank it, and there were dead bodies and debris floating in the water, but Farok felt he understood the purpose of everything. Farok tells Scytale that the universe is unfinished, and that “The Mother of Chaos” lives in the sea. When he stepped out of the sea, he was cured of the Jihad.

Scytale feels uneasy when he realizes that he can’t remember when Farok’s son stopped singing. Farok tells Scytale that every gate into the Emperor’s Keep is guarded. Scytale asserts that this conviction is the Keep’s weakness. Scytale feels that Farok’s son’s music transmitted all the vital information of the conspiracy into his brain.

Farok says that they have the woman, and Scytale asks to see her. Farok’s son starts playing the violin, and a Fremen woman appears, heavily drugged with melange. Farok introduces her as Otheym’s daughter Lichna and says that his son overpowered her with semuta music to make her love him. As Otheym’s daughter leans over Farok’s son, Farok asks Scytale what he plans to do with her.

Scytale raises his arm, and a needle darts from his sleeve and embeds in Farok’s neck. As Farok dies, Scytale goes over to the blind son and impales him with the needle. Changing his appearance to look like Farok, Scytale leads Otheym’s daughter away.