Dune Novels

I think everyone is dead.

Oh yeah, dear Diary,

I think everyone is dead..... there is like, no one in the market- I went out there this morning to buy some fruit, and no one but the the wisps of fog and dew coating the stalls.... trash lying around. I called, no one answered. All the doors are locked everywhere. I haven't seen any bodies. Lots of trash.

Susan still isn't answering the door, don't know if she's dead too, or just haven't forgiven me yet. I checked on my chapel, it's empty too. Fed the ducks. Ducks are doing fine.

Where did everyone go?

Anyway- other than everyone up leaving, it's been a good day. No one came to me to profess their sins..... it's always entertaining to hear them and know the back stories of everyone else, but after it I feel so dirty knowing I have to watch over such a backwards and filthy flock of sheep, it's such a depressing let down. If no one comes out later, I'm heading over to the next town with Gerome to find out what is happening. Maybe some kind of sporting event is happening.

Speaking about Jerome, he's clearly gay, they were right about him. Who ever heard of a gay guard duck? No one is scared of him knowing he swings that way- he's just as lethal as any straight duck- just gay. But no one fears him anymore..... not even that missionary from Rakis- I'm pretty certain he's stealing eggs. Damn him, may he burn in hell.

Dear Diary,

I've been traveling for two days now with Gerome, I have found no one in in that time, three villages searched. In the second village, there was some freshly dug graves- three in total, but the village, Escrantz, surely had more that three thousand people living in it.... all gone.

I've been following the all the wagon tracks, it heads out to the coastal highway. I think everyone up and left without telling me, that's so rude. I am their spiritual father, and they have abandoned me.

Gerome managed to catch two rabbits today....only animal that seems to be prospering right now. Now that I come to think of it, I didn't see any farm animals as I went through those two villages.

I have two choices- and as I already stated, made my mind up with what to do already, follow the highway to the coastal trail- but it keeps lagging in my mind that I should return home and gather supplies for this journey- no telling where they fled to... might be away for weeks with nothing but this journal and gerome.

Gerome is such a trooper, he keeps up with me despite the wobble in his step. He is a killing machine, but not designed for a road march. I send him up once in a while to scout- but I don't think he knows how to do that.... the Fishspeaker surplus discounter I bought him off of said the duck breeding project was canceled because they were a ridiculous failure for enterprises not dealing directly with the attack- despite being supreme on the battle field- they can't carry a load heavier than three times their body weight- and only then in their beak- as they have webbed feet and can't grip anything. They can fly in circles as if they are scouting- but can't tell a farmer in his field from a entrenched position.... they are all just people to it.

I was told I need to have line of sight with the object of attack in order to whistle the code for what it is too attack if we were out of it's home territory... but I can't whistle, and it's never heard anyone whistle before- at least I don't think it has. It's in gerome's breeding, but he's never learned how to react to a whistle tactically- so I don't know what would come of it if it heard one.... and I sure couldn't control it not knowing a single thing about how to coordinate it- I just bought him to guard the eggs of the other ducks from Samil.... I hate Samil. "Look at me, I'm Samil, I'm soooooo tall, I worship a dead worm who lives inside of other worms. Everyone likes me, because I a tall silly idiot who needs punched in the face. Look at me flap my arms in the air like a silly flippant school girl.... lalala." Someone needs to just kick him square in the balls. I wonder if he has them... might be a eunuch. I wonder if the priest of Rakis are Eunuchs?

Anyway, enough about Samil, I found a suitcase yesterday, it has a nice solar insulated poncho in it, and a two way radio.... but the radio is smashed. It was too cold last night even inside of the poncho, but warmer than I would of been without it. If I don't see anyone by tomorrow night, I'm breaking into a house... a nice one, and I'm spending the night there. Why should I be cold just because all those douchebags abandoned me?

I wonder how you prepare a rabbit without any knives? I should of bought a knife, Gerome is walking around impatiently waiting for his bit of the catch. I am so breaking into a house now to cook these two.... why wait for tonight?

Dear Diary,

The seacoast is empty too. No one is anywhere, I've been walking south for two weeks. No bicycles anywhere, no stray dogs, no nothing. It took a long time to finally break into a house- the security systems are a bit challenging to overcome, and the doors are quite thick to attempt to kick in.... everyone may be poor here, but the buildings are well constructed to keep out intruders.... what can you expect from a bunch of sleepy fishspeaker villages- they are all retirees and know how every trick to assaulting a building- no surprise they made their houses impregnable.

I stayed two nights in a sea side cottage... door was open, no one ever arrived. Plenty of firewood, radio was working, but it was dead. The wave generator on the beach was still working, so I was able to listen to some music. It was the home of a composer, music history books everywhere, holographic displays of various halls and composers playing. There was still food in his fridge- canned foods- kept cold. Who cools can foods? The guy was a weirdo, but had good tastes in his composers.

Gerome flew off the first night- I thought I lost him.... but there he was in the morning, eating a possum on the dock. I've hijacked a little fishing boat, it will help me make up speed. If the owner wants it back, he'll just have to come get me and tell me what the heck is happening to everyone- a even exchange.

Well, I have a nice all weather suit now, bright yellow- in case it rains- very nicely insulated as well, it's getting colder and colder.

I hope to be in New Downport sailing in about a week and a half I'm knocking out village after village along the way looking for clues. I hope I am not in a quarantine zone- then again- what if I am the only one NOT in a quarantine, and I end up breaking into one in all my ignorance? Even worst, what if there is no quarantine?

Dear Diary,

I now have a knife, but this boat has no way of catching the fish Gerome is bringing back- I've just recovered from a bad batch of food poisoning, but he appears to be loving it.

It was foggy this morning, the dew and fog clung everywhere- the boat stopped moving forward in the middle of the night, and I laid there, stomach heaving in rhythm to the waves. It seems to be my lot in life to suffer like this- I can never make the right preparations, always jump into things without forethought. Getting hit with Diarrhea while in a boat with no latrine was no fun either- I had a fever hanging my rear over the edge, trying to hold back the urge to vomit over myself as I let lose with everything else before falling back into the boat... no way to clean myself either- no way I was getting back up to get a few scoops of water. Gerome was just flying around overhead, taking in the whole scene.

I am better now- I feel a bit clammy, it's night- I can see the stars- and the lights from New Downport up ahead. I am going to rest for a little bit more, and then run up there at first light, I'll find out just what on Ciberra is happening, where everyone and thing save for the rabbits and the fishes went.

It's getting cold outside, and the mist is coming back to coat everything- back into my raincoat I go.

Dear God,

they all left.... every single shuttle is gone.... anything that could make orbit is gone. There are wagons thrown haphazardly in the ports. Papers are strewed everywhere- but none with news as to why. The electricity in the city is still working- nothing is failing- no damage- no signs of death. No notes on doors to loved ones, no signs of vandalism. EVERY SHIP IS GONE!

I know the economy was bad- the corn crop failed this year- but we could survive on other crops that had done well.... no one was starving. The trade embargo only effected our fertilizers and seed imports.... I passed many fields on the way in.

I have to look around the city, there must be a small airfield with some craft in it. It might not be able to take me to orbit, but it will give me a bird eye picture of what is going on.

P.S..... the ham is so delicious- storefront shops are so much easier to break into that retired fishspeaker villages. I think I'll sit down for another serving before heading out.

Dear Diary,

the last three months have been fantastic... I have neglected writing in you, because I have been busy studying- they left a maintance hatch to Leto's Temple unlocked- well, by unlocked I mean with a rusty lock- and I had to hack through the air ducts for a week with a sledge hammer and a machete to get inside.... but it was well worth it. I have access to the library and the court room, and Cardell's quarters..... a few months ago, I lived in squalor, and now I live like a prince. The nicest robes, automatically adjusting boots that feel like slippers- I can jump a height twice myself and not wince upon landing..... which reminds me, I can now float! The roof of this place is magnificent- they wrote entire epics carved on this roof- at a angle and with such a small font no one could ever see it.... I certainly never suspected. I drifted around the city last week from dawn to dusk.... I didn't dare to go so high at first, not sure of the energy capacity of my suspenders- but I got over it. It's the most natural feeling in the world.... landing is not though. Landing is horrible.... the last 20 feet I am in a freefall- the shoes help, but I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.... but above those twenty feet, so long as I am not going down- life is good.

The library has been amazing- texts from philosophers and religions from all over history are in it. I have learned about Napoleon and Jessikonas, Emperor Marius of Byzantium and the Haplik Resurgency. Learned of the philosophers Boethius, Karl Marx, and Heplern Fairchild. It has the oldest known text of the Tao Te Ching.... the tyrant saved it all for himself.... and it found it's way here afterwards..... to me! You old worm- did you see me standing here in your vision? Using your goods YOU SALVAGED? Was it for your own desires, for the sake of prosperity? I am the end user you fool- I am the Omega! Did you know all your treasures of literature would come to this? Did Muad'dib see this when he founded his Bishopic here under these pillars?

Oh.... and did I mention- his majesty's ranch outside the city is still stocked with animals in automated feeders? I will eat forever, living like a king. If there was a quarantine here, or a outbreak, then they fled prematurely- I feel no symptoms.

Gonna have a steak from the imperial herd- I've butchered it myself this morning- tiring but most satisfying knowing I will experience something only those of the royal line get to savor here soon- I hear it is the key to their long health.