Dune: Book 2, Part 2 Summary & Analysis

In the epigraph from Princess Irulan’s text “Conversations with Muad’Dib,” Muad’Dib reflects on his father’s belief that respect of the truth is the mark of morality, alongside his saying that “Something cannot emerge from nothing.” Muad’Dib is conscious of how changeable “the truth” can be.

With the sun rising, Thufir Hawat hides on the outskirts of Arrakeen with some surviving Atreides soldiers and a Fremen. He has been so shocked and furious by the Harkonnen attack that his emotions have almost overpowered his rational Mentat abilities. Hawat is amazed that the Padishah Emperor and House Harkonnen have committed ten legions of soldiers to the attack—an enormous and costly enterprise that would equal the price of at least fifty years of the Arrakeen spice income. Hawat is still fixated on Lady Jessica as the traitor who sold out House Atreides and is bent on taking revenge.

Hawat talks with the Fremen to try to work out how he and his men can escape the Harkonnen forces. He learns that Gurney Halleck and some of the Atreides soldiers are safely hidden with Arrakis smugglers. The Mentat tries to negotiate with the Fremen for his people to offer the Atreides men their support. The Fremen keeps referring to a “water decision” that Hawat must consider—reclaiming water from Atreides soldiers who die from their wounds. Hawat asks the Fremen if he knows the fate of Duke Leto or his son, Paul Atreides, learning that the Duke is dead and that Paul’s fate unknown and “in Liet’s hands.”

On behalf of Liet, the Fremen asks Hawat about the artillery weapons that the Harkonnens are using to trap Atreides forces in caves. Hawat is amazed to learn that the Fremen have stolen an artillery weapon to study. Even more shockingly, they have beaten Sardaukar in battle with little difficulty, even capturing three of the fearsome Sardaukar soldiers alive.

A wounded Atreides soldier dies, and the Fremen demands of Hawat whether it is “the bond of water.” Finally realizing the man’s intent, Hawat reluctantly agrees to formally bond their peoples in this manner. His men are angry, but placated when they learn that the Fremen—and four others who mysteriously appear quickly to take the dead soldier away—are now willing to help them in all endeavors.

Hawat is then impressed by Fremen discipline and fighting skills when he sees a small group of them overpower an ornithopter flown by Sardaukar soldiers. They kill the Sardaukar easily and steal the ship. Later, Hawat is amazed to see a Fremen pilot deliberately sacrifice himself by crashing the stolen ornithopter into a Harkonnen troop carrier. The resulting explosion takes out three hundred enemy troops. At this time Hawat, his men, and the Fremen prepare to move location. However, they are attacked by Sardaukar forces. The Fremen is killed and Hawat is knocked out during the fight.