cation was relatively simple-those whose approval was needed were alread; in attendance-and the remaining three years of the Synod were spent in bringing the codes of individual worlds into conformity with the new law of the Impenum All was not completely smooth, of course, that could not be expected from a group with GREAT CONVENTION 270 GREAT CONVENTION such diverse interests The Synod possessed an advantage unique among parliamentary bodies, however it could expel recalcitrant delegates Yet, during the ten years, only five individuals were dismissed from the Synod, and one of these dismissals had nothing to do with the negotiating skills of the person dismissed (He was one of the House Minor delegates who was discovered to be fronting for the exiled Family Harkonnen ) THE GREAT CONVENTION The final document, 317 sections filling five volumes, was a masterwork of balance and careful wording Hie Convention was intended to control in most instances, and not to prohibit Its emphasis on proper appearances-suggesting the primacy of form over substance- is pointed throughout by the words which begin every section "The forms must be obeyed'' Nowhere is propriety more evident man in the Convention's most famous clause, which regulated die use of atomic weapons against human beings The circumstances for employment of family atomics were so minutely detailed that they took up nearly half of one volume Acceptable means for obtaining such weaponry, for storing mem, for rigging them for automatic retaliation should one House be utterly destroyed by another, were drawn out in scrupulous detail According to Synod records the assembled delegates took over four months to settle fee issue On its face, the rule appears humanitarian, insuring that even in tune of war, humans would be protected from the horrors of slow death by radiation poisoning and worlds safeguarded from the desolation of lingering contamination If this were the Convention's true intent, it could have been achieved very simply An absolute ban on all family atomics-backed by both Imperial and Great House force- eosld have rendered sach items more dangerous to keep than their worth to the Houses justified The atomics clause was so minutely detailed, however, because the delegates had no inclination toward nuclear disarmament, they simply wished to be certain that no less powerful House could overcome one of its betters by use of atomic power alone The same attitude enabled the Great Houses to wink at the existence of stoneburners, weap ons which clearly violated the spirit, if not the all-important letter of the law The acceptable means of attaining victory in House to House combat were also carefully laid down Open, declared warfare was se verely discouraged as a means of settling differences It was far too wasteful and destructive of the civilian workforce, shipping and trade that were the hfeblood of every planetary economy And of what use to the victor was a world made unprofitable9 No, the accepted methods were far more economical A House could challenge its enemy to a War of Assassins which involved sending an exact number (agreed upon in advance) of professional killers out to murder by stealth The permitted weapons were listed in the Book of Assassins a text appended to the Convention Once declared, a War of Assassins could ha\e only one of two conclusions complete surrender, which left the defeated nobles alive but stripped of all holdings and titles, or the extermination of the House The assassins were permitted to kill only the approved targets-no outsiders-and a Judge of the Change, appointed by the Landsraad High Council and the emperor, insured that the forms were indeed obeyed (The penalties for not obeying them were quite severe Offenders could be fined, imprisoned, exiled, or killed, depending on their rank and the seriousness of the ofTense, the House responsible for the offense could be officially declared the loser of the War) Wars of Assassins were generally declared by Houses* wishing to expand their interests and not especially concerned about who they defeated to do so For those with more personal reasons for fighting the Convention devoted twenty five pages to kanly or vendetta, again, a Judge was appointed and rigid rules regarding procedures and choices of weaponry were given But in kanly, the head of the House met another personally Such rules as those for War? of Assassins and kanly affected only the nobility, but protected the rest of the population by keeping them umnvolved Other sections protected the nobility from itself There were clauses which forbade assassination of one family member by another fa time-honored means of gaining advancement) or of any noble by GREAT CONVENTION 271 GREAT CONVENTION one of inferior rank not recognized as an assassin.