lows and care Waste world Giedi giving only pain and death, Pain and death pain and death, but I bear Though nights and days mix slip blend I bear as blood dries and hearts rend Sleep blesses my n ghtmares now my days Days pace year long where I live and cannot die Where I die and cannot live lost in ways Past help and hope in the dark I he But I bear bear and wait It comes I wait For the joys of home or the thrills of hate Somewhat less than a year later, House Atreides (in answer to yet another attack-of 284 provocation against an ally) sent a force against Giedi Prime itself The killing of civilians, as well as undue damage to property, was for the most part avoided Duke Leto Atreides knew the Harkonnen s soft spot and aimed directly at it he ordered his troops to release and rescue every Harkonnen slave they could find Halleck was among those freed The former slaves were taken to Caladan, the Atreides fief, and given a choice Those who had relatives, friends, homes on other worlds were free to contact them and arrange for passage back Those who, on the other hand, lacked any other place to go or wished to begin anew were welcome to sign on with House Atreides The Atreides, it was stressed, kept no slaves Anyone who chose to join their service could be certain of being treated fairly, of being free to leave that service at any time (other than under conditions of war), and of Duke Leto's loyalty m exchange for his own Halleck explained to the recruiting officer that he would be delighted to enter Atreides service, With one condition that if he could locate Annette, and arrange her escape, he would be allowed to keep her with him The officer readily agreed, but could offer Halleck little hope He was too familiar with the practices inside tte Harkonnen pleasure-houses to believe that Annette Halleck would still be alive after ten years, much less within reach of rescue In 10165, tiien, at the age of thirty, Halleck found himself embarked on a new career- soldiering The fighting skills he had learned in the pits of Giedi Prime made a good foundation for his training in modem war fare and, when combined with his fanatic loyaky to his new liege, made him a terrifying man for an enemy to face in battle His officers made note of him, commended him, saw to it that he was promoted, he had a place ia Leto's military council by the time he turned forty He was happy in his work, feeling mat he had at last found the role for which he was ideally smted He had even- slowly at first, then with increasing confidence when he saw that his playing was received well by his fellows-returned to the bahset, astonished at how much of his early training he still remembered Freed now to sing out the pain he had held m for so long, Halleck set to work (With the later appointment of Duncan Idaho as Warmaster jointly with Halleck he had more time for his music, and wrote down the songs composed in his mind in his years of slavery As jus