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itself beneath the sand； increasingly willing to risk abrading its sensitive； exposed tissue。
Finally Ommun brought the behemoth around until it ground to a halt； exhausted。 The troop of desert men dropped off while Kynes slid down the rough worm segments onto loose sand。 Ommun tossed down the remaining packs and dismounted； letting the worm too utterly tired to turn and attack them wallow its way into the sands。 The Fremen removed the hooks so the worm； their Shai…Hulud； could recover。
The men sprinted to a line of rock； where there would be caves and shelter； and Kynes was surprised to see a small sietch that weled them for the night with food and conversation。 Word of the Planetologist's dream had spread to all the secret places across Dune； and the sietch leader there told them it was his great honor to host Umma Kynes。
The next day the group set off again on another sandworm； and another。 Kynes soon gained a more plete understanding of what Stilgar had meant with his assessment of a 〃twenty…thumper〃 journey。
The wind was fresh； and the sand was bright； and the Fremen took enormous pleasure in their grand adventure。 Kynes sat atop his palanquin like an emperor himself； looking out over the desertscape。 For him the dunes were endlessly fascinating； and yet strangely the same at so many latitudes。
Near Heinar's sietch a month earlier； Kynes had flown alone in his small Imperial ornithopter； exploring aimlessly。 He had been blown off course by a small storm。 He'd held control； even against the gusting winds； but he had been awestruck to look down upon the open sands where the storm had scoured clean a flat white basin a salt pan。
Kynes had seen such things before； but never here on Dune。 The geological formation looked like a white mirrored oval； marking the boundaries of what had once been an open sea thousands of years ago。 By his estimate； the pan was three hundred kilometers long。 It thrilled him to imagine that in the past； this basin might have been a large inland ocean。
Kynes had landed the 'thopter and stepped out in his stillsuit； ducking low and squinting into the blowing dust。 He knelt and dug his fingers into the powdery white surface。 He tasted his fingertip to confirm what he'd suspected。 Bitter salt。 Now he could have no doubt that there had once been open water on this world。 But for some reason it had all disappeared。
As successive sandworms took them below the equator and into the deep southern portion of the wasteland planet； Kynes saw many other such things to remind him of his discovery： glinting depressions that might have been the remnants of ancient lakes； other open water。 He mentioned these things to his Fremen guides； but they could explain them only by myths and legends that made no scientific sense。 His fellow travelers seemed more intent on their destination。
Finally； after exhausting and long days； they left the last worm behind。 The Fremen pushed on into the rocky landscapes of the deep southern regions of Dune； near the antarctic circle where the great Shai…Hulud refused to travel。 Though a few water merchants had explored the northern ice caps； the lower latitudes remained primarily uninhabited； avoided； shrouded in mystery。 No one came here except for these Fremen。
Growing more and more excited； the troop walked for a day over gravelly ground； until finally Kynes saw what they had been so eager to show him。 Here； the Fremen had created and tended a vast treasure。
Not far from the diminutive polar ice cap in a region where he had been told the weather was too cold and inhospitable for habitation； the Fremen of various sietches had set up a secret camp。 Following the length of a wash； they entered a rugged canyon。 The floor was posed of stones rounded from long…ago running water。 The air was chilly； but warmer than he had ever expected so deep in the antarctic circle。
From a sheer cliff overhead where ice and cold winds at the top gave way to warmer air in the depths； water actually trickled from cracks in the rock…and ran seasonally along the length of the wash they had followed to get there。 The Fremen teams had cleverly installed solar mirrors and magnifiers in the cliff walls to warm the air and melt frost from the ground。 And there； in the rocky soil； they had nurtured plants。
Kynes was speechless。 It was his dream； before his very eyes！
He wondered if the source could be water from hot springs； but upon touching it he found it to be cool。 He tasted； and found it not sulfurous but refreshing easily the best he had drunk since ing to Dune。 Pure water； not recycled a thousand times through filters and stillsuits。
〃Behold our secret； Umma Kynes；〃 Stilgar said。 〃We have done all this in less than a year。〃
Tufts of hardy grass grew in moist patches on the floor of the arroyo； bright desert sunflowers； even the low； creeping vines of a tough gourd plant。 But most amazing of all； Kynes saw rows of stunted young date palms； clinging to life； sucking up the moisture that found its way through cracks in the porous rock and seeped up from a water table beneath the canyon floor。
〃Palm trees！〃 he said。 〃You've already begun。〃
〃Yes； Umma。〃 Stilgar nodded。 〃We can see a glimpse of Dune's future here。 As you promised us； it can be done。 Fremen from all across the world have already begun your tasks of scattering grasses on the downwind sides of the dunes to anchor them。〃
Kynes beamed。 So； they had been listening to him after all！ Those scattered grasses would spread out their webwork of roots； retaining water； stabilizing the dunes。 With equipment stolen from the biological testing stations； the Fremen could continue their work of cutting catchbasins； erecting windstills； and finding other means to grasp every droplet of water borne on the wind。。。。
His group remained in the sheltered canyon for several days； and Kynes felt giddy with what he saw there。 As they camped and slept and walked among the palmaries； Fremen from other sietches came at intervals。 This place seemed to be a new gathering point for the hidden people。 Emissaries arrived to gaze with awe upon the palm trees and plants growing in the open air； upon the faint smear of moisture oozing from the rocks。
One evening a single sandrider came trudging in carrying his gear； looking for Umma Kynes。 Breathless； the newly arrived traveler lowered his eyes； as if he didn't want to meet the Planetologist's gaze。
〃At your mand； our numbering has been pleted；〃 he announced。 〃We have received word from all the sietches； and we now know how many Fremen there are。〃
〃Good；〃 Kynes said； smiling。 〃I need an approximate number so I can plan for our work。〃 Then he waited expectantly。
The young man looked up and stared at him directly with blue…in…blue eyes。 〃The sietches are counted in excess of five hundred。〃
Kynes drew a quick breath。 Far more than he had suspected！
〃And the number of actual Fremen on Dune is approximately ten million。 Would you like me to pile the exact numbers； Umma Kynes？〃
Kynes staggered backward with a gasp。 Incredible！ The Imperial estimates and the Harkonnen reports had implied mere hundreds of thousands； a million at the very most。
〃Ten million！〃 H