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ore flaccid； taking on a fish shape。 No one had explained the extent of the inevitable changes to him； and he neither chose nor needed to ask。 It made no difference。 So much of the universe had been opened to him； he considered it a modest price to pay。
D'murr's eyes had grown smaller； without lashes； they were also developing cataracts。 He didn't need them to see anymore； though； since he had other eyes。。。inner vision。 The panorama of the universe unfolded for him。 In the process； he felt as if he were leaving everything else behind。。。and it didn't bother him。
Through the haze D'murr saw that the blakgras field was covered with neat rows of containerized candidates and their Navigator trainers。 One life per container。 The tanks vented orange clouds of filtered melange exhaust； swirling around masked humanoid attendants who stood nearby； waiting to move the tanks when told to do so。
The Head Instructor； a Navigator Steersman named Grodin； floated inside a black…framed tank that had been raised high on a platform； the trainees saw him more with their minds than with their eyes。 Grodin had just returned from foldspace with a student； whose tank was adjacent to his and connected with flexible tubing； so that their gases merged。
D'murr himself had acplished short flights on three occasions now。 He was considered one of the top trainees。 Once he learned to travel through foldspace by himself； he could be licensed as a Pilot； the lowest…ranking Navigator。。。but still vastly higher than he'd once been as a mere human。
Steersman Grodin's foldspace treks were legendary quests of discovery through inprehensible dimensional knots。 The Head Instructor's voice gurgled from a speaker inside D'murr's tank； using higher…order language。 He described a time he had transported dinosaur…like creatures in an old…style Heighliner。 Unknown to him； the monsters could stretch their necks to incredible lengths。 While the Heighliner was in flight； one had chewed its way into a navigation chamber； so that its face appeared outside Grodin's tank； peering in with a curious； wide…eyed expression。。。。
So pleasant in here； D'murr thought without forming words as he absorbed the story。 With enlarged nostrils he drew in a deep breath of the sharp； rich melange。 Humans with dulled senses pared this pungent scent to strong cinnamon。。。but melange was so much more than that； so infinitely plex。
D'murr no longer needed to concern himself with the mundane affairs of humans； so trivial were they； so limited and shortsighted： political machinations； populations milling about like ants in a disturbed hill； lives flickering bright and dull like sparks from a campfire。 His former life was only a vague and fading memory； without specific names or faces。 He saw images； but ignored them。 He could never go back to what he had been。
Instead of simply finishing his story about the dinosaur creature； Steersman Grodin spoke on a tangent about the technical aspects of what the chosen student had just acplished on his interstellar journey； how they had employed high…order mathematics and dimensional changes to peer into the future much the same way the long…necked monster had looked into his tank。
〃A Navigator must do more than observe；〃 Grodin's scratchy voice said over the speaker。 〃A Navigator utilizes what he sees in order to guide spaceships safely through the void。 Failure to apply certain basic principles may lead to Heighliner disasters and the loss of all lives and cargo aboard。〃
Before any of the new adepts like D'murr could bee Pilots into foldspace； they must master how to deal with crises such as partially folded space； faulty prescience； the onset of spice intolerance； malfunctioning Holtzman generators； or even deliberate sabotage。
D'murr tried to envision the fates that had befallen some of his unfortunate predecessors。 Contrary to popular belief； Navigators did not themselves fold space； the Holtzman engines did that。 Navigators used their limited prescience to choose safe paths to travel。 A ship could move through the void without their guidance； but that perilous guessing game invariably led to disaster。 A Guild Navigator did not guarantee a safe journey but he vastly improved the odds。 Problems still arose when unforeseen events occurred。
D'murr was being trained to the limit of the Guild's knowledge。。。which could not include every eventuality。 The universe and its inhabitants were in a state of constant change。 All of the old schools understood this； including the Bene Gesserit and the Mentats。 Survivors learned how to adjust to change； how to expect the unexpected。
At the edge of his awareness； his melange tank began to move on its suspensor field and fell into line behind the tanks of the other students。 He heard an assistant instructor reciting passages from the Spacing Guild Manual； gas circulation mechanisms hummed around him。 Every detail seemed so sharp； so clear； so important。 He had never felt so alive！
Inhaling deeply of the orange…hued melange； he felt his concerns begin to dissipate。 His thoughts drew back into order； sliding smoothly into the neuropathways of his Guild…enhanced brain。
〃D'murr。。。D'murr； my brother。 。 。〃
The name swirled with the gas； like a whisper in the universe a name he no longer used now that he had been assigned a Guild navnumber。 Names were associated with individuality。 Names imposed limitations and preconceptions； family connections and past histories； they imposed individuality the antithesis of what it meant to be a Navigator。 A Guildsman merged with the cosmos and saw safe paths through the wrinkles of fate； prescient visions that enabled him to guide matter from place to place like chesspieces in a cosmic game。
〃D'murr； can you hear me？ D'murr？〃 The voice came from the speaker inside his tank； but also from a great distance。 He heard something familiar in the timbre； the inflections。 Could he have forgotten so much？ D'murr。 He'd almost erased that name from his thoughts。
D'murr's mind made connections that were being less and less important； and his slack mouth formed gurgling words。 〃Yes。 I hear you。〃
Nudged by its attendant； D'murr's tank glided along a paved path； toward an immense； bulbous building where the Navigators lived。 No one else seemed to hear the voice。
〃This is C'tair；〃 the transmission continued。 〃Your brother。 You can hear me？ Finally； this thing worked。 How are you？〃
〃C'tair？〃 The fledgling Navigator felt his mind fold back into itself； pressing to the remnants of its sluggish； pre…Guild state。 Trying to be human again； just for a moment。 Was that important？
This was painful and limiting； like a man putting blinders on himself； but the information was there： yes； his twin brother。 C'tair Pilru。 Human。 He got flashes of his father in ambassadorial dress； his mother in Guild Bank uniform； his brother （like himself） with dark hair and dark eyes； playing together； exploring。 Those images had been shunted out of his thoughts； like most everything of that realm。。。but not quite gone。
〃Yes；〃 D'murr said。 〃I know you。 I remember。〃
ON IX； IN a shadowed alcove where he used his cobbled…together transmission device； C'tair hunched over； desper