▁after ▁becoming ▁a ▁hy brid ▁of ▁human ▁and ▁giant ▁sand w orm ▁in ▁Children ▁of ▁D une . ▁The ▁death ▁of ▁all ▁other ▁sand w orm s , ▁and ▁his ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁supply ▁of ▁the ▁all - important ▁drug ▁mel ange , ▁has ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁keep ▁civil ization ▁under ▁his ▁complete ▁command . ▁Let o ▁has ▁been ▁phys ically ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁w orm , ▁retain ing ▁only ▁his ▁human ▁face ▁and ▁arms , ▁and ▁though ▁he ▁is ▁now ▁seem ingly ▁imm ort al ▁and ▁inv ul ner able ▁to ▁harm , ▁he ▁is ▁pr one ▁to ▁instinct - dri ven ▁b outs ▁of ▁violence ▁when ▁prov oked ▁to ▁anger . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁his ▁rule ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁religious ▁a we ▁and ▁desp otic ▁fear . ▁Let o ▁has ▁dis band ed ▁the ▁Land s ra ad ▁to ▁all ▁but ▁a ▁few ▁Great ▁H ouses ; ▁the ▁remaining ▁powers ▁de fer ▁to ▁his ▁authority , ▁although ▁they ▁individually ▁consp ire ▁against ▁him ▁in ▁secret . ▁The ▁Fre men ▁have ▁long ▁since ▁lost ▁their ▁identity ▁and ▁military ▁power , ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁replaced ▁as ▁the ▁Imperial ▁army ▁by ▁the ▁Fish ▁Spe akers , ▁an ▁all - f em ale ▁army ▁ ▁who ▁obey ▁Let o ▁without ▁question . ▁He ▁has ▁rendered ▁the ▁human ▁population ▁into ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁trans - gal actic ▁st agn ation ; ▁space ▁travel ▁is ▁non - ex istent ▁to ▁most ▁people ▁in ▁his ▁Empire , ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁deliber ately ▁kept ▁to ▁a ▁near