Fear on Arrakis
The universe in Dune is cruel and unrelenting. But what Paul fears the most is the hold that the Bene Gesserit have on it. They've spent centuries grooming different nations in search of a messiah.
Everybody knows what the Bene Gesserit are up to, so I began to wonder: why are the Sundakar and the Harkonnens still fighting? Do they not fear the overwhelming force of the faithful? Or is it that they fear that they're too far gone to deserve redemption? If they were to surrender, no Fremen would take them with open arms, willing to teach them the holy ways.
One of the most memorable scenes of Dune 2 is when a Harkonnen soldier throws up just before they encounter a Fremen squad that may have the Muad'dib in it. The Harkonnens are brutal and fearless, except when they come upon the legend that has formed under their own watch. Then, Rabban fires missiles blindly unto a mountain, sealing their faith: to be slaughtered. For the first time they have come to know fear, and it will stay with them until the death of their house.
At some point I realized that it didn't matter whether Paul actually believed in his destiny, or not. Whether he is just taking the opportunity and cynically running with it, or not. He has taken his fear of the future and turned it instead into the fuel that will bring fear and cruelty unto his enemies. The Fremen are vicious and faithful, ready to spread his message.
By the end, the Sundakar have become annoying vermin, the Harkonnens are nothing more than bags of water with which to fill up the sacred cistern once again. Paul has totally convinced me and converted my skeptical mind. The Bene Gesserit have won: there is a messiah, and his name is Paul Atreides.
Now I live in fear of what I've become. In fear of the unrelenting fervor that will continue destroying all the naysayers.