Alternate last lines to Dune

[cahn]

I reread Dune recently. It's much, much better than I remember. He's extremely good at taking complicated plot points and following them through in such a way that there is clearly a large quantity of backstory and thought involved (even if you don't read the Appendix). I don't think I picked up on half of those the first time I read it (in my defense, I was, what, 12?)--

I've always thought the end is a little strange. Not the general end, which ends in exactly the right place, but the very last paragraph, and indeed the last line:

"History will call us wives."

Isn't that a strange last line? The status of concubines vs. wives is, while certainly somewhat emotionally important, a very minor plot point in relation to the plethora of other galaxy-shattering subjects...I made the mistake of complaining to D about this. He immediately came up with several alternate last lines:

" 'History will call us Bob.' "

" 'History will call us back.' "

"Jessica goes to Sietch Tabr, and sits down, and says, 'Well, I'm back.' "

"Feyd-Rautha nobly takes the sword in his breast and says, 'It is a far, far better thing...' "

Have added "science-fiction author" to list of Careers We Are All Happy D Did Not Choose.