Paul challenges the emperor and Feyd-Rautha is offered as his champion. Paul has already drunk the spice water and can see the future. Meaning that he can predict Feyd's every move. So, why does the fight take so long and why does he get injured at all?
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2Maybe the way the fight went was the only way it could go and result in a victory for Paul?Prescience in the Dune books locks you into a specific path.– HorusKolCommented yesterday
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3Sting needed more screen time. Oh, wait...– MachavityCommented yesterday
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2Being able to read your opponent doesn't mean it's easy to win if the opponent is physically superior. I'm 38, used to train boxing, and now just spar from time to time. I'm still very good at reading my opponents; that doesn't prevent them from kicking my ass. I simply can't keep up, especially for long.– DavorCommented yesterday
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2 Answers
In Paul's thoughts, as he is preparing to fight Feyd-Rautha, he admits his prescience isn't working for this short period of time. From chapter 48 of Dune:
They’re [the two Guild Navigators observing] accustomed to seeing the future, Paul thought. In this place and time they’re blind…even as I am. And he sampled the time-winds, sensing the turmoil, the storm nexus that now focused on this moment place. Even the faint gaps were closed now.
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18A general rule in the Dune novels, prescience is normally rendered blind in the presence of other prescient people - as pointed out, the Guild navigators, even the early ones, can render prescience ineffective. This is a major plot point in Dune Messiah. Commented Jul 1 at 22:32
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5@user25730: So, do the two guild navigators mutually block out their own prescience then? Commented Jul 1 at 22:56
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5@JaredSmith "The prescient knowledge of the time-boiling variables in this cave came back to plague him now. His new understanding told him there were too many swiftly compressed decisions in this fight for any clear channel ahead to show itself. Variable piled on variable—that was why this cave lay as a blurred nexus in his path. It was like a gigantic rock in the flood, creating maelstroms in the current around it." Commented yesterday
In addition to nebogipfel's fine answer - even perfect prescience does not mean you get to win fights immediately. This isn't like knowing which numbers come up in the lottery; nor even which cards the opponent has in poker; rather, think about it a bit like playing chess (also not a perfect analogy). Yes, you will be able to win faster the more you can predict your opponent's future moves/choices, but you will still not beat them immediately. And if they're skilled players, it will still take you a while.
