Paul of Dune took the young Paul Atreides to Ecaz twice and Grumman once, despite (in SPITE of) the scene in Dune where Duke Leto reminds Paul that the Atreides' upcoming move to Arrakis will be his first time off of Caladan.
Now, in The Winds of Dune, Leto decides to send Paul for "offworld training" on Ix, since his stay on that planet during his own youth worked out so well. Right. Why the fuck not?
After some silliness once there (the same "guilt-caster" who latter attacks Margot Fenring on Salusa Secundus shows up and puts the whammy on Tessia, wife of Cyborg RHOMBUR CRUSH!!! Vernius, leading to Rhomboy revealing to young Bonzo, I mean, Bronso that he's a test-tube baby and not even really Rhomboy's issue, so Bronso goes into preteen "Oh gawd I hate you all I'm going to run away from home!" angst mode and Paul tags along because Leto charged him with looking after Bronso), Paul and Bronso stow away on a Guild Heighliner, where they are taken in and given temporary work by the local leader of the Wayku people (remember those itinerant space gypsy-servers on Guild ships? Sure you do!) until Bronso tries to sneak a peek at the Navigator and gets them kicked offship and into the custody of the Jongleur troupe of Master Jongleur Rheinvar the Magnificent. First stop, Chusuk.
In other words, Paul runs away and joins the circus.
I can't remember if anyone has suggested this yet (please remind me if you have!), but it occurred to me as I was reading this shit this morning that these "Young Paul" flashback sections are a way of bringing the YA fiction aspect of these books fully out of the closet.
How freeing that must be.
