Metal rods, about 5 to 6 feet in length, with one end bent into a
semi-circular hook and ending in a flat blade. Maker hooks are used
to take control of Shai-Hulud, a great worm on the planet Arrakis,
also known as Dune[1].
One runs alongside the worm, inserts the hooked end over the edge of
one of the annelidan segments, and pulls back, so that the
normally-protected vulnerable interior of the worm is exposed. In
order to avoid the galaxy's worst case of jock itch, the worm will
rotate about its long axis, positioning the open area on its dorsal
side and preventing the entry of sand. As it turns, the Fremen will
hang on and be carried up to the top, while inserting a second hook ten
or twenty feet away, on the same segment.
As long as the segment is held open, the maker will
not dive back beneath the surface, and, by manipulating the two hooks,
the skilled driver can steer the worm in whatever direction
e wishes.
[1] From the novel
Dune, by
Frank Herbert.