BOOK TWO - CHAPTER THREE
 

After the Worm died, humanity was freed from the oppression of the sword that could drop at the slightest provocation, the Fish Speaker army. In a reaction to the disappearance of the constraints of his reign the Tyrant had undoubtably foreseen, the human race expanded outward, into the uncharted territory far beyond the bounds of the Old Empire. While preserving the future of humanity this way, it also opened up the people remaining behind to a world of unknowns - a detachment of the development of various factions, with no guarantee of intent to cooperate and share between them. This was one of the major flaws of the Tyrant's socalled Golden Path which the Sisterhood detected early on, and it seems the recent emergence of the Honoured Matres has proven this analysis was correct. Our own Scattering will be an attempt to prevent the destruction of our millennia-spanning program of educating humanity by decentralising our resources, and it will not fall in the same trap. Bene Gesserit training will ensure that.
-Mother Superior Darwi Odrade, argument in council-
 

"The last time you were all summoned here," Murbella began, "the Sisterhood was in peril of being eradicated by the Honoured Matres." She sought out a few of the more prominent Honoured Matres in the crowd, and polled their reaction to her referring to this particular episode of recent history. Mazibul, an old but tall and very strong Honoured Matre, returned her stare with barely veiled animosity.

She can't be the mastermind of the recent declaration of war against me, Murbella thought. She's certainly ambitious, as she should be on her age and at her particular station - old and of relatively low rank, but still intent on securing a better position for herself. However, she's not too intelligent. She's mainly where she is now because of her physical strength and a good sense of which more competent would-be leaders to ally with.

The atmosphere in the great Common Room of Central was not what Murbella had hoped for. A feeling of unity and sisterhood would have been much more conducive of a proper reception of what it was she had to say - even collective fear of the Bene Gesserit and Honoured Matres' common enemy would have been preferable over the current situation. There was a palpable tension between the two factions, characterised by a strict segregation, even during this gathering: seen from the stage, the Bene Gesserit present today occupied the right half of the hall, Honoured Matres - slightly less in number - the left half. Murbella did spot a few of the Sisterhood's operatives amongst the Honoured Matre crowd.

It's not unlikely that the converse is the case as well, Murbella realised. Honoured Matre agents have probably infiltrated what are thought to be purely Bene Gesserit groups. A decade ago they would have been uncovered almost immediately, but it appears they've learnt a lot since the start of the alliance.

"Our alliance is in danger of being attacked by a force of unthinkable power - those amongst the Honoured Matres who have been in contact with the Prometheans know that the threat they represent eclipses anything we might be able to generate by way of defense. I have devised a plan that might save our combined forces from their fury." Murbella paused, recalling the argumentative structure in which the still dormant thought elements referring to the details of the plan would find their general support, particular meaning and persuasive force.

"I will keep this brief. You all understand the structure of the Bene Gesserit as an organisation." It was not a question - the lessons detailing the way the Sisterhood was built up were taught in the earliest stages of the education of a Bene Gesserit acolyte. Even the Honoured Matres present in the hall had all been required to learn this.

"Cells of our alliance will scatter to locations undisclosed to their parallel cells, each taking with them a unique blend of knowledge and abilities tuned to the environment they will encounter, as well as a supply of Melange, Water Of Life and several sandtrout. Each group will attempt to form a new base, a center of Bene Gesserit and Honoured Matre power from which to expand and develop as the specific circumstances allow. Desert forming experiments with the intent of eventually producing Spice and Spice-products are part of this."

A murmur rose from the crowd as others from Murbella's entourage took center stage to expand on what the Mother Superior had said.

No! This is not the solution. For the first time in years, Odrade-within entered Murbella's thoughts.

Murbella listened to a Bene Gesserit Proctor working through her list of arguments detailing why she felt Murbella's plan would be effective in principle, but needed a few modifications to be able to achieve the desired effect in full. Simulflow allowed her to also confront Odrade. So there you are ... finally.

To be blunt, you're really starting to make a mess of things.

I'm merely extrapolating the plan you yourself implemented! Our own Scattering-

Odrade interrupted sharply. I was wrong - I see that now. You have no excuse for making the same mistakes I made.

I'm sure you know I've questioned the wisdom of a Second Scattering many times in the past decade, but you never felt compelled to either agree or disagree with me then - why should I listen to you now?

Have you studied the Mentat teachings?

The Mentat Handbook ... Of course.

What do they teach about memories?

Many things.

Odrade groaned. What do they say about the relationship between memories and reality?

Murbella needed a moment to reconstruct the appropriate phrasing of the tenet. They say: 'Memory never recaptures reality. Memory reconstructs. All reconstructions change the original, becoming external frames of reference which inevitably fall short.'

Very good.

Thank you. Murbella could not suppress a smile, which drew a surprised glance from Bellonda. Murbella decided she could explain later.

Odrade continued. Don't be so damned clever! It means that whatever you experience in real life is much more powerful and effective than anything you can experience in your mind.

I know what it means, and I don't agree. The majority of mental representations of external events have been integrated over one's personal belief system, built up from the interpretations of past occurances that were formed in close interaction with reality. As such, those mental representations might differ rather profoundly from what was really the case - if it is even possible to speak of this - but that does mean they might resonate along perfectly with your identity, creating an effect a raw experience - also a notion riddled with conceptual problems - can never hope to cause.

Very well. I do agree with the Mentat Handbook on this, which is why I wanted to let you find out for yourself what was wrong with my plan.

Don't you think it would have been much safer to warn me before I presented this plan to the Bene Gesserit and to the Sisterhood?

I'm warning you now.

Thanks. You're a big help.

Quit feeling sorry for yourself! Taraza's master plan had a terminal weakness, stimulating a development it was supposed to suppress, and I failed to see this. I even expedited this development further, by starting the desert-forming process here on Chapter House.

What is that weakness?, Murbella demanded. It seems you're trying to tell me I'm about to make the same mistake.

Exactly! Part of Taraza's plan was to release the universe from the grip the worms' dreams.

The worms' dreams?

Don't act ignorant, because I know you're not. The visions of both the Tyrant and his father determined the flow of history, and this influence did not subside after the Tyrant's death, because his visions lived on in the worms his corpse spawned. The success of Taraza's plan hinged on Sheeana and the knowledge she had of the language that controlled these worms, but as you might have noticed, she has been gone for quite some time. None of her students have mastered enough of the complex combinations of movements, chanting and excretion of pheromones to such an extent that they can be effective in communicating with or controlling these beasts. And the one we intended to control her with has left as well.

Idaho, Murbella realised.

Yes.

I see. The gholas of Sheeana and Idaho that have been born in the past ten years were all deformed. Apart from that, the children of Duncan and Murbella are all unremarkable, as if there's a force preventing them from growing and developing in the way we hoped they would. They are being trained, but even now they're not showing any signs of extraordinary abilities yet - the youngest is almost eleven!

They would have already shown their gifts if they'd had any, Odrade agreed.

Perhaps we have indeed underestimated the power of Leto's visions, as you are suggesting.

Of course. I didn't come up with this last night, you know. This is akin to a prime computation, based on painstakingly gathered data.

Considering your admission of negligence earlier I really don't see how you can justify being arrogant about this.

Odrade decided to swallow her pride, and said: The advisable course of action is probably to attempt to modify the axolotl tanks to produce Melange and the Spice Poison - this will lessen our dependence on the worms. In Sheeana's absence, the Missionaria Protectiva's role in Taraza's plan has no real chance of succeeding anyway.

You're contemplating killing the worms?

It might be the only option left to us.

I have two rather big problems with this. One: we have been trying to get our tanks to produce Spice for years, but we haven't booked any real results. Two: how will your suggestion help us defeat the Prometheans, or, if not defeat, than at least survive their arrival in this sector?

I think I have found a way in which Spice production by axolotl tanks is possible. It will require an appropriately talented sister to sacrifice her mental and physical freedom, but I'm sure we can find someone that's suited to the task. As for your other point: you're giving up too easily. The Honoured Matres are the most feared fighters from the Scattering, we are the most dangerous of the socalled Old Empire. Do I need to continue?

Yes. We ... The Honoured Matres conquered world after world after they arrived in this sector of space in force. I can remember that each and every one of them who had come into contact with the Prometheans was positively terrified of ever having to face them again. A new Scattering is the only way the Sisterhood and its activities stand a chance of surviving this threat.

We will speak about this later. Right now the worms present a much bigger problem.

How do we know the worms' dreams really influence the course of history? All we have are the Tyrant's own words, and we can't trust him - he was a pathological liar.

Be careful with such thoughts!, Odrade reprimanded her host. Dismissing the Worm as a liar or a madman tempts one to ignore the things he taught us about ourselves as well as the profound influence he still has on us, and as a Reverend Mother you should know there is nothing more dangerous than refusing to learn the lessons history forces upon us.

If the Tyrant's dreams indeed influence the unfolding of history, the worms on Chapter House might not be the only ones we need to worry about, Murbella remarked. Can we be sure that no worms remain elsewhere in the universe?

Before Odrade could answer, a disturbance in front of the stage demanded Murbella's full attention. Mazibul had worked her way forward, and now addressed the Mother Superior directly.

Pointing her finger, she said: "You are unfit to lead. Your plan to supposedly save us reeks of cowardice." Gesturing towards the other side of the hall, where the Bene Gesserit were gathered, she sneered: "You have been contaminated by the flawed teachings of these witches. What you propose is not the Honoured Matre way."

She looked around her, demanding support from her peers, and did find a few eager glances, but Murbella understood not all of these expressed agreement with the course of action Mazibul had chosen - some wanted to see this annoying old Honoured Matre put in her place for once, perhaps even killed.

With a leap that appeared effortless, Mazibul was on the stage, facing Murbella. Bellonda attempted to intervene, but Murbella gestured her to stand back.

"A duel is not necessary, Mazibul," Murbella tried. "If you have any suggestions on how to improve my plan, you can express them now."

Mazibul noticed the vaguely patronising tone at which Murbella had said this, and this enraged her. She charged, jumping up into the air, her left leg stretched forward. Murbella stepped aside, catching Mazibul's kick in the fabric of her robe between her right arm and chest, preventing the deadly foot from hitting any part of the body beneath it. Taking hold of the leg, she used Mazibul's momentum to swing her around and throw her against the floor. Realising the Honoured Matre would not accept an offer to cease hostilities, Murbella immediately dropped down, breaking the attacker's neck from behind with a powerful blow of her left fist.

"Is anyone else as foolish as Mazibul here? Does anyone else feel the need to challenge me or the decisions I have made?", Murbella shouted, at the same time trying to assess the dominant opinion amongst the present Honoured Matres. No answer came, and the crowd appeared to respect the way this dispute had been settled - for now.

Murbella caught a quick glance of an older Honoured Matre, whom a quick perusal of her knowledge of Honoured Matre adept files revealed to be called Donelid.

Apparently this was a name she had chosen for herself, referring to an obscure myth about a woman who became a witch, ate her children, poisoned her husband and conquered an entire planet before disappearing forever, reportedly to another plane of reality. A relatively short-lived religion had formed around the demon she had thus become in the eyes of some, which had caused the deaths of thousands - the religious practice included ritual rape and human sacrifice.

It appears this Honoured Matre has cultivated the story that she has come into contact with that demon, perhaps even housing its spirit, Murbella recalled. What is recorded of her career suggests her ferocity matches that of her namesake.

The smile that shaped Donelid's lips suggested she had an agenda of her own, at once mocking Murbella by insinuating there were things even she didn't know, and commending the Mother Superior for performing her role so well in a plan eclipsing her own. Murbella watched her leave the hall. Could she be the one?

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