BOOK TWO - CHAPTER EIGHT
 

An idea is never autonomous. One always needs to wonder: where did this come from? What concatenation of thoughts produced this insight? A proper understanding of cause and effect and mutual dependence structures of signifiers helps form the basis of Mentat abilities, and reflects the workings of the mind itself. Every idea is embedded in an ecological system that needs to be understood completely before even its tiniest element can be used to its fullest potential.
-from "The Wisdom Of Muad'Dib", by the Princess Irulan-
 

Donelid wiped the blood from her right hand with a sleeve of the robe of the acolyte standing right next to her, gently rubbing the spot on her hand that would undoubtably turn into a bruise.

She addressed the acolyte. "What is your name, child?"

The girl, a young Honoured Matre as yet relatively untainted by Bene Gesserit indoctrination, stammered, unsure of how to carry herself in the presence of one of the most powerful of her kind. "Ah, I ... Mersil, Great Honoured Matre."

Donelid raised her thin eyebrows, genuinely surprised. "Great Honoured Matre, even? Well, I guess I am. Murbella certainly doesn't qualify any longer, does she?"

"No, Great Honoured Matre."

"Good." She gestured to the limp form on the floor, the lifeless remains of Xolud, who had dared challenge the leadership of Donelid mere minutes earlier. "Merlin, could you please get rid of that thing?"

"Mersil, Great Honoured Matre."

"What?"

"My name, its-"

"I don't care. Do as you are told." Donelid flexed her right hand, feeling the pain intensifying in it. This was the third one this week. I might have to start killing these foolish pretenders to the throne with my feet.

"Should we give Xolud the standard burial?", Mersil dared.

Donelid turned sharply, flecks of orange appearing in her eyes. "Traitors are not true Honoured Matres, and do not deserve to be treated as such! She dared defy me, which makes her a mindless animal, no better than cattle!"

A smile formed on Donelid's face. Cattle ... yes! It has been a long time since I did that last. "Take the body to Sherek in the kitchen - she'll know what to do." She counted the number of people sitting at the conference table. "Tell her I expect a meal for eight one hour from now."

She turned towards the other Honoured Matres in the conference room. "Think of it as a lesson".

After Mersil, carrying her cargo, had exited the room, she sat down at the head of the table, enjoying the startled expressions on the faces of those present. Tauntingly, she said: "Next?"

No one reacted - they all knew better than to challenge Donelid when she was in this mood.

"Good. I want to talk about the highly annoying Murbella and her troop of assorted freaks and half-wits. They've been gone for half a year, but it seems they've returned fom the grave. Their strikes have caused us much discomfort over the past month." Recalling the report she had been given earlier that day, Donelid recounted the damage that had been suffered at the rogues' hands. "They've destroyed five large windtraps and Central's solar power plant, contaminated the crops in three of the seven underground greenhouses, detonated our main armory and sabotaged my groundcar."

A suppressed chuckle was heard at the other side of the table. Very calmly, Donelid said: "Koshad, dear girl. You will die if you do that again."

Donelid continued. "Resistance of Bene Gesserit forces south of the desert continues, but here up north it seems everything is in Honoured Matre hands. Of course, there's also the matter of the 'Prometheans', as it seems they're called. Their Futars are certainly dangerous beasts, but we Honoured Matres have come a long way since they chased us across the galaxy. However repulsive the witches might be, they did manage to teach us many interesting things. In light of our recent advancements, I very much doubt the Prometheans will cause us much trouble."

All at the table nodded, either in agreement or out of fear - which possibility applied to which person wasn't clear, and Donelid didn't care.

"The Bene Gesserit in our custody present us with a bigger problem. They might be useful somehow, but I really wouldn't know what they could do for us. Should we just dispose of them?"

"No." Koshad rose from her seat, pointing a small gun at Donelid.

"A weapon?", the self-appointed Great Honoured Matre exclaimed, full of disbelief. "How did you get that thing past all the sensors?" Turning to her aide sitting to her right, she said: "Get me the head of whomever told me those sensors would help protect me!"

"Special alloy," Koshad said. "You wouldn't understand if I explained it to you." Koshad squeezed the trigger, the weapon unleashing a short but powerful burst of energy. Donelid tried to evade it, dropping sideways and towards the floor, but the blast hit her in the side, doing more than enough damage to be lethal.

"It seems I am the new Great Honoured Matre now," Koshad said dryly. All present in the room expressed their silent agreement.

Moraten, or rather the Face Dancer impersonating the Honoured Matre Moraten, observed these events with growing approval - amusement, even. The events were unfolding exactly as it - she, currently - intended. This is excellent - even better than we projected. I hope our other operatives are equally successful. The players are moving into position ...

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