Dune

Jessica allowed herself a deep sigh. “Sooner or later,” she said, “it’ll occur to someone that you and my granddaughter could unite our two Houses and heal old wounds.”

“This has already been mentioned to me as a possibility,” Farad’n said, glancing briefly at his mother. “My response was that I’d prefer to await the outcome of recent events on Arrakis. There’s no need for a hasty decision.”

“There’s always the possibility that you’ve already played into my daughter’s hands.” Jessica said.

Farad’n stiffened. “Explain!”

“Matters on Arrakis are not as they may seem to you,” Jessica said. “Alia plays her own game, Abomination’s game. My granddaughter is in danger unless Alia can contrive a way to use her.”

“You expect me to believe that you and your daughter oppose each other, that Atreides fights Atreides?”

Jessica looked at Wensicia, back to Farad’n. “Corrino fights Corrino.”

A wry smile moved Farad’n’s lips. “Well taken. How would I have played into your daughter’s hands?”

“By becoming implicated in my grandson’s death, by abducting me.”

“Abduct . . .”

“Don’t trust this witch,” Wensicia cautioned.

“I’ll choose whom to trust, mother,” Farad’n said. “Forgive me, Lady Jessica, but I don’t understand this matter of abduction. I’d understood that you and your faithful retainer—”

“Who is Alia’s husband,” Jessica said.

Farad’n turned a measuring stare on Idaho, looked to the Bashar. “What think you, Tyek?”

The Bashar apparently was having thoughts similar to those Jessica professed. He said: “I like her reasoning. Caution!”

“He’s a ghola-mentat,” Farad’n said. “We could test him to the death and not find a certain answer.”

“But it’s a safe working assumption that we may’ve been tricked,” Tyekanik said.

Jessica knew the moment had come to make her move. Now if Idaho’s grief only kept him locked in the part he’d chosen. She disliked using him this way, but there were larger considerations.

“To begin with,” Jessica said, “I might announce publicly that I came here of my own free choice.”

“Interesting,” Farad’n said.

“You’d have to trust me and grant me the complete freedom of Salusa Secundus,” Jessica said. “There could be no appearance that I spoke out of compulsion.”

“No!” Wensicia protested.

Farad’n ignored her. “What reason would you give?”

“That I’m the Sisterhood’s plenipotentiary sent here to take over your education.”

“But the Sisterhood accuses—”

“That’d require a decisive action from you,” Jessica said.

“Don’t trust her!” Wensicia said.

With extreme politeness, Farad’n glanced at her, said: “If you interrupt me once more, I’ll have Tyek remove you. He heard you consent to the formal investiture. That binds him to me now.”

“She’s a witch, I tell you!” Wensicia looked to the mute against the side wall.

Farad’n hesitated. Then: “Tyek, what think you? Have I been witched?”

“Not in my judgment. She—”

“You’ve both been witched!”

“Mother.” His tone was flat and final.

Wensicia clenched her fists, tried to speak, whirled, and fled the room.

Addressing himself once more to Jessica, Farad’n asked: “Would the Bene Gesserit consent to this?”

“They would.”

Farad’n absorbed the implications of this, smiled tightly. “What does the Sisterhood want in all of this?”

“Your marriage to my granddaughter.”

Idaho shot a questioning look at Jessica, made as though to speak, but remained silent.

Jessica said: “You were going to say something, Duncan?”

“I was going to say that the Bene Gesserit want what they’ve always wanted: a universe which won’t interfere with them.”

“An obvious assumption,” Farad’n said, “but I hardly see why you intrude with it.”

Idaho’s eyebrows managed the shrug which the shigawire would not permit his body. Disconcertingly, he smiled.

Farad’n saw the smile, whirled to confront Idaho. “I amuse you?”

“This whole situation amuses me. Someone in your family has compromised the Spacing Guild by using them to carry instruments of assassination to Arrakis, instruments whose intent could not be concealed. You’ve offended the Bene Gesserit by killing a male they wanted for their breeding pro—”

“You call me a liar, ghola?”

“No. I believe you didn’t know about the plot. But I thought the situation needed bringing into focus.”

“Don’t forget that he’s a mentat,” Jessica cautioned.

“My very thought,” Farad’n said. Once more he faced Jessica. “Let us say that I free you and you make your announcement. That still leaves the matter of your grandson’s death. The mentat is correct.”

“Was it your mother?” Jessica asked.

“My Lord!” Tyekanik warned.

“It’s all right, Tyek.” Farad’n waved a hand easily. “And if I say it was my mother?”

Risking everything in the test of this internal break among the Corrino, Jessica said: “You must denounce her and banish her.”

“My Lord,” Tyekanik said, “there could be trickery within trickery here.”

Idaho said: “And the Lady Jessica and I are the ones who’ve been tricked.”

Farad’n’s jaw hardened.