Wearing a formal day dress, she went about her regular duties in her private portion of the citadel, inspecting a small white gazebo that was being added inside the immense conservatory, at the center of a maze of hedges and pathways. It was a perfect place for writing and contemplation. Sunlight slanted through plaz window panels high above, and she saw the glint of an ever-present surveillance device high in the branches of a tree.

At Paul's insistence, Korba had already read every page of her current draft, marking numerous complaints and objections, but in truth he had found nothing to cause a particular uproar. She hadn't expected him to. Irulan was adept enough to use layers upon layers of subtlety. On the whole, in fact, Korba seemed pleased with the book and impatient for the next volume to be published.

A craftsman was putting the finishing touches on the little garden structure, attaching the last of the decorative trim pieces that she had specified. In her younger years on Kaitain she'd had a private area like this, all the way back to when she was a young girl. Here on this alien world where people had to be sealed away from the elements, she hoped to recapture some connection with less troubled times.

The craftsman was quite aged, with a deeply creased face, snowy hair, and overhanging brows. His coveralls were worn and frayed, but relatively clean. He completed his task and began organizing his tools, taking great care to put each item where it belonged. Straightening, he looked at her inquisitively, seeking approval.

"I have never seen better workmanship. Muad'Dib will be pleased." She doubted Paul would ever notice this area; the contents of her gardens remained at her own discretion, a small hint of power. A faint, respectful smile formed on the man's face as he bowed, then departed.

She waited. It wouldn't be long now.

Beyond the central hedge, Irulan heard the rustle of robes as her visitors negotiated the spiral maze, coming unannounced. So, they had managed to get past the guards, although the labyrinth itself had slowed their approach. Turning to the three Reverend Mothers as they arrived, she could tell they were trying not to look fl.u.s.tered. "Why, Sisters! I did not expect you."

"And we did not expect to face such a gauntlet in order to gain an audience with one of our own," said the one in the center, an oval-faced woman who appeared to be in her early twenties.

Irulan already knew the woman's ident.i.ty - Reverend Mother Genino - and her younger companions were Naliki and Osted. All three looked too young to have undergone the Agony, but already they were successful and powerful, and counted themselves among the select personal advisers to the Mother Superior herself.

Irulan offered no sympathy. "I am the wife of Emperor Muad'Dib. Security measures are unavoidable, as you well know. If you had informed me you were coming, I could have made your pa.s.sage more seamless."

"We wished to be... discreet," said Naliki. She was a large-boned woman whose face was florid from the exertion of the walk through the complex maze.

"Ah, then a few complications are to be expected," Irulan said. "Come, let us go where we can talk. I am interested to learn your business here." She led the way up three steps into the small open-walled gazebo, where they all took seats on benches.

Genino shifted to pleasantries. "You are even more beautiful in person than I had heard. Fine breeding from the Corrinos, grace acquired from the Sisterhood, and confidence from being wed to an Emperor." The small, dark eyes of this woman concealed much, but not all.

Irulan smoothed a fold on her elegant dress, then tested her hands on her lap. "I so rarely receive Bene Gesserit visitors. What brings you to Arrakis?"

"Surely, you must have guessed," Osted said. She was the shortest of the delegation, with close-cropped auburn hair and an overlarge nose that detracted from her beauty.

Irulan allowed a bit of impatience to seep into her voice. "I am quite busy with my duties here. State the purpose of your visit, please."

"Time is not a good thing to waste," said Genino. "The Mother School has dispatched the three of us to help train Alia Atreides and Marie Fenring. Given the inherent potential in their bloodlines, their youthful interaction should not be left to chance. You will see that we have the appropriate access to them."

The Princess bristled. Paul would not like this at all. "Their instruction is well in hand. I have taken a personal interest in Alia, and in Marie as well. Your a.s.sistance is not required."

"You do not understand the importance of Margot Fenring's daughter," Osted warned.

"Lady Margot herself told me when she delivered the child here. I am aware that the Sisterhood closely monitored her upbringing among the Tleilaxu. And as for Alia... she could teach the three of you some things."

With her hand sheltered in the folds of her robe, Genino used her fingers to transmit a message, a.s.suming Irulan could not speak freely because their words were being monitored. But Irulan looked away, refusing to accept that form of communication. With a frustrated scowl, Genino spoke aloud. "Monitoring of important persons is only standard practice."

"The Atreides daughter is an Abomination," Naliki said. "We cannot have a pre-born contaminate the delicate balance of Marie's education. We must intervene."

Irulan smiled at the comment. "I see very little that is delicate about Marie Fenring." She had her own suspicions that the child's purpose here wasn't entirely innocent. She suspected it had something to do with spying for the Sisterhood, with their craving for information.

Genino said, "Nevertheless, the interaction between Marie and Alia must be managed properly."

"Managed by you?" Irulan said. "And does Lady Margot approve? Before she departed, she did not express a need or desire for any further Bene Gesserit teachers."

"The birth mother's wishes are not relevant in this matter," Naliki said.

Irulan struggled to keep her expression neutral. Typical Bene Gesserit arrogance. "Muad'Dib will not permit anyone to interfere with his sister, or with the daughter of Lady Margot, who has been entrusted to our care."

Osted's expression became sly. "But you can influence him. It is a small request to provide the girls with a Bene Gesserit education. How could he refuse?"

"How little you know Muad'Dib! Any attempt to manipulate him would be fruitless."

"Do not forget your allegiance is to the Sisterhood!" Genino exclaimed, rising from her bench. "Out of respect for your royal station, we have been polite, but don't make the mistake of thinking that this is a matter open to discussion. We command you to do as we say."

Irulan also stood, making no further pretense of welcome. "Indeed, it is not a matter open to discussion, so I shall debate with you no more. Did you disembark with luggage? If so, I will arrange to have it sent back to the s.p.a.ceport. I advise you to depart on this evening's shuttle, to avoid incurring the Emperor's displeasure. Reverend Mother Mohiam has already been banned from traveling here. Would you like that stricture to be extended to all members of the Sisterhood?"

"We will not be herded around!" Genino's anger and surprise were so great that she allowed hints of it to slip past her control. Irulan was astonished, marking the reaction with great interest. Obviously, Marie Fenring was even more important to the Sisterhood than Lady Margot had revealed.

Irulan heard footsteps from the pathway on the other side of the hedge. Familiar footsteps. "Ah, the Emperor approaches - he must have been informed of your arrival. You may ask him yourselves, if you like."

Paul emerged from the labyrinth, attired in an elegant green-and-gold robe of state. He looked as if he had just interrupted his duties, and his expression showed palpable annoyance. He strode directly to the gazebo. "Why was I not informed immediately that Reverend Mothers had arrived in Arrakeen?"

Irulan formally curtsied. Half a beat later, the other three women did the same. Genino found her voice quickly. "We came to visit Princess Irulan, n.o.ble Sire."

Irulan said in a soft voice, "They did not come at my invitation, and they are departing immediately." She shot a cool smile at the three women. "They demanded influence over the education of Alia and Marie."

"Absolutely not." Paul didn't take even a moment to decide. "I forbid it."

Irulan added, "Apparently, Lady Margot Fenring was not aware of their intentions, either."

The three Reverend Mothers looked startled at Irulan's detached behavior. But their priorities were no longer hers. In the process of compiling the story of Paul-Muad'Dib Atreides, she had begun to learn other threads of cause and effect - and serious missteps - that made her wonder about the Sisterhood's wisdom. She discovered that the Bene Gesserit had shaped portions of the historical record as they saw fit, concealing their mistakes and embellishing their successes. Certain facts were like clay in their hands. So it was with Irulan as well, in the telling of her famous husband's story.

"We make no attempt to interfere, Sire," Genino said. "We are merely here to offer -"

Paul cut her off, his expression dangerous. "You would be wise to consider your words before you speak further. With my truthsense, I hear your lies as if they are shouts."

The robed trio departed hastily, with awkward motions. Irulan realized that she was surprisingly amused, though her heart pounded at the thought of what she had dared to do. The repercussions here, and on Wallach IX! She listened until they were well into the hedge maze, then said to Paul, "How they will talk when they return to the Mother School."

"I do not fear their talk." Paul looked at her with unusual candor. "I was something of a disappointment to their breeding plans myself, like Count Fenring. Presumably, his daughter Marie is quite precious to them because of her genetics."

Irulan nodded. "With your permission, I would like to inform Lady Margot Fenring of this incident. Perhaps it will make her more of an ally. This was, after all, as much of an affront to Marie as it was to Alia."

He studied her momentatily. "You surprise me with your dimensions of complexity, Irulan."

"Thank you, my Lord."

"Yes, send your message to the Fenrings and tell them what the Bene Gesserit attempted to do here. I am curious to see how they will react." Paul whirled and left.

Alone at the center of the maze, Irulan performed a prana-bindu breathing exercise to calm herself.

Even the best plans can come unraveled if a frayed end is left untended.

-Bene Gesserit axiom

In their many years of marriage, Margot Fenring had seen her husband in bad moods, but never quite like this. Learning from Irulan of the Reverend Mothers' attempt to interfere with Marie's training had set him off on a private tirade. "Bene Gesserit blundering could jeopardize our delicate plans. What could they have been thinking? Now that Paul Atreides is aware of the Sisterhood's interest in Marie, he may start asking inconvenient questions. We must accelerate our timetable."

Margot bitterly resented the Sisterhood's interference. Had she and her husband not been clear enough with Reverend Mother Mohiam when they went to Wallach IX? Now they would have to act even more blatantly to bypa.s.s the Sisterhood. "Our plan must adapt to circ.u.mstances, my love, and we have a sudden opportunity. This provides a convenient catalyst. Now that Irulan has informed us of this outrage, we simply must visit Arrakeen to a.s.sure ourselves that Marie is all right."

His overlarge eyes glittered. "Hmm-ahh. Yes, the Emperor would not deny us that privilege. Our poor, dear daughter, threatened by the meddling witches." Fenring kissed her on the cheek. "We shall arrange for immediate pa.s.sage to Arrakis."

THE COUNT NEEDED no reminders about their plan as he and Lady Margot disembarked at the s.p.a.ceport outside Muad'Dib's stupendous, sprawling capital. The journey had given them ample time to discuss nuances, contingencies, and shadings of behavior that they would follow. Their goal remained paramount, the key intersection point of all the lines of possibility.

Even so, Fenring could not deny the fact that he was eager to see their daughter again. By now she must be ready.

He and his Lady looked up at the battlements and ramparts of the huge citadel complex that sprawled across the northern suburbs of Arrakeen, centered on the old Residency, and extended all the way to the Shield Wall cliffs - so different from when the Fenrings had lived here! Gigantic suspensor cranes loomed over portions of the vast compound as work continued.

Margot must have noted a slight quivering in the muscles of his primary weapon hand - tension, preparation. When his wife touched that forearm and made eye contact with him, he felt his pulse slow, just a little. He said, "Mmm, I will let you do the talking for both of us."

Yes, they had woven a deadly tapestry of plans, but the Imperium was full of plans and unseen linkages. They had both been surprised to learn of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt during the Great Surrender ceremony - not by any of Muad'Dib's numerous sworn enemies, but by a purportedly faithful Swordmaster. The Count found it amusing. With many attempts brewing, sooner or later some plot was bound to succeed against Paul Atreides. He was like the pretentious, widely despised master of a carnival sideshow, but on a galactic scale.

Apart from the inconvenience to himself and to his beloved wife, Fenring had not been sad to see Shaddam dislodged from power; by the same token, he would be glad to see an end to the brief, terrible reign of Muad'Dib. In its place, after the turmoil, he would make sure he was in a position to establish something far more efficient and... majestic. majestic. Ultimately, whoever sat on the throne would need popular support, as well as a network of fail-safes to maintain power. Ultimately, whoever sat on the throne would need popular support, as well as a network of fail-safes to maintain power.

Paul Atreides should have come to him for advice in the first place.

One of the s.p.a.ceport soldiers marched toward them, a statue in motion. Blocking their way, he raised one hand in a stiff, halting gesture, while keeping the other near a sheathed dagger. No emotion showed on his chiseled, weathered face, like something sculpted by sandstorm winds. "State your business in the city of Muad'Dib."

"There is no need to be impertinent," Lady Margot said. "We were cleared on the shuttle. Our daughter is a guest in the Emperor's household, and we have come in response to an urgent message sent by the Princess Irulan."

"Hmm-m-mm, you will treat us with the respect we are due," Fenring said, his eyes dangerous. "I am a Count of the Landsraad and this is my Lady."

Too late to do anything about it, Margot saw that her husband was provoking the self-important brute. When the soldier began to draw the dagger at his waist, it was like touching a trip wire. Fenring hurled himself upon the larger man and struck his wrist a sharp blow, causing the fingers to release the knife just as it came free of the sheath, and the blade clattered to the ground. A second blow to the elbow numbed the soldier's entire arm, followed by a blurring kick that snapped his ankle sideways, causing the man to topple to the ground. With the side of his hand, Fenring then delivered a precise blow to his opponent's temple, after which he slammed an elbow into the man's face. The soldier moaned and went limp, bleeding from one of his eyes.

Fenring stepped back, looking amused. "Ahh, one of Muad'Dib's finest, I see."

Margot spoke over the sound of running boots and the shouts of other soldiers. "Well, my dear, at least we have their attention now."

In a fluid motion, Count Fenring crouched with the recovered knife in his hands, ready to face the men running toward them. Margot went into her own fighting stance with her back to his. This had been one of their projected scenarios, and she hoped it would play out as she antic.i.p.ated. They could act greatly affronted, insulted by the treatment Muad'Dib gave to his invited guests, and they might experience the slightest relaxation in security around them, later.

And even if that didn't happen, she was confident they would survive this minor confrontation.

The special guards circled them warily, a score of men with drawn weapons - long guns, pistols, dart throwers, swords. Without personal shields, the two of them could easily be cut down, regardless of their fighting skills. But these guards would need instructions from higher up before doing that to a n.o.bleman and his lady. "Hmm-ah-hmm, my apologies," Count Fenring said, raising his hands in surrender. "That man insulted my Lady, and I, ahh, tend to be overprotective. Entirely my fault."

The soldier behind them - who had cleared the Fenrings before they left the shuttle - conferred in low tones with a superior officer. The gruff officer nodded, which seemed to reduce the level of tension by a fraction. He looked in disgust at the wounded soldier trying to recover himself on the ground.

Then the ranking officer ran his gaze up and down Fenring. "Any soldier who can be so easily bested by a mere... visitor has no business serving among Muad'Dib's guards. He is relieved of further duty." He motioned, and the tense Fedaykin put their weapons away. The officer said, "Allow me to show you into the citadel. You can state your business to Princess Irulan herself."

Fenring grinned as Margot took his arm, and the two strolled after their escort.

WHILE SERVANTS STOOD nearby, Irulan greeted the Fenrings at the arched door of her private citadel wing. Tall and elegant, the eldest daughter of Shaddam IV wore a long gown of black parasilk, cut low at the front and sparkling with tiny Hagal emeralds on the bodice and half sleeves. Her blonde hair was tightly coiffed with a brilliant fire-diamond tiara. She had obviously donned one of her finest court dresses, as if she were back in the Imperial Palace on Kaitain.

After greeting her guests, Irulan escorted them past a writing desk piled with notes. Fenring glanced curiously at one of the pages, but Irulan quickly directed him toward a dining table where a sumptuous luncheon had been set out. "Won't you join me for a light repast? I have already summoned Marie, but as you can see this royal fortress is very large."

"We are, hmm, quite anxious to see our dear daughter." Fenring leaned forward to sniff at a sealed tureen, but no odors escaped. He glanced back at the desk, still interested in what Irulan had been doing. Was she writing another one of those d.a.m.nable propaganda tracts?

Margot continued, "We were most disturbed to hear about the Sisterhood's attempt to take over her training. We chose to send Marie here because we did not want her to be entirely indoctrinated in Bene Gesserit ways. But it seems even in the Imperial Court she could not entirely escape them. Is she safe here on Arrakis?"

The Princess slipped gracefully into a chair at the head of a long table covered in white linen and laid out with silver. "Although you and I are Bene Gesserits, Lady Margot, even we can admit that occasionally the Sisterhood oversteps its bounds. There is no longer a problem as far as your daughter's schooling is concerned, because Muad'Dib has spoken." At the memory, her lips quirked in a tight smile. "The Mother School made a grave error in offending him, and he is not likely to forget anytime soon."

A servant unsealed the tureen to reveal a thick, dark potage. "Caladanian boar soup," the Princess said. "My husband's favorite."

Though the visitors tasted their soup and made appropriate sounds of appreciation, Irulan did not sample hers. She said, "Even without Bene Gesserit supervision, questions remain about your daughter and the instruction she has already received. The child is showing certain unusual signs. How has she been trained?"

Fenring exchanged a quick glance with his wife and said, "Only... ahh, as required, as we saw fit. Her upbringing in Thalidei has not been especially pampered. She has received a broad foundation in numerous disciplines." The Count ran a finger around the lip of an empty gla.s.s. "In our zeal to protect the child, I taught her what I know, as did my wife. And the Tleilaxu had some interesting... ahhh, seasoning for us to consider."

Worried that some detail might have slipped, Margot looked at Irulan and asked, "What sort of unusual signs have you seen? Has Marie done anything wrong?"

"Not at all. She and Alia have become quite close in only a few short months. And Alia, as you are well aware, was born under extremely strange circ.u.mstances."

"An Abomination," Margot said, then quirked her lips in a smile. "Another overzealous Bene Gesserit label. Do you suggest Marie is also pre-born?"

Irulan shook her head. "No, but she seems every bit Alia's match and equally as cunning. You have not been entirely candid with us from the beginning."

"Our daughter is a special child," Margot said.

The Count smiled. "Ah, um-m-m. It sounds to me like the two girls are quite suited to each other as playmates. We couldn't have asked for better."

Moments later, little Marie came running into Irulan's private apartments. She wore a pink-and-white party dress with a lacy frill on the hem and white shoes that clicked on the floor as she ran. Her parents rose to their feet, and she went to the Count first and hugged him.

"Thank you for sending me to Arrakeen. I love it here," Marie said to him. "Everyone treats me well, and I've been a good girl."

"We're pleased to hear that, darling."

Paul Atreides, like his father the Red Duke, allowed dangerous people into his inner circle. A risk-taker, he claimed it was the best way to keep his senses honed.

-from The Life of Muad'Dib, Volume 1, The Life of Muad'Dib, Volume 1, by the PRINCESS IRULAN by the PRINCESS IRULAN

Your daughter is an interesting child, Count Fenring," Paul said, as he led his visitor down an underground stairway. "She has remarkable genes," Fenring answered, without elaborating further. "I am pleased you find the girl as exceptional as we do."

Workers had found this old pa.s.sage when they were excavating the citadel, deeper than the original foundation of the Arrakeen Residency, so well hidden that it had not been detected during the initial scan for Harkonnen traps long ago. Paul doubted Fenring knew of its existence, though the tunnel was incomparably older than the building above, and its existence led him to believe there might be other pa.s.sages tangled beneath the ancient structure. The air here was clean and cool, the steps heavily worn from the pa.s.sage of many feet in ancient times. Thousands and thousands of years ago.

Fenring followed several steps back, descending carefully in the dim light, looking around with his overlarge eyes. In the low yellow illumination from glowstrips recently applied to the sides of the steps, the narrow-faced man looked nocturnal, ever alert and wary.