Children of Dune (Page 75)

"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.

Chapter Eighteen

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.

And Jessica thought: Don’t interfere, Duncan! Not now! But Idaho’s words had sent her own Bene Gesserit abilities at logic into motion. He shocked her. She began to wonder if there were the possibility that she was being used in ways she didn’t understand. Ghanima and Leto… The pre-born could draw upon countless inner experiences, a storehouse of advice far more extensive than the living Bene Gesserit depended upon. And there was that other question: Had her own Sisterhood been completely candid with her? They still might not trust her. After all, she’d betrayed them once… to her Duke.

Farad’n looked at Idaho with a puzzled frown. "Mentat, I need to know what this Preacher is to you."

"He arranged the passage here. I… We did not exchange ten words. Others acted for him. He could be… He could be Paul Atreides, but I don’t have enough data for certainty. All I know for certain is that it was time for me to leave and he had the means."

"You speak of being tricked," Farad’n reminded him.

"Alia expects you to kill us quietly and conceal the evidence of it," Idaho said. "Having rid her of the Lady Jessica, I’m no longer useful. And the Lady Jessica, having served her Sisterhood’s purposes, is no longer useful to them. Alia will be calling the Bene Gesserit to account, but they will win."

Jessica closed her eyes in concentration. He was right! She could hear the mentat firmness in his voice, that deep sincerity of pronouncement. The pattern fell into place without a chink. She took two deep breaths and triggered the mnemonic trance, rolled the data through her mind, came out of the trance and opened her eyes. It was done while Farad’n moved from in front of her to a position within half a step of Idaho – a space of no more than three steps.