And Jessica thought:
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.
“Say no more, Duncan,” Jessica said, and she thought mournfully of how Leto had warned her against Bene Gesserit conditioning.
Idaho, about to speak, closed his mouth.
“I command here,” Farad’n said. “Continue, mentat.”
Idaho remained silent.
Farad’n half turned to study Jessica.
She stared at a point on the far wall, reviewing what Idaho and the trance had built. The Bene Gesserit hadn’t abandoned the Atreides line, of course. But they wanted control of a Kwisatz Haderach and they’d invested too much in the long breeding program. They wanted the open clash between Atreides and Corrino, a situation where they could step in as arbiters. And Duncan was right. They’d emerge with control of both Ghanima and Farad’n. It was the only compromise possible. The wonder was that Alia hadn’t seen it. Jessica swallowed past a tightness in her throat. Alia. . . . Abomination! Ghanima was right to pity her. But who was left to pity Ghanima?
“The Sisterhood has promised to put you on the throne with Ghanima as your mate,” Jessica said.
Farad’n took a backward step. Did the witch read minds?
“They worked secretly and not through your mother,” Jessica said. “They told you I was not privy to their plan.”
Jessica read revelation in Farad’n’s face. How open he was. But it was true, the whole structure. Idaho had demonstrated masterful abilities as a mentat in seeing through to the fabric on the limited data available to him.
“So they played a double game and told you,” Farad’n said.
“They told me nothing of this,” Jessica said. “Duncan was correct: they tricked me.” She nodded to herself. It had been a classic delaying action in the Sisterhood’s traditional pattern—a reasonable story, easily accepted because it squared with what one might believe of their motives. But they wanted Jessica out of the way—a flawed sister who’d failed them once.
Tyekanik moved to Farad’n’s side. “My Lord, these two are too dangerous to—”
“Wait a bit, Tyek,” Farad’n said. “There are wheels within wheels here.” He faced Jessica. “We’ve had reasons to believe that Alia might offer herself as my bride.”
Idaho gave an involuntary start, controlled himself. Blood began dripping from his left wrist where the shigawire had cut.
Jessica allowed herself a small, eye-widening response. She who’d known the original Leto as lover, father of her children, confidant and friend, saw his trait of cold reasoning filtered now through the twistings of an Abomination.
“Will you accept?” Idaho asked.
“It is being considered.”
“Duncan, I told you to be silent,” Jessica said. She addressed Farad’n. “Her price was two inconsequential deaths—the two of us.”
“We suspected treachery,” Farad’n said. “Wasn’t it your son who said ‘treachery breeds treachery?’”
“The Sisterhood is out to control both Atreides and Corrino,” Jessica said. “Isn’t that obvious?”
“We’re toying now with the idea of accepting your offer, Lady Jessica, but Duncan Idaho should be sent back to his loving wife.”
