The path to human advancement relies upon discovery, and great discoveries often entail great risks.

—the Azhar Book

Off balance on Rossak, surrounded by strangers, Anna Corrino had warmed to Valya’s friendship. Sensing the Princess’s jealousy over any time that Valya spent with Dorotea, by necessity, Valya attempted to devote as much of her attention as possible to the Emperor’s sister.

They spent days on end together, and Valya encouraged the young woman to confide in her, in particular about her romance with Hirondo Nef. It smacked of silly, youthful infatuation, Valya thought, but she said nothing about that aloud, only commiserated with her companion and consoled her for her miserable loneliness. As they talked, Valya smiled often to convince Anna that she was a close friend.

One morning, Valya led the girl down to the lowest interior level of cave tunnels, although the exit passages to the murky jungle floor had been permanently sealed. Anna’s eyes were wide with fascination. “Are we supposed to be down here?” Her whisper showed eagerness to do something slightly forbidden.

“These levels contain utility, storage, and mechanical rooms for the caverns above. It’s where a lot of the menial work is done. Back when this was a much larger city, a staff of males served as support workers, but the Reverend Mother has made the school a sanctuary for talented women … which means we must perform the work ourselves. All acolytes are expected to serve here in shifts—even the Emperor’s sister.” For herself, Valya would rather have been working with the breeding computers, but she concentrated on her obligations to Anna for the moment, which Raquella considered a priority.

Anna’s expression fell. She was clearly disheartened by the unglamorous assignment. “Oh.”

Valya, however, gave her a comradely pat on the back. “I’ll join you for your shift in the sewing room, repairing robes. We can work together for a little while.”

That cheered Anna. They walked past laundry stations where green-robed acolytes manually cleaned the garments on large, fixed-frame washboards, using water piped in from subterranean aquifers. The sewing room had long tables with robes and undergarments spread out on them; four sewing machines were attached to the tables, but most acolytes used needles and thread.

Valya pulled a white robe out of a large bin and sat in an available chair, spreading the robe on a tabletop to indicate an unraveled seam. “This is a Sorceress’s robe. Those women are a little fussy, so make sure to do a very good job.”

“I like to sew,” Anna said. “Some of the ladies at court taught me to do old-fashioned embroidery. It seemed pointless at first, but eventually I found it calming, and my mind could wander.”

Valya remembered what the proctor had taught her years ago, during her own first shift in the sewing room, and now she told the same story to Anna. “One of the great religious leaders of Old Earth, Mahatma Gandhi, used to mend his own garments. He was a simple man, but very complex in his thinking.”

“Never heard of him.” Showing little interest, Anna picked up the garment and fumbled with the thread. Valya found a black robe whose pocket needed mending and sat next to the Corrino girl. Anna loved to chatter, and now she mused, “Does Reverend Mother Raquella really have the voices of all her ancestors inside her head?”

“She has achieved a pinnacle of ability the rest of us can only dream about.”

Anna’s eyes lit up, and she said in an excited voice, “She says every one of us can become a Reverend Mother, too, if only we can focus our thoughts and become strong enough to survive the process.”

“It’s very dangerous,” Valya cautioned. “No one except Raquella has succeeded in the transformation. In fact, most have died from the poison.”

“So you haven’t tried it yourself?”

“No!” Until the process was proven, Valya would never risk her family’s future on such a capricious gamble. “I helped Sister Karee with her research to develop the next useful drug for potential candidates, but my other responsibilities for the Sisterhood are too important for me to take the risk myself.”

“I think it would be fascinating to take the poison and hear voices.” Anna plucked at the thread, poked the needle through, and drew the stitch tight. “My mother was just a concubine, and I never really knew her … but to have her whole life in my head! I can always read about the Corrino line in the histories, but I don’t know much about my mother’s side. The voices would tell me!”

We are cousins by blood, Valya thought. She would make sure Anna learned that, but not until a suitable time.

Valya tried not to fixate on her goal of achieving revenge for the Harkonnen name, but it was like a chronic injury to her psyche. Griffin had sent her no progress report whatsoever, but each day she expected to receive a triumphant message declaring that he had taken care of Vorian Atreides—preferably by a slow and painful death.

Anna chuckled. “I remember a jester at the Imperial Court who heard voices in his head. They said he was mad, and took him away.”

Valya’s nostrils flared. “The Reverend Mother is not insane. As soon as Karee Marques discovers the right transformational chemical, others will corroborate her claims.”

“Maybe we should do it, just you and me!” Anna said in a conspiratorial tone. “We can be the first after Raquella!”

Valya raised her head in alarm. “Hush, don’t talk like that—you aren’t ready. I’m not even ready.” She looked around to make sure none of the acolytes had heard Anna’s comments. All of the previous volunteers had undergone the most rigid and demanding of psychological tests, yet still they failed. Anna Corrino was much too immature and unfocused.

Oblivious to her companion’s alarm, the girl finished repairing the robe, then folded the garment and placed it on the table. She hummed, and finally mused in a flippant tone, “I was only being curious, wondering what it would be like. I’d like to have those abilities someday, that’s all.”

Valya had pondered that question herself many times, thinking that with the added skills of a Reverend Mother, the precise bodily control and the library of historical memories, she could be a formidable force to restore House Harkonnen. But if she died while attempting the transformation, her family would suffer the loss, and the entire burden of redemption from ignominy would be on Griffin’s shoulders. She would never do that to her brother.

The other girl chattered away as they continued mending, but Valya said nothing.

*   *   *

THAT EVENING, VALYA had an uneasy feeling as she lay in her small private chamber, unable to sleep. Many of the younger Sisters shared quarters, but with so much of the cliff city empty, advanced Sisters such as herself were given their own rooms. Now, though, she thought she should have suggested sharing quarters with the Emperor’s sister, just to cement their friendship … and permit her to watch the girl more closely.

At supper, while Anna told stories about the Imperial Court to other acolytes, with Valya dutifully at her side, Sister Dorotea had joined them. Dorotea’s persistent concerns about Ingrid’s death and her repeated prying into rumors of computers in the Sisterhood, made her an unpleasant dinner companion. Valya pretended to be cordial, not wanting to draw the suspicions of the other woman, but it was difficult, considering what she knew. For the moment, Dorotea considered her an ally, and Valya did not want to change that useful, lulling perception.…

Now as she tried to sleep, Valya’s thoughts continued to agitate her, not merely concerns about Dorotea’s suspicions, but worries over what Griffin was doing, as well as the responsibility of watching Anna, and the persistent question she always avoided—whether to attempt to become a Reverend Mother herself. If Valya were the first to succeed after Raquella, she could have the clout to rule the Sisterhood one day.

From her work with Sister Karee, she knew of many untried drugs developed in her laboratory, just waiting for volunteers to attempt them. But few women had the courage to take the leap, and anyone who seemed overly eager—such as Anna Corrino—was obviously unprepared.

For the time being, Karee Marques had traveled to Lampadas to meet with her former Mentat teacher, Gilbertus Albans. The forest pharmaceutical laboratory was empty, and even Dorotea did not spend her days there. Valya still had her access key, but rarely used it; Anna had begged her repeatedly for a secret tour of the place, and Valya had finally obliged the day before, just to quiet the girl.

But this evening there had been something more to Anna’s intensity. The Princess had asked repeatedly about the pharmaceutical lab and the poisons waiting to be tested, and the next candidate who might make the attempt to become a Reverend Mother. When Valya scolded her for her unrealistic questions, Anna fell silent—too quickly and too easily, it seemed now.

With a strange knot of dread, Valya got up and searched her possessions, including the pockets of her robe. She was disturbed to discover that her laboratory key had vanished. Pulse racing, she dressed in a rush, grabbed a glowlamp, and hurried to Anna’s sleeping chamber in the acolyte section. Sadly, she was not surprised to discover the girl’s bunk empty, although her two roommates were fast asleep.

She knew where Anna had gone, but didn’t dare raise the alarm or rouse other Sisters. This was her problem, her failing, and she had to deal with it immediately.

With her heart pounding more from fear than exertion, Valya ran across the polymerized treetop and took the cage lift down to the jungle floor. After dark, the wilds were far more dangerous than by day, but she feared the Emperor’s sister intended to take an even greater risk than the jungle’s natural hazards. Valya broke out in a cold sweat. If anything happened to Anna, the political repercussions would ruin all of the Harkonnen family’s hopes.

Using the glowlamp to light her way, Valya ran along the tangled path to the enormous hollowed tree, and found that the black metal door stood ajar. Breathing sharply, she hurried into the main laboratory chamber. The various workstations were empty, all the experiments shut down without Karee to supervise the sensitive work.

Hearing a furtive noise, she saw Anna in the shadows. The young woman didn’t seem surprised to see Valya there, and she spoke in an excited whisper, although they were the only ones in the chamber. “I have one of the sample drugs here. I can’t tell what it is, though.” She held up an earthenware jar, removed the lid. “I’ve been looking for the one that smells the best.” She pulled out a small, bluish capsule.

Valya darted toward her and grabbed the capsule from her hand. The earthenware jar fell, breaking on the floor and scattering pills.

Anna scowled at her. “I was just getting one out for you. You and I can take the drug together and become the first new Reverend Mothers. We’ll show everyone!” She knelt to scoop up some of the fallen capsules, but Valya yanked her to her feet.

“You should not have come in here without permission! Do you know how many Sisters have already died?”

Anna’s eyes sparkled with tears, hurt by her friend’s scolding. “I was going to bring pills back and share them with you.” She tried to pull free, but Valya held her firmly by the arm.

Breathless, Sister Dorotea ran into the lab. Her eyes were bright and suspicious as she glared at Valya. “I followed you. What are you doing in here?”

A flash of annoyance crossed Valya’s mind. Dorotea was spying on her? “Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of it.” She spoke with hardness in her voice, attempting to dispel the older woman’s suspicions. “There’s no cause for concern. Reverend Mother instructed me to watch over Sister Anna. Sometimes, she’s … impetuous, but I caught her in time. No harm done.” Still holding Anna’s arm, she steered the girl toward the door. For good measure, she shot a menacing glower at the other Sister, shifting the blame. “With Sister Karee gone, this lab is your responsibility. You should never leave this station unattended, even at night. There might have been a catastrophe.”

Dorotea remained disturbed. “I have to report this to Reverend Mother.”

“Yes,” Valya said. “We do.”

Anna tried to stifle her tears, while Valya led her away, whispering to the acolyte, “No need to worry. I’ll take care of this—but don’t ever try to slip away from me again.”