As mortal humans, each of us is born with a death sentence anyway, so what difference does a little poison make? Why not take a chance you will survive the ordeal and make something significant of your life? Why not attempt to become a Reverend Mother? I am living proof that this leap in human consciousness can be achieved.

—REVEREND MOTHER RAQUELLA BERTO-ANIRUL, from an inspirational speech to acolytes

Dorotea kept her voice low and intense, even though they were out in the open air, far from other Sisters. “I have something very important to discuss with you, Sister Valya.”

They had walked to the edge of the paved canopy and sat together on the broad, lavender expanse. From this vantage, Valya could see the cliff wall and the steep path from which she had pushed Ingrid to her death. After Anna Corrino was caught trying to steal one of the experimental Reverend Mother poisons from Sister Karee’s lab, and the dismissive report of Ingrid’s death was published, Dorotea had been wary around Valya.

Now, not sure what to expect, Valya kept her body alert against attack. How much had Dorotea discovered? For good or ill, though, Dorotea seemed to resent Reverend Mother Raquella’s reaction, but not Valya’s. As proof of that, Valya was still invited to sit in on the hushed meetings of the secret group Dorotea had formed, spreading rumors of illegal technologies in the Sisterhood.

“I am always here if you need to talk with me,” Valya said. “We are friends, aren’t we?”

For some time now, she had stayed close to Dorotea, so that she could keep an eye on the other woman, stringing her along with a cleverly feigned concern over Ingrid. The unfortunate side effect was that even the smallest amount of warmth that Valya displayed toward Dorotea made Anna Corrino jealous, and the Emperor’s sister was not accustomed to sharing. But Dorotea was a more immediate problem.

Valya had her priorities clear: If she had to kill again to protect the secret of the breeding computers, she would do so without a moment’s hesitation.

“Sometimes we are friends,” Dorotea answered, “yet sometimes we seem to be rivals. Even so, I respect you, Sister Valya. I know we are equals, and the Reverend Mother assigned important responsibilities to each of us. You and I are the Sisterhood’s best hope to become the next Reverend Mothers—and we must prove ourselves worthy. It’s up to us.”

Valya swallowed hard, and asked a question to which she already sensed the answer. “And how do you think we should do that?”

Dorotea reached into her robe pocket and withdrew two small capsules, one slightly darker than the other. “These are derivatives of the Rossak drug, which I recently prepared with Sister Karee—a slight, but critical, alteration. It’s the substance she intends to give to the next volunteer.”

“The Rossak drug? That’s what almost killed Reverend Mother Raquella. Everyone else who consumed it has died.”

“Not this particular formulation,” Dorotea said. She held out the capsules. “These are the best chance we will ever have. By passing through the ordeal, we will become as powerful as Reverend Mother Raquella.”

First Anna, and now Dorotea …

The older woman extended one of the pills, but Valya did not move to accept it. Based on everything that had happened before, this would be suicide. But she didn’t want to appear to be a coward to someone as influential as Dorotea … did not want to mirror the shame of her ancestor Abulurd Harkonnen. “I long to have the control and wisdom of a Reverend Mother, like Raquella, but the pathway is too uncertain.” Valya had too much at stake—what would Griffin do without her? She had to live so she could help him take advantage of the situation after killing Vorian Atreides. She also had to finish her Sisterhood training and return to House Harkonnen so they could reclaim their heritage.

She did not want to end up a rotted, half-consumed corpse dumped in the jungles, like the other dead Sisters.

“Someone needs to be first. I had hoped you would join me.” Dorotea’s voice had an edge. “When we are both Reverend Mothers, we can talk to the other Sisters and use our heightened perceptions to discover who is lying—and what really happened to Ingrid.”

Stalling for time, Valya gazed out on the sunlit, polymerized canopy. Of course, she had no intention of helping this woman discover that particular truth. “You may not like the answer you find. What if it truly was an accident?”

“Then it was an accident. But at least we’ll know what happened.”

Valya was playing a very serious game, trying to monitor and distract Dorotea for the good of the Sisterhood. Right now, with Raquella away at the Suk School, she felt that the other woman was most dangerous. “We can’t consume the poison out here on the open canopy.” She glanced down at the jagged chasms in the silvery treetops, and the fatal drop to the jungle floor. “We should be inside the medical chambers, under careful supervision by doctors, when we try the poison. This is even more dangerous—”

Dorotea frowned. “It is an inner battle, a challenge we must face ourselves. No amount of medical assistance will help us.” She found a sturdy, open section of the reinforced canopy. “We’ll be as safe here as any place in the caves—if we survive the poison. It is up to us, Valya … not to any doctors.”

Valya looked down at the poison pill and felt her pulse racing. She could easily grab it and swallow it—or slap it away.

Dorotea said, “You know this is what the Reverend Mother wants.”

Valya had seen so many previous volunteers—the absolute best candidates at the time—perish in the attempt, or end up brain damaged. “Why would you take such a risk yourself?”

“The primary tenet of the Sisterhood is for us to reach the pinnacle of humanity, but I suspect corruption in our order, maybe even the insidious influence of thinking machines. If I become a Reverend Mother, then I will be equal to Raquella. I will be her obvious successor, and I can lead the Sisterhood along the proper path. We can share that power, if you join me.” Sister Dorotea withdrew her hand. “Or are you afraid to join me?”

“I didn’t say that, but the odds of success are vanishingly small. If we truly are the best the Sisterhood has, then would it not cause great harm to the school if we both died?”

“If humans did not harbor unrealistic hopes, we would never have defeated Omnius. If we each take the pill, Valya, one of us could very well survive and become the natural successor to Reverend Mother Raquella. And if we both survive, then you and I share leadership. It is the best chance for the Sisterhood’s future. Up to now we’ve been veering off course, and this is the only way we can guide it in a different direction.” She extended the second capsule again. “Please, Valya. I want you with me.”

Reluctantly, Valya accepted the pill.

Dorotea seemed greatly relieved. “Let’s do it now! We have waited long enough already.” Her eyes shone with a strange intensity. Then, as if eager to proceed before she lost her nerve, Dorotea downed her capsule.

In alarm, Valya mimicked her gesture, pretended to pop the other pill into her mouth, but palmed it instead and waited to see what would happen to Dorotea.

Swallowing the drug, Dorotea let out a sigh, closed her eyes … and began to writhe on the rough surface of fused leaves, slowly at first, and then with increasing agony. Valya watched her convulsions for a moment, not daring to help or sound an alarm. Finally, Dorotea curled up with her face contorted in pain; spittle trickled from her clenched lips.

Valya touched her shoulder, feeling the tremors of violent shivers, and then no movement at all. She leaned closer, unable to tell if the other Sister was still breathing. Valya disposed of her own pill, dropping it through a gap in the branches, letting it fall all the way to the jungle floor, far below.

Behind her, she heard Sisters running toward them and their voices calling for help. In a subterfuge of her own, Valya pretended to collapse and began to twitch and spasm. She hoped her display was convincing.