Prime Computation
We of the Bene Tleilax have developed over thousands of years an intimate vocabulary. We do not expect to understand or verbalize the Language of God. But the daily toil, the feverish work in the axolotl tanks forced us to develop new words to describe our craft. These words we forged in the sacred Islamiyat so that only Masters would remember, and transmit. But do not be fooled! Words are not wisdom. Yet, every word has meaning. They are words of power. Pronounce them at your own peril. We have a specific word for the state where a ghola is awakened while its source is still alive. That is airbabialmin. Moreover, we call ghamar al'iirada, or Submerging of the will, the fleeting time where a Master is encountering its ghola-successor, and ritually giving in. Another word we have for the state where two awakened gholas are unleashed at the same time, for they can both tap into the same memory pool. It is antihak lilwahda. We mark that as a supremely dangerous circumstance, an unholy occurrence.
— REFLECTIONS, THE NAMELESS MASTER
The Council room on Central was quiet, crows squeaking in the courtyard outside where white desert flowers were blooming on the cacti. That morning Miles Teg could not feel but moody. Reawakened twice for the Sisterhood, his service never quite ending. His young flesh ached to live but his mind felt all the weight of his three hundred years of service. His thought went back to something that amused him at present. Another Teg lived on Sheeana's no ship, the one who had fought the Matres on Junction and saw victory turned to defeat at the hands of their secret sonic weapon. What was that Teg doing and thinking? Had the Tleilaxu ever brought back somebody twice at the same time? He made a mental note to ask any surviving Scytale ghola in the near future.
His eyes sought Bellonda's familiar face. The Reverend Mother-Mentat was patiently waiting at the other side of the table. She wondered how it must feel to be a grown-up Teg's mind in a ten-year-old body, whether it was discomforting for him to find his voice squirmy and young. We awaken them too early! And yet, they had done it once under Odrade, who was Teg's daughter; and done it again under Murbella. Old reservations died so quickly!
Like most Bene Gesserit, Bell was very alert about anything that could reveal affection. Affection bred dependency. It was deceptive. She sometimes found herself looking at the small child, evoking (believe it or not!) maternal feelings in her. Would his body resent the lack of a proper childhood? But he was an old, cunning man with the voice of an innocent.
It had been several minutes. Teg broke the silence: "What have you done to get the secret out of Scytale?"
Bellonda's answer was factual: "Two gholas. Archive records call them Scytale-bis and -ter. First was imprinted. Killed himself with a kitchen knife after."
"Not to reveal his secrets to the Imprinter who had just sexually bound him? You should have seen to that! And the knife? Rookie mistake!"
"He was given one during the meal that morning - in error. He deliberately misled us! Acted so swiftly with the Imprinter still in the room!"
"Employ a Matre next time. Faster reactions."
He is right. My mind is dulling, thought Bellonda. Murbella had been furious about the knife, used a very colorful and ancient vocabulary the Odrade in Other Memory had been fond of using.
"That reveals sexual imprinting works on Masters too," continued Teg. "Why didn't you try it with the second ghola?"
"We did try. Changed the strategy," explained Bell. "We showed him a sandworm right after the imprinting. Maximum pressure. The first Scytale had seen it before, we roleplayed that scene many times. Died of heart attack."
"Do you suspect it was self-induced?"
"Scytale panicked much like his former self had done with Odrade. We do not know much about gholas, and we wean them so early! His body could not take it!" Bellonda could not shake the feeling that Teg was constantly teaching and reprimanding her. But then again, he had been one of the best commanders of the Bene Gesserit's forces.
"I know it myself, Bell. Well we have a problem, and only one ghola left to fix it. Our spice stocks are the limiting factor for the conversion of Matres into Reverend Mothers. They remain a threat until we have enough spice for all of them. They may revolt, kill Murbella, or enslave us if we let them wait for too long. It would take a few more years to bring back another Scytale. We do not have that time."
"The ones we converted are helping us a great deal. The New Sisters are Murbella-like. The other Matres are both terrified and intrigued, but also impatient."
"I see that." replied Teg "By now all the remaining Matres have realized there is a dual layer Sisterhood: advancement requires being in the lucky group of the ones who went through the Agony of the melange. They are not new to castes, but they may not like the thought of staying in the lower caste for too long. So back to the last ghola. What alternatives? "
"We considered many approaches. A T-probe may succeed where an Ixian one would fail. There are..." continued Bellonda, dissimulating her frustration. And yet Murbella asked her to report to Teg everything she was doing. Complete trust in this Atreides ghola, the most formidable commander the Sisterhood had ever had. And yet, a man and not a Sister.
"Bell. At what point will we submit to necessity and leave our principles? You are falling deeper into violence. Look at yourself! Your repertoire needs updating." Bellonda felt struck by it, something very close to Voice, but kinder.
"Do you think of me as obsolete? You do it then!" she whined.
Teg stood up and motioned toward the door. "You need expert help. Prime Computation."
"Then lecture me!"
"Me? Murbella gives me other tasks, and we are two. You only need yourself. The path is clear. How can you not understand yet, that the Bene Gesserit's vision of the Universe is infinitely narrow? Answer me as a Mentat!"
"So patronizing of you! So what? I should think like an Honored Matre?"
"Nicely done! Start there. Aren't they resourceful?"
"Those vicious beasts?"
"Before meeting us, they stole, and collected all sorts of resources and allies along the way." said Teg leaving her ruminating at the table.
Bellonda looked at the table. Very carefully, she breathed in, focusing. Then, very suddenly but very calmly, her eyes lit up. And she gasped. Allies!