Chapter 03

[Freakzilla]

The sietch at the desert's rim
Was Liet's, was Kynes's,
Was Stilgar's, was Muad'Dib's
And, once more, was Stilgar's.
The Naibs one by one sleep in the sand,
But the sietch endures.
-from a Fremen song

The twins have upset Alia, she feels like asking them for help but thinks of that as weakness. They must be temped into the spice trance. She wonders why she can't see the future. She wonders why Jessica is coming now, before her plans are complete and can feel how fragile her regency is. She feels sorry for herself being a pre-born Atreides. As she leaves in a 'thopter she can see green spreading across the land. Leto must be tempted with the spice trance. Gurney Halleck is returning with Jessica and will complicate things, maybe this will help her with Leto. She hopes to focus Jessica's attention on the twins and draw it away from herself. She blames the Bene Gesserit for seeking to breed the Kwizats Haderach and her mother for not bearing a daughter first as she was ordered, leaving her to be born after Jessica became addicted to the spice. Now the BG didn't want her and feared her and with good reason. Duncan Idaho had made the mentat computation that Jessica was returning to bring the twins into the Bene Gesserit fold. She arrives and leaves the 'thopter with grim anticipation.

[Eyes High]

My first thought reading this, was why don't the twins just tell her why they don't won't to do the spice trance.

And is her inability to see the future because of the presence of the twins similar to why Paul could not see his son?

[Freakzilla]

My first thought reading this, was why don't the twins just tell her why they don't won't to do the spice trance.

Appearantly, Alia wants to wring the secrets of the future from the twins.

And is her inability to see the future because of the presence of the twins similar to why Paul could not see his son?

Yes, Alia became blind to the future at the same time as Paul.

[Freakzilla]

Revised, clean.

[georgiedenbro]

Does anyone think the epigram has a typo, and that it should read "Was Kynes', was Liet's"? I'd have thought that "Kynes" referred to Pardot and "Liet" to his son, rather than to assume that it would mention Liet twice using each of his names.

And the Lady Jessica, merely a pawn in that
breeding program, had the bad taste to fall in love with the breeding partner to
whom she had been assigned. Responsive to her beloved Duke's wishes, she
produced a son

More proof for any doubting Thomases who don't believe Jessica really loved Leto and had Paul out of love for him. Alia has Jessica's full memories from that time.

[Freakzilla]

Yeah, I think that should be Kynes'.