Jᴀᴄᴜʀᴜᴛᴜ - Tʜᴇ Cᴀsᴛ Oᴜᴛ

Reading Machiavelli, a digital essay, is available for the Amazon Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Machiavel ... 008IAQUQC/

So how is that relevant to the Cast Out? Well, to begin with, I think Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy were Frank Herbert's model for the Panoplia Prophetica, the Arms of the [Unarmed] Prophet. Moreover, I think Machiavelli's discipline, secrecy, and communicative practices were Frank Herbert's model for the discipline, secrecy, and communicative practices of the Bene Gesserit.

I read in.. DM, I think, that the Panoplia Prophetica was the arm of the BG that Jessica was a member of. That alone makes it worth reading.

FH knew Machiavelli well, I think. I know my old boss did.

gurensan wrote:I read in.. DM, I think, that the Panoplia Prophetica was the arm of the BG that Jessica was a member of.

"Matters cannot be allowed to continue in this way," the leader of the Bene
Gesserit delegation had argued. "Surely the signs of decay have not escaped you
-- you of all people! We know why you left us, but we know also how you were
trained. Nothing was stinted in your education. You are an adept of the Panoplia
Prophetica and you must know when the souring of a powerful religion threatens
us all."
~Children of Dune

That training is what allowed Jessica to acquire (or in a sense become) a tooth of Shai Hulud in her encounter with the Shadout Mapes. It saved her and Paul after they went into the desert. At a crucial moment, she understood Stilgar expected a sign from her, and she had the words for it. When Chani showed her the plumbing of Sietch Tabr, she knew right away what to do.