Some of the squad pressed forward, curious. Their words were full of Honored Matre comparisons, eager questions Murbella was forced to parry.
"Did you kill many of them? Where is their planet? Is it rich? Have you bonded many males there? You were trained on Gammu?"
"I was on Gammu for the third stage. Under Hakka."
"Hakka! I've met her. Did she have that injured left foot when you knew her?"
Still testing.
"It was the right foot and I was with her when she took the injury!"
"Oh, yes, the right foot. I remember now. How was she injured?"
"Kicking a lout in the rear. He had a sharp knife in his hip pocket. Hakka was so angry she killed him."
Laughter swept through the squad.
"We will go to Great Honored Matre," the old one said.
So I've passed first inspection.
Murbella sensed reservations, though.
Why is this Hormu adept wearing those enemy robes? And she has a strange look to her.
Best face that one at once.
"I took their training and they accepted me."
"The fools! Did they really?"
"You question my word?" How easy it was to revert, adopting touchy Honored Matre ways.
The old one bristled. She did not lose hauteur but she sent a warning look to her squad. All of them took a moment to digest what Murbella had said.
"You became one of them?" someone behind her asked.
"How else could I steal their knowledge? Know this! I was the personal student of their Mother Superior."
"Did she teach you well?" That same challenging voice from behind.
Murbella identified the questioner: middle echelon and ambitious. Anxious for notice and advancement
This is the end of you, anxious one. And little loss to the universe.
A Bene Gesserit feint drifted the feather that was her foe into range. One Hormu-style kick for them to recognize. The questioner lay dead on the ground.
Marriage of Bene Gesserit and Honored Matre abilities creates a danger you should all recognize and envy.
"She taught me admirably," Murbella said. "Any other questions?"
"Ehhhhh!" the old one said.
"How are you called?" Murbella demanded.
"I am a Senior Dame, Honored Matre of the Hormu. I am called Elpek."
"Thank you, Elpek. You may call me Murbella."
"I am honored, Murbella. It is indeed a treasure you have brought us."
Murbella studied her a moment with Bene Gesserit watchfulness before smiling without humor.
The exchange of names! You in your red robe that marks you as one of the powerful surrounding Great Honored Matre, do you know what you have just accepted into your circle?
The squad remained shocked and looked at Murbella with wariness. She saw this with her new sensitivity. The Old Girl network had never gained a foothold in the Bene Gesserit but it performed for Honored Matres. Simulflow amused her with a parade of confirmation. How subtle the power transfers: right school, right friends, graduation and transfer onto the first rungs of the ladder--all guided by relatives and their connections, mutual back-scratching that managed alliances, including marriages. Simulflow told her it led into the pit but ones on the ladder, the ones in controlling niches, never let that worry them.
Today is sufficient unto today, and that is how Elpek sees me. But she does not see what I have become, only that I am dangerous but potentially useful.
Turning slowly on one foot, Murbella studied Elpek's squad. No bonded males here. This was too sensitive a duty for any but trusted women. Good.
"Now, you will listen to me, all of you. If you have any loyalty to our Sisterhood, which I will judge on future performance, you will honor what I have brought. I intend it as a gift for those who deserve it."
"Great Honored Matre will be pleased," Elpek said.
But Great Honored Matre did not appear pleased when Murbella was presented.
Murbella recognized the tower setting. Almost sunset now but Streggi's body still lay where it had fallen. Some of Teg's specialists had been killed, mostly the comeye crew who doubled as his guard.
No, we Honored Matres do not like others spying on us.
Teg still lived, she saw, but he was swathed in shigawire and shoved disdainfully into a corner. Most surprising of all: Odrade stood unfettered near Great Honored Matre. It was a gesture of contempt.
Murbella felt she had lived through such a scene many times--aftermath of Honored Matre Victory: swaths of their enemies' bodies left where they had been brought down. Honored Matre attack with the bloodless weapon had been swift and deadly, a typical viciousness that killed when killing no longer was required. She suppressed a shudder at the memory of this deadly reversal. There had been no warning, only the troops dropping in wide lines--a domino effect that left the survivors in shock. And Great Honored Matre obviously enjoyed the shock.
Looking at Murbella, Great Honored Matre said, "So this is the bag of insolence you say you trained in your ways."
Odrade almost smiled at the description.
Bag of insolence?
A Bene Gesserit would accept it without rancor. This rheumy-eyed Great Honored Matre faced a quandary and could not call on her weapon that killed without blood. Very delicate balance of power. Agitated conversations among Honored Matres had revealed their problem.
All of their secret weapons had been exhausted and could not be reloaded, something they had lost when driven back here.
"Our weapon of last resort and we wasted it!"
Logno, who thought herself supreme, stood in a different arena now. And she had just learned of the fearful ease with which Murbella could kill one of the elect.
Murbella cast a measuring gaze over Great Honored Matre's entourage, gauging their potentials. They recognized this situation, of course. Familiar. How did they vote?
Neutral?
Some were wary and all were waiting.
Anticipating a diversion. No concern over who triumphed as long as power continued to flow in their direction.
Murbella let her muscles flow into the waiting stance of combat she had learned from Duncan and the Proctors. She felt as cool as though standing on the practice floor, running through responses. Even as she reacted, she knew she moved in ways for which Odrade had prepared her--mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Voice first. Give them a taste of inner chill.
"I see you have assessed the Bene Gesserit quite poorly. The arguments of which you are so proud, these women have heard them so many times your words go beyond boredom."
This was delivered with scathing vocal control, a tone that brought orange to Logno's eyes but held her motionless.
Murbella was not through with her. "You consider yourself powerful and clever. One begets the other, eh? What idiocy! You're a consummate liar and you lie to yourself."
As Logno remained motionless in the face of this attack, those around her began moving away, opening space that said, "She is all yours."
"Your fluency in these lies does not hide them," Murbella said. She swept a scornful gaze across the ones behind Logno. "Like the ones I know in Other Memory, you are headed for extinction. The problem is that you take so infernally long dying. Inevitable but oh, the boredom meanwhile. You dare call yourself Great Honored Matre!" Returning her attention to Logno. "Everything about you is a cesspool. You have no style."
It was too much. Logno attacked, left foot slashing outward with blinding speed. Murbella grasped the foot as she would catch a wind-blown leaf and, continuing the flow of it, levered Logno into a threshing club that ended with her head pulped on the floor. Without pausing, Murbella pirouetted, left foot almost decapitating the Honored Matre who had stood at Logno's right, the right hand crushing the throat of the one who had stood at Logno's left. It was over in two heartbeats.
Examining the scene without breathing hard (to show how easy it was, Sisters), Murbella experienced a sense
of shock and recognition of the inevitable. Odrade lay on the floor in front of Elpek, who obviously had chosen sides without hesitation. The twisted position of Odrade's neck and flaccid appearance of her body said she was dead.
"She tried to interfere," Elpek said.
Having killed a Reverend Mother, Elpek expected Murbella (a Sister, after all!) to applaud. But Murbella did not react as expected. She knelt beside Odrade and put her head against that of the corpse, staying there an interminable time.
The surviving Honored Matres exchanged questioning looks but dared not move.
What is this?
But they were immobilized by Murbella's terrifying abilities.
When she had Odrade's recent past, all of the new added to previous Sharing, Murbella stood.
Elpek saw death in Murbella's eyes and took one backward step before trying to defend herself. Elpek was dangerous but no match for this demon in the black robe. It was over with the same shocking abruptness that had taken Logno and her aides: a kick to the larynx. Elpek sprawled across Odrade.
Once more, Murbella studied the survivors, then stood a moment looking down at Odrade's body.
In a way, that was my doing, Dar. And yours!
She shook her head from side to side, absorbing consequences.
Odrade is dead. Long live Mother Superior! Long live Great Honored Matre! And may the heavens protect us all.
She gave her attention then to what must be done. These deaths had created an enormous debt. Murbella took a deep breath. This was another Gordian knot.
"Release Teg," she said. "Clean up in here as quickly as possible. And somebody get me a proper robe!"
It was Great Honored Matre giving orders but those who leaped to obey sensed the Other in her.
The one who brought her a red robe elaborate with soostone dragons held it deferentially from a distance. Large woman with heavy bones and square face. Cruel eyes.
"Hold it for me," Murbella said and when the woman tried to take advantage of proximity to attack her, Murbella dumped the woman hard. "Try again?"
This time there were no tricks.
"You are the first member of my Council," Murbella said. "Name?"
"Angelika, Great Honored Matre." See! I was first to call you by your proper title. Reward me.
"Your reward is that I promote you and let you live."
Proper Honored Matre response. Accepted as such.
When Teg came to her rubbing his arms where the shigawire had bitten deep, some Honored Matres tried to caution Murbella. "Do you know what this one can--"
"He serves me now," Murbella interrupted. Then in Odrade's mocking tones: "Isn't that right, Miles?"
He gave her a rueful smile, an old man on a child's face. "Interesting times, Murbella."
"Dar liked apples," Murbella said. "See to that."
He nodded. Return her to a cemetery orchard. Not that prized Bene Gesserit orchards would endure long in a desert. Still, some traditions were worth perpetuating while you could.
What do Holy Accidents teach? Be resilient. Be strong. Be ready for change, for the new. Gather many experiences and judge them by the steadfast nature of our faith.
--Tleilaxu Doctrine
Well within Teg's original timetable, Murbella picked her Honored Matre entourage and returned to Chapterhouse. She expected certain problems and the messages she sent ahead paved the way for solutions.
"I bring Futars to attract Handlers. Honored Matres fear a biological weapon from the Scattering that made vegetables of them. Handlers may be the source. "
"Prepare to keep Rabbi and party in no-ship. Honor their secrecy. And remove the protective mines from the ship!"
(That went in keeping of a Proctor messenger.)
She was tempted to ask for her children but that was non-Bene Gesserit. Someday... maybe.
Immediately on returning, she had Duncan to accommodate and this confused Honored Matres. They were as bad as the Bene Gesserit. "What's so special about one man?"
No longer a reason for him to remain in the ship but he refused to leave. "I've a mental mosaic to assemble: a piece that cannot be moved, extraordinary behavior, and willing participation in their dream. I must find limits to test. That's missing. I know how to find it. Get in tune. Don't think; do it."
It made no sense. She humored him although he was changed. A stability to this new Duncan that she accepted as a challenge. By what right did he assume a self-satisfied air? No ... not self-satisfied. It was more being at peace with a decision. He refused to share it!
"I've accepted things. You must do the same."
She had to admit this described what she was doing.
On her first morning back, she arose at dawn and entered the workroom. Wearing the red robe, she sat in Mother Superior's chair and summonded Bellonda.
Bell stood at one end of the worktable. She knew. The design became clear in execution. Odrade had imposed a debt on her as well. Thus, the silence: assessing how she must pay.
Service to this Mother Superior, Bell! That is how you pay. No Archival declension of these events will put them into proper perspective. Action is required.
Bellonda spoke finally. "The only crisis I'd care to compare with this one is the advent of the Tyrant."
Murbella reacted sharply. "Hold your tongue, Bell, unless you've something useful to say!"
Bellonda took the reprimand calmly (uncharacteristic response). "Dar had changes in mind. This what she expected?"
Murbella softened her tone. "We'll rehash ancient history later. This is an opening chapter."
"Bad news." That was the old Bellonda.
Murbella said: "Admit the first group. Be cautious. They are Great Honored Matre's High Council."
Bell left to obey.
She knows I have every right to this position. They all know it. No need for a vote. No room for a vote!
Now was the time for the historical art of politics she had learned from Odrade.
"In all things you must appear important. No minor decisions pass through your hands unless they are quiet acts called 'favors' done for people whose loyalty can be earned. "
Every reward came from on high. Not a good policy with the Bene Gesserit but this group entering the workroom, they were familiar with a Patroness Great Honored Matre; they would accept "new political necessities." Temporarily. It was always temporary, especially with Honored Matres.
Bell and watchdogs knew she would be a long time sorting this out. Even with amplified Bene Gesserit abilities.
It would require extremely demanding attention from all of them. And the first thing was the sharply discerning gaze of innocence.
That is what Honored Matres lost, and we must restore it before they can fade into the background where "we" belong.
Bellonda ushered in the Council and retired silently.
Murbella waited until they were seated. A mixed lot: some aspirants to supreme power. Angelika there smiling so prettily. Some waiting (not even daring to hope yet) but gathering what they could.
"Our Sisterhood was acting with stupidity," Murbella accused. She noted the ones who took this angrily. "You would have killed the goose!"
They did not understand. She dredged up the parable. They listened with proper attention, even when she added: "Don't you realize how desperately we need every one of these witches? We outnumber them so greatly that each of them will carry an enormous teaching burden!"
They considered this and, bitter though it was, they were forced to a qualified acceptance because she said it.
Murbella hammered it home. "Not only am I your Great Honored Matre ... Does anyone question that?"
No one questioned.
"... but I am Bene Gesserit Mother Superior. They can do little else but confirm me in office."
Two of them started to protest but Murbella cut them short. "No! You would be powerless to enforce your will on them. You would have to kill them all. But they will obey me."
The two continued to babbl
e and she shouted them down: "Compared to me with what I acquired from them, the lot of you are miserable weaklings! Do any of you challenge that?"
No one challenged but orange flecks were there.
"You are children with no knowledge of what you might become," she said. "Would you return defenseless to face the ones of many faces? Would you become vegetables?"
That caught their interest. They were accustomed to this tone from older commanders. The content held them now. It was difficult to accept from one so young ... still ... the things she had done. And to Logno and her aides!
Murbella saw them admire the bait.
Fertilization. This group will carry it away with them. Hybrid vigor. We are fertilized to grow stronger. And flower. And go to seed? Best not dwell on that. Honored Matres will not see it until they are almost Reverend Mothers. Then they will look back angrily as I did. How could we have been that stupid?
Chapterhouse: Dune Page 49
