Arrakeen, Arrakis, Saturday Afternoon
He had spoken to Irulan the day before, letting her know the reason why he had invited Lady Jessica. As expected, she had scolded him for not telling her before.
”You didn’t trust me,” he had pointed out, although gently.
”And you didn’t confide in me,” she had retorted.
”Did you think I would in any way give preference to the woman who abandoned her child and grandchildren to the one who put jealousy aside and became a mother and teacher? You know who my daughter calls grandmother.”
”Your decisions are not always based on your personal preferences.”
Leto had looked at her with a steady gaze. ”When it comes to my family they are. You should know that.”
Irulan hadn’t mentioned the exceptions; the continuation of the Bene Gesserit breeding program and the return of a second ghola of Duncan Idaho.
”You have no reason to test me, Leto. Leave that for your grandmother. She is the one who deserves it, after all.” Having rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment, she had left him, and he had sat in silence for some time.
Now Lady Jessica sat opposite him, smiling as the servant girl poured them both coffee. When they were alone, she said:
”So, you want my help.”
”You offered it once, remember?”
”That was a long time ago.”
”True.” Leto smiled too. His grandmother had underestimated both Ghanima and him then, and she was Bene Gesserit enough not to make the same mistake again. That didn’t mean she would understand, and that would bother her. He needed to give her a reason to ignore it.
”What are your plans for me?” She posed this question as if she had no choice, and Leto saw no reason to answer her yet.
”My wife and daughter were pleased to finally meet you.” In some sense, at least.
Jessica sipped her coffee. ”Wife?”
He laughed softly. ”Concubine,” he corrected himself. ”But you know what that can mean.” It had been tempting to put in enough of Duke Leto, his namesake, in that; both body language and and the Caladan accent being easily available to him. That would have thrown her off guard though, and he didn’t want that just yet. ”Among family, I choose to speak the truth.”
She gave him an amused look. ”I see. Well, I suppose that makes the nature of your formal marriage less… difficult to accept.”
Leto ignored that comment. ”You think you have to be on your guard, grandmother. You don’t. I will not bring up the past; I only look to the future, and in the future I plan I have need for you.”
”So you’ve told me. It would be overly sentimental of me to say I wish I could have been a grandmother to you and Ghanima, but as you say, that is in the past. So perhaps I should be content with being needed.”
”That comment is insulting to us both.” He wrinkled his nose. ”I need a Bene Gesserit no longer loyal to the Sisterhood. I need women trained in the Bene Gesserit way, loyal to me. That is what I ask of you.”
”Spoken clearly,” Jessica noted. ”And the Sisterhood itself?”
”They will denounce you,” Leto said. ”As you know. I’m sure that won’t bother you. Other than that, they are not strong enough to prevent it. Unlike them, you will have access to Spice, although I suggest you don’t rely on it too much.”
”And this new Sisterhood, what is its purpose?”
”Leto’s Peace still requires an army, one that has as its mission to be static, to make no move in the face of fear.”
”And let it pass through them?” Jessica laughed. ”You will have my answer, but not today.”
Leto gave a small nod. He hadn’t expected more than that yet.
The door burst open, and Hania was suddenly there, wrapping her arms around her father’s shoulders. She held a sheet of paper in her hand, and turned her head to smile at Lady Jessica. ”I made this for you,” she said, offering it to her. It was a drawing; her great-grandmother (recognizable by a neatly printed name next to her, and the long dress she had been wearing when she arrived) standing by a river from which a large fish showed its head. The fish and the woman seemed to have a conversation.
”Thank you,” Jessica said, smiling at Hania. ”I will bring this home with me, and it will make me think of you.” When actually looking at the picture, she frowned a little and asked: ”But why am I talking to a fish?”
”You have rivers on Caladan. And fish.” These were things Hania had been told.
”We do, dear one, but we don’t communicate with them.”
”Perhaps you should speak to them more often,” Hania suggested, then turned to Leto. ”Mother says you are late to the tea party.”
Leto laughed, leaning his forehead against Hania’s. ”We shouldn’t keep her waiting then, should we?”
[NFB. Can be open for Ghanima. And for phone calls, I suppose, after the tea party.]
”You didn’t trust me,” he had pointed out, although gently.
”And you didn’t confide in me,” she had retorted.
”Did you think I would in any way give preference to the woman who abandoned her child and grandchildren to the one who put jealousy aside and became a mother and teacher? You know who my daughter calls grandmother.”
”Your decisions are not always based on your personal preferences.”
Leto had looked at her with a steady gaze. ”When it comes to my family they are. You should know that.”
Irulan hadn’t mentioned the exceptions; the continuation of the Bene Gesserit breeding program and the return of a second ghola of Duncan Idaho.
”You have no reason to test me, Leto. Leave that for your grandmother. She is the one who deserves it, after all.” Having rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment, she had left him, and he had sat in silence for some time.
Now Lady Jessica sat opposite him, smiling as the servant girl poured them both coffee. When they were alone, she said:
”So, you want my help.”
”You offered it once, remember?”
”That was a long time ago.”
”True.” Leto smiled too. His grandmother had underestimated both Ghanima and him then, and she was Bene Gesserit enough not to make the same mistake again. That didn’t mean she would understand, and that would bother her. He needed to give her a reason to ignore it.
”What are your plans for me?” She posed this question as if she had no choice, and Leto saw no reason to answer her yet.
”My wife and daughter were pleased to finally meet you.” In some sense, at least.
Jessica sipped her coffee. ”Wife?”
He laughed softly. ”Concubine,” he corrected himself. ”But you know what that can mean.” It had been tempting to put in enough of Duke Leto, his namesake, in that; both body language and and the Caladan accent being easily available to him. That would have thrown her off guard though, and he didn’t want that just yet. ”Among family, I choose to speak the truth.”
She gave him an amused look. ”I see. Well, I suppose that makes the nature of your formal marriage less… difficult to accept.”
Leto ignored that comment. ”You think you have to be on your guard, grandmother. You don’t. I will not bring up the past; I only look to the future, and in the future I plan I have need for you.”
”So you’ve told me. It would be overly sentimental of me to say I wish I could have been a grandmother to you and Ghanima, but as you say, that is in the past. So perhaps I should be content with being needed.”
”That comment is insulting to us both.” He wrinkled his nose. ”I need a Bene Gesserit no longer loyal to the Sisterhood. I need women trained in the Bene Gesserit way, loyal to me. That is what I ask of you.”
”Spoken clearly,” Jessica noted. ”And the Sisterhood itself?”
”They will denounce you,” Leto said. ”As you know. I’m sure that won’t bother you. Other than that, they are not strong enough to prevent it. Unlike them, you will have access to Spice, although I suggest you don’t rely on it too much.”
”And this new Sisterhood, what is its purpose?”
”Leto’s Peace still requires an army, one that has as its mission to be static, to make no move in the face of fear.”
”And let it pass through them?” Jessica laughed. ”You will have my answer, but not today.”
Leto gave a small nod. He hadn’t expected more than that yet.
The door burst open, and Hania was suddenly there, wrapping her arms around her father’s shoulders. She held a sheet of paper in her hand, and turned her head to smile at Lady Jessica. ”I made this for you,” she said, offering it to her. It was a drawing; her great-grandmother (recognizable by a neatly printed name next to her, and the long dress she had been wearing when she arrived) standing by a river from which a large fish showed its head. The fish and the woman seemed to have a conversation.
”Thank you,” Jessica said, smiling at Hania. ”I will bring this home with me, and it will make me think of you.” When actually looking at the picture, she frowned a little and asked: ”But why am I talking to a fish?”
”You have rivers on Caladan. And fish.” These were things Hania had been told.
”We do, dear one, but we don’t communicate with them.”
”Perhaps you should speak to them more often,” Hania suggested, then turned to Leto. ”Mother says you are late to the tea party.”
Leto laughed, leaning his forehead against Hania’s. ”We shouldn’t keep her waiting then, should we?”
[NFB. Can be open for Ghanima. And for phone calls, I suppose, after the tea party.]