Ahira's Hangar

Quote:
What had the Lady Jessica to sustain her in her time of trial? Think you carefully on this Bene Gesserit proverb and perhaps you will see: "Any road followed precisely to its end leads precisely nowhere. Climb the mountain just a little bit to test that it's a mountain. From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain."
~ from "Muad'Dib: Family Commentaries" by the Princess Irulan

Lady Jessica has been exploring the house. She sees an odd looking door - from the description it sounds like an air hatch of a submarine - and climbs up the little twisty dedicated stairs to examine it.

It does not have a handle - it has a palm lock. And a palm lock is keyed to the hand of only one person. But the Bene Gesserit are nothing if not resourceful. Jessica had been taught in school how to get through a palm lock! Makes me wonder once again what this group of women is up to!

She unlocks the dorr, but before she can go through, she is stopped by the Shadout Mapes, who is looking for Paul. Jessica is pleased by the woman's caution, notices that she casts loathing looks at the door, and sends her off with directions to find Paul.

After figuring out that Hawat has cleared the room, which must have been left open, then accidentally shut and locked, Jessica goes through the door.

She finds what might be one of the greatest treasures of Arrakis. A special room with filtered glass, a greenhouse for precious off-planet vegetation - all requiring a lot of water. There are roses blooming. There is even a fountain. No wonder the Fremen loathe the room - how many Fremen could be kept alive with that much water???

Even Jessica is shocked to inner stillness by the waste of water in that room.

She thinks that the water in that room could support at least one thousand people.

Jessica spots a table with a notepad on it. The note is addressed to her. It is from Margot Lady Fenring. She is the wife of the Emperor's former proxy under the Harkonnens.

And Jessica's first reaction is the thought that the Count had married his Bene Gesserit lady. It testifies to the love between Jessica and Leto that they could still live and love together when she carries that bitterness with her at all times.

The note carries a coded phrase that indicates that the writer is a Bene Gesserit, that there is danger, and that there is another hidden message somewhere nearby. Jessica finds the second message in a sort of Braille code - on the underside of a leaf!!!

Again - what are the Bene Gesserit up to? This is all spy stuff!!

The note says that a trusted companion has secretly defected to the Harkonnen. And more inportantly, it says that a bedroom has been designed to entice Paul, and that bedroom is a death trap for him!

Jessica hurries to go to her son, but he comes bursting in on her, carrying the hunter seeker.

While Jessica fights not to tremble, Paul is very matter of fact and states that it must be the Harkonnen, and they must be destroyed.

After a brief interruption by an Atreides man looking for Paul to take him to the Duke and to tell them that they think they found the guide of the hunter seeker, Jessica and her son compare notes. Paul tells her of what Mapes told him about a traitor. Jessica shows him the secret message on the leaf. The two discuss who the traitor might be - or if there is even a traitor at all. Perhaps the Harkonnen are planting rumors about a traitor to bring trouble and doubt and dissension to their ranks. Paul even asks if the traitor could be Yueh, but Jessica says that it could not be him, as he hates the Harkonnen too much.

Once again we see the essential blindness of the Atreides - they believe that anyone who shares their enemies must be their friend.

The chapter ends with Paul and Jessica seeing flashes of light, in some sort of code, being exchanged between the Shield Wall and the basin. Jessica knows that it must be enemies, who do not want their communication being overheard by any Atreides listening to the communications net.

There are Harkonnen agents in Arakeen and on Arrakis. <i></i>

Sweet! That's the very heart of that chapter Duchess! I noticed you didn't overlook the love between Leto and Jessica...Well done!!! Salutations Duchess. <i></i>

Thanks Duchess.

Yes, an interesting little chapter I think.

Two things struck me most about it I think. One, the weirding room itself. Is it the ultimate off-worlder arrogance? Or was it really originally meant to be a promise of the future? As we will see, a pasing comment on it later comes to make a large difference to the future of the Atreides.

As for the second, it's something I noticed especially after Duchess' comment in the last chapter about Paul's training. Depsite his quick action in taking the seeker, from the instant he enters the room with Jessica, she is instantly in control.

His obedience to her is instant and unquestioning.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

I wonder if that is part of the Bene Gesserit way? That you are expected to give complete obedience to your superior/teacher/officer (I'm not sure what to call that?)

They surely still seem to hold a grudge against Jessica for having a boy rather than the ordered girl...

Also, isn't it said that Jessica becomes the Duke's concubine while still in her teens? Yet she has been trained not only in various mind and body control techniques, but in advanced espionage as well. And who knows what else?

Having spent a lot of time around teen agers lately, I am wondering how they (the Bene Gesserit) manage to teach all this, and expect obedience rather than questions? I'm not talking full scale rebellion (though I wonder what would happen to a student who had that) - I am talking simple questioning on the part of the students on why they are learning such things and other such basic stuff. These women seem to be very intelligent, and I would expect these bright kids to start wondering about life, learning, and their place in the universe.
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Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

This isn't the only time that there is a reference to his obedience either. When they first join the Fremen a point is made of it.

And yes, the BG certainly do not expect disobedience. I have no doubt that their earliest training is in obedience. Which is not as bad as it sounds. To be able to give orders, it is by far better to have taken them also.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

I do think the weirding room is a blatant display of off-worlder arrogance - even if it is not in full public view. The whole business of the Imperium(?) exploiting Arrakis while shunning the Fremen is an expression of off-worlder arrogance: the ruling powers take what they please, the native population be damned.

Just as a Western power sets up an outpost in a Third World region, complete with the frivolities and luxuries of wealth and privilege.

With every passing chapter, Jessica ably demonstrates just how sophisticated her Bene Gesserit skills are, which is a reflection of the comprehensive nature of Bene Gesserit training. Paul may be the center of prophetic importance, but here in Arrakeen -the center of court intrigue - Jessica is in her element, so it's not surprising Paul would automatically defer to her. And let's not forget she is his mother.

The relationship between Jessica and Paul is one of the fascinating and refreshing things about Dune. I haven't read all that much sci-fi/fantasy, so I don't know how common it is to have a mother-son relationship being the center of focus, but it seems a rare thing to me. I would guess that in more conventional hands, the focus would be on father and son - Leto and Paul. But the two of them aren't together in scenes all that much. So while I do feel sorry for the Duke, it's nice to have Jessica and Paul as the "stars" of the show. <i></i>

Good post.

Of course, Paul is not yet the centre of prophetic importance. Not even to the Fremen, let alone the BG. (And when he becomes so, his position relative to his mother changes dramatically.)

Other than that, I agree with your post.

Of hand, I'd say it's not a common pairing at all.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

The only other mother-son pairing with such importance that I can think of is that of Cordelia Vorkosigan and her son Miles in the Vorkosigan space opera saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Heck, Cordelia and all three of her sons (though it could be said that two of them might not count as sons) - including her foster son, the Emperor, of whom it is said that you could see Cordelia's influence (intelligence and honor) upon him like phosphorescent footprints in the dark.

Paul is Jessica's son, and remains such...but I have always wondered if you could say that Alia is Jessica's daughter. But I suppose I am skipping too far ahead here. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

Not familiar with the series you mention at all Duchess.

To skip ahead a little, I agree about Alia. All down to the fact that she didn't have a chance to form a distinct personality. At birth, she was already Jessica's mother, as well as Jessica herself and every female ancestor.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

Talk about VERY confusing!Never to know where the real you begins or ends and not to mention every Tom,Dick,and Harry in your head as well...... <i></i>

In fact, I'm not even sure that there was a real "you" to begin with. How could there have been?

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

Ok,so that's definately a multiple personality complex...... <i></i>

Without a doubt.

But back to this weirding room. I do see your point about it being "Flaunted" (much like the palm trees), in the faces of the oppressed Fremen. The people of the sinks and pans at least.

I suppose it seems obvious that the Harkonnen built it I guess. It was the governers home, wasn't it? And Arrakis had been a Harkonnen fief for what...80 years?

(What was Count Fenrig doing there? Anybody remember?)

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

Count Fenring built the Weirding room for Lady Margot,for her pleasure only,it was the only room in the entire mansion that was sealed for moisture loss,both the house and the room showed enormous wealth,wealth that no true Arrakeen could tolerate.Count Fenring was the at the house SENT by the Padishah Emporer Shaddam,to get Fenring from under foot at the palace,Fenring Knew too much for Shaddam to tolerate Fenring at the Imperial palace.Although they grew up together,the parted ways after Fenring killed Shaddam's father and brother to open the way to the throne for Shaddam.Afterwards,Fenring was spared only because of their friendship and Fenring was *unofficially banished* to Arrakis,Shaddam placated Fenring by saying for in order for the spice to flow,Shaddam needed someone he could trust on Arrakis to watch the Empires best interests.So, Shaddam was able to spare Fenring's life,placate the BG as well,(Lady Margot)keep the BG queit and still remain on the throne..... <i></i>

So not the Harkonnen at all. Then I think that while the locals would have seen it as an insult, I doubt it was intended as such.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>