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He heard the fear in her voice and wondered at it

Jessica spoke without turning "Reverend Mother is waiting inroom Please hurry"

The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohia mother and son approach Windows on each side of her overlooked the curving southern bend of the river and the green far, but the Reverend Mother ignored the view She was feeling her age this , more than a little petulant She blamed it on space travel and association with that abo Guild and its secretive ways But here was a mission that required personal attention froht Even the Padishah Emperor's Truthsayer couldn't evade that responsibility when the duty call came

Daht If only she'd borne us a girl as she was ordered to do!

Jessica stopped three paces froentle flick of left hand along the line of her skirt Paul gave the short bow his dancing ht--the one used "when in doubt of another's station"

The nuances of Paul's greeting were not lost on the Reverend Mother She said: "He's a cautious one, Jessica"

Jessica's hand went to Paul's shoulder, tightened there For a heartbeat, fear pulsed through her palht, Your Reverence"

What does she fear? Paul wondered

The old woestalten flicker: face oval like Jessica's, but strong boneshair: the Duke's black-black but with browline of the randfather who cannot be na green eyes: like the old Duke, the paternal grandfather who is dead

Now, there was a man who appreciated the power ofbravura--even in death, the Reverend Mother thought

"Teaching is one thing," she said, "the basic ingredient is another We shall see" The old eyes darted a hard glance at Jessica "Leave us I enjoin you to practice the meditation of peace"

Jessica took her hand from Paul's shoulder "Your Reverence, I--"

"Jessica, you know it must be done"

Paul looked up at his mother, puzzled

Jessica straightened "Yesof course"

Paul looked back at the Reverend Mother Politeness and his ued caution Yet he felt an angry apprehension at the fear he sensed radiating from his mother

"Paul" Jessica took a deep breath " this test you're about to receiveit's important to me"

"Test?" He looked up at her

"Remember that you're a duke's son," Jessica said She whirled and strode fro of skirt The door closed solidly behind her

Paul faced the old woer in check "Does one dis wench?"

A smile flicked the corners of the wrinkled oldwench, lad, for fourteen years at school" She nodded "And a good one, too Now, you come here!"

The co before he could think about it Using the Voice onbeside her knees

"See this?" she asked Froreen metal cube about fifteen centimeters on a side She turned it and Paul saw that one side was open--black and oddly frightening No light penetrated that open blackness

"Put your right hand in the box," she said

Fear shot through Paul He started to back away, but the old woman said: "Is this how you obey your mother?"

He looked up into bird-bright eyes

Slowly, feeling the compulsions and unable to inhibit them, Paul put his hand into the box He felt first a sense of cold as the blackness closed around his hand, then slick h his hand were asleep

A predatory look filled the old woht hand away from the box and poised the hand close to the side of Paul's neck He saw a glint of metal there and started to turn toward it

"Stop!" she snapped

Using the Voice again! He swung his attention back to her face

"I hold at your neck the goh-handed enemy It's a needle with a drop of poison on its tip Ah-ah! Don't pull away or you'll feel that poison"

Paul tried to s in a dry throat He could not take his attention froums around silvery metal teeth that flashed as she spoke

"A duke's son must know about poisons," she said "It's the way of our

times, eh? Musky, to be poisoned in your drink Aumas, to be poisoned in your food The quick ones and the slow ones and the ones in between Here's a new one for you: the gom jabbar It kills only animals"

Pride overcaest a duke's son is an animal?" he demanded

"Let us say I suggest you may be hu away I am old, but my hand can drive this needle into your neck before you escape me"

"Who are you?" he whispered "How did you trickme alone with you? Are you from the Harkonnens?"

"The Harkonnens? Bless us, no! Now, be silent" A dry finger touched his neck and he stilled the involuntary urge to leap away

"Good," she said "You pass the first test Now, here's the way of the rest of it: If you withdraw your hand from the box you die This is the only rule Keep your hand in the box and live Withdraw it and die"

Paul took a deep breath to still his tre "If I call out there'll be servants on you in seconds and you'll die"

"Servants will not pass your uard outside that door Depend on it Your mother survived this test Now it's your turn Be honored We seldom administer this to men-children"

Curiosity reduced Paul's fear to a eable level He heard truth in the old wouard out thereif this were truly a test And whatever it was, he knew hioainst Fear as his ht him out of the Bene Gesserit rite

"I must not fear Fear is the s total obliteration I will face h one past I will turn the inner eye to see its path Where the fear has gone there will be nothing Only I will remain "

He felt calmness return, said: "Get on with it, old woman"

"Old woe, and that can't be denied Well, we shall see, sirra" She bent close, lowered her voice almost to a whisper "You will feel pain in this hand within the box Pain But! Withdraw the hand and I'll touch your neck with om jabbar--the death so swift it's like the fall of the headsom jabbar takes you Understand?"