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.Her waking memories were still alive when I copied.""Transfer to her." He gestured to the one who had been an Ixian guard.Theytouched foreheads for a few heartbeats then parted."It is done," said the older one."How many other copies of these Honored Matres have we made?""Four, Master.""None of them detected?""None, Master.""Those four must return to the heartland of these Honored Matres and learn allthere is to know about them.One of those four must get back to us with what islearned.""That is impossible, Master.""Impossible?""They have cut themselves off from their source.This is their way, Master.They are a new cell and have established themselves on Gammu." "But surely we could.""Your pardon, Master.The coordinates of their place in the Scattering werecontained only in a no-ship's workings and have been erased.""Their tracks are completely covered?" There was dismay in his voice."Completely, Master."Disaster! He was forced to rein in his thoughts from a sudden frenzied darting."They must not learn what we have done here," he muttered."They will not learn from us, Master.""What talents have they developed? What powers? Quickly!""They are what you would expect from a Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit butwithout the melange memories.""You're sure?""There is no hint of it.As you know, Master, we --"Yes, yes.I know." He waved her to silence."But the old one was soarrogant, so.""Your pardon, Master, but time presses.These Honored Matres have perfected thepleasures of sex far beyond that developed by any others.""So it's true what our informants said.""They went back to the primitive Tantric and developed their own ways of sexualstimulation, Master.Through this, they accept the worship of their followers.""Worship." He breathed the word."Are they superior to the Breeding Mistressesof the Sisterhood?""The Honored Matres believe so, Master.Shall we demon --""No!" Waff dropped his elfin mask at this discovery and assumed the expressionof a dominant Master.The Face Dancers nodded their heads in submission.Alook of glee came over Waff's face.The returned Tleilaxu of the Scatteringreported truthfully! By a simple mind-print he had confirmed this new weapon ofhis people!"What are your orders, Master?" the old one asked.Waff resumed his elfin mask."We will explore these matters only when we havereturned to the Tleilaxu core at Bandalong.Meanwhile, even a Master does notgive orders to an Honored Matre.You are my masters until we are free of pryingeyes.""Of course, Master.Shall I now convey your orders to the others outside?""Yes, and these are my orders: This no-ship must never return to Gammu.Itmust vanish without a trace.No survivors." "It will be done, Master."Technology, in common with many other activities, tends toward avoidance ofrisks by investors.Uncertainty is ruled out if possible.Capital investmentfollows this rule, since people generally prefer the predictable.Few recognizehow destructive this can be, how it imposes severe limits on variability andthus makes whole populations fatally vulnerable to the shocking ways ouruniverse can throw the dice.-Assessment of Ix, Bene Gesserit ArchivesOn the morning after that initial test in the desert, Sheeana awoke in thepriestly complex to find her bed surrounded by white-robed people.Priests and priestesses!"She's awake," a priestess said.Fear gripped Sheeana.She clutched the bed covers close to her chin while shestared out at those intent faces.Were they going to abandon her in the desertagain? She had slept the sleep of exhaustion in the softest bed with thecleanest linen she had experienced in her eight years but she knew everythingthe priests did could have a double meaning.They were not to be trusted!"Did you sleep well?" It was the priestess who had spoken first.She was agray-haired older woman, her face framed in a white cowl with purple trim.Theold eyes were watery but alert.Pale blue.The nose was an upturned stub abovea narrow mouth and outjutting chin."Will you speak to us?" the woman persisted."I am Cania, your nightattendant
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