Chapterhouse Session IV Questions & Observations

What is Sheeana’s beef? The sisters all seem to have good relationships with each other, so why is she planning an escape? Do you have any insights into her art ‘the Void’ - is it the blob of plasteel she gave up earlier in the book? Or is it a completed piece? What is this place Ordrade can’t go?

Session IV (305-396) You're off the hook this time! Mostly... p.334-5 Duncan's alteration of Bellonda being witnessed by Odrade is...pleasant. I'm not sure how else to describe that. p.336 Creative people being shunted aside actually preferring to be left alone: I prefer my privacy as well. p.339 Nature makes no bad art? A sequel to Duncan and Alia discussing the wind-etched marble in CoD? p.354 They ride a death reality. compare Gurney: "Not good in a leader, being a death-seeker. You'd strew your universe with corpses" (paraphrase) p.395 "Satisfied? What a hellishly dead(l)y word!" Someone improved upon the Berkley copy with this fix, and added the 'l' to deadly.

So... we got another Gallant vs Goofus conversation, this time it's Idaho vs Bell, with Bellonda serving another one of those "how dare you?", Herbert channeling Greta Thunberg ahead of time... but at this point, I'm just envisioning David Caruso's long drawn "fuck youuuu" from Session 9 every time the "how dare you" appears. Since Herbert is way past plagiarizing Sabres of Paradise going into a sixth Dune book, he just recycles the same dialogue just as irritatingly as GRRM. Oh wait... we get that Scytale *tried* to swallow in a dry throat. That's subverting expectations! Bravo Frank, you redeemed yourself, now just stop talking about the desert and talk more about desserts and them delicious non-space kosher sligs, how do those react to salt anyway?... But the desert stuff is just harder to read when you live in California where it will be desert with no giant worms and no spice to make up for it. EDIT: Murbella nightmare/sleep paralysis situation: feel free to start a discussion about sleep paralysis and night terrors, but after the Dune questions.

PJ B

An observation. With Odrade being so central to these two books, every time they call her "Dar", I think of "Dar-es-Balat". THERE IS NO WAY IT IS COINCIDENCE that Dar was stationed on Dune in 'Heretics'. Shaitan even brings them from Dar-es-Balat to find Leto II's message to her. The meaning of the name "Dar-es-Balat" seems to be more of Leto II's prescience. "Dar" is clearly in reference to Odrade's nickname. The term "es" in Latin translates to "is" and looking up the translation of Balat (Arabic to English), I found it means "birthmark on one's skin". More proof that Leto II knew his message of noble purpose would leave a "mark" on Odrade and that that location held even more significance. That she would be the Mother Superior to "mark" a new scattering to uplift and free humanity from the long night of the whores. Speaking of names, I also find it interesting that the Bene Gesserit are so against signs of love and affection. Could Herbert using Odrade's nickname be Leto II guiding the sisterhood to go against this rule? (As we see her periodically doing in Chapterhouse). Leading the Sisterhood in a new direction is leaving a 'mark' on how they interact with humanity and the galaxy. Dune leaving a "mark" on Dar is the "birth" of the Bene Gesserit joining Leto II's noble purpose. It would seem that "Dar-es-Balat" itself is a "mark" on this story arc and this location on Dune is a "mark" on the series as a whole.

Kosta Ketsilis

Dang. Already more than half over.... I'll have to make observations while I still can. Observations p. 305. Dama refers to the return of the HM to the old empire as a "harrowing flight". This reiterates the conclusion that was reached in the last chapter that some force had found against the HM and driven them out of their former homes. Yet they continue to behave as unstoppable conquerors despite the fact that they are literally running scared. And on p. 306 - Dama very briefly considers that she may have been in error in killing the two ixian scientists who were working on the mystery weapon for the HM., but a mere paragraph later she had convinced herself that no, it was certainly the right thing to do. This reinforces Odrade's previous revelation that "mistakes do not exist for the HM" Their refusal to admit error isn't just done for political reasons - it is a full on delusion. "Pretense becomes reality" pops up again . p, 310 - I liked the intro text to this chapter, which to me highligts a primary point of this section. EVERYONE is prone to self deception. "There is no natural immunity". No matter how educated or experienced we are, we are prone to settle into comfortably seeing what we "know" we should see. The HM suffer from it. Odrade is dealing with the BG suffering from it. Bell is sure that Odrade is suffering from it, Bell really IS suffering from it until Duncan shakes her up. We all suffer from it and once we do it, it is almost impossible for us to realize it unless someone else points it out. The BG "watchdog" policy has much to recommend it. p. 310-322. I enjoyed this section - Duncun so effectively dressing down Bellonda. This whole scene took me right back to Jessica's talk with Thufir WAYYY back in the first Dune book when Jessica pinned Thufir down to confince him that she was ally, not threat, and to do it in a way that made Thufir feel enhanced, not lessened. And Duncan doesn't just do it to Bell, he does it to all the watchers (and thus the sisterhood). Duncun is adult Teg's only male peer, IMO. p.326 - the comeye watcher to Bellonda - "in the shower again, it gets boring after a while". Apparently at one point it was exciting to watch. This makes me think that at some point, comeye watch duty may have been a popular task among the BG... p. 374 - NOW we know how the BG got Scytale. They snatched him up when he was trying to get to Junction. And undoubtedly saved him from the HM in doing so. P.376 - BG being what they are, I know the whole scene of Bell holo'ing in to announce the spice blow was planned in advance. I bet Bell BEGGED to be the one to look in Scytale's eyes and say "you're screwed". P.385. "cyborg him" - I never thought I'd see the day. I know Duncan hints that Leto II was possibly interested in Cyborging, but is still seems regressive from a Duniverse POV. p. 393 - "defy us, Murbella!" - Odrade really does appreciate that the BG are dependent on their rebels. Her desire to tweak the BG attitude toward love gives me some hope that maybe Murbella and Duncan can work everything out...