Appendix III. Report on Bene Gesserit Motivesand Purposes

           HerefollowsanexerptfromtheSummapreparedbyherownagentsattherequestoftheLadyJessicaimmediatelyaftertheArrakisAffair.Thecandorofthisreportamplifiesitsvaluefarbeyondtheordinary.

           BECAUSETHEBeneGesseritoperatedforcenturiesbehindtheblindofasemi-mysticschoolwhilecarryingontheirselectivebreedingprogramamonghumans,wetendtoawardthemwithmorestatusthantheyappeartodeserve.

           Analysisoftheir“trialoffact”ontheArrakisAffairbetraystheschool’sprofoundignoranceofitsownrole.

           ItmaybearguedthattheBeneGesseritcouldexamineonlysuchfactsaswereavailabletothemandhadnodirectaccesstothepersonoftheProphetMuad’Dib.Buttheschoolhadsurmountedgreaterobstaclesanditserrorheregoesdeeper.

           TheBeneGesseritprogramhadasitstargetthebreedingofapersontheylabeled“KwisatzHaderach,”atermsignifying“onewhocanbemanyplacesatonce.”Insimplerterms,whattheysoughtwasahumanwithmentalpowerspermittinghimtounderstandandusehigherorderdimensions.

           Theywerebreedingforasuper-Mentat,ahumancomputerwithsomeoftheprescientabilitiesfoundinGuildnavigators.Now,attendthesefactscarefully:Muad’Dib,bornPaulAtreides,wasthesonoftheDukeLeto,amanwhosebloodlinehadbeenwatchedcarefullyformorethanathousandyears.TheProphet’smother,LadyJessica,wasanaturaldaughteroftheBaronVladimirHarkonnenandcarriedgene-markerswhosesupremeimportancetothebreedingprogramwasknownforalmosttwothousandyears.