Each of us is desperate to learn where we came from—who our ancestors were and how they lived—as if their past will provide guidance for our future. —ABULURD HARKONNEN, his Lankiveil notes When Valya was assigned to conduct an hour of private intensive training with Anna Corrino and the two young daughters of Josef Venport, the age disparity of the acolytes was remarkable, but their skill level was roughly equivalent. If anything, young Sabine and Candys, aged nine and ten respectively, were more focused and talented than the Emperor’s flighty sister. When the Reverend Mother asked her to take time away from studying the computerized breeding records, Valya’s initial reaction had been one of annoyance, because using the computers to make bloodline projections seemed so much more vital to the Sisterhood’s purpose, and to her own advancement. However, she definitely saw the advantages of establishing close ties with both Anna Corrino and the two Venport daughters. “I’ll do my best, Reverend Mother,”
