Early morning in the ship just two days ago. Duncan in his sitting room when Odrade entered. He heard the swish of her robes and turned to face her. How open his expression! Flaunting emotions as a key to his frustration and anger. She did not try to hide her response.

"Duncan! You disturb us with your anger. It's one thing to call Bell a hypocrite but Mother Superior . . ."

". . . is above such things? Or do you have excuses? After all, you can always grow other gholas."

"I don't offer excuses. You resent how I would use Murbella and you think I send Teg to death."

"Am I mistaken?"

"These are not your concerns, Mentat! This is a time for battle decisions. That's why I free you now to decide your own future."

"What?" Really puzzled. 

"I am removing your guards. Only Scytale remains a prisoner." 

"You mean I . . ." He pointed vaguely to his right indicating the outside. 

"Your decision. I do not wash my hands of you; I merely set you free. You will not feel the cruelty of this until you reflect on it." 

"Do you mean I can leave the ship?" 

"If you choose." 

"But if the hunters are using Guild Navigators . . ." 

"As they most certainly are." 

"Damn you!" 

"An Atreides gift to you, Duncan." 

"Gift!" 

"You see? Complete trust in your conscience." 

"Would I betray you by . . . you would put all of the Sisterhood on my conscience!" 

"I put nothing on your conscience! That's your own possession to do with as you will." 

She watched his silent struggle. Ahhhh, I have alarmed you deeply. 

"Freedom," he muttered. 

You see it, Duncan. Freedom puts you on your own. You no longer can look to exterior forces, to rules laid down by others. Were you ready for this? 

He turned his back on her and went to the Van Gogh reproduction he had fixed to the wall where he could see it from his favorite chair.

Odrade held her silence.

Does the Orange Catholic Bible serve you now, Duncan? You never gave it much attention in your pasts. Where do you look for moral guidance? Not outside, Duncan! Within. You know your debts and debtors. What do you call on in extremis! Have you kept an accounting of balances payable? Never a complete accounting, I'm certain. You're not the type. Wipe the slate clean and go on, that's you. Carry your hates and angers as hand luggage. You're a survivor. Or you never would have escaped Gammu when the Harkonnens were torturing and killing your family. You survived Harkonnen slave pits. See if you can survive freedom! 

He faced her. "Determinism!" 

"Just another noise now, Duncan." 

"The Bashar requires innovative weaponry. I need only my freedom of the ship's armory." 

"An admirable interpretation of freedom," she said.