Mentats of Dune

Plot summary

The Butlerian movement, led by Manford Torondo, was gaining power and influence, which worried Prince Roderick Corrino. He saw it as a danger to the Imperial authority held by his brother, Emperor Salvador. Josef Venport, an industrialist, clashed with Torondo because the Butlerian’s actions were hurting Venport’s businesses. Meanwhile, Gilbertus Albans, who ran the Mentat School on Lampadas, became more anxious as Torondo grew bolder.

Gilbertus was hiding a copy of the thinking machine Erasmus there. When he refused to make his Mentats swear loyalty to the Butlerians, his school was attacked. His past as someone who sympathized with machines was exposed, and Manford executed him. Anna Corrino managed to escape, taking Erasmus with her.

A riot started by Torondo led to the death of Roderick’s daughter. Salvador then took over the valuable melange mining on Arrakis from Venport. In response, Venport used the threat of giant sandworms to arrange the Emperor’s assassination. Raquella Berto-Anirul had rebuilt her Bene Gesserit school on Wallach IX with help from Josef Venport.

Valya Harkonnen, now a Reverend Mother, recovered hidden computers from Rossak and aimed to become Mother Superior after the aging Raquella. Raquella thought the Sisterhood could only survive if the Wallach IX sisters made peace with Dorotea’s group on Salusa Secundus. As her health worsened, she called Dorotea to the school and made Valya and Dorotea set aside their conflict and work together. She named them co-leaders and then died.

But Valya, still angry about Dorotea’s earlier betrayal, used her new ability called the Voice to force Dorotea to kill herself. Valya then claimed the title of sole Mother Superior and won favor with the new Emperor, Roderick. Vorian Atreides felt guilty for causing Griffin Harkonnen’s death. He secretly gave money to Griffin’s struggling family to help their whaling business on Lankiveil.

Later, he went to Caladan to meet his descendants, the brothers Orry and Willem Atreides. On his wedding night, Orry was killed by his new bride, a mysterious woman named Tula Veil. She turned out to be Tula Harkonnen, the vengeful younger sister of Griffin and Valya, and she vanished afterward.