AS ABOPUHATION: 'THE ACCURSED OWE**. The Bene Gessent were the First to refer to Ow daughter of Lady Jessica and Duke Leto Atreides as "The Accursed One " Reverend Mother Gams Helen Moniam m 10193 told the Bene Gessent General Council of the existence and nature of Lady Jessica's second child m a report which caused great consternation The first reaction of the B G hierarchy was to order secret assassinations of both mother and daughter m spite of the enormous risks involved More rational thought prevailed, however and the Sisterhood decided on a safer course They would undertake the study of this Abomi nation while wooing her mother back into the ranks In this way, the precious genes the Bene Gessent had cultivated for so many centuries need not be thrown uselessly away, and studying Aha might provide them with information they would need to destroy her A number of B G spies (the Princess Irulan being the most public and therefore least eftective ot them) were introduced into Muad'Dib's household following his defeat of Shaddam IV Posing as retainers, these spies remained close to the Lady Aha for many years, some of them served her during her years as Regent, staying with her until her death in 10220 Their observations, along with those of various Reverend Mothers who came into contact with the Emperor's sister during her lifetime, provided the basis for the Report on Alia Atreides The Report led to the Bene Gessent Judiciary Council decision in 10211 to declare Alia an "Abomination to be Abhorred" The overall tone of the report is condemnatory Had the Lady Jessica arranged the birth order of her child as she was supposed to do, the question of Abomination would never, however innocently have arisen The fetus she was carry ing in 10191 was to have been male not female The document saves the bulk of its condemnation for Alia herself, however The Sisters who assembled the final draft of the Report after Aha's death were unanimous in their opinion that Alia Atreides willfully chose Abomination's way for herself, spurning all attempts to save her humanity Much has been made of the effect her isolated position had m shaping Aha s destiny It cannot be too strongly emphasized that it was her pattern to choo&e isolation Even Ladj Jessica recalls times from her daughter s childhood in Sietch Tabr when Alia took herself off to the desert, away from her companions, in order to listen to her voices within ATREIDES, LADY ALIA 46 ATREIDES, LADY ALIA Such instances occurred with increasing frequency as Alia grew older until, as reported by Princess Irulan, she absented herself from her brother and the rest of the Court whenever her presence was not commanded.