ving bloodlines for the B G program that might otherwise be lost Reverend Mother Parthenn had not been mistaken m her estimate of the Count s usefulness Fennng, already as thoroughly influenced by the Bene Gessent doctrines as many of the Sisterhood's recognized members, adapted himself to the roles of benign cuckold with an ease that might have astonished someone knowing him only m his public capacity During the couple's tenure on Arrakis, Lady Margot bore three daughters Cynthe, Yana, and Lianne Each of the three was sent to the Wallach IX school at age five-the minimum age of admission-but no records yet translated give any details concerning their progress there or the identity of their father(s) Such information as is available comes from Lady Margot's book Arrakis and After a volume printed by the Bene Gessent, but the lady touches only briefly on the subject of her children, with die father(s) of these first three being mentioned not at all Count Fennng returned to Court following the handing over of the Arrakis fief to House Atretdes, Lady Margot joining him after a bnef visit to Wallach DC Knowmg of the treachery planned against the incoming house, the couple reacted in their individual ways the Count, by laying the groundwork for the massive system of bribes and coercion which would eventually serve to keep the emperor freed of the Landsraad's suspicions, his wife, by leaving a waning message for Lady Jessica, a fellow Bene Gessent, concerning dangers to the lives of her sort and Duke Of the two efforts Fennng's was by far the more successful Though it cost him over a billion solans in spice bribes in addition to an undisclosed amount spent on slave women, royal honors, and tokens of rank, the Count managed to keep his master s name clear ot any connection with the Harkonnen (and Sardaakar) slaughter of the Atretdes on Arrafcis Lady Margot's warnings conveyed too little information about the threat to Duke Leto to be effective, and came too late to help Paul Atreides, although the boy es caped the hunter-seeker that threatened him on his own In early 10192 Count and Lady Fennng were sent as official observers to Harko on the Harkonaen s homeworld, Giedi Pnme, to witness the birthday celebrations for Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the na-Baron It was during this visit that Fennng confronted Bar on Harkonnen with a number of lies and half-truths the Baron had sent to the emperor and advised him in no uncertain terms concerning the dangers of his proceeding with any further deceptions The implications were crystal clear Having already moved, however surreptitiously, against one Great House the Count s master would not fear to attack again at need Lady Margot had reasons of her own-01 more accurately, of the Bene Gessent's-for traveling to Giedi Prime In Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen the Sisterhood had spotted genet ic traits they coveted for their program As the boy was known to consort only with his uncle, the Baron, and those slave women the old man permitted him, any child of his would have to be secured for the Sisterhood by a careful intermixing of seduction and guile Lady Margot who had not only prov en herself several times over in those particu lar arts but was able to appear on the scene without suspicions being roused, was the most obvious choice as earner for that child Count Fennng both knew of and assisted m his wite s plans On the night of their arrival, and on a sufficient number of occa sions thereafter for his lady to be certain of her pregnancy and her control over the boy, the Count engaged Baron Hdrkonnen m a senes of arguments that left m the old man s mind no room for wonder concerning the activities of his heir During the days of Fennng s visit the Baron was kept in a constant state of confusion concerning his status with the emperor his rights involving appointment of Feyd-Rautha as his heir, and other topics the Count was certain would keep tight hold of his attention It was several days after the departure of his less than welcome guests that the Baron thought to ask Teyd Rautha how he had passed the time and since the boy had been hypnoconditioned to forget what had taken FENRING, HASIMIR 215 FENRING MARGOT place between himself and Lady Margot, he could give his uncle no information Count Fenrmg's next-and last-function as servant to the emperor was to accompany his master during the final battles on Arrakis, culminating m Shaddam IV's abdication (10196) It was on this occasion, according to Lady Margot's memoirs and those of Shaddam's daughter, the Princess Irulan, that the Count wilfully disobeyed his emperor for the first time by refusing to kill a man for him The man involved was Duke Paul Muad'Dib Atreides He had fought and won a duel to the death with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, thereby crushing Shaddam s hopes of escaping Paul's demands for Irulan's hand and ascension to the throne The emperor's last chance of escape lay in Fennng's calling out the already exhausted Atreides and eliminating this last "inconvenience " The Count knew what was expected of him and studied, with the Bene Gessent techniques of observation, tile young man he was being asked to murder Unfortunately for his master, Fennng recognized m this upstart Duke all of the traits and abilities that he himself possessed, (he eombinatton that had, so long ago, led Reverend Mother Parthenn to hope that she bad found the Sisterhood's Kwtsatz Haderach He recognized, too, that the younger man lacked the flaw that had killed the old woman's hope.