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ame Alia for her suspicions。 Of course she suspects everyone even us。 Ignore that for the moment； though。 What remains as the prime arena of motives； the most fertile source of danger to the Regency？〃
〃CHOAM；〃 Idaho said； his voice mentat…flat。
Alia allowed herself a grim smile。 The bine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles！ But House Atreides dominated CHOAM with fifty…one percent of its shares。 The Priesthood of Muad'Dib held another five percent； pragmatic acceptance by the Great Houses that Dune controlled the priceless melange。 Not without reason was the spice often called 〃the secret coinage。〃 Without melange； the Spacing Guild's heighliners could not move。 Melange precipitated the 〃navigation trance〃 by which a translight pathway could be 〃seen〃 before it was traveled。 Without melange and its amplification of the human immunogenic system； life expectancy for the very rich degenerated by a factor of at least four。 Even the vast middle class of the Imperium ate diluted melange in small sprinklings with at least one meal a day。
But Alia had heard the mentat sincerity in Idaho's voice； a sound which she'd been awaiting with terrible expectancy。
CHOAM。 The bine Honnete was much more than House Atreides； much more than Dune； much more than the Priesthood or melange。 It was inkvines； whale fur； shigawire； Ixian artifacts and entertainers； trade in people and places； the Hajj； those products which came from the borderline legality of Tleilaxu technology； it was addictive drugs and medical techniques； it was transportation （the Guild） and all of the superplex merce of an empire which enpassed thousands of known planets plus some which fed secretly at the fringes； permitted there for services rendered。 When Idaho said CHOAM； he spoke of a constant ferment； intrigue within intrigue； a play of powers where the shift of one duodecimal point in interest payments could change the ownership of an entire planet。
Alia returned to stand over the two seated on the divans。 〃Something specific about CHOAM bothers you？〃 she asked。
〃There's always the heavy speculative stockpiling of spice by certain Houses；〃 Irulan said。
Alia slapped her hands against her own thighs； then gestured at the embossed spice…paper beside Irulan。 〃That demand doesn't intrigue you； ing as it does 〃
〃All right！〃 Idaho barked。 〃Out with it。 What're you withholding？ You know better than to deny the data and still expect me to function as 〃
〃There has been a recent very significant increase in trade for people with four specific specialties；〃 Alia said。 And she wondered if this would be truly new information for this pair。 〃Which specialties？〃 Irulan asked。
〃Swordmasters； twisted mentats from Tleilax； conditioned medics from the Suk school； and fincap accountants； most especially the latter。 Why would questionable bookkeeping be in demand right now？〃 She directed the question at Idaho。
Function as a mentat he thought。 Well； that was better than dwelling on what Alia had bee。 He focused on her words； replaying them in his mind mentat fashion。 Swordmasters？ That had been his own calling once。 Swordmasters were； of course； more than personal fighters。 They could repair force shields； plan military campaigns； design military support facilities； improvise weapons。 Twisted mentats？ The Tleilaxu persisted in this hoax； obviously。 As a mentat himself； Idaho knew the fragile insecurity of Tleilaxu twisting。 Great Houses which bought such mentats hoped to control them absolutely。 Impossible！ Even Piter de Vries； who'd served the Harkonnens in their assault on House Atreides； had maintained his own essential dignity； accepting death rather than surrender his inner core of selfdom at the end。 Suk doctors？ Their conditioning supposedly guaranteed them against disloyalty to their owner…patients。 Suk doctors came very expensive。 Increased purchase of Suks would involve substantial exchanges of funds。
Idaho weighed these facts against an increase in fincap accountants。
〃Prime putation；〃 he said； indicating a heavily weighted assurance that he spoke of inductive fact。 〃There's been a recent increase in wealth among Houses Minor。 Some have to be moving quietly toward Great House status。 Such wealth could only e from some specific shifts in political alignments。〃
〃We e at last to the Landsraad；〃 Alia said； voicing her own belief。
〃The next Landsraad session is almost two standard years away；〃 Irulan reminded her。
〃But political bargaining never ceases；〃 Alia said。 〃And I'll warrant some among those tribal signatories 〃 She gestured at the paper beside Irulan。 〃 are among the Houses Minor who've shifted their alignment。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 Irulan said。
〃The Landsraad；〃 Alia said。 〃What better front for the Bene Gesserits？ And what better agent for the Sisterhood than my own mother？〃 Alia planted herself directly in front of Idaho。 〃Well； Duncan？〃
Why not function as a mentat？ Idaho asked himself。 He saw the tenor of Alia's suspicions now。 After all； Duncan Idaho had been personal house guard to the Lady Jessica for many years。
〃Duncan？〃 Alia pressed。
〃You should inquire closely after any advisory legislation which may be under preparation for the next session of the Landsraad；〃 Idaho said。 〃They might take the legal position that a Regency can't veto certain kinds of legislation specifically； adjustments of taxation and the policing of cartels。 There are others； but。。。〃
〃Not a very good pragmatic bet on their part if they take that position；〃 Irulan said。
〃I agree；〃 Alia said。 〃The Sardaukar have no teeth and we still have our Fremen legions。〃
〃Careful； Alia；〃 Idaho said。 〃Our enemies would like nothing better than to make us appear monstrous。 No matter how many legions you mand； power ultimately rides on popular sufferance in an empire as scattered as this one。〃
〃Popular sufferance？〃 Irulan asked。
〃You mean Great House sufferance；〃 Alia said。
〃And how many Great Houses will we face under this new alliance？〃 Idaho asked。 〃Money is collecting in strange places！〃
〃The fringes？〃 Irulan asked。
Idaho shrugged。 It was an unanswerable question。 All of them suspected that one day the Tleilaxu or technological tinkerers on the Imperial fringes would nullify the Holtzmann Effect。 On that day； shields would be useless。 The whole precarious balance which maintained planetary feudatories would collapse。
Alia refused to consider that possibility。 〃We'll ride with what we have；〃 she said。 〃And what we have is a certain knowledge throughout the CHOAM directorate that we can destroy the spice if they force us to it。 They won't risk that。〃
〃Back to CHOAM again；〃 Irulan said。
〃Unless someone has managed to duplicate the sandtrout…sandworm cycle on another planet；〃 Idaho said。 He looked speculatively at Irulan； excited by this question。 〃Salusa Secundus？〃
〃My contacts there remain reliable；〃 Irulan said。 〃Not Salusa。〃
〃Then my answer stands；〃 Alia said； staring at Idaho。 〃We ride with what we have。〃
My move； Idaho thought。 He said： 〃Why'd you drag me away from important work？ You could've worked this out yourself。〃
〃Don't take that tone with me！〃 Alia snapped。
Idaho's eyes went wide。 For an instant； he'd s