Mentats of Dune

Chapter 62 (Inflexible convictions are powerful things)

Gilbertus knew the school’s situation would only grow more dangerous by the day. The Butlerians had proven themselves to be volatile and prone to violence, and with his refusal to take the oath, he had just jabbed them with a sharp stick.

Nevertheless, he approached the crisis with cool logic. An hour after the Butlerian delegation left in a huff, he called the entire student body and addressed them in the main lecture hall. This was the same auditorium where he had dissected thinking-machine brains and human brains; here, he had also debated the merits of computers while some students listened in horror. That debate had provoked an extreme reaction from the Butlerians, who forced him to retract his statements and destroy all robot specimens stored at the school.

All of the robot specimens they knew about.

“Many people on Lampadas have already sworn the new Butlerian oath without giving it a second thought, and they are welcome to do so,” Gilbertus said to the students in the auditorium. “But I expect you to be deep thinkers and understand the nuances involved.” He paced in front of them. “I comprehend why Manford feels the need for such an oath, but I make an important distinction, not merely an esoteric one. An oath should neither be reactionary, nor taken in haste. A commitment is a serious matter.”

He paused to look at them all. “This school is vital. Our teachings are vital. We teach you how to think, not what to think. The mind of man is holy, as the Butlerian mantra says. It cannot be battered into submission by threat of violence. Absolute rules are for unthinking people. Sheep require fences — humans do not.”

Gilbertus saw remarkable courage on the faces of most students, and he was proud of them. With emotion welling up, he continued, “I understand, however, that some of you may disagree with my stance. Therefore, anyone who wishes to depart from the school may do so right now. I will not make you listen to my words or abide by my teachings. You have all the data necessary. Consider your decision and follow your conscience.” He raised his hand. “But if you choose to stay here and stand by me, then I expect you not to change your mind.”

Alys Carroll and twenty-two others departed promptly, saying that if they hurried down the narrow swamp road, they might even catch up with Deacon Harian’s departing entourage. Watching the Butlerian-trained students go, Gilbertus felt a sense of relief. He had been forced to accept them in his school in the first place, and had never wanted them in his midst.

The more he observed the dangerous collective mindset of the antitechnology fanatics, the more he appreciated Draigo Roget’s abilities. And the more convinced he was that he should have stood up to Manford long before now.

Unfortunately, the departing students also carried knowledge of the Mentat School’s physical layout, perimeter, and defenses. As a practical matter, Gilbertus immediately assigned his remaining trainees to shore up and alter the defenses, providing additional physical and electronic barriers on the lake side, as well as strengthening the gates and walls. The security codes would be modified.

He sensed the changing mood among his students as they ran Mentat projections of their own — undoubtedly realizing that they were in the midst of a serious and deadly conflict. For his own part, Gilbertus had spent a great deal of time studying Manford’s followers, and he expected the fervor to grow worse than even his most concerned students feared, or projected. Manford’s retaliation against the school would be swift and brutal — as it had been at the town of Dove’s Haven.

But Gilbertus and his Mentats would not be taken unawares.

The Headmaster circulated the complete text of the new oath and, as an exercise, requested that his students compile a list of the document’s flaws, contradictions, and loopholes. “When one swears on one’s life, the agreement should be absolutely clear, without equivocation, and without gray areas.”

In ensuing days, led by Zendur as if this were no different from any other class, the students discussed, documented, and presented the Headmaster with more than five hundred weaknesses in the one-page oath, many of which even Gilbertus had not considered. It was valuable ammunition for his debate with Manford Torondo … though he doubted the Butlerian leader would be in the mood for open intellectual discourse when he arrived.

Next, as a strategic exercise, Gilbertus asked his students to develop scenarios of how the Butlerians might respond — and to consider the very real possibility of deadly violence. He wanted to make certain they were loaded with all the mental ammunition they needed in order to make their decision about the oath.

Erasmus also understood the danger. He urged, “You must prepare a way for us to escape! You should have made plans earlier.”

Shaking his head, Gilbertus said, “You sound emotional, Father. Are you afraid of dying? I’m not afraid for myself.”

“I fear the destruction of all of my knowledge and ruminations. The loss to the universe would be extreme. Therefore, it is my duty to survive.”

“I have a similar devotion to my school. This institution is my life’s work, and it needs to stand for something.” He drew in a deep breath. “If I simply abandon them and run, it would be like watching a house burn without lifting a finger to extinguish the flames.”

Before retiring for the night, when Gilbertus knew the robot would be deep in his private conversations with Anna Corrino, he decided to check the school’s private hangar to make sure he still had his escape shuttle. If the worst happened, the shuttle might be the only way for him to save his beloved Erasmus.

He was shocked to discover that someone, perhaps the zealot Alys Carroll, had dismantled the flyer’s engine and smashed several vital components before departing. He did not have the spare parts to repair such damage.

Now Gilbertus had no way out.

WHEN MANFORD RETURNED from Salusa Secundus, he was both disturbed and disappointed to learn how the Headmaster of the Mentat School had defied him. He had considered Gilbertus Albans an ally, and Mentats were certainly useful, but he had always felt an ember of doubt. The very idea of creating humans that emulated computers made him uneasy.

He fell silent, pondered what to do.

Deacon Harian’s face reddened, and his voice rose. “He betrayed you, Leader Torondo! I always suspected that man was secretly a Machine Apologist.”

“Headmaster Albans knows what our people could do to him and to his school. What reason did he give for his refusal to take the oath? Does he have some esoteric concern about the wording — a concern that means nothing to anyone except himself and his students?”

“That is what he claims,” Harian said, “but I do not believe him.”

Sister Woodra paced the floor of the headquarters office. “I want to go there and see the Headmaster myself, and observe whether he tells the truth.”

Manford narrowed his gaze. “I doubt he poses an outright threat — unlike Directeur Venport.”

“Do not underestimate him! Even now, he is corrupting the minds of those trainees — and that makes him a threat,” Harian insisted.

Anari Idaho was not convinced either. “Regardless of the man’s motives or objections, we cannot allow him to defy a clear order. Manford guides us. Manford thinks about what needs to be considered, and Manford draws the conclusions that are right for all of us. If we allow Headmaster Albans to express doubts, even as an intellectual exercise, then he may encourage others to doubt. They may draw conclusions that differ from the approved canon. I agree that the man is dangerous.” She grabbed the hilt of her sword. “We need to go to the school, strike him down, and capture the other Mentats for retraining — or kill them. Then we’ll sink the buildings into the marsh lake. It is the only way to be certain.”

Sister Woodra added, “And we need to take Anna Corrino under our protection, until the Emperor has followed through on his commitment to take over VenHold’s melange operations.”

Manford knew they were right, but he was hesitant. Gilbertus Albans had proved useful in the past, and destroying the Mentat School would not be like killing the weak and gullible people on Baridge, who chose their own comforts over the austerity of true faith. He shook his head slowly. “I still respect Headmaster Albans, and I am saddened it has come to this. I must confront him with these accusations.”

“The man is a traitor and a spy,” Harian said, “just like your household servant was.”

Manford made up his mind. “We will bring a Butlerian army to the Mentat School and resolve this, but our main battle is not here on Lampadas against a group of scholars who seek to make computers irrelevant. I want all of our supporters in harmony so we can fight the true threat of Directeur Venport. I would much rather secure the Headmaster’s cooperation. Maybe I can still convince him to swear the oath.”

Anari, Harian, and Sister Woodra shook their heads at this optimism, but Manford raised his voice. “I’ve seen the worth of Mentat trainees. Alys Carroll and her comrades survived the seduction of technology, and now they are better for it … but the graduates must think properly. The Mentat academy must only teach appropriate lessons. No matter what happens, I’ll need to impose changes.”

“We’ll bring the whole population of Lampadas to besiege the school. That will make the Mentats quake behind their walls,” Anari said, and he had no doubt that she could do exactly that.

“No need for that yet. Such a huge group of followers setting up camp in the swamplands would be … unwieldy,” he said. “Bring your Swordmasters and five hundred Butlerian soldiers. That should be more than enough.”

“We’ll set out within a day,” Anari promised.

Manford realized that this crisis could be a pivotal point for his movement, and he had to mitigate the damage that had already been done. If weak spots appeared among the faithful, some of his followers would lose their resolve when VenHold kept dangling the so-called advantages of forbidden technology in front of their faces. Manford didn’t dare fail.

Gilbertus might have to serve as an example. A lesson.

“We’ll take over the school and salvage what we can,” he said. “We shall reprogram the errant human computers.”