Chapter 43 (Successful people sort through priorities)

Valya Harkonnen arrives at the Ginaz School to enhance her already formidable combat abilities for both the Sisterhood’s advancement and her personal vendetta. Reflecting on past bonds with Griffin and Tula, she intends to fuse Bene Gesserit control with Swordmaster technique. An aide, Rissar, prepares the students and orders them to wait in silence on a seaside promontory.

Valya scans the trainees, identifies a compact, poised man as different, breaks formation, and exposes him as their instructor, Master Placido. Placido emphasizes assessment over showmanship and orders paired bouts to gauge the class. Valya dispatches opponent after opponent, notably flooring the prideful Linari, and emerges as the elite student while holding back.

Challenging Placido, Valya enters a tense duel. Placido lectures as he fights, demonstrating fluid unpredictability, disarming cunning by lifting a sword from her scabbard mid-motion, and finally striking Valya hard before vanishing down the cliff and reappearing unfazed. The exchange humbles Valya and proves that she still has much to learn.

Afterward, mutual respect forms. Placido notes the fire in Valya’s eyes and deduces she seeks to kill someone; he warns that Swordmaster training is not for murderers. Valya admits she channels hatred toward a private enemy to intensify her training. Placido accepts the tactic as a personal adaptation and suggests others do likewise, setting a tone for rigorous, individualized instruction.