Raquella reads Sister Perianna’s report from the Imperial Court and finds it largely useless. Perianna lost her position after being caught spying clumsily, and the information she brought back concerns only minor domestic details about Salvador, Roderick, and their wives.

Raquella leaves her office to observe classes and is intercepted by Sister Dorotea, whose growing interference has begun to irritate her. The previous evening, Dorotea had brought Valya and Anna Corrino to Raquella after Anna trespassed in the jungle laboratories, but Raquella dismissed the incident as Valya’s responsibility.

Dorotea now presses a more serious concern: she has read the report on Sister Ingrid’s death and believes the supposed accident should be investigated as a possible murder. Raquella insists Ingrid merely fell from a dangerous cliff path and challenges Dorotea to provide evidence. Dorotea has none, so Raquella refuses to reopen the matter.

Sabra Hublein arrives in alarm and asks to speak privately. In Raquella’s office, Sabra explains that the Sisterhood’s computers and Sister Mentats have projected Emperor Salvador Corrino’s bloodline through many possible mates. The models indicate that if Salvador has descendants, his line is likely to produce an unprecedented tyrant within five to ten generations, causing bloodshed on a scale comparable to the Jihad.

Raquella asks whether Roderick Corrino and his children pose the same danger, but Sabra says the threat is specific to Salvador’s maternal genetics. Raquella concludes that no one outside the Sisterhood will recognize the danger and decides to prevent Salvador from fathering children. Although Raquella prefers sterilization over assassination, she resolves that the Sisterhood must act for the welfare of the Imperium.