On Rossak, Dorotea draws Valya away from the other Sisters to speak privately on the broad lavender canopy. Valya remains wary because Dorotea has grown suspicious after Anna Corrino’s attempted theft of a Reverend Mother poison and the official dismissal of Ingrid’s death, which Valya secretly caused.

Valya maintains a pretense of friendship so she can monitor Dorotea’s secret anti-technology faction and protect the hidden breeding computers. Valya recognizes that Dorotea is dangerous while Raquella is away at the Suk School, and Valya is prepared to kill again if necessary to preserve the Sisterhood’s secrets.

Dorotea reveals two capsules derived from the Rossak drug and urges Valya to take the ordeal with her. Dorotea believes that surviving the poison would make them Reverend Mothers, allow them to equal Raquella, expose corruption within the Sisterhood, and uncover the truth about Ingrid’s death. Valya stalls, arguing that the attempt should happen under medical supervision and that losing both of them would harm the school.

Dorotea insists that the ordeal is an inner battle and accuses Valya of fear. Valya accepts a capsule to avoid appearing cowardly and to keep Dorotea from seeing through her resistance, but Valya has no intention of risking her own plans for House Harkonnen and Griffin.

Dorotea swallows her capsule immediately. Valya only pretends to take hers, palming it instead, then watches Dorotea convulse in agony and fall still on the canopy. Valya drops her unused capsule through the branches and, as other Sisters rush toward them, fakes her own collapse and spasms to conceal her deception.