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Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dune Messiah, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power
Religion
Guilt and Longing
Fate and Choice
Summary
Analysis
An epigraph states that Muad’Dib knew where he was bound to go and never stepped off this path; for this reason, all worship him and cannot imagine the other paths his legacy has concealed. Chapter 15 begins with Bannerjee searching a young female messenger, whom Chani identifies as one of her people from the desert. After Bannerjee searches the woman, he escorts her into Paul’s room, keeping his hand on his knife. Paul looks up from his desk as they come in. Chani and Stilgar trust Bannerjee unconditionally; Bannerjee would strangle the messenger if he had to.
The epigraph to Chapter 15 points out how Paul’s subjects revere him as a god based on the false belief that Paul’s path appeared to his subjects as the only path—as Paul’s fate and destiny. However, the epigraph clarifies that only Paul’s destination was fated—and that the path he chose was his own doing. From this perspective, Paul’s reign of power was chosen, not fated.
Themes
The messenger, who is wearing a long robe, does not look at Paul. Paul motions for Bannerjee to step aside, and the girl steps forward. When Paul clears his throat, the girl looks up at him with serious eyes, faintly clouded with semuta. Paul greets the girl. This is the “ultimate test” for the girl (who is Scytale in the disguise of a girl Paul knew in childhood). Scytale, who has never played such an “exacting” part, introduces herself as Otheym’s daughter Lichna. Scytale’s disguise fooled Chani, but it doesn’t fool Paul; this girl is older than Otheym’s daughter should be, and her voice and her robe are too exact.
Scytale’s emergence as Lichna clarifies several unresolved pieces of the story. Scytale is disguised as the daughter of Otheym—the man he visited and killed in sietch several chapters before. Presumably, after kidnapping Lichna, Scytale killed and abandoned her in the desert (where Hayt and Alia found her) in order to assume her shape. However, it is unclear what Scytale hopes to achieve with this ruse.
Themes
Paul greets Lichna warmly. Scytale-as-Lichna relaxes and says that she has a message of bad tidings. Paul feels exposed and lost; he can only glimpse the future the Face Dancer brings. If he kills Scytale, the dreaded future will come. Bannerjee moves to look at the girl. Scytale-as-Lichna says that she was told to deliver the message in private. Paul says that Bannerjee is his friend and that all messages will be heard in his presence.
It seems that Paul has certain signposts committed to memory that mark when a certain fated event is due to occur. In this way, Paul is able to delay his fate by avoiding certain actions, such as giving in and killing Scytale. Thus, though Paul can glimpse the future, he cannot see all the circumstances that surround its events.
Themes
After debating what he should do, Scytale-as-Lichna says that Otheym wants Paul to visit sietch and bring Chani with him; Chani must come so that she can attest that Otheym speaks in the Fremen way. Scytale-as-Lichna says that Otheym will tell Paul about a plot against him. At Bannerjee’s questioning, Scytale-as-Lichna explains that the plotters would kill Otheym if he came to Paul. Paul says he will go to Otheym alone because Chani is having problems with her pregnancy. When Scytale-as-Lichna protests that Chani must come, Paul corners Scytale by reminding Scytale-as-Lichna that she is supposedly Chani’s friend. Frustration crosses Scytale’s face before he can stop it; Paul—like all victims—must have the possibility of escape. However, as a kwisatz haderach, Paul would destroy himself before changing his patterns.
Presumably, Scytale is trying to convince Paul to bring Chani to sietch so that the Guild can kill her. The Guild is likely eager to dispose of Chani now that she is due to give birth to Paul’s heir. Scytale’s failure to convince Paul is a reminder that no character in the Dune universe is truly trapped; every person has a possibility for escape. In terms of fate, this suggests that, although each person has an inevitable fate, they may also face unexpected circumstances. Scytale falters when he remembers this, revealing that he made the mistake of thinking that anything in the universe could be inevitable.
Themes
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Scytale-as-Lichna says that she was told to stay in Arrakis. Paul says that he will visit Otheym with Stilgar’s wife. When Scytale protests, Paul says Lichna’s mother can oversee the visit. Paul tells Bannerjee to take Lichna away. When he tells Lichna to tell Bannerjee how to guide Paul to Otheym, she protests that only Paul can know the way. Despite Bannerjee’s warning that it is dangerous, Paul decides to go alone. He wonders if he should tell Bannerjee who Lichna is but knows that any deviation from the future he sees will cause violence. He wishes he could will himself out of his vision, but this is impossible.
In this scene, Paul very carefully follows the future that he has seen. He even mentions that resisting one’s fate is dangerous because it results in violence. In this way, foresight is a dangerous power. Not only does it expose the seer to a future that they may dread, but it also uses the threat of violence to lock a person into this future. Prescience is not so much a power that a person has, but rather a power that controls them.
Themes
