Scytale (Dune)
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Scytale is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. In the novel Dune Messiah, Scytale is a Tleilaxu Face Dancer who participates in the conspiracy to topple the rule of Paul Atreides. He later returns as a ghola in Heretics of Dune and again as a Tleilaxu Master in Chapterhouse Dune. Finally, Scytale's story continues in Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's sequel novels that complete Frank Herbert's original series.
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[edit] Dune Messiah
In Dune Messiah Tleilaxu Face Dancer Scytale is involved with the Guild Navigator Edric, Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, and Princess Irulan Corrino, consort of Emperor Paul Atreides (Muad'Dib), in a plot to assassinate and later force Paul to abdicate his throne and renounce his Qizarate religion. Scytale is arguably the smartest conspirator.
Scytale kills and assumes the appearance of Otheym's daughter Lichna of Berk al Dib in order to gain entrance to the Atreides Keep at Arrakeen and lure Paul out to Otheym's house where the conspirators had planted a nuclear weapon called a stone burner. The attack fails to kill Paul, but the atomic blast blinds him.
Soon after, Scytale holds a knife over Paul's newborn twins, Leto II and Ghanima, threatening their deaths unless Paul gives in to their demands. Guided by a prescient vision from his infant son, Paul throws a crysknife and kills the Face Dancer. Paul does relinquish his throne by, according to Fremen tradition for one who is blind, wandering into the desert alone to die, but circumstances only further cement the Atreides claim on the Empire for his children.
[edit] Heretics of Dune
Scytale reappears in Heretics of Dune as a Master, which is the source of much debate among Dune fans. After learning how to restore a ghola's memories in Dune Messiah, the Bene Tleilaxu Masters use this knowledge as a form of immortality. The subject of the debate is if a Face Dancer can become a Master.
[edit] Chapterhouse Dune
In Chapterhouse Dune, the Honored Matres destroy the Bene Tleilax worlds and Rakis in retaliation for the Tleilaxu role in programming the latest Duncan Idaho ghola with knowledge of how to sexually enslave Honored Matres. Scytale barely escapes the attack while leaving his homeworld and is picked up and held prisoner by the Bene Gesserit and kept in the no-ship which also holds Duncan and the last remaining sandworm from Dune. Scytale's secret bargaining chips are secret knowledge of creating artificial spice, and a nullentropy capsule containing cells carefully and secretly collected by the Tleilaxu for millennia:
Scytale rubbed his breast, reminding himself of what was hidden there with such skill that not even a scar marked the place. Each Master had carried this resource — a nullentropy capsule preserving the seed cells of a multitude: fellow Masters of the central kehl, Face Dancers, technical specialists and others he knew would be attractive to the women of Shaitan . . . and to many weakling powindah! Paul Atreides and his beloved Chani were there. (Oh what that had cost in searching garments of the dead for random cells!) The original Duncan Idaho was there with other Atreides minions — the Mentat Thufir Hawat, Gurney Halleck, the Fremen Naib Stilgar . . . enough potential servants and slaves to people a Tleilaxu universe.
The prize of prizes in the nullentropy tube, the ones he longed to bring into existence, made him catch his breath when he thought of them. Perfect Face Dancers! Perfect mimics. Perfect recorders of a victim's persona. Capable of deceiving even the witches of the Bene Gesserit. Not even shere could prevent them from capturing the mind of another.
The tube he thought of as his ultimate bargaining power. No one must know of it.
[edit] Hunters of Dune
In Hunters of Dune, Scytale remains a prisoner on the no-ship (now named the Ithaca by its passengers), which has escaped the Bene Gesserit planet Chapterhouse and wanders in deep space. He is desperate; the Tleilaxu sustain their lives indefinitely through the use of gholas; his current body is slowly dying, and he does not have another to replace it. Needing to grow a new ghola of himself, his only bargaining tool is the secret nullentropy capsule.
It is noted that other cells in Scytale's possession include those of Duke Leto Atreides, Lady Jessica, Leto II and other legendary figures dating back to Serena Butler and Xavier Harkonnen from the Butlerian Jihad. The Bene Gesserit have a vicious debate over whether to create gholas of any of these historical figures. Sheeana believes they may prove useful, while others fear the return of such 'mistakes' as Leto II. Despite the controversy, gholas are created, a few at a time. Scytale is allowed to have his own once the first few have been born.
