“Piter spoke to Jessica. "I'd thought of binding you by a threat held over your son, but I begin to see that would not have worked. I let emotion cloud reason. Bad policy for a Mentat.”

“Are you already training my replacement? Piter demanded. "Replace you? Why, Piter, where could I find another Mentat with your cunning and venom?""The same place you found me, Baron.""Perhaps I should at that," the Baron mused. "You do seem a bit unstable lately. And the spice you eat!""Are my pleasures too expensive, Baron? Do you object to them?""My dear Piter, your pleasures are what tie you to me. How could I object to that?”

“Ah, Hah! But you see, Baron, I know as a Mentat when you will send the executioner. You will hold back just so long as I am useful. To move sooner would be wasteful and I'm yet of much use. I know what it is you learned from that lovely Dune planet - waste not? True, Baron?-Piter De Vries”

“Let him then have powers commensurate with his utmost possible need, only let him be held strictly responsible for the exercise of them. Any other course would be injustice as well as bad policy”

“I knew nothing of death, and, for some unexplainable reason, I was beginning to feel guilty for that. -Jessica”

“Jessica," he said gravely. "I will be your champion,if you let me. If I have to take on the role of knight, I want to be yours. Let me be your protector.”