Duncan Idaho prowls the amber-lit underground corridors of the Citadel, his mind inflamed by what he has witnessed among the younger Fish Speakers and fueled by a deep-seated rage against the regime. He intercepts Moneo, the majordomo, demanding to know the whereabouts of the God Emperor. Moneo calmly responds that the God Emperor is currently out in the desert testing Siona, his daughter, a revelation that temporarily halts Idaho in his tracks and shifts his anger toward the danger facing the young woman.
As the exchange continues, their conversation escalates from the permissive social behaviors within the Citadel to a bitter ideological clash over human nature, military history, and the nature of sacrifice. Idaho rails against what he perceives as moral decay and perversion, while Moneo defends the utility of redirected impulses in forging elite soldiers and servants. Moneo sharply points out Idaho's own emotional vulnerabilities and his inability to grasp the heavy price paid by the Atreides line, noting that Idaho is merely an older model compared to those who have been selectively bred over millennia.
Driven past his breaking point by Moneo's biting assessment, Idaho draws his jewelled knife and lunges at the majordomo. With astonishing speed and casual grace, Moneo easily sidesteps the attack, trips Idaho, and sends him sprawling face down onto the floor. Left kneeling and clutching his weapon in utter shock, Idaho is brought face to face with the startling physical superiority of Moneo and the chilling reality of how thoroughly the Atreides bloodline has been engineered.