Fleeing northward through the moonlit Forbidden Forest of Arrakis, a desperate group of eleven rebels is hunted by the lethal D-wolves, massive guardian beasts bred by the immortal tyrant Leto Atreides. As the pack closes in, the desperate runners are systematically picked off one by one. Ulot, burdened by exhaustion and a round physique, is the first to be overtaken and killed by the ruthless animals. Kwuteg, an athletic veteran with an injured knee, fights valiantly against the pursuing pack to buy precious time, ultimately sacrificing his life so that Siona, the fastest runner and bearer of the stolen Citadel plans and cryptic volumes, can escape.
Siona presses on through the dark woods, driven by grief and a fierce desire for vengeance against Leto, who has ruled the multi-galactic empire with an enforced peace for over three thousand years. Reaching the banks of the Idaho River, she plunges into the freezing water just as the remaining D-wolves arrive at the edge. Conditioned to respect territorial boundaries, the pack stops at the water's edge and retreats into the forest, leaving Siona safely on the opposite shore. Clutching the dry, sealed kit containing the stolen documents, Siona vows to use the secrets within to destroy the tyrant.
The narrative shifts to the translated journals of Leto Atreides II himself, who reflects upon his ancient lineage, his multi-millennial metamorphosis into a pre-worm hybrid covered in sandtrout skin, and his absolute control over the universe's sole supply of the valuable melange spice. Leto observes Siona's daring raid through his Ixian monitoring devices, noting that he deliberately allowed the D-wolves to hunt the insurgents as part of the rigorous testing required by the Golden Path—the ultimate survival of humankind.
The chapter concludes with a historical dialogue from the Welbeck Fragment between a young Siona and her father, Moneo, who serves as Leto's chief aide. Siona confronts her father about the tyrant's murderous reputation and the deaths of previous Duncan Idahos, while Moneo defends Leto, insisting that the emperor himself kills no one and that survival depends entirely on recognizing the approaching presence of the worm of God.