Duncan Idaho undertakes a perilous, equipment-free ascent of the massive sheer wall enclosing the Sareer, relying solely on muscle memory inherited from his Tleilaxu-created youth and survival instincts from his childhood on his home planet. Below, Siona, Nayla, and the Museum Fremen watcher Garun observe the climb, reflecting on the upcoming arrival of the God Emperor Leto, who is scheduled to visit Tuono for his wedding. While Siona had demanded the climb to prepare for the God Emperor, Nayla watches with a mixture of religious awe, viewing the dangerous climb as an embodiment of divine will.
As Idaho struggles against exhaustion and momentary lapses in his concentration, he grapples with thoughts of his past gholas, his deep-seated animosity toward Leto, and the political suspicions shared by Siona. Recognizing Leto not as a human ruler, but as an opaque, unyielding force of nature, Idaho channels his desperation to fuel his resolve. He successfully reaches the summit without deploying his pitons, standing triumphantly atop the nine-hundred-metre-high barrier.
Looking out across the expanse, Idaho inspects the immense, five-hundred-metre-wide Royal Roadway and traces its path toward a distant bridge spanning a river gorge. He analyzes the strategic layout of the terrain, assessing its tactical advantages and potential vulnerabilities. When Idaho finally lowers the light rope to pull up the heavier equipment for Siona and the others, Nayla experiences a powerful physical climax at the sight of the snaking rope, cementing her complex obsession with the climber and the unfolding fate ordained by God.