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Princess Irulan
Edric is the leader of the Guild conspiracy. His prescient powers make him essential to the conspiracy because they prevent Paul Atreides’s prescient powers from accessing their activities. He is often described as repulsive, having the body of a reptile and living in a tank of orange fluid that keeps him constantly drugged with melange.
Edric Quotes in Dune Messiah
The Dune Messiah quotes below are all either spoken by Edric or refer to Edric . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 9 Quotes
“People cling to the Imperial leadership because space is infinite. They feel lonely without a unifying symbol. For a lonely people, the Emperor is a definite place […] Perhaps religion serves the same purpose.”
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“[Genghis Khan] didn’t kill them himself. […] He killed the way I kill, by sending out his legions. There’s another emperor I want you to note in passing—a Hitler. He killed more than six million. Pretty good for those days.”
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Chapter 15 Quotes
“[Paul] was a creature who had developed firmly into one pattern. He’d destroy himself before changing into the opposite of that pattern. That had been the way with the Tleilaxu kwisatz haderach. It’d be the way with this one. And then…the ghola.”
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Edric Character Timeline in Dune Messiah
The timeline below shows where the character Edric appears in Dune Messiah. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit, Gaius Helen Mohiam—makes a cautionary statement. The Guild Steersman Edric—a human with the hands and feet of a fish who floats in a container of...
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...Bene Gesserit chose the setting—a spacious dome on a snowy planet—so as not to inhibit Edric’s space-loving psyche. He wonders if the Bene Gesserit are appealing to any of Edric’s weaknesses,...
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...Bene Gesserit do not know about deception. The Reverend Mother looks away in contemplation, and Edric confronts Scytale about his allegiance. Ignoring this, Scytale asks Princess Irulan if she is wondering...
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Princess Irulan asks how far Edric’s influence extends. Edric explains that he can see Muad’Dib’s effects but not Muad’Dib himself. The...
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Pleased at her confession, Edric says Muad’Dib must not find out. He reminds Princess Irulan that Muad’Dib has never shown...
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...Irulan asks Scytale if he always gives his victims a possible escape, and Scytale assents. Edric says that the Princess is already on their side: she spies on Muad’Dib for the...
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Edric says that every religious and political question boils down to who will exercise power. Scytale...
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With maddening long-windedness, Edric explains that Princess Irulan’s father’s army had preserved Duncan Idaho’s body and then sent it...
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...says that emotions cloud the mutual fear that prompted this meeting; they cannot pass beyond Edric’s understanding, or they will lose their shield. Ignoring his warning, the Reverend Mother questions Scytale...
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...asks Hayt his purpose, Hayt will tell him the truth, leaving Muad’Dib an escape route. Edric submits to the judgment of his colleagues and then says the Bene Gesserit’s melange stock...
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Chapter 4
...and blesses Abu d’ Dhur—a mythological idol—an action which clues Farok into Scytale’s allegiance with Edric.
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Chapter 5
...to the balcony and lead the pilgrims’ prayers. As Korba goes, Irulan wonders anxiously if Edric is hiding her actions from Alia too.
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...Guild’s request. To Irulan’s sudden fright, Paul predicts that the Guild will send a Steersman, Edric. Paul says that he cannot see the Steersman but can see where it comes from...
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Chapter 6
...the Guild visitors filing into the reception hall. The Guild’s orange and grey robes and Edric’s orange gas container cover the beautiful aquatic tiles of the hall. Paul sits on his...
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...to a halt before Paul’s throne. Paul, who is not looking at the ghola, greets Edric. Popping a melange pill, Edric offers Paul a gift: the man who looks like Duncan...
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Edric says that Hayt’s training attempted to improve his swordsmanship. Paul thinks the name Hayt is...
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Paul informs Edric that he removed the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam from the Guild’s plane, and that...
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Chapter 9
In Paul’s reception room, Edric and Paul are conversing. Edric tries to conceal his heightened claustrophobia from the small room....
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Stilgar enters and motions the guards closer to Paul. On Paul’s orders, Stilgar reluctantly moves Edric’s tank closer to Paul. Edric says that Paul at least “conspires” to be a god...
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...Stilgar moves closer to Paul. Paul feels violence in the air. He points out that Edric seems to expect the worst from him. Edric says that people always expect the worst...
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Stilgar mutters that Paul should execute Edric for accusing him of “holy fraud.” Paul tells Stilgar to remain alert. Then Paul asks...
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Paul’s claim shocks Edric. He tells Paul that he no longer trusts him. Paul cautions Edric against thinking he...
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When Scytale and Edric are gone, Stilgar remarks that Scytale’s comment was odd. Paul dims the lights and goes...
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Chapter 13
Scytale assures Edric that he came in disguise. Edric thinks it is reckless that Scytale believes his chameleon...
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Edric recoils in agitation. Scytale is filled with revulsion for him and reflects on the incompatibility...
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Edric feels confined and anxious. Scytale says that the Jihad lays a track in the sand,...
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Edric kicks his webbed feet. Scytale says that the Jihad will explode and scatter bits into...
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