First Lensman · Chapter
IX explained
Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison discuss the rampant piracy and its connection to Spaceways, revealing that many disappearances are orchestrated to supply a hidden planet where a fleet is being built.
What happens
Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison discuss the rampant piracy and its connection to Spaceways, revealing that many disappearances are orchestrated to supply a hidden planet where a fleet is being built. Samms then embarks on a perilous mission to the planet Trenco to harvest leaves, facing extreme weather and spatial distortions. Later, Samms meets his daughter Jill in a crowded restaurant to discuss the true leaders of the criminal syndicate, concluding that Senator Morgan may be more powerful than previously thought.
Themes in this chapter
Truth and Deception
Spaceways fakes pirate attacks and passenger disappearances to secretly build a fleet, deceiving the public and authorities.
Corruption and Crime
The Towne-Morgan-Isaacson gang is deeply involved in piracy, thionite, and organized crime, with politicians and executives complicit.
Sacrifice and Duty
Samms risks his life on the deadly planet Trenco to gather leaves, accepting the high casualty rate as part of his duty.
Characters to notice
- Virgil Samms
Discusses piracy with Kinnison, then leads a dangerous leaf-harvesting mission on Trenco.
- Roderick Kinnison
Reports on Operation Boskone and the hidden fleet, and reveals Project Bennett.
- Jill Samms
Meets her father in a restaurant and analyzes the criminal hierarchy, pointing to Senator Morgan as the likely real boss.
- Senator Morgan
Identified as a possible prime mover in the piracy and drug syndicate, contrary to his public image.
- Captain Willoughby
Briefs Samms on the dangers of Trenco and gives orders for the leaf-harvesting mission.
- George Olmstead
Mentioned as Fourth Officer with authority to enforce orders during the Trenco mission.
Key passages
“Murgatroyd was simply a Captain Kidd of space; and even if he were actually connected with Galactic Spaceways, that fact would not be surprising.”
Murgatroyd is just a space pirate, and it wouldn't be shocking if he worked for Galactic Spaceways.
Establishes the link between piracy and the corporation.
“It means just that. And finding out 'where' will run into a project. There are over two thousand million suns in this galaxy...”
Exactly. Locating the hidden planet will be a huge undertaking given the vast number of stars in the galaxy.
Highlights the scale of the search for the secret base.
“Next to Arisia, it's the God damndest planet in space. I've never been any closer to it than this, and I never will, so I don't know anything about it except what I hear; but there's something about it that kills men or drives them crazy.”
Trenco is one of the worst planets, second only to Arisia, and it kills or drives men insane.
Describes the extreme danger of Trenco.
“I have always thought that Morgan was nothing but a windbag.… So did I—until today. I thought that he was simply an unusually corrupt, greedy, rabble-rousing politician. Our estimates of him may have to be changed very radically.”
Both Jill and Samms previously dismissed Morgan as a mere blowhard, but now suspect he is far more powerful and dangerous.
Reveals the shift in perception of Senator Morgan's role.