Four-Day Planet · Chapter
Main City Level explained
Walt Boyd returns to the Times office with Bish Ware after Glenn Murell is attacked by a tread-snail at the spaceport.
What happens
Walt Boyd returns to the Times office with Bish Ware after Glenn Murell is attacked by a tread-snail at the spaceport. Ralph Boyd edits the news coverage, including Leo Belsher's statement and the arrival of the Peenemünde. A dinner conversation explores the lawless state of Port Sandor, the possibility of lynch law or civil war, and the hope of Federation intervention. Walt suggests Bish Ware has a purpose in helping to stall a blowup until the Cape Canaveral arrives.
Themes in this chapter
Corruption and Abuse of Power
Port Sandor is described as having no legal government; Hallstock and Ravick have turned the town into a dictatorship with armed enforcers.
Journalism and the Pursuit of Truth
Ralph Boyd edits news coverage and sends stories to Interworld News; the Times exercises judgment in reporting to avoid harming advertisers.
Community Solidarity vs. Individual Greed
Discussion of forming an honest cooperative and honest government versus the greed of Belsher, Hallstock, and Ravick.
Violence and Revolutionary Action
The possibility of lynch law or civil war is debated as a means to overthrow the corrupt leadership.
Characters to notice
- Bish Ware
Saves Murell from tread-snail, declines publicity, discusses lawlessness and potential civil war with the Boyds.
- Glenn Murell
Attacked by a tread-snail upon arrival; hospitalized at spaceport.
- Tom Kivelson
Helps transport Murell's luggage to the Times; leaves to see his father before the Hunters' Hall meeting.
- Walt Boyd
Narrator; returns to the Times with Bish, discusses the political situation, suggests Bish has a purpose.
- Ralph Boyd
Edits the newscast, discusses lynch law and the lack of government on Fenris, advocates for Federation intervention.
- Julio Kubanoff
Staff member at the Times; setting up a story about a fight in Martian Joe's.
- Leo Belsher
Mentioned as making an idiotic statement; target of potential lynch law.
- Morton Hallstock
Mentioned as a target of potential lynch law; described as having turned the town meeting government into a dictatorship.
Key passages
“a second slower, we’d be all out of visiting authors. That would have been a nice business; story would have gotten back to Terra, and been most unfortunate publicity for Fenris. And, of course,” he afterthoughted, “most unfortunate for Mr. Murell, too.””
If Bish had been a moment slower, Murell would have died, causing bad publicity for Fenris and harming Murell.
Ralph Boyd comments on the narrow escape and its implications for Fenris's reputation.
“Lynch law is a horrible thing; don’t make any mistake about that. But there’s one thing more horrible, and that’s no law at all. And that is the present situation in Port Sandor.”
Lynching is terrible, but having no law is worse, which is the current state of Port Sandor.
Ralph Boyd justifies the consideration of lynch law due to the absence of legal government.
“Start killing people here in a faction fight, and somebody will be shooting somebody in the back out of a dark passage a hundred years from now over it. You want this planet poisoned with blood feuds for the next century?”
If factional killings begin, they will lead to centuries of blood feuds, poisoning the planet.
Bish Ware warns against the long-term consequences of civil war.
