Short Fiction · Chapter
Chapter XII: The Reckoning at Rigel explained
Fifty years after the Pedagogue first orbited Rigel, the Earth teams from Texcoco and Genoa meet with the local leaders, only to be confronted by a united underground that has secretly advanced their own civilization.
What happens
Fifty years after the Pedagogue first orbited Rigel, the Earth teams from Texcoco and Genoa meet with the local leaders, only to be confronted by a united underground that has secretly advanced their own civilization. The Earthmen's plans to extend their control are thwarted as they are ordered to return to Earth, their power stripped away. The chapter culminates in the revelation that the supposedly executed Earthmen—Joe Chessman, Amschel Mayer, and others—are alive and have been aiding the Rigellians, who now demand equality with Earth.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Corruption
The Earth teams' addiction to power and their corrupt administration are directly challenged by the Rigellians, who cite Lord Acton's maxim.
Rebellion and Revolution
The Rigellian underground, formed independently on both planets, successfully revolts against Earth's control, demanding equality and self-determination.
Characters to notice
- Barry Watson
Leader of the Texcocan team, confronts the Genoese and later faces the united Rigellian opposition.
- Joseph Chessman
Revealed to be alive after being condemned, he helped the Rigellians achieve space travel and returns to lead the Earth expedition home.
- Taller
Generalissimo of Texcoco, orchestrates the peaceful coup against the Earth teams and articulates the Rigellian demand for equality.
- Amschel Mayer
Former head of the expedition, returns from captivity to reclaim leadership and expresses bitterness at the Earth teams' failures.
- Peter MacDonald
Genoese team member who proposes extending Earth's control and exploiting Rigel's dynamism, only to be overruled.
Key passages
“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The Rigellian leader quotes this Earth saying to justify their rebellion against the Earth teams' corrupt rule.
This line encapsulates the chapter's central critique of the Earth teams' abuse of authority.
“I am afraid that hard though it might be for you to give up the powers you have held so long, you Earthlings are going to have to return to Terra City, from whence you came.”
Taller informs the Earth teams that they must leave Rigel, as their power is being revoked.
This marks the climax of the Rigellian uprising and the end of Earth's dominance.