The Cosmic Computer · Chapter
XVII explained
Conn and his father return to a volatile Storisende, where the Merlin hysteria has escalated into violence and paranoia.
What happens
Conn and his father return to a volatile Storisende, where the Merlin hysteria has escalated into violence and paranoia. After surviving an assassination attempt at the spaceport, they join Wade Lucas, who has deduced their secret and become a reluctant partner. A tense meeting reveals the city is rife with corporate infighting, espionage, and the brutal mind-probing of Rodney's secretary. Conn learns of the ongoing conference to partition the Alpha Gartner System and the deepening schism between those searching for Merlin at Force Command. Amidst the chaos, Conn agrees to investigate the mysterious preacher Leibert, whom Tom Brangwyn suspects is a fraud.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Leadership
Conn and his father maintain the Merlin myth to control the economic boom, while Wade Lucas warns of the inevitable collapse. The chapter explores the moral cost of leading through lies.
Faith and Credulity
The Merlin hysteria spawns violent sects and a fake preacher (Leibert), highlighting how blind faith can be exploited and manipulated.
Economic Decline and Revival
The frantic corporate meetings and partitioning of the Alpha Gartner System reflect the chaotic economic revival driven by the Merlin myth.
Characters to notice
- Conn Maxwell
Returns to Storisende, survives an assassination attempt, and learns of the escalating violence and corporate scheming. He agrees to investigate the mysterious preacher Leibert.
- Rodney Maxwell
Heavily armed and guarded, he reveals the dangerous state of affairs, including the disappearance and mind-probing of his secretary. He has admitted Wade Lucas into their secret.
- Wade Lucas
Now a reluctant partner who has deduced the truth about Merlin. He argues for stopping the deception, fearing the consequences.
- Colonel Klem Zareff
At Force Command, he has fortified the mesa with heavy armament and expresses suspicion about the preacher Leibert.
- Tom Brangwyn
Shares Zareff's suspicion of Leibert, having gathered audiovisual evidence that the preacher is a fake from Morven.
- Yves Jacquemont
Arrives at the spaceport and is briefed on the dangerous conditions; he coordinates the unloading of the Helen O'Loy.
Key passages
“Tell them the truth? They'd lynch us, and then go on hunting for Merlin.”
Conn argues that revealing the truth would lead to their deaths and wouldn't stop the people from searching for Merlin.
Highlights the inescapable trap of the deception.
“Somebody who either didn't know how to use one or didn't care what happened had used a mind-probe on her. It's twenty to one she'll never recover.”
Rodney describes how his secretary was brutally mind-probed, likely by someone inexperienced or ruthless, leaving her permanently damaged.
Illustrates the brutal tactics used by unknown adversaries.
“He's a fake, I tell you.”
Tom Brangwyn asserts that the preacher Leibert is an impostor, based on his investigation.
Introduces suspicion about a key figure in the Merlin mania.