# VIII explained — Voodoo Planet > Chapter companion for Voodoo Planet by Andre Norton. ## What happens Medic Tau engages in a psychic duel with Lumbrilo, transforming into beasts and countering the witch doctor's magical attacks. Tau turns Lumbrilo's own magic against him, summoning shadow lions to hunt the witch doctor, who breaks and flees. After the confrontation, Tau collapses from exhaustion. The crew captures the poachers, and Chief Ranger Asaki invites them to visit the Zoboru preserve, but Captain Jellico declines, citing the need to return to the Solar Queen. ## Themes in this chapter ### Science vs. Superstition Tau uses rational counter-magic and psychological tactics to defeat Lumbrilo's supernatural attacks, highlighting the clash between scientific and superstitious worldviews. ### Power and Corruption Lumbrilo's misuse of his magical power to hunt and terrorize others is confronted and overturned by Tau, who turns the hunter into the hunted. ### Survival and Resilience Tau withstands Lumbrilo's psychic assaults, including fire and painful memories, and ultimately prevails through endurance and mental strength. ## Character check-ins ### Medic Tau Engages in a psychic duel with Lumbrilo, transforming into a gorilla and summoning shadow lions; collapses from exhaustion afterward. ### Dane Thorson Beats the drum to disrupt Lumbrilo's chanting, fires a blaster to protect Tau, and catches Tau when he collapses. ### Lumbrilo of Khatka Witch doctor who attacks Tau with fire, memories, and transformations; ultimately broken and flees when Tau turns his magic against him. ### Captain Jellico Oversees the aftermath, examines Tau, and declines Asaki's invitation to visit Zoboru preserve. ### Chief Ranger Asaki Conducts an inquiry with Jellico, rounds up prisoners, and invites the crew to visit the Zoboru preserve. ### Nymani Rounds up the native hunters and assists in securing prisoners. ## Key lines > Raising both hands again the medic brought them down, curling inward, until he stooped and touched them to the ground. When he straightened once again the knife was in his grasp and he tossed it behind him. Tau raised his hands, bent down, touched the ground, and then straightened up holding a knife, which he threw away. _Tau discards a weapon, signaling his intention to face Lumbrilo without physical arms._ > A black and white beast stood where the man had been, its tufted tail lashing, its muzzle a mask of snarling hate and blood lust. Lumbrilo transformed into a black-and-white lion-like creature, showing aggression and bloodlust. _Lumbrilo uses shape-shifting magic to intimidate Tau._ > But Tau met that transformation with laughter which was like the lash of a whip. Tau laughed sharply at Lumbrilo's transformation, dismissing it as a trick. _Tau's laughter shows his confidence and disdain for Lumbrilo's magic._ > The huge, hairy thing which swayed in his place turned a gorilla’s beast visage to his enemy. Tau transformed into a gorilla-like creature to face Lumbrilo's lion form. _Tau mirrors Lumbrilo's transformation, demonstrating his own psychic power._ > Lumbrilo was chanting—a heavy blast of words. Dane stiffened; his traitorous hands were falling into the rhythm of that other song! Lumbrilo chanted, and Dane's hands began to follow the rhythm against his will. _Lumbrilo's chant has a hypnotic effect, threatening to control Dane._ > The pillar of fire swayed, fluttered as if a wind drove it—and was gone. Tau, unmarked, smiled. The fire pillar around Tau dissipated, leaving him unharmed and smiling. _Tau withstands Lumbrilo's fire attack without injury._ > Shapes came flooding out of the night, some monstrous, some human, streaming past Lumbrilo to crowd into the circle of firelight. Lumbrilo summoned apparitions from Tau's memories, both human and monstrous. _Lumbrilo attacks Tau by manifesting painful memories._ > Tau’s face, strained, fined to the well-shaped bones beneath the thin flesh, holding still a twisted smile as he met each memory, accepted the pain it held for him, and set it aside unshaken. Tau's face showed strain but he smiled grimly, confronting each memory and overcoming the pain. _Tau's resilience allows him to defeat Lumbrilo's memory attack._ > Those shadows were growing as plants might issue from the packed soil of the camping ground. When his hands were shoulder high, Tau held them steady. Now on either side of his tautly held body crouched one of the black-and-white lions. Shadows rose from the ground beside Tau, forming into two black-and-white lions. _Tau creates shadow lions to hunt Lumbrilo, turning his own magic against him._ > Lumbrilo broke then, completely. With a wailing cry he whirled and ran, crashing into the brush as one who runs blindly and without hope. Lumbrilo screamed and fled into the brush, completely defeated and desperate. _Lumbrilo's psychological collapse marks his defeat._ > Tau swayed, put his hand to his head. Dane kicked away the drum, arose from his cramped position stiffly to go to him. Tau staggered and held his head; Dane abandoned the drum and went to support him. _Tau is exhausted after the duel, and Dane rushes to help._ > For one horror-filled moment Dane feared that he did indeed hold a dead man... Then Tau sighed and began to breathe deeply. Dane feared Tau was dead, but then Tau sighed and started breathing normally. _Tau collapses but is only asleep from exhaustion._ > The captain of the Queen held up his hand. 'Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to inspect the Zoboru preserve, sir—next year.' Jellico politely declined Asaki's invitation to visit the preserve, saying he would do it next year. _Jellico refuses the invitation, prioritizing the ship's schedule._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/voodoo_planet_se/chapters/viii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/voodoo_planet_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/voodoo_planet_se/chapters