Bail Channis
Encyclopedia
Bail Channis is a fictional character
from Isaac Asimov
's Foundation Series. He is described as a handsome and popular character, very self-confident and intelligent.
chooses Channis to accompany General Han Pritcher
on a search for the Second Foundation
. The Mule tells Pritcher that he has chosen Channis for the task because he, the Mule, has chosen not to tamper with Channis's mind, thus leaving Channis more capable of making intuitive leaps which might lead him to his goal. In fact, the Mule has already determined that Channis is a member of the Second Foundation
, and that he is attempting to lead the Mule into a trap. The Mule intends to use this knowledge to set a trap of his own. He secretly places a hyper tracer on Channis's ship, allowing him and his fleet to follow their progress.
Channis leads the search to Tazenda, which is a plausible place for the Second Foundation to be located. Channis and Pritcher visit a world controlled by Tazenda, Rossem, where the local elders, members of the Second Foundation, have been expecting them. When they return to their ship, Pritcher also comes to the conclusion that Channis is a member of the Second Foundation, and draws his atomic blaster
on him, saying that the Mule would shortly be coming (both men had found the hyper tracer). Channis, however, uses his mental powers to convince Pritcher that he is not a member of the Second Foundation and that he (Pritcher) was being manipulated into killing him by the Second Foundation, who Channis says had planted the hyper tracer. Pritcher, convinced, decides to hand his blaster over to Channis.
At that moment, the Mule enters, takes Pritcher's firearm, and reveals that he had followed them and taken the core of his fleet with him to destroy the Second Foundation. In an act of desperation, Channis removes Pritcher's conversion by the Mule, but restrains him so he cannot harm the Mule. Channis then states that if the Mule kills him, Pritcher's bonds will be broken and he will kill the Mule. Defeated, the Mule then proceeds to forcing the location of the Second Foundation out of Channis through mental torture
. Broken, Channis reveals its location: Rossem.
However, the Second Foundation springs its trap in a manner which proves a complete surprise to both Channis and the Mule: The Second Foundation has altered Channis' mind so that he honestly believes that Rossem is the Second Foundation, while the rest of the Second Foundation have left their real home world for Kalgan, where they will start an insurrection against the Mule. When the First Speaker
of the Second Foundation informs the Mule of this, the Mule is shocked, and lets his defenses down momentarily. The First Speaker takes advantage of this, and mentally alters the Mule so that he no longer seeks to expand his empire. The Mule returns to Kalgan, taking Pritcher with him and leaving Channis with the First Speaker.
The First Speaker brings Channis "home", where his "original" mind is restored to him. Channis realizes that he does know the real location of the Second Foundation—to his great surprise.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's Foundation Series. He is described as a handsome and popular character, very self-confident and intelligent.
Fictional history
The MuleMule (Foundation)
The Mule is a fictional character from Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. One of the greatest conquerors the galaxy has ever seen, he is a mentalic who has the ability to reach into the minds of others and "adjust" their emotions, individually or en masse, using this capability to forcibly enlist...
chooses Channis to accompany General Han Pritcher
Han Pritcher
Han Pritcher is a fictional character from Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series. He is an important character in the second part of Foundation and Empire and the first part of Second Foundation.- Fictional history :...
on a search for the Second Foundation
Second Foundation
Second Foundation is the third novel published of the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, and the fifth in the in-universe chronology. It was first published in 1953 by Gnome Press....
. The Mule tells Pritcher that he has chosen Channis for the task because he, the Mule, has chosen not to tamper with Channis's mind, thus leaving Channis more capable of making intuitive leaps which might lead him to his goal. In fact, the Mule has already determined that Channis is a member of the Second Foundation
Second Foundation
Second Foundation is the third novel published of the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, and the fifth in the in-universe chronology. It was first published in 1953 by Gnome Press....
, and that he is attempting to lead the Mule into a trap. The Mule intends to use this knowledge to set a trap of his own. He secretly places a hyper tracer on Channis's ship, allowing him and his fleet to follow their progress.
Channis leads the search to Tazenda, which is a plausible place for the Second Foundation to be located. Channis and Pritcher visit a world controlled by Tazenda, Rossem, where the local elders, members of the Second Foundation, have been expecting them. When they return to their ship, Pritcher also comes to the conclusion that Channis is a member of the Second Foundation, and draws his atomic blaster
Raygun
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns...
on him, saying that the Mule would shortly be coming (both men had found the hyper tracer). Channis, however, uses his mental powers to convince Pritcher that he is not a member of the Second Foundation and that he (Pritcher) was being manipulated into killing him by the Second Foundation, who Channis says had planted the hyper tracer. Pritcher, convinced, decides to hand his blaster over to Channis.
At that moment, the Mule enters, takes Pritcher's firearm, and reveals that he had followed them and taken the core of his fleet with him to destroy the Second Foundation. In an act of desperation, Channis removes Pritcher's conversion by the Mule, but restrains him so he cannot harm the Mule. Channis then states that if the Mule kills him, Pritcher's bonds will be broken and he will kill the Mule. Defeated, the Mule then proceeds to forcing the location of the Second Foundation out of Channis through mental torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
. Broken, Channis reveals its location: Rossem.
However, the Second Foundation springs its trap in a manner which proves a complete surprise to both Channis and the Mule: The Second Foundation has altered Channis' mind so that he honestly believes that Rossem is the Second Foundation, while the rest of the Second Foundation have left their real home world for Kalgan, where they will start an insurrection against the Mule. When the First Speaker
First Speaker
First Speaker is a post in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series of stories and novels.The First Speaker is the effective head of the Second Foundation, actually First Speaker is the Supreme and Highest Monarch all over the Galaxies...
of the Second Foundation informs the Mule of this, the Mule is shocked, and lets his defenses down momentarily. The First Speaker takes advantage of this, and mentally alters the Mule so that he no longer seeks to expand his empire. The Mule returns to Kalgan, taking Pritcher with him and leaving Channis with the First Speaker.
The First Speaker brings Channis "home", where his "original" mind is restored to him. Channis realizes that he does know the real location of the Second Foundation—to his great surprise.