Chapter 17 Summary

Thorby is greeted on earth by a group of expensively dressed people who claim to be his family. They introduce themselves as Uncle Jack Weemsby, cousin Leda Weemsby, and grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Bradley. Thorby is disturbed when he doesn't immediately feel any familial connection to the strange people.

Thorby rides to his new home with Leda in a "transparent bubble" vehicle which allows him view the Terran landscape during the trip.

Leda is a self-controlled, socially adept individual, but she cannot conceal her contempt when Thorby tells her he was a beggar or her incredulity when he tells her he was a slave. Leda clearly thought slavery to be something that was eliminated centuries previously.

Thorby soon learns that Rudbek is not only the name of the mansion and its sprawling grounds, but also of the city adjacent to it. Upon his...