The Fool

The narrator recalls Duncan, an earnest but clumsy Earth agent who tries to teach ethics, childcare and chivalry to the violent Tarchiki and runs a school for their children. His efforts include attacking a child‑sacrificing stone god, and in retaliation a Tarchiki priest kills him. The priest confesses and is executed, but the community responds by rebuilding the idol, carving it to resemble Duncan and incorporating him into their ritual life. The narrative follows cultural misunderstanding and the unforeseen consequences of interference, contrasting pacific idealism with the natives' entrenched customs.