Why Ducem Barr and Lathan Devers went to Siwenna in Foundation and Empire?

[Ultragabu]

Hello. I'm reading Foundation and Empire for the first time and something is disturbing me. In the chapter 'To Trantor' Barr and Devers decide to go to Trantor for an audience with the Emperor so they can give him a message. The following chapter, 'On Trantor', begins with a description of the capital planet of the Empire. After this bit follows a description of the bureaucratic procedures for entering the planet and how Devers bribed his way in.

After that there is the confusing part. It says

'The two men, trader and patrician, entered Siwenna'.

Siwenna is a different planet. It is a subject of Trantor, but it is not Trantor. If they're in Siwenna why the description of Trantor?

Thank you.

 

[Son of Valhalla]

That's a good question! I initially thought this during the part with the Mule, but I will have to reread through the book to remember why they travel to Siwenna. If nobody else gets to you, I'll get back within a week.

 

[dekket]

From memory Barr and Devers go to Siwenna following their escape from Trantor, for the signing of the treaty with the Foundation. The Siwenna sector was the first to switch directly from the Empires political rule to the Foundations trade empire.

However, as is dwelt upon more in the prequels Forward the Foundation and Prelude to Foundation, there is a region on Trantor that is called the Siwenna sector. It has been a while since I read Foundation and Empire, so I dont exactly remember the section dealing with the arrival on Trantor.

 

[Ultragabu]

From memory Barr and Devers go to Siwenna following their escape from Trantor, for the signing of the treaty with the Foundation. The Siwenna sector was the first to switch directly from the Empires political rule to the Foundations trade empire.

However, as is dwelt upon more in the prequels Forward the Foundation and Prelude to Foundation, there is a region on Trantor that is called the Siwenna sector. It has been a while since I read Foundation and Empire, so I dont exactly remember the section dealing with the arrival on Trantor.

After they escape Trantor I believe they go to Siwenna, but this part I mentioned ("The two men, trader and patrician, entered Siwenna") is in the beginning of the chapter. And after that it doesn't mention a travel from Siwenna to Trantor. My guess was that Asimov wanted to say Trantor but said Siwenna instead.

 

[Ultragabu]

That's a good question! I initially thought this during the part with the Mule, but I will have to reread through the book to remember why they travel to Siwenna. If nobody else gets to you, I'll get back within a week.

Thank you, Son of Valhalla. As I said to dekket, after they escape Trantor I believe they go to Siwenna, but this part I mentioned ("The two men, trader and patrician, entered Siwenna") is in the beginning of the chapter. And after that it doesn't mention a travel from Siwenna to Trantor. My guess was that Asimov wanted to say Trantor but said Siwenna instead.

 

[Son of Valhalla]

Thank you, Son of Valhalla. As I said to dekket, after they escape Trantor I believe they go to Siwenna, but this part I mentioned ("The two men, trader and patrician, entered Siwenna") is in the beginning of the chapter. And after that it doesn't mention a travel from Siwenna to Trantor. My guess was that Asimov wanted to say Trantor but said Siwenna instead.

They might have intended to actually go to Trantor to end the war if Onum Barr was there. It just makes more sense. Although, I think you're right, and Asimov really did screw up and name the wrong planet entirely.

 

[Paul_C]

Book Errata - Typos and More - Corrigenda

My copy (1977) contains all the issues mentioned, including the one you asked about.

 

[dekket]

My Grafton Books copy, in the 9th chapter (On Trantor) states "The two men, trader and patrician, entered Trantor." It seems tohave been corrected in this one. Does anyone know what was originally published when the short story first came out, before it was collected into book form?

 

[Insyzygy]

They might have intended to actually go to Trantor to end the war if Onum Barr was there. It just makes more sense. Although, I think you're right, and Asimov really did screw up and name the wrong planet entirely.

Funny, I noticed this too. Even funnier that it was corrected in a later version.

 

[tinkerdan]

My book club doubleday trilogy edition that I purchased back in the 1960's contains the error. I'm not sure of the exact printing date because it only has the original publishing dates of each respectively as 1951 , 1952 and 1953.