Chapters 17-18 Summary

Chapter 17, "Gaia," opens aboard the Far Star, being slowly drawn to the primitive-looking space station. Pelorat is sure that having left them alive thus far, the creatures are not violent. A tether snakes out and a figure crosses, enters, and strips off her spacesuit to reveal a graceful, provocative, and vain young woman. Pelorat surprises himself by reacting gallantly, takes over from and pacifies the aggressive Trevize. Bliss, short for Blissenobiarella (Gaians use single-syllable names and the visitors become Pel and Trev) knows about them, admires the ship, and reveals that the Mule is a Gaian who leaves without permission. Trevize quits trying to control the gravitic engines as something guides them down. Bliss accepts vegetarian food, noting that not all Gaians avoid meat.

The ship lands gently in a pleasant locale. Bliss explains that she is Gaia, the whole planet...