The Pnume

1970 novel by Jack Vance

The Pnume

First edition

Author| Jack Vance
Cover artist| Jeff Jones
Language| English
Series| Planet of Adventure
Genre| Science fiction
Publisher| Ace Books

Publication date

| 1970
Publication place| United States
Media type| Print (Paperback)
Pages| 156
ISBN| 0-441-66902-6
Preceded by| The Dirdir

The Pnume is a science fiction adventure novel by American writer Jack Vance. The last book in the tetralogy of Planet of Adventure, it tells of the efforts to return to Earth by the sole survivor of a human starship destroyed while investigating a mysterious signal from the distant planet Tschai.

## Plot summary

[edit]

After many false starts and real tribulations, Adam Reith has nearly finished building a spaceship to take him home. He and his two trusted companions had been betrayed by Aila Woudiver, the underworld kingpin who had provided the necessary men and equipment in return for an extortionate amount of money. However, Reith was able to turn the tables and take Woudiver captive (as described in The Dirdir).

Even as a prisoner though, Woudiver is a dangerous enemy. Somehow, he manages to interest the Pnume in Reith. The Pnume are the sentient native race of Tschai. Driven underground by three separate alien invasions (by the Chasch, Wankh and Dirdir), they view the other species as welcome additions to the pageantry unfolding on their world stage. In the same light, they are intrigued by the Earthman, abducting him to become a specimen in their museum.

Reith is lowered into the vast Pnume underground. He manages to free himself and hide before he can be taken by human Pnumekin, servants of the Pnume, to the Museum of Foreverness. Perplexed at finding an empty bag, they summon a Pnume Sector Warden, who consults its Master Charts, detailing all the various tunnels and hidden adits. Determining that there is one possible escape route, they leave to check it. Before it departs, the Sector Warden hides its maps in a secret compartment, but Reith is a witness. He steals them, but is unable to decipher their contents.

He kidnaps a young Pnumekin woman to interpret for him. Once Reith forces her to look at the Master Charts, she realizes her life is now forfeit if she is captured, so she cooperates. Upon questioning, Reith learns that she has no name; she simply belongs to the Zith group in the Athan area of the Pagaz zone, with a rank of 210, so he names her Zap 210.

After a journey of indeterminate length, mostly spent on a barge, they finally escape to the surface. They make their way toward the city of Sivishe, where the spaceship is being built. As their trek continues, Zap 210's colorless personality begins to change, free of the peculiar constraints of Pnumekin society and the diko she had been fed to keep her body from developing normally. Eventually, she and Reith become lovers.

When they reach the city, Reith finds Anacho waiting for him. He learns that, shortly after Reith's abduction, Woudiver had been taken to be prey for a Dirdir hunt. The ship had been seen, so Traz moved it to a location known only to Reith. However, when they prepare to leave, they find Zap 210 missing, captured by the Pnume.

Despite Anacho's protestations, Reith gives himself up to the Pnume (after making certain preparations). He bargains with them, threatening to give copies of the Master Charts to the Dirdir unless they release Zap 210. He also demands that they free all the Pnumekin from their freakish existence. The Pnume have no choice; they agree to his terms. Reith and Zap 210 return to the surface, link up with Anacho and Traz, and finally depart for Earth.

## References

[edit]

* Underwood, Tim; Chuck Miller (1980). Jack Vance. New York: Taplinger Publishing Company. p. 229. ISBN 0-8008-4295-2.

* v
* t
* e

Works by Jack Vance

Dying Earth|

* The Dying Earth
* The Eyes of the Overworld
* Cugel's Saga
* Rhialto the Marvellous

| related|

* Dying Earth (genre)
* Songs of the Dying Earth

|

Demon Princes|

* Star King
* The Killing Machine
* The Palace of Love
* The Face
* The Book of Dreams

Planet of Adventure|

* City of the Chasch
* Servants of the Wankh
* The Dirdir
* The Pnume

Durdane|

* The Anome
* The Brave Free Men
* The Asutra

Alastor|

* Trullion: Alastor 2262
* Marune: Alastor 933
* Wyst: Alastor 1716

Lyonesse|

* Suldrun's Garden
* The Green Pearl
* Madouc

Cadwal Chronicles|

* Araminta Station
* Ecce and Old Earth
* Throy

Ports of Call|

* Ports of Call
* Lurulu

Other novels|

| Big Planet novels|

* Big Planet
* Showboat World

|

* The Five Gold Bands
* Vandals of the Void
* To Live Forever
* The Languages of Pao
* Slaves of the Klau
* Space Opera
* The Blue World
* Emphyrio
* Bad Ronald
* The Gray Prince
* Maske: Thaery
* Galactic Effectuator
* Night Lamp
* The Dark Ocean
* The House on Lily Street
* Strange People, Queer Notions
* The Deadly Isles
* The Flesh Mask

Short fiction|

* "Abercrombie Station"
* "The Brains of Earth"
* "Cholwell's Chickens"
* "Dodkin's Job"
* The Dragon Masters
* "Gateway to Strangeness"
* "The Gift of Gab"
* The Houses of Iszm
* The Last Castle
* "Men of the Twelve Books"
* The Miracle Workers
* "Monsters in Orbit"
* "The Moon Moth"
* "The New Prime"
* "Noise"
* "Rumfuddle"
* Son of the Tree
* Telek
* "Ullward's Retreat"

Autobiography|

* This Is Me, Jack Vance!

See also|

* Grue
* Gaean Reach
* Baron Bodissey
* Ellery Queen
* Bad Ronald

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template