Han Pritcher

Lore & Background

The narrative of Han Pritcher unfolds during the story "Part I: Search by the Mule" in *Second Foundation* (1953). At this point, the Mule has not yet found the hidden seat of the Second Foundation. He dispatches Pritcher on his sixth search mission, pairing him with Bail Channis. The Mule explains to Pritcher that Channis's "Unconverted" status—meaning he is not influenced by the Mule's psychic powers—is an asset for making intuitive leaps in their hunt. However, the true dynamic is a deception: the Mule has already determined that Channis is a Second Foundation agent planning to lead the warlord into a trap. Secretly followed by the Mule and his fleet, Channis guides the search to the desolate planet Tazenda, presenting it as a plausible location for the Second Foundation.

In Their Own Story

On a nearby world called Rossem, tensions boil over when Pritcher draws an atomic blaster on Channis, correctly suspecting him of being a Second Foundation agent. While his suspicion is accurate, Channis possesses a psychic ability similar to the Mule's and uses it to free Pritcher from the Mule's control. The Mule then appears, revealing that his fleet has already destroyed Tazenda. Through mental torture, the Mule extracts the true location of the Second Foundation from Channis's mind: Rossem. However, this is a preprogrammed belief within Channis; the First Speaker of the Second Foundation arrives and informs the Mule that he has been defeated. Second Foundation agents had already traveled to Kalgan and the Foundation worlds to undo the Mule's conversions and orchestrate an insurrection. The Mule, unable to prevent this, experiences a moment of despair. Seizing this opportunity, the First Speaker seizes control of and alters the Mule's mind, forcing him to return to Kalgan as a peaceful despot. Channis's mind is later restored by the First Speaker.

Reader's Guide

Han Pritcher's role in *Second Foundation* highlights the limitations of physical force against psychic manipulation. As an agent sent on the sixth search for the Second Foundation, his value lies not in military strength but in being part of a strategic game between the Mule and the Second Foundation. The source notes that he is accompanied by Bail Channis specifically because the Mule believes an "Unconverted" mind can make intuitive leaps to find the hidden psychohistorians. Readers should note the specific sequence of events: the search leads to Tazenda, then Rossem, where Pritcher draws his weapon on Channis before being freed from mental control by Channis's own psychic abilities. The climax involves the Mule torturing Channis for the location of Rossem, only to be outmaneuvered by the First Speaker who alters the Mule's mind during a moment of despair.

Did You Know?

• Han Pritcher was sent on his sixth search for the Second Foundation, accompanied by Bail Channis.
• Bail Channis was the only follower of the Mule who remained "Unconverted" and unaffected by his psychic powers.
• The Mule secretly knew that Chassis was a Second Foundation agent intended to lead him into a trap.
• Chassis used a psychic ability similar to the Mule's to free Pritcher from the Mule's control on Rossem.
• Pritcher drew his atomic blaster on Chassis, correctly suspecting him of being a Second Foundation agent.