Likan
Names: Likanthe Sheldonite
First appears in Book 1: The Dreaming Void, chapter 12 (6)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: The Dreaming Void
- Ch 12Likan is the richest man on his planet, a Sheldonite who emulates Nigel Sheldon, keeps a harem of wives, and wants to be emperor.
- Ch 12Likan invites Araminta to his home for a weekend, saying his wives will join them in bed, and she accepts.
- Ch 12Likan is a Sheldonite businessman who built a vast estate on Suvorov, including the Albany industrial complex, and keeps a harem and human staff.
- Ch 12Likan reached his level of success in under 150 years and lives in an opalescent ovoid house by a lake.
- Ch 12Likan is a wealthy, politically connected industrialist who is heavily overextended financially, having invested a decade in advanced automated production at Albany.
- Ch 12Likan plans to flood the Free Trade Zone with exports at ten times the expected volume once Ellezelin opens a wormhole to Viotia.
- Ch 12Likan staffs senior company positions with his own children and keeps a harem of wives; he admits risk is his weakness.
- Ch 12Likan proposes that Araminta become one of his wives, bear his children and work in his company for ten to fifteen years.
- Ch 12Likan has ritualized his lovemaking; he gives Araminta a self-composed program that allows deeper access to her mind and amplifies sensation.
- Ch 12Likan admits his harem's first three members were psychoneurally profiled to be submissive, which is illegal, so he could emulate Nigel Sheldon's life.
- Ch 12Likan reveres Nigel Sheldon as the greatest human ever and has incorporated Sheldon's known neural characteristics into his own DNA.
- Ch 12Likan claims he takes responsibility for his profiled wives as Sheldon would have done, and refuses to reverse their profiling.
- Ch 14Likan wrote the mind-calming program that Araminta uses to reach the gaiafield.
- Ch 14Likan acts as an unofficial emissary of Viotia's government and conveys its Prime Minister's acceptance to Ethan.
- Ch 14Likan represents Viotia's Prime Minister and conveys her acceptance of the treaty, conditional on a zero tariff regime.
Book 2: The Temporal Void
Book 3: The Evolutionary Void
- Ch 12Likan, held and given a memory read by Living Dream security, was left shaking and broken, though his old arrogance resurfaced.
- Ch 12Likan facilitated Viotia's compliance with Conservator Ethan's invasion scheme to find Araminta, and he previously had a relationship with her.
- Ch 12Likan names Marakata, Krisana and Tammary as the three women he had violated through profiling, in return for his freedom.
- Ch 12Likan vows to hunt Araminta down if she fails and warns her new allies will kill her once they get what they want.
Connections
- related toNigel SheldonLikan emulates his idol Sheldon
- has memberClemanceharem
- has memberMarakataharem
- related toHelennastylist employed by Likan for fifty years
- has memberAlsenamember of his harem
- family ofEridalson
- partner ofSecond Dreamer
- related toAlbanyLikan's automated production site
- partner ofClemanceshe is one of his wives
- member ofViotiaspeaks for its Prime Minister
- enemy ofSecond Dreamer
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 12Araminta meets Likan
At Likan's business lecture in Colwyn City, Araminta discusses expanding her property business with him. He invites her for a weekend with his wives, and she accepts.
- Book 1 · Ch 12Araminta arrives at Likan's estate
Araminta flies over Likan's estate and is greeted by Clemance and Marakata, then shown to a shifting bubble room in his ovoid house.
- Book 1 · Ch 12Likan's proposal
Likan explains his risky plan to undercut Ellezelin imports and offers Araminta a place among his wives and in his company; she agrees to consider it.
- Book 1 · Ch 12Dinner and harem night
After preparation by Helenna and Nifran, Araminta attends dinner with the Prime Minister, then joins Likan and his harem in his boudoir, using his mind program.
- Book 1 · Ch 12Araminta leaves Likan
Araminta realizes some wives are illegally profiled, confronts Likan, who explains his Sheldon obsession; Clemance refuses to leave, and Araminta departs for home.
- Book 1 · Ch 14Araminta accepts the engagement
Araminta accepts Mr Bovey's ring, agrees to share the night with several of his bodies, and later uses Likan's program to contact the Skylord in a dream.
- Book 1 · Ch 14Cleric Council moves to claim Viotia
Ethan, recovering, convenes the council. They learn the Second Dreamer is in Colwyn City on Viotia, and Viotia accepts elevation to core status in the Free Trade Zone.
- Book 1 · Ch 14Council approves the Viotia treaty
After Viotia's acceptance, the Council unanimously votes for the treaty, with full trade to follow when the Second Dreamer joins them in Makkathran.
- Book 3 · Ch 12Likan interrogated and released
Araminta confronts Likan, brutalised by a memory read, and offers freedom and a starship in exchange for naming the three women he profiled; he names Marakata, Krisana and Tammary.