Citizen of the Galaxy (COTG) stands on its own as an amazing piece of Science fiction. Originally inspired by Rudyard Kiplings "Kim" COTG starts out brash amidst the horrors of the human slave trade on the planet Jubbal.
Thorby, a small half sick scared little boy, is sold as a slave to an old one-eyed, one legged beggar named Baslim in the city of Jubbulpore, capital of the Nine Worlds. A notorious little empire outside the Galactic Hegemony.
Baslim is a mysterious character. During the day he sits and pathetically begs for alms around his usual place called the Plaza of Liberty but at night he puts on his expensive artificial leg and walks with purpose and quiet dignity.
Over the years Baslim gives Thorby a thorough education not just in mathematics and languages but a sense of honor and purpose. Baslim, it seems, is engaged in some sort of illegal activity, and he sets Thorby to running messages for him, though to what purpose Thorby is not sure. Then Baslim is caught by the Sargon's police and Thorby is forced to run for cover. He has a set of messages Baslim made him memorize in languages he still doesn't yet understand for delivery to any one of a number of trading ship captains that sometimes dock in Jubbelpore. And as luck would have it, one of those ships is in port ready to take off. Thorby delivers his message and is accepted a bored a Free-Trader starship called the 'Sisu'.
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