▁in ▁history . ▁ ▁For ▁this ▁reason ▁her ▁natural ▁incl ination ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁Foundation ▁Federation ▁prem ature ly ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁be ▁played ▁upon ▁by ▁Ga ia . ▁ ▁H ober ▁M allow ▁H ober ▁M allow ▁is ▁the ▁central ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁" The ▁Mer chant ▁Prin ces ", ▁the ▁final ▁short ▁story ▁of ▁Foundation . ▁M allow ▁is ▁a ▁Master ▁Tr ader ▁in ▁the ▁Foundation ▁and ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁Far ▁Star . ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁from ▁S my r no , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Four ▁Kingdom s ▁which ▁borders ▁Term inus , ▁M allow ▁is ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁tr ader ▁and ▁considered ▁among ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁his ▁class . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁Kor ell ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁discover ▁the ▁f ates ▁of ▁three ▁Foundation ▁ships ▁lost ▁in ▁that ▁sector , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁Kor ell ▁has ▁developed ▁nuclear ▁technology . ▁▁▁▁ ▁M allow ▁avoid s ▁a ▁trap ▁( a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Kor elli an ▁secret ▁police ▁dis gu ised ▁as ▁a ▁Foundation ▁priest ) ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁Comm dor ▁of ▁Kor ell , ▁and ▁arr anges ▁for ▁a ▁prof itable ▁trade ▁between ▁Kor ell ▁and ▁the ▁Foundation . ▁When ▁he ▁returns ▁to ▁Term inus , ▁he ▁is ▁accused ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁tra itor ▁for ▁not ▁spread ing ▁the ▁Foundation ' s ▁science - based ▁pseudo - rel ig ion ▁and ▁for ▁allowing ▁a ▁Foundation ▁mission ary ▁to ▁be ▁killed . ▁ ▁He ▁def ends ▁himself ▁successfully ▁at ▁trial , ▁expos