▁great ▁he aler . ▁ ▁After ▁arriv ing ▁at ▁an ▁orbit ing ▁monaster y ▁they ▁do , ▁eventually , ▁find ▁the ▁Fire c low n . ▁He ▁takes ▁them ▁out ▁in ▁his ▁spe cially ▁designed ▁star ship ▁The ▁Pi - M es on ▁and ▁shows ▁them ▁at ▁incred ibly ▁close ▁qu arters , ▁the ▁sun ' s ▁Cor ona . ▁It ▁trans p ires ▁that ▁the ▁Fire c low n ▁is ▁neither ▁a ▁terror ist ▁nor ▁a ▁sav iour . ▁After ▁a ▁private ▁conversation ▁with ▁Alan , ▁the ▁Fire c low n ▁allows ▁both ▁him ▁and ▁Helen ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Earth . ▁ ▁Upon ▁returning ▁they ▁decide ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁find ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁Fire c low n ▁really ▁was ▁innoc ent ▁in ▁the ▁matter ▁of ▁the ▁fire ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁levels . ▁After ▁trav elling ▁to ▁London ▁and ▁att ending ▁a ▁shadow y ▁bas ement ▁meeting , ▁Alan ▁disco vers ▁a ▁plot ▁to ▁manipulate ▁the ▁public , ▁ac quire ▁weapons ▁of ▁mass ▁destruction ▁and ▁a ▁very ▁personal ▁vend etta ▁against ▁the ▁Fire c low n ▁stretch ing ▁back ▁many ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁covers ▁various ▁them es ▁common ▁to ▁science ▁fiction . ▁Man ' s ▁relationship ▁to ▁and ▁reli ance ▁on ▁technology ▁figures ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁philosophy ▁of ▁the ▁Fire c low n . ▁The ▁role ▁of ▁Government ▁in ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁truth ▁and ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁media ▁in ▁dist ort ing ▁that ▁truth . ▁Also ▁various ▁philosoph ical ▁points ▁are ▁also ▁raised , ▁mainly