Much of the current-time of the frame story is told through the Consul’s perspective. His training and experience in the diplomatic corps and politics have enabled him to dissemble when dealing with opponents, whether they be Outback colonists, the Hegemony, or the Ousters. He comes across as reliable, steady, and fair, even though he drinks heavily to dull his emotional pain and withholds vital information from his directors and the other pilgrims. He is observant, however; he notices not only how ill Father Hoyt is but also the muted reaction of the Templar to the destruction of his tree.

Sol Weintraub is able to put the Consul’s story into perspective, whereas the Consul is ready to subject himself to whatever fate the group decides. Sol says that the Consul should consider that the political entities “knew that you would turn on both societies, both camps which have injured your family. It is all part of some bizarre plan. You were no more an instrument of your own will than was’—he held the baby up—‘this child’” (473). For years, the Consul has played a part and waited. Now he is known to the rest of the pilgrims and can move on from the vengeance that defined most of his life.