# Nalboon — The Skylark of Space character guide

> Nalboon in The Skylark of Space by E. E. Smith.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** XIV Nalboon

**First appearance:** 0012-xiii-nalboon-of-mardonale

## Snapshot

The decadent fourteenth Nalboon rules Mardonale with paranoid cruelty, treating every stranger as either a weapon to seize or a rival to destroy.

## Who they are

Nalboon sits atop a decaying empire whose power he maintains through suspicion, torture, and the ruthless pursuit of any advantage, including the secrets of the Skylark's drive. Where Dunark embodies honor bound by duty, Nalboon embodies appetite unchecked by principle, and his hunger for the Earthmen's technology makes him a predator rather than a host. He matters because his treachery converts first contact into open conflict, forcing the Skylark's crew to choose sides and raising the stakes from exploration to survival.

## Relationships

### [Richard Seaton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se/characters/richard_seaton)

_rivalry_

Nalboon is an alien ruler who initially opposes and fights Richard Seaton.

### [Richard Seaton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se/characters/richard_seaton)

_rivalry_

Nalboon is an alien ruler who initially opposes and fights Richard Seaton.

### [Richard Seaton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se/characters/richard_seaton)

_rivalry_

Nalboon is an alien ruler who initially opposes and fights Richard Seaton.

## In the story

### [XIII: Nalboon of Mardonale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se/chapters/xiii-nalboon-of-mardonale)

Domak of Mardonale, greets the Earth visitors with a royal reception, gives slaves as a gift, and agrees to provide copper.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se/characters/nalboon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_skylark_of_space_se/characters