Immediately following the beginning of the Kafirs’ rebellion, Daniel Dravot’s hubris and ambition seem finally to have driven him mad. He cannot accept that he has lost his kingdom, and he claims to be an emperor even though he clearly never will achieve his ambition of forging an empire. He also lashes out at Carnehan, refusing to accept responsibility for the situation.

Carnehan knows that he is not primarily responsible for the rebellion, but he doesn’t bother trying to correct his friend. Instead, he blames the colonized Kafirs, stating that “there’s no accounting for natives.” In the wake of the…