 What likely happens to Crownwall after the story is over?
John Crownwall, florid, red-headed and bulky, considered himself to be a bold man. If they carried out the threats of their present attitude, Earth would have to send Marshall to replace him. Instantly, and unexpectedly to Crownwall, the threatening crowd dropped back fearfully, so that he walked the last fifty meters alone. A pair of guards, their purple hides smoothly polished and gleaming with oil, crossed their ceremonial pikes in front of him as he approached the entrance. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here while you can still walk. Crownwall sat on the steps, puffed alight a cigarette, and blew expert smoke rings toward the guards. Crownwall stamped out his smoke and ambled after the hurrying courtier along tremendous corridors, through elaborate waiting rooms, under guarded doorways, until he was finally bowed through a small curtained arch. What I meant was that I expected someone from Earth to break through our blockade and come here. "If you wanted someone from Earth to come here to see you, why did you put the cordon around Earth? There was even serious discussion of destroying Earth out of hand, while it is still possible. While these creatures could by no means be classed among the intelligent races, there was a general expectation, which we reported to the Sunda, that they would some day come to be numbered among the Servants of the Emperor. It had been manned by a dozen adventurous people, captained by Crownwall, and had headed out on its ion drive until it was safely clear of the warping influence of planetary masses. Then, after several impatient days of careful study and calculation, the distorter drive had been activated, for the first time in Earth's history, and, for the twelve, the stars had winked out. To do so, said their theory, would usually—seven point three four times out of 10—destroy the ship, and everything in space for thousands of miles around, in a ravening burst of raw energy. They had headed for that planet confidently and unsuspectingly, using the ion drive. Two weeks later, while they were still several planetary diameters from their destination, they had been shocked to find more than two score alien ships of space closing in on them—ships that were swifter and more maneuverable than their own. Although far within the dangerous influence of a planetary mass, they had again activated the distorter drive, and they had beaten the odds. On the distorter drive, they had returned to Earth as swiftly as they had departed.
 He is left to help find a new path for the Earth government as his old work is no longer possible
 He has to find a new line of work because he messed up so badly  He works to rebuild the space travel technology that he eventually can share with other species  He is left to help find a new path for the Earth government as his old work is no longer possible  He is promoted for accomplishing his mission and continues to explore space