Tomas Bistervan is a character from Isaac Asimov's Robot series.
About Tomas[]
Tomas Bistervan is a prominent, hawkish politician on the Settler world of Baleyworld . An elderly man known as "The Old One" to his opponents, Bistervan is characterized by his white, bushy eyebrows and severe black clothing trimmed with white.
He publicly challenged Gladia Delmarre during her address to the Baleyworld legislature, dismissing her message of kinship between Spacers and Settlers as hypocrisy. He accused Spacers of historically oppressing Earth and its descendants and argued that their newfound friendliness was a sign of weakness. He specifically pointed to Gladia's gloves, nasal filters, and the presence of her robots, R. Daneel Olivaw and R. Giskard Reventlov, as evidence of her perceived disgust for Settlers. Gladia successfully countered his arguments, defending her robots by highlighting their crucial role in Elijah Baley's achievements and their deep connection to Baleyworld's history. Following the speech, Bistervan was so enraged that Captain D.G. Baley considered him a significant threat to Gladia's safety, necessitating her placement under protective guard. Bistervan's faction continued to influence planetary politics, as the Baleyworld Directorate later feared his reaction should they comply with an Auroran demand for Gladia's return.