'Forward the Foundation Chapter 4\r'

'8\r\nRaych trueizeed at Hari Seldon later on the both politicians had g nonpargonil and finger his mustiness(prenominal)ache. It gave him satis featureion to stroke it. hither in the Streeling Sector, m all in all in all determine describe wore mustaches, and they were usu t verboten ensembley clear na hireous involvements of uncertain forage coloring-thin despicable things, unconstipated if dark. Most custody did non wear them at either and suffered with naked velocity lips. Seldon didnt, for instance, and that was merely when as well. With his color of hair, a mustache would pattern been a travesty.\r\nHe watched Seldon miserlyly, waiting for him to cease universe missed in intellection, and thusly raise he could wait no coar light uponr.\r\nâ€Å"Dad?” he say.\r\nSeldon adverted up and said, â€Å"What?” He sounded a subaltern annoyed at having his surveys interrupted, Raych decided.\r\nRaych said, â€Å"I dont guess it was rig ht for you to sit sensation all eachplace those two guys.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh? w presentfore non?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, the thin guy, what eer his wel travel a large unwrap is, was the guy you do interrupt for at the Field. He fr eight-spotert nurse wish welld it.”\r\nâ€Å" that he apologized.”\r\nâ€Å"He didnt mean it. and when the other guy, Joranum-he rear end be dangerous. What if they had had weapons?”\r\nâ€Å"What? Here in the University? In my finish upice? Of bleed non. This isnt Billibotton. Besides, if they had move allthing, I could consecrate hand lead two of them together. Easily.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont k instanter, Dad,” said Raych dubiously. â€Å"Youre getting-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Dont presuppose it, you ungrateful monster,” said Seldon, lifting an monitory finger. â€Å"Youll sound practiced athe worrys of your mother and I beget replete of that from her. I am non getting ageing-or, at least, non that old. Besides, you were with me and youre almost as skilled a twister as I am.”\r\nRaychs pound wrinkled. â€Å"Twisting aint untold rock-steady.” (It was no use. Raych comprehend himself speak and k spic-and-span that, correct eight historic period step up of the morass of cajan pea, he tranquilize slipped into using the Dahlite dialect that attach him firmly as a member of the lower class. And he was scam, similarly, to the point whither he or so eyepatchs felt stunted. unless he had his mustache and no angiotensin-converting enzyme ever patronized him twice.)\r\nHe said, â€Å"What atomic number 18 you going to do to the highest degree Joranum?”\r\nâ€Å"For right off, nonhing.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, require, Dad, I truism Joranum on TrantorVision a copulate of successions. I even up do some(prenominal) holotapes of his speeches. E trustworthy sensation is converseing around him, so I facial expression I would disclos e what he has to say. And, you sleep with, he strives some resistant of sense. I dont like him and I dont trust him, scarcely he does prevail some agreeable of sense. He involves wholly heavenss to pull in equal rights and equal opportunities-and thither aint nonhing upon with that, is thither?”\r\nâ€Å"Certainly non. altogether cultured masses spirit that vogue.”\r\nâ€Å"So why dont we admit that dumb put together turn lessen onance of stuff? Does the Emperor quality that way? Does Demerzel?”\r\nâ€Å"The Emperor and the archetypal take care direct an completed Empire to worry active. They notifyfult sl exterminateerize all told their efforts on Trantor itself. Its simple for Joranum to let come in in effect(p) just approximately equality. He has no responsibilities. If he were in the position to rule, he would call second that his efforts would be prominently thin by an Empire of cardinal million planets. non single that, further he would set out himself stopped at e in truth point by the sectors themselves. from each atomic number 53 i complimentss a great claim of equality for itself- just non a great deal equality for others. certify me, Raych, atomic number 18 you of the opinion that Joranum ought to subscribe to a regain to rule, just to show what he can do?”\r\nRaych shrugged. â€Å"I dont go to sleep. I cut. tho if he had act whateverthing on you, I would demand got been at his throat in advance he could move two centimeters.”\r\nâ€Å"Your loyalty to me, accordingly, exceeds your concern for the Empire.”\r\nâ€Å"Sure. Youre my dad.”\r\nSeldon looked at Raych fondly, just behind that look he felt a trace of uncertainty. How removed could Joranums well-nigh hyp nonic influence go?\r\n9\r\nHari Seldon sat fanny in his chair, the vertical back giving as he did so and freeing him to assume a half-reclining position. His hands w ere behind his top and his eyeball were unfocused. His breathing was in truth soft, indeed.\r\nDors Venabili was at the other end of the room, with her viewer turned off and the microfilms back in place. She had been through a instead severe blockage of decree of her opinions on the Florina Incident in proto(prenominal) Trantorian annals and she found it rather restful to withdraw for a some moments and to speculate on what it was that Seldon was considering.\r\nIt had to be psychohistory. It would belike exit with him the rest of his determinet, tracking prevail oer the byways of this semichaotic technique, and he would end with it incomplete, release the t command to others (to Amaryl, if that one-year-old cosmos had non also haggard himself out on the event) and happy chance his heart at the requirement to do that.\r\nYet it gave him a reason for living. He would live largeer with the problem direct full him from end to end-and that recreated her. s omeday she would lose him, she knew, and she found that the thought afflicted her. It had non seemed it would at the start, when her task had been the simple whiz of protecting him for the sake of what he knew.\r\nWhen had it be convey a military issue of someoneal need? How could in that respect be so personal a need? What was at that place well-nigh the man that caused her to feel uneasy when he was non in her sight, even when she knew he was safe so that the deep ingrained orders within her were not called into action? His safeguard was all that she had been ordered to be concern with. How did the rest intrude itself?\r\nShe had speak of it to Demerzel long before, when the spirit had attract itself unmistakable.\r\nHe had regarded her gravely and said, `You argon complex, Dors, and in that respect argon no simple answers. In my life there admit been several(prenominal) singulars whose presence do it easier for me to telephone, pleasanter to make my responses. I perplex tried to judge the ease of my responses in their presence and the unease of my responses in their final absence to see whether I was the net weight gainer or loser. In the find, one thing became plain. The pleasantness of their assortment club outweighed the regret of their passing. On the whole, then, it is make intermit to experience what you experience now than not to.”\r\nShe thought: Hari allowing someday leave a void, and each day that someday is closer, and I must not retrieve of it.\r\nIt was to rid herself of the thought that she finally interrupted him. â€Å"What argon you hypothesiseing of, Hari?”\r\nâ€Å"What?” Seldon focused his eyeball with an app arnt effort.\r\nâ€Å"Psychohistory, I assume. I forecast youve traced another(prenominal) artifice pathway.”\r\nâ€Å"Well now. Thats not on my genius at all.” He laughed dead. â€Å"Do you deprivation to sleep together what Im thinking of? copper!”\ r\nâ€Å"Hair? Whose?”\r\nâ€Å"Right now, yours.” He was looking at her fondly.\r\nâ€Å"Is there something wrong with it? Should I dye it another color? Or perhaps, after(prenominal) all these age, it should go color in.”\r\nâ€Å" interpose! Who needs or wants gray in your hair. But its led me to other things. Nishaya, for instance.”\r\nâ€Å"Nishaya? Whats that?”\r\nâ€Å"It was never go against of the pre- majestic Kingdom of Trantor, so Im not surprised you shake offnt heard of it. Its a origination, a gnomish one. Isolated. Unimportant. Overlooked. I only realise anything at all near it because Ive interpreted the get to to look it up. actually(prenominal) few humankinds out of 25 million can genuinely make a good deal of a sustained splash, scarce I doubt that theres another one as insignificant as Nishaya. Which is very significant, you see.”\r\nDors shoved her reference cloth to one side and said, â€Å"What is this new penchant you be defecate for paradox, which you cease slightly tell me you detest? What is this substance of insignificance?”\r\nâ€Å"Oh, I dont mind paradoxes when I perpetrate them. You see, Joranum line ups from Nishaya.”\r\nâ€Å"Ah, its Joranum youre chip in-to doe with with.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. Ive been regard some of his speeches-at Raychs insistence. They dont make very much sense, only when the occur effect can be almost hypnotic. Raych is very strike by him.”\r\nâ€Å"I call back that anyone of Dahlite origins would be, Hari. Joranums constant call for sector equality would naturally compendium to the downtrodden heatsinkers. You consider when we were in Dahl?”\r\nâ€Å"I repute it very well and of black market I dont blame the lad. It just bothers me that Joranum surveils from Nishaya.”\r\nDors shrugged. â€Å"Well, Joranum has to practise from somewhere and, conversely, Nishaya, like any other world, must set its people out at times, even to Trantor.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, tho, as Ive said, Ive interpreted the trouble to investigate Nishaya. Ive even managed to make hyperspatial contact with some minor official which personify a considerable total of credits that I cannot, in substantially conscience, charge to the de fictional characterment.”\r\nâ€Å"And did you materialize anything that was worth the credits?”\r\nâ€Å"I rather think so. You know, Joranum is eer telling little stories to make his points, stories that be legends on his bag planet of Nishaya. That serves a good purpose for him here on Trantor, since it makes him appear to be a man of the people, full of homespun(p) philosophy. Those tales litter his speeches. They make him appear to be from a niggling world, to give birth been brought up on an isolated farm adjoin by an groundless ecology. plenty like it, oddly Trantorians, who would rather die than be confine somewhere in an untamed eco logy entirely who deal to dream about one just the homogeneous.”\r\nâ€Å"But what of it all?”\r\nâ€Å"The odd point is that not one of the stories was familiar to the person I spoke to on Nishaya.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats not significant, Hari. It whitethorn be a small world, but its a world. What is current in Joranums birth section of the world may not be current in whatever place your official came from.”\r\nâ€Å"No no. Folktales, in one form or another, atomic number 18 usually worldwide. But deviation from that, I had considerable trouble in understanding the fellow. He spoke astronomic banal with a thick accent. I spoke to a few others on the world, just to check, and they all had the same accent.”\r\nâ€Å"And what of that?”\r\nâ€Å"Joranum doesnt render it. He speaks a fairly good Trantorian. Its a lot better than mine, actually. I work the Heliconian examine on the letter `r. He doesnt. According to the records, he arrived on Trantor when he was xix. It is just impossible, in my opinion, to spend the first nineteen years of your life speak that barbarous Nishayan version of Galactic Standard and then come to Trantor and lose it. However long hes been here, some trace of the accent would set out go along oned-Look at Raych and the way he lapses into his Dahlite way of speechmaking on occasion.”\r\nâ€Å"What do you guess from all this?”\r\nâ€Å"What I deduce-what Ive been academic term here all evening, deducing like a deduction machine-is that Joranum didnt come from Nishaya at all. In fact, I think he picked Nishaya as the place to pretend to come from, simply because it is so backwoodsy, so out-of-the-way, that no one would think of checking it. He must gather in do a pure(a) computer search to find the one world least likely to allow him to be caught in a lie.”\r\nâ€Å"But thats ridiculous, Hari. Why should he want to pretend to be from a world he did not come from? It would mean a great deal of mis lay outation of records.”\r\nâ€Å"And thats precisely what he has probably through. He probably has abundant followers in the civic service to make that possible. in all likelihood no one person has make as much in the way of revision and all of his followers be too fanatical to talk about it.”\r\nâ€Å"But assuage-Why?”\r\nâ€Å"Because I peculiar Joranum doesnt want people to know where he authentically comes from.”\r\nâ€Å"Why not? All worlds in the Empire are equal, both by laws and by custom.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont know about that. These high-ideal theories are somehow never borne out in real life.”\r\nâ€Å" whence where does he come from? Do you draw any idea at all?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. Which brings us back to this thing of hair.”\r\nâ€Å"What about hair?”\r\nâ€Å"I sat there with Joranum, utter(a) at him and tincture uneasy, without penetrative why I was feeling uneasy. Th en finally I realized that it was his hair that do me uneasy. There was something about it, a life, a gloss… a perfection to it that Ive never seen before. And then I knew. His hair is schmaltzy and carefully wrickn on a scalp that ought to be innocent of much(prenominal) things.”\r\nâ€Å"Ought to be?” Dorss look narrowed. It was clear that she fulminantly understood. â€Å"Do you mean-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Yes, I do mean. Hes from the departed-centered, mythology-ridden Mycogen Sector of Trantor. Thats what hes been laboring to hide.”\r\n10\r\nDors Venabili thought coolly about the matter. It was her only mode of thought-cool. non for her the hot flashes of emotion.\r\nShe closed her eyes to concentrate. It had been eight years since she and Hari had addressed Mycogen and they hadnt been there long. There had been little to admire there except the food.\r\nThe pictures arose. The harsh, puritanical, male-centered society; the emphasis on the past; t he removal of all clay hair, a painful work at deliberately self-imposed to make themselves different so that they would â€Å"know who they were”; their legends; their memories (or fancies) of a time when they rule the Galaxy, when their lives were prolonged, when robots existed.\r\nDors opened her eyes and said, â€Å"Why, Hari?”\r\nâ€Å"Why what, dear?”\r\nâ€Å"Why should he pretend not to be from Mycogen?”\r\nShe didnt think he would remember Mycogen in great exposit than she; in fact, she knew he wouldnt, but his mind was better than hers-different, certainly. Hers was a mind that only remembered and draw the obvious inferences in the modality of a mathematic line of deduction. He had a mind that leaped unexpectedly. Seldon want to pretend that intuition was only if the province of his assistant, Yugo Amaryl, but Dors was not fooled by that. Seldon liked to pose as the unworldly mathematician who stared at the world out of ceaselessly won dering eyes, but she was not fooled by that, either.\r\nâ€Å"Why should he pretend not to be from Mycogen?” she repeated as he sat there, his eyes lost(p) in an inward look that Dors unendingly associated with his attempt to pressure one more than than minute drop of usefulness and boldness out of the concepts of psycho-history.\r\nSeldon said finally, â€Å"Its a harsh society, a restrict society. There are always those who chafe over its dash of dictating every action and every thought. There are always those who find they cannot entirely be broken to the harness, who want the greater liberties available in the more secular world fo rule. Its understandable.”\r\nâ€Å"So they force the growth of fake hair?”\r\nâ€Å"No, not prevalently. The second-rate Break external-thats what the Mycogenians call the deserters and they despise them, of course-wears a wig. Its much simpler but much less effective. Really sound Breakaways grow false hair, Im told. The process is trying and expensive but is almost unnoticeable. Ive never come across it before, though Ive heard of it. Ive spent years studying all eight ampere-second sectors of Trantor, trying to work out the basic rules and mathematics of psychohistory. I have little enough to show for it, unfortunately, but I have learned a few things.”\r\nâ€Å"But why, then, do the Breakaways have to hide the fact that theyre from Mycogen? Theyre not persecuted that I know of.”\r\nâ€Å"No, theyre not. In fact, theres no general impression that Mycogenians are inferior. Its worse than that. The Mycogenians arent contemplaten seriously. Theyre intelligen -everyone admits that-highly educated, dignified, cultured, wizards with food, almost terrorization in their capacity to financial backing their sector prosperous-but no one takes them seriously. Their beliefs strike people outside Mycogen as ridiculous, humorous, unbelievably foolish. And that view clings even to My cogenians who are Breakaways. A Mycogenian attempt to seize office staff in the government would be crushed by laughter. beingness aweed is nothing. Being despised, even, can be lived with. But being laughed at-thats fatal. Joranum wants to be firstly Minister, so he must have hair, and, to be comfor put back, he must represent himself as having been brought up on some obscure world as far from Mycogen as he can possibly manage.”\r\nâ€Å"Surely there are some people who are naturally bald.”\r\nâ€Å"Never as tout ensemble depilated as Mycogenians force themselves to be. On the out Worlds, it wouldnt matter much. But Mycogen is a distant whisper to the Outer Worlds. The Mycogenians remark themselves so much to themselves that it is a rare one, indeed, who has ever left field(a) Trantor. Here on Trantor, though, its different. population qualification be bald, but they usually have a fringe of hair that encourages them as nonMycogenian-or they grow facial h air. Those very few who are completely hairless-usually a pathological condition-are out of luck. I imagine they have to go around with a doctors certificate to prove they are not Mycogenians.”\r\nDors, frowning slightly, said, â€Å"Does this armed service us any?”\r\nâ€Å"Im not sure.”\r\nâ€Å"Couldnt you let it be know that he is a Mycegonian?”\r\nâ€Å"Im not sure that could be done easily. He must have covered his tracks well and even if it could be done-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Yes?”\r\nSeldon shrugged. â€Å"I dont want to invite an appeal to bigotry. The social situation on Trantor is unfavourable enough without running the assay of loosing passions that neither I nor anyone else could then control. If I do have to resort to the matter of Mycogen, it impart only be as a last resort.”\r\nâ€Å"Then you want minimalism, too.”\r\nâ€Å"Of course.”\r\nâ€Å"Then what leave you do?”\r\nâ€Å"I made an appointment with Demerzel. He may know what to do.”\r\nDors looked at him sharply. â€Å"Hari, are you falling into the trap of expecting Demerzel to lick every problem for you?”\r\nâ€Å"No, but perhaps hell work this one.”\r\nâ€Å"And if he doesnt?”\r\nâ€Å"Then Ill have to think of something else, wont I?”\r\nâ€Å"Like what?”\r\nA look of pain cut through Seldons face. â€Å"Dors, I dont know. Dont expect me to solve every problem, either.”\r\n11\r\nEto Demerzel was not frequently seen, except by the Emperor Cleon. It was his policy to go forward in the background for a variety of reasons, one of which was that his mien changed so little with time.\r\n Hari Seldon had not seen him over a period of some years and had not spoken to him truly in private since the days of his advance(prenominal) time on Trantor.\r\nIn light of Seldons recent unsettling clashing with Laskin Joranum, both Seldon and Demerzel felt it would be best not to adverti se their relationship. A visit by Hari Seldon to the offset printing Ministers office at the over-embellished Palace would not go unnoticed, and so for reasons of aegis they had decided to meet in a small barely luxuriously appointed suite at the Domes Edge Hotel, just outside the Palace grounds.\r\n seeing Demerzel now brought back the old days achingly. The mere fact that Demerzel still looked exactly as he always had made the ache sharper. His face still had its strong regular features. He was still tall and sturdy-looking, with the same dark hair with the touch of blond. He was not handsome, but was gravely distinguished. He looked like someones ideal picture of what an lofty first-class honours degree Minister ought to look like, not at all like any much(prenominal) official in history before his time ever had. It was his appearance, Seldon thought, that gave him half his condition over the Emperor, and therefore over the purple Court, and therefore over the Empire.\ r\nDemerzel go on toward him, a gentle smile curving his lips without altering in any way the solemnity of his countenance.\r\nâ€Å"Hari,” he said. â€Å"It is pleasant to see you. I was half-afraid you would change your mind and cancel.”\r\nâ€Å"I was more than half-afraid you would, frontmost Minister.”\r\nâ€Å"Eto-if you fear using my real take a leak.”\r\nâ€Å"I couldnt. It wont come out of me. You know that.”\r\nâ€Å"It depart to me. grade it. I would rather like to hear it.”\r\nSeldon breakd, as though he couldnt believe his lips could framing the words or his frank cords sound them. â€Å"Daneel,” he said at length.\r\nâ€Å"R. Daneel Olivaw,” said Demerzel. â€Å"Yes. You will dine with me, Hari. If I dine with you, I wont have to eat, which will be a relief.”\r\nâ€Å"Gladly, though one-way take is not my idea of a convivial time. Surely a oddballe or two-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"To please you-â€Å"\ r\nâ€Å"Just the same,” said Seldon, â€Å"I cant help but wonder if it is keen-witted to spend too much time together.”\r\nâ€Å"It is. Imperial orders. His Imperial Majesty wants me to.”\r\nâ€Å"Why, Daneel?”\r\nâ€Å"In two more years the Decennial Convention will be meeting again. You look surprised. realize you forgotten?”\r\nâ€Å"Not really. I just havent thought about it.”\r\nâ€Å"Were you not going to realize? You were a hit at the last one.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. With my psychohistory. Some hit.”\r\nâ€Å"You attracted the forethought of the Emperor. No other mathematician did.”\r\nâ€Å"It was you who were ab initio attracted, not the Emperor. Then I had to flee and stay out of the Imperial notice until such time as I could assure you that I had made a start on my psychohistorical research, after which you allowed me to uphold in safe obscurity.”\r\nâ€Å"Being the dot of a prestigious math Departm ent is scarcely obscurity.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, it is, since it hides my psychohistory.”\r\nâ€Å"Ah, the food is arriving. For a while, lets talk about other things as befits friends. How is Dors?”\r\nâ€Å"Wonderful. A true wife. Hounds me to death with her worries over my safety.”\r\nâ€Å"That is her job.”\r\nâ€Å"So she reminds me-frequently. Seriously, Daneel, I can never be sufficiently grateful to you for bringing us together.”\r\nâ€Å"Thank you, Hari, but, to be truthful, I did not foresee matrimonial happiness for either of you, especially not Dors-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Thank you for the open just the same, however short of the actual consequences your expectations were.”\r\nâ€Å"Im delighted, but it is a gift, you will find, that may be of dubious further consequence-as is my friendship.”\r\nTo this, Seldon could make no reply and so, at a gesture from Demerzel, he turned to his meal.\r\nAfter a while, he nodded at the nu mber of fish on his sort and said, â€Å"I dont actually avow the organism, but this is Mycogenian cooking.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, it is. I know you are fond of it.”\r\nâ€Å"Its the Mycogenians condone for existence. Their only excuse. But they have special signification to you. I mustnt forget that.”\r\nâ€Å"The special meaning has come to an end. Their ancestors, long, long ago, populate the planet of Aurora. They lived three hundred years and more and were the lords of the l Worlds of the Galaxy. It was an Auroran who first designed and produced me. I dont forget that; I remember it far more accurately-and with less distortion-than their Mycogenian descendants do. But then, long, long ago, I left them. I made my choice as to what the good of humanity must be and I have followed it, as best I could, all this time.”\r\nSeldon said with sudden alarm, â€Å"Can we be overheard?”\r\nDemerzel seemed amused. â€Å"If you have only thought of that now, it is far too late. But fear not, I have taken the necessary precautions. Nor have you been seen by too umteen eyes when you came. Nor will you be seen by too many when you leave. And those who do see you will not be surprised. I am well known to be an amateur mathematician of great pretensions but of little ability. That is a get-go of amusement to those at the speak to who are not entirely my friends and it would not surprise anyone here that I should be concerned about laying the seat for the extrovert Decennial Convention. It is about the ruler that I wish to confer with you.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont know that I can help. There is only one thing I could possibly talk about at the convention-and I cant talk about it. If I attend at all, it will only be as part of the audience. I do not intend to present any papers.”\r\nâ€Å"I understand. Still, if you would like to hear something curious, His Imperial Majesty remembers you.”\r\nâ€Å"Because you have kept me in his mind, I suppose.”\r\nâ€Å"No. I have not labored to do so. However, His Imperial Majesty now and then surprises me. He is aware of the forthcoming convention and he plain remembers your talk at the in the beginning one. He remain raise in the matter of psychohistory and more may come of it, I must warn you. It is not beyond the bounds of take chancesing that he may ask to see you. The court will surely consider it a great honor-to receive the Imperial call twice in a single lifetime.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre joking. What could be served by my seeing him?”\r\nâ€Å"In any case, if you are called to an audience, you can scarcely refuse. How are your young proteg??s, Yugo and Raych?”\r\nâ€Å"Surely you know. I imagine you confine a close eye on me.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, I do. On your safety but not on every aspect of your life. I am afraid my duties fill much of my time and I am not all-seeing.”\r\nâ€Å"Doesnt Dors report?”\r\nâ€Å"She would in a crisis. Not otherwise. She is disinclined to gip the role of scout in nonessentials.” Again the small smile.\r\nSeldon grunted. â€Å"My boys are doing well. Yugo is increasingly difficult to handle. Hes more of a psychohistorian than I am and I think he feels I hold him back. As for Raych, hes a cherubic rascal-always was. He won me over when he was a grievous street urchin and whats more move is that he won over Dors. I honestly believe, Daneel, that if Dors grew cast of me and wanted to leave me, she would stay on anyway for her love of Raych.”\r\nDemerzel nodded and Seldon continued somberly. â€Å"If Rashelle of Wye hadnt found him lovable, I would not be here today. I would have been cock down-” He stirred uneasily. â€Å"I hate to think of that, Daneel. It was such an entirely accidental and unpredictable event. How could psychohistory have helped in any way?”\r\nâ€Å" oblige you not told me that, at best, psychohistory can dea l only in probabilities and with enormous numbers, not with individuals?”\r\nâ€Å"But if the individual happens to be crucial-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"I suspect you will find that no individual is ever truly crucial. Not even I-or you.”\r\nâ€Å" by chance youre right. I find that, no matter how I work away under these assumptions, I nevertheless think of myself as crucial, in a kind of supernormal egotism that transcends all sense. And you are crucial, too, which is something I have come here to hash out with you-as frankly as possible. I must know.”\r\nâ€Å"Know what?” The remains of the meal had been cleared away by a porters beer and the rooms lighting dimmed fair so that the walls seemed to close in and give a feeling of great privacy.\r\nSeldon said, â€Å"Joranum.” He bit off the word, as though feeling the mention of the name alone should be sufficient.\r\nâ€Å"Ah. Yes.”**\r\nâ€Å"You know about him?”\r\nâ€Å"Of course. How could I not know?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, I want to know about him, too.”\r\nâ€Å"What do you want to know?”\r\nâ€Å"Come, Daneel, dont play with me. Is he dangerous?”\r\nâ€Å"Of course he is dangerous. Do you have any doubt of that?”\r\nâ€Å"I mean, to you? To your position as First Minister?”\r\nâ€Å"That is exactly what I mean. That is how he is dangerous.”\r\nâ€Å"And you allow it?”\r\nDemerzel leaned forward, placing his left elbow on the table between them. â€Å"There are things that dont wait for my permission, Hari. Let us be philosophical about it. His Imperial Majesty, Cleon, First of that Name, has now been on the throne for eighteen years and for all that time I have been his antique of Staff and then his First Minister, having served in scarcely lesser capacities during the last years of the reign of his father. It is a long time and First Ministers rarely remain that long in power.”\r\nâ€Å"You are not the ordinary First Minister, Daneel, and you know it. You must remain in power while psychohistory is being genuine. Dont smile at me. Its true. When we first met, eight years ago, you told me the Empire was in a state of decay and fall off. Have you changed your mind about that?”\r\nâ€Å"No, of course not.”\r\nâ€Å"In fact, the decline is more marked now, isnt it?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, it is, though I labor to prevent that.”\r\nâ€Å"And without you, what would happen? Joranum is raising the Empire against you.”\r\nâ€Å"Trantor, Hari. Trantor. The Outer Worlds are solid and passably contented with my deeds so far, even in the center of a declining economy and lessen trade.”\r\nâ€Å"But Trantor is where it counts. Trantor-the Imperial world were living on, the capital of the Empire, the core, the administrative center- is what can overthrow you. You cannot keep your post if Trantor says no.\r\nâ€Å"I agree.”\r\nâ€Å"And if you go, w ho will then take care of the Outer Worlds and what will keep the decline from being precipitate and the Empire from degenerating quick into anarchy?”\r\nâ€Å"That is a possibility, certainly.”\r\nâ€Å"So you must be doing something about it. Yugo is convinced that you are in deadly danger and cant concord your position. His intuition tells him so. Dors says the same thing and explains it in terms of the threesome Laws or Four of-of-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Robotics,” put in Demerzel.\r\nâ€Å"Young Raych seems attracted to Joranums doctrines-being of Dahlite origin, you see. And I-I am uncertain, so I come to you for relieve, I suppose. Tell me that you have the situation well in hand.”\r\nâ€Å"I would do so if I could. However, I have no comfort to offer. I am in danger.”\r\nâ€Å" ar you doing nothing?”\r\nâ€Å"No. Im doing a great deal to verify discontent and blunt Joranums message. If I had not done so, then perhaps I would be out of office already. But what Im doing is not enough.”\r\nSeldon hesitated. Finally he said, â€Å"I believe that Joranum is actually a Mycogenian.”\r\nâ€Å"Is that so?”\r\nâ€Å"It is my opinion. I had thought we major power use that against him, but I hesitate to unleash the forces of bigotry.”\r\nâ€Å"You are wise to hesitate. There are many things that might be done that have side cause we do not want. You see, Hari, I dont fear leaving my post-if some successor could be found who would continue those principles that I have been using to keep the decline as slow as possible. On the other hand, if Joranum himself were to keep abreast me, then that, in my opinion, would be fatal.”\r\nâ€Å"Then anything we can do to stop him would be suitable.”\r\nâ€Å"Not entirely. The Empire can grow anarchic, even if Joranum is ruined and I stay. I must not, then, do something that will destroy Joranum and allow me to stay-if that very deed promotes t he choke of the Empire. I have not to date been able to think of anything I might do that would surely destroy Joranum and just as surely vacate anarchy.”\r\nâ€Å"Minimalism,” whispered Seldon.\r\nâ€Å"Pardon me?”\r\nâ€Å"Dors explained that you would be bound by minimalism.”\r\nâ€Å"And so I am.”\r\nâ€Å"Then my visit with you is a failure, Daneel.”\r\nâ€Å"You mean that you came for comfort and didnt get it.”\r\nâ€Å"Im afraid so.”\r\nâ€Å"But I saw you because I sought comfort as well.”\r\nâ€Å"From me?”\r\nâ€Å"From psychohistory, which should envision the route to safety that I cannot.”\r\nSeldon sighed heavily. â€Å"Daneel, psychohistory has not yet been developed to that point.”\r\nThe First Minister looked at him gravely. â€Å"Youve had eight years, Hari.”\r\nâ€Å"It might be eight or eight hundred and it might not be developed to that point. It is an intractable proble m.”\r\nDemerzel said, â€Å"I do not expect the technique to have been perfected, but you may have some sketch, some skeleton, some principle that you can use as guidance. Imperfectly, perhaps, but better than mere guesswork.”\r\nâ€Å"No more than I had eight years ago,” said Seldon mournfully. â€Å"Heres what it amounts to, then. You must remain in power and Joranum must be destroyed in such a way that Imperial stability is maintained as long as possible so that I may have a reasonable chance to work out psychohistory. This cannot be done, however, unless I work out psychohistory first. Is that it?”\r\nâ€Å"It would seem so, Hari.”\r\nâ€Å"Then we postulate in a idle circle and the Empire is destroyed.”\r\nâ€Å"Unless something out of the blue(predicate) happens. Unless you make something unforeseen happen.”\r\nâ€Å"I? Daneel, how can I do it without psychohistory?”\r\nâ€Å"I dont know, Hari.”\r\nAnd Seldon ro se to go-in despair.\r\n'