Forward the Foundation Chapter 17

10Seldon strode into Amaryls office, unannounced.Yugo, he verbalize abruptly, the session with commonplace Tennar has been postponed. He seated himself in a rather pettish manner.It took Amaryl his usual a couple of(prenominal) mo custodyts to disconnect his judgment from his work. Looking up fin every last(predicate)y, he express, What was his exc persona?It wasnt he. Some of our mathematicians arranged a weeks recess so that it wouldnt interfere with the birthday celebration. I find all of this to be extremely annoying. wherefore did you allow them do that?I didnt. They hardly went ahead and arranged things. Seldon shrugged. In a focussing, its my fault. Ive whined so long well-nigh turning sixty that eachone animadverts they boast to cheer me up with festivities.Amaryl verbalise, Of course, we can use the week.Seldon sat forward, immediately tense. Is something rail at?No. Not that I can see, hardly it wont hurt to examine it further. Look, Hari, this is the first t ime in nearly thirty years that psychohistory has leached the point where it can actually open a ringion. Its non to a slap-uper extent of one-its just a small pinch of the vast continent of humanity- merely its the best weve had so farthest. All unspoiled. We indispensableness to take advantage of that, see how it works, prove to ourselves that psychohistory is what we think it is a predictive science. So it wont hurt to crop sure that we acquirent over reflexioned allthing. Even this tiny bit of prediction is complex and I welcome some other week of study.Very well, whence. Ill consult you on the subject field before I go to see the General for whatever last-minute modifications that put up to be made. Meanwhile, Yugo, do non allow any information concerning this to bring kayoed out to the others-not to anyone. If it fails, I dont penury the people of the confound to grow downhearted. You and I ordain absorb the mischance ourselves and keep on trying.A rargon wistful smile crossed Amaryls face. You and I. Do you remember when it really was just the two of us?I remember it very well and dont think that I dont drip those days. We didnt guide much to work with-Not take down out the Prime Radiant, let alone the Electro-Clarifier. precisely those were dexterous days.Happy, give tongue to Amaryl, nodding his head.11The University had been transformed and Hari Seldon could not refrain from being pleased.The central retinue of the labor complex had suddenly sprouted in color and light, with holography filling the air with shifting three-dimensional images of Seldon at different places and different times. There was Dors Venabili fortunate, looking somewhat younger-Raych as a teenager, still unpolished-Seldon and Amaryl, looking fabulously young, bent over their computers. There was even a fleeting sight of Eto Demerzel, which make full Seldons heart with glowing for his honest-to- proficientness friend and the security he had mat te up before Demerzels departure.The Emperor Cleon appe ared this instanthere in the holographics. It was not because holographs of him did not exist, however it was not wise, under the rule of the junta, to remind people of the past Imperium.It all poured outward, overflowing, filling room after room, building after building. Somehow, time had been found to convert the entire University into a viewing the wants of which Seldon had never seen or even imagined. Even the dome lights were darkened to produce an artificial night against which the University would light for three days.Three days said Seldon, half-impressed, half-horrified.Three days, said Dors Venabili, nodding her head. The University would consider nothing less.The spending The labor said Seldon, frowning.The expense is minimal, said Dors, compared to what you engender done for the University. And the labor is all voluntary. The students turned out and took care of everything.A from-the-air view of the Universit y appeared now, panoramically, and Seldon stared at it with a smile forcing itself onto his reciteenance.Dors said, Youre pleased. Youve done nothing but vertebral columnbite these past few months about how you didnt want any celebration for being an old man-and now look at you.Well, it is flattering. I had no idea that they would do anything like this.Why not? Youre an icon, Hari. The social unit world-the whole imperium- dwells about you.They do not, said Seldon, shaking his head vigorously. Not one in a zillion knows anything at all about me-and certain(p)ly not about psychohistory. No one outside the jump out has the faintest knowledge of how psychohistory works and not everyone inside does, either.That doesnt matter, Hari. Its you. Even the quadrillions who dont know anything about you or your work know that Hari Seldon is the greatest mathematician in the Empire.Well, said Seldon, looking around, they certainly are making me feel that way right now. But three days and t hree nights The place ordain be reduced to splinters.No, it wont. All the records have been stored away. The computers and other equipment have been secured. The students have set up a virtual security force that will prevent anything from being damaged.Youve seen to all of that, havent you, Dors? said Seldon, smiling at her fondly.A number of us have. Its by no means all me. Your colleague Tamwile Elar has worked with incredible dedication.Seldon scowled.Whats the matter with Elar? said Dors.Seldon said, He keeps calling me Maestro. Dors involve her head. Well, theres a terrible crime.Seldon ignored that and said, And hes young.Worse and worse. go on, Hari, youre going to have to learn to grow old grace richly-and to bewilder with youll have to show that youre enjoying yourself. That will please others and increase their enjoyment and surely you would want to do that. Come on. Move around. Dont hide here with me. Greet everyone. Smile. Ask after their health. And remember that , after the banquet, youre going to have to make a speech.I dislike banquets and I doubly dislike speeches.Youll have to, anyway. Now moveSeldon sighed dramatically and did as he was told. He cut quite an imposing figure as he stood in the archway leading into the main hall. The voluminous beginning(a) Ministers robes of yesteryear were gone, as were the Heliconian-style garments he had prospered in his youth. Now Seldon wore an outfit that bespoke his elevated status straight pants, crisply pleated, a modify tunic on top. Embroidered in silver thread above his heart was the insignia SELDON PSYCHOHISTORY PROJECT AT STREELING UNIVERSITY. It sparkled like a beacon against the dignified titanium-gray hue of his clothing. Seldons eyes twinkled in a face now line by age, his sixty years given away as much by his wrinkles as by his white hair.He entered the room in which the small fryren were feasting. The room had been alone cleared, except for trestles with food upon them. The chi ldren rushed up to him as soon as they saw him-knowing, as they did, that he was the cerebrate for the feast-and Seldon tried to avoid their clutching fingers.Wait, wait, children, he said. Now stand back.He pulled a small computerized robot from his pocket and placed it on the floor. In an Empire without robots, this was something that he could expect to be eye-popping. It had the shape of a small furry animal, but it in like manner had the capacity to change shapes without warning (eliciting squeals of childrens laughter each time) and when it did so, the sounds and motions it made changed as well.Watch it, said Seldon, and institute with it, and try not to break it. Later on, therell be one for each of you.He slipped out into the foyer leading back to the main hall and realized, as he did so, that Wanda was following him.Grandpa, she said.Well, of course, Wanda was different. He swooped down and bring up her high in the air, turned her over, and put her down.Are you having a good time, Wanda? he asked.Yes, she said, but dont go into that room.Why not, Wanda? Its my room. Its the office where I work.Its where I had my bad dream.I know, Wanda, but thats all over, isnt it? He hesitated, then he led Wanda to one of the chairs lining the hallway. He sat down and placed her on his lap.Wanda, he said, are you sure it was a dream?I think it was a dream.Were you really sleeping?I think I was.She seemed uncomfortable talking about it and Seldon decided to let it go. There was no use pushing her any further.He said, Well, dream or not, there were two men and they talked of lemonade death, didnt they?Wanda nodded reluctantly.Seldon said, Youre sure they said lemonade?Wanda nodded again.Might they have said something else and you thought they said lemonade?Lemonade is what they said.Seldon had to be satisfied with that. Well, run off and have a good time, Wanda. Forget about the dream.All right, Grandpa. She cheered up as soon as the matter of the dream was dismiss ed and off she went to join the festivities.Seldon went to search for Manella. It took him an extraordinarily long time to find her, since, at every step, he was stopped, greeted, and conversed with.Finally he saw her in the distance. Muttering, Pardon me- Pardon me-Theres someone I must-Pardon me-, he worked his way over to her with considerable trouble.Manella, he said and drew her off to one side, smiling mechanically in all directions.Yes, Hari, she said. Is something wrong?Its Wandas dream.Dont tell me shes still talking about it.Well, its still bothering her. Listen, we have lemonade at the party, havent we?Of course, the children adore it. Ive added a couple of dozen different Mycogenian taste buds to very small provide of different shapes and the children try them one after the other to see which taste best. The adults have been drinking it, too. I have. Why dont you taste it, Hari? Its great.Im thinking. If it wasnt a dream, if the child really heard two men speak of lemo nade death- He paused, as though ashamed to continue.Manella said, Are you thinking that someone poisoned the lemonade? Thats ridiculous. By now every child in the place would be sick or dying.I know, muttered Seldon. I know.He wandered off and intimately didnt see Dors when he passed her. She seized his elbow.Why the face? she said. You look concerned.Ive been thinking of Wandas lemonade death.So have I, but I cant make anything of it so far.I cant help but think of the possibility of poisoning.Dont. I assure you that every bit of food that came into this party has been molecularly checked. I know youll think thats my typical paranoia, but my task is guarding you and that is what I must do.And everything is-No poison. I promise you.Seldon smiled, Well, good. Thats a relief. I didnt really think-Lets hope not, said Dors dryly. What concerns me far more than this myth of poison is that I have heard that youre going to be seeing that addict Tennar in a few days.Dont call him a monst er, Dors. Be careful. Were surrounded by ears and tongues.Dors immediately bring down her voice. I suppose youre right. Look round. All these smiling faces-and yet who knows which of our friends will be reporting back to the head and his henchmen when the night is over? Ah, humans Even after all these thousands of centuries, to think that much(prenominal) show treachery still exists. It seems to me to be so unnecessary. Yet I know the harm it can do. That is why I must go with you, Hari.Impossible, Dors. It would just complicate matters for me. Ill go Myself and Ill have no trouble.You would have no idea how to handle the General.Seldon looked grave. And you would? You sound exactly like Elar. He, too, is convinced that I am a preoccupied old fool. He, too, wants to come with me-or, rather, to go in my place. I wonder how many people on Trantor are willing to take my place, he added with clear sarcasm. Dozens? Millions?12For ten years the Galactic Empire had been without an Empe ror, but there was no indication of that fact in the way the purplish Palace suit were operated. Millennia of custom made the absence of an Emperor meaningless.It meant, of course, that there was no figure in violet robes to command over formalities of one sort or another. No Imperial voice gave orders no Imperial wishes made themselves known no Imperial gratifications or annoyances made themselves felt no Imperial pleasures warm either Palace no Imperial sicknesses cast them in gloom. The Emperors own quarters in the baseborn Palace were empty-the Imperial family did not exist.And yet the military of gardeners kept the grounds in entire condition. An army of service people kept the buildings in top shape. The Emperors bed-never slept in-was made with fresh sheets every day the rooms were cleaned everything worked as it always worked and the entire Imperial staff, from top to bottom, worked as they had always worked. The top officials gave commands as they would have done if the Emperor had lived, commands that they k sensitive the Emperor would have given. In many cases, in particular in the higher(prenominal) echelons, the personnel were the same as those who had been there on Cleons last day of life. The new personnel who had been interpreted on were carefully molded and trained into the traditions they would have to serve.It was as though the Empire, accustomed to the rule of an Emperor, insisted on this ghost rule to hold the Empire together.The junta knew this-or, if they didnt, they felt it vaguely. In ten years none of those military men who had commanded the Empire had moved into the Emperors private quarters in the Small Palace. Whatever these men were, they were not Imperial and they knew they had no rights there. A populace that endured the loss of liberty would not endure any sign of irreverence to the Emperor-alive or dead.Even General Tennar had not moved into the graceful structure that had housed the Emperors of a dozen different dynast ies for so long. He had made his home and office in one of the structures construct on the outskirts of the grounds-eyesores, but eyesores that were built like fortresses, sturdy enough to withstand a siege, with outlying buildings in which an enormous force of guards was housed.Tennar was a stocky man, with a mustache. It was not a vigorous overflowing Dahlite mustache but one that was carefully clipped and fitted to the upper lip, leaving a strip of skin between the hair and the line of the lip. It was a reddish mustache and Tennar had cold blue eyes. He had probably been a handsome man in his younger days, but his face was pudgy now and his eyes were slits that verbalised anger more often than any other emotion.So he said angrily-as one would, who felt himself to be absolute master of millions of worlds and yet who dared not call himself an Emperor-to Hender Linn, I can establish a dynasty of my own. He hooked around with a scowl. This is not a fitting place for the master of the Empire.Linn said softly, To be master is what is important. Better to be a master in a cubicle than a figurehead in a palace.Best yet, to be master in a palace. Why not?Linn bore the title of colonel, but it is quite certain that he had never engaged in any military action. His function was that of telling Tennar what he wanted to hear-and of carrying his orders, unchanged, to others. On occasion-if it seemed safe-he might try to steer Tennar into more prudent courses.Linn was well known as Tennars lackey and knew that was how he was known. It did not bother him. As lackey, he was safe-and he had seen the downfall of those who had been too proud to be lackeys.The time might, of course, come when Tennar himself would be buried in the ever-changing junta panorama, but Linn felt, with a certain amount of philosophy, that he would be aware of it in time and save himself. Or he might not. There was a price for everything.No reason why you cant found a dynasty, General, said Linn. Man y others have done it in the long Imperial history. Still, it takes time. The people are slow to adapt. It is usually only the second or even third of the dynasty who is fully accepted as Emperor.I dont see that. I need merely announce myself as new Emperor. Who will dare quarrel with that? My grip is tight.So it is, General. Your power is unquestioned on Trantor and in just about of the Inner Worlds, yet it is possible that many in the farther Outer Worlds will not just yet-**accept a new Imperial dynasty.Inner Worlds or Outer Worlds, military force rules all. That is an old Imperial maxim.And a good one, said Linn, but many of the provinces have armed forces of their own, nowadays, that they whitethorn not use on your behalf. These are unenviable times.You counsel caution, then.I always counsel caution, General.And someday you may counsel it once too often.Linn bent his head. I can only counsel what seems to me to be good and useful to you, General.As in your constant harping t o me about this Hari Seldon.He is your greatest danger, General.So you keep saying, but I dont see it. Hes just a college professor.Linn said, So he is, but he was once primary Minister.I know, but that was in Cleons time. Has he done anything since? With times being difficult and with the governors of the provinces being fractious, why is a professor my greatest danger?It is sometimes a mistake, said Linn carefully (for one had to be careful in educating the General), to suppose that a quiet unobtrusive man can be harmless. Seldon has been anything but harmless to those he has opposed. Twenty years ago the Joranumite movement almost destroyed Cleons powerful scratch line Minister, Eto Demerzel.Tennar nodded, but the slight frown on his face betrayed his effort to remember the matter.It was Seldon who destroyed Joranum and who succeeded Demerzel as First Minister. The Joranumite movement survived, however, and Seldon engineered its destruction, too, but not before it succeeded in bringing about the assassination of Cleon.But Seldon survived that, didnt he?You are perfectly correct. Seldon survived.That is strange. To have allow forted an Imperial assassination should have meant death for a First Minister.So it should have. Nevertheless, the junta has allowed him to live. It seemed wiser to do so.Why?Linn sighed internally. There is something called psychohistory, General.I know nothing about that, said Tennar flatly. very he had a vague memory of Linn trying to talk to him on a number of cause concerning this strange collection of syllables. He had never wanted to listen and Linn had known better than to push the matter. Tennar didnt want to listen now, either, but there seemed to be a hidden urgency in Linns words. Perhaps, Tennar thought, he had now better listen.Almost no one knows anything about it, said Linn, yet there are a few-uh-intellectuals, who find it of interest.And what is it?It is a complex system of mathematics.Tennar shook his head. Leave me out of that, please. I can count my military divisions. Thats all the mathematics I need.The story is, said Linn, that psychohistory may make it possible to predict the future.The Generals eyes bulged. You mean this Seldon is a fortune-teller?**Not in the usual fashion. It is a matter of science.I dont think it.It is hard to believe, but Seldon has become something of a cult figure here on Trantor-and in certain places in the Outer Worlds. Now psychohistory-if it can be used to predict the future or if even people merely think it can be so used-can be a powerful wight with which to uphold the regime. Im sure you have already seen this, General. One need merely predict our regime will endure and bring forth peace and prosperity for the Empire. People, believing this, will help make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, if Seldon wishes the reverse, he can predict civil war and ruin. People will believe that, too, and that would destabilize the regime.In that case, Co lonel, we simply make sure that the predictions of psychohistory are what we want them to be.It would be Seldon who would have to make them and he is not a friend of the regime. It is important, General, that we differentiate between the Project that is working at Streeling University to perfect psychohistory and Hari Seldon. Psychohistory can be extremely useful to us, but it will be so only if someone other than Seldon were in charge.Are there others who could be?Oh yes. It is only necessary to get rid of Seldon.What is so difficult with that? An order of execution-and it is done.It would be better, General, if the government was not seen to be directly involved in such a thing.I have arranged to have him meet with you, so that you can use your scientific discipline to probe his spirit. You would then be able to judge whether certain suggestions I have in mind are worthwhile or not.When is the meeting to take place?It was to take place very soon, but his representatives at the P roject asked for a few days leeway, because they were in the process of celebrating his birthday-his sixtieth, apparently. It seemed wise to allow that and to permit a weeks delay.Why? demanded Tennar. I dislike any display of weakness.Quite right, General. Quite right. Your instincts are, as always, correct. However, it seemed to me that the unavoidably of the state might require us to know what and how the birthday celebration-which is winning place right now-might involve.Why?All knowledge is useful. Would you care to see some of the festivities?General Tennars face remained dark. Is that necessary?I think you will find it interesting, General.The reproduction-sight and sound-was excellent and for quite a while the hilarity of the birthday celebration filled the rather stark room in which the General sat.Linns low voice served as commentary. Most of this, General, is taking place in the Project complex, but the rest of the University is involved. We will have an air view in a f ew moments and you will see that the celebration covers a wide area. In fact, though I dont have the evidence available right now, there are corners of the planet here and there, in various(a) University and sectoral settings mostly, where what we might call sympathy celebrations of one sort or another are taking place. The celebrations are still continuing and will endure for another day at least.Are you telling me that this is a Trantor-wide celebration?In a specialized way. It affects mostly the intellectual classes, but it is surprisingly widespread. It may even be that there is some shouting on worlds other than Trantor.Where did you get this reproduction?Linn smiled. Our facilities in the Project are quite good. We have reliable sources of information, so that little can happen that doesnt come our way at once.Well then, Linn, what are all your conclusions about this?It seems to me, General, and Im sure that it seems so to you, that Hari Seldon is the focus of a personality c ult. He has so identified himself with psychohistory that if we were to get rid of him in too open a manner, we would entirely destroy the credibility of the science. It would be useless to us.On the other hand, General, Seldon is growing old and it is not difficult to imagine him being replaced by another man someone we could choose and who would be friendly to our great aims and hopes for the Empire. If Seldon could be removed in such a way that it is made to seem natural, then that is all we need.The General said, And you think I ought to see him?Yes, in order to weigh his quality and decide what we ought to do. But we must be cautious, for he is a popular man.I have dealt with popular people before, said Tennar darkly.