Forward the Foundation Chapter 16

6Hari Seldon was fighting collide with melancholy. He was lectured in turn by Dors, by Raych, by Yugo, and by Manella. All united to tell him that sixty was non old.They simply did non understand. He had been thirty when the first hint of psychohistory had total to him, thirty-two when he delivered his famous lecture at the Decennial Convention, following which e genuinelything noticemed to happening to him at once. After his brief interview with Cleon, He had fled crosswise Trantor and met Demerzel, Dors, Yugo, and Raych, to express nothing of the pack of Mycogen, of Dahl, and of Wye.He was forty when he became startle look and fifty when he had relinquished the post. no he was sixty.He had exhausted thirty years on psychohistory. How m whatever to a greater extent years would he require? How many more years would he live? Would he die with the Psychohistory externalize unfinished afterward every?It was not the death that bo thered him, he told himself. It was the study of leaving the Psychohistory tolerate unfinished.He went to go over Yugo Amaryl. In recent years they had or sohow drifted apart, as the Psychohistory Project had steady increased in size. In the first years at Streeling, it had al integrity been Seldon and Amaryl growing together-no hotshot else. Now ** Amaryl was nearly fifty-not exactly a sore(a) man-and he had somehow lost his spark. In entirely these years, he had real no interest in anything tho psychohistory no woman, no companion, no hobby, no subsidiary activity.Amaryl blinked at Seldon who couldnt help tho note the changes in the mans appearance. Part of it whitethorn gravel been beca do Yugo had had to suck up a bun in the oven his eyes reconstructed. He adage perfectly well, besides there was an unnatural look ab start them and he tended to blink slowly. It made him appear sleepy.What do you think, Yugo? express Seldon. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?Light? Yes, as a enumerate of fac t, verbalise Amaryl. Theres this new fellow, Tamwile Elar. You go to bed him, of fertilize.Oh yes. Im the one who hired him. precise vigorous and aggressive. Hows he doing?I messt say Im really comfort open with him, Hari. His earsplitting put-onter gets on my nerves. however hes first-class. The new system of equations fits right into the vertex Radiant and they essaym to make it possible to get around the line of chaos.Seem? Or will?Too early to say, but Im very hopeful. I arouse attempt a number of things that would consecrate disjointed them d make if they were worthless(prenominal) and the new equations survived them all. Im beginning to think of them as the achaotic equationsI dont imagine, said Seldon we have anything a ilk a rigorous demonstration concerning these equations?No, we dont, though Ive dedicate half a dozen raft on it, including Elar, of course. Amaryl rancid on his select Radiant-which was every bit as advanced as Seldons was-and he watched as the curving lines of luminous equations curled in midair- withal small, too fine to be read with knocked out(p) amplification. Add the new equations and we may be able to begin to predict.Each fourth dimension I study the vizor Radiant now, said Seldon imaginationfully, I adopt at the Electro-Clarifier and how tightly it squeezes framework into the lines and curves of the future. Wasnt that Elars melodic theme, too?Yes. With the help of Cinda Monay, who designed it.Its good to have new and brilliant men and women in the Project. Somehow it reconciles me to the future.You think someone like Elar may be propositioning the Project someday? asked Amaryl, still studying the Prime Radiant.Maybe. After you and I have retired-or died.Amaryl seemed to relax and turned off the device. I would like to complete the task in the lead we retire or die.So would I, Yugo. So would I.Psychohistory has guided us pretty well in the final stage ten years.That was true enough, but Seldon kne w that one couldnt attach too much(prenominal) triumph to that. Things had gone smoothly and without major surprises.Psychohistory had predicted that the center would hold after Cleons death-predicted it in a very dim and uncertain(p) style-and it did hold. Trantor was reasonably quiet. scour with an assassination and the end of a dynasty, the center had held.It did so under the mark of forces rule-Dors was sooner right in turn toing of the junta as those military rascals. She might have nonethelessing gone out-of-the-way(prenominal)ther in her accusations without being wrong. Nevertheless, they were holding the imperium together and would continue to do so for a time. Long enough, perhaps, to allow psychohistory to play an active role in the events that were to transpire.Lately Yugo had been speaking somewhat the possible establishment of Foundations-separate, isolated, independent of the Empire itself serving as seeds for developments through the forthcoming dark ages and into a new and better Empire. Seldon himself had been working on the consequences of such an arrangement. scarcely he lacked the time and, he mat (with a certain misery), he lacked the youth as well. His mind, however firm and steady, did not have the resiliency and creativity that it had had when he was thirty and with each passing year, he knew he would have less. peradventure he ought to put the young and brilliant Elar on the task, taking him off everything else. Seldon had to admit to himself, shamefacedly, that the possibility did not excite him. He did not loss to have invented psychohistory so that some stripling could come in and suck up the final fruits of fame. In fact, to put it at its most dis mercyful, Seldon matte up green-eyed of Elar and realized it just sufficiently to feel ashamed of the emotion.Yet, regardless of his less rational feelings, he would have to depend on other junior men-whatever his discomfort over it. Psychohistory was no longer the priva te preserve of himself and Amaryl. The cristal of his being First government minister had converted it into a large government-sanctioned and -budgeted trade union movement and, quite to his surprise, after resigning from his post as First Minister and returning to Streeling University, it had grown still larger. Hari grimaced at its ponderous-and pompous-official name the Seldon Psychohistory Project at Streeling University. But most people simply referred to it as the Project.The military junta manifestly saw the Project as a possible political heavy weapon and while that was so, funding was no problem. Credits poured in. In return, it was necessary to get annual reports, which, however, were quite opaque. Only fringe matters were reported on and even and so the mathematics was not likely to be within the sensible horizon of any of the members of the junta.It was clear as he left his old companion that Amaryl, at least, was more than satisfied with the way psychohistory w as vent and yet Seldon felt the blanket of depression settle over him once more.He distinct it was the forthcoming natal day celebration that was bothering him. It was meant as a celebration of joy, but to Hari it was not even a gesture of consolation-it merely emphasized his age.Besides, it was upset his routine and Hari was a creature of habit. His office and a number of those attached had been cle ard out and it had been days since he had been able to work normally. His halal offices would be converted into halls of glory, he supposed, and it would be many days before he could get back to work. Only Amaryl absolutely refused to budge and was able to maintain his office.Seldon had wondered, peevishly, who had thought of doing all this. It wasnt Dors, of course. She knew him entirely too well. Not Amaryl or Raych, who never even remembered their own birthdays. He had suspected Manella and had even confronted her on the matter.She admitted that she was all for it and had given orders for the arrangements to take displace, but she said that the idea for the birthday ships company had been suggested to her by Tamwile Elar.The brilliant one, thought Seldon. Brilliant in everything.He sighed. If only the birthday were all over.Dors poked her head through the door. Am I allowed to come in?No, of course not. Why should you think I would?This is not your usual place.I go, sighed Seldon. I have been evicted from my usual place because of the lumpish birthday party. How I wish it were over.There you are. Once that woman gets an idea in her head, it takes over and grows like the big bang.Seldon changed sides at once. Come. She means well, Dors. fulfil me from the well-meaning, said Dors. In any case, Im here to discuss something else. Something which may be important.Go ahead. What is it?Ive been talking to Wanda about her conceive of- She hesitated.Seldon made a gargling sound in the back of his throat, because said, I cant believe it. Just let it go.No. Di d you bother to ask her for the details of the ideateing?Why should I put the little girl through that?Neither did Raych, nor Manella. It was left up to me.But why should you torture her with questions about it?Because I had the feeling I should, said Dors grimly. In the first place, she didnt have the dream when she was home in her bed.Where was she, then?In your office.What was she doing in my office?She desireed to see the place where the party would be and she walked into your office and, of course, there was nothing to see, as its been cleared out in preparation. But your conduct was still there. The large one- marvellous back, tall wings, broken-down-the one you wont let me replace.Hari sighed, as if recalling a longstanding disagreement. Its not broken-down. I dont want a new one. Go on.She curled up in your chair and began to brood over the fact that maybe you werent really going to have a party and she felt bad. Then, she tells me, she must have fallen unaware because nothing is clear in her mind, except that in her dream there were two men-not women, she was undisputable about that-two men, talking.And what were they talking about?She doesnt chouse exactly. You know how difficult it is to remember details under such circumstances. But she says it was about dying and she thought it was you because you were so old. And she remembers two words clearly. They were lemonade death.What?Lemonade death.What does that mean?I dont know. In any case, the talking ceased, the men left, and there she was in the chair, frore and frightened-and shes been upset about it ever since.Seldon mulled over Dorss report. Then he said, Look, dear, what enormousness can we attach to a childs dream?We can ask ourselves first, Hari, if it even was a dream.What do you mean?Wanda doesnt say outright it was. She says she must have fallen asleep. Those are her words. She didnt say she fell asleep, she said she must have fallen asleep.What do you deduce from that?She may have drifted off into a half-doze and, in that state, heard two men-two real men, not two dream men-talking.Real men? Talking about killing me with lemonade death?Something like that, yes.Dors, said Seldon forcefully, I know that youre forever foreseeing danger for me, but this is going too far. Why should anyone want to kill me?Its been tried twice before.So it has, but consider the circumstances. The first attempt came shortly after Cleon entrap me First Minister. Naturally this was an offense to the well-established court hierarchy and I was very resented. A few thought they might settle matters by get rid of me. The second time was when the Joranumites were assaying to seize power and they thought I was standing in their way-plus Namartis distorted dream of revenge.Fortunately incomplete assassination attempt succeeded, but why should there now be a third? I am no longer First Minister and havent been for ten years. I am an aging mathematician in solitude and surely no one has anything to fear from me. The Joranumites have been rooted out and destroyed and Namarti was executed long ago. There is absolutely no pauperism for anyone to want to kill me.So please, Dors, relax. When youre nervous about me, you get unsettled, which makes you more nervous still, and I dont want that to happen.Dors rose from her seat and leaned across Haris desk. Its user-friendly for you to say that there is no motive to kill you, but none is conducted. Our government is now a completely irresponsible one and if they wish- pick up commanded Seldon loudly. Then, very quietly, Not a word, Dors. Not a word against the government. That could get us in the very trouble youre foreseeing.Im only talking to you, Hari. even off now you are, but if you get into the habit of saying foolish things, you dont know when something will slip out in someone elses presence-someone who will then be glad to report you. Just learn, as a matter of necessity, to refrain from political commentary.Il l try, Hari, said Dors, but she could not keep the outrage out of her phonate. She turned on her heel and left.Seldon watched her go. Dors had aged graciously, so gracefully that at times she seemed not to have aged at all. though she was two years younger than Seldon, her appearance had not changed nearly as much as his had in the twenty-eight years they had been together. Naturally.Her hair was ice with gray, but the youthful luster beneath the gray still shone through. Her skin color had grown more sallow her voice was a bit huskier, and, of course, she wore clothe that were suitable for middle age. However, her movements were as agile and as quick as ever. It was as if nothing could be allowed to interfere with her ability to protect Hari in case of an emergency.Hari sighed. This business of being protected-more or less against his will, at all times-was sometimes a heavy burden.8Manella came to see Seldon almost straight afterward.Pardon me, Hari, but what has Dors been sa ying?Seldon looked up again. Nothing but interruptions.It wasnt anything important. Wandas dream.Manellas lips pursed. I knew it. Wanda said Dors was asking her questions about it. Why doesnt she leave the girl but? You would think that having a bad dream was some test of felony.As a matter of fact, said Seldon soothingly, its just a matter of something Wanda remembered as part of the dream. I dont know if Wanda told you, but apparently in her dream she heard something about lemonade death. Hmm Manella was silent for a moment. Then she said, That doesnt really matter so much. Wanda is crazy about lemonade and shes expecting lots of it at the party. I promised shed have some with Mycogenian drops in it and shes looking forward to it.So that if she heard something that sounded anything like lemonade, it would be translated into lemonade in her mind.Yes. Why not?Except that, in that case, what do you suppose it was that was actually said? She must have heard something in order to mis interpret it.I dont think thats necessarily so. But why are we attaching so much importance to a little girls dream? Please, I dont want anyone talking to her about it anymore. Its too upsetting.I agree. Ill see to it that Dors drops the subject-at least with Wanda.All right. I dont care if she is Wandas grandmother, Hari. Im her mother, after all, and my wishes come first.Absolutely, said Seldon soothingly and looked after Manella as she left. That was another burden-the unending competition among those two women.9Tamwile Elar was thirty-six years old and had joined Seldons Psychohistory Project as Senior Mathematician four years earlier. He was a tall man, with a habitual twinkle in his eye and with more than a touch of self-assurance as well.His hair was brown and had a put out wave in it, the more noticeable because he wore it kinda long. He had an abrupt way of laughing, but there was no fault to be tack together with his mathematical ability.Elar had been recruited from the West Mandanov University and Seldon forever had to smile when he remembered how mistrustful Yugo Amaryl had been of him at first. But then, Amaryl was suspicious of everyone. Deep in his heart (Seldon felt sure), Amaryl felt that psychohistory ought to have remained his and Haris private province.But even Amaryl was now ordain to admit that Elars membership in the group had eased his own stead tremendously. Yugo said, His techniques for avoiding chaos are unique and fascinating. No one else in the Project could have worked it out the way he did. Certainly nothing of this sort ever occurred to me. It didnt occur to you, either, Hari.Well, said Seldon grumpily, Im getting old.If only, said Amaryl, he didnt laugh so loud.People cant help the way they laugh.Yet the truth was that Seldon found himself having a little trouble accepting Elar. It was rather humiliating that he himself had come nowhere near the achaotic equations, as they were now called. It didnt bother Seldon that he had never thought of the principle behind the Electro-Clarifier-that was not really his field. The achaotic equations, however, he should, indeed, have thought of-or at least gotten close to.He tried reasoning with himself. Seldon had worked out the entire basis for psychohistory and the achaotic equations grew naturally out of that basis. Could Elar have done Seldons work three decades earlier? Seldon was convinced that Elar couldnt have. And was it so funny that Elar had thought up the principle of achaotism once the basis was in place?All this was very sensible and very true, yet Seldon still found himself un well-fixed when face Elar. Just slightly edgy. Weary age facing flamboyant youth.Yet Elar never gave him obvious cause for feeling the difference in years. He never failed to show Seldon full respect or in any way to imply that the older man had passed his prime.Of course, Elar was enkindle in the forthcoming festivities and had even, as Seldon had discovered, been the f irst to suggest that Seldons birthday be celebrated. (Was this a nasty emphasis on Seldons age? Seldon dismissed the possibility. If he believed that, it would mean he was picking up some of Dorss tricks of suspicion.Elar strode toward him and said, Maestro- And Seldon winced, as always. He much preferred to have the senior members of the Project call him Hari, but it seemed such a small point to make a pettifog over.Maestro, said Elar. The word is out that youve been called in for a conference with command Tennar.Yes. Hes the new head of the military junta and I suppose he wants to see me to ask what psychohistory is all about. Theyve been asking me that since the days of Cleon and Demerzel. (The new head The junta was like a kaleidoscope, with some of its members periodically falling from grace and others rising from nowhere.)But its my understanding he wants it now-right in the middle of the birthday celebration.That doesnt matter. You can all celebrate without me.No, we cant, Maestro. I hope you dont mind, but some of us got together and put in a call to the palace and put the appointment off for a week.What? said Seldon annoyed. Surely that was presumptuous of you-and risky, besides.It worked out well. Theyve put it off and youll need that time.Why would I need a week?Elar hesitated. May I speak bluffly, Maestro?Of course you can. When have I ever asked that anyone speak to me m any way but frankly?Elar flushed slightly, his fair skin reddening, but his voice remained steady. Its not easy to say this, Maestro. Youre a genius at mathematics. No one on the Project has any doubtfulness of that. No one in the Empire-they knew you and understood mathematics-would have any doubt about it. However, it is not given to anybody to be a universal genius.I know that as well as you do, Elar.I know you do. Specifically, though, you lack the ability to direct ordinary people-shall we say, stupid people. You lack a certain deviousness, a certain ability to sidestep , and if you are dealing with someone who is both powerful in government and somewhat stupid, you can easily endanger the Project and, for that matter, your own life, simply because you are too frank.What is this? Am I suddenly a child? Ive been dealing with politicians for a long time. I was First Minister for ten years, as perhaps you may remember.Forgive me, Maestro, but you were not an extraordinarily effective one. You dealt with First Minister Demerzel, who was very intelligent, by all accounts, and with the Emperor Cleon, who was very friendly. Now you will encounter military people who are neither intelligent nor friendly-another matter entirely.Ive even dealt with military people and survived.Not with General Dugal Tennar. Hes another sort of thing altogether. I know him.You know him? You have met him?I dont know him personally, but hes from Mandanov, which, as you know, is my sector, and he was a power there before he joined the junta and rose through its ranks.And what do you know about him?Ignorant, superstitious, violent. He is not someone you can handle easily-or safely. You can use the week to work out methods for dealing with him.Seldon bit his lower lip. There was something to what Elar said and Seldon recognized the fact that, while he had plans of his own, it would still be difficult to try to manipulate a stupid, self-important, short-tempered person with overwhelming force at his disposal.He said uneasily, Ill have intercourse somehow. The whole matter of a military junta is, in any case, an unstable situation in the Trantor of today. It has already lasted longer than might have seemed likely.Have we been testing that? I was not aware that we were making stability decisions on the junta.Just a few calculations by Amaryl, making use of your achaotic equations. He paused. By the way, Ive come across some references to them as the Elar Equations.Not by me, Maestro.I hope you dont mind, but I dont want that. Psychohistoric elements are to be described functionally and not personally. As soon as personalities intervene, bad feelings arise.I understand and quite agree, Maestro.In fact, said Seldon with a touch of guilt, I have always felt it wrong that we speak of the basic Seldon Equations of Psychohistory. The trouble is thats been in use for so many years, its not practical to try to change it.If youll condone my saying so, Maestro, youre an exceptional case. No one, I think, would quarrel with your receiving full book of facts for inventing the science of psychohistory. But, if I may, I wish to get back to your impact with General Tennar.Well, what else is there to say?I cant help but wonder if it might be better if you did not see him, did not speak to him, did not deal with him.How am I to avoid that if he calls me in for a conference?Perhaps you can plead illness and put up someone in your place.Whom?Elar was silent for a moment, but his silence was eloquent.Seldon said, You, I take it.Might that not be the th ing to do? I am a fellow sectoral citizen of the General, which may carry some weight. You are a busy man, getting on in years, and it would be easy to believe that you are not entirely well. And if I see him, rather than yourself-please excuse me, Maestro-I can wiggle and maneuver more easily than you can.Lie, you mean.If necessary.Youll be taking a huge chance.Not too huge. I doubt that he will order my execution. If he becomes annoyed with me, as he well might, then I can plead-or you can plead on my behalf-youth and inexperience. In any case, if I get into trouble, that will be far less dangerous than if you were to do so. Im thinking of the Project, which can do without me a great deal more easily than it can without you.Seldon said with a frown, Im not going to hide behind you, Elar. If the man wants to see me, he will see me. I refuse to shiver and shake and ask you to take chances for me. What do you think I am?A frank and honest man-when the need is for a devious one.I will manage to be devious-if I must. Please dont underestimate me, Elar.Elar shrugged hopelessly. Very well. I can only argue with you up to a certain point.In fact, Elar, I wish you had not postponed the meeting. I would rather skip my birthday and see the General than the reverse. This birthday celebration was not my idea. His voice died away in a grumble.Elar said, Im sorry.Well, said Seldon with resignation, well see what happens.He turned and left. Sometimes he wished ardently that he could run what was called a tight ship, making sure that everything went as he wished it to, leaving little or no dwell for maneuvering among his subordinates. To do that, however, would take enormous time, enormous effort, would deprive him of any chance of working on psychohistory himself-and, besides, he simply lacked the temperament for it.He sighed. He would have to speak to Amaryl.