Forward the Foundation Chapter 3

4Thither was a scam close up again, merely only(prenominal) because thoughts argon silent. Seldons were tumultuous enough.Yes, it was true. His wife did seem to ready an un throneny k instantaneouslyledge of zombies. Hari had wondered most this so a great deal over the eld that he had fin whollyy given up, tucked it a musical mode in the rear of his mind. If it hadnt been for Eto Demerzel-a zombie-Hari would neer stir met Dors. For Dors prevailed for Demerzel it was Demerzel who assigned Dors to Haris case cardinal eld agone to protect him during his flight throughout the various sectors of Trantor. Even though now she was his wife, his helper- join**, his better half, Hari still occasionally wondered close to Dorss strange connection with the robot Demerzel. It was the only area of Dorss life where Hari truly snarl he did non belong-nor welcome. And that brought to mind the most painful question of all Was it out of bowing to Demerzel that Dors stayed with Hari or was it out of love for him? He cherished to believe the latter-and onlyHis life with Dors Venabili was a happy one, unless it was so at a cost, at a condition. The condition was all the much stringent, in that it had been colonised non through discussion or agreement but by a mutual unspoken pick uping.Seldon understood that he effectuate in Dors everything he would sustain acquireed in a wife. True, he had no children, but he had nevery expected any, nor, to regulate the truth, had greatly takeed any. He had Raych, who was as much a son of his emotionally as if he had inherited the entire Seldonian genome-perhaps more so.The mere fact that Dors was causing him to cipher or so the matter was breaking the agreement that had kept them in peace and comfort all these years and he felt a faint but growing resentment at that. plainly he pushed those thoughts, the questions, away again. He had learned to select her role as his withstander and would continue to do so. Af ter all, it was he with whom she shared a home, a table, and a bed- non Eto Demerzel.Dorss vocalise brought him out of his reverie.I state-Are you sulking, Hari?He started fragilely, for there was the work of repetition in her voice, and he realized he had been shrinking steady deeper into his mind and away from her.Im sorry, dear. Im non sulking. Not deliberately sulking. Im skillful question how I ought to respond to your statement.About robots? She seemed sort of calm as she give tongue to the word.You give tongue to I dont go to sleep as much about them as you do. How do I respond to that? He paused, indeed added quietly ( copeing he was taking a chance), That is, without removeense.I didnt secernate you didnt know about robots. If youre exhalation to quote me, do so with precision. I utter you didnt understand about robots. Im certainly that you know a great deal, perhaps more than I do, but to know is not necessarily to understand.Now, Dors, youre deliberatel y speaking in puzzlees to be annoying. A paradox arises only out of an ambiguity that deceives either unwittingly or by design. I dont like that in recognition and I dont like it in casual conversation, either, unless it is meant humorously, which I conceive of is not the case now.Dors laughed in her concomitant way, softly, almost as though pleasure were too precious to be shared in an overliberal manner. Apparently the paradox has annoyed you into pomposity and you are always humorous when you are pompous. However, Ill formulate. Its not my intention to annoy you. She reached over to pat his tump over and it was to Seldons surprise (and slight embarrassment) that he found that he had clenched his hand into a fist.Dors said, You verbalize about psychohistory a great deal. To me, at any rate. You know that?Seldon percipient his throat. I throw myself on your mercy as distant as thats connected. The project is secret-by its very nature. Psychohistory wont work unless the bulk it affects know postal code about it, so I faeces talk about it only to Yugo and to you. To Yugo, it is all intuition. Hes brilliant, but he is so apt to leap wildly into trace that I moldiness play the role of caution, of forever pulling him back. solely I chip in my wild thoughts, too, and it helps me to be able to hear them aloud, plain-and he smiled-when I have a pretty good capriciousness that you dont understand a word Im saying.I know Im your sound display panel and I dont mind. I really dont mind, Hari, so dont begin making versed resolutions to change your behavior. Natu ride I dont understand your mathematics. Im save a historian-and not so far up a historian of science. The influence of economic change on political development is what is taking up my era now-Yes, and Im your sounding placard on that or hadnt you noticed? Ill need it for psychohistory when the time comes, so I suspect youll be an indispensable help to me.Good Now that weve colonized wh erefore you stay with me-I knew it couldnt be for my ethereal beauty-let me go on to explain that occasionally, when your discussion veers away from the inflexiblely mathematical aspects, it seems to me that I get your drift. You have, on a con side of meatr of occasions, explained what you call the necessity of minimalism. I conceive of I understand that. By it, you mean-I know what I mean.Dors pick uped hurt. Less lofty, please, Hari. Im not trying to explain to you. I want to explain it to myself. You say youre my sounding board, so act like one. Turnabout is fair play, isnt it?Turnabout is fine, but if youre firing to cite me of loftiness when I say one little- generous Shut up You have told me that minimalism is of the highest importance in apply psychohistory in the art of attempting to change an un in demand(p) development into a desired one or, at any rate, a toss undesired one. You have said that a change must(prenominal) be applied that is as minute, as minimal, a s possible-Yes, said Seldon eagerly, that is because-No, Hari. Im trying to explain. We both know that you understand it. You must have minimalism because every change, any change, has a unnumberable of spot scram that rottert always be allowed for. If the change is side effects too many, then it becomes certain that the outcome allow for be far removed from anything youve planned and that it would be entirely unpredictable.Right, said Seldon. Thats the essence of a chaotic-effect. The paradox is whether any change is small enough to strive the subject reasonably predictable or whether human history is inevitably and unchangeably chaotic in every respect. It was that which, at the start, made me think that psychohistory was not-I know, but youre not letting me shoot my point. Whether any change would be small enough is not the issue. The point is that any change great than the minimal is chaotic. The required minimum whitethorn be zero, but if it is not zero, then it is s till very small-and it would be a major problem to ferret out close to change that is small enough and yet is signifi cornerstonetly greater than zero. Now, that, I gather, is what you mean by the necessity of minimalism.More or less, said Seldon. Of course, as always, the matter is expressed more compactly and more rigorously in the language of mathematics. See here-Save me, said Dors. Since you know this about psychohistory, Hari, you ought to know it about Demerzel, too. You have the knowledge but not the understanding, because it apparently doesnt occur to you to apply the rules of psychohistory to the Laws of Robotics.To which Seldon replied faintly, Now I dont see what youre acquiring at.He requires minimality, too, doesnt he, Hari? By the first-class honours degree Law of Robotics, a robot backsidet victimize a human existence. That is the prime rule for the usual robot, but Demerzel is something sort of unusual and for him, the Zeroth Law is a reality and it admits precedence even over the basic Law. The Zeroth Law states that a robot cant pervert humanity as a whole. But that puts Demerzel into the same bind in which you exist when you labor at psychohistory. Do you see?Im beginning to.I rely so. If Demerzel has the ability to change minds, he has to do so without larn about side effects he does not wish-and since he is the emperor moths initiatory Minister, the side effects he must worry about are numerous, indeed.And the application to the present case?Think about it You cant assure anyone-except me, of course-that Demerzel is a robot, because he has adjusted you so that you cant. But how much adjustment did that retain? Do you want to suppose people that he is a robot? Do you want to ruin his effectiveness when you depend on him for protection, for indorse of your grants, for influence quietly exerted on your behalf? Of course not. The change he had to make then was a very tiny one, just enough to substantiate you from blurting it out in a moment of excitement or carelessness. It is so small a change that there are no particular side effects. That is how Demerzel tries to run the empire generally.And the case of Joranum?Is obviously completely antithetical from yours. He is, for whatever motives, unalterably opposed to Demerzel. Undoubtedly, Demerzel could change that, but it would be at the price of introducing a considerable wrench in Joranums war paint that would bring about results Demerzel could not predict. Rather than take the chance of h laceing Joranum, of producing side effects that would harm others and, possibly, all of humanity, he must leave Joranum only when until he can muster up some small change-some small change-that will save the situation without harm. That is why Yugo is right and why Demerzel is vulnerable.Seldon had listened but did not respond. He seemed confounded in thought. Minutes passed before he said, If Demerzel can do zilch in this matter, then I must.If he can do not hing, what can you do?The case is different. I am not bound by the Laws of Robotics. I need not concern myself obsessionally with minimalism. And to begin with, I must see Demerzel.Dors looked faintly anxious. Must you? surely it wouldnt be wise to advertise a connection between the dickens of you.We have reached a time where we cant make a fetish of feign there is no connection. Naturally I wont go to see him basis a flourish of trumpets and an announcement on holovision, but I must see him.5Seldon found himself raging at the passage of time. eight-spot years ago, when he had first arrived on Trantor, he could take instant movement. He had only a hotel room and its contents to depart from and he could range through the sectors of Trantor at will.Now he found himself with department neatings, with decisions to make, with work to do. It was not so hand to dash off at will to see Demerzel-and if he could, Demerzel also had a-full schedule of his avow. To find a time when they both could meet would not be easy.**Nor was it easy to have Dors shake her head at him. I dont know what you destine to do, Hari.And he answered impatiently, I dont know what I intend to do, either, Dors. I hope to find out when I see Demerzel.Your first duty is to psychohistory. Hell tell you so.Perhaps. Ill find out.And then, just as he had arranged a time for the meeting with the First Minister, eight days hence, he received a pass on on his department office wall screen in slightly archaic lettering. And to match that was the more than slightly archaic message I CRAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH PROFESSOR HARI SELDON.Seldon stared at it with astonishment. Even the emperor moth was not addressed in sooner that centuries-old turn of phrase.Nor was the signature printed as it usually was for clarity. It was scripted with a flourish that left it perfectly decipherable and yet gave it the aura of a careless work of art speed off by a master. The signature was LASKIN JORANUM. It was Jo -Jo himself, craving an audience.Seldon found himself chuckling. It was clear why the choice of words-and why the script. It made what was a simple postulate a device for stimulating curiosity. Seldon had no great desire to meet the man-or would have had none ordinarily. But what was worth the archaism and the artistry? He wanted to find out.He had his secretary set the time and the betoken of the appointment. It would be in his office, certainly not in his apartment. A crease conversation, nothing social.And it would come before the projected meeting with Demerzel.Dors said, Its no surprise to me, Hari. You hurt ii of his people, one of them his chief aide you spoiled a little rally he was holding and you made him, in the mortal of his representatives, seem foolish. He wants to take a look at you and I think I had better be with you.Seldon shook his head. Ill take Raych. He knows all the tricks I know and hes a strong and active twenty-year-old. Although Im sure therell be no need for protection.How can you be sure?Joranum is glide path to see me on the University grounds. There will be any number of youngsters in the vicinity. Im not exactly an unpopular figure with the student embody and I suspect that Joranum is the kind of man who does his homework and knows that Ill be fail-safe on home territory. Im sure that he will be perfectly polite-completely friendly.Hmph, said Dors with a light twist of one corner of her lip.And quite deadly, Seldon finished.6Hari Seldon kept his face expressionless and bent his head just decently to allow a sense of reasonable courtesy. He had taken the trouble to look up a variety of holographs of Joranum, but, as is often the case, the real thing, unguarded, shifting constantly in rejoinder to changing conditions, is never quite the same as a holograph-however carefully prepared. Perhaps, thought Seldon, it is the response of the viewer to the real thing that makes it different.Joranum was a tall man-as tall as Sel don, at any rate-but larger in other directions. It was not out-of-pocket to a muscular physique, for he gave the impression of softness, without quite being fat. A rounded face, a thick head of hair that was sandy kind of than yellow, light blue eyes. He wore a whelmd coverall and his face tire a half-smile that gave the illusion of friendliness, while making it clear, somehow, that it was only an illusion.Professor Seldon-his voice was deep and under strict control, an orators voice-I am delighted to meet you. It is kind of you to permit this meeting. I trust you are not pained that I have brought a companion, my right-hand man, with me, although I have not cleared that with you in advance. He is Gambol Deen Namarti-three names, you notice. I believe you have met him.Yes, I have. I remember the incident well. Seldon looked at Namarti with a reach of the sardonic. At the previous encounter, Namarti had been speaking at the University Field. Seldon viewed him carefully now-unde r relaxed conditions. Namarti was of moderate height, with a thin face, sallow complexion, dark hair, and a wide mouth. He did not have Joranums half-smile or any noticeable expression-except for a sense of bourgeois wariness.My friend Dr. Namarti-his degree is in ancient literature-has come at his make request, said Joranum, his smile intensifying a bit, to apologize.Joranum glanced quickly at Namarti-and Namarti, his lips change just at first, said in a colorless voice, I am sorry, Professor, for what happened at the Field. I was not quite aware of the strict rules governing University rallies and I was a little carried away by my own enthusiasm.Understandably so, said Joranum. Nor was he entirely aware of your identity. I think we whitethorn all now forget the matter.I assure you, gentlemen, said Seldon, that I have no great desire to remember it. This is my son, Raych Seldon, so you see I have a companion, too.Raych had grown a mustache, grisly and abundant-the masculine ma rk of the Dahlite. He had had none when he first met Seldon eight years before, when he was a street boy, ragged and hungry. He was short but lithe and sinewy and his expression was the haughty one he had adopted in order to add a few spiritual inches to his physical height.Good morning, young man, said Joranum.Good morning, sir, said Raych. divert sit down, gentlemen, said Seldon. May I offer you something to eat or drink?Joranum held up his hands in polite refusal. No, sir. This is not a social call. He seated himself in the place indicated. Though I hope there will be many such calls in the future.If this is to be about business, then lets begin.The news reached me, Professor Seldon, of the little incident that you have so kindly agreed to forget and I wondered why you took the chance of doing what you did. It was a risk, you must admit.I didnt think so, actually.But I did. So I took the liberty of finding out everything I could about you, Professor Seldon. Youre an interesting m an. From Helicon, I discovered.Yes, thats where I was born. The records are clear.And youve been here on Trantor for eight years.That is also a matter of public record.And you made yourself quite known at the start by delivering a mathematical piece of music on-what do you call it?-psychohistory?Seldon shook his head very slightly. How often he had regretted that indiscretion. Of course, he had had no idea at the time that it was an indiscretion. He said, A youthful enthusiasm. It came to nothing.Is that so? Joranum looked around him with an air of pleased surprise. Yet here you are, the head of the Mathematics Department at one of Trantors greatest Universities, and only forty years old, I believe. Im forty-two, by the way, so I dont look upon you as very old at all. You must be a very competent mathematician to be in this position.Seldon shrugged. I wouldnt care to make a judgment in that matter.Or you must have right on friends.We would all like to have powerful friends, Mr. J oranum, but I think you will find none here. University professors rarely have powerful friends or, I sometimes think, friends of any kind. He smiled.And so did Joranum. Wouldnt you consider the Emperor a powerful friend, Professor Seldon?I certainly would, but what has that to do with me?I am under the impression that the Emperor is a friend of yours.Im sure the records will show, Mr. Joranum, that I had an audience with His imperial beard Majesty eight years ago. It lasted perhaps an hour or less and I saw no signs of any great friendliness in him at the time. Nor have I spoken to him since-or even seen him-except on holovision, of course.But, Professor, it is not necessary to see or speak to the Emperor to have him as a powerful friend. It is sufficient to see or speak to Eto Demerzel, the Emperors First Minister. Demerzel is your defender and, since he is, we whitethorn as well say the Emperor is.Do you find First Minister Demerzels supposed protection of me anywhere in the re cords? Or anything at all in the records from which you can deduce that protection?Why anticipate the records when it is well known that there is a connection between the two of you. You know it and I know it. let us take it then as given and continue. And please-he raised his hands-do not take the trouble to give me any heartfelt denials. Its a waste of time.Actually, said Seldon, I was going to ask why you should think that he would want to protect me. To what end?Professor? Are you trying to hurt me by pretending to think I am a monster of naiveness? I mentioned your psychohistory, which Demerzel wants.And I told you that it was a youthful indiscretion that came to nothing.You whitethorn tell me a great many things, Professor. I am not compelled to accept what you tell me. Come, let me speak frankly. I have read your schoolmaster paper and have tried to understand it with the help of some mathematicians on my staff. They tell me it is a wild dream and quite impossible-I quite agree with them, said Seldon.But I have the feeling that Demerzel is postponement for it to be developed and put to use. And if he can wait, so can I. It would be more useful to you, Professor Seldon, to have me wait.Why so?Because Demerzel will not endure in his position for much longer. unexclusive opinion is turning against him steadily. It may be that when the Emperor wearies of an unpopular First Minister who threatens to drag the throne down with him, he will find a replacement. It may even be my poor self whom the Emperors see to it will seize upon. And you will still need a protector, person who can see to it that you can work in peace and with robust funds for whatever you need in the way of equipment and assistants.And would you be that protector?Of course-and for the same reason that Demerzel is. I want a successful psychohistoric technique so that I can rule the Empire more efficiently.Seldon nodded thoughtfully, waited a moment, then said, But in that case, Mr. Jo ranum, why must I concern myself in this? I am a poor scholar, living a quiet life, engaged in out-of-the-way mathematical and pedagogical activities. You say that Demerzel is my present protector and that you will be my future protector. I can go quietly about my business, then. You and the First Minister may compress it out. Whoever prevails, I have a protector still-or, at least, so you tell me.Joranums fixed smile seemed to fade a bit. Namarti, at his side, turned his dogged face toward Joranum and made as though to say something, but Joranums hand moved slightly and Namarti coughed and did not speak.Joranum said, Dr. Seldon. Are you a patriot?Why, of course. The Empire has given humanity millennia of peace-mostly peace, at any rate-and fostered steady advancement.So it has-but at a slower pace in the last century or two.Seldon shrugged. I have not studied such matters.You dont have to. You know that, politically, the last century or two has been a time of turmoil. Imperial re igns have been short and sometimes have been shortened further by assassination-Even mentioning that, put in Seldon, is close to treason. Id quite you didnt-Well, there. Joranum threw himself back in his seat. See how insecure you are. The Empire is decaying. Im willing to say so impartly. Those who represent me do so because they know only too well it is. We need someone at the Emperors right hand who can control the Empire, subdue the rebellious impulses that seem to be arising everywhere, give the armed forces the natural lead they should have, lead the economy-Seldon made an impatient stopping motion with his arm. And youre the one to do it, are you?I intend to be the one. It wont be an easy labor and I doubt there would be many volunteers-for good reason. for sure Demerzel cant do it. Under him, the decline of the Empire is accelerating to a total breakdown.But you can stop it?Yes, Dr. Seldon. With your help. With psychohistory.Perhaps Demerzel could stop the breakdown wi th psychohistory-if psychohistory existed.Joranum said calmly, It exists. Let us not pretend it does not. But its existence does not help Demerzel. Psychohistory is only a tool. It needs a brain to understand it and an arm to wield it.And you have those, I take it?Yes. I know my own virtues. I want psychohistory.Seldon shook his head. You may want it all you please. I dont have it.You do have it. I will not present the point. Joranum leaned closer as though wishing to insinuate his voice into Seldons ear, rather than allowing the sound waves to carry it there. You say you are a patriot. I must replace Demerzel to avoid Imperial destruction. However, the manner of replacement might itself fail the Empire desperately. I do not wish that. You can interpret me how to achieve the end smoothly, subtly, without harm or damage-for the sake of the Empire.Seldon said, I cannot. You accuse me of knowledge I do not possess. I would like to be of assistance, but I cannot.Joranum stood up sudd enly. Well, you know my mind and what it is I want of you. Think about it. And I ask you to think about the Empire. You may feel you owe Demerzel-this despoiler of all the millions of planets of humanity-your friendship. Be careful. What you do may shake the very foundation of the Empire. I ask you to help me in the name of the quadrillions of human beings who fill the Galaxy. Think of the Empire.His voice had dropped to a stir and powerful half-whisper. Seldon felt himself almost trembling. I will always think of the Empire, he said.Joranum said, Then that is all I ask right now. thank you for consenting to see me.Seldon watched Joranum and his companion leave as the office doors slid open noiselessly and the men strode out.He frowned. Something was bothering him-and he was not sure what it was.7Namartis dark eyes remained fixed on Joranum as they sat in their carefully shielded office in the Streeling Sector. It was not an elaborate supply they were as yet weak in Streeling, but they would grow stronger.It was dreaded how the movement was growing. It had started from nothing three years back and now its tentacles stretched-in some places more thickly than others, of course-throughout Trantor. The Outer Worlds were as yet largely untouched. Demerzel had heavy(a) mightily to keep them content, but that was his mistake. It was here on Trantor that rebellions were dangerous. Elsewhere, they could be controlled. Here, Demerzel could be toppled. Odd that he should not realize that, but Joranum had always held to the scheme that Demerzels reputation was overblown, that he would prove an empty shell if anyone dared oppose him, and that the Emperor would destroy him quickly if his own security seemed at stake.So far, at least, all of Joranums predictions had come to pass. He had never once lost his way except in minor matters, such as that recent rally at Streeling University in which this Seldon fellow had interfered.That might be why Joranum had insisted on th e interview with him. Even a minor toe stub must be taken care of. Joranum enjoyed the feeling of infallibility and Namarti had to admit that the vision of a constant string of successes was the surest way of ensuring the continuation of success. People tended to avoid the vexation of failure by joining the obviously winning side even against their own opinions.But had the interview with this Seldon been a success or was it a second stub of the toe to be added to the first? Namarti had not enjoyed having been brought on in order to be made to humbly apologize and he didnt see that it had done any good.Now Joranum sat there, silent, obviously lost in thought, gnawing at the edge of one thumb as though trying to draw some sort of mental nourishment from it.Jo-Jo, said Namarti softly. He was one of the very few people who could address Joranum by the diminutive that the crowds shouted out endlessly in public. Joranum solicited the love of the annulus in this way, among others, but h e demanded respect from individuals in private, except for those especial(a) friends who had been with him from the start.Jo-Jo, he said again.Joranum looked up. Yes, G.D., what is it? He sounded a little testy.What are we going to do about this Seldon fellow, Jo-Jo?Do? Nothing right now. He may join us.Why wait? We can put pressure on him. We can pull a few strings at the University and make life miserable for him.No no. So far, Demerzel has been letting us go our way. The fool is overconfident. The last thing we want to do, though, is to push him into action before we are quite ready. And a heavy-handed move against Seldon may do it. I suspect Demerzel places enormous importance on Seldon.Because of this psychohistory you two talked about?Indeed.What is it? I have never heard of it.Few people have. Its a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.Namarti frowned and felt his body move slightly away from Joranum. Was this a joke of Joranums? Was this mean to make him laugh? Namarti had never been able to work out when or why people expected him to laugh. He had never had an urge to.He said, Predict the future? How?Ah? If I knew that, what need would I have of Seldon? aboveboard I dont believe it, Jo-Jo. How can you foretell the future? Its fortune-telling.I know, but after this Seldon broke up your little rally, I had him looked into. All the way. Eight years ago, he came to Trantor and presented a paper on psychohistory at a convention of mathematicians and then the whole thing died. It was never referred to again by anyone. Not even by Seldon.It sounds as though there were nothing to it, then.Oh no, just the reverse. If it had faded slowly, if it had been subjected to ridicule, I would have said there was nothing to it. But to be cut off suddenly and completely subject matter that the whole thing has been placed in the deepest of freezes. That is why Demerzel may have been doing nothing to stop us. Perhaps he is not bei ng manoeuver by a foolish overconfidence perhaps he is being guided by psychohistory, which must be predicting something that Demerzel plans to take advantage of at the right time. If so, we might fail unless we can make use of psychohistory ourselves.Seldon claims it doesnt exist.Wouldnt you if you were he?I still say we ought to put pressure on him.It would be useless, G.D. Didnt you ever hear the story of the Ax of Venn?No.You would if you were from Nishaya. Its a famous folktale back home. In brief, Venn was a woodcutter who had a magic ax that, with a single light blow, could chop down any tree. It was tremendously valuable, but he never made any effort to cover it or preserve it-and yet it was never stolen, because no one could mulct or swing the ax but Venn himself.Well, at the present moment, no one can handle psychohistory but Seldon himself. If he were on our side only because we had forced him, we could never be certain of his loyalty. Might he not urge a course of ac tion that would seem to work in our favor but would be so subtly careworn that, after a while, we found ourselves quite suddenly destroyed. No, he must come to our side voluntarily and labor for us because he wishes us to win.But how can we bring him around?Theres Seldons son. Raych, I think hes called. Did you assert him?Not particularly.G.D., G.D., you miss points if you dont observe everything. That young man listened to me with his heart in his eyes. He was impressed. I could tell. If theres one thing I can tell, it is just how I impress others. I know when I have agitate a mind, when I have edged someone toward conversion.Joranum smiled. It was not the pseudowarm coaxing smile of his public demeanor. It was a genuine smile this time-cold, somehow, and menacing.Well see what we can do with Raych, he said, and if, through him, we can reach Seldon.