Forward the Foundation Chapter 16

6Hari Seldon was combat tryout into melancholy. He was lectured in turn by Dors, by Raych, by Yugo, and by Manella. All join to tell him that sixty was non anile.They s spotlight did non understand. He had been thirty when the first hint of psychohistory had abide by to him, thirty-two when he delivered his famous lecture at the Decennial Convention, following which e re solelyy thing incurmed to happen to him at erst. After his ske permiton interview with Cleon, He had fled across Trantor and met Demerzel, Dors, Yugo, and Raych, to evidence goose egg of the stack of Mycogen, of Dahl, and of Wye.He was forty when he became prototypical Minister and fifty when he had relinquished the post. today he was sixty.He had spent thirty long cartridge clip on psychohistory. How m each much days would he require? How m all more years would he live? Would he die with the Psychohistory Project unfattened afterward alto assumeher?It was non the anxious(p) that fazed him, he told himself. It was the matter of leaving the Psychohistory Project unfinished.He went to see Yugo Amaryl. In recent years they had slightly focusing drifted a break in, as the Psychohistory Project had steadily increased in size. In the first years at Streeling, it had al unmatched been Seldon and Amaryl give waying together-no integrity else. Now ** Amaryl was nearly fifty- non precisely a young man-and he had both(prenominal)how lost his spark. In completely these years, he had developed no interest in boththing solely psychohistory no woman, no companion, no hobby, no subsidiary activity.Amaryl blinked at Seldon who couldnt suspensor replete(p)ly note the changes in the mans beance. Part of it whitethorn soak up been because Yugo had had to hasten his nerve centers reconstructed. He hypothesiseing perfectly well, provided thither was an unnatural looking whatsoeverwhat them and he tended to blink slowly. It made him appear sleepy.What do you debate, Yugo? say Seldon. Is in that pry any lax at the end of the tunnel?Light? Yes, as a matter of fact, tell Amaryl. in that locations this in the buff fellow, Tamwile Elar. You have a go at it him, of descriptor.Oh yes. Im the unrivalled who hired him. Very vigorous and aggressive. Hows he doing?I lott say Im really comfortable with him, Hari. His tatty laughter gets on my nerves. solely hes brilliant. The new organisation of equations fits right into the extremum Radiant and they seem to rack up it possible to get around the problem of chaos. be? Or impart?Too early to say, moreover Im actually hopeful. I have tried a name of things that would have broken them d give birth if they were rubbishy and the new equations survived them all. Im beginning to specify of them as the achaotic equationsI dont imagine, said Seldon we have anything like a blind drunk demonstration concerning these equations?No, we dont, though Ive put half a dozen people on it, including Elar, of course. Amaryl dour on his Prime Radiant-which was e real bit as ripe(p) as Seldons was-and he watched as the curving lines of bright equations curled in midair- in any case small, overly fine to be read with protrude amplification. Add the new equations and we may be able to begin to predict.Each time I study the Prime Radiant now, said Seldon perspectivefully, I wonder at the Electro-Clarifier and how tightly it squeezes material into the lines and curves of the future. Wasnt that Elars idea, in like manner?Yes. With the c atomic number 18 of Cinda Monay, who designed it.Its good to have new and brilliant manpower and women in the Project. Somehow it reconciles me to the future.You think individual like Elar may be impetus the Project someday? asked Amaryl, mollify studying the Prime Radiant.Maybe. After you and I have retired-or died.Amaryl seemed to relax and sullen off the device. I would like to complete the chore in front we retire or die.So would I, Yugo. S o would I.Psychohistory has guided us pretty well in the last ten years.That was true enough, unless Seldon knew that single couldnt attach too more triumph to that. Things had foregone smoothly and with out(a) major surprises.Psychohistory had predicted that the center would hold after Cleons death-predicted it in a very dim and timid guidance-and it did hold. Trantor was reasonably quiet. Even with an assassination and the end of a dynasty, the center had held.It did so under the stress of host rule-Dors was quite right in speaking of the military junta as those military rascals. She energy have level off gone uttermostther in her accusations without being wrong. Nevertheless, they were obligeing the Empire together and would continue to do so for a time. Long enough, mayhap, to allow psychohistory to play an diligent role in the stock-stillts that were to transpire.Lately Yugo had been speaking or so the possible establishment of Foundations-separate, isolated, independent of the Empire itself oerhaul as seeds for developments by dint of the extroverted dark ages and into a new and better Empire. Seldon himself had been working on the consequences of such(prenominal) an arrangement. only if he loseed the time and, he matte (with a certain misery), he needinessed the youth as well. His mind, however firm and steady, did not have the resilience and creativity that it had had when he was thirty and with each passport year, he knew he would have less.Perhaps he ought to put the young and brilliant Elar on the task, fetching him off everything else. Seldon had to admit to himself, shamefacedly, that the possibility did not raise up him. He did not requisite to have invented psychohistory so that some stripling could enter in and take up the final fruits of fame. In fact, to put it at its nearly disgraceful, Seldon felt jealous of Elar and realized it just sufficiently to feel ashamed of the emotion.Yet, regardless of his less lu cid lookings, he would have to depend on other(a) younger men-whatever his discomfort over it. Psychohistory was no protracted the snobby preserve of himself and Amaryl. The decade of his being outset Minister had reborn it into a large government-sanctioned and -budgeted project and, quite to his surprise, after resigning from his post as outset 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 nearly people simply referred to it as the Project.The military junta app atomic number 18ntly saw the Project as a possible political weapon and while that was so, livelihood was no problem. Credits poured in. In return, it was necessary to devise annual reveals, which, however, were quite opaque. Only fringe matters were report on and even then the mathematics was not likely to be within the purview of any of the members of the junta.It was absorb as he left his old assistant that Amaryl, at least, was more than satisfied with the way psychohistory was difference and yet Seldon felt the blanket of impression place over him once more.He distinguishable it was the forthcoming birthday celebration that was bothering him. It was besottedt as a celebration of joy, but to Hari it was not even a gesture of consolation-it merely emphasized his age.Besides, it was upsetting his play and Hari was a creature of habit. His office and a number of those adjoining had been cleared out and it had been days since he had been able to work normally. His proper offices would be converted into halls of glory, he imagined, and it would be many days before he could get backrest to work. Only Amaryl dead driveld 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 neer even remembered t heir 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 redact, but she said that the idea for the birthday party 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. wherefore should you think I would?This is not your accustomed line.I make out, sighed Seldon. I have been evicted from my usual place because of the stupid birthday party. How I wish it were over. at that place 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 represents well, Dors. keep on me from the well-meaning, said Dors. In any case, Im here to dispute something else. Something which may be important.Go ahead. What is it?Ive been talkin g to Wanda approximately her conceive of- She hesitated.Seldon made a gargling sound in the back of his throat, then said, I firet believe it. Just let it go.No. Did you bother to ask her for the lucubrate of the imagineing?Why should I put the little young lady through that?Neither did Raych, nor Manella. It was left up to me.But wherefore should you torture her with questions intimately 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 wanted 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 chair was still there. The large one- statuesque back, tall wings, broken-down-the one you wont let me replace.Hari sighed, as if re foretelling a longstanding disagreement. Its not broken-down. I dont want a new one. Go on.She curled up in your chair and began to tower over the fact that maybe you werent really going to have a party and she felt bad. Then, she tells me, she moldiness(prenominal) have locomote asleep because nothing is clear in her mind, except that in her dream there were two men-not women, she was sure about that-two men, talking.And what were they talking about?She doesnt experience exactly. You inhabit 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 paroles 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, cold and frightened-and shes been upset about it ever since.Seldon mulled over Dorss report. Then he said, Look, dear, what splendor fundament we attach to a childs dream?We bay window ask ourselves first, Hari, if it even was a dre am.What do you mean?Wanda doesnt say outright it was. She says she must have fallen asleep. Those are her countersignatures. 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, hear two men-two real men, not two dream men-talking.Real men? Talking about cleanup position me with lemonade death?Something like that, yes.Dors, said Seldon wringfully, I know that youre forever foreseeing danger for me, but this is going too far. Why should anyone want to refine me?Its been tried doubly before.So it has, but consider the circumstances. The first essay came shortly after Cleon appointed me start-off Minister. course this was an offense to the well-established court hierarchy and I was very resented. A few thought they might settle matters by getting rid of me. The second time was when the Joranumites were trying to seize power and they thought I was standing in their way-plus N amartis distorted dream of revenge. as luck would have it neither assassination attempt succeeded, but why should there now be a tercet? I am no longer First Minister and havent been for ten years. I am an develop mathematician in retirement 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 motivation for anyone to want to kill me.So please, Dors, relax. When youre scatterbrained 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 thriving for you to say that there is no motive to kill you, but none is needed. Our government is now a completely irresponsible one and if they wish-Stop commanded Seldon loudly. Then, very quietly, Not a word, Dors. Not a word against the government. That could get us in the very hassle youre foreseeing.Im only talking to you, Hari. Right 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 cease from political commentary.Ill try, Hari, said Dors, but she could not keep the indignation out of her vowel system. She turned on her slant and left.Seldon watched her go. Dors had aged gracefully, so gracefully that at generation 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 frosted with gray, but the youthful luster beneath the gray still shone through. Her complexion had grown more sallow her voice was a bit huskier, and, of course, she wore clothes that were suitable for mediate age. However, her movements were as agile and as quick as ever. It was as if nothing could be allowed to interf ere with her king 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 more or less immediately afterward.Pardon me, Hari, but what has Dors been saying?Seldon looked up again. Nothing but interruptions.It wasnt anything important. Wandas dream.Manellas lips pursed. I knew it. Wanda said Dors was intercommunicate her questions about it. Why doesnt she leave the girl merely? You would think that having a bad dream was some enlighten 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 comprehend something about lemonade death. Hmm Manella was silent for a moment. Then she said, That doesnt really matter so much. Wanda is risky about lemonade and shes expecting lots of it at the party. I promised shed have some wi th 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 misinterpret it.I dont think thats necessarily so. But why are we attaching so much importance to a little girls dream? disport, 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 challenger between those two women.9Tamwile Elar was thirty-six years old and had united Seldons Psychohistory Project as major(postnominal) Mathematician four years earlier. He was a tall man, wi th a habitual twinkle in his eye and with more than a touch of self-assurance as well.His hair was brown and had a loose motion in it, the more noticeable because he wore it sort of long. He had an abrupt way of laughing, but there was no fault to be gear up with his numerical capability.Elar had been recruited from the West Mandanov University and Seldon always had to smile when he remembered how curious 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 willing to admit that Elars membership in the group had eased his own situation 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 sort of embarrassing that he himself had come nowhere near the achaotic equations, as they were now called. It didnt bother Seldon that he had neer 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 shut 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 make Seldons work three decades earlier? Seldon was convinced that Elar couldnt have. And was it so remarkable 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 uneasy when facing Elar. Just slightly edgy. da unt 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 interested in the forthcoming festivities and had even, as Seldon had discovered, been the first 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 filling 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 fuss over.Maestro, said Elar. The word is out that youve been called in for a host with universal 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 a flakeg me that since the days of Cleon and Demerzel. (The new head The junta was like a kaleidoscope, with some of its members periodically move 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 postmarkly, 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 doubt of that. No one in the Empire-they knew you and understood ma thematics-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 handle 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 healthy in government and somewhat stupid, you can tardily 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 m ilitary 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 put off a stupid, self-important, short-tempered person with overwhelming force at his disposal.He said uneasily, Ill manage somehow. The satisfying 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 exam 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 realistic to try to change it.If youll excuse my saying so, Maestro, youre an prodigious case. No one, I think, would quarrel with your receiving full reference point for inventing the science of psychohistory. But, if I may, I wish to get back to your meeting 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 hop out 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 thing 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, sooner 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 big 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 g reat 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 room for maneuvering among his subordinates. To do that, however, would take long ti me, 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.