LITMIR.BIZ

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decay that is an old story of some fifteen centuries.’

      ‘And so this Hari Seldon foresaw a Galaxy of uniform barbarism,’ said Riose, good-humouredly. ‘And what then, eh?’

      ‘So he established two foundations at the extreme opposing ends of the Galaxy – Foundations of the best, and the youngest, and the strongest, there to breed, grow, and develop. The worlds on which they were placed were chosen carefully; as were the times and the surroundings. All was arranged in such a way that the future as foreseen by the unalterable mathematics of psycho-history would involve their early isolation from the main body of Imperial civilization and their gradual growth into the germs of the Second Galactic Empire – cutting an inevitable barbarian interregnum from thirty thousand years to scarcely a single thousand.’

      ‘And where did you find out all this? You seem to know it in detail.’

      ‘I don’t and never did,’ said the patrician with composure. ‘It is the painful result of the piecing together of certain evidence discovered by my father and a little more found by myself. The basis is flimsy and the superstructure has been romanticized into existence to fill the huge gaps. But I am convinced that it is essentially true.’

      ‘You are easily convinced.’

      ‘Am I? It has taken forty years of research.’

      ‘Hmph. Forty years! I could settle the question in forty days. In fact, I believe I ought to. It would be – different.’

      ‘And how would you do that?’

      ‘In the obvious way. I could become an explorer. I could find this Foundation you speak of and observe with my eyes. You say there are two?’

      ‘The records speak of two. Supporting evidence has been found only for one, which is understandable, for the other is at the extreme end of the long axis of the Galaxy.’

      ‘Well, we’ll visit the near one.’ The general was on his feet, adjusting his belt.

      ‘You know where to go?’ asked Barr.

      ‘In a way. In the records of the last viceroy but one, he whom you murdered so effectively, there are suspicious tales of outer barbarians. In fact, one of his daughters was given in marriage to a barbarian prince. I’ll find my way.’

      He held out a hand. ‘I thank you for your hospitality.’

      Ducem Barr touched the hand with his fingers and bowed formally. ‘Your visit was a great honour.’

      ‘As for the information you gave me,’ continued Bel Riose, ‘I’ll know how to thank you for that when I return.’

      Ducem Barr followed his guest submissively to the outer door and said quietly to the disappearing ground-car, ‘And if you return.’

       2

       The Magicians

      FOUNDATION … With forty years of expansion behind them, the Foundation faced the menace of Riose. The epic days of Hardin and Mallow had gone and with them a certain hard daring and resolution …

      ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

      There were four men in the room, and the room was set apart where none could approach. The four men looked at each other quickly, then lengthily at the table that separated them. There were four bottles on the table and as many full glasses, but no one had touched them.

      And then the man nearest the door stretched out an arm and drummed a slow, padding rhythm on the table.

      He said, ‘Are you going to sit and wonder forever? Does it matter who speaks first?’

      ‘Speak you first, then,’ said the big man directly opposite. ‘You’re the one who should be the most worried.’

      Sennett Forell chuckled with noiseless nonhumour. ‘Because you think I’m the richest. Well— Or is it that you expect me to continue as I have started. I don’t suppose you forget that it was my own Trade Fleet that captured this scout ship of theirs.’

      ‘You had the largest fleet,’ said a third, ‘and the best pilots; which is another way of saying you are the richest. It was a fearful risk; and would have been greater for one of us.’

      Sennett Forell chuckled again. ‘There is a certain facility in risk-taking that I inherit from my father. After all, the essential point in running a risk is that the returns justify it. As to which, witness the fact that the enemy ship was isolated and captured without loss to ourselves or warning to the others.’

      That Forell was a distant collateral relative of the late great Hober Mallow was recognized openly throughout the Foundation. That he was Mallow’s illegitimate son was accepted quietly to just as wide an extent.

      The fourth man blinked his little eyes stealthily. Words crept out from between thin lips. ‘It is nothing to sleep over in fat triumph, this grasping of little ships. Most likely, it will but anger that young man further.’

      ‘You think he needs motives?’ questioned Forell, scornfully.

      ‘I do, and this might, or will, save him the vexation of having to manufacture one.’ The fourth man spoke slowly, ‘Hober Mallow worked otherwise. And Salvor Hardin. They let others take the uncertain paths of force, while they manoeuvred surely and quietly.’

      Forell shrugged. ‘This ship has proved its value. Motives are cheap and we have sold this one at a profit.’ There was the satisfaction of the born Trader in that. He continued, ‘The young man is of the old Empire.’

      ‘We knew that,’ said the second man, the big one, with rumbling discontent.

      ‘We suspected that,’ corrected Forell, softly. ‘If a man comes with ships and wealth, with overtures of friendliness, and with offers of trade, it is only sensible to refrain from antagonizing him, until we are certain that the profitable mask is not a face after all. But now—’

      There was a faint whining edge to the third man’s voice as he spoke. ‘We might have been even more careful. We might have found out first. We might have found out before allowing him to leave. It would have been the truest wisdom.’

      ‘That has been discussed and disposed of,’ said Forell. He waved the subject aside with a flatly final gesture.

      ‘The government is soft,’ complained the third man. ‘The mayor is an idiot.’

      The fourth man looked at the other three in turn and removed the stub of a cigar from his mouth. He dropped it casually into the slot at his right where it disappeared with a silent flash of disruption.

      He said sarcastically, ‘I trust the gentleman who last spoke is speaking through habit only. We can afford to remember here that we are the government.’

      There was a murmur of agreement.

      The fourth man’s little eyes were on the table. ‘Then let us leave government policy alone. This young man … this stranger might have been a possible customer. There have been cases. All three of you tried to butter him into an advance contract. We have an agreement – a gentleman’s agreement – against it, but you tried.’

      ‘So did you,’ growled the second man.

      ‘I know it,’ said the fourth, calmly.

      ‘Then let’s forget what we should have done earlier,’ interrupted Forell impatiently, ‘and continue with what we should do now. In any case, what if we had imprisoned him, or killed him, what then? We are not certain of his intentions even yet, and at the worst, we could not destroy an Empire by snipping short one man’s life. There might be navies upon navies waiting just the other side of his nonreturn.’

      ‘Exactly,’ approved the fourth man. ‘Now what did you get out of

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