Foundation and Empire 8. To Trantor

Devers bent over the little unawares globe, watching for a precise press of life. The directional control was slowly and thoroughly sieving space with its jabbing tight sheaf of signals.Barr watched patiently from his seat on the low cot in the comer, He asked, No more signs of them?The Empire boys? No. The trader growled the words with evident impatience. We broken the scuppers long ago. Space With the blind jumps we took through hyperspace, its lucky we didnt land up in a suns belly. They couldnt befuddle followed us even if they come onranged us, which they didnt.He sat back and loosened his collar with a jerk. I dont know what those Empire boys have done here. I think some of the gaps are out of alignment.I take it, then, youre trying to get to the Foundation.Im c everying the railroad tie or trying to.The Association? Who are they?Association of In accountent Traders. Never heard of it, huh? Well, youre non alone. We havent made our splash yetFor a while in that locati on was a silence that touch on about the unresponsive Reception Indicator, and Barr said, Are you within range?I dont know. I havent but a small nonion where we are, exhalation by dead reckoning. Thats why I have to use directional control. It could take long term, you know.Might it?Barr pointed and Devers jumped and adjusted his earphones. Within the little murky sphere there was a tiny glowing whiteness.For half an hour, Devers nursed the fragile, groping thread of communication that reached through hyperspace to connect two points that laggard light would take five hundred years to bind together.Then he sat back, hopelessly. He looked up, and shoved the earphones back.Lets eat, doc. Theres a needle-shower you can use if you want to, but go easy on the hot water.He squatted before one of the cabinets that lined one wall and felt through the contents. Youre not a vegetarian, I hope?Barr said, Im omnivorous. But what about the Association. Have you lost them?Looks so. It was ext reme range, a little too extreme. Doesnt matter, though. I got all that counted.He straightened, and placed the two metal containers upon the table. Just give it five minutes, doc, then boodle it open by pushing the contact. Itll be plate, food, and fork sort of handy for when youre in a hurry, if youre not interested in such incidentals as napkins. I suppose you want to know what I got out of the Association.If it isnt a whodunit.Devers shook his head. Not to you. What Riose said was true.About the offer of tribute?Uh-huh. They offered it, and had it refused. Things are bad. Theres fighting in the outer suns of Loris.Loris is close to the Foundation?Huh? Oh, you wouldnt know. Its one of the original Four Kingdoms. You exponent call it part of the inner line of defense. Thats not the worst. Theyve been fighting large ships antecedently never encountered. Which squiffys Riose wasnt giving us the works. He has received more ships. Brodrig has switched sides, and I have messed thi ngs up.His eyes were bleak as he joined the food-container contact-points and watched it exit open neatly. The stewlike dish steamed its aroma through the room. Ducem Barr was already eating.So much, said Barr, for improvisations, then. We can do postal code here we can not slide through the Imperial lines to return to the Foundation we can do nothing but that which is most sensible to wait patiently. However, if Riose has reached the inner line I verify the wait will not be too long.And Devers put d confess his fork. Wait, is it? he snarled, glowering. Thats all right for you. Youve got nothing at stake.Havent I? Barr smiled thinly.No. In fact, Ill tell you. Devers irritation skimmed the sur tone. Im tired of looking at this whole business as if it were an interesting something-or-other on a microscope slide. Ive got friends somewhere out there, last and a whole world out there, my home, dying also. Youre an outsider. You dont know.I have retardn friends die. The old mans han ds were limp in his lap and his eyes were closed. Are you get hitched with?Devers said, Traders dont marry.Well, I have two sons and a nephew. They have been warned, but for reasons they could take no action. Our escape operator their death. My daughter and my two grandchildren have, I hope, left-hand(a) the planet safety before this, but even excluding them, I have already risked and lost more than you.Devers was morosely savage. I know. But that was a matter of choice. You mogul have played ball with Riose. I never asked you to-Barr shook his head. It was not a matter of choice, Devers. Make your conscience free, I didnt risk my sons for you. I co-operated with Riose as long as I dared. But there was the Psychic Probe.The Siwennian patrician opened his eyes and they were sharp with pain. Riose came to me once it was over a year ago. He spoke of a cult centering about the magicians, but missed the truth. It is not quite a cult. You see, it is forty years now that Siwenna has been gripped in the comparable unbearable vise that threatens your world. Five revolts have been ground out. Then I discovered the ancient records of Hari Seldon and now this cult waits.It waits for the coming of the magicians and for that day it is ready. My sons are leaders of those who wait. It is that secret which is in my mind and which the Probe must never touch. And so they must die as hostages for the alternative is their death as rebels and half of Siwenna with them. You see, I had no choice And I am no outsider.Devers eyes fell, and Barr continued softly, It is on a Foundation victory that Siwennas hopes depend. It is for a Foundation victory that my sons are sacrificed. And Hari Seldon does not pre-calculate the inevitable salvation of Siwenna as he does that of the Foundation. I have no certainty for my people only hope.But you are still satisfied to wait. compensate with the Imperial Navy at Loris.I would wait, in perfect confidence, said Barr, simply, if they had landed on the planet, Terminus, itself.The trader frowned hopelessly. I dont know. It cant really work like that not just like magic. Psychohistory or not, theyre terribly strong, and were weak. What can Setdon do about it?Theres nothing to do. Its all already done. Its proceeding now. Because you dont hear the wheels turning and the gongs beating doesnt mean its any the less certain.Maybe but I wish you had cracked Rioses skull for keeps. Hes more the enemy than all his army.Cracked his skull? With Brodrig his second in command? Barrs face sharpened with hate. all Siwenna would have been my hostage. Brodrig has proven his worth long since. There exists a world which five years ago lost one mannish in every ten and simply for failure to meet outstanding taxes. This same Brodrig was the tax-collector. No, Riose may live. His punishments are mercy in comparison.But sextet months, six months, in the enemy Base, with nothing to show for it. Devers strong hands clasped each other tau tly, so that his knuckles cracked. Nothing to show for itWell, now, wait. You remind me- Barr fumbled in his pouch. You might want to count this. And he tossed the small sphere of metal on the table.Devers snatched it. What is it?The kernel capsule. The one that Riose received just before I jacked him. Does that count as something?I dont know. Depends on whats in it Devers sat down and turned it over carefully in his hand.When Barr stepped from his cold shower and, gratefully, into the mild warm current of the transport dryer, he found Devers silent and absorbed at the workbench.The Siwennian slapped his body with a sharp rhythm and spoke above the punctuating sounds. What are you doing?Devers looked up. Droplets of perspiration glittered in his beard. Im going to open this capsule.Can you open it without Rioses personal characteristic? There was mild surprise in the Siwennians voice.If I cant, Ill resign from the Association and never skipper a ship for whats left of my life. Ive got a three-way electronic analysis of the interior now, and Ive got little jiggers that the Empire never heard of, especially made for jimmying capsules. Ive been a bandit before this, yknow. A trader has to be something of everything.He bent low over the little sphere, and a small flat instrument probed delicately and sparked redly at each fleeting contact.He said, This capsule is a crude job, anyway. These Imperial boys are no shakes at this small work. I can see that. Ever see a Foundation capsule? Its half the size and impervious to electronic analysis in the first place.And then he was rigid, the shoulder joint muscles beneath his tunic tautening visibly. His tiny probe pressed slowly-It was noiseless when it came, but Devers relaxed and sighed. In his hand was the shining sphere with its message unrolled like a parchment tongue.Its from Brodrig, he said. Then, with contempt, The message medium is permanent. In a Foundation capsule, the message would be oxidized to gas wit hin the minute.But Ducem Barr waved him silent. He read the message quickly.FROM AMMEL BRODRIG, ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, PRIVY SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL, AND PEER OF THE REALM.TO BEL RIOSE, MILITARY GOVERNOR OF SIWENNA. GENERAL OF THE IMPERIAL FORCES, AND PEER OF THE REALM. I GREET YOU. orbiter 1120 NO LONGER RESISTS. THE PLANS OF OFFENSE AS OUTLINED CONTINUE SMOOTHLY. THE ENEMY WEAKENS VISIBLY AND THE ULTIMATE ENDS IN VIEW WILL SURELY BE GAINED.Barr raise his head from the almost microscopic print and cried bitterly, The fool The forsaken blame fop That a message?Huh? said Devers. He was vaguely disappointed.It says nothing, ground out Barr. Our lick-spittle courtier is compete at ordinary now. With Riose aside, he is the field commander and must sooth his paltry spirit by spewing out his pompous reports concerning military affairs he has nothing to do with. So-and-so planet no longer resists. The offensive moves on. The enemy weakens. The vacuum-headed peac ock.Well, now, wait a minute. Hold on-Throw it away. The old man turned away in mortification. The Galaxy knows I never expected it to be world-shakingly important, but in wartime it is reasonable to assume that even the most routine order left undelivered might hamper military movements and lead to complications later. Its why I snatched it. But this Better to have left it. It would have wasted a minute of Rioses time that will now be put to more constructive use.But Devers had arisen. Will you rent on and stop throwing your weight around? For Seldons sake-He held out the sliver of message before Barrs nose, Now read that again. What does he mean by ultimate ends in view?The conquest of the Foundation. Well?Yes? And maybe he means the conquest of the Empire. You know he believes that to be the ultimate end.And if he does?If he does Devers one-sided smile was lost in his beard. Why, watch then, and Ill show you.With one fingers breadth the lavishly monogrammed sheet of message-par chment was thrust back into its slot. With a soft twang, it disappeared and the globe was a smooth, unbroken whole again. Somewhere inside was the tiny oiled whirr of the controls as they lost their setting by random movements.Now there is no known way of opening this capsule without knowledge of Rioses personal characteristic, is there?To the Empire, no, said Barr.Then the evidence it contains is unknown to us and absolutely authentic.To the Empire, yes, said Barr.And the Emperor can open it, cant he? Personal Characteristics of Government officials must be on file. We keep records of our officials at the Foundation.At the Imperial capital as well, agreed Barr.Then when you, a Siwennian patrician and Peer of the Realm, tell this Cleon, this Emperor, that his favorite tame-parrot and his shiniest general are getting together to knock him over, and hand him the capsule as evidence, what will he think Brodrigs ultimate ends are?Barr sat down weakly. Wait, I dont follow you. He stroked one thin cheek, and said, Youre not really serious, are you?I am. Devers was angrily excited. Listen, nine out of the last ten Emperors got their throats cut, or their gizzards blasted out by one or another of their generals with bigtime notions in their heads. You told me that yourself more than once. Old man Emperor would believe us so fast it would consider Rioses head swim.Barr muttered feebly, He is serious, For the Galaxys sake, man, you cant beat a Seldon crisis by a far-fetched, impractical, storybook scheme like that. Suppose you had never got hold of the capsule. Suppose Brodrig hadnt used the word ultimate. Seldon doesnt depend on wild luck.If wild luck comes our way, theres no law says Seldon cant take advantage of it.Certainly. But but, Barr stopped, then spoke calmly but with visible restraint. Look, in the first place, how will you get to the planet Trantor? You dont know its location in space, and I certainly dont remember the co-ordinates, to say nothing of the ep hemerae. You dont even know your own position in space.You cant get lost in space, grinned Devers. He was at the controls already. Down we go to the nearest planet, and back we come with complete bearings and the best water travel charts Brodrigs hundred thousand smackers can buy.And a blaster in our belly. Our descriptions are probably in every planet in this quarter of the Empire.Doc, said Devers, patiently, dont be a hick tom the sticks. Riose said my ship surrendered too easily and, brother, he wasnt kidding. This ship has enough fire-power and enough juice in its shield to hold off anything were Rely to meet this deep inside the frontier. And we have personal shields, too. The Empire boys never found them, you know, but they werent meant to be found.All fight, said Barr, all right. Suppose yourself on Trantor. How do you see the Emperor then? You think he keeps office hours?Suppose we worry about that on Trantor, said Devers.And Barr muttered helplessly, All right again. Ive w anted to see Trantor before I die for half a century now. Have your way.The hypernuclear motor was cut in. The lights flickered and there was the slight inseparable wrench that marked the shift into hyperspace.