accepted.”
“And if it is?”
“The Mule was never in—or anywhere near—the Sayshell Union except on this one occasion, at least after he appeared on the Galactic scene. If he had ever been on Gaia, it had to be before he appeared on the Galactic scene.”
“Well?”
“Well, where was the Mule born?”
“I don’t think anyone knows,” said Trevize.
“In the Sayshell Union, there is a strong feeling he was born on Gaia.”
“Because of that one word?”
“Only partly. The Mule could not be defeated because he had strange mental powers. Gaia cannot be defeated either.”
“Gaia has not been defeated as yet. That does not necessarily prove it cannot be.”
“Even the Mule would not approach. Search the records of his Overlordship. See if any region other than the Sayshell Union was so gingerly treated. And do you know that no one who has ever gone to Gaia for the purpose of peaceful trade has ever returned? Why do you suppose we know so little about it?”
Trevize said, “Your attitude seems much like superstition.”
“Call it what you will. Since the time of the Mule, we have wiped Gaia out of our thinking. We don’t want it to think of us. We only feel safe if we pretend it isn’t there. It may be that the government has itself secretly initiated and encouraged the legend that Gaia has disappeared into hyperspace in the hope that people will forget that there is a real star of that name.”
“You think that Gaia is a world of Mules, then?”
“It may be. I advise you, for
Trevize said, “Get me the co-ordinates and I will be off your world at once. I will reach Gaia and I will return.”
Quintesetz said, “I will get you the co-ordinates. The astronomy department works nights, of course, and I will get it for you
Trevize said, “I intend to make that attempt.”
And Quintesetz said heavily, “Then you intend suicide.”
14
FORWARD!
1.
Janov Pelorat looked out at the dim landscape in the graying dawn with an odd mixture of regret and uncertainty.
“We aren’t staying long enough, Golan. It seems a pleasant and interesting world. I would like to learn more about it.”
Trevize looked up from the computer with a wry smile. “You don’t think I would like to? We had three proper meals on the planet—totally different and each excellent. I’d like more. And the only women we saw, we saw briefly—and some of them looked quite enticing, for—well, for what I’ve got in mind.”
Pelorat wrinkled his nose slightly. “Oh, my dear chap. Those cowbells they call shoes, and all wrapped around in clashing colors, and whatever do they do to their eyelashes. Did you notice their eyelashes?”
“You might just as well believe I noticed everything, Janov. What you object to is superficial. They can easily be persuaded to wash their faces and, at the proper time, off come the shoes and the colors.”
Pelorat said, “I’ll take your word for that, Golan. However, I was thinking more of investigating the matter of Earth further. What we’ve been told about Earth, thus far, is so unsatisfactory, so contradictory—radiation according to one person, robots according to another.”
“Death in either case.”
“True,” said Pelorat reluctantly, “but it may be that one is true and not the other, or that both are true to some extent, or that neither is sure. Surely, Golan, when you hear tales that simply shroud matters in thickening mists of doubt,
“I do,” said Golan. “By every dwarf star in the Galaxy, I do. The problem at hand, however, is Gaia. Once that is straightened out, we can go to Earth, or come back here to Sayshell for a more extended stay. But first, Gaia.”
Pelorat nodded. “The problem at hand! If we accept what Quintesetz told us, death is waiting for us on Gaia. Ought we to be going?”
Trevize said, “I ask myself that. Are you afraid?”
Pelorat hesitated as though he were probing his own feelings. Then he said in a quite simple and matter-of- fact manner, “Yes. Terribly!”
Trevize sat back in his chair and swiveled to face the other. He said, just as quietly and matter-of-factly, “Janov, there’s no reason for you to chance this. Say the word and I’ll let you off on Sayshell with your personal belongings and with half our credits. I’ll pick you up when I return and it will be on to Sirius Sector, if you wish, and Earth, if that’s where it is. If I don’t return, the Foundation people on Sayshell will see to it that you get back to Terminus. No hard feelings if you stay behind, old friend.”
Pelorat’s eyes blinked rapidly and his lips pressed together for a few moments. Then he said, rather huskily, “Old friend? We’ve known each other what? A week or so? Isn’t it strange that I’m going to refuse to leave the ship? I
Trevize moved his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. “But why? I honestly don’t ask it of you.”
“I’m not sure why, but I ask it of myself. It’s—it’s— Golan, I have faith in you. It seems to me you always know what you’re doing. I wanted to go to Trantor, where probably—as I now see—nothing would have happened.
“You have faith in me, then.”
Pelorat said, “Yes, I do.”
Trevize put his hand on the other’s upper arm and seemed, for a moment, to be searching for words. Finally he said, “Janov, will you forgive me in advance if my judgment is wrong, and if you in one way or another meet with—whatever unpleasant may be awaiting us?”
Pelorat said, “Oh, my dear fellow, why do you ask? I make the decision freely for
“As you say, Janov,” said Trevize. “We’ll leave at the earliest moment the computer will permit. This time, we’ll be moving gravitically—straight up—as soon as we can be assured the atmosphere above is clear of other ships. And as the surrounding atmosphere grows less and less dense, we’ll put on more and more speed. Well within the hour, we’ll be in open space.”
“Good,” Pelorat said and pinched the tip off a plastic coffee container. The opened orifice almost at once began steaming. Pelorat put the nipple to his mouth and sipped, allowing just enough air to enter his mouth to cool the coffee to a bearable temperature.
