Foundation and Earth

no trouble finding Gaia.” And she vanished into her room to collect Fallom.

Pelorat said, “Do you suppose that they’ve managed to damage our ship in order to keep us on the planet?”

“They lack the technology to do it,” said Trevize grimly. When Bliss emerged, holding Fallom by the hand, Trevize put out the lights.

They sat quietly in the dark for what seemed half the night, and might have been half an hour. Then Trevize slowly and silently opened the door. The sky seemed a bit more cloudy, but stars shone. High in the sky now was Cassiopeia, with what might be Earth’s sun burning brightly at its lower tip. The air was still and there was no sound.

Carefully, Trevize stepped out, motioning the others to follow. One of his hands dropped, almost automatically, to the butt of his neuronic whip. He was sure he would not have to use it, but—

Bliss took the lead, holding Pelorat’s hand, who held Trevize’s. Bliss’s other hand held Fallom, and Fallom’s other hand held the flute. Feeling gently with her feet in the nearly total darkness, Bliss guided the others toward where she felt, very weakly, the Gaianess of her clothing on board the Far Star.

PART VII EARTH

19 RADIOACTIVE?

85.

The Far Star took off quietly, rising slowly through the atmosphere, leaving the dark island below. The few faint dots of light beneath them dimmed and vanished, and as the atmosphere grew thinner with height, the ship’s speed grew greater, and the dots of light in the sky above them grew more numerous and brighter.

Eventually, they looked down upon the planet, Alpha, with only a crescent illuminated and that crescent largely wreathed in clouds.

Pelorat said, “I suppose they don’t have an active space technology. They can’t follow us.”

“I’m not sure that that cheers me up much,” said Trevize, his face dour, his voice disheartened. “I’m infected.”

“But with an inactive strain,” said Bliss.

“Still, it can be made active. They had a method. What is the method?”

Bliss shrugged. “Hiroko said the virus, left inactive, would eventually die in a body unadapted to it—as yours is.”

“Yes?” said Trevize angrily. “How does she know that? For that matter, how do I know that Hiroko’s statement wasn’t a self-consoling lie? And isn’t it possible that the method of activation, whatever it is, might not be duplicated naturally? A particular chemical, a type of radiation, a—a—who knows what? I may sicken suddenly, and then the three of you would die, too. Or if it happens after we have reached a populated world, there may be a vicious pandemic which fleeing refugees would carry to other worlds.”

He looked at Bliss. “Is there something you can do about it?”

Slowly, Bliss shook her head. “Not easily. There are parasites making up Gaia—microorganisms, worms. They are a benign part of the ecological balance. They live and contribute to the world consciousness, but never over-grow. They live without doing noticeable harm. The trouble is, Trevize, the virus that affects you is not part of Gaia.”

“You say ‘not easily,’?” said Trevize, frowning. “Under the circumstances, can you take the trouble to do it even though it might be difficult? Can you locate the virus in me and destroy it? Can you, failing that, at least strengthen my defenses?”

“Do you realize what you ask, Trevize? I am not acquainted with the microscopic flora of your body. I might not easily tell a virus in the cells of your body from the normal genes inhabiting them. It would be even more difficult to distinguish between viruses your body is accustomed to and those with which Hiroko infected you. I will try to do it, Trevize, but it will take time and I may not succeed.”

“Take time,” said Trevize. “Try.”

“Certainly,” said Bliss.

Pelorat said, “If Hiroko told the truth, Bliss, you might be able to find viruses that seem to be already diminishing in vitality, and you could accelerate their decline.”

“I could do that,” said Bliss. “It is a good thought.”

“You won’t weaken?” said Trevize. “You will have to destroy precious bits of life when you kill those viruses, you know.”

“You are being sardonic, Trevize,” said Bliss coolly, “but, sardonic or not, you are pointing out a true difficulty. Still, I can scarcely fail to put you ahead of the virus. I will kill them if I have the chance, never fear. After all, even if I fail to consider you”—and her mouth twitched as though she were repressing a smile—“then certainly Pelorat and Fallom are also at risk, and you might feel more confidence in my feeling for them than in my feeling for you. You might even remember that I myself am at risk.”

“I have no faith in your self-love,” muttered Trevize. “You’re perfectly ready to give up your life for some high motive. I’ll accept your concern for Pelorat, however.” Then, he said, “I don’t hear Fallom’s flute. Is anything wrong with her?”

“No,” said Bliss. “She’s asleep. A perfectly natural sleep that I had nothing to do with. And I would suggest that, after you work out the Jump to the star we think is Earth’s sun, we all do likewise. I need it badly and I suspect you do, too, Trevize.”

“Yes, if I can manage. —You were right, you know, Bliss.”

“About what, Trevize?”

“About Isolates. New Earth was not a paradise, however much it might have seemed like one. That hospitality—all that outgoing friendliness at first—was to put us off our guard, so that one of us might be easily infected. And all the hospitality afterward, the festivals of this and that, were designed to keep us there till the fishing fleet returned and the activation could be carried through. And it would have worked but for Fallom and her music. It might be you were right there, too.”

“About Fallom?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to take her along, and I’ve never been happy with her being on the ship. It was your doing, Bliss, that we have her here and it was she who, unwittingly, saved us. And yet—”

“And yet what?”

“Despite that, I’m still uneasy at Fallom’s presence. I don’t know why.”

“If it will make you feel better, Trevize, I don’t know that we can lay all the credit at Fallom’s feet. Hiroko advanced Fallom’s music as her excuse for committing what the other Alphans would surely consider to be an act of treason. She may even have believed this, but there was something in her mind in addition, something that I vaguely detected but could not surely identify, something that perhaps she was ashamed to let emerge into her conscious mind. I am under the impression that she felt a warmth for you, and would not willingly see you die, regardless of Fallom and her music.”

“Do you really think so?” said Trevize, smiling slightly for the first time since they had left Alpha.

“I think so. You must have a certain proficiency at dealing with women. You persuaded Minister Lizalor to