by Isaac Asimov
The Chairman turned an almost alarming red and said with passion, “You demand? You demand} To whom do you demand? I am the Chairman. I hear all views before deciding what to suggest as best to be done. Let me hear what the Earthman has to say about his interpretation of your action. If he is slandering you, he shall be punished, you may be sure, and I will take the broadest view of the slander statutes, too, you may be sure. But yow, Amadiro, may make no demands upon me. Go on, Earthman. Say what you have to say, but be extraordinarily careful.”
Baley said, “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Actually, there is one Auroran to whom Gladia did tell the secret of her relationship with Jander.”
The Chairman interrupted. “Well, who is that? Do not play your hyperwave tricks on me.”
Baley said, “I have no intention of anything but a straight-forward statement, Mr. Chairman. The one Auroran is, of course, Jander himself. He may have been a robot, but he is an inhabitant of Aurora and might be viewed as an Auroran. Gladia must surely, in her passion, have addressed him as ‘my husband.’ Since Dr. Amadiro has admitted he might possibly have heard from someone else some statement to the effect of Jander's husbandly relationship to Gladia, isn't it logical to suppose that he heard of the matter from Jander? Would Dr. Amadiro be willing, right now, to state for the record that he never spoke to Jander during the period when Jander formed part of Gladia's staff?”
Twice Amadiro's mouth opened as though he would speak. Twice he did not utter a sound.
“Well,” said the Chairman, “did you speak to Jander during that period, Dr. Amadiro?”
There was still no answer.
Baley said softly, “If he did, it is entirely relevant to the matter at hand.”
“I'm beginning to see that it must be, Mr. Baley. Well, Dr. Amadiro, once again—yes or no.”
And Amadiro burst forth, “What evidence does this Earthman have against me in this matter? Does he have a recording of any conversation I have had with Jander? Does he have witnesses who are willing to say they have seen me with Jander? What does he have anything at all besides mere self-serving statements?”
The Chairman turned to look at Baley and Baley said, “Mr. Chairman, if I have nothing at all, then Dr. Amadiro should not hesitate to deny, for the record, any contact with Jander—but he does not do so. As it happens, in the course of my investigation, I spoke to Dr. Vasilia Aliena, the daughter of Dr. Fastolfe. I spoke also to a young Auroran named Santirix Gremionis. In the recordings of both interviews, it will be plain that Dr. Vasilia encouraged Gremionis to pay court to Gladia. You may question Dr. Vasilia as to her purpose in so doing and as to whether this course of action had been suggested to her by Dr. Amadiro. It also appears that it was Gremionis’ custom to take long walks with Gladia, which both enjoyed, and on which they were not accompanied by the robot, Jander. You might check on this, if you wish, sir.”
The Chairman said dryly, “I may do so, but if all is as you say, what does this show?”
Baley said, “I have stated that, failing Dr. Fastolfe himself, the secret of the humaniform robot could be obtained only from Daneel. Before Jander's death, it could, with equal facility, have been obtained from Jander. Whereas Daneel was part of Dr. Fastolfe's establishment and could not easily be reached, Jander was part of Gladia's establishment and she was not as sophisticated as Dr. Fastolfe in seeing a robot's protection.
“Isn't it likely that Dr. Amadiro took the occasion of Gladia's periodic absences from her establishment, when she was walking with Gremionis, to converse with Jander, perhaps by trimensional viewing, to study his responses, to subject him to various tests, and then to erase any sign of his visit with Jander, so that he could never inform Gladia of it? It may be that he came close to finding what he wanted to know—before the attempt ended when Jander went out of action. His concentration then shifted to Daneel. He felt perhaps that he had only a few tests and observations left to make and so he set up the trap of yesterday evening, as I said earlier in my—my testimony.”
The Chairman said, in what was almost a whisper, “Now it all hangs together. I am almost forced to believe.”
“Plus one final point and then I will truly have nothing more to say,” said Baley. “In his examination and testing of Jander, it is entirely possible that Dr. Amadiro accidentally—and without any deliberate intention whatever—immobilized Jander and thus committed roboticide.”
And Amadiro, maddened, shouted, “No! Never! Nothing I did to that robot could possibly have immobilized him!”
Fastolfe interposed. “I agree. Mr. Chairman, I, too, think that Dr. Amadiro did not immobilize Jander. However, Mr. Chairman, Dr. Amadiro's statement just now would seem an implicit admission that he was working with Jander—and that Mr. Baley's analysis of the situation is essentially accurate.”
The Chairman nodded. “I am forced to agree with you, Dr. Fastolfe. —Dr. Amadiro, you may insist on a formal denial of all this and that may force me into a full-fledged investigation, which could do you a great deal of damage, however it turned out—and I rather suspect, at this stage, it is likely to turn out to your great disadvantage. My suggestion is that you do not force this—that you do not cripple your own position in the Legislature and, perhaps, cripple Aurora's ability to continue along a smooth political course.
“As I see it, before the matter of Jander's immobilization came up, Dr. Fastolfe had a majority of the legislators—not a large majority, admittedly—on his side in the matter of Galactic settlement. You would have swung enough legislators to your side by pushing the matter of Dr. Fastolfe's supposed responsibility for Jander's immobilization and thus have gained the majority. But now Dr. Fastolfe, if he wishes, can turn the tables by accusing you of the immobilization and, moreover, of having tried to hang a false accusation upon your opponent as well—and you would lose.
“If I do not interfere, then it may be that you, Dr. Amadiro, and you, Dr. Fastolfe, actuated by stubbornness or even vindictiveness, will both marshal your forces and accuse each other of all sorts of things. Our political forces and public opinion, too, will be hopelessly divided—even fragmented—to our infinite harm.
“I believe that, in that case, Fastolfe's victory, while inevitable, would be a very costly one, so that it would be my task as the Chairman to swing the votes in his direction to begin with, and to place pressure upon you and your faction, Dr. Amadiro, to accept Fastolfe's victory with as much grace as you can manage, and to do it right now—for the good of Aurora.”
Fastolfe said, “I am not interested in a crushing victory, Mr. Chairman. I propose again a compromise whereby Aurora, the other Spacer worlds, and Earth, too, all have the freedom of settlement in the Galaxy. In return, I will be glad to join the Robotics Institute, put my knowledge of humaniform robots at its disposal, and thus facilitate Dr. Amadiro's plan, in return for his solemn agreement to abandon all thought of retaliation against Earth at any time in the future and to put this into treaty form, with ourselves and Earth as signatories.”
The Chairman nodded. “A wise and statesmanlike suggestion. May I have your acceptance of this, Dr. Amadiro?”
Amadiro now sat down. His face was a study in defeat. He said, “I have not wanted personal power or the satisfaction of victory. I wanted what I know to be best for Aurora and I am convinced that this plan of Dr. Fastolfe's means an end to Aurora someday. However, I recognize that I am now helpless against the work of this Earthman“—he shot a quick venomous glance toward Baley—”and I am forced to accept Dr. Fastolfe's suggestion—though I will ask for permission to address the Legislature on the subject and to state, for the record, my fears of the consequences.”
“We will, of course, allow that,” said the Chairman. “And if you'll be guided by me, Dr. Fastolfe, you'll get this Earthman off our world as fast as possible. He has won your viewpoint for you, but it will not be a very popular one if Aurorans have too long a time to brood over it as an Earthly victory over Aurorans.”
“You are quite right, M
r. Chairman, and Mr. Baley will be gone quickly—with my thanks and, I trust, with yours as well.”
“Well,” said the Chairman, not with the best of grace, “since his ingenuity has saved us from a bruising political battle, he has my thanks. —Thank you, Mr. Baley.”
19. AGAIN BALEY
80
Baley watched them leave from a distance. Though Amadiro and the Chairman had come together, they now left separately.
Fastolfe came back from seeing them off, making no attempt to hide his intense relief.
“Come, Mr. Baley,” he said, “you will have lunch with me and then, as soon after that as possible, you will leave for Earth again.”
His robotic staff was clearly in action with that in mind.
Baley nodded and said sardonically, “The Chairman managed to thank me, but it seemed to stick in his throat.”
Fastolfe said, “You have no idea how you have been honored. The Chairman rarely thanks anyone, but then no one ever thanks the Chairman. It is always left to history to praise Chairmen and this one has served for over forty years. He has grown cranky and ill-tempered, as Chairmen always do in their final decades.
“However, Mr. Baley, once again I thank you and, through me, Aurora will thank you. You will live to see Earthmen move outward into space, even in your short lifetime, and we will help you with our technology.
“How you have managed to untie this knot of ours, Mr. Baley, in two and a half days—less—I can't imagine. You are a wonder. —But, come, you will want to wash and freshen up. I know I do.”
For the first time since the Chairman arrived, Baley had time to think of something besides his next sentence.
He still didn't know what it was that had come to him three times, first on the point of sleep, then on the point of unconsciousness, and finally in postcoital relaxation.
“He was there first!”
It was still meaningless, yet he had made his point to the Chairman and carried all before him without it. Could it have any meaning at all, then, if it was a part of a mechanism that didn't fit and didn't seem needed? Was it nonsense?
It chafed at the corner of his mind and he came to lunch a victor without the proper sensation of victory. Somehow, he felt as though he had missed the point.
For one thing, would the Chairman stick to his resolve? Amadiro had lost the battle, but he didn't seem the kind of person who would give up altogether under any circumstances. Give him credit and assume he meant what he said, that he was driven not by personal vainglory but by his concept of Auroran patriotism. If that were so, he could not give up.
Baley felt it necessary to warn Fastolfe.
“Dr. Fastolfe,” he said, “I don't think it's over. Dr. Amadiro will continue the fight to exclude Earth.”
Fastolfe nodded as the dishes were served. “I know he will. I expect him to. However, I have no fear as long as the matter of Jander's immobilization is set to rest. With that aside, I'm sure I can always outmaneuver him in the Legislature. Fear not, Mr. Baley, Earth will move along. Nor need you fear personal danger from a vengeful Amadiro. You will be off this planet and on your way back to Earth before sunset—and Daneel will escort you, of course. What's more, the report we'll send with you will ensure, once more, a healthy promotion for you.”
“I am eager to go,” said Baley, “but I hope I will have time to say my good-byes. I would like to—to see Gladia once more and I would like to say good-bye to Giskard, who may have saved my life last night.”
“No question of that, Mr. Baley. But please eat, won't you?”
Baley went through the motions of eating, but didn't enjoy it. Like the confrontation with the Chairman and the victory that ensued, the food was oddly flavorless.
He should not have won. The Chairman should have cut him off. Amadiro, if necessary, should have made a flat denial. It would have been accepted over the word—or the reasoning—of an Earthman.
But Fastolfe was jubilant. He said, “I had feared the worst, Mr. Baley. I feared the meeting with the Chairman was premature and that nothing you could say would help the situation. Yet you managed it so well. I was lost in admiration, listening to you. At any moment, I expected Amadiro to demand that his word be taken against an Earthman who, after all, was in a constant state of semimadness at finding himself on a strange planet in the open—”
Baley said frigidly, “With all respect, Dr. Fastolfe, I was not in a constant state of semimadness. Last night was exceptional, but it was the only time I lost control. For the rest of my stay on Aurora, I may have been uncomfortable from time to time, but I was always in my perfect mind.” Some of the anger he had suppressed at considerable cost to himself in the confrontation with the Chairman was expressing itself now. “Only during the storm, sir—except, of course“—recollecting—”for a moment or two on the approaching spaceship—”
He was not conscious of the manner in which the thought—the memory, the interpretation—came to him or at what speed. One moment it did not exist, the next moment it was full-blown in his mind, as though it had been there all the time and needed only the bursting of a soap-bubble veil to show it.
“Jehoshaphat!” he said in an awed whisper. Then, with his fist coming down on the table and rattling the dishes, “Jehoshaphat!”
“What is it, Mr. Baley?” asked Fastolfe, startled.
Baley stared at him and heard the question only belatedly. “Nothing, Dr. Fastolfe. I was just thinking of Dr. Amadiro's infernal gall in doing the damage to Jander and then laboring to fix the blame on you, in arranging to have me go half-mad in the storm last night and then using that as a way of casting doubt on my statements. I was just—momentarily—angry.”
“Well, no need to be, Mr. Baley. And actually, it is quite impossible for Amadiro to have immobilized Jander. It remains purely a chance event. —To be sure, it is possible that Amadiro's investigation may have increased the odds of such a chance event taking place, but I would not argue the matter.”
Baley heard the statement with half of one ear. What he had just said to Fastolfe was fiction and what Fastolfe was saying didn't matter. It was (as the Chairman would have said) irrelevant. In fact, everything that had happened—everything that Baley had explained—was irrelevant. —But nothing had to be changed because of that.
Except one thing—after a while.
Jehoshaphat! he whispered in the silence of his mind and turned suddenly to the lunch, eating with gusto and with joy.
81
Once again, Baley crossed the lawn between Fastolfe's establishment and Gladia's. He would be seeing Gladia for the fourth time in three days—and (his heart seemed to compress into a hard knot in his chest) now for the last time.
Giskard was with him but at a distance, more intent than ever on the surroundings. Surely, with the Chairman in full possession of the facts, there should be a relaxation of any concern for Baley's safety—if there ever had been any, by rights, when it was Daneel who had been in danger. Presumably, Giskard had not yet been reinstructed in the matter.
Only once did he approach Baley and that was when the latter called out, “Giskard, where's Daneel?”
Swiftly, Gaskard covered the ground between them, as though reluctant to speak in anything but a quiet tone. “Daneel is on his way to the spaceport, sir, in the company of several others of the staff, in order to make arrangements for your transportation to Earth. When you are taken to the spaceport, he will meet you there and be on the ship with you, taking his final leave of you at Earth.”
“Good news. I treasure every day of companionship with Daneel. And you, Giskard? Will you accompany us?”
“No, sir. I am instructed to remain on Aurora. However, Daneel will serve you well, even in my absence.”
“I am sure of that, Giskard, but I will miss you.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Giskard and retreated as rapidly as he had come. Baley gazed after him speculatively for a moment or so. —No, first things first. He had to see Gladia.
82
She advanced to greet him—and what a world of change had taken place in two days. She was not joyous, she was not dancing, she was not bubbling; there was still the grave look of one who had suffered a shock and a loss— but the troubled aura around her was gone. There was a kind of serenity now, as though she had grown aware of the fact that life continued after all and might even, on occasion, be sweet.
She managed a smile, warm and friendly, as she advanced to him and held out her hand.
“Oh, take it, take it, Elijah,” she said when he hesitated. “It's ridiculous for you to hang back and pretend you don't want to touch me after last night. You see, I still remember it and I haven't come to regret it. Quite the contrary.”
Baley performed the unusual operation (for him) of smiling in return. “I remember it, too, Gladia, and I don't regret it either. I would even like to do it again, but I have come to say good-bye.”
A shade fell across her face. “Then you'll be going back to Earth. Yet the report I got by way of the robot network that always operates between Fastolfe's establishment and my own is that all went well. You can't have failed.”
“I did not fail. Dr. Fastolfe, has, in fact, won completely. I don't believe there will be any suggestion at all that he was in any way involved in Jander's death.”
“Because of what you had to say, Elijah?”
“I believe so.”
“I knew it.” There was a tinge of self-satisfaction to that. “I knew you would do it when I told them to get you on the case. —But then why are you being sent home?”
“Precisely because the case is solved. If I remain here longer, I will be a foreign irritant in the body politic, apparently.”
She looked at him dubiously for a moment and said, “I'm not sure what you mean by that. It sounds like an Earth expression to me. But never mind. Were you able to find out who killed Jander? That is the important part.”
