Prelude to Foundation

by Isaac Asimov

  Raych said, "She's a nice old lady."

  "Not that old," said Dors, "but she's certainly feeding us well."

  "There's that," admitted Seldon.

  When breakfast was over, Raych left to go exploring.

  Once they had retired to Dors's room, Seldon said with marked discontent, "I don't know how long we'll be left to ourselves. She's obviously plotted ways of preoccupying our time."

  Dors said, "Actually, we have little to complain of at the moment. We're much more comfortable here than we were either in Mycogen or Dahl."

  Seldon said, "Dors, you're not being won over by that woman, are you?"

  "Me? By Rashelle? Of course not. How can you possibly think so?"

  "Welt, you're comfortable. You're well-fed. It would be natural to relax and accept what fortune brings."

  "Yes, very natural. And why not do that?"

  "Look, you were telling me last night about what's going to happen if she wins out. I may not be much of a historian myself, but I am willing to take your word for it and, actually, it makes senseeven to a nonhistorian. The Empire will shatter and its shards will be fighting each other for . . . for . . . indefinitely. She must be stopped."

  "I agree," said Dors. "She must be. What I fail to see is how we can manage to do that little thing right at this moment." She looked at Seldon narrowly. "Hari, you didn't sleep fast night, did you?"

  "Did you?" It was apparent he had not.

  Dors stared at him, a troubled look clouding her face. "Have you lain awake thinking of Galactic destruction because of what I said?"

  "That and some ocher things. Is it possible to reach Chetter Hummin?" This last was said in a whisper.

  Dors said, "I tried to reach him when we first had to flee arrest in Dahl. He didn't come. I'm sure he received the message, but he didn't come. It may be that, for any of a number of reasons, he just couldn't come to us, but when he can he will."

  "Do you suppose something has happened to him?"

  "No," said Dors patiently. "I don't think so."

  "How can you know?"

  "The word would somehow get to me. I'm sure of it. And the word hasn't gotten to me."

  Seldon frowned and said, "I'm not as confident as you are about all this. In fact, I'm not confident at all. Even if Hummin came, what can he do in this case? He can't fight all of Wye. If they have, as Rashelle claims, the best-organized army on Trantor, what will he be able to do against it?"

  "There's no point in discussing that. Do you suppose you can convince Rashelle-bang it into her head somehow-that you don't have psychohistory?"

  "I'm sure she's aware that I don't have it and that I'm not going to get it for many years-if at all. But she'll say I have psychohistory and if she does that skillfully enough, people will believe her and eventually they will act on what she says my predictions and pronouncements are--even if I don't say a word."

  "Surely, that will take rime. She won't build you up overnight. Or in a week. To do it properly, it might take her a year."

  Seldon was pacing the length of the room, turning sharply on his heel and striding back. "That might be so, but 1 don't know. There would be pressure on her to do things quickly. She doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who has cultivated the habit of patience. And her old father, Mannix IV, would be even more impatient. He must feel the nearness of death and if he's worked for this all his life, he would much prefer to see it done a week before his death rather than a week after. Besides-" Here he paused and looked around the empty room.

  "Besides what?"

  "Well, we must have our freedom. You see, I've solved the psychohistory problem."

  Dors's eyes widened. "You have it! You've worked it out."

  "Not worked it out in the full sense. That might take decades . . . centuries, for all I know. But I now know it's practical, not just theoretical. I know it can be done so I must have the time, the peace, the facilities to work at it. The Empire must be held together till I-or possibly my successors-will learn how best to keep it so or how to minimize the disaster if it does split up despite us. It was the thought of having a beginning to my task and of not being able to work at it, that kept me up last night."

  88.

  It was their fifth day in Wye and in the morning Dors was helping Raych into a formal costume chat neither was quite familiar with.

  Raych looked at himself dubiously in the holomirror and saw a reflected image that faced him with precision, imitating all his motions but without any inversion of left and right. Raych had never used a holomirror before and had been unable to keep from trying to feel it, then laughing, almost with embarrassment, when his hand passed through it while the image's hand poked ineffectually at his real body.

  He said at last, "I look funny."

  He studied his tunic, which was made of a very pliant material, with a thin filigreed belt, then passed his hands up a stiff collar that rose like a cup past his ears on either side.

  "My head looks like a ball inside a bowl."

  Dors said, "But this is the sort of thing rich children wear in Wye. Everyone who sees you will admire you and envy you."

  "With my hair all stuck down?"

  "Certainly. You'll wear this round little hat."

  "It'll make my head more like a ball."

  "Then don't let anyone kick it. Now, remember what I told you. Keep your wits about you and don't act like a kid."

  "But I am a kid," he said, looking up at her with a wide-eyed innocent expression.

  "I'm surprised to hear you say that," said Dors. "I"m sure you think of yourself as a twelve-year-old adult."

  Raych grinned. "Okay. I'll be a good spy."

  "That's not what I'm telling you to be. Don't take chances. Don't sneak behind doors to listen. If you get caught at it, you're no good to anyone-especially not to yourself."

  "Aw, c'mon, Missus, what do ya think I am? A kid or somethin'?"

  "You just said you were, didn't you, Raych? You just listen to everything that's said without seeming to. And remember what you hear. And tell us. That's simple enough."

  "Simple enough for you to say, Missus Venabili," said Raych with a grin, "and simple enough for me to do."

  "And be careful."

  Raych winked. "You bet."

  A flunky (as coolly impolite as only an arrogant flunky can be) came to take Raych to where Rashelle was awaiting him.

  Seldon looked after them and said thoughtfully, "He probably won't see the zoo, he'll be listening so carefully. I'm not sure it's right to thrust a boy into danger like that."

  "Danger? I doubt it. Raych was brought up in the slums of Billibotton, remember. I suspect he has more alley smarts than you and I put together. Besides, Rashelle is fond of him and will interpret everything he does in his favor. -Poor woman."

  "Are you actually sorry for her, Dors?"

  "Do you mean that she's not worth sympathy because she's a Mayor's daughter and considers herself a Mayor in her own rightand because she's intent on destroying the Empire? Perhaps you're right, but even so there are some aspects of her for which one might show some sympathy. For instance, she's had an unhappy love affair. That's pretty evident. Undoubtedly, her heart was broken-for a time, at least."

  Seldon said, "Have you ever had an unhappy love affair, Dors?"

  Der considered for a moment or two, then said, "Not really. I'm too involved with my work to get a broken heart."

  "I thought as much."

  "Then why did you ask?"

  "I might have been wrong."

  "How about you?"

  Seldon seemed uneasy. "As a matter of fact, yes. I have spared the time for a broken heart. Badly cracked, anyway."

  "I thought as much."

  "Then why did you ask?"

  "Not because I thought I might be wrong, I promise you. I just wanted to see if you would lie. You didn't and I'm glad."

  There was a pause and then Seldon said, "Five days have passed and nothing has happened."

  "Exc
ept that we are being treated well, Hari."

  "If animals could think, they'd think they were being treated well when they were only being fattened for the slaughter."

  "I admit she's fattening the Empire for the slaughter."

  "But when?"

  "I presume when she's ready."

  "She boasted she could complete the coup in a day and the impression I got was that she could do that on any day."

  "Even if she could, she would want to make sure that she could cripple the Imperial reaction and that might take time."

  "How much time? She plans to cripple the reaction by using me, but she is making no effort to do so. There is no sign that she's trying to build up my importance. Wherever I go in Wye I"m unrecognized. There are no Wyan crowds gathering to cheer me. There's nothing on the news holocasts."

  Dors smiled. "One would almost suppose that your feelings are hurt at not being made famous. You're naive, Hari. Or not a historian, which is the same thing. I think you had better be more pleased that the study of psychohistory will be bound to make a historian of you than that it may save the Empire. If all human beings understood history, they might cease making the same stupid mistakes over and over."

  "In what way am I native?" asked Seldom lifting his head and staring down his nose at her.

  "Don't be offended, Hari. I think it's one of your attractive features, actually."

  "I know. It arouses your maternal instincts and you have been asked to take care of me. But in what way am I naive?"

  "In thinking that Rashelle would cry to propagandize the population of the Empire, generally, into accepting you as seer. She would accomplish nothing in that way. Quadrillions of people are hard to move quickly. There is social and psychological inertia, as well as physical inertia. And, by coming out into the open, she would simply alert Demerzel."

  "Then what is she doing?"

  "My guess is that the information about you-suitably exaggerated and glorified-is going out to a crucial few. h is going to those Viceroys of sectors, those admirals of fleets, those people of influence she feels look kindly. upon her-or grimly upon the Emperor. A hundred or so of those who might rally to her side will manage to confuse the Loyalists just long enough to allow Rashelle the First to set up her New Order firmly enough to beat off whatever resistance might develop. At least, I imagine that is how she reasons."

  "And yet we haven't heard from Hummin."

  "I'm sure he must be doing something just the same. This is too important to ignore."

  "Has it occurred to you that he might be dead?"

  "That's a possibility, but I don't think so. If he was, the news would reach me."

  "Here?"

  "Even here."

  Seldon raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

  Raych came back in the late afternoon, happy and excited, with descriptions of monkeys and of Bakarian demoires and he dominated the conversation during dinner.

  It was not until after dinner when they were in their own quarters that Dors said, "Now, tell me what happened with Madam Mayor, Raych. Tell me anything she did or said chat you think we ought to know."

  "One thing," said Raych, his face lighting up. "That's why she didn't show at dinner, I bet."

  "What was it?"

  "The zoo was closed except for us, you know. There were lots of usRashelle and me and all sorts of guys in uniforms and dames in fancy clothes and like that. Then this guy in a uniform-a different guy, who wasn't there to begin with-came in toward the end and he said something in a low voice and Rashelle corned to all the people and made with her hand like they shouldn't move and they didn't. And she went a little ways away with this new guy, so she could talk to him and no one could hear her. Except I kept paying no attention and kept looking at the different cages and sort of moved near to Rashelle so I could hear her.

  "She said, 'How dare they?' like she was real mad. And the guy in the uniform, he looked nervous-I just got quick looks because I was trying to make out like I was watching the animals-so mostly I just heard the words. He said somebody-1 don't remember the name, but he was a general or somethin`. He said this general said the officers had sworn religious to Rashelle's old man-"

  "Sworn allegiance," said Dors.

  "Somethin' like that and they was nervous about havin' to do what a dame says. He said they wanted the old man or else, if he was kind of sick, he should pick some guy to be Mayor, not a dame."

  "Not a dame? Are you sure?"

  "That's what he said. He like whispered it. He was so nervous and Rashelle was so mad she could hardly speak. She said, 'I'll have his head. They wilt all swear allegiance to me tomorrow and whoever refuses will lave cause to regret it before an hour has passed.' That's exactly what she said. She broke up the whole party and we all came back and she didn't say one word to me al! the rime. Just sat there, looking kinda mean and angry."

  Dors said, "Good. Don't you mention this to anyone, Raych."

  "Course not. Is it what you wanted?"

  "Very much what I wanted. You did well, Raych. Now, go to your room and forget the whole thing. Don't even think about it."

  Once he was gone, Dors turned m Seldon and said, "This is very interesting. Daughters have succeeded fathers-or mothers, for that matter-and held Mayoralties or other high offices on any number of occasions. There have even been reigning Empresses, as you undoubtedly know, and I can't recall that there was ever in Imperial history any serious question of serving under one. It makes one wonder why such a thing should now, arise in Wye."

  Seldon said, Why not? We've only recently been in Mycogen, where women are held in a total lack of esteem and couldn't possibly hold positions of power, however minor."

  "Yes, of course, but that's an exception. There are other places where women dominate. For the most part, though, government and power have been more or less equisexual. If more men tend to hold high positions, it is usually because women tend to be more bound-biologically-to children."

  "But what is the situation in Wye?"

  "Equisexual, as far as I know. Rashelle didn't hesitate to assume Mayoral power and I imagine old Mannix didn't hesitate to grant it to her. And she was surprised and furious at encountering male dissent. She can't have expected it."

  Seldon said, "You're clearly pleased ac this. Why?"

  "Simply because it's so unnatural that it must be contrived and I imagine Hummin is doing the contriving."

  Seldon said thoughtfully, "You think so?"

  "1 do," said Dors.

  "You know," said Seldon, "so do I."

  89.

  It was their tenth day in Wye and in the morning Hari Seldon's door signal sounded and Raych's high-pitched voice outside was crying out, "Mister! Mister Seldom It's war!"

  Seldon took a moment to swap from sleep to wakefulness and scrambled out of bed. He was shivering slightly (the Wyans liked their domiciles on the chilly side, he had discovered quite early in his stay there) when he threw the door open.

  Raych bounced in, excited and wide-eyed. "Mister Seldon, they have Mannix, the old Mayor'. They have-"

  "Who have, Raych?"

  "The Imperials, Their jets came in last night all over. The news holocasts are telling all about it. It's on in Missus's room. She said to let ya sleep, but I figured y•a would wanner know."

  "And you were quite right." Seldom pausing only tong enough to throw on a bathrobe, burst into Dors's room. She was fully dressed and was watching the bolo-sec in the alcove.

  Behind the clear, small image of a desk sat a man, with the Spaceship-andSun sharply defined on the left-front of his tunic. On either side, two soldiers, also wearing the Spaceship-and-Sun, stood armed. The officer at the desk was saying, "-is under the peaceful control of his Imperial Majesty. Mayor Mannix is safe and well and is in full possession of his Mayoral powers under the guidance of friendly Imperial troops. He will be before you soon to urge calm on all Wyans and to ask any Wyan soldiers still in arms to lay them down."

  There were ot
her news holocasts by various newsmen with unemotional voices, all wearing Imperial armbands. The news was all the same: surrender by this or chat unit of the Wyan security forces after firing a few shots for the record-and sometimes after no resistance at all. This town center and that town center were occupied-and there were repeated views of Wyan crowds somberly watching Imperial forces marching down the streets.

  Dors said, "It was perfectly executed, Hari. Surprise was complete. There was no chance of resistance and none of consequence was offered."

  Then Mayor Mannix IV appeared, as had been promised. He was standing upright and, perhaps for the sake of appearances, there were no Imperials in sight, though Seldon was reasonably certain that an adequate number were present just out of camera range.

  Mannix was old, but his strength, though worn, was still apparent. His eyes did not meet the holo-camera and his words were spoken as though forced upon him-but, as had been promised, they counseled Wyans to remain calm, to offer no resistance, to keep Wye from harm, and to cooperate with the Emperor who, it was hoped, would survive long on the throne.

  "No mention of Rashelle," said Seldon. "It's as though his daughter doesn't exist."

  "No one has mentioned her," said Dors, "and this place, which is, after all, her residence-or one of them-hasn't been attacked. Even if she manages to slip away and take refuge in some neighboring sector, I doubt she will be safe anywhere on Trantor for long."

  "Perhaps not," came a voice; "but I'll be safe here for a little while."

  Rashelle entered. She was properly dressed, properly calm. She was even smiling, but it was no smile of joy; it was, rather, a cold baring of teeth.

  The three stared at her in surprise for a moment and Seldon wondered if she had any of her servants with her or if they had promptly deserted her at the first sign of adversity. 406

  Dors said a little coldly, "I see, Madam Mayor, chat your hopes for a coup can not be maintained. Apparently, you have been forestalled."

  "I have not been forestalled. I have been betrayed. My officers have been tampered with and-against all history and rationality -- they have refused to fight for a woman but only for their old master. And, traitors that they are, they then let their old master be seized so chat he cannot lead them in resistance."