Forward the Foundation Chapter 14

21Gleb Andorin gazed at Namarti th vulgar half- snugd eyeb wholly. He neer liked the manhood, and thither were propagation when he liked him less than he usu each(prenominal)y did and this was nonpareil of those propagation. wherefore should Andorin, a Wyan of royal birth (thats what it amounted to, after exclusively) carry to work with this parvenu, this near-psychotic paranoid?Andorin knew why and he had to play, even when Namarti was once again in the process of enounceing the story of how he had built up the move workforcet during a period of ten years to its establish pitch of perfection. Did he tell this to e very(prenominal) ane, oer and exclusively over? Or was it unless Andorin who was his chosen vessel?Namartis face up discover atmed to shine with malignant glee as he state, in an unmatched sing spend-and- fatherg, as though it were a look of rote, Year after year. I worked on those lines, even through hopelessness and uselessness, building an organ ization, chipping away at confidence in the govern workforcet, creating and intensifying dissatisfaction. When on that point was the banking crisis and the week of the moratorium, I-He died choppyly. Ive t ageing you this m what perpetually times and youre sick of seeing it, arnt you?Andorins lips twitched in a brief dry smile. Namarti was non such(prenominal)(prenominal) an idiot as non to fill divulge what a bore he was he nonwithstanding(a) couldnt help it. Andorin verbalize, Youve told me this m tot whatevery times. He all last(predicate)owed the remainder of the question to hang in the air, unanswered. The answer, after all, was an obvious affirmative. at that vest was no need to face him with it.A splendid flush crossed Namartis sallow face. He state, exactly it could receive g sensation on forever-the building, the chipping, with forth ever coming to a point-if I hadnt had the proper tool in my detainment. And with let on any effort on my partitioning, the tool came to me.The gods brought you planchet, said Andorin neutrally.Youre right wing. at that place allow be a group of gardeners entering the gallant castle railway yard soon. He paused and satisfymed to savor the apprehension. men and women. Enough to serve as a mask for the handful of our operatives who go away surveil them. Among them go forth be you-and planchet. And what pull up s push backs doctor you and Planchet unusual is that you go step to the fore be carrying b workers.Surely, said Andorin with deliberate malice piece of tail a polite expression, well be halt at the gates and held for questioning. Bringing an extracurricular chargeman onto the castling grounds-You wont be s fall outped, said Namarti, missing the malice. You wont be searched. Thats been arranged. You testament all be appealed as a matter of course by many Palace official. I dont k like a shot who would ordinarily be in charge of that task-the Third accessory Chamberlain in Char ge of Grass and Leaves, for all I k at presend- however in this case, it leave alone be Seldon himself. The great mathematician pull up s fetchs hurry out to greet the new gardeners and wel follow them to the grounds.Youre received of that, I suppose.Of course, I am. Its all been arranged. He go forth learn, at to a greater extent than or less the last minute, that his foster give-and-take is among those listed as new gardeners and it allow be impossible for him to refrain from coming out to see him. And when Seldon appears, Planchet entrust burn checkmate his blaster. Our muckle provide energise the bird boyg of Treason In the confusion and hurly-burly, Planchet leave alone bulge Seldon and soce you bequeath vote out Planchet. You exit thusly autumn your blaster and leave. There are those who pull up stakes help you leave. Its been arranged.Is it absolutely necessary to kill Planchet?Namarti frowned. wherefore? Do you reject to one killing and not to other ? When Planchet recovers, do you need him to tell the authorities all he recognises secure about us? Besides, this is a family feud we are arranging. Dont for cling that Planchet is, in authentic fact, Raych Seldon. It forget look as though the two had fired simultaneously-or as though Seldon had given orders that if his son made any hostile move, he was to be tool overpower. We leaveing see to it that the family angle go forth be given full publicity. It will be reminiscent of the bad old days of the Bloody Emperor Ma at one timeell. The people of Trantor will surely be repelled by the sheer wickedness of the deed. That, piled on top of all the inefficiencies and moderatedowns theyve been witnessing and living through, will raise the cry for a new government-and no one will be adequate to(p) to refuse them, least of all the Emperor. And then well step in.Just like that? no not just like that. I dont resist in a dream world. There is likely to be nigh retardation gov ernment, but it will fail. Well see to it that it fails and well produce out in the open and concern the old Joranumite arguments that the Trantorians make water neer forgotten. And in time-in not too much time-I will be root Minister.And I?will eventually be the Emperor.Andorin said, The obtain of all this working is small. This is arranged. That is arranged. The other thing is arranged. altogether of it has to come together and mesh dead or it will fail. Somewhere, some(a)one is ring to mess up. Its an un aimable risk.Unacceptable? For whom? For you?Certainly. You hold off me to make certain that Planchet will kill his father and you expect me to then kill Planchet. Why me? Arent at that place tools worth less than I who cleverness to a greater extent easily be risked?Yes, but to consider anyone else would make failure certain. Who but you has so much riding on this heraldic bearing that there is no chance you will turn back in a fit of vapors at the last minute?Th e risk is enormous.Isnt it worth it to you? Youre contend for the regal throne.And what risk are you taking, knob? You will remain here, preferably comfortable, and wait to hear the news.Namartis lip curled. What a take in you are, Andorin What an Emperor you will make Do you suppose I take no risk be suit of clothes I will be here? If the gambit fails, if the plot miscarries, if some of our people are taken, do you speak up they wont tell everything they know? If you were somehow caught, would you face the tender treatment of the over-embellished concord without ever telling them about me?And with a failed assassination attempt at hand, do you suppose they wont comb Trantor to risk me? Do you suppose that in the end they will fail to find me? And when they do find me, what do you suppose I will puzzle to face at their hands? Risk? I overhaul a worse risk than any of you, just sitting here doing aught. It boils down to this, Andorin. Do you or do you not respect to be Emperor?Andorin said in a low voice, I wish to be Emperor. And so things were scar in motion.22Raych had no trouble lookight that he was macrocosm treated with limited care. The full-length group of would-be gardeners was now quartered in one of the hotels in the purple firmament, although not one of the prime hotels, of course.The gardeners were an odd lot, from cubic decimeter different worlds, but Raych had teeny chance to speak to any of them. Andorin, without being too obvious about it, had managed to get him apart from the others.Raych wondered why. It depressed him. In fact, he had been feeling somewhat depressed since he had remaining wing Wye. It interfered with his guessing process and he fought it-but not with entire success.Andorin was himself wearing rough clothes and was attempting to look like a workman. He would be playing the part of a gardener as a way of running the represent-whatever the show might be.Raych matte up ashamed that he had not been able to penetrate the temperament of that show. They had closed in on him and prevented all communication, so he hadnt even had the chance to warn his father. They might be doing this for every Trantorian who had been pushed into the group, for all he knew, just as an extreme precaution. Raych estimated that there might be a dozen Trantorians among them, all of them Namartis people, of course, men and women both(prenominal).What puzzled him was that Andorin treated him with what was close to affection. He monopolized him, avowed on having all his meals with him, treated him quite differently from the way in which he treated anyone else.Could it be be contract they had shared Manella? Raych did not know enough about the to a greater extents of the Wye Sector to be able to tell whether there might not be a polyandrous touch to their society. If two men shared a woman, did that make them, in a way, fraternal? Did it create a bond?Raych had never heard of such a thing, but he knew fail than to suppose he had a hairgrip of even a tiny divide of the infinite subtleties of galactic societies-even of Trantorian societies.But now that his mind had brought him back to Manella, he dwelled on her for a while. He missed her horribly and it occurred to him that missing her might be the cause of his depression, though, to tell the truth, what he was feeling now, as he was finishing lunch with Andorin, was almost despair-though he could speak out of no cause for it.ManellaShe had said she needinessed to visit the Imperial Sector and presumably she could wheedle Andorin to her liking. He was desperate enough to ask a foolish question. Mr. Andorin, I keep question if maybe you brought Miss Dubanqua along with you. Here, to the Imperial Sector.Andorin looked utterly astonished. Then he laughed gently. Manella? Do you see her doing any gardening? Or even pretending she could? zero(prenominal)no, Manella is one of those women invented for our quiet moments. She has no f unction at all, otherwise. then Why do you ask, Planchet?**Raych shrugged. I dont know. Its frame of dull close to here. I sort of thought- His voice trailed away.Andorin watched him carefully. finally he said, Surely youre not of the printing that it matters much which woman you are gnarled with? I assure you it doesnt matter to her which man shes involved with. Once this is over, there will be other women. Plenty of them.When will this be over?Soon. And youre going to be part of it in a very important way. Andorin watched Raych narrowly.Raych said, How important? Arent I gonna be just-a gardener? His voice sounded hollow and he found himself unable to put a spark in it.Youll be to a greater extent than that, Planchet. Youll be going in with a blaster.With a what?A blaster.I never held a blaster. not in my whole life.Theres nothing to it. You lift it. You point it. You close the contact and someone dies.I stoolt kill anyone.I thought you were one of us, that you would do any thing for the cause.I didnt mean-kill. Raych couldnt seem to collect his thoughts. Why moldiness(prenominal) he kill? What did they unfeignedly turn in in mind for him? And how would he be able to alert the Imperial apply onward the killing would be carried out?Andorins face hardened suddenly, an exigent conversion from friendly interest to macabre decision. He said, You must kill.Raych gathered all his strength. No. I aint gonna kill no bole. Thats final.Andorin said, Planchet, you will do as you are told.not murder. level(p) murder.How you gonna make me?I shall patently tell you to.Raych felt dizzy. What made Andorin so confident?He move his head. No.Andorin said, Weve been feeding you, Planchet, ever since you left Wye. I made sure you ate with me. I supervised your diet. Especially the meal you just ate.Raych felt the execration rise in spite of appearance him. He suddenly understood. DesperanceExactly, said Andorin. Youre a sharp devil, Planchet.Its illegal.Yes, of course. Sos murder.Raych knew about desperance. It was a chemical substance modification of a perfectly upright tranquilizer. The modified form, in time, did not produce unconcern but despair. It had been outlawed because of its use in mind control, though there were unforgiving rumors that the Imperial adjudge used it.Andorin said, as though it were not hard to direct Raychs mind, Its called desperance because thats an old word meaning hopelessness. I think youre feeling hopeless.Never, whispered Raych. very resolute of you, but you cant fight the chemical. And the more hopeless you feel, the more effective the drug.No chance.Think about it, Planchet. Namarti recognized you at once, even without your mustache. He knows you are Raych Seldon and, at my direction, you are going to kill your father.Raych muttered, Not in the beginning I kill you.He rose from his chair. There should be no problem at all in this. Andorin might be taller, but he was slender and clearly no athlete. Raych would break him in two with one arm-but he swayed as he rose. He shook his head, but it wouldnt clear.Andorin rose, too, and backed away. He move his right hand from where it had been resting within his left sleeve. He was holding a weapon.He said pleasantly, I came prepared. I ingest been informed of your prowess as a Heliconian Twister and there will be no hand-to-hand combat.He looked down at his weapon. This is not a blaster, he said. I cant afford to need you killed before you accomplish your task. Its a neural whip. oftentimes worse, in a way. I will aim at your left get up and, believe me, the pain will be so excruciating that the worlds greatest unemotional would not be able to endure it.Raych, who had been advancing slowly and grimly, stopped abruptly. He had been cardinal years old when he had had a taste-a small one-of a neuronic whip. Once struck, no one ever forgets the pain, however long he lives, however full of incidents his life is.Andorin said, Moreove r, I will use full strength so that the nerves in your upper weapons system will be stimulated graduation exercise into unbearable pain and then shamed into uselessness. You will never use your left arm again. I will unfinished the right so you can lot the blaster. Now if you sit down and accept matters, as you must, you may keep both arms. Of course, you must eat again so your desperance level increases. Your situation will moreover worsen.Raych felt the drug-induced despair settle over him and that despair served, in itself, to deepen the effect. His mess was turning double and he could think of nothing to tell apart.Raych only knew that he would invite to do what Andorin would tell him to do. He had contend the game and he had lost.23No Hari Seldon was almost violent. I dont take you out there, Dors.Dors Venabili stared back at him with an expression as firm as his own. Then I wont let you go, either, Hari.I must be there.It is not your place. It is the Gardener First- Class who must greet these new people.So it is. But Gruber cant do it. Hes a broken man.He must make up an assistant of some sort. Or let the old nous Gardener do it. He holds the great power till the end of the year.The old brain Gardener is too ill. Besides-Seldon hesitated-there are ringers among the gardeners. Trantorians. Theyre here, for some reason. I have the names of every one of them. take a crap them taken into custody, then. Every last one of them. Its simple. Why are you making it so complex?Because we dont know why theyre here. Somethings up. I dont see what twelve gardeners can do, but-No, let me rephrase that. I can see a dozen things they can do, but I dont know which one of those things theyve planned. We will, indeed, take them into custody, but I must know more about everything before its done.We have to know enough to winkle out everyone in the conspiracy from top to coffin nail and we must know enough of what theyre doing to be able to make the proper pen alization stick. I dont want to get twelve men and women on what is essentially a misdemeanor charge. Theyll plead desperation, the need for a job. Theyll complain that it isnt fair for Trantorians to be excluded. Theyll get plenty of sympathy and well be left looking like fools. We must give them a chance to convict themselves of more than that. Besides-There was a long pause and Dors said wrathfully, Well, whats the new besides?Seldons voice lowered. unitary of the twelve is Raych, using the alias Planchet.What?Why are you moved? I sent him to Wye to infiltrate the Joranumite movement and hes succeeded in infiltrating something. I have every faith in him. If hes there, he knows why hes there and he must have some sort of plan to put a round in the wheel. But I want to be there, too. I want to see him. I want to be in a position to help him if I can.If you want to help him, have fifty guards of the Palace standing raise to shoulder on either side of your gardeners.No. Again, we ll end up with nothing. The Imperial Guard will be in place but not in evidence. The gardeners in question must think they have a clear hand to do whatever it is they plan to do. earlier they can do so, but after they have made it quite plain what they intend-well have them.Thats risky. Its risky for Raych.Risks are something we have to take. Theres more riding on this than individual lives.That is a heartless thing to say.You think I have no heart? Even if it broke, my concern would have to be with psycho-Dont say it. She turned away, as if in pain.I understand, said Seldon, but you mustnt be there. Your charge would be so inappropriate that the conspirators will suspect we know too much and will abort their plan. I dont want their plan aborted.He paused, then said nappedly, Dors, you say your job is to cherish me. That comes before protecting Raych and you know that. I wouldnt insist on it, but to protect me is to protect psychohistory and the entire human species. That must co me first. What I have of psychohistory tells me that I, in turn, must protect the center at all costs and that is what I am laborious to do. Do you understand?Dors said, I understand, then turned away from him.Seldon thought And I hope Im right.If he werent, she would never discharge him. Far worse, he would never clear himself-psychohistory or not.24They were lined up beautifully, feet spread apart, hands behind their hacks, every one in a devil-may-care green uniform, loosely fitted and with long pockets. There was very little gender differential gear and one could only guess that some of the shorter ones were women. The hoods covered whatever hair they had, but then, gardeners were supposed to clip their hair quite short-either sex-and there could be no nervus facialis hair.Why that should be, one couldnt say. The word customs duty covered it all, as it covered so many things, some useful, some foolish. face up them was Mandell Gruber, flanked on either side by an assistan t. Gruber was trembling, his wide-opened eyes glazed.Hari Seldons lips tightened. If Gruber could but manage to say, The Emperors gardeners greet you all, that would be enough. Seldon himself would then take over.His eyes swept over the new dependant upon(p) and he located Raych.His heart jumped a bit. It was the mustacheless Raych in the cause row, standing more rigid than the rest, staring straight ahead. His eyes did not move to meet Seldons he showed no sign of recognition, however subtle.Good, thought Seldon. Hes not supposed to. Hes giving nothing away.Gruber muttered a weak welcome and Seldon jumped in.He advanced with an easy stride, putting himself right off before Gruber, and said, Thank you, Gardener First-Class. workforce and women, gardeners of the Emperor, you are to guarantee an important task. You will be responsible for the beauty and wellness of the only open land on our great world of Trantor, capital of the astronomic Empire. You will see to it that if we dont have the perennial vistas of open undomed worlds, we will have a small jewel here that will outshine anything else in the Empire.You will all be under Mandell Gruber, who will concisely become Chief Gardener. He will key out to me, when necessary, and I will report to the Emperor. This means, as you can all see, that you will be only three levels removed from the Imperial presence and you will ever be under his benign watch. I am certain that even now he is surveying us from the trivial Palace, his someoneal home, which is the building you see to the right-the one with the opal-layered dome-and that he is pleased with what he sees.Before you start work, of course, you will all undertake a course of training that will make you entirely familiar with the grounds and its needs. You will-He had, by this time, moved, almost stealthily, to a point directly in front of Raych, who still remained motionless, unblinking.Seldon tried not to look unnaturally benign and then a slight frown crossed his face. The person directly behind Raych looked familiar. He might have gone unrecognized if Seldon had not studied his hologram. Wasnt that Gleb Andorin of Wye? Raychs patron in Wye, in fact? What was he doing here?Andorin must have noticed Seldons sudden regard, for he muttered something between scarcely opened lips and Raychs right arm, moving forward from behind his back, draw a blaster out of the wide pocket of his green doublet. So did Andorin.Seldon felt himself going into near-shock. How could blasters have been allowed onto the grounds? Confused, he barely heard the cries of Treason and the sudden noise of running and shouting.All that really occupied Seldons mind was Raychs blaster pointing directly at him and Raych looking at him without any sign of recognition. Seldons mind filled with horror as he realized that his son was going to shoot and that he himself was only seconds from death.25A blaster, despite its name, does not blast in the proper sensat ion of the term. It vaporizes and blows out an interior and-if anything-causes an implosion. There is a soft sighing sound, leaving what appears to be a blasted object.Hari Seldon did not expect to hear that sound. He expected only death. It was, therefore, with surprise that he heard the distinctive soft sighing sound and he blinked rapidly as he looked down at himself, slackjawed.He was alive? (He thought it as a question, not a statement.)Raych was still standing there, his blaster pointing forward, his eyes glazed. He was absolutely motionless, as though some origin power had ceased.Behind him was the crumpled body of Andorin, fallen in a share of blood, and standing next to him, blaster in hand, was a gardener. The hood had slipped away the gardener was clearly a woman with impertinently clipped hair.She allowed herself a glance at Seldon and said, Your son knows me as Manella Dubanqua. Im a tribute officer. Do you want my reference number, First Minister?No, said Seldon fa intly. Imperial Guard had converged on the scene. My son Whats wrong with my son?Desperance, I think, said Manella. That can be washed out eventually. She reached forward to take the blaster out of Raychs hand. Im sorry I didnt act sooner. I had to wait for an undetermined move and, when it came, it almost caught me napping.I had the kindred trouble. We must take Raych to the Palace hospital.A confused noise suddenly emanated from the midget Palace. It occurred to Seldon that the Emperor was, indeed, watching the proceedings and, if so, he must be grandly furious, indeed. mete out care of my son, Miss Dubanqua, said Seldon. I must see the Emperor.He set off at an undignified run through the chaos on the broad Lawns and dashed into the Small Palace without ceremony. Cleon could scarcely grow any angrier over that.And there, with an outrage group watching in stupor-there, on the semicircular stairway-was the body of His Imperial Majesty, Cleon I, derisory all but beyond recognit ion. His full-bodied Imperial robes now served as a shroud. Cowering against the wall, staring stupidly at the horrify faces surrounding him, was Mandell Gruber.Seldon felt he could take no more. He took in the blaster lying at Grubers feet. It had been Andorins, he was sure. He asked softly, Gruber, what have you done?Gruber, staring at him, babbled, Everyone screaming and yelling. I thought, Who would know? They would think someone else had killed the Emperor. But then I couldnt run.But, Gruber. Why?So I wouldnt have to be Chief Gardener. And he collapsed.Seldon stared in shock at the unconscious Gruber.Everything had worked out by the narrowest of margins. He himself was alive. Raych was alive. Andorin was dead and the Joranumite junto would now be hunted down to the last person.The center would have held, just as psychohistory had dictated.And then one man, for a reason so trivial as to defy analysis, had killed the Emperor.And now, thought Seldon in despair, what do we do? W hat happens next?