Prelude to Foundation

“Just the same,” said Seldon, “I have to consider the possibility that one world did once exist. Aurora… Earth… the name doesn’t matter. In fact-”

He paused and finally Dors said, “Well?”

Seldon shook his head. “Do you remember the hand-on-thigh story you told me in Mycogen? It was right after I got the Book from Raindrop Forty-Three… Well, it popped into my head one evening recently when we were talking to the Tisalvers. I said something that reminded me, for an instant-”

“Reminded you of what?”

“I don’t remember. It came into my head and went out again, but somehow every time I think of the single-world notion, it seems to me I have the tips of my fingers on something and then lose it.”

Dors looked at Seldon in surprise. “I don’t see what it could be. The hand-on-thigh story has nothing to do with Earth or Aurora.”

“I know, but this… thing… that hovers just past the edge of my mind seems to be co

“Robots too? I thought the Elders’ aerie put an end to that.”

“Not at all. I’ve been thinking about them.” He stared at Dors with a troubled look on his face for a long moment, then said, “But I’m not sure.”

“Sure about what, Hari?”

But Seldon merely shook his head and said nothing more.

Dors frowned, then said, “Hari, let me tell you one thing. In sober history-and, believe me, I know what I’m talking about there is no mention of one world of origin. It’s a popular belief, I admit. I don’t mean just among the unsophisticated followers of folklore, like the Mycogenians and the Dahlite heatsinkers, but there are biologists who insist that there must have been one world of origin for reasons that are well outside my area of expertise and there are the more mystical historians who tend to speculate about it. And among the leisure-class intellectuals, I understand such speculations are becoming fashionable. Still, scholarly history knows nothing about it.”

Seldon said, “All the more reason, perhaps, to go beyond scholarly history. All I want is a device that will simplify psychohistory for me and I don’t care what the device is, whether it is a mathematical trick or a historical trick or something totally imaginary. If the young man we’ve just talked to had had a little more formal training, I’d have set him on the problem. His thinking is marked by considerable ingenuity and originality-”

Dors said, “And you’re really going to help him, then?”

“Absolutely. Just as soon as I’m in a position to.”

“But ought you to make promises you’re not sure you’ll be able to keep?”

“I want to keep it. If you’re that stiff about impossible promises, consider that Hummin told Sunmaster Fourteen that I’d use psychohistory to get the Mycogenians their world back. There’s just about zero chance of that. Even if I work out psychohistory, who knows if it can be used for so narrow and specialized a purpose? There’s a real case of promising what one can’t deliver.”

But Dors said with some heat, “Chetter Hummin was trying to save our lives, to keep us out of the hands of Demerzel and the Emperor. Don’t forget that. And I think he really would like to help the Mycogenians.”

“And I really would like to help Yugo Amaryl and I am far more likely to be able to help him than I am the Mycogenians, so if you justify the second, please don’t criticize the first. What’s more, Dors”-and his eyes flashed angrily-“I really would like to find Mother Rittah and I’m prepared to go alone.”

“Never!” snapped Dors. “If you go, I go.”

Mistress Tisalver returned with her daughter in tow an hour after Amaryl had left on this way to his shift. She said nothing at all to either Seldon or Dors, but gave a curt nod of her head when they greeted her and gazed sharply about the room as though to verify that the heatsinker had left no trace. She then sniffed the air sharply and looked at Seldon accusingly before marching through the common room into the family bedroom.

Tisalver himself arrived home later and when Seldon and Dors came to the di

“And gone,” said Seldon solemnly. “Your wife was out at the time.”

Tisalver nodded and said, “Will you have to do this again?”

“I don’t think so,” said Seldon.

“Good.”

Di

Tisalver looked astonished and his mouth moved without any sound issuing.

Casilia, however, was less easily rendered speechless. She said, “Is that where your new friend lives? Are you going to return the visit?”

“So far,” said Seldon quietly, “I have just asked about Billibotton.”

Casilia said sharply, “It is a slum. The dregs live there. No one goes there, except the filth that make their homes there.”

“I understand a Mother Rittah lives there.”

“I never heard of her,” said Casilia, her mouth closing with a snap. It was quite clear that she had no intention of knowing anyone by name who lived in Billibotton.

Tisalver, casting an uneasy look at his wife, said, “I’ve heard of her. She’s a crazy old woman who is supposed to tell fortunes.”

“And does she live in Billibotton?”

“I don’t know, Master Seldon. I’ve never seen her. She’s mentioned sometimes in the news holocasts when she makes her predictions.”

“Do they come true?”

Tisalver snorted. “Do predictions ever come true? Hers don’t even make sense.”

“Does she ever talk about Earth?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“The mention of Earth doesn’t puzzle you. Do you know about Earth?”

Now Tisalver looked surprised. “Certainly, Master Seldon. It’s the world all people came from… supposedly.”

“Supposedly? Don’t you believe it?”

“Me? I’m educated. But many ignorant people believe it.”

“Are there book-films about Earth?”

“Children’s stories sometimes mention Earth. I remember, when I was a young boy, my favorite story began, ‘Once, long ago, on Earth, when Earth was the only planet-’ Remember, Casilia? You liked it too.”

Casilia shrugged, unwilling to bend as yet.

“I’d like to see it sometime,” said Seldon, “but I mean real book-films… uh… learned ones… or films… or printouts.”

“I never heard of any, but the library-”

“I’ll try that.-Are there any taboos about speaking of Earth?”

“What are taboos?”

“I mean, is it a strong custom that people mustn’t talk of Earth or that outsiders mustn’t ask about it?”

Tisalver looked so honestly astonished that there seemed no point in waiting for an answer.

Dors put in, “Is there some rule about outsiders not going to Billibotton?”

Now Tisalver turned earnest. “No rule, but it’s not a good idea for anyone to go there. I wouldn’t.”

Dors said, “Why not?”

“It’s dangerous. Violent! Everyone is armed.-I mean, Dahl is an armed place anyway, but in Billibotton they use the weapons. Stay in this neighborhood. It’s safe.”

“So far,” said Casilia darkly. “It would be better if we left altogether. Heatsinkers go anywhere these days.” And there was another lowering look in Seldon’s direction.

Seldon said, “What do you mean that Dahl is an armed place? There are strong Imperial regulations against weapons.”

“I know that,” said Tisalver, “and there are no stun guns here or percussives or Psychic Probes or anything like that. But there are knives.” He looked embarrassed.

Dors said, “Do you carry a knife, Tisalver?”