Yet he had not been one of the deputation that had called on Salvor Hardinalmost half a year previously1. That this was so was not due to any lack ofrecognition of his efforts; quite the contrary. He was absent for the verygood reason that he was on Anacreon's capital world at the time.
He visited it as a private citizen. He saw no official and he did nothingof importance. He merely watched the obscure comers of the busy planet andpoked his stubby nose into dusty crannies.
He arrived home toward the end of a short winter day that had started withclouds and was finishing with snow and within an hour was seated at theoctagonal table in Sermak's home.
His first words were not calculated to improve the atmosphere of agathering already considerably depressed by the deepening snow-filledtwilight outside..
"I'm afraid," he said, "that our position is what is usually termed, inmelodramatic phraseology, a 'Lost Cause.'""You think so?" said Sermak, gloomily.
"It's gone past thought, Sermak. There's no room for any other opinion.""Armaments? began Dokor Walto, somewhat officiously, but Bort broke in atonce.
"Forget that. That's an old story." His eyes traveled round the circle.
"I'm referring to the people. I admit that it was my idea originally thatwe attempt to foster a palace rebellion of some sort to install as kingsomeone more favorable to the Foundation. It was a good idea. It still is.
The only trifling2 flaw about it is that it is impossible. The great SalvorHardin saw to that."Sermak said sourly, "If you'd give us the details, Bort?
"Details! There aren't any! It isn't as simple as that. It's the wholedamned situation on Anacreon. It's this religion the Foundation hasestablished. It works!""Well!""You've got to see it work to appreciate it. All you see here is that wehave a large school devoted to the training of priests, and thatoccasionally a special show is put on in some obscure comer of the city forthe benefit of pilgrims and that's all. The whole business hardly affectsus as a general thing. But on Anacreon?
Lem Tarki smoothed his prim3 little Vandyke with one finger, and cleared histhroat. "What kind of religion is it? Hardin's always said that it was justa fluffy flummery to get them to accept our science without question. Youremember, Sermak, he told us that day?
"Hardin's explanations," reminded Sermak, "don't often mean much at facevalue. But what kind of a religion is it, Bort?"Bort considered. "Ethically4, it's fine. It scarcely varies from the variousphilosophies of the old Empire. High moral standards and all that. There'snothing to complain about from that viewpoint. Religion is one of the greatcivilizing influences of history and in that respect, it's fulfilling?
"We know that," interrupted Sermak, impatiently. "Get to the point.""Here it is." Bort was a trifle disconcerted, but didn't show it. "Thereligion ?which the Foundation has fostered and encouraged, mind you ?isbuilt on on strictly5 authoritarian6 lines. The priesthood has sole controlof the instruments of science we have given Anacreon, but they've learnedto handle these tools only empirically. They believe in this religionentirely, and in the ... uh ... spiritual value of the power they handle.
For instance, two months ago some fool tampered7 with the power plant in theThessalekian Temple ?one of the large ones. He contaminated the city, ofcourse. It was considered divine vengeance8 by everyone, including thepriests.""I remember. The papers had some garbled9 version of the story at the time.
I don't see what you're driving at.""Then, listen," said Bort, stiffly. "The priesthood forms a hierarchy10 atthe apex11 of which is the king, who is regarded as a sort of minor12 god. He'san absolute monarch13 by divine right, and the people believe it, thoroughly14,and the priests, too. You can't overthrow15 a king like that. Now do you getthe point?""Hold on," said Walto, at this point. "What did you mean when you saidHardin's done all this? How does he come in?"Bort glanced at his questioner bitterly. "The Foundation has fostered thisdelusion assiduously. We've put all our scientific backing behind the hoax16.
There isn't a festival at which the king does not preside surrounded by aradioactive aura shining forth all over his body and raising itself like acoronet above his head. Anyone touching17 him is severely18 burned. He can movefrom place to place through the air at crucial moments, supposedly byinspiration of divine spirit. He fills the temple with a pearly, internallight at a gesture. There is no end to these quite simple tricks that weperform for his benefit; but even the priests believe them, while workingthem personally.""Bad!" said Sermak, biting his lip.
"I could cry ? like the fountain in City Hall Park," said Bort, earnestly,"when I think of the chance we muffed. Take the situation thirty years ago,when Hardin saved the Foundation from Anacreon ? At that time, theAnacreonian people had no real conception of the fact that the Empire wasrunning down. They had been more or less running their own affairs sincethe Zeonian revolt, but even after communications broke down and Lepold'spirate of a grandfather made himself king, they never quite realized theEmpire had gone kaput.
"If the Emperor had had the nerve to try, he could have taken over againwith two cruisers and with the help of the internal revolt that would havecertainly sprung to life. And we we could have done the same; but no,Hardin established monarch worship. Personally, I don't understand it. Why?
Why? Why?""What," demanded Jaim Orsy, suddenly, "does Verisof do? There was a daywhen he was an advanced Actionist. What's he doing there? Is he blind,too?""I don't know," said Bort, curtly19. "He's high priest to them. As far as Iknow, he does nothing but act as adviser20 to the priesthood on technicaldetails. Figurehead, blast him, figurehead!"There was silence all round and all eyes turned to Sermak. The young partyleader was biting a fingernail nervously21, and then said loudly, "No good.
It's fishy22!"He looked around him, and added more energetically, "Is Hardin then such afool?""Seems to be," shrugged23 Bort.
"Never! There's something wrong. To cut our own throats so thoroughly andso hopelessly would require colossal24 stupidity. More than Hardin couldpossibly have even if he were a fool, which I deny. On the one hand, toestablish a religion that would wipe out all chance of internal troubles.
On the other hand, to arm Anacreon with all weapons of warfare25. I don't seeit.""The matter is a little obscure, I admit," said Bort, "but the facts arethere. What else can we think?"Walto said, jerkily, "Outright treason. He's in their pay."But Sermak shook his head impatiently. "I don't see that, either. The wholeaffair is as insane and meaningless ? Tell me, Bort, have you heardanything about a battle cruiser that the Foundation is supposed to have putinto shape for use in the Anacreon navy?""Battle cruiser?""An old Imperial cruiser?
"No, I haven't. But that doesn't mean much. The navy yards are religioussanctuaries completely inviolate26 on the part of the lay public. No one everhears anything about the fleet.
"Well, rumors27 have leaked out. Some of the Party have brought the matter upin Council. Hardin never denied it, you know. His spokesmen denounced rumormongers and let it go at that. It might have significance.""It's of a piece with the rest," said Bort. "if true, it's absolutelycrazy. But it wouldn't be worse than the rest.""I suppose," said Orsy, "Hardin hasn't any secret weapon waiting. Thatmight?
"Yes," said Sermak, viciously, "a huge jack-in-the-box that will jump outat the psychological moment and scare old Wienis into fits. The Foundationmay as well blow itself out of existence and save itself the agony ofsuspense if it has to depend on any secret weapon.""Well," said Orsy, changing the subject hurriedly, "the question comes downto this: How much time have we left? Eli, Bort?""All fight. It is the question. But don't look at me; I don't know. TheAnacreonian press never mentions the Foundation at all. Right now, it'sfull of the approaching celebrations and nothing else. Lepold is coming ofage next week, you know.""We have months then." Walto smiled for the first time that evening. "Thatgives us time?
"That gives us time, my foot," ground out Bort, impatiently. "The king's agod, I tell you. Do you suppose he has to carry on a campaign of propagandato get his people into fighting spirit? Do you suppose he has to accuse usof aggression and pull out all stops on cheap emotionalism? When the timecomes to strike, Lepold gives the order and the people fight. Just likethat. That抯 the damnedness of the system. You don抰 question a god. He maygive the order tomorrow for all I know; and you can wrap tobacco round thatand smoke it."Everyone tried to talk at once and Sermak was slamming the table forsilence, when the front door opened and Levi Norast stamped in. He boundedup the stairs, overcoat on, trailing snow.
"Look at that!" he cried, tossing a cold, snow-speckled newspaper onto thetable. "The visicasters are full of it, too."The newspaper was unfolded and five heads bent28 over it.
Sermak said, in a hushed voice, "Great Space, he抯 going to Anacreon! Goingto Anacreon!""It is treason," squeaked29 Tarki, in sudden excitement. "I抣l be damned ifWalto isn抰 right. He抯 sold us out and now he抯 going there to collect hiswage."Sermak had risen. "We抳e no choice now. I抦 going to ask the Counciltomorrow that Hardin be impeached30. And if that fails?
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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ethically
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| adv.在伦理上，道德上 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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authoritarian
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| n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者 | |
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tampered
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| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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garbled
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| adj.（指信息）混乱的，引起误解的v.对（事实）歪曲，对（文章等）断章取义，窜改( garble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hierarchy
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| n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层 | |
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apex
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| n.顶点，最高点 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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hoax
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| v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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inviolate
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| adj.未亵渎的，未受侵犯的 | |
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rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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impeached
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| v.控告（某人）犯罪( impeach的过去式和过去分词 )；弹劾；对（某事物）怀疑；提出异议 | |
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