The journey came to its end and the air-taxi moved into a much larger lot than the one at which they had eaten. (Seldon still remembered the taste of the sandwich and made a wry1 face.)
Hummin turned in his taxi and came back, placing his credit slip in a small pocket on the inner surface of his shirt. He said, "Youre completely safe here from anything outright2 and open. This is the Streeling Sector3."
"Streeling?"
"Its named for someone who first opened up the area to settlement, I imagine. Most of the sectors4 are named for someone or other, which means that most of the names are ugly and some are hard to pronounce. Just the same, if you try to have the inhabitants here change Streeling to Sweetsmell or something like that, youll have a fight on your hands."
"Of course," said Seldon, sniffing5 loudly, "it isnt exactly Sweetsmell."
"Hardly anywhere in Trantor is, but youll get used to it."
"Im glad were here," said Seldon. "Not that I like it, but I got quite tired sitting in the taxi. Getting around Trantor must be a horror. Back on Helicon, we can get from any one place to any other by air, in far less time than it took us to travel less than two thousand kilometers here."
"We have air-jets too."
"But in that case--"
"I could arrange an air-taxi ride more or less anonymously6. It would have been much more difficult with an air-jet. And regardless of how safe it is here, Id feel better if Demerzel didnt know exactly where you were.--As a matter of fact, were not done yet. Were going to take the Expressway for the final stage."
Seldon knew the expression. "One of those open monorails moving on an electromagnetic field, right?"
"Right."
"We dont have them on Helicon. Actually, we dont need them there. I rode on an Expressway the first day I was on Trantor. It took me from the airport to the hotel. It was rather a novelty, but if I were to use it all the time, I imagine the noise and crowds would become overpowering."
Hummin looked amused. "Did you get lost?"
"No, the signs were useful. There was trouble getting on and off, but I was helped. Everyone could tell I was an Outworlder by my clothes, I now realize. They seemed eager to help, though; I guess because it was amusing to watching me hesitate and stumble."
"As an expert in Expressway travel by now, you will neither hesitate nor stumble." Hummin said it pleasantly enough, though there was a slight twitch7 to the corners of his mouth. "Come on, then."
They sauntered leisurely8 along the walkway, which was lit to the extent one might expect of an overcast9 day and that brightened now and then as though the sun occasionally broke through the clouds. Automatically, Seldon looked upward to see if that were indeed the case, but the "sky" above was blankly luminous10. Hummin saw this and said, "This change in brightness seems too suit the human psyche11. There are days when the street seems to be in bright sunlight and days when it is rather darker than it is now."
"But no rain or snow?"
"Or hail or sleet12. No. Nor high humidity nor bitter cold. Trantor has its points, Seldon, even now."
There were people walking in both directions and there were a considerable number of young people and also some children accompanying the adults, despite what Hummin had said about the birthrate. All seemed reasonably prosperous and reputable. The two sexes were equally represented and the clothing was distinctly more subdued13 than it had been in the Imperial Sector. His own costume, as chosen by Hummin, fit right in. Very few were wearing hats and Seldon thankfully removed his own and swung it at his side. There was no deep abyss separating the two sides of the walkway and as Hummin had predicted in the Imperial Sector, they were walking at what seemed to be ground level. There were no vehicles either and Seldon pointed14 this out to Hummin.
Hummin said, "There are quite a number of them in the Imperial Sector because theyre used by officials. Elsewhere, private vehicles are rare and those that are used have separate tunnels reserved for them. Their use is not really necessary, since we have Expressways and, for shorter distances, moving corridors. For still shorter distances, we have walkways and we can use our legs."
Seldon heard occasional muted sighs and creaks and saw, some distance off, the endless passing of Expressway cars.
"There it is," he said, pointing.
"I know, but let us move on to a boarding station. There are more cars there and it is easier to get on."
Once they were safely ensconced in an Expressway car, Seldon turned to Hummin and said, "What amazes me is how quiet the Expressways are. I realize that they are mass-propelled by an electromagnetic field, but it seems quiet even for that." He listened to the occasional metallic15 groan16 as the car they were on shifted against its neighbors.
"Yes, its a marvelous network," said Hummin, "but you dont see it at its peak. When I was younger, it was quieter than it is now and there are those who say that there wasnt as much as a whisper fifty years ago--though I suppose we might make allowance for the idealization of nostalgia17."
"Why isnt it that way now?"
"Because it isnt maintained properly. I told you about decay."
Seldon frowned. "Surely, people dont sit around and say, Were decaying. Lets let the Expressways fall apart. "
"No, they dont. Its not a purposeful thing. Bad spots are patched, decrepit18 coaches refurbished, magnets replaced. However, its done in more slapdash fashion, more carelessly, and at greater intervals19. There just arent enough credits available."
"Where have the credits gone?"
"Into other things. Weve had centuries of unrest. The navy is much larger and many times more expensive than it once was. The armed forces are much better-paid, in order to keep them quiet. Unrest, revolts, and minor20 blazes of civil war all take their toll21."
"But its been quiet under Cleon. And weve had fifty years of peace."
"Yes, but soldiers who are well-paid would resent having that pay reduced just because there is peace. Admirals resist mothballing ships and having themselves reduced in rank simply because there is less for them to do. So the credits still go--unproductively--to the armed forces and vital areas of the social good are allowed to deteriorate22. Thats what I call decay. Dont you? Dont you think that eventually you would fit that sort of view into your psychohistorical notions?"
Seldon stirred uneasily. Then he said, "Where are we going, by the way?"
"Streeling University."
"Ah, thats why the sectors name was familiar. Ive heard of the University."
"Im not surprised. Trantor has nearly a hundred thousand institutions of higher learning and Streeling is one of the thousand or so at the top of the heap."
"Will I be staying there?"
"For a while. University campuses are unbreathable sanctuaries23, by and large. You will be safe there."
"But will I be welcome there?"
"Why not? Its hard to find a good mathematician24 these days. They might be able to use you. And you might be able to use them too--and for more than just a hiding place."
"You mean, it will be a place where I can develop my notions."
"You have promised," said Hummin gravely.
"I have promised to try, " said Seldon and thought to himself that it was about like promising25 to try to make a rope out of sand.
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1
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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sectors
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| n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形 | |
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sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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anonymously
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| ad.用匿名的方式 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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9
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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psyche
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| n.精神；灵魂 | |
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sleet
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| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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nostalgia
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| n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧 | |
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decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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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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toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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deteriorate
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| v.变坏；恶化；退化 | |
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23
sanctuaries
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| n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所 | |
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mathematician
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| n.数学家 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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