The two Raindrops arrived at midmorning. Raindrop Forty-Five seemed as cheerful as ever, but Raindrop Forty-Three paused just inside the door, looking drawn1 and circumspect2. She kept her eyes down and did not as much as glance at Seldon.
Seldon looked uncertain and gestured to Dors, who said in a cheerful businesslike tone of voice, "One moment, Sisters. I must give instructions to my man or he wont3 know what to do with himself today."
They moved into the bathroom and Dors whispered, "Is something wrong?"
"Yes. Raindrop Forty-Three is obviously shattered. Please tell her that I will return the Book as soon as possible."
Dors favored Seldon with a long surprised look. "Hari," she said, "youre a sweet, caring person, but you havent the good sense of an amoeba. If I as much as mention the Book to the poor woman, shell be certain that you told me all about what happened yesterday and then shell really be shattered. The only hope is to treat her exactly as I would ordinarily."
Seldon nodded his head and said dispiritedly, "I suppose youre right."
Dors returned in time for dinner and found Seldon on his cot, still leafing through the Book, but with intensified4 impatience5. He looked up with a scowl6 and said, "If were going to be staying here any length of time, were going to need a communication device of some sort between us. I had no idea when youd get back and I was a little concerned."
"Well, here I am," she said, removing her skincap gingerly and looking at it with more than a little distaste. "Im really pleased at your concern. I rather thought youd be so lost in the Book, you wouldnt even realize I was gone."
Seldon snorted.
Dors said, "As for communications devices, I doubt that they are easy to come by in Mycogen. It would mean easing communication with tribespeople outside and I suspect the leaders of Mycogen are bound and determined7 to cut down on any possible interaction with the great beyond."
"Yes," said Seldon, tossing the Book to one side, "I would expect that from what I see in the Book. Did you find out about the whatever you called it ... the temple?"
"Yes," she said, removing her eyebrow8 patches. "It exists. There are a number of them over the area of the sector9, but theres a central building that seems to be the important one.--Would you believe that one woman noticed my eyelashes and told me that I shouldnt let myself be seen in public? I have a feeling she intended to report me for indecent exposure."
"Never mind that," said Seldon impatiently. "Do you know where the central temple is located?"
"I have directions, but Raindrop Forty-Five warned me that women were not allowed inside except on special occasions, none of which are coming up soon. Its called the Sacratorium."
"The what."
"The Sacratorium."
"What an ugly word. What does it mean?"
Dors shook her head. "Its new to me. And neither Raindrop knew what it meant either. To them, Sacratorium isnt what the building is called, its what it is. Asking them why they called it that probably sounded like asking them why a wall is called a wall."
"Is there anything about it they do know?"
"Of course, Hari. They know what its for. Its a place thats devoted10 to something other than the life here in Mycogen. Its devoted to another world, a former and better one."
"The world they once lived on, you mean?"
"Exactly. Raindrop Forty-Five all but said so, but not quite. She couldnt bring herself to say the word."
"Aurora11?"
"Thats the word, but I suspect that if you were to say it out loud to a group of Mycogenians, they would be shocked and horrified12. Raindrop Forty-Five, when she said, The Sacratorium is dedicated13 to--, stopped at that point and carefully wrote out the letters one by one with her finger on the palm of her hand. And she blushed, as though she was doing something obscene."
"Strange," said Seldon. "If the Book is an accurate guide, Aurora is their dearest memory, their chief point of unification, the center about which everything in Mycogen revolves14. Why should its mention be considered obscene? Are you sure you didnt misinterpret what the Sister meant?"
"Im positive. And perhaps its no mystery. Too much talk about it would get to tribespeople. The best way of keeping it secret unto themselves is to make its very mention taboo15."
"Taboo?"
"A specialized16 anthropological17 term. Its a reference to serious and effective social pressure forbidding some sort of action. The fact that women are not allowed in the Sacratorium probably has the force of a taboo. Im sure that a Sister would be horrified if it was suggested that she invade its precincts."
"Are the directions you have good enough for me to get to the Sacratorium on my own?"
"In the first place, Hari, youre not going alone. Im going with you. I thought we had discussed the matter and that I had made it clear that I cannot protect you at long distance--not from sleet18 storms and not from feral women. In the second place, its impractical19 to think of walking there. Mycogen may be a small sector, as sectors20 go, but it simply isnt that small."
"An Expressway, then."
"There are no Expressways passing through Mycogenian territory. It would make contact between Mycogenians and tribespeople too easy. Still, there are public conveyances22 of the kind that are found on less developed planets. In fact, thats what Mycogen is, a piece of an undeveloped planet, embedded23 like a splinter in the body of Trantor, which is otherwise a patchwork24 of developed societies.--And Hari, finish with the Book as soon as possible. Its apparent that Rainbow Forty-Three is in trouble as long as you have it and so will we be if they find out."
"Do you mean a tribesperson reading it is taboo?"
"Im sure of it."
"Well, it would be no great loss to give it back. I should say that 95 percent of it is incredibly dull; endless in-fighting among political groups, endless justification25 of policies whose wisdom I cannot possibly judge, endless homilies on ethical26 matters which, even when enlightened, and they usually arent, are couched with such infuriating self-righteousness as to almost enforce violation27."
"You sound as though I would be doing you a great favor if I took the thing away from you."
"Except that theres always the other 5 percent that discusses the never-to-be-mentioned Aurora. I keep thinking that there may be something there and that it may be helpful to me. Thats why I wanted to know about the Sacratorium.
"Do you hope to find support for the Books concept of Aurora in the Sacratorium?"
"In a way. And Im also terribly caught up in what the Book has to say about automata, or robots, to use their term. I find myself attracted to the concept."
"Surely, you dont take it seriously?"
"Almost. If you accept some passages of the Book literally28, then there is an implication that some robots were in human shape."
"Naturally. If youre going to construct a simulacrum of a human being, you will make it look like a human being."
"Yes, simulacrum means likeness29, but a likeness can be crude indeed. An artist can draw a stick figure and you might know he is representing a human being and recognize it. A circle for the head, a stalk for the body, and four bent30 lines for arms and legs and you have it. But I mean robots that really look like a human being, in every detail."
"Ridiculous, Hari. Imagine the time it would take to fashion the metal of the body into perfect proportions, with the smooth curve of underlying31 muscles."
"Who said metal, Dors? The impression I got is that such robots were organic or pseudo-organic, that they were covered with skin, that you could not easily draw a distinction between them and human beings in any way."
"Does the Book say that?"
"Not in so many words. The inference, however--"
"Is your inference, Hari. You cant32 take it seriously."
"Let me try. I find four things that I can deduce from what the Book says about robots--and I followed up every reference the index gave. First, as I say, they--or some of them--exactly resembled human beings; second, they had very extended life spans--if you want to call it that."
"Better say effectiveness, " said Dors, "or youll begin thinking of them as human altogether."
"Third," said Seldon, ignoring her, "that some--or, at any rate, at least one--continues to live on to this day."
"Hari, thats one of the most widespread legends we have. The ancient hero does not die but remains33 in suspended animation34, ready to return to save his people at some time of great need. Really, Hari."
"Fourth," said Seldon, still not rising to the bait, "there are some lines that seem to indicate that the central temple--or the Sacratorium, if thats what it is, though I havent found that word in the Book, actually--contains a robot." He paused, then said, "Do you see?"
Dors said, "No. What should I see?"
"If we combine the four points, perhaps a robot that looks exactly like a human being and that is still alive, having been alive for, say, the last twenty thousand years, is in the Sacratorium."
"Come on, Hari, you cant believe that."
"I dont actually believe it, but I cant entirely35 let go either. What if its true? What if--its only one chance out of a million, I admit--its true? Dont you see how useful he could be to me? He could remember the Galaxy36 as it was long before any reliable historical records existed. He might help make psychohistory possible."
"Even if it was true, do you suppose the Mycogenians would let you see and interview the robot?"
"I dont intend to ask permission. I can at least go to the Sacratorium and see if theres something to interview first."
"Not now. Tomorrow at the earliest. And if you dont think better of it by morning, we go."
"You told me yourself they dont allow women--"
"They allow women to look at it from outside, Im sure, and I suspect that is all well get to do."
And there she was adamant37.
Hari Seldon was perfectly38 willing to let Dors take the lead. She had been out in the main roadways of Mycogen and was more at home with them than he was. Dors Venabili, brows knitted, was less delighted with the prospect39. She said, "We can easily get lost, you know."
"Not with that booklet," said Seldon.
She looked up at him impatiently. "Fix your mind on Mycogen, Hari. What I should have is a computomap, something I can ask questions of. This Mycogenian version is just a piece of folded plastic. I cant tell this thing where I am. I cant tell it by word of mouth and I cant even tell it by pushing the necessary contacts. It cant tell me anything either way. Its a print thing."
"Then read what it says."
"Thats what Im trying to do, but its written for people who are familiar with the system to begin with. Well have to ask."
"No, Dors. That would be a last resort. I dont want to attract attention. I would rather we take our chances and try to find our own way, even if it means making one or two wrong turns."
Dors leafed through the booklet with great attention and then said grudgingly40, "Well, it gives the Sacratorium important mention. I suppose thats only natural. I presume everyone in Mycogen would want to get there at one time or another." Then, after additional concentration, she said, "Ill tell you what. Theres no way of taking a conveyance21 from here to there."
"What?"
"Dont get excited. Apparently41, theres a way of getting from here to another conveyance that will take us there. Well have to change from one to another."
Seldon relaxed. "Well, of course. You cant take an Expressway to half the places on Trantor without changing."
Dors cast an impatient glance at Seldon. "I know that too. Its just that Im used to having these things tell me so. When they expect you to find out for yourself, the simplest things can escape you for a while."
"All right, dear. Dont snap. If you know the way now, lead. I will follow humbly42."
And follow her he did, until they came to an intersection43, where they stopped. Three white-kirtled males and a pair of gray-kirtled females were at the same intersection. Seldon tried a universal and general smile in their direction, but they responded with a blank stare and looked away. And then the conveyance came. It was an outmoded version of what Seldon, back on Helicon, would have called a gravi-bus. There were some twenty upholstered benches inside, each capable of holding four people. Each bench had its own doors on both sides of the bus. When it stopped, passengers emerged on either side. (For a moment, Seldon was concerned for those who got out on the traffic side of the gravi-bus, but then he noticed that every vehicle approaching from either direction stopped as it neared the bus. None passed it while it was not moving.)
Dors pushed Seldon impatiently and he moved on to a bench where two adjoining seats were available. Dors followed after. (The men always got on and got off first, he noticed.)
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1
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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circumspect
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| adj.慎重的，谨慎的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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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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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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revolves
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想 | |
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15
taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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specialized
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| adj.专门的，专业化的 | |
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anthropological
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| adj.人类学的 | |
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sleet
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| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
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impractical
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| adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的 | |
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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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conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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conveyances
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| n.传送( conveyance的名词复数 )；运送；表达；运输工具 | |
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embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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patchwork
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| n.混杂物；拼缝物 | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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ethical
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| adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的 | |
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violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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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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underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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galaxy
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| n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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adamant
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| adj.坚硬的，固执的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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grudgingly
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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intersection
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| n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集 | |
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