They were finally back in a tunnel. Hummin and Seldon had traveled through one when they went from the Imperial Sector1 to Streeling University in the air-taxi. Now they were in another tunnel, going from Mycogen to ... Seldon did not know where. He hesitated to ask. Hummins face seemed as if it was carved out of granite2 and it didnt welcome conversation.
Hummin sat in the front of the four-seater, with no one to his right. Seldon and Dors shared the backseat.
Seldon chanced a smile at Dors, who looked glum3. "Its nice to be in real clothes again, isnt it?"
"I will never," said Dors with enormous sincerity4, "wear or look at anything that resembles a kirtle. And I will never, under any circumstances, wear a skincap. In fact, Im going to feel odd if I ever see a normally bald man." And it was Dors who finally asked the question that Seldon had been reluctant to advance. "Chetter," she said rather petulantly5, "why wont6 you tell us where were going?"
Hummin hitched7 himself into a sideways position and he looked back at Dors and Seldon gravely. "Somewhere," he said, "where it may be difficult for you to get into trouble--although Im not sure such a place exists."
Dors was at once crestfallen8. "Actually, Chetter, its my fault. At Streeling, I let Hari go Upperside without accompanying him. In Mycogen, I at least accompanied him, but I suppose I ought not to have let him enter the Sacratorium at all."
"I was determined," said Seldon warmly. "It was in no way Dorss fault."
Hummin made no effort to apportion9 blame. He simply said, "I gather you wanted to see the robot. Was there a reason for that? Can you tell me?"
Seldon could feel himself redden. "I was wrong in that respect, Hummin. I did not see what I expected to see or what I hoped to see. If I had known the content of the aerie, I would never have bothered going there. Call it a complete fiasco."
"But then, Seldon, what was it you hoped to see? Please tell me. Take your time if you wish. This is a long trip and I am willing to listen."
"The thing is, Hummin, that I had the idea that there were humaniform robots, that they were long-lived, that at least one might still be alive, and that it might be in the aerie. There was a robot there, but it was metallic10, it was dead, and it was merely a symbol. Had I but known--"
"Yes. Did we all but know, there would be no need for questions or for research of any kind. Where did you get your information about humaniform robots? Since no Mycogenian would have discussed that with you, I can think of only one source. The Mycogenian Book--a powered print-book in ancient Auroran and modern Galactic. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"And how did you get a copy?"
Seldon paused, then muttered, "Its somewhat embarrassing."
"I am not easily embarrassed, Seldon."
Seldon told him and Hummin allowed a very small smile to twitch11 across his face.
Hummin said, "Didnt it occur to you that what occurred had to be a charade12? No Sister would do a thing like that--except under instruction and with a great deal of persuading."
Seldon frowned and said with asperity13, "That was not at all obvious. People are perverted14 now and then. And its easy for you to grin. I didnt have the information you had and neither did Dors. If you did not wish me to fall into traps, you might have warned me of those that existed."
"I agree. I withdraw my remark. In any case, you dont have the Book any longer, Im sure."
"No. Sunmaster Fourteen took it from me."
"How much of it did you read?"
"Only a small fraction. I didnt have time. Its a huge book and I must tell you, Hummin, it is dreadfully dull."
"Yes, I know that, for I think I have read more of it than you have. It is not only dull, it is totally unreliable. It is a one-sided, official Mycogenian view of history that is more intent on presenting that view than a reasoned objectivity. It is even deliberately15 unclear in spots so that outsiders--even if they were to read the Book--would never know entirely16 what they read. What was it, for instance, that you thought you read about robots that interested you?"
"Ive already told you. They speak of humaniform robots, robots that could not be distinguished17 from human beings in outward appearance."
"How many of these would exist?" asked Hummin. "They dont say.--At least, I didnt come across a passage in which they gave numbers. There may have been only a handful, but one of them, the Book refers to as Renegade. It seems to have an unpleasant significance, but I couldnt make out what."
"You didnt tell me anything about that," interposed Dors. "If you had, I would have told you that its not a proper name. Its another archaic18 word and it means, roughly, what traitor19 would mean in Galactic. The older word has a greater aura of fear about it. A traitor, somehow, sneaks20 to his treason, but a renegade flaunts21 it."
Hummin said, "Ill leave the fine points of archaic language to you, Dors, but, in any case, if the Renegade actually existed and if it was a humaniform robot, then, clearly, as a traitor and enemy, it would not be preserved and venerated22 in the Elders aerie."
Seldon said, "I didnt know the meaning of Renegade, but, as I said, I did get the impression that it was an enemy. I thought it might have been defeated and preserved as a reminder23 of the Mycogenian triumph."
"Was there any indication in the Book that the Renegade was defeated?"
"No, but I might have missed that portion--"
"Not likely. Any Mycogenian victory would be announced in the Book unmistakably and referred to over and over again."
"There was another point the Book made about the Renegade," said Seldon, hesitating, "but I cant24 be at all sure I understood it." Hummin said, "As I told you ... They are deliberately obscure at times."
"Nevertheless, they seemed to say that the Renegade could somehow tap human emotions ... influence them--"
"Any politician can," said Hummin with a shrug25. "Its called charisma--when it works."
Seldon sighed. "Well, I wanted to believe. That was it. I would have given a great deal to find an ancient humaniform robot that was still alive and that I could question."
"For what purpose?" asked Hummin.
"To learn the details of the primordial26 Galactic society when it still consisted of only a handful of worlds. From so small a Galaxy27 psychohistory could be deduced more easily."
Hummin said, "Are you sure you could trust what you heard? After many thousands of years, would you be willing to rely on the robots early memories? How much distortion would have entered into them?"
"Thats right," said Dors suddenly. "It would be like the computerized records I told you of, Hari. Slowly, those robot memories would be discarded, lost, erased28, distorted. You can only go back so far and the farther you go back, the less reliable the information becomes--no matter what you do."
Hummin nodded. "Ive heard it referred to as a kind of uncertainty29 principle in information."
"But wouldnt it be possible," said Seldon thoughtfully, "that some information, for special reasons, would be preserved? Parts of the Mycogenian Book may well refer to events of twenty thousand years ago and yet be very largely as it had been originally. The more valued and the more carefully preserved particular information is, the more long-lasting and accurate it may be."
"The key word is particular. What the Book may care to preserve may not be what you wish to have preserved and what a robot may remember best may be what you wish him to remember least."
Seldon said in despair, "In whatever direction I turn to seek a way of working out psychohistory, matters so arrange themselves as to make it impossible. Why bother trying?"
"It might seem hopeless now," said Hummin unemotionally, "but given the necessary genius, a route to psychohistory may be found that none of us would at this moment expect. Give yourself more time.--But were coming to a rest area. Let us pull off and have dinner."
Over the lamb patties on rather tasteless bread (most unpalatable after the fare at Mycogen), Seldon said, "You seem to assume, Hummin, that I am the possessor of the necessary genius. I may not be, you know."
Hummin said, "Thats true. You may not be. However, I know of no alternate candidate for the post, so I must cling to you."
And Seldon sighed and said, "Well, Ill try, but Im out of any spark of hope. Possible but not practical, I said to begin with, and Im more convinced of that now than I ever was before."
Heatsink
AMARYL, YUGO-- ... A mathematician30 who, next to Hari Seldon himself, may be considered most responsible for working out the details of psychohistory. It was he who ...
... Yet the conditions under which he began life are almost more dramatic than his mathematical accomplishments31. Born into the hopeless poverty of the lower classes of Dahl, a sector of ancient Trantor, he might have passed his life in utter obscurity were it not for the fact that Seldon, quite by accident, encountered him in the course of ...
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA
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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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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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petulantly
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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7
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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apportion
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| vt.（按比例或计划）分配 | |
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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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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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12
charade
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| n.用动作等表演文字意义的字谜游戏 | |
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13
asperity
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| n.粗鲁，艰苦 | |
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14
perverted
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| adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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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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17
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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archaic
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| adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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sneaks
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| abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋（网球鞋）v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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21
flaunts
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| v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的第三人称单数 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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venerated
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| 敬重（某人或某事物），崇敬( venerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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primordial
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| adj.原始的；最初的 | |
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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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erased
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| v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除 | |
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29
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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30
mathematician
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| n.数学家 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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