Chapter 81

Davan asked, "What happened?"
Seldon felt minimally¹ relieved. Surely, the addition of Davan could scarcely count against the full force of the Dahl Sector², but, then again, he commanded a number of people who might create enough confusion.
He said, "You should know, Davan. I suspect that many of the crowd who were at Tisalvers place this morning were your people."
"Yes, a number were. The story is that you were being arrested and that you manhandled a squadron of Sunbadgers. But why were you being arrested?"
"Two," said Seldon, lifting two fingers. "Two Sunbadgers. And thats bad enough. Part of the reason we were being arrested was that we had gone to see you."
"Thats not enough. The Sunbadgers dont bother with me much as a general thing." He added bitterly, "They underestimate me."
"Maybe," said Seldon, "but the woman from whom we rent our rooms reported us for having started a riot ... over the newsman we ran into on our way to you. You know about that. With your people on the scene yesterday and again this morning and with two officers badly hurt, they may well decide to clean out these corridors--and that means you will suffer. I really am sorry. I had no intention or expectation of being the cause of any of this."
But Davan shook his head. "No, you dont know the Sunbadgers. Thats not enough either. They dont want to clean us up. The sector would have to do something about us if they did. Theyre only too happy to let us rot in Billibotton and the other slums. No, theyre after you. What have you done?"
Dors said impatiently, "Weve done nothing and, in any case, what does it matter? If theyre not after you and they are after us, theyre going to come down here to flush us out. If you get in the way, youll be in deep trouble."
"No, not me. I have friends--powerful friends," said Davan. "I told you that last night. And they can help you as well as me. When you refused to help us openly, I got in touch with them. They know who you are, Dr. Seldon. Youre a famous man. Theyre in a position to talk to the Mayor of Dahl and see to it that you are left alone, whatever you have done. But youll have to be taken away--out of Dahl."
Seldon smiled. Relief flooded over him. He said, "You know someone powerful, do you, Davan? Someone who responds at once, who has the ability to talk the Dahl government out of taking drastic steps, and who can take us away? Good. Im not surprised." He turned to Dors, smiling. "Its Mycogen all over again. How does Hummin do it?"
But Dors shook her head. "Too quick.--I dont understand."
Seldon said, "I believe he can do anything."
"I know him better than you do--and longer--and I dont believe that."
Seldon smiled, "Dont underestimate him." And then, as though anxious not to linger longer on that subject, he turned to Davan. "But how did you find us? Raych said you knew nothing about this place."
"He dont," shrilled³ Raych indignantly. "This place is all mine. I found it."
"Ive never been here before," said Davan, looking about. "Its an interesting place. Raych is a corridor creature, perfectly⁴ at home in this maze⁵."
"Yes, Davan, we gathered as much ourselves. But how did you find it?"
"A heat-seeker. I have a device that detects infra-red radiation, the particular thermal⁶ pattern that is given off at thirty-seven degrees Celsius⁷. It will react to the presence of human beings and not to other heat sources. It reacted to you three."
Dors was frowning. "What good is that on Trantor, where there are human beings everywhere? They have them on other worlds, but--"
Davan said, "But not on Trantor. I know. Except that they are useful in the slums, in the forgotten, decaying corridors and alleyways."
"And where did you get it?" asked Seldon.
Davan said, "Its enough that I have it.--But weve got to get you away, Master Seldon. Too many people want you and I want my powerful friend to have you."
"Where is he, this powerful friend of yours?"
"Hes approaching. At least a new thirty-seven-degree source is registering and I dont see that it can be anyone else."
Through the door strode a newcomer, but Seldons glad exclamation⁸ died on his lips. It was not Chetter Hummin.
Wye
WYE-- ... A sector of the world-city of Trantor ... In the latter centuries of the Galactic Empire, Wye was the strongest and stablest portion of the world-city. Its rulers had long aspired⁹ to the Imperial throne, justifying¹⁰ that by their descent from early Emperors. Under Mannix IV, Wye was militarized and (Imperial authorities later claimed) was planning a planet-wide coup¹¹ .
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

1 minimally   

最低限度地，最低程度地

参考例句：

• Food spoilage problems occur with minimally processed, concentrated frozen citrus products. 食品的变质也发生在轻微加工的、浓缩冷冻的柑橘制品中。
• So, minimally, they are responsible for such actions and omissions. 所以，至少来说，他们要对这样的行为和忽略负责。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 shrilled   

（声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Behind him, the telephone shrilled. 在他身后，电话铃刺耳地响了起来。
• The phone shrilled, making her jump. 电话铃声刺耳地响起，惊得她跳了起来。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

6 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

9 aspired   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She aspired to a scientific career. 她有志于科学事业。
• Britain,France,the United States and Japan all aspired to hegemony after the end of World War I. 第一次世界大战后，英、法、美、日都想争夺霸权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 justifying   

证明…有理( justify的现在分词 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护）

参考例句：

• He admitted it without justifying it. 他不加辩解地承认这个想法。
• The fellow-travellers'service usually consisted of justifying all the tergiversations of Soviet intenal and foreign policy. 同路人的服务通常包括对苏联国内外政策中一切互相矛盾之处进行辩护。

11 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。