Chapter 18

Seldon had had a bad night also, nor was the new day promising¹ to be much better. There weren't too many times when Hari felt annoyed with Dors. But this time, he was very annoyed.
    He said, "What a foolish thing to do! Wasn't it enough that we were all staying at the Dome's Edge Hotel? That alone would have been sufficient to drive a paranoid ruler into thoughts of some sort of conspiracy²."
    "How? We were unarmed, Hari. It was a holiday affair, the final touch of your birthday celebration. We posed no threat."
    "Yes, but then you carried out your invasion of the Palace grounds. It was unforgivable. You raced to the Palace to interfere³ with my session with the General, when I had specifically-and several times-made it plain that I didn't want you there. I had my own plans, you know."
    Dors said, "Your desires and your orders and your plans all take second place to your safety. I was primarily concerned about that."
    "I was in no danger."
    "That is not something I can carelessly assume. There have been two attempts on your life. What makes you think there won't be a third?"
    "The two attempts were made when I was First Minister. I was probably worth killing⁴ then. Who would want to kill an elderly mathematician⁵?"
    Dors said, "That's exactly what I want to find out and that's what I want to stop. I must begin by doing some questioning right here at the Project."
    "No. You will simply be upsetting my people. Leave them alone."
    "That's exactly what I can't do. Hari, my job is to protect you and for twenty-eight years I've been working at that. You cannot stop me now."
    Something in the blaze of her eyes made it quite clear that, whatever Seldon's desires or orders might be, Dors intended to do as she pleased.
    Seldon's safety came first.
   

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。