Now he had delayed the Jump to the third of the Spacer worlds tillhe had spread his unease to the others. When he finally decided3 that hesimply must tell the computer to move the ship through hyperspace, Peloratwas standing4 solemnly in the doorway5 to the pilot-room, and Bliss6 wasjust behind him and to one side. Even Fallom was standing there, gazingat Trevize owlishly, while one hand gripped Bliss's hand tightly.
Trevize had looked up from the computer and had said, ratherchurlishly, "Quite the family group!" but that was only his own discomfortspeaking.
He instructed the computer to Jump in such a way as to reenter spaceat a further distance from the star in question than was absolutelynecessary. He told himself that that was because he was learningcaution as a result of events on the first two Spacer worlds, but hedidn't believe that. Well underneath7, he knew, he was hoping that hewould arrive in space at a great enough distance from the star to beuncertain as to whether it did or did not have a habitable planet. Thatwould give him a few more days of in-space travel before he could findout, and (perhaps) have to stare bitter defeat in the face.
So now, with the "family group" watching, he drew a deep breath,held it, then expelled it in a between-the-lips whistle as he gave thecomputer its final instruction.
The star-pattern shifted in a silent discontinuity and the viewscreenbecame barer, for he had been taken into a region in which the starswere somewhat sparser8. And there, nearly in the center, was a brightlygleaming star.
Trevize grinned broadly, for this was a victory of sorts. After all,the third set of co-ordinates might have been wrong and there might havebeen no appropriate G-type star in sight. He glanced toward the otherthree, and said, "That's it. Star number three.""Are you sure?" asked Bliss softly.
"Watch!" said Trevize. "I will switch to the equi-centered view inthe computer's Galactic map, and if that bright star disappears, it'snot recorded on the map, and it's the one we want."The computer responded to his command, and the star blinked outwithout any prior dimming. It was as though it had never been, but therest of the starfield remained as it was, in sublime9 indifference10.
"We've got it," said Trevize.
And yet he sent the Far Star forward at little more than halfthe speed he might easily have maintained. There was still the questionof the presence or absence of a habitable planet, and he was in no hurryto find out. Even after three days of approach, there was still nothingto be said about that, either way.
Or, perhaps, not quite nothing. Circling the star was a large gasgiant. It was very far from its star and it gleamed a very pale yellowon its daylight side, which they could see, from their position, as athick crescent.
Trevize did not like its looks, but he tried not to show it and spokeas matter-of-factly as a guidebook. "There's a big gas giant out there,"he said. "It's rather spectacular. It has a thin pair of rings and twosizable satellites that can be made out at the moment."Bliss said, "Most systems include gas giants, don't they?""Yes, but this is a rather large one. Judging from the distance ofits satellites, and their periods of revolution, that gas giant is almosttwo thousand times as massive as a habitable planet would be.""What's the difference?" said Bliss. "Gas giants are gas giants andit doesn't matter what size they are, does it? They're always present atgreat distances from the star they circle, and none of them are habitable,thanks to their size and distance. We just have to look closer to thestar for a habitable planet."Trevize hesitated, then decided to place the facts on the table. "Thething is," he said, "that gas giants tend to sweep a volume of planetaryspace clean. What material they don't absorb into their own structureswill coalesce12 into fairly large bodies that come to make up theirsatellite system. They prevent other coalescences at even a considerabledistance from themselves, so that the larger the gas giant, the morelikely it is to be the only sizable planet of a particular star. There'lljust be the gas giant and asteroids13.""You mean there is no habitable planet here?""The larger the gas giant, the smaller the chance of a habitableplanet and that gas giant is so massive it is virtually a dwarf14 star."Pelorat said, "May we see it?"All three now stared at the screen (Fallom was in Bliss's room withthe books).
The view was magnified till the crescent filled the screen. Crossingthat crescent a distance above center was a thin dark line, the shadowof the ring system which could itself be seen a small distance beyondthe planetary surface as a gleaming curve that stretched into the darkside a short distance before it entered the shadow itself.
Trevize said, "The planet's axis15 of rotation16 is inclined aboutthirty-five degrees to its plane of revolution, and its ring is in theplanetary equatorial plane, of course, so that the star's light comesin from below, at this point in its orbit, and casts the ring's shadowwell above the equator."Pelorat watched raptly. "Those are thin rings.""Rather above average size, actually," said Trevize.
"According to legend, the rings that circle a gas giant in Earth'splanetary system are much wider, brighter, and more elaborate than thisone. The rings actually dwarf the gas giant by comparison.""I'm not surprised," said Trevize. "When a story is handed on fromperson to person for thousands of years, do you suppose it shrinks inthe telling?"Bliss said, "It's beautiful. If you watch the crescent, it seems towrithe and wriggle17 before your eyes.""Atmospheric18 storms," said Trevize. "You can generally see that moreclearly if you choose an appropriate wavelength19 of light. Here, let metry." He placed his hands on the desk and ordered the computer to workits way through the spectrum20 and stop at the appropriate wavelength.
The mildly lit crescent went into a wilderness21 of color that shiftedso rapidly it almost dazed the eyes that tried to follow. Finally,it settled into a red-orange, and, within the crescent, clear spiralsdrifted, coiling and uncoiling as they moved.
"Unbelievable," muttered Pelorat.
"Delightful," said Bliss.
Quite believable, thought Trevize bitterly, and anything butdelightful. Neither Pelorat nor Bliss, lost in the beauty, bothered tothink that the planet they admired lowered the chances of solving themystery Trevize was trying to unravel22. But, then, why should they? Bothwere satisfied that Trevize's decision had been correct, and theyaccompanied him in his search for certainty without an emotional bondto it. It was useless to blame them for that.
He said, "The dark side seems dark, but if our eyes were sensitive tothe range just a little beyond the usual long-wave limit, we would seeit as a dull, deep, angry red. The planet is pouring infrared23 radiationout into space in great quantities because it is massive enough to bealmost red-hot. It's more than a gas giant; it's a sub-star."He waited a little longer and then said, "And now let's put that objectout of our mind and look for the habitable planet that may exist.""Perhaps it does," said Pelorat, smiling. "Don't give up, oldfellow.""I haven't given up," said Trevize, without true conviction. "Theformation of planets is too complicated a matter for rules to be hardand fast. We speak only of probabilities. With that monster out in space,the probabilities decrease, but not to zero."Bliss said, "Why don't you think of it this way? Since the first twosets of co-ordinates each gave you a habitable planet of the Spacers, thenthis third set, which has already given you an appropriate star, shouldgive you a habitable planet as well. Why speak of probabilities?""I certainly hope you're right," said Trevize, who did not feel atall consoled. "Now we will shoot out of the planetary plane and in towardthe star."The computer took care of that almost as soon as he had spoken hisintention. He sat back in his pilot's chair and decided, once again,that the one evil of piloting a gravitic ship with a computer so advancedwas that one could never never pilot any othertype of ship again.
Could he ever again bear to do the calculations himself? Could he bearto have to take acceleration24 into account, and limit it to a reasonablelevel? In all likelihood, he would forget and pour on the energytill he and everyone on board were smashed against one interior wallor another.
Well, then, he would continue to pilot this one ship oranother exactly like it, if he could even bear to make so much of achange always.
And because he wanted to keep his mind off the question of thehabitable planet, yes or no, he mused25 on the fact that he had directedthe ship to move above the plane, rather than below. Barring anydefinite reason to go below a plane, pilots almost always chose to goabove. Why?
For that matter, why be so intent on considering one directionabove and the other below? In the symmetry of space that was pureconvention.
Just the same, he was always aware of the direction in which anyplanet under observation rotated about its axis and revolved26 about itsstar. When both were counterclockwise, then the direction of one's raisedarm was north, and the direction of one's feet was south. And throughoutthe Galaxy27, north was pictured as above and south as below.
It was pure convention, dating back into the primeval mists, and itwas followed slavishly. If one looked at a familiar map with south above,one didn't recognize it. It had to be turned about to make sense. Andall things being equal, one turned north and "above."Trevize thought of a battle fought by Bel Riose, the Imperialgeneral of three centuries before, who had veered28 his squadron below theplanetary plane at a crucial moment, and caught a squadron of vessels,waiting and unprepared. There were complaints that it had been an unfairmaneuver by the losers, of course.
A convention, so powerful and so primordially29 old, must have startedon Earth and that brought Trevize's mind, with a jerk, back tothe question of the habitable planet.
Pelorat and Bliss continued to watch the gas giant as it slowlyturned on the viewscreen in a slow, slow back-somersault. The sunlitportion spread and, as Trevize kept its spectrum fixed30 in the orange-redwavelengths, the storm-writhing of its surface became ever madder andmore hypnotic.
Then Fallom came wandering in and Bliss decided it must take a napand that so must she.
Trevize said to Pelorat, who remained, "I have to let go of the gasgiant, Janov. I want to have the computer concentrate on the search fora gravitational blip of the right size.""Of course, old fellow," said Pelorat.
But it was more complicated than that. It was not just a blip of theright size that the computer had to search for, it was one of the rightsize and at the right distance. It would still be several days beforehe could be sure.
61Trevize walked into his room, grave, solemn indeedsomber and started perceptibly.
Bliss was waiting for him and immediately next to her was Fallom,with its loincloth and robe bearing the unmistakable fresh odor ofsteaming and vacupressing. The youngster looked better in that than inone of Bliss's foreshortened nightgowns.
Bliss said, "I didn't want to disturb you at the computer, but nowlisten. Go on, Fallom."Fallom said, in its high-pitched musical voice, "I greetyou, Protector Trevize. It is with great pleasure that I amap ad accompanying you on this ship through space. I am happy,too, for the kindness of my friends, Bliss and Pel."Fallom finished and smiled prettily31, and once again Trevize thoughtto himself: Do I think of it as a boy or as a girl or as both or asneither?
He nodded his head. "Very well memorized. Almost perfectlypronounced.""Not at all memorized," said Bliss warmly. "Fallom composed thisitself and asked if it would be possible to recite it to you. I didn'teven know what Fallom would say till I heard it said."Trevize forced a smile, "In that case, very good indeed." He noticedBliss avoided pronouns when she could.
Bliss turned to Fallom and said, "I told you Trevize would likeit. Now go to Pel and you can have some more reading if youwish."Fallom ran off, and Bliss said, "It's really astonishing how quicklyFallom is picking up Galactic. The Solarians must have a special aptitudefor languages. Think how Bander spoke11 Galactic merely from hearing iton hyperspatial communications. Those brains may be remarkable32 in waysother than energy transduction."Trevize grunted33.
Bliss said, "Don't tell me you still don't like Fallom.""I neither like nor dislike. The creature simply makes me uneasy. Forone thing, it's a grisly feeling to be dealing34 with a hermaphrodite."Bliss said, "Come, Trevize, that's ridiculous. Fallom is a perfectlyacceptable living creature. To a society of hermaphrodites, think howdisgusting you and I must seem males and females generally. Eachis half of a whole and, in order to reproduce, there must be a temporaryand clumsy union.""Do you object to that, Bliss?""Don't pretend to misunderstand. I am trying to view us from thehermaphroditic standpoint. To them, it must seem repellent in the extreme;to us, it seems natural. So Fallom seems repellent to you, but that'sjust a shortsighted parochial reaction.""Frankly," said Trevize, "it's annoying not to know the pronoun touse in connection with the creature. It impedes35 thought and conversationto hesitate forever at the pronoun.""But that's the fault of our language," said Bliss, "and notof Fallom. No human language has been devised with hermaphroditismin mind. And I'm glad you brought it up, because I've been thinkingabout it myself. Saying `it,' as Bander itself insisted on doing,is no solution. That is a pronoun intended for objects to which sex isirrelevant, and there is no pronoun at all for objects that are sexuallyactive in both senses. Why not just pick one of the pronouns arbitrarily,then? I think of Fallom as a girl. She has the high voice of one, forone thing, and she has the capacity of producing young, which is thevital definition of femininity. Pelorat has agreed; why don't you do so,too? Let it be `she' and `her.'"Trevize shrugged36. "Very well. It will sound peculiar37 to point outthat she has testicles, but very well."Bliss sighed. "You do have this annoying habit of trying to turneverything into a joke, but I know you are under tension and I'll makeallowance for that. Just use the feminine pronoun for Fallom, please.""I will." Trevize hesitated, then, unable to resist, said, "Fallomseems more your surrogate-child every time I see you together. Is itthat you want a child and don't think Janov can give you one?"Bliss's eyes opened wide. "He's not there for children! Do you thinkI use him as a handy device to help me have a child? It is not time forme to have a child, in any case. And when it is time, it will have tobe a Gaian child, something for which Pel doesn't qualify.""You mean Janov will have to be discarded?""Not at all. A temporary diversion, only. It might even be broughtabout by artificial insemination.""I presume you can only have a child when Gaia's decision is thatone is necessary; when there is a gap produced by the death of analready-existing Gaian human fragment.""That is an unfeeling way of putting it, but it is true enough. Gaiamust be well proportioned in all its parts and relationships.""As in the case of the Solarians."Bliss's lips pressed together and her face grew a little white. "Notat all. The Solarians produce more than they need and destroy theexcess. We produce just what we need and there is never a necessity ofdestroying as you replace the dying outer layers of your skin byjust enough new growth for renewal38 and by not one cell more.""I see what you mean," said Trevize. "I hope, by the way, that youare considering Janov's feelings.""In connection with a possible child for me? That has never come upfor discussion; nor will it.""No, I don't mean that. It strikes me you are becoming moreand more interested in Fallom. Janov may feel neglected.""He's not neglected, and he is as interested in Fallom as I am. Sheis another point of mutual39 involvement that draws us even closertogether. Can it be that you are the one who feelsneglected?"" I ?" He was genuinely surprised.
"Yes, you. I don't understand Isolates40 any more than you understandGaia, but I have a feeling that you enjoy being the central point ofattention on this ship, and you may feel cut out by Fallom.""That's foolish.""No more foolish than your suggestion that I am neglecting Pel.""Then let's declare a truce41 and stop. I'll try to view Fallom as agirl, and I shall not worry excessively about you being inconsiderateof Janov's feelings."Bliss smiled. "Thank you. All is well, then."Trevize turned away, and Bliss then said, "Wait!"Trevize turned back and said, just a bit wearily, "Yes?""It's quite clear to me, Trevize, that you're sad and depressed. I amnot going to probe your mind, but you might be willing to tell me what'swrong. Yesterday, you said there was an appropriate planet in this systemand you seemed quite pleased. It's still there, I hope. The findinghasn't turned out to be mistaken, has it?""There's an appropriate planet in the system, and it's still there,"said Trevize.
"Is it the right size?"Trevize nodded. "Since it's appropriate, it's of the right size. Andit's at the right distance from the star as well.""Well, then, what's wrong?""We're close enough now to analyze42 the atmosphere. It turns out thatit has none to speak of.""No atmosphere?""None to speak of. It's a nonhabitable planet, and there is no othercircling the sun that has even the remotest capacity for habitability. Wehave come up with zero on this third attempt."62Pelorat, looking grave, was clearly unwilling43 to intrudeon Trevize's unhappy silence. He watched from the door of the pilot-room,apparently hoping that Trevize would initiate44 a conversation.
Trevize did not. If ever a silence seemed stubborn, his did.
And finally, Pelorat could stand it no longer, and said, in a rathertimid way, "What are we doing?"Trevize looked up, stared at Pelorat for a moment, turned away,and then said, "We're zeroing in on the planet.""But since there's no atmosphere ""The computer says there's no atmosphere. Till now,it's always told me what I've wanted to hear and I've accepted it. Nowit has told me something I don't want to hear, and I'mgoing to check it. If the computer is ever going to be wrong, this isthe time I want it to be wrong.""Do you think it's wrong?""No; I don't.""Can you think of any reason that might make it wrong?""No, I can't.""Then why are you bothering, Golan?"And Trevize finally wheeled in his seat to face Pelorat, his facetwisted in near-despair, and said, "Don't you see, Janov, that I can'tthink of anything else to do? We drew blanks on the first two worlds asfar as Earth's location is concerned, and now this world is a blank. Whatdo I do now? Wander from world to world, and peer about and say, `Pardonme. Where's Earth?' Earth has covered its tracks too well. Nowhere hasit left any hint. I'm beginning to think that it will see to it thatwe're incapable45 of picking up a hint even if one exists."Pelorat nodded, and said, "I've been thinking along those linesmyself. Do you mind if we discuss it? I know you're unhappy, old chap,and don't want to talk, so if you want me to leave you alone, I will.""Go ahead, discuss it," said Trevize, with something that wasremarkably like a groan46. "What have I got better to do than listen?"Pelorat said, "That doesn't sound as though you really want me to talk,but perhaps it will do us good. Please stop me at any time if you decideyou can stand it no longer. It seems to me, Golan, that Earth neednot take only passive and negative measures to hide itself. It need notmerely wipe out references to itself. Might it not plant false evidenceand work actively47 for obscurity in that fashion?""How do you mean?""Well, we've heard of Earth's radioactivity in several places,and that sort of thing would be designed to make anyone break off anyattempt to locate it. If it were truly radioactive, it would be totallyunapproachable. In all likelihood, we would not even be able to setfoot on it. Even robot explorers, if we had any, might not survivethe radiation. So why look? And if it is not radioactive, it remainsinviolate, except for accidental approach, and even then it might haveother means of masking itself."Trevize managed a smile. "Oddly enough, Janov, that thought hasoccurred to me. It has even occurred to me that that improbable giantsatellite has been invented and planted in the world's legends. As forthe gas giant with the monstrous49 ring system, that is equally improbableand may be equally planted. It is all designed, perhaps, to have uslook for something that doesn't exist, so that we go right through thecorrect planetary system, staring at Earth and dismissing it because,in actual fact, it lacks a large satellite or a triple-ringed cousin ora radioactive crust. We don't recognize it, therefore, and don't dreamwe are looking at it. I imagine worse, too."Pelorat looked downcast. "How can there be worse?""Easily when your mind gets sick in the middle of the night andbegins searching the vast realm of fantasy for anything that can deependespair. What if Earth's ability to hide is ultimate? What if our mindscan be clouded? What if we can move right past Earth, with its giantsatellite and with its distant ringed gas giant, and never see any ofit? What if we have already done so?""But if you believe that, why are we ?""I don't say I believe that. I'm talking about mad fancies. We'llkeep on looking."Pelorat hesitated, then said, "For how long, Trevize? At some point,surely, we'll have to give up.""Never," said Trevize fiercely. "If I have to spend the rest of mylife going from planet to planet and peering about and saying, `Please,sir, where's Earth?' then that's what I'll do. At any time, I can takeyou and Bliss and even Fallom, if you wish, back to Gaia and then takeof on my own.""Oh no. You know I won't leave you, Golan, and neither willBliss. We'll go planet-hopping with you, if we must. But why?""Because I must find Earth, and because I will. I don'tknow how, but I will. Now, look, I'm trying to reach a positionwhere I can study the sunlit aide of the planet Without its suit beingtoo close, so just let me be for a while."Pelorat fell silent, but did not leave. He continued to watch whileTrevize studied the planetary image, more than half in daylight, on thescreen. To Pelorat, it seemed featureless, but he knew that Trevize,bound to the computer, saw it under enhanced circumstances.
Trevize whispered, "There's a haze50.""Then there must be an atmosphere," blurted51 out Pelorat.
"Not necessarily much of one. Not enough to support life, butenough to support a thin wind that will raise dust. It's a well-knowncharacteristic of planets with thin atmospheres. There may even besmall polar ice caps. A little water-ice condensed at the poles, youknow. This world is too warm for solid carbon dioxide. I'll haveto switch to radar-mapping. And if I do that I can work more easily onthe nightside.""Really?""Yes. I should have tried it first, but with a virtually airlessand, therefore, cloudless planet, the attempt with visible light seemsso natural."Trevize was silent for a long time, while the viewscreen grew fuzzywith radar-reflections that produced almost the abstraction of a planet,something that an artist of the Cleonian period might have produced. Thenhe said, "Well " emphatically, holding the sound for a while,and was silent again.
Pelorat said, at last, "What's the `well' about?"Trevize looked at him briefly53. "No craters54 that I can see.""No craters? Is that good?""Totally unexpected," said Trevize. His face broke into a grin,"And very good. In fact, possibly magnificent."63Fallom remained with her nose pressed against theship's porthole, where a small segment of the Universe was visible inthe precise form in which the eye saw it, without computer enlargementor enhancement.
Bliss, who had been trying to explain it all, sighed and said in a lowvoice to Pelorat, "I don't know how much she understands, Pel dear. Toher, her father's mansion55 and a small section of the estate it stoodupon was all the Universe. I don't think she was ever out at night,or ever saw the stars.""Do you really think so?""I really do. I didn't dare show her any part of it until she hadenough vocabulary to understand me just a little and how fortunateit was that you could speak with her in her own language.""The trouble is I'm not very good at it," said Peloratapologetically. "And the Universe is rather hard to grasp if you come atit suddenly. She said to me that if those little lights are giant worlds,each one just like Solaria they're much larger than Solaria, ofcourse that they couldn't hang in nothing. They ought to fall,she says.""And she's right, judging by what she knows. She asks sensiblequestions, and little by little, she'll understand. At least she'scurious and she's not frightened.""The thing is, Bliss, I'm curious, too. Look how Golan changed assoon as he found out there were no craters on the world we're headingfor. I haven't the slightest idea what difference that makes. Do you?""Not a bit. Still he knows much more planetology than we do. We canonly assume he knows what he's doing.""I wish I knew.""Well, ask him."Pelorat grimaced56. "I'm always afraid I'll annoy him. I'm sure hethinks I ought to know these things without being told."Bliss said, "That's silly, Pel. He has no hesitation57 in asking youabout any aspect of the Galaxy's legends and myths which he thinks mightbe useful. You're always willing to answer and explain, so why shouldn'the be? You go ask him. If it annoys him, then he'll have a chance topractice sociability58, and that will be good for him.""Will you come with me?""No, of course not. I want to stay with Fallom and continue to tryto get the concept of the Universe into her head. You can always explainit to me afterward59 once he explains it to you."64Pelorat entered the pilot-room diffidently. He wasdelighted to note that Trevize was whistling to himself and was clearlyin a good mood.
"Golan," he said, as brightly as he could.
Trevize looked up. "Janov! You're always tiptoeing in as thoughyou think it's against the law to disturb me. Close the door and sitdown. Sit down! Look at that thing."He pointed60 to the planet on the viewscreen, and said, "I haven'tfound more than two or three craters, each quite small.""Does that make a difference, Golan? Really?""A difference? Certainly. How can you ask?"Pelorat gestured helplessly. "It's all a mystery to me. I was ahistory major at college. I took sociology and psychology61 in addition tohistory, also languages and literature, mostly ancient, and specializedin mythology62 in graduate school. I never came near planetology, or anyof the physical sciences.""That's no crime, Janov. I'd rather you know what you know. Yourfacility in ancient languages and in mythology has been of enormous useto us. You know that. And when it comes to a matter of planetology,I'll take care of that."He went on, "You see, Janov, planets form through the smashingtogether of smaller objects. The last few objects to collide leave cratermarks. Potentially, that is. If the planet is large enough to be a gasgiant, it is essentially63 liquid under a gaseous64 atmosphere and the finalcollisions are just splashes and leave no marks.
"Smaller planets which are solid, whether icy or rocky, do showcrater marks, and these remain indefinitely unless an agency for removalexists. There are three types of removals.
"First, a world may have an icy surface overlying a liquid ocean. Inthat case, any colliding object breaks through the ice and splasheswater. Behind it the ice refreezes and heals the puncture65, so tospeak. Such a planet, or satellite, would have to be cold, and wouldnot be what we would consider a habitable world.
"Second, if a planet is intensely active, volcanically66, then aperpetual lava67 flow or ash fallout is forever filling in and obscuringany craters that form. However, such a planet or satellite is not likelyto be habitable either.
"That brings us to habitable worlds as a third case. Such worlds mayhave polar ice caps, but most of the ocean must be freely liquid. They mayhave active volcanoes, but these must be sparsely68 distributed. Such worldscan neither heal craters, nor fill them in. There are, however, erosioneffects. Wind and flowing water will erode69 craters, and if there is life,the actions of living things are strongly erosive as well. See?"Pelorat considered that, then said, "But, Golan, I don't understandyou at all. This planet we're approaching ""We'll be landing tomorrow," said Trevize cheerfully.
"This planet we're approaching doesn't have an ocean.""Only some thin polar ice caps.""Or much of an atmosphere.""Only a hundredth the density70 of the atmosphere on Terminus.""Or life.""Nothing I can detect.""Then what could have eroded71 away the craters?""An ocean, an atmosphere, and life," said Trevize. "Look, if thisplanet had been airless and waterless from the start, any craters that hadbeen formed would still exist and the whole surface would be cratered72. Theabsence of craters proves it can't have been airless and waterless fromthe start, and may even have had a sizable atmosphere and ocean in thenear past. Besides, there are huge basins, visible on this world, thatmust have held seas, and oceans once, to say nothing of the marks ofrivers that are now dry. So you see there was erosion andthat erosion has ceased so short a time ago, that new cratering73 has notyet had time to accumulate."Pelorat looked doubtful. "I may not be a planetologist, but it seems tome that if a planet is large enough to hang on to a dense52 atmosphere forperhaps billions of years, it isn't going to suddenly lose it, is it?""I shouldn't think so," said Trevize. "But this world undoubtedlyheld life before its atmosphere vanished, probably human life. My guessis that it was a terraformed world as almost all the human-inhabitedworlds of the Galaxy are. The trouble is that we don't really know whatits condition was before human life arrived, or what was done to it inorder to make it comfortable for human beings, or under what conditions,actually, life vanished. There may have been a catastrophe74 that suckedoff the atmosphere and that brought about the end of human life. Or theremay have been some strange imbalance on this planet that human beingscontrolled as long as they were here and that went into a vicious cycleof atmospheric reduction once they were gone. Maybe we'll find the answerwhen we land, or maybe we won't. It doesn't matter.""But surely neither does it matter if there was life here once,if there isn't now. What's the difference if a planet has always beenuninhabitable, or is only uninhabitable now?""If it is only uninhabitable now, there will be ruins of the one-timeinhabitants.""There were ruins on Aurora75 ""Exactly, but on Aurora there had been twenty thousand years of rainand snow, freezing and thawing76, wind and temperature change. And therewas also life don't forget life: There may not have been humanbeings there, but there was plenty of life. Ruins can be eroded justas craters can. Faster. And in twenty thousand years, not enough wasleft to do us any good. Here on this planet, however, there hasbeen a passage of time, perhaps twenty thousand years, perhaps less,without wind, or storm, or life. There has been temperature change,I admit, but that's all. The ruins will be in good shape.""Unless," murmured Pelorat doubtfully, "there are no ruins. Is itpossible that there was never any life on the planet, or never any humanlife at any rate, and that the loss of the atmosphere was due to someevent that human beings had nothing to do with?""No, no," said Trevize. "You can't turn pessimist77 on me, because itwon't work. Even from here, I've spotted78 the remains48 of what I'm surewas a city. So we land tomorrow."65Bliss said, in a worried tone, "Fallom is convincedwe're going to take her back to Jemby, her robot.""Umm," said Trevize, studying the surface of the world as it slidback under the drifting ship. Then he looked up as though he had heardthe remark only after a delay. "Well, it was the only parent she knew,wasn't it?""Yes, of course, but she thinks we've come back to Solaria.""Does it look like Solaria?""How would she know?""Tell her it's not Solaria. Look, I'll give you one or two referencebookfilms with graphic79 illustrations. Show her close-ups of a numberof different inhabited worlds and explain that there are millions ofthem. You'll have time for it. I don't know how long Janov and I willhave to wander around, once we pick a likely target and land.""You and Janov?""Yes. Fallom can't come with us, even if I wanted her to, which Iwould only want if I were a madman. This world requires space suits,Bliss. There's no breathable air. And we don't have a space suit thatwould fit Fallom. So she and you stay on the ship.""Why I?"Trevize's lips stretched into a humorless smile. "I admit," he said,"I would feel safer if you were along, but we can't leave Fallom onthis ship alone. She can do damage even if she doesn't mean to. I musthave Janov with me because he might be able to make out whatever archaicwriting they have here. That means you will have to stay with Fallom. Ishould think you would want to."Bliss looked uncertain.
Trevize said, "Look. You wanted Fallom along, when I didn't. I'mconvinced she'll be nothing but trouble. So her presence introducesconstraints, and you'll have to adjust yourself to that. She's here,so you'll have to be here, too. That's the way it is."Bliss sighed. "I suppose so.""Good. Where's Janov?""He's with Fallom.""Very well. Go and take over. I want to talk to him."Trevize was still studying the planetary surface when Pelorat walkedin, clearing his throat to announce his presence. He said, "Is anythingwrong, Golan?""Not exactly wrong, Janov. I'm just uncertain. This is a peculiar worldand I don't know what happened to it. The seas must have been extensive,judging from the basins left behind, but they were shallow. As nearly as Ican tell from the traces left behind, this was a world of desalinizationand canals or perhaps the seas weren't very salty. If they weren'tvery salty, that would account for the absence of extensive salt flatsin the basins. Or else, when the ocean was lost, the salt content waslost with it which certainly makes it look like a human deed."Pelorat said hesitantly, "Excuse my ignorance about such things,Golan, but does any of this matter as far as what we are looking foris concerned?""I suppose not, but I can't help being curious. If I knew just howthis planet was terraformed into human habitability and what it was likebefore terraforming, then perhaps I would understand what has happenedto it after it was abandoned or just before, perhaps. And if wedid know what happened to it, we might be forewarned against unpleasantsurprises.""What kind of surprises? It's a dead world, isn't it?""Dead enough. Very little water; thin, unbreathable atmosphere;and Bliss detects no signs of mental activity.""That should settle it, I should think.""Absence of mental activity doesn't necessarily imply lack oflife.""It must surely imply lack of dangerous life.""I don't know. But that's not what I want to consult youabout. There are two cities that might do for our first inspection80. Theyseem to be in excellent shape; all the cities do. Whatever destroyed theair and oceans did not seem to touch the cities. Anyway, those two citiesare particularly large. The larger, however, seems to be short on emptyspace. There are spaceports far in the outskirts81 but nothing in the cityitself. The one not so large does have empty space, so it will be easierto come down in its midst, though not in formal spaceports but then,who would care about that?"Pelorat grimaced. "Do you want me to make the decision,Golan?""No, I'll make the decision. I just want your thoughts.""For what they're worth, a large sprawling82 city is likely to be acommercial or manufacturing center. A smaller city with open space islikely to be an administrative83 center. It's the administrative centerwe'd want. Does it have monumental buildings?""What do you mean by a monumental building?"Pelorat smiled his tight little stretching of the lips. "Iscarcely know. Fashions change from world to world and from time totime. I suspect, though, that they always look large, useless, andexpensive. Like the place where weeeere on Comporellon."Trevize smiled in his turn. "It's hard to tell looking straightdown, and when I get a sideways glance as weeapproach or leave, it'stoo confusing. Why do you prefer the administrative center?""That's where we're likely to find the planetary museum, library,archives, university, and so on.""Good. That's where we'll go, then; the smaller city. And maybewe'll find something. We've had two misses, but maybe we'll find somethingthis time.""Perhaps it will be three times lucky."Trevize raised his eyebrows84. "Where did you get that phrase?""It's an old one," said Pelorat. "I found it in an ancient legend. Itmeans success on the third try, I should think.""That sounds right," said Trevize. "Very well, then three timeslucky, Janov."
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1
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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definitive
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| adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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sparser
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| adj.稀疏的，稀少的( sparse的比较级 ) | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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coalesce
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| v.联合，结合，合并 | |
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asteroids
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| n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星 | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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rotation
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| n.旋转；循环，轮流 | |
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wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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wavelength
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| n.波长 | |
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spectrum
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| n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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unravel
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| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
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infrared
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| adj./n.红外线(的) | |
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acceleration
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| n.加速，加速度 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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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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veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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primordially
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| adv.原始地，最初地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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impedes
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的第三人称单数 ) | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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isolates
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| v.使隔离( isolate的第三人称单数 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析 | |
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truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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42
analyze
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| vt.分析，解析 (=analyse) | |
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43
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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initiate
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| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
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45
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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46
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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47
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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48
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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49
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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50
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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51
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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54
craters
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| n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等 | |
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55
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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56
grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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sociability
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| n.好交际，社交性，善于交际 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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mythology
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| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
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essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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gaseous
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| adj.气体的，气态的 | |
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puncture
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| n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破 | |
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volcanically
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| adv.火山似地，猛烈地 | |
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lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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sparsely
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| adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地 | |
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69
erode
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| v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失 | |
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density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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eroded
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| adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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72
cratered
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| adj.有坑洞的，多坑的v.火山口( crater的过去分词 )；弹坑等 | |
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73
cratering
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| n.缩孔（露底），陷穴（漆病），磨顶槽v.火山口( crater的现在分词 )；弹坑等 | |
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74
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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thawing
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| n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
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pessimist
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| n.悲观者；悲观主义者；厌世 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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graphic
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| adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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administrative
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| adj.行政的，管理的 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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