PART I THE PSYCHOHISTORIANS 1. HARI SELDON?.. born in the 11,988th year of the Galactic Era; died 12,069. The dates are more commonly given in terms of the current Foundational Era as ?79 to the year 1 F.E. Born to middle-class parents on Helicon, Arcturus sector (where his father, in a legend of doubtful authenticity, was a tobacco grower in the hydroponic plants of the planet), he early showed amazing ability in mathematics. Anecdotes concerning his ability are innumerable, and some are contradictory. At the age of two, he is said to have ... ... Undoubtedly his greatest contributions were in the field of psychohistory. Seldon found the field little more than a set of vague axioms; he left it a profound statistical science.... ... The best existing authority we have for the details of his life is the biography written by Gaal Dornick who. as a young man, met Seldon two years before the great mathematician's death. The story of the meeting ... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA* * All quotations from the Encyclopedia Galactica here reproduced are taken from the 116th Edition published in 1020 F.E. by the Encyclopedia Galactica Publishing Co., Terminus, with permission of the publishers. 心理史学家 哈里•谢顿……生于银河纪元一一九八八年，卒于一二○六九年。他的生卒年分较常以目前通用的基地纪元记载，即生于基地纪元负八十一年，卒于基地元年。 谢顿的故乡为大角星区的赫利肯星，父母为中产阶级的平民。（根据并不可靠的传说，谢顿的父亲是该行星水耕区的烟草农夫。）他自幼就显露出惊人的数学天分，关于这些天分的传闻轶事不胜枚举，有些甚至互相矛盾。 据说他才两岁的时候，就会…… 谢顿一生最大的贡献，无疑是心理史学的开拓。当他刚接触这门学问时，心理史学只能算是一组含糊的公设。谢顿则从这些公设出发，导出了一个深奥的统计科学…… 关于谢顿生平的详细记载，目前保有的最权威资料是盖尔•多尼克所著的传记。在这位伟大的数学家去世之前两年，仍是年轻小伙子的多尼克才与他结识，关于他们相遇的故事…… ——《银河百科全书》* _____________________________ *本书所引用的《银河百科全书》资料，皆取自基地纪元一○二○年出版的第一一六版。发行者为端点星银河百科全书出版公司，作者承蒙发行者授权引用。 Chapter 1 ddddd 第一章 　　他名叫盖尔•多尼克，只能算是一个乡下孩子，以前从来没有到过川陀。其实应该说他从未真正来过，因为盖尔早已藉着超波传视，对于这个城市的一切都非常熟悉，偶尔也会在巨大的三维新闻幕中，观赏皇帝加冕或银河议会揭幕的盛况。虽然他一直住在蓝移区边缘的辛纳克斯行星，但是却完全没有脱离银河的文明。在那个时代，银河中没有任何地方是与世隔绝的。 当时整个银河系中，将近有二千五百万颗住人的行星。所有这些世界都效忠于银河帝国，绝无任何的例外，而川陀就是银河帝国的首都。不过这个事实也只能再维持半个世纪了。 对于年轻的盖尔而言，这趟旅程无疑将是他学术生涯的第一个高峰。他过去也曾经到过太空，因此旅行本身的意义并不算太大。其实他以前的太空旅行，只不过是到辛纳克斯唯一的卫星上，去搜集陨石漂移的力学数据，用来作为博士论文的材料。不过话说回来，太空旅行——近至五十万哩，远至许多光年之外——其实都没有什么分别。 当星舰快要跃迁进入超空间的时候，他已做好了心理准备，这将是普通星际旅行所没有的经验。“超空间跃迁”是目前恒星间旅行的唯一可行办法，未来也许永远不会有其他方法出现。普通空间中的运动，物体的速率永远无法超过光速。（这个科学小常识，在人类历史的黎明期便已经发现。当黎明期的历史被人遗忘之后，它是少数硕果仅存的文化遗产之一。）这就代表说，即使仅来往于最接近的两个住人星系之间，也得花上好几年的时间。然而匪夷所思的超空间却完全不同——它既非空间又非时间；既非物质又非能量；既非实有又非虚无。经由超空间，人类可以在一刹那间穿越银河。 在跃迁还没有开始的时候，盖尔心中有些恐惧，腹部有轻微打结的感觉。结果在他还不能确定之前，跃迁所带来的一阵轻微的震动，还有体内被轻踢一下的感觉便已消失，就是如此而已。 然后，盖尔的意识中就只剩下这艘星舰，它体积硕大而闪烁着奇异的光芒，是帝国整整一万二千年的科技结晶。此外他想到的就是自己——刚刚获得了数学博士学位，带着伟大的谢顿寄来的邀请函，准备到川陀去加入庞大而略带神秘的“谢顿计划”。 对于跃迁的经验感到失望之后，盖尔期待的便是川陀的第一眼。他不时地跑到观景室，那里的钢制窗盖在特定的时间会卷起来，让乘客可以乘机饱览太空的景观。每当这个时候他一定都在那里，观看繁星闪耀的光辉；欣赏星团展现难以置信的蒙胧，就好像一大群萤火虫永远禁锢在一处。有一阵子，星舰周遭五光年的范围内，全都布满了寒冷、蓝白色的星际云气，像牛奶一般散布在玻璃窗上，为观景室带来了一丝寒意。两个小时之后，星舰又做了一次跃迁，那些云气立时消失无踪。 川陀所环绕的那颗恒星，刚出现的时候看起来只是一个明亮的白点，若不是星舰的向导指点，根本就不能在无数类似的星体中分辨出来。这里处于银河的核心，恒星的分布特别稠密。每经过一次跃迁，那颗特殊的恒星就显得更为明亮，从众恒星中脱颖而出。其他的恒星则越来越黯然失色，变得越来越黯淡而稀薄。 这时一位高级舰员来到观景室，对那里的乘客说：“观景室从现在开始就要关闭，我们准备着陆了。” 盖尔却跟着那位舰员，还拉扯他白色制服的袖子——他的制服上绣着帝国“星舰与太阳”的国徽。 盖尔对他说：“能不能让我留下来？我想从这里看看川陀。” 舰员对他微微—笑，使得盖尔有些脸红，想必是因为他说话带着乡下口音。 “我们准备早上在川陀降落。”舰员对他说。 “我是说，我想从太空中看看川陀。” “噢，抱歉，孩子。如果这是—艘太空游艇的话，我们可以帮你安排。但是本舰将要迎着太阳盘旋而下，你总不希望被太阳灼伤、弄瞎，还被放射线照得体无完肤吧。” 于是盖尔只好乖乖地走了开。 那位舰员却在后面叫住他：“孩子，别失望。反正从这里看下去，川陀只是灰蒙蒙的一团。还是等你到达川陀，再去参加太空旅行团好好游览吧，很便宜的。” 盖尔回过头去说：“非常感谢您。” 为这种事感到失望实在有点孩子气，然而孩子气一样很自然地会出现在成人身上。盖尔感觉喉咙有些哽咽，他从未曾看过整个川陀的壮观景象，没想到还要再多等一会儿，才能亲眼见到这个帝国的首都。 Chapter 2 The ship landed in a medley of noises. There was the far-off hiss of theatmosphere cutting and sliding past the metal of the ship. There was thesteady drone of the conditioners fighting the heat of friction, and theslower rumble of the engines enforcing deceleration. There was the humansound of men and women gathering in the debarkation rooms and the grind ofthe hoists lifting baggage, mail, and freight to the long axis of the ship,from which they would be later moved along to the unloading platform. Gaal felt the slight jar that indicated the ship no longer had anindependent motion of its own. Ship's gravity had been giving way toplanetary gravity for hours. Thousands of passengers had been sittingpatiently in the debarkation rooms which swung easily on yieldingforce-fields to accommodate its orientation to the changing direction ofthe gravitational forces. Now they were crawling down curving ramps to thelarge, yawning locks. Gaal's baggage was minor. He stood at a desk, as it was quickly andexpertly taken apart and put together again. His visa was inspected andstamped. He himself paid no attention. This was Trantor! The air seemed a little thicker here, the gravity a bitgreater, than on his home planet of Synnax, but he would get used to that. He wondered if he would get used to immensity. Debarkation Building was tremendous. The roof was almost lost in theheights. Gaal could almost imagine that clouds could form beneath itsimmensity. He could see no opposite wall; just men and desks and convergingfloor till it faded out in haze. The man at the desk was speaking again. He sounded annoyed. He said, "Moveon, Dornick." He had to open the visa, look again, before he remembered thename. Gaal said, "Where?where? The man at the desk jerked a thumb, "Taxis to the right and third left."Gaal moved, seeing the glowing twists of air suspended high in nothingnessand reading, "TAXIS TO ALL POINTS."A figure detached itself from anonymity and stopped at the desk, as Gaalleft. The man at the desk looked up and nodded briefly. The figure noddedin return and followed the young immigrant. He was in time to hear Gaal's destination. Gaal found himself hard against a railing. The small sign said, "Supervisor." The man to whom the sign referred didnot look up. He said, "Where to?"Gaal wasn't sure, but even a few seconds hesitation meant men queuing inline behind him. The Supervisor looked up, "Where to?"Gaal's funds were low, but there was only this one night and then he wouldhave a job. He tried to sound nonchalant, "A good hotel, please."The Supervisor was unimpressed, "They're all good. Name one."Gaal said, desperately, "The nearest one, please."The Supervisor touched a button. A thin line of light formed along thefloor, twisting among others which brightened and dimmed in differentcolors and shades. A ticket was shoved into Gaal's hands. It glowedfaintly. The Supervisor said, "One point twelve."Gaal fumbled for the coins. He said, "Where do I go?""Follow the light. The ticket will keep glowing as long as you're pointedin the tight direction."Gaal looked up and began walking. There were hundreds creeping across thevast floor, following their individual trails, sifting and strainingthemselves through intersection points to arrive at their respectivedestinations. His own trail ended. A man in glaring blue and yellow uniform, shining andnew in unstainable plasto-textile, reached for his two bags. "Direct line to the Luxor," he said. The man who followed Gaal heard that. He also heard Gaal say, "Fine," andwatched him enter the blunt-nosed vehicle. The taxi lifted straight up. Gaal stared out the curved, transparentwindow, marvelling at the sensation of airflight within an enclosedstructure and clutching instinctively at the back of the driver's seat. Thevastness contracted and the people became ants in random distribution. Thescene contracted further and began to slide backward. There was a wall ahead. It began high in the air and extended upward out ofsight. It was riddled with holes that were the mouths of tunnels. Gaal'staxi moved toward one then plunged into it. For a moment, Gaal wonderedidly how his driver could pick out one among so many. There was now only blackness, with nothing but the past-flashing of acolored signal light to relieve the gloom. The air was full of a rushingsound. Gaal leaned forward against deceleration then and the taxi popped out ofthe tunnel and descended to ground-level once more. "The Luxor Hotel," said the driver, unnecessarily. He helped Gaal with hisbaggage, accepted a tenth-credit tip with a businesslike air, picked up awaiting passenger, and was rising again. In all this, from the moment of debarkation, there had been no glimpse ofsky. 第二章 　　星舰在许多混杂的噪音中降落——远方传来金属舰身切入大气层而摩擦出的嘶嘶声：舰内的冷气努力对抗摩擦产生的高热，发出了稳定而单调的嗡嗡声：在星舰减速时，发动机则传出慢节奏的隆隆声。此外还有登陆室中鼎沸的人声，以及起重机吊运行李、邮件、货物所发出的嘎嘎声。所有的物件都集中在舰身中央，准备等一下就传送到卸货月台上。 盖尔先是感觉到一下轻微的震荡，知道这代表星舰的发动机已经关掉，舰内的人工重力也渐渐被行星的重力所取代。在降落的过程中，登陆室受到行星重力场的影响而不断摇摆，以便在变化的重力场中调整方向，数千名旅客便耐心地坐在摇篮般的登陆室中等候许久。现在，他们终于可以沿着弯曲的坡道，缓缓挤进一个敞开的巨大气闸。 盖尔没有太多的行李，很快地就来到入关处。海关将他的行李迅速而熟练地拆开又装好，然后检查签证并盖章，不过盖尔完全没有留意这些过程。 这就是川陀！跟他的家乡辛纳克斯行星比起来，空气似乎浓稠些，重力好像也大了一点。不过他知道很快就会习惯的，只是不知道自己能否习惯这样大的环境。 入境大厦就是一个硕大无朋的建筑物，屋顶高得根本看不见，盖尔几乎可以想像它高耸入云的样子。他甚至也看不到对面的墙壁，放眼望去只见汹涌的人潮、无数的办公桌，以及逐渐收缩而淡出的地板。 站在办公桌后面的海关显得有点不耐烦，他打开盖尔的签证，再看了一眼他的名字，然后对盖尔说：“走吧，多尼克先生。” 盖尔却问道：“哪里……往哪里走？” 那位海关用大拇指比了比：“要搭计程飞船就向右走，在第三个通道左转。” 盖尔依言前进，果然看见高处的空气中凭空出现几个闪亮的大字：往各地的计程飞船。 当盖尔离开海关后，立刻有一个人走了过来，海关抬头看了看，便向那个人迅速地点点头。那人也向海关点头示意，然后便跟着盖尔这位年轻的旅客走了。 他刚好及时听见盖尔的目的地。 盖尔站在栏杆前面，不知道该往哪里去。旁边有个写着“管理员”的小标志，标志下面的那位管理员却头也不抬，只是问道：“去哪里？” 盖尔并不确定，但他仅仅犹豫了几秒钟，后面就排了一大队长龙。 管理员终于抬起头来问：“去哪里？” 盖尔身边没有什么钱，但是只要熬过今晚，明天就可以有工作了。所以他尽量以稳重的口气说：“我想去一家比较好的旅馆，谢谢。” 可是管理员根本不吃这一套：“每家旅馆都好，你要指明一家。” 盖尔只好无可奈何地说：“请给我最近的一家吧。” 管理员按下一个按钮，地板上便出现一条细长的光线，加入了由其他许多不同色彩与明暗的光线织成的光网中。然后他将一张票塞进盖尔手里，这张票竟然也会微微发光。 然后管理员说：“票价一点十二分。” 盖尔一边摸着零钱，一边问道：“我该往哪儿走？” “沿着这条光线走，只要你的方向正确，票就会一直发亮。” 盖尔抬头看了看，然后便开步向前走。他的身边至少有数百人，每个人都沿着自己的光线小心翼翼地前进。每次遇到光线与光线的交叉口时，大家都要辛苦地精挑细选一番，然后才能摸索到各自的目的地。 盖尔自己的路走到尽头之后，面前出现了一个穿着蓝黄相间制服的司机。他的制服是用永不沾污的塑料制成，看起来笔挺如新，色彩鲜明。这位司机看到盖尔走过来，一把就抓起了盖尔的两件行李。 “直达豪华旅馆。”司机公式化地说。 跟踪盖尔的那个人刚好听到了这一句话，他还听到盖尔回答的一声“好”，然后就看见盖尔钻进了钝鼻的计程飞船中。 计程飞船很快地垂直升起。盖尔从弧形的透明玻璃往外看，在封闭结构中飞行令他感觉有点不可思议，他不自觉地抓住了驾驶座的椅背。巨大的建筑物一下子就缩小了，地面的人们变成了零乱分布的小蚂蚁。当景物再缩小一点之后，便开始迅速地向后方挪动。 不久面前出现了一堵巨墙，它的根基飘浮在半空中，一直向上延伸到目力不可及的天空。墙上有无数蜂巢状的小孔，每个小孔都是一条隧道的入口。他们的飞船渐渐向其中一个小孔接近，最后一头钻了进去。盖尔一时之间感到万分不解，想不通司机到底是如何选择正确的入口。 隧道内一片漆黑，只有一些不断向后退去的彩色交通号志，稍微驱走了一点幽暗的气氛，空气中则充满了飞船全速前进的噪音。 当飞船减速时，盖尔不自主地向前倾。接着飞船便钻出了隧道，然后重新回到地面。 “豪华旅馆到了。”其实不用司机说，盖尔也看得出来。司机很有效率地帮盖尔取出行李，再收了十分之一点的小费，马上又载着一位客人升空了。 从登陆到目前为止，盖尔还没有看到天空一眼。 川陀，……在银河帝国第十三个千年的初期，这个趋势达到了顶峰。它是帝国政府的中心，连续数百代以来未曾间断。 川陀位于银河的核心区域，周围都是人口最稠密、工业最发达的世界，所以很自然地变成了人类历史上最密集、最富庶的社群。都会化的过程不断地稳定发展，最后终于达到了极限——川陀表面所有的陆地，面积总共七千五百万平方哩，变成了一个单一的城市。而在人口最多的时候，甚至还超过了四百亿之众。这么庞大的人口，几乎全都是为了应付帝国的行政需要，然而即使如此多的人手，却仍不足以应付庞杂的工作。（据说，末期几位平庸的皇帝无法有效地管理银河帝国，也是帝国衰亡的一大原因。） 为了供应川陀居民的口腹之需，每天都有数以万计的太空船队，负责载送来自二十个农业世界的粮食…… 由于川陀依靠其他的世界供应粮食，甚至所有的日常用品，这个行星越来越容易以包围的手段征服。 在帝国的最后千年，从未止歇的叛乱使每位皇帝都警觉到这个危机，保卫川陀脆弱的颈动脉变成了帝国的首要政策…… Chapter 3 TRANTOR?..At the beginning of the thirteenth millennium, this tendencyreached its climax. As the center of the Imperial Government for unbrokenhundreds of generations and located, as it was, toward the central regionsof the Galaxy among the most densely populated and industrially advancedworlds of the system, it could scarcely help being the densest and richestclot of humanity the Race had ever seen. Its urbanization, progressing steadily, had finally reached the ultimate. All the land surface of Trantor, 75,000,000 square miles in extent, was asingle city. The population, at its height, was well in excess of fortybillions. This enormous population was devoted almost entirely to theadministrative necessities of Empire, and found themselves all too few forthe complications of the task. (It is to be remembered that theimpossibility of proper administration of the Galactic Empire under theuninspired leadership of the later Emperors was a considerable factor inthe Fall.) Daily, fleets of ships in the tens of thousands brought theproduce of twenty agricultural worlds to the dinner tables of Trantor.... Its dependence upon the outer worlds for food and, indeed, for allnecessities of life, made Trantor increasingly vulnerable to conquest bysiege. In the last millennium of the Empire, the monotonously numerousrevolts made Emperor after Emperor conscious of this, and Imperial policybecame little more than the protection of Trantor's delicate jugularvein.... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAGaal was not certain whether the sun shone, or, for that matter, whether itwas day or night. He was ashamed to ask. All the planet seemed to livebeneath metal. The meal of which he had just partaken had been labelledluncheon, but there were many planets which lived a standard timescale thattook no account of the perhaps inconvenient alternation of day and night. The rate of planetary turnings differed, and he did not know that ofTrantor. At first, he had eagerly followed the signs to the "Sun Room" and found itbut a chamber for basking in artificial radiation. He lingered a moment ortwo, then returned to the Luxor's main lobby. He said to the room clerk, "Where can I buy a ticket for a planetary tour?""Right here.""When will it start?""You just missed it. Another one tomorrow. Buy a ticket now and we'llreserve a place for you.""Oh." Tomorrow would be too late. He would have to be at the Universitytomorrow. He said, "There wouldn't be an observation tower ?or something? I mean, in the open air.""Sure! Sell you a ticket for that, if you want. Better let me check if it'sraining or not." He closed a contact at his elbow and read the flowingletters that raced across a frosted screen. Gaal read with him. The room clerk said, "Good weather. Come to think of it, I do believe it'sthe dry season now." He added, conversationally, "I don't bother with theoutside myself. The last time I was in the open was three years ago. Yousee it once, you know and that's all there is to it. Here's your ticket. Special elevator in the rear. It's marked 'To the Tower.' Just take it."The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion. Gaalentered and others flowed in behind him. The operator closed a contact. Fora moment, Gaal felt suspended in space as gravity switched to zero, andthen he had weight again in small measure as the elevator acceleratedupward. Deceleration followed and his feet left the floor. He squawkedagainst his will. The operator called out, "Tuck your feet under the railing. Can't you readthe sign?"The others had done so. They were smiling at him as he madly and vainlytried to clamber back down the wall. Their shoes pressed upward against thechromium of the railings that stretched across the floor in parallels settwo feet apart. He had noticed those railings on entering and had ignoredthem. Then a hand reached out and pulled him down. He gasped his thanks as the elevator came to a halt. He stepped out upon an open terrace bathed in a white brilliance that hurlhis eyes. The man, whose helping hand he had just now been the recipientof, was immediately behind him. The man said, kindly, "Plenty of seats."Gaal closed his mouth; he had been gaping; and said, "It certainly seemsso." He started for them automatically, then stopped. He said, "If you don't mind, I'll just stop a moment at the railing. I ?Iwant to look a bit."The man waved him on, good-naturedly, and Gaal leaned out over theshoulder-high railing and bathed himself in all the panorama. He could not see the ground. It was lost in the ever increasingcomplexities of man-made structures. He could see no horizon other thanthat of metal against sky, stretching out to almost uniform grayness, andhe knew it was so over all the land-surface of the planet. There wasscarcely any motion to be seen ? a few pleasure-craft lazed against thesky-but all the busy traffic of billions of men were going on, he knew,beneath the metal skin of the world. There was no green to be seen; no green, no soil, no life other than man. Somewhere on the world, he realized vaguely, was the Emperor's palace, setamid one hundred square miles of natural soil, green with trees, rainbowedwith flowers. It was a small island amid an ocean of steel, but it wasn'tvisible from where he stood. It might be ten thousand miles away. He didnot know. Before very long, he must have his tour! He sighed noisily, and realized finally that he was on Trantor at last; onthe planet which was the center of all the Galaxy and the kernel of thehuman race. He saw none of its weaknesses. He saw no ships of food landing. He was not aware of a jugular vein delicately connecting the forty billionof Trantor with the rest of the Galaxy. He was conscious only of themightiest deed of man; the complete and almost contemptuously finalconquest of a world. He came away a little blank-eyed. His friend of the elevator was indicatinga seat next to himself and Gaal took it. The man smiled. "My name is Jerril. First time on Trantor?""Yes, Mr. Jerril.""Thought so. Jerril's my first name. Trantor gets you if you've got thepoetic temperament. Trantorians never come up here, though. They don't likeit. Gives them nerves.""Nerves! ?My name's Gaal, by the way. Why should it give them nerves? It'sglorious.""Subjective matter of opinion, Gaal. If you're born in a cubicle and growup in a corridor, and work in a cell, and vacation in a crowded sun-room,then coming up into the open with nothing but sky over you might just giveyou a nervous breakdown. They make the children come up here once a year,after they're five. I don't know if it does any good. They don't get enoughof it, really, and the first few times they scream themselves intohysteria. They ought to start as soon as they're weaned and have the triponce a week."He went on, "Of course, it doesn't really matter. What if they never comeout at all? They're happy down there and they run the Empire. How high updo you think we are?"He said, "Half a mile?" and wondered if that sounded naive. It must have, for Jerril chuckled a little. He said, "No. Just five hundredfeet.""What? But the elevator took about ? "I know. But most of the time it was just getting up to ground level. Trantor is tunneled over a mile down. It's like an iceberg. Nine-tenths ofit is out of sight. It even works itself out a few miles into the sub-oceansoil at the shorelines. In fact, we're down so low that we can make use ofthe temperature difference between ground level and a couple of miles underto supply us with all the energy we need. Did you know that?""No, I thought you used atomic generators.""Did once. But this is cheaper.""I imagine so.""What do you think of it all?" For a moment, the man's good natureevaporated into shrewdness. He looked almost sly. Gaal fumbled. "Glorious," he said, again. "Here on vacation? Traveling? Sight-seeing?""No exactly. At least, I've always wanted to visit Trantor but I came hereprimarily for a job.""Oh?"Gaal felt obliged to explain further, "With Dr. Seldon's project at theUniversity of Trantor.""Raven Seldon?""Why, no. The one I mean is Hari Seldon. -The psychohistorian Seldon. Idon't know of any Raven Seldon.""Hari's the one I mean. They call him Raven. Slang, you know. He keepspredicting disaster.""He does?" Gaal was genuinely astonished. "Surely, you must know." Jerril was not smiling. "You're coming to work forhim, aren't you?""Well, yes, I'm a mathematician. Why does he predict disaster? What kind ofdisaster?""What kind would you think?""I'm afraid I wouldn't have the least idea. I've read the papers Dr. Seldonand his group have published. They're on mathematical theory.""Yes, the ones they publish."Gaal felt annoyed. He said, "I think I'll go to my room now. Very pleasedto have met you."Jerril waved his arm indifferently in farewell. Gaal found a man waiting for him in his room. For a moment, he was toostartled to put into words the inevitable, "What are you doing here?" thatcame to his lips. The man rose. He was old and almost bald and he walked with a limp, but hiseyes were very bright and blue. He said, "I am Hari Seldon," an instant before Gaal's befuddled brainplaced the face alongside the memory of the many times he had seen it inpictures. 第三章 　　盖尔不确定现在有没有出太阳，甚至不晓得此时是白天还是黑夜，因为整个行星就像包了一层金属外皮，但是他却也羞于启齿问人。他刚刚用的一餐，上面标明了是“午膳”，然而如今有许多行星，却都不管日夜颠倒这些不便，一律使用银河标准时间。每个行星的自转速率也不尽相同，而盖尔还不知道川陀一天有几小时。 刚才他还兴致勃勃地循着路标，找到了那间所谓的“太阳室”，却发现那里只能提供人工辐射日光浴。他只在里面逗留了一会儿，便回到了旅馆的大厅。 他问旅馆的职员说：“我在哪里可以登记参加环球游览？” “就在这里。” “什么时候出发？” “您刚错过了一班，不过明天还有。如果现在买票的话，我们就可以帮您保留一个位子。” “喔——”明天来不及了，因为明天他就要到川陀大学去报到。于是盖尔又问道：“这里有没有观景塔什么的？我的意思是说，那种露天的建筑物。” “当然有！如果您想要去，我这里也可以卖票。不过最好让我先看看上面有没有下雨。”旅馆的职员按下手肘旁的一个开关，毛玻璃屏幕上便出现了流动的字体，盖尔也跟着他一起盯着看。 然后职员转头说：“好天气。我想起来了，现在应该正是干季。” 然后他又滔滔不绝地说：“我自己懒得到外面去，上次到外面还是三年以前的事。你只要看一次，明白那是怎么回事就够了——这是您的票，请到后面搭乘专用电梯，电梯上面写着‘直达高塔’。” 那部电梯是最新型的，藉着反重力推动。盖尔走进去之后，马上又进来了许多人。操作员按下一个开关，电梯内的重力就完全消失，盖尔马上有一种飘飘然的感觉，等到电梯开始加速时，才又感觉到了一点重量。可是在电梯减速的时候，盖尔的脚却离开了电梯地板，吓得他不禁哇哇大叫起来。 操作员吼道：“把脚塞进栏条中间，你看不懂指示标志吗？” 盖尔是电梯中唯一出丑的一位。当他拼命想要爬回来，却又做不到的时候，大家都忍不住笑了出来。原来电梯地板上装有许多平行的金属管，每根约相隔两尺，其他乘客全都用脚顶在这些镀铬的栏条上。盖尔刚进电梯的时候，其实也看到了这些栏条，但是他却完全没有放在心上。还好有一只手伸出来，及时把他拉了下来。 当电梯停止时，盖尔一边喘气一边道谢。 从电梯走出来便是一个露天平台，白炽的光线令盖尔的眼睛感到很不舒服。刚才在电梯中向盖尔伸出援手的那个人，此时正紧跟在他的后面。 那人以亲切的口吻说：“这里座位很多。” 目瞪口呆的盖尔赶紧合上嘴巴，然后再回答他说：“当然，看来没错。”他正准备要找个位子，却忽然停了下来。 “如果你不介意的话，我想在栏杆这里站一下，我……我想多看点风景。”盖尔对那人说。 那人和蔼地对他挥挥手，盖尔便靠在及肩的栏杆上，尽情饱览了四处的风光。 但是他却无法看到地面，地面早已被越来越复杂的人工建筑所吞没，他也看不见地平线，眼前唯有与天际接壤、一大片灰蒙蒙的金属。盖尔知道，这个行星表面各处都是同样的金属球壳。他放眼望去，几乎见不到任何会动的景物，只有几艘旅游飞船懒洋洋地飘浮在天空。不过盖尔当然晓得，这个世界有着熙来攘往上百亿的忙碌人群，只不过他们全都生活在巨大的金属外层之下。 极目眺望也没有任何绿色的东西，没有植物，没有土壤，也没有人以外的其他生物。他依稀记得听人说过，在这个世界的某个角落，皇宫的周围有一百平方哩的自然土壤，那里充满了绿意盎然的树木，还点缀着彩虹般的鲜花，是钢铁之洋中唯一的孤岛，可惜这里无法看得见。也许远在万里之外吧，但他不知道究竟在哪里。 不久之后，他一定要做一次环球旅行！ 他大声地叹了一口气，想到自己如今终于到了川陀。这颗行星是银河的中枢、人类的重心。他完全看不到这里的弱点——没看到载运食物的船舰起落，因而还不知道有个纤弱的颈动脉，联系着川陀四百亿人口与其他的世界。他现在只能体会到人类最伟大的功业，那就是完整地、几乎可说是傲慢地征服了整个行星。 他离开栏杆，心中有几分迷惘。刚才结识的那个人指了指旁边的椅子，盖尔便一屁股坐了下去。 那人微笑着对他说：“我名叫杰瑞尔，你第一次来川陀吗？” “是的，杰瑞尔先生。” “我想也是——杰瑞尔是我的名字，不是姓。如果你有诗人气质的话，川陀会令你着迷的。不过本地人从来不会到这里来，他们不喜欢这种地方，因为会使他们神经过敏。” “神经过敏？喔，我叫盖尔。为什么到这里会让他们神经过敏？这里简直壮丽无比。” “这都是主观的想法。盖尔，如果你出生在一间斗室中，又一直在回廊中成长，整天都在密不通风的房间里工作，度假的时候只会去人挤人的太阳室。那么一旦来到这个开阔的空间，头上除了天空再也没有别的，就很可能使你神经衰弱。本地人的小孩满五岁之后，每年都会带他们上来一次，我不知道这样做对他们有没有好处，不过我认为真的不够。小孩子前几次来，每次都会尖叫到歇斯底里。他们应该早在断奶之后就来，而且每周来一次。” 然后杰瑞尔继续说：“当然啦，这并不重要，他们大可一辈子不出来。他们全都喜欢躲在里面，高高兴兴地管理着这个帝国。你猜这里有多高？” 盖尔回答：“半哩吧？”他担心猜得太离谱了。 杰瑞尔轻笑了一下，盖尔就知道果然是太离谱了。然后杰瑞尔说：“不，只有五百尺。” “什么？但是电梯走了有……” “我知道，不过大多数的时间都花在升到地面。川陀地底一哩之内全都是甬道，就像冰山一样，十分之九都藏在下面看不见。海岸线附近的海底，甚至向下挖了好几哩。事实上，这种深度可以让我们利用那里与地表的温差作为能源，这你知道吗？” “不知道，我以为你们用核能发电。” “以前曾经用过一段时期，但是现在这种比较便宜。” “我想也是。” “你对川陀的整体印象如何？”杰瑞尔和蔼的态度一下子转变成机灵，看起来几乎还有点狡猾。 盖尔搜索枯肠，结果还是只会说：“壮丽无比。” “你来这儿度假？还是观光旅行？” “都不算——虽然我一直都很想来川陀看看，不过我这次来，主要是为了一份工作。” “哦？” 盖尔感觉该解释得更清楚些：“我是来加入川陀大学谢顿博士的研究计划。” “乌鸦嘴谢顿？” “啊，不，我是说哈里•谢顿——那位着名的心理史学家。我不认识你说的那位谢顿先生。” “我说的就是他，大家都管他叫乌鸦嘴。那是他的绰号，因为他总是喜欢预测灾难。” “是吗？”盖尔听了非常震惊。 “你怎么可能不知道？”杰瑞尔这回倒没有笑：“你不是来跟他工作的吗？” “喔，没错，我是个数学家——他为什么要预测灾难？什么样的灾难？” “你猜是什么样的灾难？” “很抱歉，我根本没有半点概念。我读过许多谢顿博士与他的同僚发表的论文，但全都是数学理论。” “没错，你指的是他们发表过的那些。” 盖尔听了有些不高兴，便对杰瑞尔说道：“很高兴认识你，我现在想回房间去了。” 杰瑞尔举起手挥了挥，算是与盖尔道别。 盖尔回到了他的房间，发现里面竟然有一个人。他一时情急，也顾不得任何客套，脱口而出问道：“你在这里干什么？” 那人缓缓地站起来，他的年纪很大，头发几乎全秃，还跛着一只脚。然而他有一双蓝白分明的眼睛，看起来仍然炯炯有神。 他对盖尔说：“我是哈里•谢顿。” 盖尔充满困惑的大脑，这时刚好也将面前这个人，与记忆中熟悉的影象摆到了一起。 心理史学……盖尔•多尼克曾经运用非数学的普通概念，将心理史学定义成数学的一支。 心理史学专门处理人类群体对于特定的社会与经济刺激所产生的反应……在各种的定义中都隐含了一个假设，那就是作为研究对象的人类，总数必须大到足以用统计的方法来加以处理。至于群体数目的下限，则可以由谢顿第一定律决定…… 此外还有另外一个必要的假设，是那些群体中必须没有人知晓本身已是心理史学分析的样本，如此才能确保所有的反应都是真正随机的…… 心理史学成功的基础，在于谢顿函数的发展与正确的应用。这些函数所表现的性质，正好完全等于社会与经济力量的…… Chapter 4 PSYCHOHISTORY?..Gaal Dornick, using nonmathematical concepts, has definedpsychohistory to be that branch of mathematics which deals with thereactions of human conglomerates to fixed social and economic stimuli.... ... Implicit in all these definitions is the assumption that the humanconglomerate being dealt with is sufficiently large for valid statisticaltreatment. The necessary size of such a conglomerate may be determined bySeldon's First Theorem which ... A further necessary assumption is that thehuman conglomerate be itself unaware of psychohistoric analysis in orderthat its reactions be truly random ... The basis of all valid psychohistory lies in the development of the Seldon. Functions which exhibit properties congruent to those of such social andeconomic forces as ... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA"Good afternoon, sir," said Gaal. "I?I? "You didn't think we were to meet before tomorrow? Ordinarily, we would nothave. It is just that if we are to use your services, we must work quickly. It grows continually more difficult to obtain recruits.""I don't understand, sir.""You were talking to a man on the observation tower, were you not?""Yes. His first name is Jerril. I know no more about him. ""His name is nothing. He is an agent of the Commission of Public Safety. Hefollowed you from the space-port.""But why? I am afraid I am very confused.""Did the man on the tower say nothing about me?"Gaal hesitated, "He referred to you as Raven Seldon.""Did he say why?""He said you predict disaster.""I do. What does Trantor mean to you?"Everyone seemed to be asking his opinion of Trantor. Gaal felt incapable ofresponse beyond the bare word, "Glorious.""You say that without thinking. What of psychohistory?""I haven't thought of applying it to the problem.""Before you are done with me, young man, you will learn to applypsychohistory to all problems as a matter of course. 朞bserve." Seldonremoved his calculator pad from the pouch at his belt. Men said he kept onebeneath his pillow for use in moments of wakefulness. Its gray, glossyfinish was slightly worn by use. Seldon's nimble fingers, spotted now withage, played along the files and rows of buttons that filled its surface. Red symbols glowed out from the upper tier. He said, "That represents the condition of the Empire at present."He waited. Gaal said finally, "Surely that is not a complete representation.""No, not complete," said Seldon. "I am glad you do not accept my wordblindly. However, this is an approximation which will serve to demonstratethe proposition. Will you accept that?""Subject to my later verification of the derivation of the function, yes."Gaal was carefully avoiding a possible trap. "Good. Add to this the known probability of Imperial assassination,viceregal revolt, the contemporary recurrence of periods of economicdepression, the declining rate of planetary explorations, the. ...."He proceeded. As each item was mentioned, new symbols sprang to life at histouch, and melted into the basic function which expanded and changed. Gaal stopped him only once. "I don't see the validity of thatset-transformation."Seldon repeated it more slowly. Gaal said, "But that is done by way of a forbidden sociooperation.""Good. You are quick, but not yet quick enough. It is not forbidden in thisconnection. Let me do it by expansions."The procedure was much longer and at its end, Gaal said, humbly, "Yes, Isee now."Finally, Seldon stopped. "This is Trantor three centuries from now. How doyou interpret that? Eh?" He put his head to one side and waited. Gaal said, unbelievingly, "Total destruction! But ?but that is impossible. Trantor has never been ? Seldon was filled with the intense excitement of a man whose body only hadgrown old. "Come, come. You saw how the result was arrived at. Put it intowords. Forget the symbolism for a moment."Gaal said, "As Trantor becomes more specialized, it be comes morevulnerable, less able to defend itself. Further, as it becomes more andmore the administrative center of Empire, it becomes a greater prize. Asthe Imperial succession becomes more and more uncertain, and the feudsamong the great families more rampant, social responsibility disappears. ""Enough. And what of the numerical probability of total destruction withinthree centuries?""I couldn't tell.""Surely you can perform a field-differentiation?"Gaal felt himself under pressure. He was not offered the calculator pad. Itwas held a foot from his eyes. He calculated furiously and felt hisforehead grow slick with sweat. He said, "About 85%?""Not bad," said Seldon, thrusting out a lower lip, "but not good. Theactual figure is 92.5%."Gaal said, "And so you are called Raven Seldon? I have seen none of this inthe journals.""But of course not. This is unprintable. Do you suppose the Imperium couldexpose its shakiness in this manner. That is a very simple demonstration inpsychohistory. But some of our results have leaked out among thearistocracy.""That's bad.""Not necessarily. All is taken into account.""But is that why I'm being investigated?""Yes. Everything about my project is being investigated.""Are you in danger, sir?""Oh, yes. There is probability of 1.7% that I will be executed, but ofcourse that will not stop the project. We have taken that into account aswell. Well, never mind. You will meet me, I suppose, at the Universitytomorrow?""I will," said Gaal. 第四章 　　盖尔赶紧说：“午安，谢顿博士。我……我……” “你没有想到我们今天就会见面吧？在通常的情况下，我们实在不必急着碰头。但是现在不同，如果我们想雇用你，就必须要尽快行动。现在想找人，可是越来越不容易了。” “我不明白。” “你刚才在观景塔跟一个人聊天，对不对？” “没错，他名叫杰瑞尔。但是除此之外，我对他一无所知。” “他的名字没有任何意义。重要的是，他是公共安全委员会的人，从太空航站就一路跟踪你到这里。” “但是为什么呢？我可是越来越糊涂了。” “那个人没有对你提到我吗？” 盖尔有些犹豫地说：“他管您叫乌鸦嘴谢顿。” “他有没有说为什么？” “他说因为您总是预测灾难。” “我的确如此——川陀对你有什么意义？” 好像每个人都会问盖尔对川陀的感想，他实在想不出什么其他的形容词，于是又说了一次：“壮丽无比。” “那是你的第一印象，如果以心理史学的观点呢？” “我从来没有想到用它来分析这种问题。” “年轻人，在我们的合作告一段落之前，你就会学到用心理史学分析所有的问题，而且会视为理所当然。注意看——” 谢顿从挂在腰带的随身囊中取出了电算笔记板——传说他在枕头下面也摆了一个，好在半夜突然醒来时随手取用，而现在他手中的这个电算板，原来灰色光亮的外表已经稍有磨损。谢顿的手指都已经起了老人斑，却仍然能敏捷地在密集的按键间舞动，位于电算板上方的显示幕，立刻就出现了许多红色的符号。 谢顿指着显示幕，对盖尔说：“这代表帝国目前的状况。”然后他便等待盖尔的反应。 盖尔终于开口：“伹这当然不是一个完整的表现。” “没错，并不完整。”谢顿说：“我很高兴你没有盲目接受我的话，不过这个近似的表现，已经足够示范我的命题，这一点你接受吗？” “我等会儿还要验证一下函数的推导过程，不过看来没错。”盖尔很小心，他必须避免可能的陷阱。 “很好，让我们再将其他因素的已知机率加进去，包括皇帝遭到行剌、总督的叛变、当代经济萧条的周期性循环、行星开发率的滑落……” 谢顿继续进行着他的计算。他每提到一个因素，就会有新的符号出现在显示幕上，然后再融入原先的函数中，使得函数不断地扩充改变。 盖尔只打断了他一次：“我不懂这个‘集合变换’为什么能成立？” 于是谢顿再慢慢地重新做了一次。 盖尔又说：“但是您这种做法，是理论所禁止的‘社会运作’。” “很好，你的反应很快，不过仍然不够快。在这种情况下，可以允许我这样做，让我用函数展开重新做一次。” 这回过程变得很长，等到结果出来之后，盖尔谦逊地说：“您说的对，我现在懂了。” 谢顿终于停了下来，对盖尔说：“这是川陀三个世纪以后的情形，你要如何解释？啊？”他将头偏向一侧，静静地等着盖尔回答。 盖尔感到简直不可置信：“完全毁灭！但是……但是这怎么可能？川陀从来没有……” 谢顿突然满怀激动与兴奋，一点也不像是个老态龙钟的人。他抢着说：“嘿，别不相信，你已经看到了导致这个结果的过程。现在暂且忘掉数学符号，用普通的话说出来。” 盖尔于是说：“当川陀变得越来越专门化，也就变得越来越脆弱，越来越无法自卫。此外，作为帝国的行政中心，它也就成了首要的觊觎之的。当帝位的继承越来越不确定时，几个大世族间的摩擦也就越来越剧烈。社会责任感都消失了……” “够了。现在请告诉我，川陀在三个世纪之内完全毁灭的机率是多少？” “我看不出来。” “你一定会做‘场微分’吧？” 盖尔感觉被逼得非做不可了，但是谢顿却没有将电算板递给他。此时他的眼睛离电算板还有一尺之遥，他只好硬着头皮开始心算，不一会儿前额就已经冒汗了。 最后他终于估计出来：“大约百分之八十五？” “不坏，”谢顿噘起下唇，然后继续说道：“但也不能算好，正确的数值是千分之九二五。” 盖尔说：“这就是他们叫您乌鸦嘴的原因？从你们发表在学术期刊上的论文中，我怎么都没有读到这些呢？” “你当然读不到，这些都是不能发表的。你想想看，帝国怎么可能轻易就让这种有动摇倾向的讯息泄露出去？这还只是心理史学的一个简单示范。不过，我们算出的部分结果，还是泄露到了贵族的手中。” “那可不妙。” “也不尽然，所有这一切都在我们的算计之中。” “他们调查我，是不是就因为这个原因？” “对，只要是与我的计划有关，都会成为调查的对象。” “谢顿博士，那您有危险吗？” “喔，没错。我会被处决的机率有千分之十七，当然，即使如此的话，我的计划也不会因而终止。我们也已经将这一点纳入考量。好了，不谈这些，明天你会到川陀大学来见我，对吗？” “我一定会去的。” Chapter 5 COMMISSION OF PUBLIC SAFETY?.. The aristocratic coterie rose to powerafter the assassination of Cleon I, last of the Entuns. In the main, theyformed an element of order during the centuries of instability anduncertainty in the Imperium. Usually under the control of the greatfamilies of the Chens and the Divarts, it degenerated eventually into ablind instrument for maintenance of the status quo.... They were notcompletely removed as a power in the state until after the accession of thelast strong Emperor, Cleon H. The first Chief Commissioner.... ... In a way, the beginning of the Commission's decline can be traced tothe trial of Hari Seldon two years before the beginning of the FoundationalEra. That trial is described in Gaal Dornick's biography of Hari Seldon.... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAGaal did not carry out his promise. He was awakened the next morning by amuted buzzer. He answered it, and the voice of the desk clerk, as muted,polite and deprecating as it well might be, informed him that he was underdetention at the orders of the Commission of Public Safety. Gaal sprang to the door and found it would no longer open. He could onlydress and wait. They came for him and took him elsewhere, but it was still detention. Theyasked him questions most politely. It was all very civilized. He explainedthat he was a provincial of Synnax; that he had attended such and suchschools and obtained a Doctor of Mathematics degree on such and such adate. He had applied for a position on Dr. Seldon's staff and had beenaccepted. Over and over again, he gave these details; and over and overagain, they returned to the question of his joining the Seldon Project. Howhad he heard of it; what were to be his duties; what secret instructionshad he received; what was it all about? He answered that he did not know. He had no secret instructions. He was ascholar and a mathematician. He had no interest in politics. And finally the gentle inquisitor asked, "When will Trantor be destroyed?"Gaal faltered, "I could not say of my own knowledge.""Could you say of anyone's?""How could I speak for another?" He felt warm; overwarm. The inquisitor said, "Has anyone told you of such destruction; set a date?"And, as the young man hesitated, he went on, "You have been followed,doctor. We were at the airport when you arrived; on the observation towerwhen you waited for your appointment; and, of course, we were able tooverhear your conversation with Dr. Seldon."Gaal said, "Then you know his views on the matter.""Perhaps. But we would like to hear them from you.""He is of the opinion that Trantor would be destroyed within threecenturies.""He proved it, ?uh ?mathematically?""Yes, he did," ?defiantly. "You maintain the ? uh ? mathematics to be valid, I suppose. "If Dr. Seldon vouches for it, it is valid.""Then we will return.""Wait. I have a right to a lawyer. I demand my rights as an Imperialcitizen.""You shall have them."And he did. It was a tall man that eventually entered, a man whose face seemed allvertical lines and so thin that one could wonder whether there was room fora smile. Gaal looked up. He felt disheveled and wilted. So much had happened, yet hehad been on Trantor not more than thirty hours. The man said, "I am Lors Avakim. Dr. Seldon has directed me to representyou.""Is that so? Well, then, look here. I demand an instant appeal to theEmperor. I'm being held without cause. I'm innocent of anything. Ofanything." He slashed his hands outward, palms down, "You've got to arrangea hearing with the Emperor, instantly."Avakim was carefully emptying the contents of a flat folder onto the floor. If Gaal had had the stomach for it, he might have recognized Cellomet legalforms, metal thin and tapelike, adapted for insertion within the smallnessof a personal capsule. He might also have recognized a pocket recorder. Avakim, paying no attention to Gaal's outburst, finally looked up. He said,"The Commission will, of course, have a spy beam on our conversation. Thisis against the law, but they will use one nevertheless."Gaal ground his teeth. "However," and Avakim seated himself deliberately, "the recorder I have onthe table, ?which is a perfectly ordinary recorder to all appearances andperforms it duties well ?has the additional property of completelyblanketing the spy beam. This is something they will not find out at once.""Then I can speak.""Of course.""Then I want a hearing with the Emperor."Avakim smiled frostily, and it turned out that there was room for it on histhin face after all. His cheeks wrinkled to make the room. He said, "Youare from the provinces.""I am none the less an Imperial citizen. As good a one as you or as any ofthis Commission of Public Safety.""No doubt; no doubt. It is merely that, as a provincial, you do notunderstand life on Trantor as it is, There are no hearings before theEmperor.""To whom else would one appeal from this Commission? Is there otherprocedure?""None. There is no recourse in a practical sense. Legalistically, you mayappeal to the Emperor, but you would get no hearing. The Emperor today isnot the Emperor of an Entun dynasty, you know. Trantor, I am afraid is inthe hands of the aristocratic families, members of which compose theCommission of Public Safety. This is a development which is well predictedby psychohistory."Gaal said, "Indeed? In that case, if Dr. Seldon can predict the history ofTrantor three hundred years into the future ? "He can predict it fifteen hundred years into the future.""Let it be fifteen thousand. Why couldn't he yesterday have predicted theevents of this morning and warned me. 朜o, I'm sorry." Gaal sat down andrested his head in one sweating palm, "I quite understand thatpsychohistory is a statistical science and cannot predict the future of asingle man with any accuracy. You'll understand that I'm upset.""But you are wrong. Dr. Seldon was of the opinion that you would bearrested this morning.""What!""It is unfortunate, but true. The Commission has been more and more hostileto his activities. New members joining the group have been interfered withto an increasing extent. The graphs showed that for our purposes, mattersmight best be brought to a climax now. The Commission of itself was movingsomewhat slowly so Dr. Seldon visited you yesterday for the purpose offorcing their hand. No other reason."Gaal caught his breath, "I resent ? "Please. It was necessary. You were not picked for any personal reasons. You must realize that Dr. Seldon's plans, which are laid out with thedeveloped mathematics of over eighteen years include all eventualities withsignificant probabilities. This is one of them. I've been sent here for noother purpose than to assure you that you need not fear. It will end well;almost certainly so for the project; and with reasonable probability foryou.""What are the figures?" demanded Gaal. "For the project, over 99.9%.""And for myself?""I am instructed that this probability is 77.2%.""Then I've got better than one chance in five of being sentenced to prisonor to death.""The last is under one per cent.""Indeed. Calculations upon one man mean nothing. You send Dr. Seldon tome.""Unfortunately, I cannot. Dr. Seldon is himself arrested."The door was thrown open before the rising Gaal could do more than utterthe beginning of a cry. A guard entered, walked to the table, picked up therecorder, looked upon all sides of it and put it in his pocket. Avakim said quietly, "I will need that instrument.""We will supply you with one, Counsellor, that does not cast a staticfield.""My interview is done, in that case."Gaal watched him leave and was alone. 第五章 　　公共安全委员会……自从恩腾皇朝的最后一位皇帝克里昂一世被刺之后，帝国的政治实权便开始落入贵族们的手中。大体说来，他们在皇权不稳定的数个世纪中，形成了维持秩序的主体。 大多数时期，这个委员会操在辰氏与狄伐特氏两大世族手中，最后则变质为维持现状的盲目工具……直到帝国最后一位强势皇帝克里昂二世即位之后，才将委员会的大权完全释除。 首任的主任委员……就某一方面说来，这个委员会没落的主要原因，可以追溯到基地纪元前两年，它对谢顿所进行的一次审判。 那场审判，在多尼克所着的谢顿传记中有详细的记载…… ——《银河百科全书》 结果盖尔并没有能赴约。第二天一大早，他就被微弱的电话蜂鸣器吵醒，电话是旅馆职员打来的。那位职员以尽可能细声、礼貌，并带有一点恳求的口吻，告诉盖尔说，公共安全委员会已经下令限制他的行动。 盖尔立刻跳到门边，发现门果然打不开了。现在他唯一能够做的，只有穿好衣服耐心等待。 后来委员会便派人来将他带走，带到了—个拘留所中。他们以最客气的口吻询问盖尔，一切的过程都相当文明。盖尔向他们解释，说自己是从辛纳克斯来的，又详细叙述了他所上过的学校，以及获得数学博士学位的年月日，然后又说到他如何向谢顿博士申请工作，如何获得了录用。他不厌其烦地一遍又一递重复着详情，他们却一遍一遍地回到他参加谢顿计划这个问题上——他当初如何知道有这个计划、他负责的工作性质、接受过哪些秘密指示，以及所有的来龙去脉。 盖尔却回答说完全不知情，他根本没有接受过任何秘密指示。他只是个数学家——只是一位学者而已，对政治一点兴趣都没有。 最后，那位很有绅士风度的官员问道：“川陀什么时候会被毁灭？” 盖尔支吾地说：“我自己并不知道。” “那么，你能不能说说别人的意见？” “我怎么能帮别人说话呢？”他感觉全身发热，非常地热。 负责询问他的官员又问：“有没有人跟你讲过这一类的毁灭？什么时候会被毁灭？” 当盖尔还在犹豫时，那位官员继续说道：“博士，其实我们一直在跟踪你。当你到达太空航站的时候，还有你昨天在观景塔上，旁边都有我们的人。此外，我们当然也有本事窃听你和谢顿博士的谈话。” 盖尔答道：“这么说，你应该知道他对这个问题的看法。” “也许吧，但是我们想请你亲自说一遍。” “他认为川陀会在三个世纪之内毁灭。” “他证明出来了？用那个什么……数学吗？” “没错，他做到了。”盖尔赌气地大声说。 “我想，你也认为那个什么数学是可靠的。” “只要谢顿博士说它成立，就应该没有问题。” “既然如此，我们会再来找你，后会有期。” “慢点，我知道我有权利请个律师，我要求行使帝国的公民权。” “会有律师来帮你的。” 后来律师果然来了。 来的那位律师又高又瘦，脸上奸像全是直线条，瘦得令人怀疑他脸上是否还有容纳笑容的空间。 盖尔抬起头来，感觉自己看起来一定很落魄。他真有点不敢相信，自己到川陀还不到三十个小时，竟然就发生了这么多的事情。 那位瘦高的律师对盖尔说：“我名叫楼斯•艾法金，谢顿博士命我来做你的法律代表。” “是吗？好，听我说，我要求立即向皇帝陛下上诉。我无缘无故被抓到这里来，我完全是无辜的，是清清白白的。”他伸出双手，使劲摇摆，然后强调说：“你一定要帮我安排皇上主持的听证会，立刻就要！” 艾法金却开始仔细地将一个夹子里的东西摊在桌上。如果不是盖尔心情恶劣的话，他应该可以看出，那是一些印在金属带上的法律文件，这种文件最适于塞到小小的随身囊中。此外，旁边还有一台口袋型录音机。 艾法金没有理会盖尔的发作，他将所有的东西放好之后，便抬起头来说：“委员会的人当然会利用间谍波束来刺探我们的谈话，这虽然是违法的，但他们才不管呢。”盖尔听了咬牙切齿。 “不过，”艾法金从容地坐了下来，再对盖尔说：“我带来的这台录音机，看起来是百分之百的普通录音机，功能也一点都不差，可是它还有一项特殊的功能，那就是可以将间谍波束完全屏蔽，他们不会马上就发现我动了手脚。” “现在我可以放心说话了。” “当然。” “那么，我希望皇上主持我的听证会。” 艾法金冷冶地笑了笑，他的脸上竟然还装得下笑容，大概全靠两颊皱纹上多出来的空间吧。他对盖尔说：“你是从外地来的……” “但我仍是帝国的公民，我跟你，还有这个公共安全委员会的任何成员都完全一样。” “没错，没错，问题不是出在这里。只是你们住在外地的人，并不能了解川陀目前的情况。事实上，早就没有皇帝陛下主持的听证会了。” “那么我在这里，应该向什么人上诉呢？有没有其他的途径？” “没有，实际上根本没有任何途径。根据法律，你可以向皇帝陛下上诉，但是却不会有任何的听证会。你应该知道，当今的皇上，跟恩腾皇朝的那些皇帝很不一样。川陀恐怕已经掌握在贵族门第的手中，也就是公共安全委员会的那些大头们，心理史学早已准确地预测了这种发展。” 盖尔吃惊地说：“真的吗？如果真是这样的话，既然谢顿博士可以预测川陀未来三百年的……” “他最远可以预测到未来一千五百年。” “即使他能预测未来一万五千年，昨天却为什么不能预测今天早上会发生的事情？也好早点警告我……喔，抱歉，我收回。”盖尔坐下来，用冒汗的手掌撑着头，然后继续说：“我很了解心理史学是一门统计科学，根本完全不能预测个人的未来。你知道我现在心乱如麻，才会胡言乱语。” “你又错了，谢顿博士早已料到你今晨会被捕。” “什么！” “实在很遗憾，但这却是实情。对于他所进行的活动，委员会的敌意是越来越浓，千方百计地阻挠我们招募新人。我们根据情报研判，如果现在就让冲突升到最高，将会对我方最为有利，可是委员会的步调却似乎慢了一点。所以谢顿博士昨天才去找你，迫使他们采取进一步的行动，这就是他真正的意图。” 盖尔吓得几乎喘不过气：“你们欺人太甚……” “请你冷静一点，这都是不得已的。我们之所以会选择你，绝对没有任何私人的理由。你必须了解，谢顿博士的计划是他十八年的心血结晶，任何的偶发性事件，只要机率大于某个值，全都会涵盖在里面，现在这件事就是其中之一。我被派来这里，其实唯一的目的就是来安慰你，告诉你绝对不用害怕，事情一定会圆满解决——对于我们的计划而言，这几乎可以确定：对你个人而言，机率也相当的高。” “机率到底是多少？”盖尔追问。 “对于本计划，机率大于千分之九九九。” “那我呢？” “我被告知的数值是千分之七七二。” “这么说，我被判刑或处决的机率超过了五分之一？” “不过后者的机率只有百分之一。” “真的吗？算了吧，心理史学对个人的机率计算根本就没有意义，你叫谢顿博士来看我。” “很抱歉，这点我做不到，因为谢顿博士本人也被捕了。” 盖尔震惊得站了起来，才刚刚叫出声，房门就忽然被推开，马上有一名警卫冲入，一把将桌上的录音机抓起来。他将录音机上下左右仔细检查了一遍，然后便将它放进口袋里。 艾法金沉着地说道：“我需要那个装置。” “我们会拿另一个给你，律师先生，拿一个不会发射静电场的。” “既然如此的话，我的访谈结束了。” 盖尔只好眼巴巴地望着他离去，现在又剩下盖尔一个人了。 Chapter 6 The trial (Gaal supposed it to be one, though it bore little resemblancelegalistically to the elaborate trial techniques Gaal had read of) had notlasted long. It was in its third day. Yet already, Gaal could no longerstretch his memory back far enough to embrace its beginning. He himself had been but little pecked at. The heavy guns were trained onDr. Seldon himself. Hari Seldon, however, sat there unperturbed. To Gaal,he was the only spot of stability remaining in the world. The audience was small and drawn exclusively from among the Barons of theEmpire. Press and public were excluded and it was doubtful that anysignificant number of outsiders even knew that a trial of Seldon was beingconducted. The atmosphere was one of unrelieved hostility toward thedefendants. Five of the Commission of Public Safety sat behind the raised desk. Theywore scarlet and gold uniforms and the shining, close-fitting plastic capsthat were the sign of their judicial function. In the center was the ChiefCommissioner Linge Chen. Gaal had never before seen so great a Lord and hewatched him with fascination. Chen, throughout the trial, rarely said aword. He made it quite clear that much speech was beneath his dignity. The Commission's Advocate consulted his notes and the examinationcontinued, with Seldon still on the stand: Q. Let us see, Dr. Seldon. How many men are now engaged in the project ofwhich you are head? A. Fifty mathematicians. Q. Including Dr. Gaal Dornick? A. Dr. Dornick is the fifty-first,Q. Oh, we have fifty-one then? Search your memory, Dr. Seldon. Perhapsthere are fifty-two or fifty-three? Or perhaps even more? A. Dr. Dornick has not yet formally joined my organization. When he does,the membership will be fifty-one. It is now fifty, as I have said. Q. Not perhaps nearly a hundred thousand? A. Mathematicians? No. Q. I did not say mathematicians. Are there a hundred thousand in allcapacities? A. In all capacities, your figure may be correct. Q. May be? I say it is. I say that the men in your project numberninety-eight thousand, five hundred and seventy-two. A. I believe you are counting women and children. Q. (raising his voice) Ninety eight thousand five hundred and seventy-twoindividuals is the intent of my statement. There is no need to quibble. A. I accept the figures. Q. (referring to his notes) Let us drop that for the moment, then, and takeup another matter which we have already discussed at some length. Would yourepeat, Dr. Seldon, your thoughts concerning the future of Trantor? A. I have said, and I say again, that Trantor will lie in ruins within thenext three centuries. Q. You do not consider your statement a disloyal one? A. No, sir. Scientific truth is beyond loyalty and disloyalty. Q. You are sure that your statement represents scientific truth? A. I am. Q. On what basis? A. On the basis of the mathematics of psychohistory. Q. Can you prove that this mathematics is valid'? A. Only to another mathematician. Q. (with a smile) Your claim then is that your truth is of so esoteric anature that it is beyond the understanding of a plain man. It seems to methat truth should be clearer than that, less mysterious, more open to themind. A. It presents no difficulties to some minds. The physics of energytransfer, which we know as thermodynamics, has been clear and true throughall the history of man since the mythical ages, yet there may be peoplepresent who would find it impossible to design a power engine. People ofhigh intelligence, too. I doubt if the learned Commissioners? At this point, one of the Commissioners leaned toward the Advocate. Hiswords were not heard but the hissing of the voice carried a certainasperity. The Advocate flushed and interrupted Seldon. Q. We are not here to listen to speeches, Dr. Seldon. Let us assume thatyou have made your point. Let me suggest to you that your predictions ofdisaster might be intended to destroy public confidence in the ImperialGovernment for purposes of your own. A. That is not so. Q. Let me suggest that you intend to claim that a period of time precedingthe so-called ruin of Trantor will be filled with unrest of various types. A. That is correct. Q. And that by the mere prediction thereof, you hope to bring it about, andto have then an army of a hundred thousand available. A. In the first place, that is not so. And if it were, investigation willshow you that barely ten thousand are men of military age, and none ofthese has training in arms. Q. Are you acting as an agent for another? A. I am not in the pay of any man, Mr. Advocate. Q. You are entirely disinterested? You are serving science? A. I am. Q. Then let us see how. Can the future be changed, Dr. Seldon? A. Obviously. This courtroom may explode in the next few hours, or it maynot. If it did, the future would undoubtedly be changed in some minorrespects. Q. You quibble, Dr. Seldon. Can the overall history of the human race bechanged? A. Yes. Q. Easily? A. No. With great difficulty. Q. Why? A. The psychohistoric trend of a planet-full of people contains a hugeinertia. To be changed it must be met with something possessing a similarinertia. Either as many people must be concerned, or if the number ofpeople be relatively small, enormous time for change must be allowed. Doyou understand? Q. I think I do. Trantor need not be ruined, if a great many people decideto act so that it will not. A. That is right. Q. As many as a hundred thousand people? A. No, sir. That is far too few. Q. You are sure? A. Consider that Trantor has a population of over forty billions. Considerfurther that the trend leading to ruin does not belong to Trantor alone butto the Empire as a whole and the Empire contains nearly a quintillion humanbeings. Q. I see. Then perhaps a hundred thousand people can change the trend, ifthey and their descendants labor for three hundred years. A. I'm afraid not. Three hundred years is too short a time. Q. Ah! In that case, Dr. Seldon, we are left with this deduction to be madefrom your statements. You have gathered one hundred thousand people withinthe confines of your project. These are insufficient to change the historyof Trantor within three hundred years. In other words, they cannot preventthe destruction of Trantor no matter what they do. A. You are unfortunately correct. Q. And on the other hand, your hundred thousand are intended for no illegalpurpose. A. Exactly. Q. (slowly and with satisfaction) In that case, Dr. Seldon? Now attend,sir, most carefully, for we want a considered answer. What is the purposeof your hundred thousand? The Advocate's voice had grown strident. He had sprung his trap; backedSeldon into a comer; driven him astutely from any possibility of answering. There was a rising buzz of conversation at that which swept the ranks ofthe peers in the audience and invaded even the row of Commissioners. Theyswayed toward one another in their scarlet and gold, only the Chiefremaining uncorrupted. Hari Seldon remained unmoved. He waited for the babble to evaporate. A. To minimize the effects of that destruction. Q. And exactly what do you mean by that? A. The explanation is simple. The coming destruction of Trantor is not anevent in itself, isolated in the scheme of human development. It will bethe climax to an intricate drama which was begun centuries ago and which isaccelerating in pace continuously. I refer, gentlemen, to the developingdecline and fall of the Galactic Empire. The buzz now became a dull roar. The Advocate, unheeded, was yelling, "Youare openly declaring that? and stopped because the cries of "Treason" fromthe audience showed that the point had been made without any hammering. Slowly, the Chief Commissioner raised his gavel once and let it drop. Thesound was that of a mellow gong. When the reverberations ceased, the gabbleof the audience also did. The Advocate took a deep breath. Q. (theatrically) Do you realize, Dr. Seldon, that you are speaking of anEmpire that has stood for twelve thousand years, through all thevicissitudes of the generations, and which has behind it the good wishesand love of a quadrillion human beings? A. I am aware both of the present status and the past history of theEmpire. Without disrespect, I must claim a far better knowledge of it thanany in this room. Q. And you predict its ruin? A. It is a prediction which is made by mathematics. I pass no moraljudgements. Personally, I regret the prospect. Even if the Empire wereadmitted to be a bad thing (an admission I do not make), the state ofanarchy which would follow its fall would be worse. It is that state ofanarchy which my project is pledged to fight. The fall of Empire,gentlemen, is a massive thing, however, and not easily fought. It isdictated by a rising bureaucracy, a receding initiative, a freezing ofcaste, a damming of curiosity ?a hundred other factors. It has been goingon, as I have said, for centuries, and it is too majestic and massive amovement to stop. Q. Is it not obvious to anyone that the Empire is as strong as it ever was? A. The appearance of strength is all about you. It would seem to lastforever. However, Mr. Advocate, the rotten tree-trunk, until the verymoment when the storm-blast breaks it in two, has all the appearance ofmight it ever had. The storm-blast whistles through the branches of theEmpire even now. Listen with the ears of psychohistory, and you will hearthe creaking. Q. (uncertainly) We are not here, Dr. Seldon, to lis? A. (firmly) The Empire will vanish and all its good with it. Itsaccumulated knowledge will decay and the order it has imposed will vanish. Interstellar wars will be endless; interstellar trade will decay;population will decline; worlds will lose touch with the main body of theGalaxy. 朅nd so matters will remain. Q. (a small voice in the middle of a vast silence) Forever? A. Psychohistory, which can predict the fall, can make statementsconcerning the succeeding dark ages. The Empire, gentlemen, as has justbeen said, has stood twelve thousand years. The dark ages to come willendure not twelve, but thirty thousand years. A Second Empire will rise,but between it and our civilization will be one thousand generations ofsuffering humanity. We must fight that. Q. (recovering somewhat) You contradict yourself. You said earlier that youcould not prevent the destruction of Trantor; hence, presumably, the fall;杢he so-called fall of the Empire. A. I do not say now that we can prevent the fall. But it is not yet toolate to shorten the interregnum which will follow. It is possible,gentlemen, to reduce the duration of anarchy to a single millennium, if mygroup is allowed to act now. We are at a delicate moment in history. Thehuge, onrushing mass of events must be deflected just a little, ?just alittle ?It cannot be much, but it may be enough to remove twenty-ninethousand years of misery from human history. Q. How do you propose to do this? A. By saving the knowledge of the race. The sum of human knowing is beyondany one man; any thousand men. With the destruction of our social fabric,science will be broken into a million pieces. Individuals will know much ofexceedingly tiny facets of what there is to know. They will be helpless anduseless by themselves. The bits of lore, meaningless, will not be passedon. They will be lost through the generations. But, if we now prepare agiant summary of all knowledge, it will never be lost. Coming generationswill build on it, and will not have to rediscover it for themselves. Onemillennium will do the work of thirty thousand. Q. All thisA. All my project; my thirty thousand men with their wives and children,are devoting themselves to the preparation of an "Encyclopedia Galactica."They will not complete it in their lifetimes. I will not even live to seeit fairly begun. But by the time Trantor falls, it will be complete andcopies will exist in every major library in the Galaxy. The Chief Commissioner's gavel rose and fell. Hari Seldon left the standand quietly took his seat next to Gaal. He smiled and said, "How did you like the show?"Gaal said, "You stole it. But what will happen now?""They'll adjourn the trial and try to come to a private agreement with me.""How do you know?"Seldon said, "I'll be honest. I don't know. It depends on the ChiefCommissioner. I have studied him for years. I have tried to analyze hisworkings, but you know how risky it is to introduce the vagaries of anindividual in the psychohistoric equations. Yet I have hopes." 第六章 　　审判所在的时间并不太长，如今只是第三天，却已经接近了尾声。然而盖尔的记忆，已经无法再回溯审判开始时的情形。（盖尔认为那就是审判，虽然它与盖尔从书上读到的，那些精细的审判过程几乎没有类似之处。） 盖尔仅被审问了几句而已，主要的火力全部集中在哈里•谢顿身上，但是谢顿却始终好整以暇地坐在证人席上。对于盖尔而言，全世界只剩下谢顿是唯一稳定的定点了。 旁听的人士并不多，而且全部都是由贵族中精挑细选出来的，新闻界与一般民众都被拒于门外。因此外界几乎不知道谢顿大审已经开始。法庭内的气氛凝重，充满了对被告的敌意。 五位公共安全委员会的委员，坐在前方高起的长桌后方，他们根据各人在法庭中的职位，穿着猩红色或金色的制服，还戴着闪亮而紧合的塑质宫帽。坐在最中央的是主任委员凌吉•辰，盖尔以前从来不曾见过这么尊贵的贵族，不禁出神地看着他。整个审判从头到尾，辰主委几乎都没有说半句话，因为话说太多有失贵族身分，这一点他做得很明白也很彻底。 这时委员会的检察长看了看他的笔记，准备继续开始审问，谢顿仍然端坐在证人席上。 问：我们想知道，谢顿博士，你所主持的这个计划，目前总共有多少人参与？ 答：五十位数学家。 问：包括盖尔•多尼克博士吗？ 答：多尼克博士是第五十一位。 问：哦，那么总共应该有五十一位。请好好想一想，谢顿博士，也许还有第五十二、五十三位，或者更多呢？ 答：多尼克博士还未正式加入我的计划，他加入以后，总人数就是五十一名。正如我刚才所说，现在只有五十名。 问：有没有可能接近十万人？ 答：您是指数学家？当然没有。 问：我并没有说光是数学家，我是问你总人数是否有十万？ 答：总人数，那您说的数目可能正确。 问：可能？我认为干真万确。我还知道确实的数字，在你的计划下，总共有九万八千五百七十二人。 答：我想您是把眷属、包括小孩子都算进去了。 问：（提高音量）我的陈述只说有九万八千五百七十二人，你回答对不对就可以了，不用再添油加醋。 答：那我接受这个数字。 问：（看了一下笔记）那么让我们暂且不谈这个，回到原先所讨论的那个问题。谢顿博士，请你重述一下对川陀未来的看法。 答：我已经说过了，现在我再说一遍，在今后的三个世纪内，川陀将会变成一团废墟。 问：你难道不会认为，这种说法代表你对帝国不忠吗？ 答：不会的，大人。科学的真理超越了忠诚的范畴。 问：你确定你的说法代表科学的真理吗？ 答：我确定。 问：有什么根据？ 答：根据心理史学的数学架构。 问：你能证明这种数学真的成立吗？ 答：我只能证明给数学家看。 问：（带着微笑）你是说，你的真理太过玄奥，超过了普通人的理解能力？我以为所谓的真理不应该如此，应该非常清楚，没有什么神秘，而且不难让人了解。 答：对某些人而言，它当然不难懂。让我举个例子，研究能量转移的物理学，也就是我们通称的热力学，从传说时代开始，人类就已经明了其中的真理。然而我相信，今天在场的大多数人，仍然不知道如何设计一具发动机，即使具有高等学识的人也不例外。不知道各位博学的委员大人们…… 此时有一位委员倾身过来对检察长说了几句话，他将声音压得很低，但仍能听得出他严苛的口气。检察长一下子变得满脸通红，马上就打断了谢顿的陈述。 问：谢顿博士，我们不是来听你演讲的，姑且假设你已经回答了我的问题。现在让我告诉你，我认为你预测灾难的真正动机，也许是为了个人的目的，因而意图摧毁百姓对帝国政府的信心！ 答：绝对没有这种事。 问：我还认为，你意图宣扬在所谓的川陀毁灭之前，将会出现一段充满各种不安的时期。 答：这倒是没错。 问：单凭你做出了这项预测，你就想朝着这个方向努力，并且还为此召集了十万大军？ 答：首先我想澄清事实并非如此。您只要去调查一下，就会发现这十万人中几乎没有几个是役龄男子，而这些男子之中，也没有任何一个接受过军事训练。 问：你是否在帮什么组织或个人工作？ 答：检察长大人，我绝对没有受雇于任何人。 问：所以你是百分之百清廉的，只为科学献身？ 答：我的确如此。 问：那么就让我们来讨论一下你如何献身科学。谢顿博士，请问未来可以改变吗？ 答：当然，这很明显。本法庭也许会在未来几小时之内爆炸，但也可能不会。如果它真的爆炸了，未来一定会因此产生些微的改变。 问：你在诡辩，谢顿博士。人类整体历史也可以改变吗？ 答：是的。 问：容易吗？ 答：不，非常困难。 问：为什么？ 答：光就一个行星上的人口而言，其中心理史学的趋势就有很大的惯性。想要改变那些趋势，就必须以惯性相当的因素加诸其上，这需要很多人的集体力量。如果人数太少的话，就得花上很长的时间，这点您能了解吗？ 问：我想这倒没问题。只要许多人都有所行动，那么川陀就不一定会毁灭，对吗？ 答：没错。 问：比如说十万人？ 答：不，大人，差得太远了。 问：你确定吗？ 答：请想想看，川陀的总人口数超过了四百亿：请再想想，如果毁灭的倾向不是川陀所独有的，而是遍布整个帝国，银河帝国包含了将近千兆的人口。 问：我懂了。但是如果十万人与他们的子子孙孙，不断地努力经营三百年，也许就可以改变这种倾向。 答：恐怕还是不行，三百年的时间太短了。 问：啊！这么说来，谢顿博士，根据你的陈述，我们只剩下了一个合理的推论。你的计划召集了十万人，他们在三百年之内下足以改变川陀未来的历史。换句话说，不论他们如何做，都无法阻止川陀的毁灭。 答：不幸被您言中了。 问：话再说回来，你那十万人并没有任何不法的意图？ 答：完全正确。 问：（缓慢而带着满意的口气）这么说来，谢顿博士，现在请注意，全神贯注地听我说，我们要一个经过深思熟虑的答案——你那十万人到底用来做什么？ 检察长的声音变得越来越尖锐，他将谢顿渐渐逼到死角，然后狡狯地斩断了所有的退路，现在则准备开始收网了。 这使得旁听席上的贵族掀起一阵骚动，甚至传染到了坐在前面的委员们。除了主任委员不动如山之外，其他四位都在忙着交头接耳。 哈里•谢顿却一点也不为所动，静静地等待着骚动褪去。 答：为了尽可能降低毁灭所带来的效应。 问：这是什么意思？请你解释得更清楚一点。 答：非常简单，川陀将要面临的毁灭，并非是人类发展过程中的孤立事件，它将是帝国体系变质的最高峰。这种戏剧性的变化早在数世纪前便已经开始，今后还将会不断地加速进行。各位大人，我所指的是整个银河帝国的衰亡。 谢顿才刚刚讲完这句话，原先的骚动就变成了模糊的咆哮声，检察长也立刻吼道：“你公然宣传……”然后他的声音就被旁听席上传来的“叛国”怒吼声所掩盖。看来谢顿的这项罪名，根本不用拍板就可以定案了。 主任委员缓缓地拿起法槌，然后重重地敲下，法庭内便响起了一阵柔美的铜锣声。等到回音消逝之后，旁听席上的聒噪也同时停止。检察长做了一次深呼吸，准备继续审问。 问：（夸张地）你可明白，谢顿博士，你提到的这个帝国，已经屹立了一万两千年，克服了无数代的艰难险阻、大风大浪，受到千兆平民的爱戴与祝福？ 答：我对帝国目前的现状，以及过去的光荣历史都知道得很清楚。我可以大言不惭地说，这方面的知识我比在座每一位都多得多，我这么说毫无不敬之意。 问：可是你却预测它的衰亡？ 答：这是数学所做的预测，我没有加入丝毫的道德判断，个人也对这样的展望感到遗憾。即使我们承认帝国是一种不好的政体——不过我自己可没这么说——帝国衰亡之后的无政府状态将会更糟。我的计划所誓言对抗的，就是未来的那个无政府状态。各位大人，帝国的衰亡是一件牵连甚广的大事，想要挽回几乎已经不可能了。它的远因包括官僚制度的兴起、社会阶级的冻结、进取心的衰退、好奇心的锐减，以及其他上百种因素。正如我刚才所说的，它早已不声不响地进行了数个世纪，这种趋势已经病人膏肓无可救药了。 问：帝国仍如往昔一般强盛，这难道不是很明显吗？ 答：各位放眼望去只能见到表面的强盛，看起来好像帝国会延续千秋万世。然而，检察长大人，腐朽的树干在被暴风吹裂之前，看起来仍旧保有昔日的坚稳。目前暴风已经在帝国的枝干呼啸，我们利用心理史学倾听，就可以听见树枝间发出的叽嘎声。 问：（不安地）谢顿博士，我们不是来这里听…… 答：（坚定地）帝国注定了要消逝，连同它过去一切的成就。人类所累积的知识将会散逸，帝国所建立的秩序也将瓦解。此后星际战争将永无休止，星际贸易必然衰退，银河的人口也会剧减，各方世界将与银河主体失去联系。如此的情况将会持续下去…… 问：（在一片静寂中小声地问）永远吗？ 答：心理史学既然可以预测帝国的衰亡，也就能够描述接踵而来的黑暗时代。各位大人，我们伟大的帝国，就如同刚才检察长所强调的，已经屹立了一万两千年。然而其后的黑暗时代将不只这个数字，它会持续三万年，之后才会有另一个帝国兴起。但是在这两个帝国之间，注定将有一千代的人类要受苦受难，我们必须设法阻止这种厄运。 问：（稍微恢复一点）你自我矛盾。你刚才说无法阻止川陀的毁灭，因此，这当然代表你对所谓的帝国衰亡，也一样地束手无策。 答：我并没有说可以阻止帝国的衰亡，但是我们现在还来得及将过渡时明缩短。各位大人，我们有可能将无政府状态缩减到一个千年，只要允许我的计划立刻开始进行。我们正处于历史的临界点上，必须令那些影响深远的重要事件稍加偏折，只需要偏一点点就好，事实上也不可能改变太多。但是这就足以从人类未来的历史中，消除二十九个千年的悲惨年代。 问：你准备要如何进行呢？ 答：善加保存人类所有的知识。人类知识的总和不是某一个人，甚至—千个人所能总括的。当我们的社会组织毁败之后，科学也将分裂成无数的碎片。到时候，每个人所能学到的仅仅是极零碎的片断知识，它们将会变得既无用又无法自足。知识的碎片根本起不了什么作用，也不可能再传递下去，这些知识将遗失在世代交替的过程中。但如果我们现在着手将所有的知识集中起来，那就永远不会再失落。未来的世代可以利用这些知识，不用自己再重新来过。这样，—个千年就能够完成三万年的功业。 问：你说的这些…… 答：我的整个计划，我所召集的三万人与他们的家属，都将献身于一部《银河百科全书》的编纂工作。他们这一生中都无法完成这个庞大的计划，我自己甚至无法见到这个工作止式展闻。但是它在川陀毁灭之前一定可以完成，到时候，银河每个大图书馆都能保存一部。 主任委员举起手中的法槌敲了一下。哈里•谢顿走下证人席，默默地走回盖尔身边的座位。 他微笑着对盖尔说：“你对这场戏有什么看法？” 盖尔回答：“您反客为主先发制人，但是下一步会怎么样？” “他们会暂且休庭，然后试着与我达成私下的协议。” “您怎么知道？” 谢顿说：“老实说我并不加道，一切决定全部操在主委于上。我已经花了几年的功夫来研究这个人，试图分析他的行为与手段。可是你也了解，将个人的特殊行为引进心理史学方程式多么不可靠，不过我仍然抱着希望。” Chapter 7 Avakim approached, nodded to Gaal, leaned over to whisper to Seldon. Thecry of adjournment rang out, and guards separated them. Gaal was led away. The next day's hearings were entirely different. Hari Seldon and GaalDornick were alone with the Commission. They were seated at a tabletogether, with scarcely a separation between the five judges and the twoaccused. They were even offered cigars from a box of iridescent plasticwhich had the appearance of water, endlessly flowing. The eyes were fooledinto seeing the motion although the fingers reported it to be hard and dry. Seldon accepted one; Gaal refused. Seldon said, "My lawyer is not present."A Commissioner replied, "This is no longer a trial, Dr. Seldon. We are hereto discuss the safety of the State."Linge Chen said, "I will speak," and the other Commissioners sat back intheir chairs, prepared to listen. A silence formed about Chen into which hemight drop his words. Gaal held his breath. Chen, lean and hard, older in looks than in fact, wasthe actual Emperor of all the Galaxy. The child who bore the title itselfwas only a symbol manufactured by Chen, and not the first such, either. Chen said, "Dr. Seldon, you disturb the peace of the Emperor's realm. Noneof the quadrillions living now among all the stars of the Galaxy will beliving a century from now. Why, then, should we concern ourselves withevents of three centuries distance?""I shall not be alive half a decade hence," said Seldon, and yet it is ofoverpowering concern to me. Call it idealism. Call it an identification ofmyself with that mystical generalization to which we refer by the term,'humanity.'""I do not wish to take the trouble to understand mysticism. Can you tell mewhy I may not rid myself of you, and of an uncomfortable and unnecessarythree-century future which I will never see by having you executedtonight?""A week ago," said Seldon, lightly, "you might have done so and perhapsretained a one in ten probability of yourself remaining alive at year'send. Today, the one in ten probability is scarcely one in ten thousand."There were expired breaths in the gathering and uneasy stirrings. Gaal feltthe short hairs prickle on the back of his neck. Chen's upper eyelidsdropped a little. "How so?" he said. "The fall of Trantor," said Seldon, "cannot be stopped by any conceivableeffort. It can be hastened easily, however. The tale of my interruptedtrial will spread through the Galaxy. Frustration of my plans to lightenthe disaster will convince people that the future holds no promise to them. Already they recall the lives of their grandfathers with envy. They willsee that political revolutions and trade stagnations will increase. Thefeeling will pervade the Galaxy that only what a man can grasp for himselfat that moment will be of any account. Ambitious men will not wait andunscrupulous men will not hang back. By their every action they will hastenthe decay of the worlds. Have me killed and Trantor will fall not withinthree centuries but within fifty years and you, yourself, within a singleyear."Chen said, "These are words to frighten children, and yet your death is notthe only answer which will satisfy us."He lifted his slender hand from the papers on which it rested, so that onlytwo fingers touched lightly upon the topmost sheet. "Tell me," he said, "will your only activity be that of preparing thisencyclopedia you speak of?""It will.""And need that be done on Trantor?""Trantor, my lord, possessss the Imperial Library, as well as the scholarlyresources of the University of Trantor.""And yet if you were located elsewhere?, let us say upon a planet wherethe hurry and distractions of a metropolis will not interfere withscholastic musings; where your men may devote themselves entirely andsingle-mindedly to their work; 杕ight not that have advantages?""Minor ones, perhaps.""Such a world had been chosen, then. You may work, doctor, at your leisure,with your hundred thousand about you. The Galaxy will know that you areworking and fighting the Fall. They will even be told that you will preventthe Fall." He smiled, "Since I do not believe in so many things, it is notdifficult for me to disbelieve in the Fall as well, so that I am entirelyconvinced I will be telling the truth to the people. And meanwhile, doctor,you will not trouble Trantor and there will be no disturbance of theEmperor's peace. "The alternative is death for yourself and for as many of your followers aswill seem necessary. Your earlier threats I disregard. The opportunity forchoosing between death and exile is given you over a time period stretchingfrom this moment to one five minutes hence.""Which is the world chosen, my lord?" said Seldon. "It is called, I believe, Terminus," said Chen. Negligently, he turned thepapers upon his desk with his fingertips so that they faced Seldon. "It isuninhabited, but quite habitable, and can be molded to suit the necessitiesof scholars. It is somewhat secluded? Seldon interrupted, "It is at the edge of the Galaxy, sir.""As I have said, somewhat secluded. It will suit your needs forconcentration. Come, you have two minutes left."Seldon said, "We will need time to arrange such a trip. There are twentythousand families involved.""You will be given time."Seldon thought a moment, and the last minute began to die. He said, "Iaccept exile."Gaal's heart skipped a beat at the words. For the most part, he was filledwith a tremendous joy for who would not be, to escape death. Yet in all hisvast relief, he found space for a little regret that Seldon had beendefeated. 第七章 　　艾法金走过来，向盖尔点了点头，然后就弯下腰来跟谢顿耳语。这时休庭的铃声忽然响起，法警马上走过来将他们分开，盖尔立刻被带走了。 第二大的情况完全不同，除了委员会的法官与哈里•谢顿，以及盖尔•多尼克之外，并没有其他任何人在场。他们一起坐在会议桌前，五位法官与两位被告之间几乎没有隔阂，甚至还招待他们两人抽雪茄。塑胶的雪茄盒外表散发着晕彩，看起来好像是一团不停流转的液体。盖尔谢绝了雪茄，却好奇地用手指探了一下，才确定雪茄盒的确是由坚硬干燥的固体制成。 谢顿抽了一口雪茄，然后说：“我的律师并不在场。” 一位委员回答说：“审判已经结束了，谢顿博士。我们今天是来与你讨论帝国的安全问题。” 这时主任委员凌吉•辰突然说：“由我来发言。”其他的委员立刻乖乖地端坐在椅子上，静待恭听主委的高见。室内一下子变得分外宁静，就等辰主委开口了。 盖尔则屏息等待。 其实，辰主秀才应该算是银河帝国真正的皇帝，他的外型精瘦而结实，看起来比实际年龄要老一些。目前那个具有皇帝头衔的小孩子，只不过是他制造的一个傀儡。而在此之前，他已经推出过好几个如此的傀儡皇帝厂。 辰主委说：“谢顿博士，你骚扰了帝国的安宁。今天银河各个星体上的千兆子民，没有一个人能够再活上一百年，我们为什么要关心三个世纪以后的事情？” 谢顿回答说：“我自己还有不到五年的寿命，但是，我对未来关心至极。这可以说是一种理想主义，甚至是某些人眼中的神秘主义——我个人认同了所谓的『人类”。” “我不想浪费精力去了解什么神秘主义，请你直截了当地告诉我，为什么不能干脆今晚就将你处决，顺便将我自己见不到、而且既没用又烦人的三个世纪之后的未来，跟你的尸体一块抛在脑后？” “一个星期之前，”谢顿轻描淡写地回答：“您这样做了之后，也许还可以有十分之—的机会活到年底。可是到了今天，这个机率已经降为万分之一了。” 在场的人立刻发出了喘息的声音与不安的骚动，盖尔甚至感到后颈的汗毛直竖了起来。辰主委的上眼皮垂下来一些，他再问谢顿：“怎么会这样呢？” “川陀的衰败，”谢顿回答：“已经是任何努力都无法阻止的；反之，想要使它加速却非常容易。如果将我秘密处决的话，审判半途终止的消息很快就会传遍整个银河，人们或多或少都会知道这件事的始末，也会知道这个试图减轻浩劫的计划横遭破坏，这样会使所有的人都对未来失去信心。现代人已经对他们祖父辈的生活允满了羡嫉，今后还会目睹政治革命的升高与经济萧条的恶化。整个银河都会蔓延着一种消极的情绪，认为到了那个时候，自己能抢到些什么才是最重要的。野心家一刻都不会等待，亡命之徒更不可能放弃这个机会，他们将会采取的行动，每一步都会加速各个世界的倾顿。如果您将我杀掉的话，那么川陀毁灭的时刻将提前为未来五十年之内：而大人您自己的生命，将会在一年之内结束。” 辰主委则说：“这些话只能吓唬吓唬小孩子。不过，将你处死并不是我们唯一的选择。” 他将压在一叠文件上的细瘦手掌抬起来，只剩两根指头还按在最上面的那张纸上。 “告诉我，”他继续说：“你将采取的唯一行动，真的如你所说，只是准备出版那套百科全书？” “没错。” “需要在川陀进行吗？” “大人，川陀是帝国图书馆的所在地，还有川陀大学丰富的学术资源。” “可是如果让你们到别处去，譬如说到一个偏僻的行星上，这样你们的学术研究工作，就不会被都会的繁华喧扰所打搅，你的手下都可以专心地投入工作。这样不是也很好吗？” “也许稍微有点好处。” “地方早已为你们选好了。博士，你也可以跟手下的上万人一起工作。我会让整个银河的子民都知道，你们正在为对抗银河的衰亡而奋斗。我甚至还会透露，你们的工作将可以阻止这个厄运。”他微笑了一下，继续说道：“由于我个人并不相信这些事，也就根本不相信尔所谓的衰亡，所以当我对人民说帝国未来将安然无恙，我绝对认为自己说的都是实话。同时，博士，这样你就不会给川陀带来麻烦，也就不会再搅扰到皇上的安宁。 “除此之外，只剩下将你处决这一条路，还有你的手下，需要处死的也绝不留情，我才不理会你刚才的威胁。从现在开始，我给你整整五分钟的时间，让你选择要接受死刑还是流放。” “大人，我想知道您帮我们选的是哪个世界？”谢顿问道。 “我想它叫作端点星。”辰主委轻描淡写地回答，然后将桌上的文件转向谢顿，再补充道：“现在没有住人，不过倒是很适于居住，我们可以使它符合学者们各方面的需要。这个行星可说是与世隔绝……” 谢顿突然打断他的话：“大人，它位于银河的边缘” “我刚才说过了，可以算是与世隔绝，正好适合你的需要，你们在那里绝对可以专心工作。你要把握时间，只剩下两分钟了。” 谢顿说：“我们需要时间来安排这趟迁移，算起来总共有两万多户人家。” “我们会给你足够的时间。” 谢顿又思考了一下子，在进入倒数最后一分钟的时候，他突然开口说：“我接受放逐。” 谢顿这句话让盖尔的心跳停了一拍。他最主要的反应，当然是为了自己能逃过鬼门关而庆幸不已。然而在松了一口气之后，竟然也因为谢顿被击败而心中稍感遗憾。 Chapter 8 For a long while, they sat silently as the taxi whined through the hundredsof miles of worm-like tunnels toward the University. And then Gaal stirred. He said: "Was what you told the Commissioner true? Would your execution have reallyhastened the Fall?"Seldon said, "I never lie about psychohistoric findings. Nor would it haveavailed me in this case. Chen knew I spoke the truth. He is a very cleverpolitician and politicians by the very nature of their work must have aninstinctive feeling for the truths of psychohistory.""Then need you have accepted exile," Gaal wondered, but Seldon did notanswer. When they burst out upon the University grounds, Gaal's muscles took actionof their own; or rather, inaction. He had to be carried, almost, out of thetaxi. All the University was a blaze of light. Gaal had almost forgotten that asun could exist. The University structures lacked the hard steel-gray of the rest ofTrantor. They were silvery, rather. The metallic luster was almost ivory incolor. Seldon said, "Soldiers, it seems.""What?" Gaal brought his eyes to the prosaic ground and found a sentinelahead of them. They stopped before him, and a soft-spoken captain materialized from anear-by doorway. He said, "Dr. Seldon?""Yes.""We have been waiting for you. You and your men will be under martial lawhenceforth. I have been instructed to inform you that six months will beallowed you for preparations to leave for Terminus.""Six months!" began Gaal, but Seldon's fingers were upon his elbow withgentle pressure. "These are my instructions," repeated the captain. He was gone, and Gaal turned to Seldon, "Why, what can be done in sixmonths? This is but slower murder.""Quietly. Quietly. Let us reach my office."It was not a large office, but it was quite spy-proof and quiteundetectably so. Spy-beams trained upon it received neither a suspicioussilence nor an even more suspicious static. They received, rather, aconversation constructed at random out of a vast stock of innocuous phrasesin various tones and voices. "Now," said Seldon, at his ease, "six months will be enough.""I don't see how.""Because, my boy, in a plan such as ours, the actions of others are bent toour needs. Have I not said to you already that Chen's temperamental makeuphas been subjected to greater scrutiny than that of any other single man inhistory. The trial was not allowed to begin until the time andcircumstances were fight for the ending of our own choosing.""But could you have arranged? "杢o be exiled to Terminus? Why not?" He put his fingers on a certain spoton his desk and a small section of the wall behind him slid aside. Only hisown fingers could have done so, since only his particular print-patterncould have activated the scanner beneath. "You will find several microfilms inside," said Seldon. "Take the onemarked with the letter, T."Gaal did so and waited while Seldon fixed it within the projector andhanded the young man a pair of eyepieces. Gaal adjusted them, and watchedthe film unroll before his eyes. He said, "But then? Seldon said, "What surprises you?""Have you been preparing to leave for two years?""Two and a half. Of course, we could not be certain that it would beTerminus he would choose, but we hoped it might be and we acted upon thatassumption? "But why, Dr. Seldon? If you arranged the exile, why? Could not events befar better controlled here on Trantor?""Why, there are some reasons. Working on Terminus, we will have Imperialsupport without ever rousing fears that we would endanger Imperial safety."Gaal said, "But you aroused those fears only to force exile. I still do notunderstand.""Twenty thousand families would not travel to the end of the Galaxy oftheir own will perhaps.""But why should they be forced there?" Gaal paused, "May I not know?"Seldon said, "Not yet. It is enough for the moment that you know that ascientific refuge will be established on Terminus. And another will beestablished at the other end of the Galaxy, let us say," and he smiled, "atStar's End. And as for the rest, I will die soon, and you will see morethan I. 朜o, no. Spare me your shock and good wishes. My doctors tell methat I cannot live longer than a year or two. But then, I have accomplishedin life what I have intended and under what circumstances may one betterdie.""And after you die, sir?""Why, there will be successors ?perhaps even yourself. And thesesuccessors will be able to apply the final touch in the scheme andinstigate the revolt on Anacreon at the right time and in the right manner. Thereafter, events may roll unheeded.""I do not understand.""You will." Seldon's lined face grew peaceful and tired, both at once,"Most will leave for Terminus, but some will stay. It will be easy toarrange. 朆ut as for me," and he concluded in a whisper, so that Gaal couldscarcely hear him, "I am finished." 第八章 　　计程飞船呼啸穿过几百哩蠹孔般的隧道，向目的地川陀大学前进时，他们有好一阵子只是默默地坐着。最后还是盖尔先打破了沉默：“您告诉辰主委的话当真吗？我是说，如果您被处决的话，真的就会加速川陀的衰亡？” 谢顿回答说：“关于心理史学的研究结果，我向来都不会说谎，何况现在说谎更没有好处。辰主委知道我说的都是实情，他是一位非常精明的政治人物。由于工作性质的关系，政治人物对心理史学的真理都有很好的直觉。” “可是您需要接受流放吗？”盖尔不解地问道，但是谢顿这次并没有回答。 当计程飞船来到川陀大学的时候，盖雨的肌肉已经完全不听使唤，他几乎是被拖出飞船来的。 整个校园笼罩在一片光海之中，盖尔这才想起川陀世界也有太阳。 校园中的建筑物与川陀其他地方不一样。这里看不见钢铁的青灰色，而是充满一片银色，一种类似象牙的金属光泽。 谢顿突然说：“好像有军人。” “什么？”盖尔向广场望去，果真看到大门口站了一个哨兵。 当两人走到了那个哨兵面前时，又出现了一名陆军上尉。 那位军官以和气的口吻问道：“谢顿博士吗？” “是的。” “我们正在等你，从现在开始，你与你的手下都将接受戒严令的监管。我奉命通知你，你们总共有六个月的时间，用来准备转移到端点星的各项事宜。” “六个月！”盖雨想发作，但是谢顿却轻轻拉了一下他的手肘。 “这是我所收到的命令。”军官重复道。 那位军官走开之后，盖尔马上转身对谢顿说：“为什么阻止我？六个月能干什么？这简直就是变相谋杀。” “安静点，安静点，到我的办公室再说。” 谢顿的办公室并不算大，但是却有最完善的防谍与反侦设备。如果有间谍波束射到这里，反射回去的并不是令人起疑的静哑，也并非明显的防谍静电场，而只是很普通的对话，那是由包含各种声音与腔调的电脑语音库随机产生的。 “现在可以放心说话了，”谢顿从容地说：“其实六个月足够了。” “我不明白。” “孩子，因为在我们这种计划中，他人的行动全都能为我所用。我不是告诉过你，辰主委的思维模式已经被我们摸得一清二楚，甚至可以说，他是有史以来个人心理被分析得最彻底的人。如果不是时机与状况都已成熟，确定我们将会得到预期的结果，我们根本就不会引发这场审判。” “但是难道您能够安排……” “被放逐到端点星？有何难处？”谢顿用手在书桌的某处按了一下，背后的墙壁立刻就滑开了一小部分。这个按钮装有电眼，只会对他的指纹有所反应。 “里面有几卷微缩胶片，”谢顿对盖尔说：“请你将标着“端点”的那卷取出来。” 盖尔依言取出了那卷胶片，谢顿将它装到投影机上，然后递过来一副接目镜。盖尔将接目镜调整好之后，眼底就展现出了微缩胶片的内容。 “可是这……”盖尔不解地说。 谢顿却反问道：“你为何吃惊？” “您已经花了两年的时间准备迁移吗？” “两年半。当然，我们原来并不能确定他就会选择端点星，但是却希望他能做出如此的决定，所以便根据这个假设而行动……” “可是为什么呢，谢顿博士？您为什么要这样安排，让自己被流放到那么偏远的地方？如果留在川陀的话，不是一切都能掌握得更好更多吗？” “为什么？这里头有好几个原因。我们去端点星工作，将可以得到帝国的支持，又不会再引发危及帝国安全的疑惧。” 盖尔又问：“可是当初您引起那些疑惧，目的只是为了要他们判您流放，这我还是不懂。” “要让两万多户人家，全都心甘情愿地移民到银河的尽头，这似乎是不太可能的事。” “但是又何必强迫他们去呢？”盖尔停了一下又说：“不能告诉我原因吗？” “时辰未到。目前可以让你知道的，是我们将在端点星建立一个科学避难所，而另一个则会建在银河的另一端，或者可以说，”他微笑着继续说道：“在群星的尽头。至于其他的事，我很快就要死了，你将会看到许多我看不见的事情……别这样，不用这样子，不要吃惊，也不必安慰我。医生们告诉我，说我顶多只能再活一两年。但是在此之前，我将会完成一生中最大的心愿，这样也就死而无憾了。” “您逝去之后，又会发生些什么呢？” “放心吧，自然会有后继者，也许你也是其中之一，这些人会为我的计划踢出最后的临门一脚。那就是在适当的时机，以适当的方式煽动安纳克瑞昂叛变，然后一切就会开始自行运作。” “我还是不了解。” “以后你就会了解的。”谢顿布满皱纹的脸孔，同时显出了安详与疲惫：“大多数人都将去端点星，但某些人仍要留下来，这些都不难安排。至于我自己……” 他最后一句话讲得很小声，盖尔只能勉强听得见他说的是：“吾事已毕。” PART II THE ENCYCLOPEDISTS Chapter 1 TERMINUS?.. Its location (see map) was an odd one for the role it wascalled upon to play in Galactic history, and yet as many writers have nevertired of pointing out, an inevitable one. Located on the very fringe of theGalactic spiral, an only planet of an isolated sun, poor in resources andnegligible in economic value, it was never settled in the five centuriesafter its discovery, until the landing of the Encyclopedists.... It was inevitable that as a new generation grew, Terminus would becomesomething more than an appendage of the psychohistorians of Trantor. Withthe Anacreonian revolt and the rise to power of Salvor Hardin, first of thegreat line of... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICALewis Pirenne was busily engaged at his desk in the one well-lit comer ofthe room. Work had to be co-ordinated. Effort had to be organized. Threadshad to be woven into a pattern. Fifty years now; fifty years to establish themselves and set upEncyclopedia Foundation Number One into a smoothly working unit. Fiftyyears to gather the raw material. Fifty years to prepare. It had been done. Five more years would see the publication of the firstvolume of the most monumental work the Galaxy had ever conceived. And thenat ten-year intervals ?regularly ?like clockwork ?volume after volume. And with them there would be supplements; special articles on events ofcurrent interest, until? Pirenne stirred uneasily, as the muted buzzer upon his desk mutteredpeevishly. He had almost forgotten the appointment. He shoved the doorrelease and out of an abstracted comer of one eye saw the door open and thebroad figure of Salvor Hardin enter. Pirenne did not look up. Hardin smiled to himself. He was in a hurry, but he knew better than totake offense at Pirenne's cavalier treatment of anything or anyone thatdisturbed him at his work. He buried himself in the chair on the other sideof the desk and waited. Pirenne's stylus made the faintest scraping sound as it raced across paper. Otherwise, neither motion nor sound. And then Hardin withdrew a two-creditcoin from his vest pocket. He flipped it and its stainless-steel surfacecaught flitters of light as it tumbled through the air. He caught itand-flipped it again, watching the flashing reflections lazily. Stainlesssteel made good medium of exchange on a planet where all metal had to beimported. Pirenne looked up and blinked. "Stop that!" he said querulously. "Eh?""That infernal coin tossing. Stop it.""Oh." Hardin pocketed the metal disk. "Tell me when you're ready, will you? I promised to be back at the City Council meeting before the new aqueductproject is put to a vote."Pirenne sighed and shoved himself away from the desk. "I'm ready. But Ihope you aren't going to bother me with city affairs. Take care of thatyourself, please. The Encyclopedia takes up all my time.""Have you heard the news?" questioned Hardin, phlegmatically. "What news?""The news that the Terminus City ultrawave set received two hours ago. TheRoyal Governor of the Prefect of Anacreon has assumed the title of king.""Well? What of it?""It means," responded Hardin, "that we're cut off from the inner regions ofthe Empire. We've been expecting it but that doesn't make it any morecomfortable. Anacreon stands square across what was our last remainingtrade route to Santanni and to Trantor and to Vega itself. Where is ourmetal to come from? We haven't managed to get a steel or aluminum shipmentthrough in six months and now we won't be able to get any at all, except bygrace of the King of Anacreon."Pirenne tch-tched impatiently. "Get them through him, then.""But can we? Listen, Pirenne, according to the charter which establishedthis Foundation, the Board of Trustees of the Encyclopedia Committee hasbeen given full administrative powers. I, as Mayor of Terminus City, havejust enough power to blow my own nose and perhaps to sneeze if youcountersign an order giving me permission. It's up to you and your Boardthen. I'm asking you in the name of the City, whose prosperity depends uponuninterrupted commerce with the Galaxy, to call an emergency meeting? "Stop! A campaign speech is out of order. Now, Hardin, the Board ofTrustees has not barred the establishment of a municipal government onTerminus. We understand one to be necessary because of the increase inpopulation since the Foundation was established fifty years ago, andbecause of the increasing number of people involved in non-Encyclopediaaffairs. But that does not mean that the first and only aim of theFoundation is no longer to publish the definitive Encyclopedia of all humanknowledge. We are a State-supported, scientific institution, Hardin. Wecannot ? must not ? will not interfere in local politics.""Local politics! By the Emperor's left toe, Pirenne, this is a matter oflife and death. The planet, Terminus, by itself cannot support a mechanizedcivilization. It lacks metals. You know that. It hasn't a trace of iron,copper, or aluminum in the surface rocks, and precious little of anythingelse. What do you think will happen to the Encyclopedia if thiswatchmacallum King of Anacreon clamps down on us?""On us? Are you forgetting that we are under the direct control of theEmperor himself? We are not part of the Prefect of Anacreon or of any otherprefect. Memorize that! We are part of the Emperor's personal domain, andno one touches us. The Empire can protect its own.""Then why didn't it prevent the Royal Governor of Anacreon from kickingover the traces? And only Anacreon? At least twenty of the outermost prefects of the Galaxy, the entirePeriphery as a matter of fact, have begun steering things their own way. Itell you I feel damned uncertain of the Empire and its ability to protectus.""Hokum! Royal Governors, Kings ?what's the difference? The Empire isalways shot through with a certain amount of politics and with differentmen pulling this way and that. Governors have rebelled, and, for thatmatter, Emperors have been deposed, or assassinated before this. But whathas that to do with the Empire itself? Forget it, Hardin. It's none of ourbusiness. We are first of all and last of all-scientists. And our concernis the Encyclopedia. Oh, yes, I'd almost forgotten. Hardin!""Well?""Do something about that paper of yours!" Pirenne's voice was angry. "The Terminus City Journal? It isn't mine; it's privately owned. What's itbeen doing?""For weeks now it has been recommending that the fiftieth anniversary ofthe establishment of the Foundation be made the occasion for publicholidays and quite inappropriate celebrations.""And why not? The computoclock will open the Vault in three months. I wouldcall this first opening a big occasion, wouldn't you?""Not for silly pageantry, Hardin. The Vault and its opening concern theBoard of Trustees alone. Anything of importance will be communicated to thepeople. That is final and please make it plain to the Journal.""I'm sorry, Pirenne, but the City Charter guarantees a certain minor matterknown as freedom of the press.""It may. But the Board of Trustees does not. I am the Emperor'srepresentative on Terminus, Hardin, and have full powers in this respect."Hardin's expression became that of a man counting to ten, mentally. Hesaid, grimly: "in connection with your status as Emperor's representative,then, I have a final piece of news to give you.""About Anacreon?" Pirenne's lips tightened. He felt annoyed. "Yes. A special envoy will be sent to us from Anacreon. In two weeks.""An envoy? Here? From Anacreon?" Pirenne chewed that. "What for?"Hardin stood up, and shoved his chair back up against the desk. "I give youone guess." And he left ?quite unceremoniously. 第一章 百科全书编纂者 端点星……它的位置偏远（请参考星图），与其在银河历史中扮演的角色形成强烈对比。许多科学家却都指出这是一种历史的必然结果。端点星位于银河螺旋臂的最前缘，是伴随该处一颗孤独恒星的唯一行星。它的自然资源极为贫乏，也几乎没有任何经济价值。在被发现五个世纪后，仍然没有移民迁入。直到百科全书编纂者登陆…… 移民第二代时，端点星的角色起了变化，不再只是川陀心理史学家们的一个附属。随着安纳克的叛变，以及塞佛•哈定的势力逐渐崛起…… ——《银河百科全书》 第一章 在办公室明亮的一角，路易•皮翰纳正在书桌前埋头苦干。许多工作需要他协调，许多人力需要他规划，就像千丝万缕需要细心地纺织，才能制成精美的织锦。 五十年过去了，他们花了五十年的时间，将这个百科全书第一号基地建立成一个完善的机构。这五十年的光阴，几乎都花在搜集资料以及其他的准备工作上。 如今，第一阶段的工作终于完成了。五年以后，银河有史以来最伟大的巨着就要出版第一册。此后每隔十年会再出一册，时程定得像机械装置一般准确。此外还将出版附册，以及介绍最新知识的专刊等等，直到…… 当书桌上的蜂鸣器低声呜呜作响时，皮翰纳的身子不安地挪动了一下，他几乎忘记了还有一个约会。于是他赶紧按下开门的掣钮，从眼角瞥见塞佛•哈定魁梧的身材出现在门口，不过皮翰纳并没有抬起头来。 哈定一面走进来，一面自我解嘲地微笑着，他的确有急事，但是却没有表现出任何不悦。因为他了解，皮翰纳对于打搅他工作的任何人或任何事，一律都是采取这种不闻不问的傲慢态度。所以，哈定只是走到书桌另一侧的椅子上坐下来，耐着性子等待着。 偌大的办公室里，现在只传出了皮翰纳的铁笔划在纸上所发出的沙沙声，除此之外没有任何的声音或动作。哈定从背心口袋中掏出了一枚两点的硬币，顺手弹到空中。硬币在空中飞快地翻滚，不銹钢的；表面反映出闪动的光芒。然后哈定又伸手抓住硬币，再将它弹出去，百无聊赖地盯着闪烁的反光。在这个一切金属全都仰赖进口的行星上，不銹钢还真是货币的适当材料。 皮翰纳终于抬起头来，眨了眨眼：“停下来！”他的语气充满了不悦。 “啊？” “别再丢硬币了，烦死人啦！” “喔！”哈定赶紧将硬币放回口袋：“你忙完了的时候，麻烦告诉我一声好吗？我已经答应他们，在新的下水道计划付诸表决之前，一定赶回市议会去。” 皮翰纳叹了一口气，然后起身离开书桌，对哈定说：“我好了，但是希望你不要拿市政府的公事来烦我。拜托，你自己处理就好了，百科全书的工作已经占了我全部的时间。” “你听到新闻了吗？”哈定以稳重的口气问道。 “什么新闻？” “就是端点市超波接收站两小时前收到的新闻，安纳克瑞昂郡的皇家总督已经自立为王了。” “哦？那又怎么样？” “这就代表说，”哈定回答道：“我们与帝国内域的联系被切断了。我们早已预料到此事，但是这却于事无补。安纳克瑞昂刚好横跨我们与川陀、圣塔尼，以及织女星系的最后一条贸易路线。以后我们的金属要从哪里进口呢？过去六个月以来，我们没有能弄到任何的钢和铝，现在根本一点办法也没了，除非安纳克瑞昂的国王大发慈悲。” 皮翰纳“啧啧”连声，不耐烦地说：“那就从他那里进口好了。” “但是我们能够这样做吗？皮翰纳，听我说，根据设立这个基地的特许状，百科全书理事会拥有完全的行政权。我这个端点市的市长，唯一的权力大概只能在一边擤鼻涕，如果想要打个喷嚏，都还得先请你副署一张行政许可令，一切都要看你和理事会如何决定。我现在以本市的名义请求你，赶快召开一个紧急会议，我们的繁荣全赖于和整个银河的畅通贸易。” “好了！怎么把竞选演说搬到这里来啦？哈定，现在给我听好，理事会并没有禁止在端点星上成立市政府，我们也了解这是有必要的。因为自从基地建立以来，这五十年间，人口已经有大幅度的增加，与百科全书无关的居民也越来越多。但是这并不代表说，我们这个基地首要的也是唯一的目的——出版网罗人类全体知识的百科全书——已经不复存在。我们是一个国立的科学机构，你知道吗？我们不能、不可以，也不会介入任何的地方性政治。” “地方性政治？所以你就不屑一顾，是吗？皮翰纳，这是攸关生死存亡的大事——端点星自身并不能维持一个机械化文明，这里极端缺乏金属。这点你应该很明白，在我们这个星球的表面岩层，完全找不到一丁点的铜矿、铁矿或铝矿，其他的金属也几乎没有。如果那个所谓的安纳克瑞昂国王吃定我们，你想想看，你的百科全书命运又会如何？” “吃定我们？你难道忘了吗？我们是直属于皇上的机构，不是安纳克瑞昂郡或者其他任何行政区的一部分，这一点你给我牢牢记住！我们这里是皇帝陛下直辖的区域，没有任何人敢碰我们，帝国会好好保护端点星的。” “那么请告诉我，现在安纳克瑞昂的皇家总督自立门户，帝国为什么不阻止呢？而且何止安纳克瑞昂，至少有二十个帝国最外围的郡县，事实上也就是整个的银河外缘，全部都已经各自为政了。我告诉你，我对帝国根本不敢抱什么指望，我不相信它有能力保护我们。” “胡扯！皇家总督跟国王又有什么两样？帝国之中一向有各种各样的政治主张，不同的人有不同的治国理念。过去也曾经有总督叛变，也有皇帝因而被罢黜或遇刺，但是这些都不曾动摇帝国的根本。忘掉这个消息吧，哈定，这不关你我的事。”我们是彻头彻尾的——科学家，我们的志业就是银河百科全书。喔，对了，我差点忘了，哈定——” “什么事？” “管管你的那份报纸吧！”皮翰纳的声音中带着愤怒。 “你是指‘端点市日报’吗？它怎么会是我的呢？那是一家私人经营的报纸。怎么，它又哪里惹到你了？” “过去几周以来，它一直在鼓吹要扩大庆祝基地建立五十周年纪念。建议把这一天定为公定假日，还倡导一些极不合宜的庆祝活动。” “这有什么不好呢？三个月之后，电脑钟就会将穹窿开启，我认为穹窿首度开启是一件大事，你说呢？” “但是却不适合举办愚蠢的大游行。哈定，穹窿的开启只是理事会的事，如果我们获得任何重要的信息，一定会立刻向大众宣布。这是我们的基本立场，请务必向‘日报’解释清楚。” “很抱歉，皮翰纳。但是我想提醒你，端点市宪章上面保证了一点小事，叫作新闻自由。” “宪章上有，但是理事会却不吃这一套。哈定，我可是皇帝陛下派驻端点星的钦命代表，在这一方面，我有绝对的权力。” 从哈定的表情，可以看出他在尽最大的努力，强忍着怒意不愿发作。他绷着脸说：“我还有最后一件消息，就是要对你这位钦命代表报告的。” “还是跟安纳克瑞昂有关吗？”皮翰纳紧绷着嘴唇，感到厌烦透了。 “对，两个星期之后，安纳克瑞昂将派遣一名特使到这里来。” “特使？到这里来？安纳克瑞昂派来的？”皮翰纳沉思许久，然后问道：“来干什么？” 哈定站了起来，再将椅子推回书桌旁边，对皮翰纳说：“我让你猜猜看。” 说完他头也不回就走了，连个招呼都没有打。 Chapter 2 Anselm haut Rodric ?"haut" itself signifying noble blood -Sub-prefect ofPluema and Envoy Extraordinary of his Highness of Anacreon-plus half adozen other titleswas met by Salvor Hardin at the spaceport with all theimposing ritual of a state occasion. With a tight smile and a low bow, the sub-prefect had flipped his blasterfrom its holster and presented it to Hardin butt first. Hardin returned thecompliment with, a blaster specifically borrowed for the occasion. Friendship and good will were thus established, and if Hardin noted thebarest bulge at Haut Rodric's shoulder, he prudently said nothing. The ground car that received them then ?preceded, flanked, and followed bythe suitable cloud of minor functionaries ? proceeded in a slow,ceremonious manner to Cyclopedia Square, cheered on its way by a properlyenthusiastic crowd. Sub-prefect Anselm received the cheers with the complaisant indifference ofa soldier and a nobleman. He said to Hardin, "And this city is all your world?"Hardin raised his voice to be heard above the clamor. "We are a youngworld, your eminence. In our short history we have had but few members ofthe higher nobility visiting our poor planet. Hence, our enthusiasm."It is certain that "higher nobility" did not recognize irony when he heardit. He said thoughtfully: "Founded fifty years ago. Hm-mmm! You have a greatdeal of unexploited land here, mayor. You have never considered dividing itinto estates?""There is no necessity as yet. We're extremely centralized; we have to be,because of the Encyclopedia. Someday, perhaps, when our population hasgrown? "A strange world! You have no peasantry?"Hardin reflected that it didn't require a great deal of acumen to tell thathis eminence was indulging in a bit of fairly clumsy pumping. He repliedcasually, "No ?nor nobility."Haut Rodric's eyebrows lifted. "And your leader ?the man I am to meet?""You mean Dr. Pirenne? Yes! He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees ? and a personal representative of the Emperor.""Doctor? No other title? A scholar? And he rates above the civilauthority?""Why, certainly," replied Hardin, amiably. "We're all scholars more orless. After all, we're not so much a world as a scientific foundation ? under the direct control of the Emperor."There was a faint emphasis upon the last phrase that seemed to disconcertthe sub-prefect. He remained thoughtfully silent during the rest of theslow way to Cyclopedia Square. If Hardin found himself bored by the afternoon and evening that followed,he had at least the satisfaction of realizing that Pirenne and Haut Rodric?having met with loud and mutual protestations of esteem and regard ?weredetesting each other's company a good deal more. Haut Rodric had attended with glazed eye to Pirenne's lecture during the"inspection tour" of the Encyclopedia Building. With polite and vacantsmile, he had listened to the latter's rapid patter as they passed throughthe vast storehouses of reference films and the numerous projection rooms. It was only after he had gone down level by level into and through thecomposing departments, editing departments, publishing departments, andfilming departments that he made the first comprehensive statement. "This is all very interesting," he said, "but it seems a strange occupationfor grown men. What good is it?"It was a remark, Hardin noted, for which Pirenne found no answer, thoughthe expression of his face was most eloquent. The dinner that evening was much the mirror image of the events of thatafternoon, for Haut Rodric monopolized the conversation by describing ?inminute technical detail and with incredible zest ?his own exploits asbattalion head during the recent war between Anacreon and the neighboringnewly proclaimed Kingdom of Smyrno. The details of the sub-prefect's account were not completed until dinnerwas over and one by one the minor officials had drifted away. The last bitof triumphant description of mangled spaceships came when he hadaccompanied Pirenne and Hardin onto the balcony and relaxed in the warm airof the summer evening. "And now," he said, with a heavy joviality, "to serious matters.""By all means," murmured Hardin, lighting a long cigar of Vegan tobacco ? not many left, he reflected ?and teetering his chair back on two legs. The Galaxy was high in the sky and its misty lens shape stretched lazilyfrom horizon to horizon. The few stars here at the very edge of theuniverse were insignificant twinkles in comparison. "Of course," said the sub-prefect, "all the formal discussions ?the papersigning and such dull technicalities, that is ?will take place before the?What is it you call your Council?""The Board of Trustees," replied Pirenne, coldly. "Queer name! Anyway, that's for tomorrow. We might as well clear away someof the underbrush, man to man, right now, though. Hey?""And this means? prodded Hardin. "Just this. There's been a certain change in the situation out here in thePeriphery and the status of your planet has become a trifle uncertain. Itwould be very convenient if we succeeded in coming to an understanding asto how the matter stands. By the way, mayor, have you another one of thosecigars?"Hardin started and produced one reluctantly. Anselm haut Rodric sniffed at it and emitted a clucking sound of pleasure. "Vegan tobacco! Where did you get it?""We received some last shipment. There's hardly any left. Space knows whenwe'll get more ?if ever."Pirenne scowled. He didn't smoke ?and, for that matter, detested the odor. "Let me understand this, your eminence. Your mission is merely one ofclarification?"Haut Rodric nodded through the smoke of his first lusty puffs. "In that case, it is soon over. The situation with respect to theEncyclopedia Foundation is what it always has been.""Ah! And what is it that it always has been?""Just this: A State-supported scientific institution and part of thepersonal domain of his august majesty, the Emperor."The sub-prefect seemed unimpressed. He blew smoke rings. "That's a nicetheory, Dr. Pirenne. I imagine you've got charters with the Imperial Sealupon it ?but what's the actual situation? How do you stand with respect toSmyrno? You're not fifty parsecs from Smyrno's capital. you know. And whatabout Konom and Daribow?"Pirenne said: "We have nothing to do with any prefect. As part of theEmperor's? "They're not prefects," reminded Haut Rodric; "they're kingdoms now.""Kingdoms then. We have nothing to do with them. As a scientificinstitution? "Science be damned!" swore the other. "What the devil has that got to dowith the fact that we're liable to see Terminus taken over by Smyrno at anytime?""And the Emperor? He would just sit by?"Haut Rodric calmed down and said: "Well, now, Dr. Pirenne, you respect theEmperor's property and so does Anacreon, but Smyrno might not. Remember,we've just signed a treaty with the Emperor ?I'll present a copy to thatBoard of yours tomorrow ?which places upon us the responsibility ofmaintaining order within the borders of the old Prefect of Anacreon onbehalf of the Emperor. Our duty is clear, then, isn't it?""Certainly. But Terminus is not part of the Prefect of Anacreon.""And Smyrno? "Nor is it part of the Prefect of Smyrno. It's not part of any prefect.""Does Smyrno know that?""I don't care what it knows.""We do. We've just finished a war with her and she still holds two stellarsystems that are ours. Terminus occupies an extremely strategic spot,between the two nations."Hardin felt weary. He broke in: "What is your proposition, your eminence?"The sub-prefect seemed quite ready to stop fencing in favor of more directstatements. He said briskly: "It seems perfectly obvious that, sinceTerminus cannot defend itself, Anacreon must take over the job for its ownsake. You understand we have no desire to interfere with internaladministration? "Uh-huh," grunted Hardin dryly. "朾ut we believe that it would be best for all concerned to have Anacreonestablish a military base upon the planet.""And that is all you would want ?a military base in some of the vastunoccupied territory ?and let it go at that?""Well, of course, there would be the matter of supporting the protectingforces."Hardin's chair came down on all four, and his elbows went forward on hisknees. "Now we're getting to the nub. Let's put it into language. Terminusis to be a protectorate and to pay tribute.""Not tribute. Taxes. We're protecting you. You pay for it."Pirenne banged his hand on the chair with sudden violence. "Let me speak,Hardin. Your eminence, I don't care a rusty half-credit coin for Anacreon,Smyrno, or all your local politics and petty wars. I tell you this is aState-supported tax-free institution.""State-supported? But we are the State, Dr. Pirenne, and we're notsupporting."Pirenne rose angrily. "Your eminence, I am the direct representative of? "杊is august majesty, the Emperor," chorused Anselm haut Rodric sourly,"And I am the direct representative of the King of Anacreon. Anacreon is alot nearer, Dr. Pirenne. ""Let's get back to business," urged Hardin. "How would you take theseso-called taxes, your eminence? Would you take them in kind: wheat,potatoes, vegetables, cattle?"The sub-prefect stared. "What the devil? What do we need with those? We'vegot hefty surpluses. Gold, of course. Chromium or vanadium would be evenbetter, incidentally, if you have it in quantity."Hardin laughed. "Quantity! We haven't even got iron in quantity. Gold! Here, take a look at our currency." He tossed a coin to the envoy. Haut Rodric bounced it and stared. "What is it? Steel?""That's right.""I don't understand.""Terminus is a planet practically without metals. We import it all. Consequently, we have no gold, and nothing to pay unless you want a fewthousand bushels of potatoes.""Well ?manufactured goods.""Without metal? What do we make our machines out of?"There was a pause and Pirenne tried again. "This whole discussion is wideof the point. Terminus is not a planet, but a scientific foundationpreparing a great encyclopedia. Space, man, have you no respect forscience?""Encyclopedias don't win wars." Haut Rodric's brows furrowed. "A completelyunproductive world, then ? and practically unoccupied at that. Well, youmight pay with land.""What do you mean?" asked Pirenne. "This world is just about empty and the unoccupied land is probablyfertile. There are many of the nobility on Anacreon that would like anaddition to their estates.""You can't propose any such? "There's no necessity of looking so alarmed, Dr. Pirenne. There's plentyfor all of us. If it comes to what it comes, and you co-operate, we couldprobably arrange it so that you lose nothing. Titles can be conferred andestates granted. You understand me, I think."Pirenne sneered, "Thanks!"And then Hardin said ingenuously: "Could Anacreon supply us with adequatequantities of plutonium for our nuclear-power plant? We've only a fewyears' supply left."There was a gasp from Pirenne and then a dead silence for minutes. WhenHaut Rodric spoke it was in a voice quite different from what it had beentill then: "You have nuclear power?""Certainly. What's unusual in that? I imagine nuclear power is fiftythousand years old now. Why shouldn't we have it? Except that it's a littledifficult to get plutonium.""Yes ... Yes." The envoy paused and added uncomfortably: "Well, gentlemen,we'll pursue the subject tomorrow. You'll excuse me? Pirenne looked after him and gritted through his teeth: "That insufferable,dull-witted donkey! That? Hardin broke in: "Not at all. He's merely the product of his environment. He doesn't understand much except that 'I have a gun and you haven't.? Pirenne whirled on him in exasperation. "What in space did you mean by thetalk about military bases and tribute? Are you crazy?""No. I merely gave him rope and let him talk. You'll notice that he managedto stumble out with Anacreon's real intentions ?that is, the parceling upof Terminus into landed estates. Of course, I don't intend to let thathappen.""You don't intend. You don't. And who are you? And may I ask what you meantby blowing off your mouth about our nuclear-power plant? Why, it's just thething that would make us a military target.""Yes," grinned Hardin. "A military target to stay away from. Isn't itobvious why I brought the subject up? It happened to confirm a very strongsuspicion I had had.""And that was what?""That Anacreon no longer has a nuclear-power economy. If they had, ourfriend would undoubtedly have realized that plutonium, except in ancienttradition is not used in power plants. And therefore it follows that therest of the Periphery no longer has nuclear power either. Certainly Smyrnohasn't, or Anacreon wouldn't have won most of the battles in their recentwar. Interesting, wouldn't you say?""Bah!" Pirenne left in fiendish humor, and Hardin smiled gently. He threw his cigar away and looked up at the outstretched Galaxy. "Back tooil and coal, are they?" he murmured ?and what the rest of his thoughtswere he kept to himself. 第二章 　　安瑟姆•浩•若缀克是安纳克瑞昂国王派到端点星来的特使，他是普洛玛的副提督，此外还有半打其他的头衔。他的名字中间那个“浩”，代表的正是贵族血统。当他到达端点星时，哈定特别亲自到太空航站迎接，并且还安排了隆重的外交礼节。 现在这位特使面带着僵硬的微笑，微微弯下腰来，将手铳从皮套中取出，铳柄朝前递给哈定。然后哈定也还以相同的礼数，他递给若缀克大人的手铳还是特地跟别人借来的。这个仪式完成之后，就代表双方从此建立起友谊与善意。哈定注意到了若缀克的肩处突起，似乎佩戴着什么随身武器，却很谨慎地什么都没有说。 在迎接特使的礼车周围，前后左右都簇拥着职位较低的官员。整个车队以游行般极缓慢的速度开向“全书广场”，沿途都有许多热情的民众夹道欢迎。 这位特使一直以军人与贵族应有的矜持，接受着群众的欢呼。 这时他忽然转身向哈定说：“这座城市就是你们整个的世界？” 哈定努力提高音量，才能压过鼎沸的人声：“此地是一个新的世界，阁下。在我们这个不起眼的行星短得可怜的历史中，很少有像您这么尊贵的贵族莅临巡视，这就是群众会如此如痴如狂的原因。” 当然，这位“尊贵的贵族”并没有听出话中的讽刺之意。他若有所思地对哈定说：“五十年前所建立的，嗯，市长，你们这里一定还有很多未开发的土地，难道从来没有想到要规划一下？” “到目前为止，还没有这个需要。我们的人口相当集中，我们必须如此，这是为了百科全书的关系。也许将来有一天，当我们的人口增长到……” “真是一个奇怪的世界，你们没有务农的平民吗？” 哈定感到这位大人不断地在套他的话，不过他的技巧相当拙劣，任谁都可以察觉得出来。因此哈定只是随口答道：“没有——但是，也没有贵族。” 若缀克大人扬起眉毛：“那你们的领导者……我等一下要跟他碰面的那位？” “您是指皮翰纳博士？对，他是理事会的主席，还是皇帝陛下的钦命代表。” “博士？如此而已，没有别的头衔吗？他只是一位学者？地位竟然比你这个市长还要高？” “喔，当然啦！”哈定亲切地答道：“此地的人多少都能算是学者，毕竟这里是皇帝陛下直辖的科学基地，不是一个普通的世界。” 哈定故意将“皇帝陛下直辖”稍微加重了语气，这似乎令那位特使有点不知所措。他一路上都没有再开口，一副若有所思的样子。 车队终于缓缓开到了全书广场。 即使哈定对下午与晚间的活动都感到万分无聊，至少还有一件事情令他很满意。那就是他注意到皮翰纳与若缀克这两个人，虽然在见面时表现得非常热络而且相互尊重，骨子里却都极为厌恶对方。 当若缀克大人去百科全书大楼进行“视察”的时候，带着一副茫然的神情聆听皮翰纳的解说。他们经过巨大的资料影片贮藏室与无数的放映室，若缀克大人始终不失礼貌，一直都面带空洞的微笑，耐心地听着皮翰纳急促的介绍。 若缀克大人走下一层又一层，经过了写作部、编辑部、出版部、影视部，这才终于说出了他的第一句感想：“这一切都非常有趣，但是对于成年人而言，却似乎是很奇怪的职业。这种工作有什么用处？” 哈定注意到，皮翰纳对于这个评语竟然无言以对。伹是从皮翰纳脸上的表情，却可以看出来他绝对不同意。 晚餐时的情形却几乎与下午完全相反，从头到尾一直都是若缀克大人在说话。他不厌其烦地叙述着最近安纳克瑞昂与邻邦——新近独立的司密尔诺王国开战时，自己担任营长所立下的彪炳战功。他滔滔不绝地越说越兴奋，连所有的技术性细节也都巨细靡遗。 这位特使的故事，一直讲到晚餐结束还意犹未尽。职位较低的官员一个一个乘机告退，皮翰纳与哈定则陪着若缀克走到阳台，在夏日黄昏的暖和空气中偷闲片刻。直到这时，他才总算将大败敌军星舰的光荣战果报告结束。 “现在，”若缀克大人兴致勃勃地说：“我们该言归正传了。” “请说，”哈定喃喃地答道，同时还点燃了一根长雪茄，那是由织女星系进口的烟草制成的，他突然想到这种烟草所剩也不多了。然后他就仰靠在椅子上，撑起两条椅腿来回地摇晃。 银河高高地悬在天空，透镜状的朦胧从地平线的一端延伸到另一端。此处位于银河的边缘，因此恒星稀疏，仅有少数几颗在天际眨着眼睛，与壮丽的银河根本无法相比。 “当然，”若缀克大人说道：“所有的正式会谈，包括签署文件等等无聊的专业性手续，都要在你们……你们管你们的议会叫什么？” “理事会。”皮翰纳以冷淡的语气回答。 “真是古怪的名宇，反正那些都是明天才应该进行的。不过我想，现在最好先来解决一些会谈可能的障碍，我们大家都开诚布公，好不好？” “您这话的意思是……”哈定立刻追问。 “很简单，在银河外缘这一带，如今的局势已经有些改变了，你们这颗行星的现状也变得有点嗳昧不明。如果我们能够对目前的状况达成一个共识，将会对双方都有帮助。对了，市长，这种雪茄还有没有？” 纵使哈定万分不愿，仍然依言拿了一根给他。 若缀克大人将雪茄放在鼻端闻了一下，马上发出高兴的笑声：“织女烟草！你从哪里弄来的？” “这是上次送来的补给品，不过现在没剩几根了。天晓得我们什么时候还能再获得补充。” 皮翰纳皱起了眉头，他不会抽烟，因此很讨厌烟味。他忍着咳嗽说：“阁下，请告诉我们，您的任务就只是来理清现状吗？” 若缀克大人一面点头，一面使劲喷出第一口烟。 “这么说来，不用几句话就可以说完了。百科全书第一号基地的地位仍如往昔一模一样。” “啊，那么你所谓往昔的地位是什么啊？” “是一个国立科学机构，是神圣威严的皇帝陛下直辖的领域。” 可是若缀克大人却一点也不为所动，他好整以暇地吐着烟圈，然后说：“皮翰纳博士，很好的说法，我相信你还拥有盖了国玺的特许状。但是当今实际的局势又如何？面对司密尔诺，你们要如何自处？你要知道，他们的首都离你们这里很近，可不是五十秒差距那么遥不可及。此外，别忘了还有高努姆和洛瑞斯。” 皮翰纳说：“我们跟任何郡县都没有瓜葛，我们是皇帝陛下的……” “它们不是郡县，”若缀克大人提醒皮翰纳：“它们都已经是王国了。” “就算是王国吧，我们仍然与他们没有任何瓜葛。作为一个科学机构……” “科学个屁！”若缀克突然以粗话开口骂说：“你这些他妈的名目有个屁用？我们就要眼睁睁地看着端点星被司密尔诺拿下了！” “可是皇帝陛下呢？他怎么可能坐视不顾？” 若缀克大人稍微冶静了一点，继续说道：“好吧，皮翰纳博士，我知道你尊重皇上的御产，这一点安纳克瑞昂的态度也是一样的，问题是司密尔诺可不这么想。请你记住一件事，我们才跟皇上签订了一个条约，明天我会呈一份副本给你们的理事会。根据这个条约，我们有义务代表皇上维持目前安纳克瑞昂郡境内的秩序。我们的责任至为明确，对不对？” “当然，但是端点星并不属于安纳克瑞昂郡。” “可是司密尔诺……” “我们也不属于司密尔诺，我们不属于任何一个郡县。” “你说的这些，司密尔诺知道吗？” “我才不管他们知不知道。” “可是我们得管，我们两国的战争才刚刚结束，他们至今还占领了我们两个星系。端点星位于本王国与司密尔诺之间，具有极重要的战略地位。” 哈定听得厌了，遂插口说道：“阁下，请问您究竟有什么提议？” 若缀克大人似乎也早已不愿拐弯抹角，立刻单刀直入地说：“因为端点星无法自卫，安纳克瑞昂为了自身的安全，必须负起保卫端点星的责任，这个行动的必要性非常明显。相信你们也了解，我们绝对无意干涉内政……” “哼——哼——”哈定发出几声干笑。 “但是我们相信，对我们双方来说，让安纳克瑞昂在这里建立一个军事基地，将会是一项最佳的措施。” “这就是你们所要的吗？在端点星广大无人的土地上建立军事基地，就这样而已吗？” “喔，当然啦，还有这个防卫武力的补给问题。” 哈定让椅子恢复四脚着地，将手肘放到膝盖上，然后说：“现在我们谈到问题的症结了，让我们说得明白一点吧——端点星今后将要接受你们的保护，所以要向你们进贡，对不对？” “不是进贡，是缴纳赋税。我们保护你们，你们当然要付出合理的代价。” 皮翰纳忽然在椅背上用力一拍，发出了一声巨响：“哈定，让我来说。阁下，我绝对不会付半个破铜板给安纳克瑞昂或司密尔诺，也不会为你们的地方性政治或迷你战争出任何经费。我告诉你，这里是免缴赋税的国立机构。” “国立？安纳克瑞昂才是这里的‘国’，皮翰纳博士，可是我们不要再‘立’了。” 皮翰纳站了起来，显得怒气冲天：“阁下，我是神圣威严……” “……皇帝陛下的钦命代表。”若缀克大人以尖酸的语气和着皮翰纳的话，然后再接下去：“我却是安纳克瑞昂国王的钦命代表，安纳克瑞昂离这里近多了，皮翰纳博士。” “让我们谈正经事吧，”哈定劝道：“阁下，你们要如何征收所谓的赋税？愿意接受现物吗？例如麦子、马铃薯、蔬菜、牲畜？” 若缀克大人瞪着他说：“我们要那些鬼东西做什么？我们自己已经生产过剩了。我指的当然是黄金，如果你们刚好盛产铬或钒的话，那就更好了。” 哈定听了马上大笑：“盛产？我们甚至连铁都不产！您想要黄金？来，看看我们的钱币。”说着就将一枚硬币扔了过去。 若缀克大人一把抓住那枚硬币，看了看之后说：“这是什么做的？钢吗？” “没错。” “我不懂。” “端点星几乎不产任何金属，所有的金属都靠进口，所以我们根本没有任何黄金。除了能够付你们几千袋马铃薯之外，其他什么都拿不出来。” “那么……工业制品呢？” “既然缺乏金属，我们又怎么制造机械？” 接下来是一阵沉默，然后皮翰纳再度试图说服若缀克大人：“这整个的讨论都太离谱了。端点星不能算是一个世界，这里只是一个科学基地，专门负责编纂伟大的银河百科全书。天啊，你难道一点都不尊重科学吗？” “百科全书又不能让我打胜仗。”若缀克大人皱起了眉头：“一个完全不事生产的世界，而且十之八九还没有住人。好吧，你们也许可以用土地来抵付。” “你这话是什么意思？”皮翰纳立刻问道。 “你们这个世界根本没有几个人，那些无人居住的土地也许很肥沃。安纳克瑞昂的许多贵族们，都希望能够扩充他们的领地。” “你难道想提议说……” “不必表现得那么惊慌，皮翰纳博士，这里的土地绝对够我们分的。如果一切都能够按照计划进行，而你们又充分合作的话，我们也许还能好好安排一下，让两位不但没有任何损失，还可以获得贵族头衔，并且获赐部分领地。我想，两位应当了解我的意思吧？” 皮翰纳嗤之以鼻：“谢谢你的好意了！” 这时哈定却故意改变话题：“安纳克瑞昂能不能提供我们足够的铈元素？我们的核电厂只剩下几年的存量了。” 皮翰纳立刻倒抽了一口凉气，接下来就是好几分钟的死寂。当若缀克大人再度开口时，语气竟然变得与先前完全不一样了。 “你们有核能？”他半信半疑地问。 “当然啦，这有什么不寻常吗？我相信核能的历史至少有五万年了，我们为什么不能用呢？唯一的问题就是钸的取得有些困难。” “是啊……是啊。”若缀克大人停了一下，才心虚地说：“好吧，两位先生，我们明天再继续讨论这个问题吧。我要告辞了……” 皮翰纳看着他的背影，然后咬牙切齿地说：“这只超级大笨驴！简直令人无法忍受……” 哈定插嘴道：“也不尽然，他只是那个环境的产物罢了。他只懂得一件事情，那就是‘枪杆子出政权’。” 这时皮翰纳又将矛头转向哈定，对他怒吼道：“你跟他大谈军事基地跟贡品，到底是什么意思？难道你疯了不成？” “不，我只是顺水推舟，好让他把心里的话全都说出来。我想你也注意到了，他已经不小心说溜了嘴，向我们透露了安纳克瑞昂真正的企图，那就是将端点星据为己有。当然，我可不想让这种事真正发生。” “你不想，你不想就算数了吗？你以为自己是谁？我还要问你，你对他大吹我们的核电厂又是什么意思？唉，你这样说，唯一的结果就是让我们立刻变成军事目标。” “没错，”哈定微笑着说：“不过严格地说，应该是我们会变成‘军事行动绝对不能攻击的目标’。我提出这个问题，你难道不能体会我的用意吗？这样便证实了我原来相当怀疑的一件事。” “那又是什么？” “安纳克瑞昂已经不再拥有核能，如果他们还有的话，这位大人就应该知道我在胡扯。因为除了古代的核电厂之外，核能发电早已不用铈元素做原料了。从这一点我们就可以推论，银河外缘的其他世界也都没有核能了。至少司密尔诺绝对没有，否则在他们最近的冲突中，安纳克瑞昂不可能赢得大多数的战役。这点很值得注意，你说对不对？” “哼！”皮翰纳带着怒气离去，哈定却只是很有修养地微笑着。 然后哈定将抽完的雪茄丢掉，抬头仰望伸展在天际的银河，喃嘣自语道：“他们回归到了石油与煤炭的时代，对不对？”他还想到了许多事，不过这时都还藏在心里。 Chapter 3 When Hardin denied owning the Journal, he was perhaps technically correct,but no more. Hardin had been the leading spirit in the drive to incorporateTerminus into an autonomous municipality-he had been elected its firstmayor-so it was not surprising that, though not a single share of Journalstock was in his name, some sixty percent was controlled by him in moredevious fashions. There were ways. Consequently, when Hardin began suggesting to Pirenne that he be allowed toattend meetings of the Board of Trustees, it was not quite coincidence thatthe Journal began a similar campaign. And the first mass meeting in thehistory of the Foundation was held, demanding representation of the City inthe "national" government. And, eventually, Pirenne capitulated with ill grace. Hardin, as he sat at the foot of the table, speculated idly as to just whatit was that made physical scientists such poor administrators. It might bemerely that they were too used to inflexible fact and far too unused topliable people. In any case, there was Tomaz Sutt and Jord Fara on his left; Lundin Crastand Yate Fulham on his fight; with Pirenne, himself, presiding. He knewthem all, of course, but they seemed to have put on an extra-special bit ofpomposity for the occasion. Hardin had dozed through the initial formalities and then perked up whenPirenne sipped at the glass of water before him by way of preparation andsaid: "I find it very gratifying to be able to inform the Board that since ourlast meeting, I have received word that Lord Dorwin, Chancellor of theEmpire, will arrive at Terminus in two weeks. It may be taken for grantedthat our relations with Anacreon will be smoothed out to our completesatisfaction as soon as the Emperor is informed of the situation. "He smiled and addressed Hardin across the length of the table. "Informationto this effect has been given the Journal."Hardin snickered below his breath. It seemed evident that Pirenne's desireto strut this information before him had been one reason for his admissioninto the sacrosanctum. He said evenly: "Leaving vague expressions out of account, what do youexpect Lord Dorwin to do?"Tomaz Sutt replied. He had a bad habit of addressing one in the thirdperson when in his more stately moods. "It is quite evident," he observed, "that Mayor Hardin is a professionalcynic. He can scarcely fail to realize that the Emperor would be mostunlikely to allow his personal rights to be infringed.""Why? What would he do in case they were?"There was an annoyed stir. Pirenne said, "You are out of order," and, as anafterthought, "and are making what are near-treasonable statements,besides.""Am I to consider myself answered?""Yes! If you have nothing further to say? "Don't jump to conclusions. I'd like to ask a question. Besides this strokeof diplomacy ?which may or may not prove to mean anything ?has anythingconcrete been done to meet the Anacreonic menace?"Yate Fulham drew one hand along his ferocious red mustache. "You see amenace there, do you?""Don't you?""Scarcely"?this with indulgence. "The Emperor? "Great space!" Hardin felt annoyed. "What is this? Every once in a whilesomeone mentions 'Emperor' or 'Empire' as if it were a magic word. TheEmperor is thousands of parsecs away, and I doubt whether he gives a damnabout us. And if he does, what can he do? What there was of the imperialnavy in these regions is in the hands of the four kingdoms now and Anacreonhas its share. Listen, we have to fight with guns, not with words. "Now, get this. We've had two months' grace so far, mainly because we'vegiven Anacreon the idea that we've got nuclear weapons. Well, we all knowthat that's a little white lie. We've got nuclear power, but only forcommercial uses, and darn little at that. They're going to find that outsoon, and if you think they're going to enjoy being jollied along, you'remistaken.""My dear sir? "Hold on: I'm not finished." Hardin was warming up. He liked this. "It'sall very well to drag chancellors into this, but it would be much nicer todrag a few great big siege guns fitted for beautiful nuclear bombs into it. We've lost two months, gentlemen, and we may not have another two months tolose. What do you propose to do?"Said Lundin Crast, his long nose wrinkling angrily: "If you're proposingthe militarization of the Foundation, I won't hear a word of it. It wouldmark our open entrance into the field of politics. We, Mr. Mayor, are ascientific foundation and nothing else."Added Sutt: "He does not realize, moreover, that building armaments wouldmean withdrawing men ?valuable men ?from the Encyclopedia. That cannot bedone, come what may.""Very true," agreed Pirenne. "The Encyclopedia first ? always."Hardin groaned in spirit. The Board seemed to suffer violently fromEncyclopedia on the brain,He said icily: "Has it ever occurred to this Board that it is barelypossible that Terminus may have interests other than the Encyclopedia?"Pirenne replied: "I do not conceive, Hardin, that the Foundation can haveany interest other than the Encyclopedia.""I didn't say the Foundation; I said Terminus. I'm afraid you don'tunderstand the situation. There's a good million of us here on Terminus,and not more than a hundred and fifty thousand are working directly on theEncyclopedia. To the rest of us, this is home. We were born here. We'reliving here. Compared with our farms and our homes and our factories, theEncyclopedia means little to us. We want them protected? He was shouted down. "The Encyclopedia first," ground out Crast. "We have a mission to fulfill.""Mission, hell," shouted Hardin. "That might have been true fifty yearsago. But this is a new generation.""That has nothing to do with it," replied Pirenne. "We are scientists."And Hardin leaped through the opening. "Are you, though? That's a nicehallucination, isn't it? Your bunch here is a perfect example of what'sbeen wrong with the entire Galaxy for thousands of years. What kind ofscience is it to be stuck out here for centuries classifying the work ofscientists of the last millennium? Have you ever thought of working onward,extending their knowledge and improving upon it? No! You're quite happy tostagnate. The whole Galaxy is, and has been for space knows how long. That's why the Periphery is revolting; that's why communications arebreaking down; that's why petty wars are becoming eternal; that's why wholesystems are losing nuclear power and going back to barbarous techniques ofchemical power. "If you ask me," he cried, "the Galactic Empire is dying!"He paused and dropped into his chair to catch his breath, paying noattention to the two or three that were attempting simultaneously to answerhim. Crast got the floor. "I don't know what you're trying to gain by yourhysterical statements, Mr. Mayor. Certainly, you are adding nothingconstructive to the discussion. I move, Mr. Chairman, that the speaker'sremarks be placed out of order and the discussion be resumed from the pointwhere it was interrupted."Jord Fara bestirred himself for the first time. Up to this point Fara hadtaken no part in the argument even at its hottest. But now his ponderousvoice, every bit as ponderous as his three-hundred-pound body, burst itsbass way out. "Haven't we forgotten something, gentlemen?""What?" asked Pirenne, peevishly. "That in a month we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary." Fara had a trickof uttering the most obvious platitudes with great profundity. "What of it?""And on that anniversary," continued Fara, placidly, "Hari Seldon's Vaultwill open. Have you ever considered what might be in the Vault?""I don't know. Routine matters. A stock Speech of congratulations, perhaps. I don't think any significance need be placed on the Vault ?though theJournal"?and he glared at Hardin, who grinned back ?did try to make anissue of it. I put a stop to that.""Ah," said Fara, "but perhaps you are wrong. Doesn't it strike you" ?hepaused and put a finger to his round little nose ?that the Vault isopening at a very convenient time?""Very inconvenient time, you mean," muttered Fulham. "We've got some otherthings to worry about.""Other things more important than a message from Hari Seldon? I think not."Fara was growing more pontifical than ever, and Hardin eyed himthoughtfully. What was he getting at? "In fact," said Fara, happily, "you all seem to forget that Seldon was thegreatest psychologist of our time and that he was the founder of ourFoundation. It seems reasonable to assume that he used his science todetermine the probable course of the history of the immediate future. If hedid, as seems likely, I repeat, he would certainly have managed to find away to warn us of danger and, perhaps, to point out a solution. TheEncyclopedia was very dear to his heart, you know."An aura of puzzled doubt prevailed. Pirenne hemmed. "Well, now, I don'tknow. Psychology is a great science, but-there are no psychologists amongus at the moment, I believe. It seems to me we're on uncertain ground."Fara turned to Hardin. "Didn't you study psychology under Alurin?"Hardin answered, half in reverie: "Yes, I never completed my studies,though. I got tired of theory. I wanted to be a psychological engineer, butwe lacked the facilities, so I did the next best thing ?I went intopolitics. It's practically the same thing.""Well, what do you think of the Vault?"And Hardin replied cautiously, "I don't know."He did not say a word for the remainder of the meeting even though it gotback to the subject of the Chancellor of the Empire. In fact, he didn't even listen. He'd been put on a new track and thingswere falling into place-just a little. Little angles were fitting together?one or two. And psychology was the key. He was sure of that. He was trying desperately to remember the psychological theory he had oncelearned ?and from it he got one thing right at the start. A great psychologist such as Seldon could unravel human emotions and humanreactions sufficiently to be able to predict broadly the historical sweepof the future. And what would that mean? 第三章 　　前些日子，哈定对皮翰纳否认他拥有“端点市日报”，表面上是说了实话，但事实却没有那么单纯。当初在倡导将端点星组织成自治市的运动中，哈定始终是这个运动的领导人物。然后在端点市政府成立之后，他又顺理成章地当选为首任市长。所以，虽然哈定的名下没有半点“日报”的股份，他却以间接的手段控制着其中的百分之六十。 这点也实在不足为奇，戏法人人会变，巧妙各有不同。 因此之故，当哈定向皮翰纳建议，认为市长也应该参加百科全书理事会的会议，“日报”也就很“凑巧”地开始鼓吹同样的主张。后来，还因此召开了基地有史以来首度的群众大会，一致要求市政府应该在“最高领导机构”中占有一席之地。 最后的结果，是皮翰纳不得不勉强接受了。 这时，哈定在理事会中敬陪末座，穷极无聊地想着，为什么优秀的科学家全都是九流的行政人员？也许是因为他们所受的训练，专门是为了处理弹性较少的自然现象，因而从来不懂得如何应付善变的人心。 坐在哈定左边的理事是汤玛兹•瑟特与裘德•法拉，右边的是卢定•克瑞斯特与叶特•富汉，而主席就是皮翰纳博士。哈定当然与在座的所有理事都相熟，但是他们在这个场合中，却好像都故意端起一点特别的架子。 在会议开头的无聊例行程序中，哈定一直都在假寐。直到皮翰纳举起玻璃杯喝了一口水，准备开始进入正题时，哈定才即时恢复清醒。接着，他就听见皮翰纳开始发言： “我很荣幸有这个机会，向理事会报告下列事项：我在前几天接到了一个重要的通知——帝国的总理大臣道尔文大人，将在两星期之后莅临端点星。我们可以乐观地期待，只要他向皇帝陛下禀报了这里的情况，我们与安纳克瑞昂的紧张关系，就会立刻获得改善。” 然后他微笑着对坐在另一头的哈定说：“关于这件消息的详细内容，我已经告知‘端点市日报’了。” 哈定听了暗自感到奸笑，这一切似乎都很明显。皮翰纳所以会允许他来参加这场“盛会”，就是要藉机在他面前夸耀这个消息。 因此哈定故作镇静地说：“请各位不要打马虎眼，你们认为道尔文大人是来做什么的？” 对于哈定提出的问题，汤玛兹•瑟特首先发言。他在发表正式的谈话时有个坏习惯，就是喜欢用第三人称来称呼对方。 “这很明显，”他陈述着自己的意见：“哈定市长是一位很精明的政治人物，市长不可能不知道，皇上绝对不会允许直接的权益受到侵害。” “为什么？如果真的发生这种事，皇上又会如何处置呢？”哈定问道。 这句话引起了其他人的反感，皮翰纳说：“你不遵守议事规则。” 他想了一想，然后又加了一句：“并且，还发出了几近叛国的言论。” 哈定却反问道：“这就算是对我的答覆吗？” “是的！如果你没有别的话要说……” “别急着下结论，我还想再问一个问题。除了这个外交手段——它究竟有没有用还很难说——我们面对安纳克瑞昂如此的威胁，到底有没有做出任何具体的因应措施？” 叶特•富汉一手抚摸着深红色的胡须，一面说道：“市长先生，你感觉到了威胁，是不是？” “难道你感觉不到吗？” “几乎没有。”他露出了虔敬的神态说：“皇帝陛下……” “老天啊！”哈定感到烦透了：“这算是哪门子？每隔一会儿就有人提起‘皇帝陛下’啦，‘帝国’啦，好像是念什么咒一样。别忘了，皇上远在几千秒差距之外，我很怀疑他会对我们有一丁点的关心，即使他真的关心又能如何？过去这个星域的确时刻都有皇家舰队巡弋，不过现在却是那四个王国的势力范围了，而安纳克瑞昂正是四王国之首。听我说，我们要拿枪炮自卫，耍嘴皮子没有用的。 “现在给我听好，我们其实已有两个月的缓冲期。能够争取到这点时间，主要是因为我故意制造了假象，让安纳克瑞昂以为我们拥有核武器。不过，大家都知道这是我胡诌的，我们虽然拥有核能，却只能提供商业用途，而且简直他妈的少得可怜。对方很快就会发现这个真栢，如果以为他们开得起这个玩笑，那可就大错特错了。” “哈定市长……” “且慢，我的话还没说完。”哈定已经进入状况，他就喜欢这种气氛：“把总理大臣拖下水是不错的主意，但是如果能弄来几枚超级核弹才真的妙。我们已经浪费了两个月，各位理事，可能不会有另外两个月再让我们浪费了。你们打算怎么做呢？” 这回轮到卢定•克瑞斯特发言，他的长鼻子都已经气得起了皱纹。他说：“如果你想提议将基地武装起来，我可是一千个、一万个不赞成，因为这就代表我们一脚跨进了政治圈。市长先生，我们这里是一个不折不扣的科学基地。” 瑟特又加了一句：“他根本不能体会这一点。此外，建立武装就需要动员，就得抽调百科全书的重要工作人员，这种事情无论如何不能发生。” “非常正确，”皮翰纳当然也同意：“百科全书第一——永远如此。” 哈定在心中咒骂着，这些理事的脑袋，似乎都被百科全书搞坏了。 于是他以冰冷的语气说：“本理事会有没有想到过，端点星除了负责编纂百科全书之外，是否还可能有其他的意义？” 皮翰纳回答他说：“哈定，我无法想像基地除了百科全书之外，还能有什么其他的目标。” “我指的不是基地，我是说‘端点星’。恐怕你还搞不清楚状况——在这个行星上有百万的居民，直接参与百科全书工作的却只有十五万人。对于我们其他人而言，这里不是什么基地，而是我们的‘家’。我们生在这里、长在这里，银河百科全书与我们的家园、农庄或工厂比起来，这套书对我们并没有什么了不起的意义。我们要起来保卫……” 此时他的话就被众人的呼喊声打断了。 “百科全书第一！”克瑞斯特义正辞严地吼道：“我们必须完成这项神圣的任务。” “去你妈的鬼任务！”哈定也开始咆哮：“五十年前或许如此，现在却已经是新的一代了。” “这没有什么关系，”皮翰纳回嘴道：“我们这些人仍是科学家。” 这却让哈定逮到机会，他立刻大作文章：“哈！是吗？你们是吗？那只是你自己的幻想罢了。你们这班人，正好是整个银河数千年错误的缩影。你们准备在这里蹲几个世纪，光是为了整理上个千年科学家的工作，这算是哪门子科学？你们有没有想过继续研究发展、改良并拓延既有的知识？根本没有！你们以抱残守缺为满足，整个银河都是如此，天晓得这种现象已经有多久了。银河外缘为什么会发生叛乱，各方的联系为什么会中断，小规模战争为什么永无休止，整个星域为什么都失去核能，返回到原始的化学能科技，这就是真正的原因。” 哈定意犹未尽，继续吼道：“如果你们问我有什么看法，我会说银河帝国就要灭亡啦！” 然后他终于停下来，坐下来调匀呼吸。有两三个人同时抢着回答他的问题，但是他根本没有注意听。 克瑞斯特站起来说：“你说这些疯疯癫癫的话，我实在不知道你居心何在。市长先生，你根本没有提出任何建设性的意见。主席，我现在提出动议：市长的发言全都不要列入纪录，让我们从刚才被他打断的地方继续讨论。” 这时裘德•法拉准备做第一次发言。在此之前，即使刚才讨论进行到最热烈的时候，他也完全没有插嘴。但是现在他一旦开口，低沉的声音就重重地敲击着每个人的耳膜，重得像他三百磅的身躯一样。 “各位，我们是不是忘记了一桩事？” “什么事？”皮翰纳不悦地问道。 “一个月以后，我们将要庆祝基地五十周年纪念。”这是法拉一贯的说话技巧，他可以将最普通的事情，说得彷佛暗藏玄机。 “那又怎么样？” “到了五十周年庆那一天，”法拉继续不疾不徐地说：“谢顿穹窿将会开启，你们有没有想过里面是什么？” 皮翰纳答道：“我不知道，只是应景的东西吧，也许是一段发表祝贺词的影象之类的。我认为，我们完全没有必要强调穹窿的重要性，虽然‘日报’……”然后他瞪了哈定一眼，哈定则回敬他一个鬼脸。 然后皮翰纳继续说：“‘日报’的确试图在这方面大作文章，我已经叫他们闭嘴了。” “哦，”法拉接了下去：“但是也许你猜错了呢？你有没有想到过——” 他暂停了一下，将一根手指放在又小又圆的鼻头上：“穹窿可能开启得正是时候。” “我想你的意思是说正好不是时候？”富汉低声抱怨：“我们现在需要烦心的事情已经够多了。” “我可不相信，还有什么比哈里•谢顿的信息更重要的事。”法拉的语调变得越来越权威，哈定若有所思地看着他，想不通他的葫芦里到底卖的是什么药。 “事实上，”法拉继续以愉悦的口气说：“你们似乎都忘记了，谢顿是现代最伟大的心理学家，同时也是我们这个基地的创始人。我有一个很合理的假设——谢顿生前已经运用他所创立的科学，推算出了不久之后可能的历史轨迹。如果真是如此的话——我再强调一遍，事实上这极有可能，那他一定也想出了警告我们的方法，也许还为我们准备了锦囊妙计。他极为重视百科全书这项计划，这点想必大家都是知道的。” 法拉说完之后，会议桌上弥漫了一种迷惑的气氛。过了一会儿，皮翰纳先干咳了一声，然后对大家说：“好吧，我姑且不予置评。心理学是一门伟大的科学，但是现在这里并没有心理学家，我想，我们无法做出任何确定的结论。” 法拉转身问哈定说：“你不是曾在艾鲁云门下攻读心理学吗？” 哈定以十分向往的口气回答：“是的，但是我却没有读完，因为后来我对理论感到厌倦。我原来想要成为一名心理工程师，但是此地缺乏足够的条件与设备。所以我就退而求其次，转而研究政治。事实上，这两者可说是殊途同归。” “那么，你认为穹窿里面藏着什么？” 哈定很谨慎地回答他说：“我不知道。” 在会议接下来的讨论中，虽然又回到了帝国总理大臣这个议题上，哈定却都没有再发一言。 事实上他根本没有再听下去，他已经发现了一个重要的新方向，所有的事情部在朝着这个方向发展。纵使目前他只掌握了一点蛛丝马迹，但是却也足够了。 心理学就是其中的关键，这一点他十分肯定。 他尽力回忆以前所学的心理学理论，从那些残存的知识中，他一开始就捕捉到了一个想法。 像谢顿这样伟大的心理学家，应该已经分析出了人类的七情六欲与本能反应，让他足以广泛地预测未来历史的大趋势。 而这代表着什么呢？ Chapter 4 Lord Dorwin took snuff. He also had long hair, curled intricately and,quite obviously, artificially, to which were added a pair of fluffy, blondsideburns, which he fondled affectionately. Then, too, he spoke inoverprecise statements and left out all the r's. At the moment, Hardin had no time to think of more of the reasons for theinstant detestation in which he had held the noble chancellor. Oh, yes, theelegant gestures of one hand with which he accompanied his remarks and thestudied condescension with which he accompanied even a simple affirmative. But, at any rate, the problem now was to locate him. He had disappearedwith Pirenne half an hour before ?passed clean out of sight, blast him. Hardin was quite sure that his own absence during the preliminarydiscussions would quite suit Pirenne. But Pirenne had been seen in this wing And on this floor. It was simply amatter of trying every door. Halfway down, he said, "Ah!" and stepped intothe darkened room. The profile of Lord Dorwin's intricate hair-do wasunmistakable against the lighted screen. Lord Dorwin looked up and said: "Ah, Hahdin. You ah looking foah us, nodoubt?" He held out his snuffbox ? overadorned and poor workmanship atthat, noted Hardinand was politely refused whereat he helped himself to apinch and smiled graciously. Pirenne scowled and Hardin met that with an expression of blankindifference. The only sound to break the short silence that followed was the clicking ofthe lid of Lord Dorwin's snuffbox. And then he put it away and said: "A gweat achievement, this Encyclopedia of yoahs, Hahdin. A feat, indeed,to rank with the most majestic accomplishments of all time.""Most of us think so, milord. It's an accomplishment not quite accomplishedas yet, however.""Fwom the little I have seen of the efficiency of yoah Foundation, I haveno feahs on that scoah." And he nodded to Pirenne, who responded with adelighted bow. Quite a love feast, thought Hardin. "I wasn't complaining about the lack ofefficiency, milord, as much as of the definite excess of efficiency on thepart of the Anacreonians ? though in another and more destructivedirection.""Ah, yes, Anacweon." A negligent wave of the hand. "I have just come fromtheah. Most bahbawous planet. It is thowoughly inconceivable that humanbeings could live heah in the Pewiphewy. The lack of the most elementawywequiahments of a cultuahed gentleman; the absence of the most fundamentalnecessities foah comfoht and convenience ? the uttah desuetude into whichthey? Hardin interrupted dryly: "The Anacreonians, unfortunately, have all theelementary requirements for warfare and all the fundamental necessities fordestruction.""Quite, quite." Lord Dorwin seemed annoyed, perhaps at being stopped midwayin his sentence. "But we ahn't to discuss business now, y'know. Weally, I'mothahwise concuhned. Doctah Piwenne, ahn't you going to show me the secondvolume? Do, please."The lights clicked out and for the next half-hour Hardin might as well havebeen on Anacreon for all the attention they paid him. The book upon thescreen made little sense to him, nor did he trouble to make the attempt tofollow, but Lord Dorwin became quite humanly excited at times. Hardinnoticed that during these moments of excitement the chancellor pronouncedhis r's. When the lights went on again, Lord Dorwin said: "Mahvelous. Twulymahvelous. You ah not, by chance, intewested in ahchaeology, ah you,Hahdin?""Eh?" Hardin shook himself out of an abstracted reverie. "No, milord, can'tsay I am. I'm a psychologist by original intention and a politician byfinal decision.""Ah! No doubt intewesting studies. 1, myself, y'know" ?he helped himselfto a giant pinch of snuff ?dabble in ahchaeology.""Indeed?""His lordship," interrupted Pirenne, "is most thoroughly acquainted withthe field.""Well, p'haps I am, p'haps I am," said his lordship complacently. "I havedone an awful amount of wuhk in the science. Extwemely well-read, in fact. I've gone thwough all of Jawdun, Obijasi, Kwomwill ... oh, all of them,y'know.""I've heard of them, of course," said Hardin, "but I've never read them.""You should some day, my deah fellow. It would amply repay you. Why, Icutainly considah it well wuhth the twip heah to the Pewiphewy to see thiscopy of Lameth. Would you believe it, my Libwawy totally lacks a copy. Bythe way, Doctah Piwenne, you have not fohgotten yoah pwomise totwansdevelop a copy foah me befoah I leave?""Only too pleased.""Lameth, you must know," continued the chancellor, pontifically, "pwesentsa new and most intwesting addition to my pwevious knowledge of the 'OwiginQuestion."' "Which question?" asked Hardin. "The 'Owigin Question.' The place of the owigin of the human species,y'know. Suahly you must know that it is thought that owiginally the humanwace occupied only one planetawy system.""Well, yes, I know that.""Of cohse, no one knows exactly which system it is ? lost in the mists ofantiquity. Theah ah theawies, howevah. Siwius, some say. Othahs insist onAlpha Centauwi, oah on Sol, oah on 61 Cygni ?all in the Siwius sectah, yousee.""And what does Lameth say?""Well, he goes off along a new twail completely. He twies to show thatahchaeological wemains on the thuhd planet of the Ahctuwian System showthat humanity existed theah befoah theah wah any indications ofspace-twavel.""And that means it was humanity's birth planet?""P'haps. I must wead it closely and weigh the evidence befoah I can sayfoah cuhtain. One must see just how weliable his obsuhvations ah."Hardin remained silent for a short while. Then he said, "When did Lamethwrite his book?""Oh ?I should say about eight hundwed yeahs ago. Of cohse, he has based itlahgely on the pwevious wuhk of Gleen.""Then why rely on him? Why not go to Arcturus and study the remains foryourself?"Lord Dorwin raised his eyebrows and took a pinch of snuff hurriedly. "Why,whatevah foah, my deah fellow?""To get the information firsthand, of course.""But wheah's the necessity? It seems an uncommonly woundabout andhopelessly wigmawolish method of getting anywheahs. Look heah, now, I'vegot the wuhks of all the old mastahs ? the gweat ahchaeologists of thepast. I wigh them against each othah ?balance the disagweements ?analyzethe conflicting statements ?decide which is pwobably cowwect ?and come toa conclusion. That is the scientific method. At least" ?patronizingly ?asI see it. How insuffewably cwude it would be to go to Ahctuwus, oah to Sol,foah instance, and blundah about, when the old mastahs have covahed thegwound so much moah effectually than we could possibly hope to do."Hardin murmured politely, "I see.""Come, milord," said Pirenne, "think we had better be returning.""Ah, yes. P'haps we had."As they left the room, Hardin said suddenly, "Milord, may I ask aquestion?"Lord Dorwin smiled blandly and emphasized his answer with a graciousflutter of the hand. "Cuhtainly, my deah fellow. Only too happy to be ofsuhvice. If I can help you in any way fwom my pooah stoah of knowledge-""It isn't exactly about archaeology, milord.""No?""No. It's this: Last year we received news here in Terminus about themeltdown of a power plant on Planet V of Gamma Andromeda. We got the barestoutline of the accident ?no details at all. I wonder if you could tell meexactly what happened."Pirenne's mouth twisted. "I wonder you annoy his lordship with questions ontotally irrelevant subjects.""Not at all, Doctah Piwenne," interceded the chancellor. "It is quite allwight. Theah isn't much to say concuhning it in any case. The powah plantdid undergo meltdown and it was quite a catastwophe, y'know. I believewadiatsen damage. Weally, the govuhnment is sewiously considewing placingseveah westwictions upon the indiscwiminate use of nucleah powah ?thoughthat is not a thing for genewal publication, y'know.""I understand," said Hardin. "But what was wrong with the plant?""Well, weally," replied Lord Dorwin indifferently, "who knows? It hadbwoken down some yeahs pweviously and it is thought that the weplacementsand wepaiah wuhk wuh most infewiah. It is so difficult these days to findmen who weally undahstand the moah technical details of ouah powahsystems." And he took a sorrowful pinch of snuff. "You realize," said Hardin, "that the independent kingdoms of the Peripheryhad lost nuclear power altogether?""Have they? I'm not at all suhpwised. Bahbawous planets?Oh, but my deahfellow, don't call them independent. They ahn't, y'know. The tweaties we'vemade with them ah pwoof positive of that. They acknowledge the soveweigntyof the Empewah. They'd have to, of cohse, oah we wouldn't tweat with them.""That may be so, but they have considerable freedom of action.""Yes, I suppose so. Considewable. But that scahcely mattahs. The Empiah isfah bettah off, with the Pewiphewy thwown upon its own wesoahces ?as itis, moah oah less. They ahn't any good to us, y'know. Most bahbawousplanets. Scahcely civilized.""They were civilized in the past. Anacreon was one of the richest of theoutlying provinces. I understand it compared favorably with Vega itself.""Oh, but, Hahdin, that was centuwies ago. You can scahcely dwaw conclusionfwom that. Things wah diffewent in the old gweat days. We ahn't the men weused to be, y'know. But, Hahdin, come, you ah a most puhsistent chap. I've told you I simply won't discuss business today. Doctah Piwenne didpwepayah me foah you. He told me you would twy to badgah me, but I'm fahtoo old a hand foah that. Leave it foah next day. And that was that. 第四章 　　道尔文大人嗜抽鼻烟，还留着长发，不过从精巧的鬈曲发式看来，很明显的并非是自然卷，他喜欢不时抚弄着两侧金黄色的蓬松鬓须。还有，这位大人说话时，喜欢故意用一些拗口的字眼来加重语气，说得舌头都要打起结来似的，令人听得很吃力。 哈定对这位尊贵的总理大臣的第一印象就是反感，一时之间自己也想不出个好理由来。哦，对了，因为他发表意见之际，总是喜欢故意摆出优雅的手势。即使只是对一件小事表示肯定，他也装模作样地摆出屈尊降贵的姿态。 不过这些都不重要，哈定想，现在唯一的问题是把他找出来。大约半个小时之前，道尔文大人与皮翰纳双双失踪，连半个人影都不见了。这个该死的家伙！ 哈定可以确定皮翰纳现在一定很高兴，因为自己没能参加他们的初步讨论。 不过哈定已经打听到，刚才有人看见皮翰纳就在这一层楼的这个侧翼，只要一扇一扇门打开检查就行了。 现在哈定已查看了过半数的房间，当他再打开一扇门时，突然叫道：“啊！”然后就立刻跑进那间漆黑的放映室。那里面的屏幕上，清楚地映出了道尔文大人精巧发式的轮廓。 这时道尔文大人拾起头来说：“啊！哈定，我肯定你是在寻我们，对不？”他掏出了鼻烟盒，哈定注意到上面有过多的装饰，显得俗不可耐，而且手工也不高明。道尔文大人作势要请哈定分享，哈定很礼貌地谢绝了，大人于是自己吸了一撮，然后露出优雅的微笑。 在一旁的皮翰纳皱着眉头，哈定却视而不见。 就这样维持了一段很短的沉默，直到道尔文大人盖上鼻烟盒，发出了“咔答”一声。然后他将鼻烟盒放好，对哈定说：“杰出之至，哈定。你们做的百科全书，真正是，不朽名作；堪称有史以来，最高贵成就！” “阁下，我们也大多作此感想。不过，这项成就至今还没有全部完成。” “无论如何，我认可你们基地的工作效率，我对你们有信心。肯定，你们会完成的。”道尔文大人说完后，还对皮翰纳点了点头，皮翰纳高兴万分地鞠躬还礼。 皮翰纳可真是会逢迎，哈定心里想。然后他向道尔文大人说：“我不敢抱怨基地缺乏效率，阁下，可是安纳克瑞昂的效率却更高——而他们的效率都用在毁灭的途径上。” “哦，是，安纳克瑞昂。”道尔文大人轻率地挥挥手：“我刚从那里来，好个野蛮行星！人类怎么可能住在银河外缘？不可思议！有教养绅士的基本所需，那里全欠缺，不舒服、不方便，简直没有生活的基本条件……” 哈定以淡淡的口吻插嘴道：“糟糕的是，安纳克瑞昂人却具有开启战端的基本所需，以及毁灭敌方的基本条件。” “没错，没错。”道尔文大人似乎有点不高兴，也许因为他的话被半途打断的关系。他继续说：“可是，此刻，并非讨论公事时间，明白吗？实实在在，没这份闲空。皮翰纳博士，你不是，还要给我看第二册的吗？我拭目以待，请！” 灯光立刻关闭，在接下来的半小时中，根本没有人理会哈定，仿佛他这个人已经跑到安纳克瑞昂去了。屏幕上所投射的百科全书内容，对于哈定而言没有什么意义，他也不想花费精神仔细去看。倒是道尔文大人，竟不时表现出真心诚意的兴奋。哈定还注意到，当这位大人兴奋起来的时候，装腔作势的口气就全不见了。 当灯光再度开启时，道尔文大人说：“精彩！精彩至极！你可是凑巧对考古学有兴趣？晤？哈定。” “啊？”哈定这时才从神游的状态中恢复过来，赶忙答道：“不敢，阁下，我不敢说有兴趣。我原本想成为心理学家，最后决定献身政治。” “啊，确实无疑，有趣的学问。你知道——”道尔文大人掐了一大撮鼻烟，猛吸了几下，这才继续说：“我，本人，对考古学也稍有涉猎。” “真的吗？” 皮翰纳打岔道：“大人对这门学问极为精通。” 道尔文大人说：“喔，也许吧，也许吧。”然后他又得意洋洋地说：“苦功，我着实下了不少。换句话说，对这门科学，我可以说饱览群书。我读通、读透了久当、欧必贾西、克罗姆威尔……这些大考古学家的所有着作，你知道吗？” “我当然听说过这些着名的考古学家，”哈定说：“但是从来没有读过他们的书。” “你一定得找时间，好好读一读，我亲爱的朋友，你必然受益无穷。啊！这趟银河外缘之旅，让我亲眼目睹，拉玛斯的绝版书，还真不虚此行。在我们图书馆里，此书竟然从缺，真真正正，想不到吧！嗨，对啦！皮翰纳博士，你答应过，在我走前，要复制一本送我，别忘记喽！” “荣幸之至。” “拉玛斯，你们要知道——”总理大臣摆出一副权威姿态说：“他对‘起源问题’提出了一个崭新的、非常有趣的说法，对我的思考，助益良多。” “您刚才说什么问题？”哈定问。 “‘起源问题’——就是人类发源于何处的问题。当然，你一定学过，人类最初是发源于一个行星系的理论。” “喔，对，这个我知道。” “不知道才怪。可是，究竟是哪个行星系呢？这就没人知道喽！谜，诚然是淹没在亘古长空中的大谜。理论，各种、理论；有人认为是天狼星周围的一颗行星，也有人认为那颗恒星是南门二，还有人说是金鸟，或是天鹅座六十一号。这些恒星都在天狼星区，你们注意到没有？” “拉玛斯又是怎么说的？” “嘿，他完完全全，另辟蹊径。他用大角星系第三颗行星上的考古遗迹，证明在没有任何太空旅行迹象前，那儿就已经有人类存在啦！” “这就表示那颗行星是人类的故乡吗？” “唔，有其待考察之可能性。也就是说，我还得仔细读、好好分析他的书、他的调查，看看究竟有，多少可靠？” 哈定沉默了一会儿，然后说：“拉玛斯的书是什么时候写成的？” “我该说——约当八百年前吧。当然，拉玛斯理论之绝大部分，乃根据葛林先前的研究结果。” “那您为什么要依靠他的资料？为何不干脆自己到大角星系，亲自去研究那些遗迹？” 道尔文大人扬了扬眉，又很快地吸了撮鼻烟，然后才说：“干嘛去，去干嘛？我亲爱的朋友？” “当然是去找第一手资料。” “咦，有此必要吗？没头苍蝇似的胡跑乱窜，找些子虚乌有的证据，没用的啦！听着，所有大师——过去伟大的考古学大师的研究纪录都在本人的手上。我可以比较、分析、同中求异、存异求同，看看它们相互矛盾之处，再决定哪一种说法可靠……结论就这样出来啦！这，就是科学方法，至少——”他以一副施惠予人的态度说：“就我所知，亲自跑到天狼星，或金乌星去，不折不扣是，最鲁莽的做法。想想看，能找到的，大师早研究得透透的啦。那么，我们去了还有啥子戏唱？” 哈定只好很礼貌地说了一句：“我明白了。” 这时皮翰纳对道尔文大人说：“阁下，我想我们现在该回去了。” “喔，对，也许真该走啦。” 当他们一起离开放映室之后，哈定突然又说：“阁下，我能再请问您一个问题吗？” “当然，我亲爱的朋友。设若本人粗浅的学问有任何可效劳之处，当乐于全力协助！”道尔文大人和气地微笑着，还优雅地挥着手来强调他的口气。 “阁下，不过这个问题，严格说来不能算是考古学。” “不是吗？” “不是的，我的问题如下：去年端点星收到了一则新闻，是关于仙女座三号的第五颗行星上面核电厂炉心融解的消息。关于这个意外，我们只得到了最简单的报导，详细情形完全不知道，所以希望大人能告诉我事情的始末。” 皮翰纳歪着嘴说：“你怎么拿这种完全无关的问题来打搅大人？” “不要紧，皮翰纳博士，”道尔文大人从中调停：“绝绝对对，没关系。反正，这件事没啥可说。那边的核电厂的确发生意外，也真是一场浩劫，你知道？放射性污染，我确认是。好啦，那么政府已经认真地，千思万考，要颁布几条严格限制的法律：那么今后也要禁止核能的滥用；那么……不过，这种事可不适合公开，你明白吗？” “我懂得，”哈定说：“但是那个电厂到底出了什么问题？” “其实，”道尔文大人淡淡地说：“谁知道？几年前，它就出过毛病啦。修理、换新，一切工作都做得差劲。这年头，到哪里去找真正懂电力系统详细结构的科技人才。唉，难、难、难！”然后他以沉重的心情又吸了一撮鼻烟。 “您知道吗？”哈定又说：“那些银河外缘的独立王国，全部都已经没有核能了。” “是吗？我倒觉得，这一点点也不稀奇。那些野蛮的行星！哦，对啦，我亲爱的朋友，你可千千万万，别再用‘独立’这两个字。他们不曾、也没有独立。从条约——我们和他们订定的条约，足以充分证明：他们全承认帝国的宗主权。当然，必须如此！否则，我们是不会跟他们交涉的。” “也许如此吧，但是他们有太多行动自由了。” “对，没错，很大。不过没关系。对帝国来说，银河外缘使用他们自己的资源，也还不坏。说起来，他们对我们没用处，简直是，最最野蛮的行星，谈不上一丁点文明。” “他们过去倒很文明，安纳克瑞昂曾经是外围星域最富庶的郡县之一，我知道它当年几乎跟织女星系一样富有。” “哦，哈定，那可是好几世纪以前的事喽。简直是，不好再拿它们来作文章。在以前，古老伟大的时代，一切的一切，都大大不相同。但是，都过去啦，我们没法再像古人那样啦。话说回来，哈定，千真万确的，你是我见过最顽固的小伙子。我不是声明在先，今天不谈公事的吗？皮翰纳博士刚才还特别警告我，说你会死缠不放。不过，应付这等局面，我是，老于此道的。一切问题，有待明日。” 于是他们的谈话便到此结束了。 Chapter 5 This was the second meeting of the Board that Hardin had attended, if onewere to exclude the informal talks the Board members had had with thenow-departed Lord Dorwin. Yet the mayor had a perfectly definite idea thatat least one other, and possibly two or three, had been held, to which hehad somehow never received an invitation. Nor, it seemed to him, would he have received notification of this one hadit not been for the ultimatum. At least, it amounted to an ultimatum, though a superficial reading of thevisigraphed document would lead one to suppose that it was a friendlyinterchange of greetings between two potentates. Hardin fingered it gingerly. It started off floridly with a salutation from"His Puissant Majesty, the King of Anacreon, to his friend and brother, Dr. Lewis Pirenne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, of the EncyclopediaFoundation Number One," and it ended even more lavishly with a gigantic,multicolored seal of the most involved symbolism. But it was an ultimatum just the same. Hardin said: "It turned out that we didn't have much time after all ?onlythree months. But little as it was, we threw it away unused. This thinghere gives us a week. What do we do now?"Pirenne frowned worriedly. "There must be a loophole. It is absolutelyunbelievable that they would push matters to extremities in the face ofwhat Lord Dorwin has assured us regarding the attitude of the Emperor andthe Empire."Hardin perked up. "I see. You have informed the King of Anacreon of thisalleged attitude?""I did ? after having placed the proposal to the Board for a vote andhaving received unanimous consent.""And when did this vote take place?"Pirenne climbed onto his dignity. "I do not believe I am answerable to youin any way, Mayor Hardin.""All right. I'm not that vitally interested. It's just my opinion that itwas your diplomatic transmission of Lord Dorwin's valuable contribution tothe situation"?he lifted the comer of his mouth in a sour half-smile?that was the direct cause of this friendly little note. They might havedelayed longer otherwise ?though I don't think the additional time wouldhave helped Terminus any, considering the attitude of the Board."Said Yate Fulham: "And just how do you arrive at that remarkableconclusion, Mr. Mayor?""In a rather simple way. It merely required the use of that much-neglectedcommodity ? common sense. You see, there is a branch of human knowledgeknown as symbolic logic, which can be used to prune away all sorts ofclogging deadwood that clutters up human language.""What about it?" said Fulham. "I applied it. Among other things, I applied it to this document here. Ididn't really need to for myself because I knew what it was all about, butI think I can explain it more easily to five physical scientists by symbolsrather than by words."Hardin removed a few sheets of paper from the pad under his arm and spreadthem out. "I didn't do this myself, by the way," he said. "Muller Holk ofthe Division of Logic has his name signed to the analyses, as you can see."Pirenne leaned over the table to get a better view and Hardin continued: "The message from Anacreon was a simple problem, naturally, for the men whowrote it were men of action rather than men of words. It boils down easilyand straightforwardly to the unqualified statement, when in symbols is whatyou see, and which in words, roughly translated, is, 'You give us what wewant in a week, or we take it by force.'"There was silence as the five members of the Board ran down the line ofsymbols, and then Pirenne sat down and coughed uneasily. Hardin said, "No loophole, is there, Dr. Pirenne?""Doesn't seem to be.""All right." Hardin replaced the sheets. "Before you now you see a copy ofthe treaty between the Empire and Anacreon ?a treaty, incidentally, whichis signed on the Emperor's behalf by the same Lord Dorwin who was here lastweek ?and with it a symbolic analysis."The treaty ran through five pages of fine print and the analysis wasscrawled out in just under half a page. "As you see, gentlemen, something like ninety percent of the treaty boiledright out of the analysis as being meaningless, and what we end up with canbe described in the following interesting manner: "Obligations of Anacreon to the Empire: None! "Powers of the Empire over Anacreon: None!"Again the five followed the reasoning anxiously, checking carefully back tothe treaty, and when they were finished, Pirenne said in a worried fashion,"That seems to be correct.""You admit, then, that the treaty is nothing but a declaration of totalindependence on the part of Anacreon and a recognition of that status bythe Empire?""It seems so.""And do you suppose that Anacreon doesn't realize that, and is not anxiousto emphasize the position of independence ?so that it would naturally tendto resent any appearance of threats from the Empire? Particularly when itis evident that the Empire is powerless to fulfill any such threats, or itwould never have allowed independence.""But then," interposed Sutt, "how would Mayor Hardin account for LordDorwin's assurances of Empire support? They seemed ? He shrugged. "Well,they seemed satisfactory."Hardin threw himself back in the chair. "You know, that's the mostinteresting part of the whole business. I'll admit I had thought hisLordship a most consummate donkey when I first met him ?but it turned outthat he was actually an accomplished diplomat and a most clever man. I tookthe liberty of recording all his statements."There was a flurry, and Pirenne opened his mouth in horror. "What of it?" demanded Hardin. "I realize it was a gross breach ofhospitality and a thing no so-called gentleman would do. Also, that if hislordship had caught on, things might have been unpleasant; but he didn't,and I have the record, and that's that. I took that record, had it copiedout and sent that to Holk for analysis, also."Lundin Crast said, "And where is the analysis?""That," replied Hardin, "is the interesting thing. The analysis was themost difficult of the three by all odds. When Holk, after two days ofsteady work, succeeded in eliminating meaningless statements, vaguegibberish, useless qualifications ? in short, all the goo and dribble ?hefound he had nothing left. Everything canceled out.""Lord Dorwin, gentlemen, in five days of discussion didn't say one damnedthing, and said it so you never noticed. There are the assurances you hadfrom your precious Empire."Hardin might have placed an actively working stench bomb on the table andcreated no more confusion than existed after his last statement. He waited,with weary patience, for it to die down. "So," he concluded, "when you sent threats ?and that's what they were ? concerning Empire action to Anacreon, you merely irritated a monarch whoknew better. Naturally, his ego would demand immediate action, and theultimatum is the result-which brings me to my original statement. We haveone week left and what do we do now?""It seems," said Sutt, "that we have no choice but to allow Anacreon toestablish military bases on Terminus.""I agree with you there," replied Hardin, "but what do we do toward kickingthem off again at the first opportunity?"Yate Fulham's mustache twitched. "That sounds as if you have made up yourmind that violence must be used against them.""Violence," came the retort, "is the last refuge of the incompetent. But Icertainly don't intend to lay down the welcome mat and brush off the bestfurniture for their use.""I still don't like the way you put that," insisted Fulham. "It is adangerous attitude; the more dangerous because we have noticed lately thata sizable section of the populace seems to respond to all your suggestionsjust so. I might as well tell you, Mayor Hardin, that the board is notquite blind to your recent activities."He paused and there was general agreement. Hardin shrugged. Fulham went on: "If you were to inflame the City into an act of violence,you would achieve elaborate suicide ? and we don't intend to allow that. Our policy has but one cardinal principle, and that is the Encyclopedia. Whatever we decide to do or not to do will be so decided because it will bethe measure required to keep that Encyclopedia safe.""Then," said Hardin, "you come to the conclusion that we must continue ourintensive campaign of doing nothing."Pirenne said bitterly: "You have yourself demonstrated that the Empirecannot help us; though how and why it can be so, I don't understand. Ifcompromise is necessary? Hardin had the nightmarelike sensation of running at top speed and gettingnowhere. "There is no compromise! Don't you realize that this bosh aboutmilitary bases is a particularly inferior grade of drivel? Haut Rodric toldus what Anacreon was after ?outright annexation and imposition of its ownfeudal system of landed estates and peasant-aristocracy economy upon us. What is left of our bluff of nuclear power may force them to move slowly,but they will move nonetheless."He had risen indignantly, and the rest rose with him except for Jord Fara. And then Jord Fara spoke. "Everyone will please sit down. We've gone quitefar enough, I think. Come, there's no use looking so furious, Mayor Hardin;none of us have been committing treason.""You'll have to convince me of that!"Fara smiled gently. "You know you don't mean that. Let me speak!"His little shrewd eyes were half closed, and the perspiration gleamed onthe smooth expanse of his chin. "There seems no point in concealing thatthe Board has come to the decision that the real solution to theAnacreonian problem lies in what is to be revealed to us when the Vaultopens six days from now.""Is that your contribution to the matter?""Yes.""We are to do nothing, is that fight, except to wait in quiet serenity andutter faith for the deus ex machina to pop out of the Vault?""Stripped of your emotional phraseology, that's the idea.""Such unsubtle escapism! Really, Dr. Fara, such folly smacks of genius. Alesser mind would be incapable of it."Fara smiled indulgently. "Your taste in epigrams is amusing, Hardin, butout of place. As a matter of fact, I think you remember my line of argumentconcerning the Vault about three weeks ago.""Yes, I remember it. I don't deny that it was anything but a stupid ideafrom the standpoint of deductive logic alone. You said ?stop me when Imake a mistake ?that Hari Seldon was the greatest psychologist in theSystem; that, hence, he could foresee the right and uncomfortable spotwe're in now; that, hence, he established the Vault as a method of tellingus the way out.""You've got the essence of the idea.""Would it surprise you to hear that I've given considerable thought to thematter these last weeks?""Very flattering. With what result?""With the result that pure deduction is found wanting. Again what is neededis a little sprinkling of common sense.""For instance?""For instance, if he foresaw the Anacreonian mess, why not have placed uson some other planet nearer the Galactic centers? It's well known thatSeldon maneuvered the Commissioners on Trantor into ordering the Foundationestablished on Terminus. But why should he have done so? Why put us outhere at all if he could see in advance the break in communication lines,our isolation from the Galaxy, the threat of our neighbors ? and ourhelplessness because of the lack of metals on Terminus? That above all! Orif he foresaw all this, why not have warned the original settlers inadvance that they might have had time to prepare, rather than wait, as heis doing, until one foot is over the cliff, before doing so? "And don't forget this. Even though he could foresee the problem then, wecan see it equally well now. Therefore, if he could foresee the solutionthen, we should be able to see it now. After all, Seldon was not amagician. There are no trick methods of escaping from a dilemma that he cansee and we can't.""But, Hardin," reminded Fara, "we can't!""But you haven't tried. You haven't tried once. First, you refused to admitthat there was a menace at all! Then you reposed an absolutely blind faithin the Emperor! Now you've shifted it to Hari Seldon. Throughout you haveinvariably relied on authority or on the past ?never on yourselves."His fists balled spasmodically. "It amounts to a diseased attitude ?aconditioned reflex that shunts aside the independence of your mindswhenever it is a question of opposing authority. There seems no doubt everin your minds that the Emperor is more powerful than you are, or HariSeldon wiser. And that's wrong, don't you see?"For some reason, no one cared to answer him. Hardin continued: "It isn't just you. It's the whole Galaxy. Pirenne heardLord Dorwin's idea of scientific research. Lord Dorwin thought the way tobe a good archaeologist was to read all the books on the subject ?writtenby men who were dead for centuries. He thought that the way to solvearchaeological puzzles was to weigh the opposing authorities. And Pirennelistened and made no objections. Don't you see that there's something wrongwith that?"Again the note of near-pleading in his voice. Again no answer. He went on: "And you men and half of Terminus as well are just as bad. Wesit here, considering the Encyclopedia the all-in-all. We consider thegreatest end of science. is the classification of past data. It isimportant, but is there no further work to be done? We're receding andforgetting, don't you see? Here in the Periphery they've lost nuclearpower. In Gamma Andromeda, a power plant has undergone meltdown because ofpoor repairs, and the Chancellor of the Empire complains that nucleartechnicians are scarce. And the solution? To train new ones? Never! Insteadthey're to restrict nuclear power."And for the third time: "Don't you see? It's Galaxywide. It's a worship ofthe past. It's a deterioration ?a stagnation!"He stared from one to the other and they gazed fixedly at him. Fara was the first to recover. "Well, mystical philosophy isn't going tohelp us here. Let us be concrete. Do you deny that Hari Seldon could easilyhave worked out historical trends of the future by simple psychologicaltechnique?""No, of course not," cried Hardin. "But we can't rely on him for asolution. At best, he might indicate the problem, but if ever there is tobe a solution, we must work it out ourselves. He can't do it for us."Fulham spoke suddenly. "What do you mean ?'indicate the problem'? We knowthe problem."Hardin whirled on him. "You think you do? You think Anacreon is all HariSeldon is likely to be worried about. I disagree! I tell you, gentlemen,that as yet none of you has the faintest conception of what is really goingon.""And you do?" questioned Pirenne, hostilely. "I think so!" Hardin jumped up and pushed his chair away. His eyes werecold and hard. "If there's one thing that's definite, it is that there'ssomething smelly about the whole situation; something that is bigger thananything we've talked about yet. Just ask yourself this question: Why wasit that among the original population of the Foundation not one first-classpsychologist was included, except Bor Alurin? And he carefully refrainedfrom training his pupils in more than the fundamentals."A short silence and Fara said: "All right. Why?""Perhaps because a psychologist might have caught on to what this was allabout ? and too soon to suit Hari Seldon. As it is, we've been stumblingabout, getting misty glimpses of the truth and no more. And that is whatHari Seldon wanted."He laughed harshly. "Good day, gentlemen!"He stalked out of the room. 第五章 　　如果不算道尔文大人在此之际，理事会的成员与他所做的非正式会谈，今天只是哈定第二次参加理事会的会议。不过哈定心知肚明，晓得在此之前，他们还举行过少则一次、多则两三次的理事会，然而他就是没有接到开会通知。 哈定也知道，要不是因为收到了那个最后通牒，这次会议想必仍旧没他的份。 那份记录在显象装置中的文件，表面上看起来，好像是两位领导者之间友善的问候函件：然而实质上，它就是一份不折不扣的最后通牒。 现在哈定正用手指轻抚着那份文件，它的开头是华丽的问候语：“神圣权威的安纳克瑞昂国王陛下，致他的好友与兄弟——百科全书第一号基地理事会主席路易•皮翰纳博士……”信的结尾更是做作，盖了一个巨大的彩色国玺，由于上面的符号过于繁复，让人几乎看不清楚代表的是什么。 然而无论如何，它仍然是一份最后通牒。 哈定说：“这可证明了我们的时间原本不多，只有三个月而已。但即使只有这么一点时间，最后还是被我们浪费掉了。这份文件只给我们一周的期限，我们要怎么办？” 皮翰纳愁眉苦脸地说：“这里头一定有什么不对劲，简直是不可能。皇上与帝国对此事的态度，道尔文大人刚刚向我们保证过，他们也已经知道了，怎么还会采取这种极端的手段？” 哈定立刻发难：“我明白了，你已经把所谓的‘皇上与帝国的态度’，知会了安纳克瑞昂的国王，对不对？” “我是这么做了，但是我曾经将这个提议交付理事会表决的，结果大家一致赞成。” “表决是什么时候举行的？” 皮翰纳又恢复了主席的尊严，对哈定说：“哈定市长，我想我并没有任何义务，一定要回答你这个问题。” “好吧，反正我也没有太大的兴趣想知道。我只是认为，你那份传达道尔文大人珍贵意见的外交信件，”他咧开嘴角，皮笑肉不笑地说：“是我们收到这个‘善意回应’的直接原因，否则他们可能还会拖得久一点。不过根据本理事会一贯的态度，我想即使仍有时间，对端点星还是不会有什么帮助的。” 这时叶特•富汉发言说：“市长先生，你又是如何得出这个惊人的结论？” “我的方法其实相当简单，只是用到一点大家全都忽视了的东西——常识。你们可知道，人类知识中有一门学问称为符号逻辑，可以将普通的语言文字中，混淆语意的所有障碍物一一排除。” “那又怎么样？”富汉追问。 “我在百忙之中，曾抽空以符号逻辑分析了这份文件。其实对我自己来说，根本不用这么麻烦，因为我很明白它的真正意义。但是我想对于你们五位科学家，我用符号来解释，要比直说来得容易的多。” 哈定将原先压在手肘下面的几张纸摊开来：“顺便说一声，这不是我自己做的。你们可以看到，这份分析下面的签名是逻辑部的穆勒•侯克。” 皮翰纳站起来靠着桌子，想要看得清楚一点。哈定则继续说道：“安纳克瑞昂的这封信所透露的真正信息，其实非常容易分析，因为写信的人不是摇笔杆而是拿枪杆的。所以它很容易蒸馏，让赤裸裸的意义显露出来。你们现在看到的，是分析结果的符号表现，如果翻译成普通的语言，大意就是：限你们一周之内，将我们所要的全数奉上，否则我们就要诉诸武力。” 其他的五位理事开始逐行研究这些符号，维持了好一阵子的沉默。然后皮翰纳坐回位子，忧心忡忡地干咳着。哈定说：“没有什么不对劲吧，皮翰纳博士？” “似乎没有。” “好的，”哈定将那几张纸收起来，另外又拿出两份文件：“在你们面前的，是帝国与安纳克瑞昂所签定的条约副本——代表皇帝陛下签署这个条约的，正巧就是上周莅临本星的道尔文大人，旁边这张是它的逻辑分析。” 那份条约用细小的字体印了满满五页，分析却只有龙飞凤舞的半页手稿。 “你们一定可以看得出来，各位理事，经过分析之后，这份条约的百分之九十都被蒸馏掉了，因为那些全都是没有意义的外交辞令。剩下来的内容，可以用两句很有意思的话来总括： “安纳克瑞昂对帝国应尽的义务：无！ “帝国对安纳克瑞昂可行使的政权：无！” 然后五位理事又很焦急地研读着分析，还拿着条约原文对照检查。当他们忙完了之后，皮翰纳以很不安的语气说：“这似乎也很正确。” “那么你承认，这份条约不折不扣就是安纳克瑞昂的独立宣言，并且还附有帝国的正式承认？” “好像就是如此。” “难道安纳克瑞昂就不明白这一点吗？他们现在一定急着到处强调独立的地位，因此对于任何来自帝国方面的威胁，必然会感到有如芒刺在背。尤其目前的态势很明显，帝国根本无力对他们构成威胁，否则也绝对不会默许他们独立。” “可是，”瑟特插嘴道：“道尔文大人保证帝国会支持我们，这点哈定市长又要如何解释呢？这些保证——”他耸耸肩，然后又说：“老实说，听起来似乎很受用。” 哈定坐回椅子里，然后回答他说：“你可知道，这就是整个事件最有意思的一个环节。我承认在刚见到那位大人的时候，曾经认为他是全银河最蠢的笨驴，后来才发现他其实最聪明不过，而且是一位很老练的外交家。我自作主张，将他说的话都录了下来。” 这句话立刻引起会场中一阵慌乱，皮翰纳吓得连嘴巴都合不拢了。 “这有什么了不起？”哈定说：“我明白这么做非常有违待客之道，也是正人君子所不为的手段，而且如果当场被大人抓到，还会发生很不愉快的后果。不过他终究没有发现，所以说我成功了，如此而已。我将录音复制了一份，也一并送到逻辑部，请侯克帮我分析。” 卢定•克瑞斯特马上问道：“分析报告呢？” 哈定回答说：“结果可是非常有趣。毫无疑问，这个录音显然远比其他两份文件难以分析，侯克不停工作了两天，终于成功地去除了所有的废话、无用的修辞，以及没有实质意义的言论。简单地说，就是抽丝剥茧、去芜存菁。结果他发现，竟然没有任何东西剩下来，所有的命题都互椬抵销了。 “各位理事，道尔文大人在整整五天的讨论中，根本等于一个屁也没有放。可是他却说得天花乱坠，把你们全都唬得一愣一愣的，这就是你们从伟大的帝国所得到的保证。” 哈定这番话讲完之后，全场立刻爆发了极大的骚动，现在即使他在会议桌上摆一枚臭弹，也不会引起什么人的注意。他开始耐心地等待骚动消退，越等越是不耐烦。最后他开始下结论：“你们向安纳克瑞昂传达道尔文大人的信息，也就是说，你们故意拿帝国来威胁他们，唯一的结果，就是激怒了那位比你们更了解现况的国王。他当然只好采取立即的行动，马上送来这份最后通牒。这就又兜回到我原来的问题，我们只有一周的时间，到底要怎么办？” 瑟特说：“我们似乎别无选择，只好答应安纳克瑞昂在这里建立军事基地。” “这点我同意，”哈定回答：“但是一旦机会来临时，我们要怎样再把他们踢走？” 叶特•富汉的胡须抽动着：“听起来好像你已经下定决心，一定要用武力来对付他们。” 哈定反驳道：“武力，是无能者最后的手段。可是我也绝对不打算为他们铺上红地毯将他们请到家中奉为上宾。” “我还是不喜欢你这种说法，”富汉坚持：“这是一种很危险的态度，而且我们近来还注意到，大批的群众似乎都盲从着你的提议，所以这就显得更加危险了。我可以告诉你，哈定市长，本理事会对于你最近的活动，可不是完全一无所知。” 他顿了一顿，其他四位理事都表示赞成。哈定的反应只是耸耸肩膀，装着若无其事。 然后富汉又继续说：“如果你要煽动全市采取武力的手段，那就等于自取灭亡——我们不会让你这样做的。我们的政策只有一项基本原则，那就是一切以百科全书为重。我们做出的任何决定，不论是采取或是放弃某一个行动，出发点都是为了保护百科全书的安全。” 哈定说：“那么，你的结论是说，我们要继续贯彻以不变应万变？” 皮翰纳以无可奈何的口气说：“你自己刚才已经证明了帝国无法帮助我们，虽然细节我仍不明白。如果必须妥协的话……” 哈定感觉好像在作一场恶梦，拼命奔跑却哪里也到不了。他吼道：“根本没有妥协！军事基地这种蠢话只是极为拙劣的藉口，你难道看不出来吗？若缀克已经告诉我们安纳克瑞昂真正想要的是什么——是彻底地兼并端点星，将他们的贵族封地制度与小农经济体系，强行加在我们头上。我虚张声势说我们有核能，只能让他们投鼠忌器，可是他们迟早都会行动的。” 说完哈定就激动地站了起来，其他的人也立刻跟着他站起来，只有裘德•法拉例外。 这时法拉终于开口：“请各位都坐下来好吗？我想我们已经离题太远了。别这样，生这么大的气根本没有用。哈定市长，我们都没有想要背叛端点星。” “我可不相信！” 法拉温和地微笑着说：“你自己也知道这不是真心话，请让我发言好吗？” 法拉机灵的小眼睛眯起一半，宽圆的下颚冒出油油的汗水：“本理事会已达成一项决议，这似乎没有什么说不得的。那就是关于安纳克瑞昂这个问题，等到六天后穹窿开启的时候，我们就应该可以获得解决之道。” “这就是你的高见吗？” “是的。” “所以我们什么也不用做，对不对？只要充满信心地静静等待，穹窿中就会跳出意想不到的救星？” “把你那些情绪化的措辞过滤掉，就是我的想法。” “明显的逃避主义！法拉博士，你真是个大愚若智的天才。不是像你这么聪明的人，还真想不出来这么高明的建议。” 法拉却不以为意地微笑着：“你的尖酸刻薄还真有点意思，哈定，不过这回用错了地方。事实上，我想你应该还记得，三个星期以前开会的时候，我对穹窿所做的推论吧。” “是的，我记得。我并不否认，如果单就逻辑推理而言，那不能算是一个愚蠢的想法。你上次说——如果我说错的话，请随时纠正——哈里•谢顿是这个星域最伟大的心理学家，所以他可以预见到我们如今所遭遇的各种困难。他也因此建立了穹窿，目的就是为了告诉我们如何趋吉避凶。” “你领会了我的主要想法。” “如果我告诉你，过去几周以来，我曾经好好考虑过你的话，你会不会感到惊讶？” “非常荣幸，结果如何？” “结果我发现光是逻辑推理并不够，还需要用到一点点的常识。” “比如说？” “比如说，如果谢顿预见了安纳克瑞昂将带来的麻烦，当初为什么不把我们安置在离银河核心近一点的地方？我们现在都知道，当时是谢顿用计，诱使川陀的公共安全委员会决定将基地设在端点星的。但是他为何要这么做呢？如果他预先推算出银河中的联系会中断，我们因此会与银河主体隔绝，又为强邻环伺，而且端点星如此缺乏金属，使我们无法自给自足，那么他为什么还要将我们带到这里来？这是最重要的一点。话又说回来，如果他五十年前可以算得出来这些，又为什么不尽早警告最初的栘民？他们也许还可以有时间准备。他绝不会等到我们一只脚已经踏出悬崖，才跳出来告诉我们如何勒马。 “还有别忘了，就算他当年可以预见这个问题，我们如今也能够看得一样清楚。因此，如果他当时就能想出解决之道，我们现在也应该有办法做得到。谢顿毕竟不是什么魔术师，我们解不开的难局，他也没有什么魔法办得到。” “可是，哈定，”法拉提醒他说：“我们真的做不到！” “但你们还没有试过，连一次都没有试过，怎么就知道？刚开始的时候，你们根本就拒绝承认威胁的存在，然后又死守着对皇上的盲目信赖，现在又将希望转栘到谢顿身上——从头到尾你们不是依赖权威就是仰仗古人，从来没有自己作主。” 哈定说得越来越激动，拳头不自主地越捏越紧：“这就造成了一种病态，一种条件反射，遇到需要向权威挑战时，自己独立思考的能力就完全关闭。在你们的心目中，皇帝陛下无疑比自己更有力量，谢顿博士一定比自己更有智慧。这简直是荒谬，你们难道都不觉得吗？” 不知道为什么，反正没有人想要回答哈定的话。 于是哈定继续说：“其实不只是你们，整个银河全都一样。皮翰纳也听过道尔文大人对科学研究的看法，他认为一个好的考古学家，唯一要做的就是读完所有相关的书籍——那些书全是死了几百年的人写的。他还认为解决考古学之谜的办法，就是衡量比较各家权威的理论。皮翰纳那天都听到了，却没有表示任何意见。你们难道不觉得这里头有问题吗？” 哈定的语气仍然带着恳求，希望能有些反应，然而还是没有人回答。 哈定只好再说下去：“你们这些人，还有端点星一半的居民也都一样糟糕。你们坐在这里，将百科全书视为一切的一切，认为科学最终极、最伟大的目标，就是整理过去的知识。我承认这点很重要，但是难道不应该继续研究发展吗？我们正在大开倒车，正所谓不进则退，你们当真看不出来吗？银河外缘各个区域都已经不会使用核能，在仙女座三号星系的一颗行星上，一座核电厂因为维修不良而炉心融解。堂堂的帝国总理大臣，只会埋怨缺乏核工技术人员，可是因应之道是什么，多训练一些新手吗？根本连想都没有想到！他们采取的唯一措施，竟然是限制核能的使用。” 哈定第三次重申：“你们难道不觉得吗？这是一种泛银河的现象——尊古、怀古到了走火入魔，就是食古不化，阻滞不前！” 说完以后，哈定向每位理事一一望去，其他人都目不转睛地瞪着他。 法拉是第一个恢复正常的，他说：“好了，这些玄奥的大道理对我们没有用，我们应该实际一点。请问市长，你是否不相信哈里•谢顿能够用心理学的技术，轻易地算出未来的历史趋势？” “不，当然不是。”哈定吼道：“但是我们却不能指望他为我们提供解决之道，他顶多只能指出问题的症结所在。如果真有解决的办法，我们必须自己设法找出来，他绝对无法为我们代劳。” 富汉突然说：“你刚才说‘指出问题的症结’是什么意思？我们全都知道问题是什么。” 哈定转向他说：“你以为你知道吗？你认为安纳克瑞昂就是谢顿唯一担心的问题吗？我可不这么想。告诉你们，各位理事，直到目前为止，你们根本一点都没有弄清楚状况。” “你清楚吗？”皮翰纳以充满敌意的口气反问。 “我认为我知道！”哈定又跳起来，将他的椅子推到一旁，目光凌厉而冷酷地说：“目前唯一可以确定的事情，就是有一个与整个情况相关联的古怪存在，它比我们曾讨论过的任何事都更为重大。请你们自己想想，为什么当年来到基地的第一批人员，只有玻尔•艾鲁云一位一流的心理学家？可是他又小心翼翼，只是教授一些基本课程，从不将这门学说的真髓传给学生？” 在一阵短暂的沉默之后，法拉又说：“好吧，你说为什么？” “也许因为心理学家能够看透背后的一切，这样就会太早识破谢顿的安排。如今我们四处摸索，只能模糊地窥见一小部分真相，我想这就是谢顿真正的意图。” 说完哈定大声冷笑：“各位理事，告辞了！”然后就大步走出会议室。 Chapter 6 Mayor Hardin chewed at the end of his cigar. It had gone out but he waspast noticing that. He hadn't slept the night before and he had a good ideathat he wouldn't sleep this coming night. His eyes showed it. He said wearily, "And that covers it?""I think so." Yohan Lee put a hand to his chin. "How does it sound?""Not too bad. It's got to be done, you understand, with impudence. That is,there is to be no hesitation; no time to allow them to grasp the situation. Once we are in a position to give orders, why, give them as though you wereborn to do so, and they'll obey out of habit. That's the essence of acoup.""If the Board remains irresolute for even ? "The Board? Count them out. After tomorrow, their importance as a factor inTerminus affairs won't matter a rusty half-credit."Lee nodded slowly. "Yet it is strange that they've done nothing to stop usso far. You say they weren't entirely in the dark.""Fara stumbles at the edges of the problem. Sometimes he makes me nervous. And Pirenne's been suspicious of me since I was elected. But, you see, theynever had the capacity of really understanding what was up. Their wholetraining has been authoritarian. They are sure that the Emperor, justbecause he is the Emperor, is all-powerful. And they are sure that theBoard of Trustees, simply because it is the Board of Trustees acting in thename of the Emperor, cannot be in a position where it does not give theorders. That incapacity to recognize the possibility of revolt is our bestally."He heaved out of his chair and went to the water cooler. "They're not badfellows, Lee, when they stick to their Encyclopedia ?and we'll see thatthat's where they stick in the future. They're hopelessly incompetent whenit comes to ruling Terminus. Go away now and start things rolling. I wantto be alone."He sat down on the comer of his desk and stared at the cup of water. Space! If only he were as confident as he pretended! The Anacreonians werelanding in two days and what had he to go on but a set of notions andhalf-guesses as to what Had Seldon had been driving at these past fiftyyears? He wasn't even a real, honest-to-goodness psychologist ? just afumbler with a little training trying to outguess the greatest mind of theage. If Fara were fight; if Anacreon were all the problem Hari Seldon hadforeseen; if the Encyclopedia were all he was interested in preserving ? then what price coup d'閠at? He shrugged and drank his water. 第六章 　　哈定市长嘴里咬着雪茄，完全没有注意到雪茄已经熄灭了。他昨晚通宵未眠，也很肯定今晚同样无法睡觉，这一切都可以从他的眼中看出来。 他以疲倦的声音说：“这就可以了吗？” “我想没问题，”约翰•李一只手摸着下巴：“你认为如何？” “不坏，非这样冒险不可，你明白吗？也就是说不能有任何犹豫，不能给他们一点掌握情势的空档。一旦我们能够开始发号施令，哈，就要以最熟练的方式下达命令，他们一定会习惯性地服从的，这就是政变的基本原则。” “如果理事会仍然犹豫不决……” “理事会？不用顾虑他们。过了明天，他们对端点星的影响力比不上半个破铜板。” 约翰缓缓地点头：“不过我仍然感到很奇怪，为什么他们到现在还没有试图阻止我们？你说过，他们也不是完全被蒙在鼓里。” “法拉摸到了一点边，他有时候会让我有点担心，而皮翰纳在我当选的时候，就已经对我起疑了。不过，你知道，他们从来没有本事了解我的真正意图。这些人所受的训练全是威权主义式的，他们信赖皇上是全能的，只因为他是皇上；他们相信理事会不可能被架空，只是因为理事会奉皇上之名行事。没有人看得出政变的可能性，这一点帮了我们一个大忙。” 哈定从椅子上站起来，走到饮水机前面，继续说：“约翰，他们其实并不差，我是指当他们全心全意投注于百科全书的时候——那也是未来他们唯一的工作。可是让他们统治端点星，就显得太幼稚无能。现在走吧，将一切都发动，我想单独静一静。” 哈定坐上办公桌的一角，望着手中那杯水沉思。 天啊！他想，如果自己真有装出的那般自信就好了！安纳克瑞昂人两天后就要登陆了，而他现在所准备进行的，只是基于自己对谢顿为过去五十年所做的安排，做出的揣摩与猜测罢了。自己甚至不能算是一位正牌的心理学家，只是一个受了几天训练的半调子，现在却妄图看穿这位近代最伟大的心灵。 如果法拉猜得没错，如果安纳克瑞昂就是谢顿所预见的唯一问题，如果谢顿想保护的只是百科全书——那么发动军事政变又有什么用呢？ 他耸耸肩，一口气把水喝了下去。 Chapter 7 The Vault was furnished with considerably more than six chairs, as though alarger company had been expected. Hardin noted that thoughtfully and seatedhimself wearily in a comer just as far from the other five as possible. The Board members did not seem to object to that arrangement. They spokeamong themselves in whispers, which fell off into sibilant monosyllables,and then into nothing at all. Of them all, only Jord Fara seemed evenreasonably calm. He had produced a watch and was staring at it somberly. Hardin glanced at his own watch and then at the glass cubicle ?absolutelyempty ? that dominated half the room. It was the only unusual feature ofthe room, for aside from that there was no indication that somewhere acomputer was splitting off instants of time toward that precise moment whena muon stream would flow, a connection be made and? The lights went dim! They didn't go out, but merely yellowed and sank with a suddenness thatmade Hardin jump. He had lifted his eyes to the ceiling lights in startledfashion, and when he brought them down the glass cubicle was no longerempty. A figure occupied it ?a figure in a wheel chair! It said nothing for a few moments, but it closed the book upon its lap andfingered it idly. And then it smiled, and the face seemed all alive. It said, "I am Hari Seldon." The voice was old and soft. Hardin almost rose to acknowledge the introduction and stopped himself inthe act. The voice continued conversationally: "As you see, I am confined to thischair and cannot rise to greet you. Your grandparents left for Terminus afew months back in my time and since then I have suffered a ratherinconvenient paralysis. I can't see you, you know, so I can't greet youproperly. I don't even know how many of you there are, so all this must beconducted informally. If any of you are standing, please sit down; and ifyou care to smoke, I wouldn't mind." There was a light chuckle. "Why shouldI? I'm not really here."Hardin fumbled for a cigar almost automatically, but thought better of it. Hari Seldon put away his book ?as if laying it upon a desk at his side ? and when his fingers let go, it disappeared. He said: "It is fifty years now since this Foundation was established ? fifty years in which the members of the Foundation have been ignorant ofwhat it was they were working toward. It was necessary that they beignorant, but now the necessity is gone. "The Encyclopedia Foundation, to begin with, is a fraud, and always hasbeen!"There was a sound of a scramble behind Hardin and one or two muffledexclamations, but he did not turn around. Hari Seldon was, of course, undisturbed. He went on: "It is a fraud in thesense that neither I nor my colleagues care at all whether a single volumeof the Encyclopedia is ever published. It has served its purpose, since byit we extracted an imperial charter from the Emperor, by it we attractedthe hundred thousand humans necessary for our scheme, and by it we managedto keep them preoccupied while events shaped themselves, until it was toolate for any of them to draw back. "In the fifty years that you have worked on this fraudulent project ?thereis no use in softening phrases ?your retreat has been cut off, and youhave now no choice but to proceed on the infinitely more important projectthat was, and is, our real plan. "To that end we have placed you on such a planet and at such a time that infifty years you were maneuvered to the point where you no longer havefreedom of action. From now on, and into the centuries, the path you musttake is inevitable. You will be faced with a series of crises, as you arenow faced with the first, and in each case your freedom of action willbecome similarly circumscribed so that you will be forced along one, andonly one, path. "It is that path which our psychology has worked out ?and for a reason. "For centuries Galactic civilization has stagnated and declined, thoughonly a few ever realized that. But now, at last, the Periphery is breakingaway and the political unity of the Empire is shattered. Somewhere in thefifty years just past is where the historians of the future will place anarbitrary line and say: 'This marks the Fall of the Galactic Empire.' "And they will be right, though scarcely any will recognize that Fall foradditional centuries. "And after the Fall will come inevitable barbarism, a period which, ourpsychohistory tells us, should, under ordinary circumstances, last forthirty thousand years. We cannot stop the Fall. We do not wish to; forImperial culture has lost whatever virility and worth it once had. But wecan shorten the period of Barbarism that must follow ?down to a singlethousand of years. "The ins and outs of that shortening, we cannot tell you; just as we couldnot tell you the truth about the Foundation fifty years ago. Were you todiscover those ins and outs, our plan might fail; as it would have, had youpenetrated the fraud of the Encyclopedia earlier; for then, by knowledge,your freedom of action would be expanded and the number of additionalvariables introduced would become greater than our psychology could handle. "But you won't, for there are no psychologists on Terminus, and never were,but for Alurin ?and he was one of us. "But this I can tell you: Terminus and its companion Foundation at theother end of the Galaxy are the seeds of the Renascence and the futurefounders of the Second Galactic Empire. And it is the present crisis thatis starting Terminus off to that climax. "This, by the way, is a rather straightforward crisis, much simpler thanmany of those that are ahead. To reduce it to its fundamentals, it is this: You are a planet suddenly cut off from the still-civilized centers of theGalaxy, and threatened by your stronger neighbors. You are a small world ofscientists surrounded by vast and rapidly expanding reaches of barbarism. You are an island of nuclear power in a growing ocean of more primitiveenergy; but are helpless despite that, because of your lack of metals. "You see, then, that you are faced by hard necessity, and that action isforced on you. The nature of that action ?that is, the solution to yourdilemma ?is, of course, obvious!"The image of Hari Seldon reached into open air and the book once moreappeared in his hand. He opened it and said: "But whatever devious course your future history may take, impress italways upon your descendants that the path has been marked out, and that atits end is new and greater Empire!"And as his eyes bent to his book, he flicked into nothingness, and thelights brightened once more. Hardin looked up to see Pirenne facing him, eyes tragic and lips trembling. The chairman's voice was firm but toneless. "You were right, it seems. Ifyou will see us tonight at six, the Board will consult with you as to thenext move."They shook his hand, each one, and left, and Hardin smiled to himself. Theywere fundamentally sound at that; for they were scientists enough to admitthat they were wrong ?but for them, it was too late. He looked at his watch. By this time, it was all over. Lee's men were incontrol and the Board was giving orders no longer. The Anacreonians were landing their first spaceships tomorrow, but that wasall right, too. In six months, they would be giving orders no longer. In fact, as Hari Seldon had said, and as Salvor Hardin had guessed sincethe day that Anselm haut Rodric had first revealed to him Anacreon's lackof nuclear power ? the solution to this first crisis was obvious. Obvious as all hell! 第七章 　　穹窿中所准备的椅子远超过了六把，彷佛准备迎接许多人的到来。哈定细心地注意到了这一点，便找了一个离其他理事尽可能远的位置，然后慵懒地坐了下来。 理事们似乎对这个安排并不在意，他们先是互相低声交谈，然后大家的话越来越少，变成了每次只吐一两个字，最后终于每个人都闭了嘴。在他们五个人之中，看来只有法拉还比较镇定，哈定看到他掏出表来，表情严肃地看了看时间。 哈定也看看自己的表，然后又打量了一下那个占了室内一半面积的玻璃室——里面看起来空无一物。这个玻璃室是穹窿中唯一不寻常的物件，除此之外，看不出哪里还能受电脑的控制。在某个预定的准确时刻，缈子流就会触发电脑接通开关，然后…… 这时灯光突然暗了下来！ 电灯并没有完全熄灭，只是突然间变得昏黄，哈定却吓得跳了起来，吃惊地抬头望着屋顶的电灯。当他的目光回到玻璃室的时候，里面却已经起了变化。 玻璃室中出现了一个人的影象，那人坐在轮椅上。 那个影象起先并没有说话，只是将原来放在膝盖上的书合起来，随手把玩了一会儿。然后影象现出了微笑的表情，面孔看来栩栩如生。 影象终于开口道：“我是哈里•谢顿。”声音苍老而低弱。 哈定差一点就要起身向他致意，还好即时煞住了车。 声音继续不断地传来：“你们可以看得出来，我被禁锢在这张椅子上，所以无法起身向各位致意。在你们祖父辈到达端点星几个月之后，我就不幸中风瘫痪。当然，我看不见你们，所以也不能好好欢迎你们，我甚至不知道今天到场的有多少人，所以一切都不必拘泥。如果有任何人站着，请都坐下来，如果想抽烟，我也不反对。” 一阵轻笑之后，谢顿又说：“我何必反对呢？我又不是真的在这里。” 哈定听了，下意识地想要掏出一根雪茄，但随即又改变了心意。 哈里•谢顿这时将手上的书拿开，好像是将它放到身旁的桌上。可是当他的手指栘开之后，那本书的影象就消失了。 他继续说道：“基地建立至今，已经刚好五十年了。这五十年来，基地的工作人员并不知道他们的真正目标。因为过去必须瞒着他们，现在则没有这个必要了。 “百科全书基地，从一开始就是个幌子，而且一直都是如此！” 这时哈定身后传来一阵喧哗，还有一两声刻意压低的惊叹，不过他却没有回过头去。 哈里•谢顿当然不为所动，他继续说：“我说基地是个幌子，意思是说，我与我的同僚们根本不在意百科全书能否出版。百科全书的计划自有它的目的，因为藉着这个计划，我们从皇上那里弄来了一纸特许状，并且吸收了真正计划所需的十万人。同时还利用编纂百科全书的工作，让所有的人在时机尚未成熟之前有事可忙，直到任何人都无法再抽身为止。 “这五十年来，你们为了这个幌子而努力工作，现在我可以直言不讳地说，你们的退路已经被切断了。你们已经别无选择，只有继续投入另一个重要无数倍的计划，也就是我们真正的计划。 “为了这个真正的计划，我们设法在选定的时刻，将你们带到这个选定的行星上。当时就已经安排好了，五十年之后，你们的行动将会变得没有选择的自由。所以从现在开始，直到未来许多世纪，你们将走的都是必然的历史路径。你们会面临一连串的危机，如今的危机就是第一个。今后每次面临危机时，你们所能够采取的行动，也会被限制到只有唯一的一条路。 “这条路是我们用心理史学推算出来的，我们这样做的理由如下： “数个世纪以来，银河的文明不断地阻滞衰颓，可是仅有少数几个人注意到这个趋势。如今，至少银河外缘已经脱离，帝国的大一统局面已被粉碎。未来世代的历史学家，会在过去的五十年间选取一个时刻，将之标志为：‘银河帝国衰亡的起点’。 “他们这样做并没有错，但是在未来的几个世纪，大概不可能有其他人会了解这一点。 “银河帝国衰亡之后，接踵而来的就是不可避免的蛮荒时期。根据心理史学的推算，在正常的情况之下，这段时期将会持续三万年。我们无法阻止帝国的衰亡，也并无意从事这方面的努力，因为帝国的文化已经丧失了原有的活力与价值。但是我们却可以将必然出现的蛮荒时期缩短，缩短到仅剩一个千年。 “至于要如何做到这一点，详细的情形我现在还不能透露；正如同我在五十年前，不能将基地的实情说出来一样。万一你们发现了其中的详情，我们的计划就很可能失败。就好像如果百科全书的幌子太早被揭穿，你们能够选择的行动就会增加，这样便会引进太多新的变数，心理史学也就无能为力了。 “但我算准了你们不会提早发现这个秘密，因为在端点星，除了我们自己人艾鲁云之外，并没有其他的心理学家。 “不过有一点我可以告诉你们：端点星基地，与位于银河另一端的那个基地，都是银河文明复兴的种子，也将是第二个银河帝国的创建者。如今的这个危机，正好触发端点星朝向这个大业迈开第一步。 “我想顺便提一下，这次的危机其实很单纯，比起横亘于未来的诸多危机，实在容易得太多了。简单归纳起来，目前的情况如下：你们这个行星与仍旧保有文明的银河核心，互相间的联系突然被切断，同时还受到了强邻的威胁。你们是由科学家组成的小规模世界，周围庞大的蛮荒势力范围却迅速扩张。在附近不断膨胀的原始能源之洋中，你们是唯一的核能之岛，但是由于这里缺乏金属，所以仍然无法自给自足。 “因此你们可以体会到，你们面对的是冷酷的现实，迫于形势而必须采取行动。至于如何行动，也就是说危机要如何化解，其实是再明显不过的！” 谢顿的手向空中伸去，那本书立刻又出现在他的手中。他将书翻开来，然后又说：“不论你们未来的途径多么曲折，总要让后代子孙都牢记一件事，那就是该走的路都已经标明，这条路的终点将是一个崭新的、更伟大的帝国！” 谢顿的目光转回书上，他的影象在一瞬间消失无踪，灯光随即重新大放光明。 哈定抬起头来，看到皮翰纳面对着他，眼神充满哀戚，嘴唇不停地颤抖。 这位理事会的主席，以坚定平板的声音说：“似乎是你对了，请你今晚六点钟过来，理事会将与你研商下一步的行动。” 理事们一一与哈定握手，然后纷纷离去。哈定发出会心的微笑——他们基本上都还能够接受这个事实，因为终究是科学家，总有承认错误的雅量。不过对于他们而言，却已经太迟了。 他又看看表，这个时候一切都应该已经结束。约翰的人马已经掌握了全局，理事会无法再发号施令。 安纳克瑞昂的第一批星舰明天就要登陆，不过这也没有关系，要不了半年，他们也不能再向端点星发号施令了。 正如同哈里•谢顿所说的，也正如同塞佛•哈定所猜测的——当若缀克大人透露了他们没有核能的那天，他心里就已经有了数——第一次危机的解决之道，其实极为明显。 真他妈的明显极了！ PART III THE MAYORS Chapter 1 THE FOUR KINGDOMS ? The name given to those portions of the Province ofAnacreon which broke away from the First Empire in the early years of theFoundational Era to form independent and short-lived kingdoms. The largestand most powerful of these was Anacreon itself which in area... ... Undoubtedly the most interesting aspect of the history of the FourKingdoms involves the strange society forced temporarily upon it during theadministration of Salvor Hardin.... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAA deputation! That Salvor Hardin had seen it coming made it none the more pleasant. Onthe contrary, he found anticipation distinctly annoying. Yohan Lee advocated extreme measures. "I don't see, Hardin," he said, "thatwe need waste any time. They can't do anything till next election ? legally, anyway ? and that gives us a year. Give them the brush-off."Hardin pursed his lips. "Lee, you'll never learn. In the forty years I'veknown you, you've never once learned the gentle art of sneaking up frombehind.""It's not my way of fighting," grumbled Lee. "Yes, I know that. I suppose that's why you're the one man I trust." Hepaused and reached for a cigar. "We've come a long way, Lee, since weengineered our coup against the Encyclopedists way back. I'm getting old. Sixty-two. Do you ever think how fast those thirty years went?"Lee snorted. "I don't feel old, and I'm sixty-six.""Yes, but I haven't your digestion." Hardin sucked lazily at his cigar. Hehad long since stopped wishing for the mild Vegan tobacco of his youth. Those days when the planet, Terminus, had trafficked with every part of theGalactic Empire belonged in the limbo to which all Good Old Days go. Towardthe same limbo where the Galactic Empire was heading. He wondered who thenew emperor was ?or if there was a new emperor at all ? or any Empire. Space! For thirty years now, since the breakup of communications here atthe edge of the Galaxy, the whole universe of Terminus had consisted ofitself and the four surrounding kingdoms. How the mighty had fallen! Kingdoms! They were prefects in the old days,all part of the same province, which in turn had been part of a sector,which in turn had been part of a quadrant, which in turn had been part ofthe allembracing Galactic Empire. And now that the Empire had lost controlover the farther reaches of the Galaxy, these little splinter groups ofplanets became kingdoms ? with comic-opera kings and nobles, and petty,meaningless wars, and a life that went on pathetically among the ruins. A civilization falling. Nuclear power forgotten. Science fading tomythology ? until the Foundation had stepped in. The Foundation that HariSeldon had established for just that purpose here on Terminus. Lee was at the window and his voice broke in on Hardin's reverie. "They'vecome," he said, "in a late-model ground car, the young pups." He took a fewuncertain steps toward the door and then looked at Hardin. Hardin smiled, and waved him back. "I've given orders to have them broughtup here.""Here! What for? You're making them too important.""Why go through all the ceremonies of an official mayor's audience? I'mgetting too old for red tape. Besides which, flattery is useful whendealing with youngsters ? particularly when it doesn't commit you toanything." He winked. "Sit down, Lee, and give me your moral backing. I'llneed it with this young Sermak.""That fellow, Sermak," said Lee, heavily, "is dangerous. He's got afollowing, Hardin, so don't underestimate him.""Have I ever underestimated anybody?""Well, then, arrest him. You can accuse him of something or otherafterward."Hardin ignored that last bit of advice. "There they are, Lee." In responseto the signal, he stepped on the pedal beneath his desk, and the door slidaside. They filed in, the four that composed the deputation, and Hardin waved themgently to the armchairs that faced his desk in a semicircle. They bowed andwaited for the mayor to speak first. Hardin flicked open the curiously carved silver lid of the cigar box thathad once belonged to Jord Fara of the old Board of Trustees in thelong-dead days of the Encyclopedists. It was a genuine Empire product fromSantanni, though the cigars it now contained were home-grown. One by one,with grave solemnity, the four of the deputation accepted cigars and lit upin ritualistic fashion. Sef Sermak was second from the right, the youngest of the young group ?andthe most interesting with his bristly yellow mustache trimmed precisely,and his sunken eyes of uncertain color. The other three Hardin dismissedalmost immediately; they were rank and file on the face of them. It was onSermak that he concentrated, the Sermak who had already, in his first termin the City Council, turned that sedate body topsy-turvy more than once,and it was to Sermak that he said: "I've been particularly anxious to see you, Councilman, ever since yourvery excellent speech last month. Your attack on the foreign policy of thisgovernment was a most capable one."Sermak's eyes smoldered. "Your interest honors me. The attack may or maynot have been capable, but it was certainly justified.""Perhaps! Your opinions are yours, of course. Still you are rather young."Dryly. "It is a fault that most people are guilty of at some period oftheir life. You became mayor of the city when you were two years youngerthan I am now."Hardin smiled to himself. The yearling was a cool customer. He said, "Itake it now that you have come to see me concerning this same foreignpolicy that annoys you so greatly in the Council Chamber. Are you speakingfor your three colleagues, or must I listen to each of you separately?"There were quick mutual glances among the four young men, a slightflickering of eyelids. Sermak said grimly, "I speak for the people of Terminus ?a people who arenot now truly represented in the rubberstamp body they call the Council.""I see. Go ahead, then!""It comes to this, Mr. Mayor. We are dissatisfied? "By 'we' you mean 'the people,' don't you?"Sermak stared hostilely, sensing a trap, and replied coldly, "I believethat my views reflect those of the majority of the voters of Terminus. Doesthat suit you?""Well, a statement like that is all the better for proof, but go on,anyway. You are dissatisfied.""Yes, dissatisfied with the policy which for thirty years had beenstripping Terminus defenseless against the inevitable attack from outside.""I see. And therefore? Go on, go on.""It's nice of you to anticipate. And therefore we are forming a newpolitical party; one that will stand for the immediate needs of Terminusand not for a mystic 'manifest destiny' of future Empire. We are going tothrow you and your lick-spittle clique of appeasers out of City Hall-andthat soon.""Unless? There's always an 'unless,' you know.""Not much of one in this case: Unless you resign now. I'm not asking you tochange your policies ? I wouldn't trust you that far. Your promises areworth nothing. An outright resignation is all we'll take.""I see." Hardin crossed his legs and teetered his chair back on two legs. "That's your ultimatum. Nice of you to give me warning. But, you see, Irather think I'll ignore it.""Don't think it was a warning, Mr. Mayor. It was an announcement ofprinciples and of action. The new party has already been formed, and itwill begin its official activities tomorrow. There is neither room nordesire for compromise, and, frankly, it was only our recognition of yourservices to the City that induced us to offer the easy way out. I didn'tthink you'd take it, but my conscience is clear. The next election will be a more forcible and quite irresistible reminderthat resignation is necessary."He rose and motioned the rest up. Hardin lifted his arm. "Hold on! Sit down!"Sef Sermak seated himself once more with just a shade too much alacrity andHardin smiled behind a straight face. In spite of his words, he was waitingfor an offer. Hardin said, "In exactly what way do you want our foreign policy changed? Do you want us to attack the Four Kingdoms, now, at once, and all foursimultaneously?""I make no such suggestion, Mr. Mayor. It is our simple proposition thatall appeasement cease immediately. Throughout your administration, you havecarried out a policy of scientific aid to the Kingdoms. You have given themnuclear power. You have helped rebuild power plants on their territories. You have established medical clinics, chemical laboratories and factories.""Well? And your objection?""You have done this in order to keep them from attacking us. With these asbribes, you have been playing the fool in a colossal game of blackmail, inwhich you have allowed Terminus to be sucked dry ?with the result that nowwe are at the mercy of these barbarians.""In what way?""Because you have given them power, given them weapons, actually servicedthe ships of their navies, they are infinitely stronger than they werethree decades ago. Their demands are increasing, and with their newweapons, they will eventually satisfy all their demands at once by violentannexation of Terminus. Isn't that the way blackmail usually ends?""And your remedy?""Stop the bribes immediately and while you can. Spend your effort instrengthening Terminus itself ?and attack first!"Hardin watched the young fellow's little blond mustache with an almostmorbid interest. Sermak felt sure of himself or he wouldn't talk so much. There was no doubt that his remarks were the reflection of a pretty hugesegment of the population, pretty huge. His voice did not betray the slightly perturbed current of his thoughts. Ifwas almost negligent. "Are you finished?""For the moment.""Well, then, do you notice the framed statement I have on the wall behindme? Read it, if you will!"Sermak's lips twitched. "It says: 'Violence is the last refuge of theincompetent.' That's an old man's doctrine, Mr. Mayor.""I applied it as a young man, Mr. Councilman ?and successfully. You werebusily being born when it happened, but perhaps you may have read somethingof it in school."He eyed Sermak closely and continued in measured tones, "When Hari Seldonestablished the Foundation here, it was for the ostensible purpose ofproducing a great Encyclopedia, and for fifty years we followed thatwill-of-the-wisp, before discovering what he was really after. By thattime, it was almost too late. When communications with the central regionsof the old Empire broke down, we found ourselves a world of scientistsconcentrated in a single city, possessing no industries, and surrounded bynewly created kingdoms, hostile and largely barbarous. We were a tinyisland of nuclear power in this ocean of barbarism, and an infinitelyvaluable prize. "Anacreon, then as now, the most powerful of the Four Kingdoms, demandedand later actually established a military base upon Terminus, and the thenrulers of the City, the Encyclopedists, knew very well that this was only apreliminary to taking over the entire planet. That is how matters stoodwhen I ... uh ... assumed actual government. What would you have done?"Sermak shrugged his shoulders. "That's an academic question. Of course, Iknow what you did.""I'll repeat it, anyway. Perhaps you don't get the point. The temptationwas great to muster what force we could and put up a fight. It's theeasiest way out, and the most satisfactory to self-respect ?but, nearlyinvariably, the stupidest. You would have done it; you and your talk of'attack first.' What I did, instead, was to visit the three other kingdoms,one by one; point out to each that to allow the secret of nuclear power tofall into the hands of Anacreon was the quickest way of cutting their ownthroats; and suggest gently that they do the obvious thing. That was all. One month after the Anacreonian force had landed on Terminus, their kingreceived a joint ultimatum from his three neighbors. In seven days, thelast Anacreonian was off Terminus. Now tell me, where was the need for violence?"The young councilman regarded his cigar stub thoughtfully and tossed itinto the incinerator chute. "I fail to see the analogy. Insulin will bringa diabetic to normal without the faintest need of a knife, but appendicitisneeds an operation. You can't help that. When other courses have failed,what is left but, as you put it, the last refuge? It's your fault thatwe're driven to it.""I? Oh, yes, again my policy of appeasement. You still seem to lack graspof the fundamental necessities of our position. Our problem wasn't overwith the departure of the Anacreonians. They had just begun. The FourKingdoms were more our enemies than ever, for each wanted nuclear power-andeach was kept off our throats only for fear of the other three. We arebalanced on the point of a very sharp sword, and the slightest sway in anydirection ? If, for instance, one kingdom becomes too strong; or if twoform a coalition ?You understand?""Certainly. That was the time to begin all-out preparations for war.""On the contrary. That was the time to begin all-out prevention of war. Iplayed them one against the other. I helped each in turn. I offered themscience, trade, education, scientific medicine. I made Terminus of morevalue to them as a flourishing world than as a military prize. It workedfor thirty years.""Yes, but you were forced to surround these scientific gifts with the mostoutrageous mummery. You've made half religion, half balderdash out of it. You've erected a hierarchy of priests and complicated, meaningless ritual."Hardin frowned. "What of that? I don't see that it has anything to do withthe argument at all. I started that way at first because the barbarianslooked upon our science as a sort of magical sorcery, and it was easiest toget them to accept it on that basis. The priesthood built itself and if wehelp it along we are only following the line of least resistance. It is aminor matter.""But these priests are in charge of the power plants. That is not a minormatter.""True, but we have trained them. Their knowledge of their tools is purelyempirical; and they have a firm belief in the mummery that surrounds them.""And if one pierces through the mummery, and has the genius to brush asideempiricism, what is to prevent him from learning actual techniques, andselling out to the most satisfactory bidder? What price our value to thekingdoms, then?""Little chance of that, Sermak. You are being superficial. The best men onthe planets of the kingdoms are sent here to the Foundation each year andeducated into the priesthood. And the best of these remain here as researchstudents. If you think that those who are left, with practically noknowledge of the elements of science, or worse, still, with the distortedknowledge the priests receive, can penetrate at a bound to nuclear power,to electronics, to the theory of the hyperwarp ? you have a very romanticand very foolish idea of science. It takes lifetimes of training and anexcellent brain to get that far."Yohan Lee had risen abruptly during the foregoing speech and left the room. He had returned now and when Hardin finished speaking, he bent to hissuperior's ear. A whisper was exchanged and then a leaden cylinder. Then,with one short hostile look at the deputation, Lee resumed his chair. Hardin turned the cylinder end for end in his hands, watching thedeputation through his lashes. And then he opened it with a hard, suddentwist and only Sermak had the sense not to throw a rapid look at the rolledpaper that fell out. "In short, gentlemen," he said, "the Government is of the opinion that itknows what it is doing."He read as he spoke. There were the lines of intricate, meaningless codethat covered the page and the three penciled words scrawled in one comerthat carried the message. He took it in at a glance and tossed it casuallyinto the incinerator shaft. "That," Hardin then said, "ends the interview, I'm afraid. Glad to have metyou all. Thank you for coming." He shook hands with each in perfunctoryfashion, and they filed out. Hardin had almost gotten out of the habit of laughing, but after Sermak andhis three silent partners were well out of earshot, he indulged in a drychuckle and bent an amused look on Lee. "How did you like that battle of bluffs, Lee?"Lee snorted grumpily. "I'm not sure that he was bluffing. Treat him withkid gloves and he's quite liable to win the next election, just as hesays.""Oh, quite likely, quite likely ? if nothing happens first.""Make sure they don't happen in the wrong direction this time, Hardin. Itell you this Sermak has a following. What if he doesn't wait till the nextelection? There was a time when you and I put things through violently, inspite of your slogan about what violence is."Hardin cocked an eyebrow. "You are pessimistic today, Lee. And singularlycontrary, too, or you wouldn't speak of violence. Our own little putsch wascarried through without loss of life, you remember. It was a necessarymeasure put through at the proper moment, and went over smoothly,painlessly, and all but effortlessly. As for Sermak, he's up against adifferent proposition. You and I, Lee, aren't the Encyclopedists. We standprepared. Order your men onto these youngsters in a nice way, old fellow. Don't let them know they're being watched ?but eyes open, you understand."Lee laughed in sour amusement. "I'd be a fine one to wait for your orders,wouldn't I, Hardin? Sermak and his men have been under surveillance for amonth now."The mayor chuckled. "Got in first, did you? All right. By the way," heobserved, and added softly, "Ambassador Verisof is returning to Terminus. Temporarily, I hope."There was a short silence, faintly horrified, and then Lee said, "Was thatthe message? Are things breaking already?""Don't know. I can't tell till I hear what Verisof has to say. They may be,though. After all, they have to before election. But what are you lookingso dead about?""Because I don't know how it's going to turn out. You're too deep, Hardin,and you're playing the game too close to your chest.""Even you?" murmured Hardin. And aloud, "Does that mean you're going tojoin Sermak's new party?"Lee smiled against his will. "All right. You win. How about lunch now?" 第一章 　　市长 四王国……在基地纪元早期，安纳克瑞昂星省自第一帝国脱离，形成四个国祚甚短的独立王国。其中幅员最广、势力最强的，就是安纳克瑞昂王国，该王国版图为…… 四王国的历史中最有趣的局面，无疑是在塞佛•哈定执政期间，强行加诸其上的奇异社会形式…… ——“银河大百科全书” 第一章 代表团要来了！ 哈定早就知道他们会来，但是这却于事无补，反之，他还感到这种等待令人十分烦恼。 约翰•李则主张采取极端手段，他对哈定说：“我认为不应该再浪费时间了，哈定，在下次选举之前，他们还不可能有什么作为——至少在法律范围内如此。所以我们还有一年的时间，现在大可对他们置之不理，根本就不要见他们。” 哈定则噘着嘴说：“约翰，你认识我已经有四十年了，却从来没有学会迂回路线的战略艺术。” “那绝不会是我的战略。”约翰发起牢骚。 “嗯，我知道，我想就是因为如此，所以我才这么信任你。”哈定说到这里停了一下，伸手取了一根雪茄，又继续说：“约翰，自从我们发动政变，罢黜了编纂百科全书的学者以来，直到现在，已经有好长一段时间了。岁月不饶人，我已经老了——六十二岁了，你能不能想像，这三十年过得有多快？” 约翰哼了一声，然后说：“我并不觉得自己老，而我已经六十六岁了。” “是吗？我可没有像你那么高昂的斗志。”哈定懒洋洋地抽着雪茄——他已经很久没有妄想再抽到来自织女星系的雪茄，端点星与银河帝国各处保持贸易的黄金时光，已经成为尘封的记忆，就连银河帝国本身也正在走进历史。帝国现任的皇帝是谁？哈定想，还有新的皇帝吗？甚至，帝国是否还继续存在呢？天啊！自从银河系这个角落与其他地区通讯中断以来，到如今已经有三十年了，端点星的整个世界，仅仅剩下本身与周围的四王国而已。 帝国的没落实在太戏剧化了！现在这些所谓的“王国”，当年都只是同一个星省的郡县而已。星省上面还有星区，星区又只是象限的一个部分，而各个象限集合起来，才是无所不包的银河大帝国。如今，帝国的统治力量已经无法达到银河系最外围，这些零落稀疏的行星便组成了王国——还产生了滑稽可笑的迷你王侯贵族，发生了许多无意义的小战争，造成了人民在废墟中的艰难悲惨生活。 文明不断衰退，核能已被遗忘，科学变质为神话——直到基地加入了这个历史舞台。这个基地，就是哈里•谢顿为了那个长远的目标，而在端点星所建立的“基地”。 约翰的声音打断了哈定的沉思，他站在窗口说：“他们来了，驾着最新式的跑车来的，这些乳臭未干的臭小子。”他以犹豫的步伐向门口走了两三步，然后又回头望了望哈定。 哈定微笑着，挥手表示要他回来：“是我下令要他们到这里来的。” “这里！为什么？这不是太抬举他们了吗？” “何必要他们照官样仪式，正式拜见市长？我已经老了，不喜欢那些繁文耨节了。此外，和年轻人打交道，多捧捧他们还是有好处的——尤其是像这样惠而不费的机会。”哈定向约翰眨眨眼，又说：“约翰，坐下来，给我一点精神上的支持。在我应付瑟麦克这个年轻人的时候，我还真的需要呢。” “那个叫作瑟麦克的家伙非常危险，”约翰以沉重的口气说：“他的手下有一批追随者。哈定，你可别小看他。” “我什么时候小看过任何人？” “那么把他逮捕吧，理由和罪名以后再找。” 哈定没有理会约翰的最后一句劝告，只是说：“约翰，他们来了。” 此时叩门的讯号传来，哈定立刻踩下办公桌下的踏板，办公室的门便向一侧滑开。 代表团总共有四个人，他们陆续走了进来。哈定亲切地挥手，示意他们坐在桌前排成半圆形的扶手椅上。四位代表鞠躬后便坐下，等着市长先开口说话。 哈定却先打开雪茄盒的银质盖子——这个雪茄盒本来是属于当年的百科全书编纂者，理事会成员之一裘德•法拉的，它是圣塔尼出品的道地帝国货，盖子上面还有精致的雕刻，不过现在里面装的却是本地的产品。四位代表一个个庄重地接过了雪茄，然后以最优雅礼貌的方式点着了火。 赛夫•瑟麦克坐在右首第二个，他是这批年轻人中年纪最轻的，也是看来最有意思的一位。他有着金黄色的硬髭，修剪得整整齐齐，深陷的眼珠色泽并不明显。哈定几乎立刻就忽略了另外三个人，由他们的神情看来，就可以知道他们只是跟班而已。哈定将注意力集中在这个瑟麦克身上，他是一位新科市议员，但是已经不只一次将严肃的市议会搞得鸡飞狗跳。 哈定开始对瑟麦克说：“议员先生，自从上个月你发表了那场精采的演说之后，我就一直很想见见你。你对于政府对外政策的攻击，可以说是相当精辟。” 瑟麦克的眼神看来很不满，他回答说：“能够引起你的注意，真是荣幸。姑且不论我做的攻击是否精辟，但那是十分正确的。” “或许是吧！当然，那只是你个人的意见，你还太年轻了。” 瑟麦克冷淡地答道：“年轻如果是缺点的话，那么这个缺点，大多数的人一生中都难免会经历一阵子。而你比我现在还小两岁时，就已经当上市长了。” 哈定心里在暗笑，这个年轻人的确是个厉害的家伙。他又对瑟麦克说：“我想你要见我的目的，大概是想谈谈你在市议厅拼命强调的对外问题吧。你要代表其余的三位同仁说话呢？还是我得听你们一个个分别发书？” 四个年轻人迅速地互相望了望，眼皮轻微地动了一下，就已经达成了默契。 然后瑟麦克以严肃的口吻说：“我代表端点星的人民发言——如今所谓的议会并不能真正代表人民，它只是政府的橡皮图章而已。” “我知道了，好，那么继续说下去。” “事情是这样的，市长先生，我们并不满意……” “你所谓的‘我们’是指‘人民’，对不对？” 瑟麦克感到哈定的话中有陷阱，于是满怀敌意地瞪着对方，然后才冷静地回答道：“我相信我的意见，是端点星大多数选民的意见，这样说你满意吗？” “这种说法需要真凭实据，不过，你先说下去吧，你说你们并不满意？” “是的，面对着必然会来临的外来攻击，三十年来，端点星却一直处于不设防的状态，我们就是对这种政策不满。” “我懂了，所以怎么样？继续，继续——” “感谢你愿意继续听我说——因此，我们决定组成一个新的政党。这个政党，不是为了那个未来帝国的神秘“自明命运”服务，而是为了应付端点星眼前的需要。我们要将你和支持你的姑息人士赶出市政厅，并且会速战速决。” “除非？凡事都要附带一句‘除非’，你知道吧。” “在这件事中没什么分别——‘除非’你立刻辞职。我不是来要求你改变政策，因为我并没有那么信任你，你的保证对我而言一文不值，我们只能接受你的无条件辞职。” “我懂了，”哈定翘起二郎腿，还翘起椅子的两只脚来前后摇晃：“这就是你的最后通牒。谢谢你来通知我，不过，你知道吗？我决定不加理会。” “别将它当成警告，市长先生，这是我们的原则与行动的宣告。新的政党已经成立，明天起就要正式活动，我们已经没有妥协的余地和兴趣了。坦白说，由于我们体认到你对市政府的贡献，才来向你提出这个简单的解决之道。我也不相信你会接受，但是如此做了，我就可以问心无愧。在下次选举之后，我们所形成的强大压力，就会逼得你非辞职不可。” 瑟麦克说完就站了起来，并且示意其他三人一起行动。 哈定马上举起手来说：“等一等，坐下来！” 瑟麦克依言重新坐下，但是动作似乎太急切了点。哈定看了不禁心中暗笑——虽然他说得那么坚决，却仍然在等待着妥协的条件。 于是哈定说：“我想问清楚，你们究竟希望我们的对外政策如何改变？要我们攻击各王国吗？现在就要同时攻击四个王国吗？” “我们并没有那个意思，市长先生，只是主张立刻停止姑息政策，就是这么简单。在你执政的这段时期，一直在进行科援诸王国的政策，你提供他们核能，协助他们在域内重建发电厂，此外还替他们成立医疗诊所、化学实验室和工厂等等。” “没错，你反对什么呢？” “你是为了防止他们攻击我们才这么做的。在这个大规模的勒索把戏中，你一直扮演着凯子的角色，只知道不断地贿赂他们。你默许端点星被他们吸吮得油尽灯枯，结果，让那些蛮子现在对我们予取予求。” “这话怎么说呢？” “因为你给他们能源、给他们武器，实际上等于协助他们维修星际舰队。因此，他们比三十年前强大得太多了，胃口也就越来越大。看样子，他们为了满足所有的需索，最后一定会用新式武器吞并端点星。勒索行动的最后结局大都如此，对不对？” “那么你们的补救办法呢？” “立刻停止贿赂，趁现在还来得及的时候，赶紧停止吧。将你的心力用在强化端点星的力量上，然后主动出击，先发制人！” 哈定用近乎诡异的眼光，看着这个年轻人的金黄色短髭。瑟麦克相当自负，要不然不会这么说，哈定想。而他所提出的主张，显然反映了相当多人民的想法——一定相当地多。 哈定的思绪微微有些混乱，但是仍然装得若无其事，故意用满不在乎的语调问道：“你说完了吗？” “暂时告一段落了。” “那么，你可看到我后面墙上框着的那句话？请你念一下好吗？” 于是瑟麦克撇着嘴巴念道：“那上面写着：‘武力是无能者最后的手段’。市长先生，这是老年人的信条。” “我在年轻的时候就奉行这个信条，议员先生——而且非常成功。那时你正忙着从妈妈的肚子里爬出来，但是总该在学校里读过这段历史吧。” 哈定紧盯着瑟麦克，以镇定的语气继续说：“当年哈里•谢顿在这里建立基地，表面上的目的是编纂银河百科全书这套巨着，我们为这个影子目标努力了五十年，然后才发现到他真正的目的，但是却为时已晚。当我们与帝国核心区域失去联络以后，我们成了由科学家聚集的单一城市所构成的世界，完全没有任何工业。我们周围是新兴的野蛮王国，全都对我们充满了敌意，我们是蛮荒汪洋中的核能小岛，当然也成了邻邦最为觊觎的目标。 “在四个王国之中，安纳克瑞昂始终是最强大的。当年他们曾要求在端点星建立军事基地，后来也的确实现了。当时统治端点市的那些百科全书编纂者，完全明白那只是他们占领整个行星的第一步。就是在那种情况下，我……嗯……正式接管了政府。那时如果你是我的话，你会怎么做？” 瑟麦克耸耸肩说：“这是一个理论上的问题，我当然知道你是如何做的。” “但是让我再说一遍给你听，也许你还不了解事情的关键。当时谁都忍不住会想到的办法，就是集结所有的力量与敌人作殊死战。这是最简单的方法，也是满足自尊心的最佳方法——但是，也必然是最愚笨的。如果是你，就很可能会这么做，正如你刚才所谓的‘先发制人’。但是我的做法，却是去轮流拜访其他三个王国，向他们指出，如果他们袖手旁观，让核能的机密落入安纳克瑞昂手中，那将无疑等于割断他们自己的喉咙。然后，我又委婉地向他们建议一个明显的可行之道。结果在安纳克瑞昂的军队登陆端点星一个月之后，他们的国王就接到其他三国的联合最后通牒。在七天之内，安纳克瑞昂人就全部撤离了端点星。 “请你告诉我，这又何尝需要用到武力？” 年轻的议员心事重重地看着雪茄头，然后将它丢进焚化槽中，回答说：“我不认为这两件事可以相提并论——糖尿病患可以用胰岛素治好，根本不用开刀，但盲肠炎却一定需要动手术，这是谁都无法改变的。当其他一切办法都失效时，最后剩下的一条路，就是你所谓的——‘最后的手段’？其实都是由于你的错误，才会将我们逼上这条路的。” “我？喔，又是指我的姑息政策吗？你似乎仍然不了解我们当时的情况与基本需要。当安纳克瑞昂人离去之后，我们的问题并没有结束，而是刚刚开始而已。从那时候起，四王国对我们比以前更具敌意，因为每个王国都想夺取核能，但是由于害怕其他三国，才不敢对我们轻举妄动。我们在利刃的尖端保持平衡，稍有丝毫的偏差——例如某一王国变得太强，或有两个王国结盟——那我们就完蛋了，你懂我的意思吗？” “当然啦，那时就应该全力准备应战。” “正好相反，那时应该全力防止开启战端。我让他们互相对立，并且分别协助他们，提供他们科学、贸易、教育、正统医疗等等。我使他们感到，让端点星成为一个繁荣的世界，比作为一个战利品对他们更为有利，这个政策维持了三十年的平安无事。” “是的，然而，你却被迫用最无稽的形式来包装那些科援，将它们当成宗教和鬼话的混合体。你扶植了教士阶级，还发明了繁琐而无意义的仪典。” 哈定皱着眉说：“那又怎么样？我看不出它跟这问题有什么关系。我最初那样做，是因为那些蛮子把我们的科学视为魔术妖法，所以用宗教的形式才最容易让他们接受。教士阶级是自然形成的，如果说我们曾经出过力，也只能说是因势利导，这实在是微不足道的小事。” “但是由那些教士来掌管发电厂，那可就不是小事了。” “没错，可是仍旧由我们来训练。他们对于各种机器的知识全是学徒式的，知其然而不知其所以然，对于包在机器外面的宗教外衣也深信不疑。” “如果有人识破了宗教的外衣呢？如果有人竟然揭除了经验的帷幕，自己研究出理论来呢？那你如何制止他学习到真正的科技，然后再兜售给出价最高的一方？到那时候，我们对于各王国还有什么价值呢？” “大概不至于会如此，瑟麦克，你实在太肤浅了。四王国每年都选派最优秀的人，来端点星接受教士养成教育，成绩最佳的则留在这里继续深造。假如你以为那些学成归国的教士——他们不但连一点科学基础都没有，更糟的是，所学到的还是刻意扭曲的知识，居然能够参透核能工程、电子学和超曲速的理论，果真如此，那你对于科学的看法就太浪漫、太愚蠢了。想要达到这种境界，必须接受一辈子的训练，还要再加上一副聪明的脑袋才行。” 当哈定在滔滔不绝时，约翰•李曾经突然站起来走出去，直到现在才又回来。哈定刚说完话，约翰便凑到这位上司的耳边，说了一句耳语，并且交给哈定一根铅筒。然后约翰又狠狠地瞪了代表团一眼，才坐回到他的原位。 哈定用手来回转弄着圆筒，又眯着眼看了看代表团的成员，然后陡然用力一扭，将圆筒打了开来。除了哈定之外，只有瑟麦克一个人忍住了好奇心，没有向滚出来的纸卷瞄上一眼。 “总而言之，各位，”哈定说：“政府自认了解自己在做些什么。” 他一边说一边读着，纸卷上面写满了许多行复杂而无意义的符号，但只有在一角用铅笔写的三个字，才传递了真正的讯息。哈定只瞄了一眼，就随手将纸卷丢进焚化槽内。 “我想会面该结束了。”哈定说：“很高兴见到各位，谢谢你们的光临。”他敷衍地跟四个人一一握手，然后望着他们鱼贯而出。 哈定几乎忍不住要笑出来了，但是直到瑟麦克与他的三个年轻伙伴走远之后，他才放纵地咯咯干笑了几声，并且对约翰露出愉快的笑容。 “你喜欢刚才那场吹牛比赛吗，约翰？” 约翰不高兴地哼了一声，回答说：“我可不认为他在吹牛，你得小心对付他。下次选举他很可能会胜利，正如他所声称的那样。” “嗯，很可能，很可能——如果在此之前，没有什么事情发生的话。” “哈定，小心不要弄巧成拙。我说过瑟麦克拥有一批追随者，如果他不等到下次选举就采取行动，你要怎么办？你我也曾经使用武力达到目的，虽然你口口声声反对武力。” 哈定扬起一边的眉毛说：“你今天似乎很悲观，约翰，而且也非常矛盾，否则你不会提到武力。我们当年的那场小小政变，没有令任何人丧命，你难道不记得了吗？那是在适当的时机所采取的断然手段，过程平和、没有痛苦，几乎不费吹灰之力。至于瑟麦克所反对的，则与我们当年完全不同。你我都不是编纂百科全书的科学家，我们一直都有恃无恐。老战友，派你的部下去好好盯着他们，但是别让他们知道自己被人监视——眼睛放亮点，明白吗？” 约翰苦笑着道：“哈定，我如果事事都要等你下令才会去做，那也太差劲了，对不对？瑟麦克和他的手下，已经被监视有一个月了。” 哈定市长又咯咯笑了起来：“你先下手为强？很好。喔，对了，”他又轻声补充说道：“维瑞索夫大使将要回到端点星来，我希望他只是暂时停留。” 约翰沉默了一下子，似乎有点担心，然后问道：“刚才收到的讯息就是这件事吗？事情已经爆发了？” “我不知道，在没见到维瑞索夫之前，我什么都不清楚。不过，也许真的爆发了吧。总之，那些事必须在选举以前发生——你脸色怎么那么难看？” “因为我不知道事情会演变成什么结果。你太深沉了，哈定，什么事都藏在心底。” “连你也这么说？”哈定喃喃地说，然后又提高了声音道：“这是不是代表你也要参加瑟麦克的新党？” 约翰只好勉强挤出一丝笑容：“好吧，算你赢了，我们去吃午餐如何？” Chapter 2 There are many epigrams attributed to Hardin ?a confirmed epigrammatist ? a good many of which are probably apocryphal. Nevertheless, it is reportedthat on a certain occasion, he said: "It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety."Poly Verisof had had occasion to act on that advice more than once for hewas now in the fourteenth year of his double status on Anacreon ?a doublestatus the upkeep of which reminded him often and unpleasantly of a danceperformed barefoot on hot metal. To the people of Anacreon he was high priest, representative of thatFoundation which, to those "barbarians," was the acme of mystery and thephysical center of this religion they had created ?with Hardin's help ?inthe last three decades. As such, he received a homage that had becomehorribly wearying, for from his soul he despised the ritual of which he wasthe center. But to the King of Anacreon ? the old one that had been, and the younggrandson that was now on the throne ? he was simply the ambassador of apower at once feared and coveted. On the whole, it was an uncomfortable job, and his first trip to theFoundation in three years, despite the disturbing incident that had made itnecessary, was something in the nature of a holiday. And since it was not the first time he had had to travel in absolutesecrecy, he again made use of Hardin's epigram on the uses of the obvious. He changed into his civilian clothes ?a holiday in itself ?and boarded apassenger liner to the Foundation, second class. Once at Terminus, hethreaded his way through the crowd at the spaceport and called up City Hallat a public visiphone. He said, "My name is Jan Smite. I have an appointment with the mayor thisafternoon."The dead-voiced but efficient young lady at the other end made a secondconnection and exchanged a few rapid words, then said to Verisof in dry,mechanical tone, "Mayor Hardin will see you in half an hour, sir," and thescreen went blank. Whereupon the ambassador to Anacreon bought the latest edition of theTerminus City Journal, sauntered casually to City Hall Park and, sitting. down on the first empty bench he came to, read the editorial page, sportsection and comic sheet while waiting. At the end of half an hour, hetucked the paper under his arm, entered City Hall and presented himself inthe anteroom. In doing all this he remained safely and thoroughly unrecognized, for sincehe was so entirely obvious, no one gave him a second look. Hardin looked up at him and grinned. "Have a cigar! How was the trip?"Verisof helped himself. "Interesting. There was a priest in the next cabinon his way here to take a special course in the preparation of radioactivesynthetics ?for the treatment of cancer, you know ? "Surely, he didn't call it radioactive synthetics, now?""I guess not! It was the Holy Food to him."The mayor smiled. "Go on.""He inveigled me into a theological discussion and did his level best toelevate me out of sordid materialism.""And never recognized his own high priest?""Without my crimson robe? Besides, he was a Smyrnian. It was an interestingexperience, though. It is remarkable, Hardin, how the religion of sciencehas grabbed hold. I've written an essay on the subject ?entirely for myown amusement; it wouldn't do to have it published. Treating the problemsociologically, it would seem that when the old Empire began to rot at thefringes, it could be considered that science, as science, had failed theouter worlds. To be reaccepted it would have to present itself in anotherguise and it has done just that. It works out beautifully.""Interesting!" The mayor placed his arms around his neck and said suddenly,"Start talking about the situation at Anacreon!"The ambassador frowned and withdrew the cigar from his mouth. He looked atit distastefully and put it down. "Well, it's pretty bad.""You wouldn't be here, otherwise.""Scarcely. Here's the position. The key man at Anacreon is the PrinceRegent, Wienis. He's King Lepold's uncle.""I know. But Lepold is coming of age next year, isn't he? I believe he'llbe sixteen in February.""Yes." Pause, and then a wry addition. "If he lives. The king's father diedunder suspicious circumstances. A needle bullet through the chest during ahunt. It was called an accident.""Hmph. I seem to remember Wienis the time I was on Anacreon, when we kickedthem off Terminus. It was before your time. Let's see now. If I remember,he was a dark young fellow, black hair and a squint in his right eye. Hehad a funny hook in his nose.""Same fellow. The hook and the squint are still there, but his hair's graynow. He plays the game dirty. Luckily, he's the most egregious fool on theplanet. Fancies himself as a shrewd devil, too, which mades his folly themore transparent.""That's usually the way.""His notion of cracking an egg is to shoot a nuclear blast at it. Witnessthe tax on Temple property he tried to impose just after the old king diedtwo years ago. Remember?"Hardin nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "The priests raised a howl.""They raised one you could hear way out to Lucreza. He's shown more cautionin dealing with the priesthood since, but he still manages to do things thehard way. In a way, it's unfortunate for us; he has unlimitedself-confidence.""Probably an over-compensated inferiority complex. Younger sons of royaltyget that way, you know.""But it amounts to the same thing. He's foaming at the mouth with eagernessto attack the Foundation. He scarcely troubles to conceal it. And he's in aposition to do it, too, from the standpoint of armament. The old king builtup a magnificent navy, and Wienis hasn't been sleeping the last two years. In fact, the tax on Temple property was originally intended for furtherarmament, and when that fell through he increased the income tax twice.""Any grumbling at that?""None of serious importance. Obedience to appointed authority was the textof every sermon in the kingdom for weeks. Not that Wienis showed anygratitude.""All right. I've got the background. Now what's happened?""Two weeks ago an Anacreonian merchant ship came across a derelict battlecruiser of the old Imperial Navy. It must have been drifting in space forat least three centuries."Interest flickered in Hardin's eyes. He sat up. "Yes, I've heard of that. The Board of Navigation has sent me a petition asking me to obtain the shipfor purposes of study. It is in good condition, I understand.""In entirely too good condition," responded Verisof, dryly. "When Wienisreceived your suggestion last week that he turn the ship over to theFoundation, he almost had convulsions.""He hasn't answered yet.""He won't ?except with guns, or so he thinks. You see, he came to me onthe day I left Anacreon and requested that the Foundation put this battlecruiser into fighting order and turn it over to the Anacreonian navy. Hehad the infernal gall to say that your note of last week indicated a planof the Foundation's to attack Anacreon. He said that refusal to repair thebattle cruiser would confirm his suspicions; and indicated that measuresfor the self-defense of Anacreon would be forced upon him. Those are hiswords. Forced upon him! And that's why I'm here."Hardin laughed gently. Verisof smiled and continued, "Of course, he expects a refusal, and itwould be a perfect excuse ? in his eyes ? for immediate attack.""I see that, Verisof. Well, we have at least six months to spare, so havethe ship fixed up and present it with my compliments. Have it renamed theWienis as a mark of our esteem and affection."He laughed again. And again Verisof responded with the faintest trace of a smile, "I supposeit's the logical step, Hardin ?but I'm worried.""What about?""It's a ship! They could build in those days. Its cubic capacity is halfagain that of the entire Anacreonian navy. It's got nuclear blasts capableof blowing up a planet, and a shield that could take a Q-beam withoutworking up radiation. Too much of a good thing, Hardin ? "Superficial, Verisof, superficial. You and I both know that the armamenthe now has could defeat Terminus handily, long before we could repair thecruiser for our own use. What does it matter, then, if we give him thecruiser as well? You know it won't ever come to actual war.""I suppose so. Yes." The ambassador looked up. "But Hardin ? "Well? Why do you stop? Go ahead.""Look. This isn't my province. But I've been reading the paper." He placedthe Journal on the desk and indicated the front page. "What's this allabout?"Hardin dropped a casual glance. "'A group of Councilmen are forming a newpolitical party."' "That's what it says." Verisof fidgeted. "I know you're in better touchwith internal matters than I am, but they're attacking you with everythingshort of physical violence. How strong are they?""Damned strong. They'll probably control the Council after next election.""Not before?" Verisof looked at the mayor obliquely. "There are ways ofgaining control besides elections.""Do you take me for Wienis?""No. But repairing the ship will take months and an attack after that iscertain. Our yielding will be taken as a sign of appalling weakness and theaddition of the Imperial Cruiser will just about double the strength ofWienis' navy. He'll attack as sure as I'm a high priest. Why take chances? Do one of two things. Either reveal the plan of campaign to the Council, orforce the issue with Anacreon now!"Hardin frowned. "Force the issue now? Before the crisis comes? It's the onething I mustn't do. There's Hari Seldon and the Plan, you know."Verisof hesitated, then muttered, "You're absolutely sure, then, that thereis a Plan?""There can scarcely be any doubt," came the stiff reply. "I was present atthe opening of the Time Vault and Seldon's recording revealed it then.""I didn't mean that, Hardin. I just don't see how it could be possible tochart history for a thousand years ahead. Maybe Seldon overestimatedhimself." He shriveled a bit at Hardin's ironical smile, and added, "Well,I'm no psychologist,""Exactly. None of us are. But I did receive some elementary training in myyouth ?enough to know what psychology is capable of, even if I can'texploit its capabilities myself. There's no doubt but that Seldon didexactly what he claims to have done. The Foundation, as he says, wasestablished as a scientific refuge ?the means by which the science andculture of the dying Empire was to be preserved through the centuries ofbarbarism that have begun, to be rekindled in the end into a secondEmpire."Verisof nodded, a trifle doubtfully. "Everyone knows that's the way thingsare supposed to go. But can we afford to take chances? Can we risk thepresent for the sake of a nebulous future?""We must ?because the future isn't nebulous. It's been calculated out bySeldon and charted. Each successive crisis in our history is mapped andeach depends in a measure on the successful conclusion of the onesprevious. This is only the second crisis and Space knows what effect even atrifling deviation would have in the end.""That's rather empty speculation.""No! Hari Seldon said in the Time Vault, that at each crisis our freedom ofaction would become circumscribed to the point where only one course ofaction was possible.""So as to keep us on the straight and narrow?""So as to keep us from deviating, yes. But, conversely, as long as morethan one course of action is possible, the crisis has not been reached. Wemust let things drift so long as we possibly can, and by space, that's whatI intend doing."Verisof didn't answer. He chewed his lower lip in a grudging silence. Ithad only been the year before that Hardin had first discussed the problemwith him ?the real problem; the problem of countering Anacreon's hostilepreparations. And then only because he, Verisof, had balked at furtherappeasement. Hardin seemed to follow his ambassador's thoughts. "I would much rathernever to have told you anything about this.""What makes you say that?" cried Verisof, in surprise. "Because there are six people now ?you and I, the other three ambassadorsand Yohan Lee ? who have a fair notion of what's ahead; and I'm damnedafraid that it was Seldon's idea to have no one know.""Why so?""Because even Seldon's advanced psychology was limited. It could not handletoo many independent variables. He couldn't work with individuals over anylength of time; any more than you could apply kinetic theory of gases tosingle molecules. He worked with mobs, populations of whole planets, andonly blind mobs who do not possess foreknowledge of the results of theirown actions.""That's not plain.""I can't help it. I'm not psychologist enough to explain it scientifically. But this you know. There are no trained psychologists on Terminus and nomathematical texts on the science. It is plain that he wanted no one onTerminus capable of working out the future in advance. Seldon wanted us toproceed blindly ?and therefore correctly ? according to the law of mobpsychology. As I once told you, I never knew where we were heading when Ifirst drove out the Anacreonians. My idea had been to maintain balance ofpower, no more than that. It was only afterward that I thought I saw apattern in events; but I've done my level best not to act on thatknowledge. Interference due to foresight would have knocked the Plan out ofkilter."Verisof nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard arguments almost as complicated inthe Temples back on Anacreon. How do you expect to spot the fight moment ofaction?""It's spotted already. You admit that once we repair the battle cruisernothing will stop Wienis from attacking us. There will no longer be anyalternative in that respect.""Yes"All right. That accounts for the external aspect. Meanwhile, you'llfurther admit that the next election will see a new and hostile Councilthat will force action against Anacreon. There is no alternative there.""Yes.""And as soon as all the alternatives disappear, the crisis has come. Justthe same ?I get worried."He paused, and Verisof waited. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Hardincontinued, "I've got the idea ?just a notion ?that the external andinternal pressures were planned to come to a head simultaneously. As it is,there's a few months difference. Wienis will probably attack before spring,and elections are still a year off.""That doesn't sound important.""I don't know. It may be due merely to unavoidable errors of calculation,or it might be due to the fact that I knew too much. I tried never to letmy foresight influence my action, but how can I tell? And what effect willthe discrepancy have? Anyway," he looked up, "there's one thing I'vedecided.""And what's that?""When the crisis does begin to break, I'm going to Anacreon. I want to beon the spot ... Oh, that's enough, Verisof. It's getting late. Let's go outand make a night of it. I want some relaxation.""Then get it right here,' said Verisof. "I don't want to be recognized, oryou know what this new party your precious Councilmen are forming wouldsay. Call for the brandy."And Hardin did ?but not for too much. 第二章 　　哈定被公认是一位出口成章的人，不少格言警语据说都是他的即兴之作，不过其中有许多可能都是伪托的。姑且不问可信度如何，据说他曾在某个场合，说过不面的这句话：“做事光明磊落总是有好处的，尤其是对那些以卖弄玄虚着称的人而言。” 波利•维瑞索夫曾经数次遵照这句忠告行事，因为他以双重身分在安纳克瑞昂已经待了十四年——为了维持那种双重身分，他常常感到像是赤脚走在烧热的铁板上一样，痛苦万分。 对于安纳克瑞昂的人民而言，维瑞索夫是一位教长，是基地派来的代表。在他们这些“蛮子”的心目中，基地是一切神秘的根源，也是他们所信仰的宗教的圣地——这个宗教是藉着哈定的协助，由基地的教士在过去三十年间所建立的。由于这个身分，维瑞索夫自然受到极度的尊敬。但是他却觉得无聊得很，因为他打心眼里讨厌那些以他自己为中心的宗教仪典。 但是安纳克瑞昂的国王——不论是老王还是目前在位的孙子，他们都将维瑞索夫视为基地这个强权派来的大使，对他的态度是又迎又惧。 整体而言，维瑞索夫的工作是吃力不讨好。今天是他三年以来第一次有机会回到基地，他是抱着度假的心情回来的，虽然那些麻烦的意外也令他非得回来一趟不可。 这不是他头一次必须在绝对机密的情况下旅行，于是，他又采取了哈定“光明磊落”的策略。 他脱下神职人员拘法衣，换上了便服——光是这样做，就已经可以算是度假了。然后他搭乘定期客船到达端点星，还故意去坐二等舱。抵达端点星的太空航站之后，他就赶紧穿过拥挤的人潮，走到公共视讯电话亭，打电话到市政厅去。 他在电话中说：“我名叫简•史迈，今天下午与市长有约。” 接电话的秘书，是一位说话声调平板、办事效率很高的年轻女子。她立即打了另一个电话请示，然后用干涩单调的声音告诉维瑞索夫：“先生，哈定市长将在半小时后见您。”然后萤光幕的画面便消失了。 这位驻安纳克瑞昂大使挂了电话之后，买了一份最新版的“端点市日报”，悠闲地踱到了市政厅公园，坐在他找到的第一张长椅上，开始阅读报上的新闻评论、体育版与漫画来打发时间。半小时后他把报纸挟在腋下，走进了市政厅的会客室。 在这段过程中，根本没有任何人注意到他。因为他的一切行动都光明磊落，谁也没有想要多看他一眼。 哈定见到维瑞索夫之后，立刻笑着说：“请抽根雪茄吧，旅途愉快吗？” 维瑞索夫拿了一根雪茄，然后说：“很有趣。我的邻舱有位教士，他来基地接受使用放射性合成物质的特别训练—！你也知道，那是用来治疗癌症的。” “但是想必他不会称之为‘放射性合成物质’吧？” “我想他一定不会，对他来说，那是一种‘圣粮’。” 市长笑了笑：“然后呢？” “他诱使我跟他讨论灵学问题，并且想尽办法，要使我由卑鄙龌龊的唯物主义中得救。” “而他一直没有发觉你是他的顶头上司？” “我又没有穿深红色的法衣，他怎么认得出来？何况他是司密尔诺人。无论如何，那是一次有趣的经历。哈定，这实在太明显了，科学性宗教已经牢固地深植人心。关于这一点，我曾写过一篇文章——那是自己写着好玩的，并不适合发表——以社会学的眼光来研究这个现象。当旧帝国在银河外缘开始瓦解时，科学似乎也开始在这些世界消失，为了使科学再度为人接受，就必须以另一种面貌出现，而这正是我们的做法，结果的确非常成功。” “真有意思！”市长把两手交叉放在脑后，突然改变话题：“谈谈安纳克瑞昂的情况吧。” 大使把雪茄从口中取出，皱起眉头看了看才放下去，然后回答说：“情况很不好。” “找也想得到，否则你也不会悄悄地回来。” “差不多——情况是这样的，安纳克瑞昂的关键人物是摄政王温尼斯，他是列普德国王的叔叔。” “我知道，但是列普德不是明年就成年了吗？如果我记得没错，他明年二月就满十六岁了。” “没错——”维瑞索夫回答后，沉默了一会儿，又以挖苦的语气说：“如果他能活到那时候的话。他父亲的死因极为可疑，是在狩猎时被针弹射穿胸部，官方的说法是意外丧生。” “唔，我到安纳克瑞昂去的时候，好像也见过温尼斯。那时候我们刚把安纳克瑞昂人赶出端点星，你还没有到那里去。让我想一想，如果我没有记错的话，他是个皮肤黝黑的小伙子，黑发，右眼斜视，还有一个好玩的鹰勾鼻。” “就是他，鹰勾鼻和斜眼都没有变，但是现在头发灰白了。他行事极为卑鄙无耻，但好在他是那个行星上的头号大笨蛋。他自以为聪明机灵，结果却使他的愚蠢更加表露无遗。” “这并不稀奇。” “他笨得以为杀鸡还得用核炮呢。最明显的例子就是试图对灵殿的财产课税，那是两年前老王刚死的时候，你还记得吗？” 哈定感慨万千地点点头，然后微笑着说：“教士们曾经因此而反弹。” “他们的确反弹得很厉害，自从那次的反弹之后，他就对教士们更为提防，不过还是不改他的强硬作风。就某一方面来说，这对我们非常不利，他实在是无限度地过分自信。” “也许是一种过度补偿的自卑情结吧——皇家的孩子，你知道吗？除了嫡长之外，往往都有这种倾向。” “但是无论如何都一样麻烦，他极力主张进攻基地，自己从不掩饰这个企图，简直像只疯狗一样。从军备的观点而言，他也的确有这个能力，老王在生前建立了强大的星际舰队，温尼斯这两年来也没有闲着。事实上，他当初想对灵殿的财产课税，原本也是为扩充军备。这个企图失败后，他索性把一般所得税提高一倍。” “有没有人抱怨呢？” “并没有什么激烈的抗议。服从圣灵所属意的威权，是教亡们每一场布道必有的主题，但是温尼斯对此并不领情。” “好，背景我知道了。现在告诉我究竟发生什么事？” “两个星期以前，安纳克瑞昂的商船发现了一艘帝国星际舰队弃置的巡弋舰，它在太空里至少飘荡了三个世纪。” 哈定的眼中闪耀出充满兴致的光芒，他坐直了身子说：“嗯，这我听说过。宇航局曾经向我提出申请，希望能得到那艘星舰以作为研究之用，我知道它的情况良好。” “完全处于最佳的状况，”维瑞索夫冷冷地说：“上个星期，当温尼斯收到你的建议，要求他把那艘巡弋舰交给基地时，他简直要气炸了。” “他还没有答覆呢。” “他不会答覆的——除非用枪炮来答覆你，即使他明知道那并非上上之策。你可知道，在我离开安纳克瑞昂的那一天，他曾经来找过我，要求基地把那艘巡弋舰整修成战备状态，然后再交还给安纳克瑞昂的星际舰队。他厚着脸皮睁眼说瞎话，说你上个星期送去的建议，代表基地有攻击安纳克瑞昂的企图。还说如果我们拒绝修理那艘巡弋舰，就证明了他怀疑的正是事实，为了安纳克瑞昂的安全，他将被迫采取自卫行动。他就是这么说的——被迫采取自卫行动！所以，我只好当天就赶回来了。” 哈定听了，却只是轻轻地笑了笑。 维瑞索夫也微笑着继续说：“当然，他是在等待我们的拒绝。在他看来，那就是立即进军的最佳藉口了。” “说的也是。不过，维瑞索夫，我们至少还有六个月的时间，所以不妨帮他们把巡弋舰修理好，再恭敬地送还给他们。为了表示我们的敬意和友善，就把它命名为‘温尼斯号’吧。” 说完，哈定又笑了笑。 维瑞索夫仍旧带着一丝笑意回答：“我相信这是合理的做法，哈定，但是我有些担心。” “担心什么？” “那是一艘星舰，是帝国当年才能建造的星际巡弋舰！它的吨位相当于安纳克瑞昂舰队总数的一倍半，并且配备了可以摧毁整个行星的核炮，还有能抵抗能束、完全不产生辐射的防护罩。那艘星舰实在太好了，哈定……” “表面上如此，维瑞索夫，只是表面上如此。你我都了解，如果温尼斯想要攻击端点星的话，以他现有的兵力就已经轻而易举。我们根本没有时间修好那艘巡弋舰，拿来作为防御之用，那么把它修好了送给温尼斯，又有什么关系呢？而且你应该晓得，根本不会发生真正的战争。” “没错，我也是这么想，”大使抬起头来：“不过，哈定……” “怎么了？为什么停了下来？继续说啊。” “好的，虽然这不是我的分内之事，但是我从报纸上看到……”他把“日报”放在桌上，指着第一版说道：“这到底是怎么回事？” 哈定随便看了一眼，便回答他说：“一群市议员准备组织一个新的政党。” “上面是这么写的。”维瑞索夫着急起来：“内政方面你当然知道得比我清楚，但是除了武斗之外，他们用尽了一切方法在攻击你，他们的势力究竟有多大？” “还真他妈的强，下次选举之后，他们可能就会控制议会。” “选举之后，不是选举前？”维瑞索夫斜睨着市长：“除了选举之外，自然另有夺取政权的办法。” “你把我看成是温尼斯了？” “当然不是这样。不过，修理星舰需要好几个月，而且修好后攻击必然随之而来。我们的让步会被议员们视为懦弱的象征；而且，如果我们把帝国的巡弋舰交还，温尼斯的舰队实力会增强一倍，到时候他百分之百会发动攻击。我们又何必冒险呢？我以为，你或者应该把我们的计划告知议会，不然现在就应该逼安纳克瑞昂摊牌！” 哈定皱着眉头说：“现在就逼他们摊牌？不，在危机来临之前，我绝不会那样做。你可别忘了哈里•谢顿和他的计划。” 维瑞索夫犹豫了一下，然后喃喃地说：“这么说，你绝对相信有那个计划的存在了？” “这几乎是不容怀疑的，”哈定断然地回答：“当年穹窿开启时我也在场，谢顿的录影已经将这个秘密透露出来了。” “我不是指那个，哈定，我只是不相信，他怎么能预测往后一千年的历史，也许只是谢顿过于自信吧。”此时哈定露出了讥讽的微笑，维瑞索夫顿了一顿，然后才继续说：“不过，我也不是心理学家。” “没错，我们都不是。然而我在年轻的时候，曾经受过一些基本训练，所以我能了解心理学的能力，虽然我自己无法利用这门学问。哈里•谢顿的确做到了他所宣称的事，这一点是无庸置疑的。基地的建立，正如他所说的，是为所有的科学提供一个避难所——在新兴的蛮荒世纪中，用以保存逝去帝国的科学与文化，等待第二帝国的建立，再重新发扬光大。” 维瑞索夫点点头，但还是有点不相信：“每个人都知道事情可能会演变成什么样子，但是我们能冒这个险吗？为了虚无缥缈的未来，而拿眼前的命运作赌注？” “我们必须这么做——因为未来并非虚无缥缈，谢顿已经计算并且描述得很清楚，他已经预先指出了未来将连续不断发生的危机。每一次危机，多少都决定于上一个危机的圆满解决。目前的危机只是第二个而已，天晓得假如稍有偏差，最后会造成什么样的结果。” “你所说的，全是空洞的臆测。” “不，是哈里•谢顿在穹窿中这么说的。每次遇到危机时，我们的行动自由便会受限，只剩下唯一的一条路可走。” “为了要使我们维持在这条窄路上前进？” “是的，或者说，为了要避免我们走到岔路上去。但是反过来说，如果仍有两条以上的可行之道，那就表示危机还没来临。我们必须尽可能让事情自然发展，而这也是我决定要做的事。” 这次维瑞索夫并没有回答，只是咬着下唇，不情愿地一语不发。哈定头一次跟他讨论这个问题，是一年以前的事，他们那次是在讨论实际的问题——如何化解安纳克瑞昂进攻基地的意图。因为在那时，维瑞索夫也开始主张停止姑息政策。 哈定似乎能猜到这位大使的想法，他说：“我倒宁愿从来没有告诉过你这些事情。” “为什么这么说？”维瑞索夫吃惊地吼道。 “因为现在总共有六个人——你、我，和另外三位大使以及约翰•李——对于将要发生的事情有了相当的概念，我真担心谢顿不愿意让任何人知道他的想法。” “为什么呢？” “因为谢顿的心理学虽然很高明，但是也有先天限制，它不能够处理太多独立变数，也无法用在个人身上，不论想要预测的时间是长是短，就像气体运动论不适用于个别分子一样。谢顿的研究对象必须是群众，是整个行星上的居民，而且这些群众还必须不知情——对他们的行动将产生的结果，完全没有任何一点的预知。” “我听不太懂。” “这我也没办法了，我并不是一个真正的心理学家，所以不能用科学的语言来详细说明。不过你也知道，端点星上没有专精的心理学家，也没有这方面的数学参考书。谢顿显然不愿让住在端点星的人，具有任何预测未来的能力。他希望我们盲目地发展——也就是正确地根据群众心理学的原则发展。正如我曾经告诉过你的，当初我赶走安纳克瑞昂人的时候，实在不知道我们应该何去何从，当时我的想法只是想保持势力均衡，就是如此而已。直到后来我才发觉，各个事件的发生有一个微妙的模式，但是我在做任何决定时，都尽量不去考虑这一点。因为谢顿计划一旦被先见之明所干扰，整个计划就会被破坏了。” 维瑞索夫若有所悟地点着头说：“我在安纳克瑞昂的灵殿中，也曾经听说过同样复杂的理论。然而，当需要有所行动的时候，你如何判断正确的时机？” “其实时机早已经决定了。你也承认，一旦我们修复了巡弋舰，温尼斯就势必会对我们发动攻击。这是必然会发生的事，绝无任何转园的余地。” “是的。” “好，所以外在的因素已经确定了。另一方面你也承认，下次选举之后，会产生一个新的、由反对党主控的议会，迫使我们对安纳克瑞昂采取行动，这也是不可能改变的事实。” “这也没错。” “当所有的余地都不再存在时，危机就来临了，跟上次一模一样——不过，我有点担心一件事。” 哈定说到这里就停了下来，维瑞索夫耐心地等着他说下去，哈定却慢吞吞地、几乎心不甘情不愿地继续说道：“我有一个想法——这只能算是我的感觉罢了，那就是根据谢顿的计划，内外的压力应该在同时升到顶点。但是如今看来，却有几个月的出入——温尼斯可能在春天之前就会打过来，然而离选举还有一年的时间。” “这似乎并不重要。” “我不知道，也许只是计算上不可避免的误差，或者由于我是当局者迷，才会有这种感觉。我尽量使自己的行动不为预感所左右，但是我又怎么知道是否做得对呢？那一点时间上的差异，又会带来什么样的效应？不过无论如何，”他抬起头来说：“至少有一件事我已经决定了。” “什么事？” “当危机爆发时，我要到安纳克瑞昂去，我要亲自到现场去……晤，我已经说得够多了。维瑞索夫，现在已经很晚啦，我们出去暍杯酒吧，我想轻松轻松。” “我们就在这里喝好了，”维瑞索夫说：“我可不想被别人认出来。否则，你也知道，那些伟大的议员先生新组成的政党，会因此而发表什么样的声明——请人送些白兰地来吧。” 哈定接受了他的建议——不过并没有叫得太多。 Chapter 3 In the ancient days when the Galactic Empire had embraced the Galaxy, andAnacreon had been the richest of the prefects of the Periphery, more thanone emperor had visited the Viceregal Palace in state. And not one had leftwithout at least one effort to pit his skill with air speedster and needlegun against the feathered flying fortress they call the Nyakbird. The fame of Anacreon had withered to nothing with the decay of the times. The Viceregal Palace was a drafty mass of ruins except for the wing thatFoundation workmen had restored. And no Emperor had been seen in Anacreonfor two hundred years. But Nyak hunting was still the royal sport and a good eye with the needlegun still the first requirement of Anacreon's kings. Lepold I, King of Anacreon and ?as was invariably, but untruthfully added?Lord of the Outer Dominions, though not yet sixteen had already provedhis skill many times over. He had brought down his first Nyak when scarcelythirteen; had brought down his tenth the week after his accession to thethrone; and was returning now from his forty-sixth. "Fifty before I come of age," he had exulted. "Who'll take the wager?"But Courtiers don't take wagers against the king's skill. There is thedeadly danger of winning. So no one did, and the king left to change hisclothes in high spirits. "Lepold!"The king stopped mid-step at the one voice that could cause him to do so. He turned sulkily. Wienis stood upon the threshold of his chambers and beetled at his youngnephew. "Send them away," he motioned impatiently. "Get rid of them."The king nodded curtly and the two chamberlains bowed and backed down thestairs. Lepold entered his uncle's room. Wienis stared at the king's hunting suit morosely. "You'll have moreimportant things to tend to than Nyak hunting soon enough."He turned his back and stumped to his desk. Since he had grown too old forthe rush of air, the perilous dive within wing-beat of the Nyak, the rolland climb of the speedster at the motion of a foot, he had soured upon thewhole sport. Lepold appreciated his uncle's sour-grapes attitude and it was not withoutmalice that he began enthusiastically, "But you should have been with ustoday, uncle. We flushed one in the wilds of Sarnia that was a monster. Andgame as they come. We had it out for two hours over at least seventy squaremiles of ground. And then I got to Sunwards ?he was motioning graphically,as though he were once more in his speedster ?and dived torque-wise. Caught him on the rise just under the left wing at quarters. It maddenedhim and he canted athwart. I took his dare and veered a-left, waiting forthe plummet. Sure enough, down he came. He was within wing-beat before Imoved and then ? "Lepold!""Well!?I got him.""I'm sure you did. Now will you attend?"The king shrugged and gravitated to the end table where he nibbled at aLera nut in quite an unregal sulk. He did not dare to meet his uncle'seyes. Wienis said, by way of preamble, "I've been to the ship today.""What ship?""There is only one ship. The ship. The one the Foundation is repairing forthe navy. The old Imperial cruiser. Do I make myself sufficiently plain?""That one? You see, I told you the Foundation would repair it if we askedthem to. It's all poppycock, you know, that story of yours about theirwanting to attack us. Because if they did, why would they fix the ship? Itdoesn't make sense, you know.""Lepold, you're a fool!"The king, who had just discarded the shell of the Lera nut and was liftinganother to his lips, flushed. "Well now, look here," he said, with anger that scarcely rose abovepeevishness, "I don't think you ought to call me that. You forget yourself. I'll be of age in two months, you know.""Yes, and you're in a fine position to assume regal responsibilities. Ifyou spent half the time on public affairs that you do on Nyak hunting, I'dresign the regency directly with a clear conscience.""I don't care. That has nothing to do with the case, you know. The fact isthat even if you are the regent and my uncle, I'm still king and you'restill my subject. You oughtn't to call me a fool and you oughtn't to sit inmy presence, anyway. You haven't asked my permission. I think you ought tobe careful, or I might do something about it pretty soon."Wienis' gaze was cold. "May I refer to you as 'your majesty'?""Yes.""Very well! You are a fool, your majesty!"His dark eyes blazed from beneath his grizzled brows and the young king satdown slowly. For a moment, there was sardonic satisfaction in the regent'sface, but it faded quickly. His thick lips parted in a smile and one handfell upon the king's shoulder. "Never mind, Lepold. I should not have spoken harshly to you. It isdifficult sometimes to behave with true propriety when the pressure ofevents is such as ?You understand?" But if the words were conciliatory,there was something in his eyes that had not softened. Lepold said uncertainly, "Yes. Affairs of State are deuced difficult, youknow." He wondered, not without apprehension, whether he were not in for adull siege of meaningless details on the year's trade with Smyrno and thelong, wrangling dispute over the sparsely settled worlds on the RedCorridor. Wienis was speaking again. "My boy, I had thought to speak of this to youearlier, and perhaps I should have, but I know that your youthful spiritsare impatient of the dry detail of statecraft."Lepold nodded. "Well, that's all right? His uncle broke in firmly and continued, "However, you will come of age intwo months. Moreover, in the difficult times that are coming, you will haveto take a full and active part. You will be king henceforward, Lepold."Again Lepold nodded, but his expression was quite blank. "There will be war, Lepold.""War! But there's been truce with Smyrno? "Not Smyrno. The Foundation itself.""But, uncle, they've agreed to repair the ship. You said? His voice choked off at the twist of his uncle's lip. "Lepold" ? some of the friendliness had gone ?we are to talk man to man. There is to be war with the Foundation, whether the ship is repaired ornot; all the sooner, in fact, since it is being repaired. The Foundation isthe source of power and might. All the greatness of Anacreon; all its shipsand its cities and its people and its commerce depend on the dribbles andleavings of power that the Foundation have given us grudgingly. I rememberthe time ? I, myself ?when the cities of Anacreon were warmed by theburning of coal and oil. But never mind that; you would have no conceptionof it.""It seems," suggested the king timidly, "that we ought to be grateful? "Grateful?" roared Wienis. "Grateful that they begrudge us the merestdregs, while keeping space knows what for themselves ?and keeping it withwhat purpose in mind? Why, only that they may some day rule the Galaxy."His hand came down on his nephew's knee, and his eyes narrowed. "Lepold,you are king of Anacreon. Your children and your children's children may bekings of the universe ?if you have the power that the Foundation iskeeping from us!""There's something in that." Lepold's eyes gained a sparkle and his backstraightened. "After all, what right have they to keep it to themselves? Not fair, you know. Anacreon counts for something, too.""You see, you're beginning to understand. And now, my boy, what if Smyrnodecides to attack the Foundation for its own part and thus gains all thatpower? How long do you suppose we could escape becoming a vassal power? Howlong would you hold your throne?"Lepold grew excited. "Space, yes. You're absolutely right, you know. Wemust strike first. It's simply self-defense."Wienis' smile broadened slightly. "Furthermore, once, at the very beginningof the reign of your grandfather, Anacreon actually established a militarybase on the Foundation's planet, Terminus ?a base vitally needed fornational defense. We were forced to abandon that base as a result of themachinations of the leader of that Foundation, a sly cur, a scholar, withnot a drop of noble blood in his veins. You understand, Lepold? Yourgrandfather was humiliated by this commoner. I remember him! He wasscarcely older than myself when he came to Anacreon with his devil's smileand devil's brain ?and the power of the other three kingdoms behind him,combined in cowardly union against the greatness of Anacreon."Lepold flushed and the sparkle in his eyes blazed. "By Seldon, if I hadbeen my grandfather, I would have fought even so.""No, Lepold. We decided to wait ?to wipe out the insult at a fitter time. It had been your father's hope, before his untimely death, that he might bethe one to ? Well, well!" Wienis turned away for a moment. Then, as ifstifling emotion, "He was my brother. And yet, if his son were? "Yes, uncle, I'll not fail him. I have decided. It seems only proper thatAnacreon wipe out this nest of troublemakers, and that immediately.""No, not immediately. First, we must wait for the repairs of the battlecruiser to be completed. The mere fact that they are willing to undertakethese repairs proves that they fear us. The fools attempt to placate us,but we are not to be turned from our path, are we?"And Lepold's fist slammed against his cupped palm. "Not while I am king in Anacreon."Wienis' lip twitched sardonically. "Besides which we must wait for SalvorHardin to arrive.""Salvor Hardin!" The king grew suddenly round-eyed, and the youthfulcontour of his beardless face lost the almost hard lines into which theyhad been compressed. "Yes, Lepold, the leader of the Foundation himself is coming to Anacreon onyour birthday ?probably to soothe us with buttered words. But it won'thelp him.""Salvor Hardin!" It was the merest murmur. Wienis frowned. "Are you afraid of the name? It is the same Salvor Hardin,who on his previous visit, ground our noses into the dust. You're notforgetting that deadly insult to the royal house? And from a commoner. Thedregs of the gutter.""No. I guess not. No, I won't. I won't! We'll pay him back ?but...but ? I'm afraid ?a little."The regent rose. "Afraid? Of what? Of what, you young? He choked off. "It would be...uh...sort of blasphemous, you know, to attack theFoundation. I mean? He paused. "Go on."Lepold said confusedly, "I mean, if there were really a Galactic Spirit,he...uh...it mightn't like it. Don't you think? "No, I don't," was the hard answer. Wienis sat down again and his lipstwisted in a queer smile. "And so youreally bother your head a great deal over the Galactic Spirit, do you? That's what comes of letting you run wild. You've been listening to Verisofquite a bit, I take it.""He's explained a great deal? "About the Galactic Spirit?""Yes.""Why, you unweaned cub, he believes in that mummery a good deal less than Ido, and I don't believe in it at all. How many times have you been toldthat all this talk is nonsense?""Well, I know that. But Verisof says? "Pay no heed to Verisof. It's nonsense."There was a short, rebellious silence, and then Lepold said, "Everyonebelieves it just the same. I mean all this talk about the Prophet HariSeldon and how he appointed the Foundation to carry on his commandmentsthat there might some day be a return of the Galactic Paradise: and howanyone who disobeys his commandments will be destroyed for eternity. Theybelieve it. I've presided at festivals, and I'm sure they do.""Yes, they do; but we don't. And you may be thankful it's so, for accordingto this foolishness, you are king by divine right ?and are semi-divineyourself. Very handy. It eliminates all possibilities of revolts andinsures absolute obedience in everything. And that is why, Lepold, you musttake an active part in ordering the war against the Foundation. I am onlyregent, and quite human. You are king, and more than half a god ?to them.""But I suppose I'm not really," said the king reflectively. "No, not really," came the sardonic response, "but you are to everyone butthe people of the Foundation. Get that? To everyone but those of theFoundation. Once they are removed there will be no one to deny you thegodhead. Think of that!""And after that we will ourselves be able to operate the power boxes of thetemples and the ships that fly without men and the holy food that curescancer and all the rest? Verisof said only those blessed with the GalacticSpirit could? "Yes, Verisof said! Verisof, next to Salvor Hardin, is your greatest enemy. Stay with me, Lepold, and don't worry about them. Together we will recreatean empire-not just the kingdom of Anacreon-but one comprising every one ofthe billions of suns of the Empire. Is that better than a wordy 'GalacticParadise'?""Ye-es.""Can Verisof promise more?""No.""Very well." His voice became peremptory. "I suppose we may consider thematter settled." He waited for no answer. "Get along. I'll be down later. And just one thing, Lepold."The young king turned on the threshold. Wienis was smiling with all but his eyes. "Be careful on these Nyak hunts,my boy. Since the unfortunate accident to your father, I have had thestrangest presentiments concerning you, at times. In the confusion, withneedle guns thickening the air with darts, one can never tell. You will becareful, I hope. And you'll do as I say about the Foundation, won't you?"Lepold's eyes widened and dropped away from those of his uncle. "Yes ? certainly.""Good!" He stared after his departing nephew, expressionlessly, andreturned to his desk. And Lepold's thoughts as he left were somber and not unfearful. Perhaps itwould be best to defeat the Foundation and gain the power Wienis spoke of. But afterward, when the war was over and he was secure on his throne?Hebecame acutely conscious of the fact that Wienis and his two arrogant sonswere at present next in line to the throne. But he was king. And kings could order people executed. Even uncles and cousins. 第三章 　　古时候，当银河帝国统治着整个的银河系，安纳克瑞昂是银河外缘最富裕的郡县时，有不少皇帝曾正式访问过安纳克瑞昂的总督官邸。而且每一位莅临的皇帝，都曾经在那里一试身手——驾着高速空中飞车，用针枪猎杀如空中堡垒般的巨鸟。 如今安纳克瑞昂的声望，已经随着帝国的光荣时代一起进入历史。现在那座总督官邸，除了由基地工人修复的一侧之外，其余全都是一片断垣残壁的废墟。而最近这两百年间，也从来没有一位皇帝驾临此地了。 然而，猎杀巨鸟却仍是此间王室钟爱的狩猎活动，而要成为安纳克瑞昂国王的首要条件，就是要能善用猎射巨鸟的针枪。 列普德一世是当今的安纳克瑞昂国王，并且照例冠上了“银河外围之主”这个名不副实的封号。虽然他还不满十六岁，却早就是猎杀巨鸟的个中高手。他在不到十三岁时就首开纪录，即位才一周时，已经总共打下了十只巨鸟。今天他猎杀到生平的第四十六只，正高高兴兴地踏上归途。 “在我成年之前，我要射下五十只。”回到宫殿后，他耀武扬威地说：“谁敢跟我打赌？” 朝臣们谁都不敢跟国王打睹，如果赢了反倒会有杀身之祸，因此没有人敢作声。于是，国王得意洋洋地准备回房去换衣服。 “列普德！” 国王听到这一声强有力的叫唤，立刻把迈出的脚步停下，不高兴地回过头来。 只见温尼斯站在自己的书房门口，以严厉的眼光瞪着年轻的侄子。 “让他们退下，”温尼斯做着不耐烦的手势：“快让他们退下！” 国王生硬地点点头，两个侍从便赶紧鞠躬然后退到楼下去，列普德自己则走进了叔叔的书房。 温尼斯看着国王的猎装，不高兴地说：“要不了多久，你就得把心思放在比猎鸟要紧得多的事情上。” 说完，他转身蹒珊地走向办公桌。温尼斯由于上了年纪，受不了强烈的气流冲击，也无法冒险俯冲到巨鸟的翼下，更不能以单脚操纵空中飞车翻滚爬升，因此变得对这项运动十分不以为然。 列普德深知叔叔的酸葡萄心理，他却不怀好意，故意兴冲冲地说：“叔叔，如果你今天跟我一起去就好了。今天我们在沙米亚草原赶起了一只巨鸟，简直大得像个妖怪，实在真是又刺激又过瘾。在两个小时中，我们至少追赶了七十平方哩，一直追到向阳高原。” 国王一面说，一面比手画脚，好像他还在高速空中飞车上：“然后盘旋俯冲，趁它往上飞的时候，射击它的左翼下方，结果将它激怒了，打横翻滚出去。我勇敢迎战，向左急转，等着它笔直落下。果然不出我所料，它真的下来了，可是我还来不及行动，它已经冲到翅膀可以打到我……” “列普德！” “喔——结果我就射中它了。” “我不怀疑这一点，现在你注意听我说好吗？” 国王耸耸肩，被桌上的食物吸引过去，随手拿起一个坚果就吃。他露出了一副国王不该有的委屈神情，也不敢正视叔叔的眼睛。 温尼斯先说了一句开场白：“我今天到那艘星舰上去了一趟。” “什么星舰？” “就只有那么一艘真正的星舰，难道还有第二艘？就是基地要替我们的舰队修复的那艘，它是当年帝国的星际巡弋舰。我这样说够清楚了吗？” “就是那艘吗？你瞧，我早就告诉过你，只要我们叫基地替我们修理，他们就绝不敢抗命。你说什么他们想攻击我们，那只是你神经过敏，你知道吗？如果他们有那个意思，又怎么会替我们修理星舰呢？这根本说不通，你知道吗？” “列普德，你是个笨蛋！” 国王刚把果壳扔掉，正拿了另一个准备塞进嘴里，听了这句话，满脸涨得通红，动作也陡然停止。 “好啊，请你注意——”国王的声音虽然不太高兴，但是听起来仍然跟撒娇差不多：“你不能那样骂我，你忘了自己是什么身分，我再过两个月就成年了，你知道吗？” “对，你就要当一国之主，承担起国王的责任。假如你能把打鸟的时间分一半来处理公务，我就可以心安理得地立刻辞去摄政的职位。” “我不管这些，这根本是毫不相干的两码子事，你知道吗？虽然你是摄政王，又是我的叔叔，然而我总归是国王，你仍旧是我的臣民。无论如何，你不可以骂我笨蛋，也不应该在我的面前坐下，你还没有请求我的恩准呢。我认为你应该好好检点，否则我会有所反应——很快就会的。” 温尼斯以冷峻的眼光望着国王：“我应该尊称你一声‘陛下’吗？” “是的。” “很好——陛下，你是个笨蛋！” 在温尼斯斑白的眉毛下，他的黑眼珠冒出了怒火，吓得年轻的国王慢慢坐了下来。温尼斯的脸上突然浮现出得意的嘲讽神色，但却只是一闪而过，他很快又咧开厚厚的嘴唇微笑着，并且伸出一只手来搭着国王的肩膀。 “别介意，列普德，我不该对你那么凶。但是当压力那么大的时候，实在很难让言行时时合于礼数。这压力……你懂吗？”他的语气虽然温和，但是眼光却仍然没有软化。 列普德犹豫地答道：“是啊，国家大事相当艰难，你知道吗？”他开始担心，会不会又得听叔叔提起无聊的对司密尔诺的贸易细节，或者是红廊区里各零星世界间的长期纠纷等等问题。 温尼斯继续说：“孩子，我一直想跟你谈这件事情，也许我早就应该跟你谈的。但是以前我觉得你太年轻，怕你不耐烦听这些繁琐的政策细节。” 列普德点着头说：“喔，没有关系……” 国王的叔叔立刻断然地抢着说：“可是，再过两个月你就成年了。此外，面对将来的挑战，你必须扮演一个积极主动的角色，你将要成为一位真正的国王了，列普德。” 列普德又点点头，却带着一副茫然的表情。 “列普德，一场战争很快就要来临了。” “战争？我们不是和司密尔诺休战了吗？” “不是司密尔诺，而是跟基地作战。” “但是，叔叔，他们已经同意为我们修理星舰了。你说……” 他看见叔叔的嘴唇一撇，赶紧把下面的话硬生生咽了回去。 “列普德，”温尼斯的语气不再那么友善：“现在我把你当大人跟你讨论问题。不管他们愿不愿意修理那艘星舰，我们都要和基地作战，事实上，他们已经正在帮我们修理，所以战争反而会爆发得更快。你应该知道，基地是一切有形与无形力量的根源，安纳克瑞昂的一切伟大成就，包括星舰、城市、百姓、贸易等等，在在都仰着基地的鼻息。而基地所施舍给我们的一切，只不过是它的九牛一毛，一些不要的残渣剩菜罢了。我自己还记得当年，安纳克瑞昂的城市只能靠油和煤取暖，不过不提这些了，那时的生活你根本无法想像。” “我们似乎应该……”国乇战战兢兢地说：“应该感激……” “感激？”温尼斯怒吼道：“他们只肯施舍一点渣滓给我们，天晓得他们自己藏了多少宝贝——他们藏起来是要打什么主意？这个，哈定之心路人皆知，他们想要有朝一日统治整个银河。” 他把手栘到侄子的膝盖上，眯着眼睛说：“列普德，你是安纳克瑞昂的国王，你的儿子或儿子的儿子，说不定会成为宇宙之王——只要你能够得到基地隐藏起来的力量！” “你说的也有道理。”列普德的眼睛亮了起来，脊背也挺直了：“无论如何，他们有什么权利独占？这不公平，你知道吗？安纳克瑞昂也应该有一份。” “看，你开始开窍了。那么，孩子，万一司密尔诺决定抢先进攻基地，夺取所有的力量，你认为我们能够不做他们的藩属吗？你自己还能当多久的国王呢？” 列普德变得激动起来：“老天啊，对！你说得完全正确，你知道吗？我们必须先发制人，这只是一种自卫行动。” 温尼斯的微笑更扩大了一点：“此外，在你的祖父称王之初，安纳克瑞昂的确曾在基地的行星——端点星上，建立了一个军事基地，它对于我们的国防极为重要。但是不久之后，由于基地领导者的阴谋诡计，逼得我们被迫撤离。那个领导者是一个狡猾的无赖，只是一名学者，出身低贱，全身上下没有一滴贵族的血液。你懂吗？列普德，你的祖父曾被那个平民羞辱过。我还记得他，他差下多跟我同年，当年他带着恶魔似的微笑与头脑来到安纳克瑞昂，拿着另外三个王国作后盾，他们组成了反抗安纳克瑞昂伟业的懦夫联盟。” 列普德变得满脸通红，眼睛也更亮了：“我向谢顿发誓，如果我是祖父，不管怎么样我都决心一战。” “不，列普德，我们当时决定等待——等待更恰当的时机再湔雪奇耻。在你的父亲没有遭到意外之前，他曾经希望他就是……唉，唉！”温尼斯把脸转开一会儿，再以似乎很伤痛的口吻说：“你的父亲是我的哥哥，假如他的孩子……” “对，叔叔，我不会辜负先王的遗志。我已经下定决心，我们一定要把那个制造麻烦的祸源扫荡干净，而且要马上去做。” “不，不能马上去做。首先，我们必须先等到巡弋舰修理好。他们低声下气地接下了修理的工作，唯一的解释是害怕我们。那些傻瓜想讨好我们，但我们绝不会因此改变心意，对不对？” 列普德一手捏紧着拳，猛槌另一只手的掌心：“只要我还是安纳克瑞昂王，就绝对不会。” 温尼斯的嘴唇又一撇，露出嘲讽的神情说：“而且，我们还必须等塞佛•哈定来到这里。” “塞佛•哈定！”国王突然睁大眼睛，光洁稚嫩的脸上原本堆满的凶悍线条突然消失了。 “对，列普德，基地的领导人要亲自到安纳克瑞昂来祝贺你的生日——大概是想来巴结奉承我们。但是他这样做，一点用处也没有。” “塞佛•哈定！”国王喃喃低语。 温尼斯皱着眉头说：“你怕这个名字吗？就是这个塞佛•哈定，他上次来的时候，简直就是踩在我们的头上，让王室遭到了奇耻大辱，这一点你绝不可忘记。他只不过是一个平民——贫民窟里的垃圾罢了。” “我想我不会忘记，不会忘记的，绝对不会忘记！我一定要以眼还眼，以牙还牙……但是……但是……我害怕……有点害怕……” 摄政王温尼斯站了起来：“害怕？怕什么？你怕什么？你这个小王……”他即时把下面的话吞了回去。 “那会是……唔……一种亵渎，你知道吗？去攻击基地，我的意思是说……”国王停了下来。 “继续说下去。” 列普德神情迷惑地说：“我的意思是说，假如真的有‘银河圣灵’的话，圣灵……唔……它会不高兴的，你不觉得吗？” “不，我可不那么想。”声音非常冷酷。 说完温尼斯又坐了下来，嘴唇扭曲成一个诡异的笑容：“你真的为银河圣灵而如此担心吗？所以你才会胡思乱想，顾虑得那么多，对不对？我认为你是听多了维瑞索夫的鬼话。” “他对我解释了很多……” “有关银河圣灵的事迹吗？” “是啊。” “哎呀，你这个乳臭未干的娃儿。我这样对你说吧，他对于自己所说的那一套惑众妖言，比我更不相信千百倍，而我呢，是一点也不相信。我告诉过你多少次，那全都是无稽之谈，你还不懂吗？” “唔，我知道，但是维瑞索夫说……” “别听他的，那都是他在胡说八道。” 列普德没有回答，似乎是在默默抗议，过了一会儿才说：“大家全都相信，我是说关于先知哈里•谢顿，以及他如何指定基地完成他的圣训——在未来的某一天，‘银河乐园’将会重返人间，不服从圣训的人将形神俱灭，永远不得超生。老百姓都很相信这个说法，我主持过庆典，所以我知道他们都相信。” “没错，他们相信，但是我们不相信。其实你应当感激这件事实才对，由于他们这一套愚民政策，你才能根据神的旨意当上国王——而你本身也变成了半人半神，这简直轻而易举。也就是由于这一套说法，消除了所有叛变的可能，你才能稳稳当当地高高在上，而且保证老百姓绝对服从。所以，列普德，你必须主动对基地宣战。我只不过是摄政王，是个普通人，而你是国王，对老百姓而言，是半个神。” “但是我自己觉得不是。”国王深思熟虑地说。 “对，这当然都不是真的。”温尼斯以挖苦的语气答道：“但是对于其他人而言，你就是神，只有基地的人例外，懂了吗？基地以外的人都认为你是神，如果把基地除去，就再也没有人否认你的神格了，你想想清楚！” “到那个时候，我们可以自己控制灵殿的发电机、无人太空船、治癌的圣粮和其他的一切机器？维瑞索夫说，只有被银河圣灵祝福过的人才能……” “对，维瑞索夫当然那么说。记住，除了哈定之外，他就是你最大的敌人。列普德，只要你跟我站在一条战线上，就不用担心他们。让我们叔侄联手，共同重建一个帝国——不仅是安纳克瑞昂王国，而是包括整个银河系上千亿恒星的帝国。这样总比口头上的‘银河乐园’来得更理想吧？” “是——的！” “维瑞索夫能保证为你争取到更多吗？” “不——” “好极了，”温尼斯的语气变得更加蛮横：“我想，这个问题算是解决了。”他不等国王回答，便又说：“你走吧，我等会儿再下去——还有件事，列普德。” 年轻的国王刚走到门槛，又赶紧回过头来。 温尼斯的脸上堆满了笑意，却唯独眼光不然：“孩子，你打巨鸟的时候要小心。自从你父亲不幸意外死亡之后，有时我会对你的安危有一种奇妙的预感。针枪射出的针弹在空中乱飞时，混乱之中，谁也说不准会有什么事发生，我希望你要多加小心。此外，有关基地的问题，你会照我说的去做，对吧？” 列普德睁大了眼睛，却避开叔父的视线：“嗯——当然。” “很好！”温尼斯面无表情地目送着侄子的背影，然后走回自己的办公桌。 而列普德离开时，内心却充满着忧虑与恐惧。也许攻击基地，取得温尼斯所说的力量，的确是一个最好的策略；但是他又有一种强烈的感觉——当战争结束，自己的王权巩固之后，温尼斯与他那两个高傲的儿子，就会等着继承自己的王位。 然而，自己是国王，国王可以下令处死任何子民。 即使是叔父或堂兄弟也不例外。 Chapter 4 Next to Sermak himself, Lewis Bort was the most active in rallying thosedissident elements which had fused into the now-vociferous Action Party. Yet he had not been one of the deputation that had called on Salvor Hardinalmost half a year previously. That this was so was not due to any lack ofrecognition of his efforts; quite the contrary. He was absent for the verygood reason that he was on Anacreon's capital world at the time. He visited it as a private citizen. He saw no official and he did nothingof importance. He merely watched the obscure comers of the busy planet andpoked his stubby nose into dusty crannies. He arrived home toward the end of a short winter day that had started withclouds and was finishing with snow and within an hour was seated at theoctagonal table in Sermak's home. His first words were not calculated to improve the atmosphere of agathering already considerably depressed by the deepening snow-filledtwilight outside.. "I'm afraid," he said, "that our position is what is usually termed, inmelodramatic phraseology, a 'Lost Cause.'""You think so?" said Sermak, gloomily. "It's gone past thought, Sermak. There's no room for any other opinion.""Armaments? began Dokor Walto, somewhat officiously, but Bort broke in atonce. "Forget that. That's an old story." His eyes traveled round the circle. "I'm referring to the people. I admit that it was my idea originally thatwe attempt to foster a palace rebellion of some sort to install as kingsomeone more favorable to the Foundation. It was a good idea. It still is. The only trifling flaw about it is that it is impossible. The great SalvorHardin saw to that."Sermak said sourly, "If you'd give us the details, Bort? "Details! There aren't any! It isn't as simple as that. It's the wholedamned situation on Anacreon. It's this religion the Foundation hasestablished. It works!""Well!""You've got to see it work to appreciate it. All you see here is that wehave a large school devoted to the training of priests, and thatoccasionally a special show is put on in some obscure comer of the city forthe benefit of pilgrims and that's all. The whole business hardly affectsus as a general thing. But on Anacreon? Lem Tarki smoothed his prim little Vandyke with one finger, and cleared histhroat. "What kind of religion is it? Hardin's always said that it was justa fluffy flummery to get them to accept our science without question. Youremember, Sermak, he told us that day? "Hardin's explanations," reminded Sermak, "don't often mean much at facevalue. But what kind of a religion is it, Bort?"Bort considered. "Ethically, it's fine. It scarcely varies from the variousphilosophies of the old Empire. High moral standards and all that. There'snothing to complain about from that viewpoint. Religion is one of the greatcivilizing influences of history and in that respect, it's fulfilling? "We know that," interrupted Sermak, impatiently. "Get to the point.""Here it is." Bort was a trifle disconcerted, but didn't show it. "Thereligion ?which the Foundation has fostered and encouraged, mind you ?isbuilt on on strictly authoritarian lines. The priesthood has sole controlof the instruments of science we have given Anacreon, but they've learnedto handle these tools only empirically. They believe in this religionentirely, and in the ... uh ... spiritual value of the power they handle. For instance, two months ago some fool tampered with the power plant in theThessalekian Temple ?one of the large ones. He contaminated the city, ofcourse. It was considered divine vengeance by everyone, including thepriests.""I remember. The papers had some garbled version of the story at the time. I don't see what you're driving at.""Then, listen," said Bort, stiffly. "The priesthood forms a hierarchy atthe apex of which is the king, who is regarded as a sort of minor god. He'san absolute monarch by divine right, and the people believe it, thoroughly,and the priests, too. You can't overthrow a king like that. Now do you getthe point?""Hold on," said Walto, at this point. "What did you mean when you saidHardin's done all this? How does he come in?"Bort glanced at his questioner bitterly. "The Foundation has fostered thisdelusion assiduously. We've put all our scientific backing behind the hoax. There isn't a festival at which the king does not preside surrounded by aradioactive aura shining forth all over his body and raising itself like acoronet above his head. Anyone touching him is severely burned. He can movefrom place to place through the air at crucial moments, supposedly byinspiration of divine spirit. He fills the temple with a pearly, internallight at a gesture. There is no end to these quite simple tricks that weperform for his benefit; but even the priests believe them, while workingthem personally.""Bad!" said Sermak, biting his lip. "I could cry ? like the fountain in City Hall Park," said Bort, earnestly,"when I think of the chance we muffed. Take the situation thirty years ago,when Hardin saved the Foundation from Anacreon ? At that time, theAnacreonian people had no real conception of the fact that the Empire wasrunning down. They had been more or less running their own affairs sincethe Zeonian revolt, but even after communications broke down and Lepold'spirate of a grandfather made himself king, they never quite realized theEmpire had gone kaput. "If the Emperor had had the nerve to try, he could have taken over againwith two cruisers and with the help of the internal revolt that would havecertainly sprung to life. And we we could have done the same; but no,Hardin established monarch worship. Personally, I don't understand it. Why? Why? Why?""What," demanded Jaim Orsy, suddenly, "does Verisof do? There was a daywhen he was an advanced Actionist. What's he doing there? Is he blind,too?""I don't know," said Bort, curtly. "He's high priest to them. As far as Iknow, he does nothing but act as adviser to the priesthood on technicaldetails. Figurehead, blast him, figurehead!"There was silence all round and all eyes turned to Sermak. The young partyleader was biting a fingernail nervously, and then said loudly, "No good. It's fishy!"He looked around him, and added more energetically, "Is Hardin then such afool?""Seems to be," shrugged Bort. "Never! There's something wrong. To cut our own throats so thoroughly andso hopelessly would require colossal stupidity. More than Hardin couldpossibly have even if he were a fool, which I deny. On the one hand, toestablish a religion that would wipe out all chance of internal troubles. On the other hand, to arm Anacreon with all weapons of warfare. I don't seeit.""The matter is a little obscure, I admit," said Bort, "but the facts arethere. What else can we think?"Walto said, jerkily, "Outright treason. He's in their pay."But Sermak shook his head impatiently. "I don't see that, either. The wholeaffair is as insane and meaningless ? Tell me, Bort, have you heardanything about a battle cruiser that the Foundation is supposed to have putinto shape for use in the Anacreon navy?""Battle cruiser?""An old Imperial cruiser? "No, I haven't. But that doesn't mean much. The navy yards are religioussanctuaries completely inviolate on the part of the lay public. No one everhears anything about the fleet. "Well, rumors have leaked out. Some of the Party have brought the matter upin Council. Hardin never denied it, you know. His spokesmen denounced rumormongers and let it go at that. It might have significance.""It's of a piece with the rest," said Bort. "if true, it's absolutelycrazy. But it wouldn't be worse than the rest.""I suppose," said Orsy, "Hardin hasn't any secret weapon waiting. Thatmight? "Yes," said Sermak, viciously, "a huge jack-in-the-box that will jump outat the psychological moment and scare old Wienis into fits. The Foundationmay as well blow itself out of existence and save itself the agony ofsuspense if it has to depend on any secret weapon.""Well," said Orsy, changing the subject hurriedly, "the question comes downto this: How much time have we left? Eli, Bort?""All fight. It is the question. But don't look at me; I don't know. TheAnacreonian press never mentions the Foundation at all. Right now, it'sfull of the approaching celebrations and nothing else. Lepold is coming ofage next week, you know.""We have months then." Walto smiled for the first time that evening. "Thatgives us time? "That gives us time, my foot," ground out Bort, impatiently. "The king's agod, I tell you. Do you suppose he has to carry on a campaign of propagandato get his people into fighting spirit? Do you suppose he has to accuse usof aggression and pull out all stops on cheap emotionalism? When the timecomes to strike, Lepold gives the order and the people fight. Just likethat. That抯 the damnedness of the system. You don抰 question a god. He maygive the order tomorrow for all I know; and you can wrap tobacco round thatand smoke it."Everyone tried to talk at once and Sermak was slamming the table forsilence, when the front door opened and Levi Norast stamped in. He boundedup the stairs, overcoat on, trailing snow. "Look at that!" he cried, tossing a cold, snow-speckled newspaper onto thetable. "The visicasters are full of it, too."The newspaper was unfolded and five heads bent over it. Sermak said, in a hushed voice, "Great Space, he抯 going to Anacreon! Goingto Anacreon!""It is treason," squeaked Tarki, in sudden excitement. "I抣l be damned ifWalto isn抰 right. He抯 sold us out and now he抯 going there to collect hiswage."Sermak had risen. "We抳e no choice now. I抦 going to ask the Counciltomorrow that Hardin be impeached. And if that fails? 第四章 　　路易斯•玻特在反对人士的阵营中极为活跃——仅次于赛犬•瑟麦克。他一直十分积极地纠合异议分子，进而促成了如今声势浩大的“行动党”。不过，他并没有参加大约半年前去晋见塞佛•哈定的代表团。这并不表示他的努力未被认可，事实上正好相反，他不能参加是因为另有重要任务，当时他正在安纳克瑞昂的首都世界上。 那次他是以私人身分去的，所以并没有拜会任何达官贵人，也没有做什么真正重要的事。他只是去观察那个忙禄的行星上被人忽略的幽暗角落，并且透过各种管道，尽量刺探各种情报。 他回到端点星的时候已经是冬天了，那个短暂的白昼始于乌云而终于瑞雪。玻特是在傍晚到达的，不到一小时之后，他已经坐在瑟麦克家中的八角形餐桌旁。 薄暮中厚厚的积雪，像是压在屋内所有人的心头，气氛显得相当凝重。然而玻特并没有任何委婉的开场白，一开口就开门见山地说：“恐怕，我们目前的处境，套一句话剧的台词，就是‘白忙一场’。” “你真的这么想吗？”瑟麦克沮丧地问。 “当然喽，这还用说吗？瑟麦克，没有别的可能了。” “关于军备……”托卡•渥透突然插嘴，但是马上被玻特阻止。 “不要说了，那是陈旧的想法。”玻特环顾四周每一个人，然后又说：“现在我指的是安纳克瑞昂的人民。我承认当初是我提出那个原始构想，由我们来资助一场宫廷革命，扶植一个亲基地的人为王。这是很好的想法，而且现在仍是如此，可惜它唯一的缺点就是无法实现，那位伟大的塞佛•哈定早就料到一切了。” 瑟麦克不悦地说：“玻特，你能不能告诉我们详情？” “详情？不可能！事情没有那么单纯，不是三言两语就说得清楚的。安纳克瑞昂的整个情势，都他妈的牵扯在内，那是基地在那里所设立的宗教造成的结果，它还真有效呢！” “哦？” “总之，除非你亲眼见到，否则无法相信效果有多么好。你在这里所能看到的，只是我们为了训练教士所设立的大型学校，或者是为了让朝圣者开开眼界，而在市内不起眼的角落偶尔举办的特别表演——就是如此而已了。这个宗教对我们几乎没有什么影响，但是在安纳克瑞昂……” 兰姆•塔基用一根指头摸摸自己古怪的短髯，又清了清喉咙，然后说：“那是什么样的宗教？哈定不断地强调，说那是为了使他们全盘接受我们的科学，而随随便便弄出来唬人的幌子。瑟麦克，你还记得吧？当天他告诉我们……” “哈定的解释，”瑟麦克提醒众人：“表面的意义通常并不太大。但是那到底是什么样的宗教呢，玻特？” 玻特想了想才说：“就伦理学而言并没有什么问题，和帝国时代的各种哲学没有太大不同，不外是高度的道德标准那一套。由那个角度来看，没有什么值得批评的。宗教在历史上，一直有很大的软化力量，从这一点说来，它的确达成了……” “我们知道这一点，”瑟麦克不耐烦地打断他的话：“你说重点就好了。” “重点是——”玻特感到有点发窘，不过并没有表现出来：“这个由基地创立与提倡的宗教，请各位注意，是建立在绝对威权的体制上。我们供给安纳克瑞昂的科学设备，一律完全由神职人员控制，但是他们所受的使用训练全都是学徒式的。他们全心全意地虔诚信仰这个宗教，也相信……嗯……他们所操纵的这些力量的形上价值。举个例子来说，两个月以前，有个傻瓜搞坏了第沙雷克灵殿的发电厂——这是几个大型发电厂之一，当然整个城市因此都被污染了。结果，每个人都认为那是神灵的惩罚，包括那些教士在内。” “我记得，当时报上曾经登过一点报导。不过我还是不明白，你到底想要说什么？” “那么请听着，”玻特以严肃的口吻说：“教士形成了一个特殊阶级，而国王就在这个阶级的顶峰，他被人尊为半神。根据神的旨意，他成为具有绝对威权的君主，这种君权神授的思想，人民心中都深信不疑，连教亡们也一样。所以说，这种国王是无法推翻的，现在你懂了吗？” “且慢，”渥透说：“你说这些都是哈定安排的，这是什么意思？他和这一切有什么关联？” 玻特以苦涩的眼光看着渥透，回答他说：“基地千方百计创造了这个幻象，又将所有的科援都藏在这个幌子后面。国王每回主持重要庆典，全身一定都会笼罩着放射性的闪烁灵光，并且在他的头上形成王冠似的光环，此时如果有人碰触到国王，就会遭到严重灼伤。在典礼的关键时刻，国王还会在空中飞来飞去，表示他已经跟神灵发生感应。然后他做一个手势，就能使整座灵殿发出珍珠般的光芒。我们为国王设计的这些小把戏不胜枚举，那些教士们参与实际的工作，但他们自己也栢信这一套。” “这怎么行？”瑟麦克气得紧咬着嘴唇。 玻特认真地说：“每当我想到我们错过大好时机，真想像市政厅公园的喷水池似地嚎啕大哭一场。想想三十年前的情况，哈定才把基地从安纳克瑞昂的手中解救出来，当时，安纳克瑞昂人还不清楚帝国已经开始衰落——他们自从宙昂人叛乱以来，一直自顾不暇，甚至当银河外缘与帝国的通讯断绝，海盗出身的列普德的祖父自立为王时，他们仍然不晓得帝国已经分崩离析了。 “假如那时候的皇帝有胆量的话，他只要用两艘星际巡弋舰，配合安纳克瑞昂本身必然爆发的内乱，就可以轻而易举地将它拿下；而我们当时也同样能够如此征服他们。但是哈定却没有这么做，反而为他们建立了君主崇拜制度，我个人真不了解。为什么？为什么？为什么？” 此时杰姆•欧西突然问道：“维瑞索夫如今在干些什么？他曾经比今日的行动党党员还要激进，现在他在安纳克瑞昂做什么？难道他也瞎了不成？” “这我就不知道了。”玻特生硬地说：“对于安纳克瑞昂人而言，他现在是那里的教长。伹据我所知，他只是担任教士的技术顾问罢了，其他什么也不做。傀儡领袖，该死的家伙，傀儡！” 在座的人都沉默下来，大家不约而同盯着瑟麦克。这位年轻的党魁神经质地咬了一阵指甲，然后才高声说：“糟糕，有问题！” 他看看四周，又以更有力的口吻说：“哈定会是这种笨蛋吗？” “看来似乎如此。”玻特耸耸肩。 “不可能，有点不对劲。把我们自己放在砧板，让人如此任意宰割，只有超级大笨蛋才做得出这种事来。哈定即使是个笨蛋，也不至于笨到这种程度，更何况我根本不相信他是笨蛋。他一方面创立宗教，为他们清除一切内乱的可能，另一方面又供应各种武器，把安纳克瑞昂武装起来，我不相信他会那么笨。” “事情的确有些蹊跷，这我也承认。”玻特说：“但是事实如此，我们还能怎么想呢？” 渥透猛然插嘴道：“这是公然的叛变，哈定被他们收买了。” 但是瑟麦克却不耐烦地摇着头说：“这我也不相信，一切都显得无常而令人不解。我问你，玻特，你有没有听到过有关那艘巡弋舰的任何消息？就是基地替安纳克瑞昂舰队修理的那艘星舰。” “巡弋舰？” “一艘帝国时代的巡弋舰。” “没有，我没听说过。不过这并不代表什么，舰队基地是一般人绝对不准进入的宗教圣地，星际舰队的事情，外人是不可能知道的。” “可是，还是有谣言流传出来了。我们的同志在议会里提出这件事，哈定从来没有否认，你知道吗？他的发言人曾公开谴责传播谣言的人，以后就再也没有进一步的行动了，这里面似乎另有隐情。” “这是整个事件的一个环节，”玻特说：“如果这是真的，那就疯狂得离谱了。不过，这件事不会比其他的情况更糟。” 欧西说：“我想，哈定绝不会另外藏有什么秘密武器，也许……” “是啊，”瑟麦克刻毒地说：“他不会藏有什么神灯魔盒，可以在紧要关头跳出来一个妖魔，让温尼斯那个老家伙吓得屁滚尿流。如果基地必须仰仗任何秘密武器，倒还不如我们自己引爆炸掉端点星，从提心吊胆的痛苦中解脱算了。” “嗯，”欧西赶紧转变话题：“现在的问题在于，我们还有多少时间？啊，玻特？” “这个吗，问题就在这里，但是别那样看我，我也不知道答案。安纳克瑞昂所有的传播媒体，根本一直都没有提到基地，最近除了报导庆典快要开始的消息，其他的什么都没有。因为列普德下星期就成年了，你知道吗？” “那么，我们还有几个月，”渥透当天首度露出了笑容：“这让我们还有些时间……” “还有时间？真是笑话！”玻特咬牙切齿，很不耐烦地说：“我告诉你，那个国王是神，你以为他得利用宣传的手段，才能激起人民的斗志？你以为他必须诉诸感情，指控我们侵略，然后再放任人民敌视基地一阵子？根本不必，我老实告诉你，不论他们什么时候准备开战，列普德一声令下，他的人民就会立刻动员，就这么简单。这就是那种体制最要命的地方，因为你不能质疑神所做的决定。谁知道他会不会明天就下令，然后大军马上便兵临城下。” 此时在座的人都抢着发言，瑟麦克正敲着桌子要大家安静时，前门突然被推开，李维•诺拉斯特大步走了进来。他还来不及脱下沾满雪花的大衣，就赶忙跳上了楼梯。 “你们看看这个！”他一面大喊，一面把沾着雪迹的报纸扔到餐桌上，对众人道：“新闻幕上也全都在讨论这个消息。” 报纸被翻开来之后，五个头立刻一起凑过去看。 然后，瑟麦克以沙哑的声音说：“老天啊，他要到安纳克瑞昂去！要——到——安纳——克——瑞——昂——去——” “那是叛变的行动，”塔基突然激动地尖叫：“如果渥透说得不对，我就把头给你。他把我们出卖给敌人，现在要去领赏了。” 瑟麦克站起来说：“我们如今已经别无选择了，明天在议会中，我将提议弹劾哈定。如果失败的话……” Chapter 5 The snow had ceased, but it caked the ground deeply now and the sleekground car advanced through the deserted streets with lumbering effort. Themurky gray light of incipient dawn was cold not only in the poetical sensebut also in a very literal way ?and even in the then turbulent state ofthe Foundation's politics, no one, whether Actionist or pro-Hardin foundhis spirits sufficiently ardent to begin street activity that early. Yohan Lee did not like that and his grumblings grew audible. "It's going tolook bad, Hardin. They're going to say you sneaked away.""Let them say it if they wish. I've got to get to Anacreon and I want to doit without trouble. Now that's enough, Lee."Hardin leaned back into the cushioned seat and shivered slightly. It wasn'tcold inside the well-heated car, but there was something frigid about asnow-covered world, even through glass, that annoyed him. He said, reflectively, "Some day when we get around to it we ought toweather-condition Terminus. It could be done.""I," replied Lee, "would like to see a few other things done first. Forinstance, what about weather-conditioning Sermak? A nice, dry cell fittedfor twenty-five centigrade all year round would be just fight.""And then I'd really need bodyguards," said Hardin, "and not just thosetwo," He indicated two of Lee's bully-boys sitting up front with thedriver, hard eyes on the empty streets, ready hands at their atom blasts. "You evidently want to stir up civil war.""I do? There are other sticks in the fire and it won't require muchstirring, I can tell you." He counted off on blunt fingers, "One: Sermakraised hell yesterday in the City Council and called for an impeachment.""He had a perfect right to do so," responded Hardin, coolly. "Besideswhich, his motion was defeated 206 to 184.""Certainly. A majority of twenty-two when we had counted on sixty as aminimum. Don't deny it; you know you did.""It was close," admitted Hardin. "All right. And two; after the vote, the fifty-nine members of theActionist Party reared upon their hind legs and stamped out of the CouncilChambers."Hardin was silent, and Lee continued, "And three: Before leaving, Sermakhowled that you were a traitor, that you were going to Anacreon to collectyour payment, that the Chamber majority in refusing to vote impeachment hadparticipated in the treason, and that the name of their party was not'Actionist' for nothing. What does that sound like?""Trouble, I suppose.""And now you're chasing off at daybreak, like a criminal. You ought to facethem, Hardin ?and if you have to, declare martial law, by space!""Violence is the last refuge? "朞f the incompetent. Bah!""All right. We'll see. Now listen to me carefully, Lee. Thirty years ago,the Time Vault opened, and on the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning ofthe Foundation, there appeared a Hari Seldon recording to give us our firstidea of what was really going on.""I remember," Lee nodded reminiscently, with a half smile. "It was the daywe took over the government.""That's right. It was the time of our first major crisis. This is oursecond-and three weeks from today will be the eightieth anniversary of thebeginning of the Foundation. Does that strike you as in any waysignificant?""You mean he's coming again?""I'm not finished. Seldon never said anything about returning, youunderstand, but that's of a piece with his whole plan. He's always done hisbest to keep all foreknowledge from us. Nor is there any way of tellingwhether the computer is set for further openings short of dismantling theVault ? and it's probably set to destroy itself if we were to try that. I've been there every anniversary since the first appearance, just on thechance. He's never shown up, but this is the first time since then thatthere's really been a crisis.""Then he'll come.""Maybe. I don't know. However, this is the point. At today's session of theCouncil, just after you announce that I have left for Anacreon, you willfurther announce, officially, that on March 14th next, there will beanother Hari Seldon recording, containing a message of the utmostimportance regarding the recent successfully concluded crisis. That's veryimportant, Lee. Don't add anything more no matter how many questions areasked."Lee stared. "Will they believe it?""That doesn't matter. It will confuse them, which is all I want. Betweenwondering whether it is true and what I mean by it if it isn't ?they'lldecide to postpone action till after March 14th. I'll be back considerablybefore then."Lee looked uncertain. "But that 'successfully concluded.' That's bull!""Highly confusing bull. Here's the airport!"The waiting spaceship bulked somberly in the dimness. Hardin stampedthrough the snow toward it and at the open air lock turned about withoutstretched hand. "Good-by, Lee. I hate to leave you in the frying pan like this, but there'snot another I can trust. Now please keep out of the fire.""Don't worry. The frying pan is hot enough. I'll follow orders." He steppedback, and the air lock closed. 第五章 　　雪已经停了，但是仍在地面凝成厚厚的一层。一辆外表光洁的车子，在杳无人迹的街道上艰辛地前进。黎明时分，蒙咙的曦光分外寒冷——这不只是文学上的比喻，也是千真万确的事实。因此，虽然如今基地的政治处于如此动荡的状态，但是无论行动党或亲哈定派，都没有任何人有足够的热诚与斗志，能够这么早就开始进行街头活动。 约翰•李很不喜欢这种状况，他的咕哝声渐渐可以听得见了：“这样会糟糕，哈定，他们会说你是溜走的。” “他们爱怎么说就怎么说奸了。总之，我必须到安纳克瑞昂去，而且要走得顺利。约翰，现在什么也别说了。” 哈定将头仰靠在有衬垫的座椅上，身子有些发抖。车里装有暖气设备，其实并不冷，但是车外白雪覆盖的世界，虽然透过车窗看去，却依然令他觉得心寒。 哈定若有所思地说：“等到我们将这件事情解决之后，应该开始设法控制端点星的气候，这并不是什么难事。” 约翰回答说：“我倒想先做几件其他的事，比如说，先替瑟麦克控制气候如何？一间精致干燥的单人牢房，常年调节到摄氏二十五度，我想会很适合他。” “这样的话，我可就真的需要保镳了，”哈定说：“而不只是这两位。”他指指坐在前座司机旁边，那两个约翰的私人保镳——他们严峻的目光凝注在空旷的街道，一手按在随身的核铳上。 “你显然打算挑起内战。”哈定又加了一句。 “我吗？火堆里早就有好多木柴了，根本不用再怎么拨动。我可以一一算给你听——”约翰扳着肥短的指头说：“第一，瑟麦克昨天在市议会中高叫弹劾。” “他完全有这种权利，”哈定神色自若地说：“不过，他的动议以二O六票对一八四票被否决了，不是吗？” “是的，但是只相差二十二票而已，我们本来预期至少可以赢六十票。你别否认，你当初明明也这样想。” “的确很接近。”哈定承认。 “好——第二件事，就是投票之后，五十九个行动党党员立刻愤而退席，浩浩荡荡地步出了市议厅。” 哈定默然不语，于是约翰继续说：“第三，瑟麦克在离开会场前，曾高喊你是叛徒，说你到安纳克瑞昂是要去领赏，拒绝弹劾你的多数派议员们，也等于加入了你的叛变行动。他并且说‘行动党’不是虚有其名，这话是什么意思？” “我想，这代表会有麻烦。” “但是你却像个逃犯一样，一大清早就急着开溜。哈定，你应该面对他们，如果有必要，看在老天的份上，就发布戒严令！” “武力是……” “无能者最后的手段——得了吧！” “算了，以后你就会明白。约翰，你注意听我说，三十年前，在基地创设五十周年纪念日那一天，穹窿开启，出现了哈里•谢顿的录影，首度告诉我们部分的事实真相。” “我记得，”约翰想起以前的事，似笑非笑地点着头：“就是我们接管政府的那一天。” “没错，那时我们遭遇了初次的危机，现在这个则是第二次——三个星期之后，便是基地创设八十周年纪念日，你不觉得这里头有点玄机吗？” “你是说他还会出现？” “我的话还没有说完。谢顿从未提起过他是否还会出现，你了解吗？但是，那也是他整个计划的一部分，他总是尽量不让我们预知这个计划的任何细节。我们根本无法知道电脑何时会令影象再度出现，除非我们将穹窿拆开，可是如果这么做，说不定电脑会自动销毁。自从谢顿头一次出现之后，每年的纪念日，我都会到那里去碰碰运气，他却从来没有再现过身。不过，自从那次之后，如今才又发生了真正的危机。” “那么他会再出现吗？” “也许吧，我也不知道。不过，这就是重点所在——你今天在市议会中，先宣布我到安纳克瑞昂去的消息，然后紧接着，再正式宣布谢顿的录影将在三月十四日再度出现。对于最近这个已经确定的新危机，这段录影将会传达最重要的讯息。这一点非常重要，约翰，但是不管别人怎么追问，你都不要再多说什么。” 约翰凝视着哈定说：“他们会相信吗？” “那倒没有关系，但这一定会使他们迷惑，这就是我的目的。他们会怀疑这件事的真实性，又会猜测如果消息是假的，那么我的真正意图究竟如何。如此他们便会举棋不定，而将行动延迟到三月十四日之后，那时候我早已经回来了。” 约翰看来似乎仍然犹豫不决：“但是你说的‘已经确定的新危机’，根本就是唬人的嘛！” “足以唬得他们一愣一愣的——飞航站已经到了！” 太空船庞大的身躯在微光中若隐若现，哈定踏着积雪走向太空船，在到达气闸时又转回头，伸出手来对约翰摆了摆。 “再见，约翰，我真的很不想留你在油锅里受煎熬。但是除了你之外，我再也没有可以信赖的人了，你千万别再油上加火。” “你别担心，油锅已经够热了，我会服从你的命令。”约翰向后退去，太空船的气闸就关上了。 Chapter 6 Salvor Hardin did not travel to the planet Anacreon ?from which planet thekingdom derived its name ?immediately. It was only on the day before thecoronation that he arrived, after having made flying visits to eight of thelarger stellar systems of the kingdom, stopping only long, enough to conferwith the local representatives of the Foundation. The trip left him with an oppressive realization of the vastness of thekingdom. It was a little splinter, an insignificant fly speck compared tothe inconceivable reaches of the Galactic Empire of which it had onceformed so distinguished a part; but to one whose habits of thought had beenbuilt around a single planet, and a sparsely settled one at that,Anacreon's size in area and population was staggering. Following closely the boundaries of the old Prefect of Anacreon, itembraced twenty-five stellar systems, six of which included more than oneinhabited world. The population of nineteen billion, though still far lessthan it had been in the Empire's heyday was rising rapidly with theincreasing scientific development fostered by the Foundation. And it was only now that Hardin found himself floored by the magnitude ofthat task. Even in thirty years, only the capital world had been powered. The outer provinces still possessed immense stretches where nuclear powerhad not yet been re-introduced. Even the progress that had been made mighthave been impossible had it not been for the still workable relics leftover by the ebbing tide of Empire. When Hardin did arrive at the capital world, it was to find all normalbusiness at an absolute standstill. In the outer provinces there had beenand still were celebrations; but here on the planet Anacreon, not a personbut took feverish part in the hectic religious pageantry that heralded thecoming-of-age of their god-king, Lepold. Hardin had been able to snatch only half an hour from a haggard and harriedVerisof before his ambassador was forced to rush off to supervise stillanother temple festival. But the half-hour was a most profitable one, andHardin prepared himself for the night's fireworks well satisfied. In all, he acted as an observer, for he had no stomach for the religioustasks he would undoubtedly have had to undertake if his identity becameknown. So, when the palace's ballroom filled itself with a glittering hordeof the kingdom's very highest and most exalted nobility, he found himselfhugging the wall, little noticed or totally ignored. He had been introduced to Lepold as one of a long line of introducees, andfrom a safe distance, for the king stood apart in lonely and impressivegrandeur, surrounded by his deadly blaze of radioactive aura. And in lessthan an hour this same king would take his seat upon the massive throne ofrhodium-iridium alloy with jewel-set gold chasings, and then, throne andall would rise maestically into the air, skim the ground slowly to hoverbefore the great window from which the great crowds of common folk couldsee their king and shout themselves into near apoplexy. The throne wouldnot have been so massive, of course, if it had not had a shielded nuclearmotor built into it. It was past eleven. Hardin fidgeted and stood on his toes to better hisview. He resisted an impulse to stand on a chair. And then he saw Wienisthreading through the crowd toward him and he relaxed. Wienis' progress was slow. At almost every step, he had to pass a kindlysentence with some revered noble whose grandfather had helped Lepold'sgrandfather brigandize the kingdom and had received a dukedom therefor. And then he disentangled himself from the last uniformed peer and reachedHardin. His smile crooked itself into a smirk and his black eyes peeredfrom under grizzled brows with glints of satisfaction in them. "My dear Hardin," he said, in a low voice, "you must expect to be bored,when you refuse to announce your identity.""I am not bored, your highness. This is all extremely interesting. We haveno comparable spectacles on Terminus, you know.""No doubt. But would you care to step into my private chambers, where wecan speak at greater length and with considerably more privacy?""Certainly."With arms linked, the two ascended the staircase, and more than one dowagerduchess stared after them in surprise and wondered at the identity of thisinsignificantly dressed and uninteresting-looking stranger on whom suchsignal honor was being conferred by the prince regent. In Wienis' chambers, Hardin relaxed in perfect comfort and accepted with amurmur of gratitude the glass of liquor that had been poured out by theregent's own hand. "Locris wine, Hardin," said Wienis, "from the royal cellars. The real thing? two centuries in age. It was laid down ten years before the ZeonianRebellion.""A really royal drink," agreed Hardin, politely. "To Lepold I, King ofAnacreon."They drank, and Wienis added blandly, at the pause, "And soon to be Emperorof the Periphery, and further, who knows? The Galaxy may some day bereunited.""Undoubtedly. By Anacreon?""Why not? With the help of the Foundation, our scientific superiority overthe rest of the Periphery would be undisputable."Hardin set his empty glass down and said, "Well, yes, except that, ofcourse, the Foundation is bound to help any nation that requests scientificaid of it. Due to the high idealism of our government and the great moralpurpose of our founder, Hari Seldon, we are unable to play favorites. Thatcan't be helped, your highness."Wienis' smile broadened. "The Galactic Spirit, to use the popular cant,helps those who help themselves. I quite understand that, left to itself,the Foundation would never cooperate.""I wouldn't say that. We repaired the Imperial cruiser for you, though myboard of navigation wished it for themselves for research purposes."The regent repeated the last words ironically. "Research purposes! Yeeeeeetyou would not have repaired it, had I not threatened war."Hardin made a deprecatory gesture. "I don't know.""I do. And that threat always stood.""And still stands now?""Now it is rather too late to speak of threats." Wienis had cast a rapidglance at the clock on his desk. "Look here, Hardin, you were on Anacreononce before. You were young then; we were both young. But even then we hadentirely different ways of looking at things. You're what they call a manof peace, aren't you?""I suppose I am. At least, I consider violence an uneconomical way ofattaining an end. There are always better substitutes, though they maysometimes be a little less direct.""Yee. I've heard of your famous remark: 'Violence is the last refuge of theincompetent.' And yet" ?the regent scratched one ear gently in affectedabstraction ?I wouldn't call myself exactly incompetent."Hardin nodded politely and said nothing. "And in spite of that," Wienis continued, "I have always believed in directaction. I have believed in carving a straight path to my objective andfollowing that path. I have accomplished much that way, and fully expect toaccomplish still more.""I know," interrupted Hardin. "I believe you are carving a path such as youdescribe for yourself and your children that leads directly to the throne,considering the late unfortunate death of the king's father ?your elderbrother and the king's own precarious state of health. He is in aprecarious state of health, is he not?"Wienis frowned at the shot, and his voice grew harder. "You might find itadvisable, Hardin, to avoid certain subjects. You may consider yourselfprivileged as mayor of Terminus to make ... uh ... injudicious remarks, butif you do, please disabuse yourself of the notion. I am not one to befrightened at words. It has been my philosophy of life that difficultiesvanish when faced boldly, and I have never turned my back upon one yet.""I don't doubt that. What particular difficulty are you refusing to turnyour back upon at the present moment?""The difficulty, Hardin, of persuading the Foundation to co-operate. Yourpolicy of peace, you see, has led you into making several very seriousmistakes, simply because you underestimated the boldness of your adversary. Not everyone is as afraid of direct action as you are.""For instance?" suggested Hardin. "For instance, you came to Anacreon alone and accompanied me to my chambersalone."Hardin looked about him. "And what is wrong with that?""Nothing," said the regent, "except that outside this room are five policeguards, well armed and ready to shoot. I don't think you can leave,Hardin."The mayor's eyebrows lifted, "I have no immediate desire to leave. Do youthen fear me so much?""I don't fear you at all. But this may serve to impress you with mydetermination. Shall we call it a gesture?""Call it what you please," said Hardin, indifferently. "I shall notdiscommode myself over the incident, whatever you choose to call it.""I'm sure that attitude will change with time. But you have made anothererror, Hardin, a more serious one. It seems that the planet Terminus isalmost wholly undefended.""Naturally. What have we to fear? We threaten no one's interest and serveall alike.""And while remaining helpless," Wienis went on, "you kindly helped us toarm ourselves, aiding us particularly in the development of a navy of ourown, a great navy. In fact, a navy which, since your donation of theImperial cruiser, is quite irresistible.""Your highness, you are wasting time." Hardin made as if to rise from hisseat. "If you mean to declare war, and are informing me of the fact, youwill allow me to communicate with my government at once.""Sit down, Hardin. I am not declaring war, and you are not communicatingwith your government at all. When the war is fought ?not declared, Hardin,fought ? the Foundation will be informed of it in due time by the nuclearblasts of the Anacreonian navy under the lead of my own son upon theflagship, Wienis, once a cruiser of the Imperial navy."Hardin frowned. "When will all this happen?""If you're really interested, the ships of the fleet left Anacreon exactlyfifty minutes ago, at eleven, and the first shot will be fired as soon asthey sight Terminus, which should be at noon tomorrow. You may consideryourself a prisoner of war.""That's exactly what I do consider myself, your highness," said Hardin,still frowning. "But I'm disappointed."Wienis chuckled contemptuously. "Is that all?""Yes. I had thought that the moment of coronation ? midnight, you know ? would be the logical time to set the fleet in motion. Evidently, you wantedto start the war while you were still regent. It would have been moredramatic the other way."The regent stared. "What in Space are you talking about?""Don't you understand?" said Hardin, softly. "I had set my counterstrokefor midnight."Wienis started from his chair. "You are not bluffing me. There is nocounterstroke. If you are counting on the support of the other kingdoms,forget it. Their navies, combined, are no match for ours.""I know that. I don't intend firing a shot. It is simply that the word wentout a week ago that at midnight tonight, the planet Anacreon goes under theinterdict.""The interdict?""Yes. If you don't understand, I might explain that every priest inAnacreon is going on strike, unless I countermand the order. But I can'twhile I'm being held incommunicado; nor do I wish to even if I weren't!" Heleaned forward and added, with sudden animation, "Do you realize, yourhighness, that an attack on the Foundation is nothing short of sacrilege ofthe highest order?"Wienis was groping visibly for self-control. "Give me none of that, Hardin. Save it for the mob.""My dear Wienis, whoever do you think I am saving it for? I imagine thatfor the last half hour every temple on Anacreon has been the center of amob listening to a priest exhorting them upon that very subject. There'snot a man or woman on Anacreon that doesn't know that their government haslaunched a vicious, unprovoked attack upon the center of their religion. But it lacks only four minutes of midnight now. You'd better go down to theballroom to watch events. I'll be safe here with five guards outside thedoor." He leaned back in his chair, helped himself to another glass ofLocris wine, and gazed at the ceiling with perfect indifference. Wienis suddenly furious, rushed out of the room. A hush had fallen over the elite in the ballroom, as a broad path wascleared for the throne. Lepold sat on it now, hands solidly on its arms,head high, face frozen. The huge chandeliers had dimmed and in the diffusedmulti-colored light from the tiny nucleo-bulbs that bespangled the vaultedceiling, the royal aura shone out bravely, lifting high above his head toform a blazing coronet. Wienis paused on the stairway. No one saw him; all eyes were on the throne. He clenched his fists and remained where he was; Hardin would not bluff himinto action. And then the throne stiffed. Noiselessly, it lifted upward ?and drifted. Off the dais, slowly down the steps, and then horizontally, fivecentimetres off the floor, it worked itself toward the huge, open window. At the sound of the deep-toned bell that signified midnight, it stoppedbefore the window ?and the king's aura died. For a frozen split second, the king did not move, face twisted in surprise,without an aura, merely human; and then the throne wobbled and dropped tothe floor with a crashing thump, just as every light in the palace wentout. Through the shrieking din and confusion, Wienis' bull voice sounded. "Getthe flares! Get the flares!"He buffeted right and left through the crowd and forced his way to thedoor. From without, palace guards had streamed into the darkness. Somehow the flares were brought back to the ballroom; flares that were tohave been used in the gigantic torchlight procession through the streets ofthe city after the coronation. Back to the ballroom guardsmen swarmed with torches ?blue, green, and red;where the strange light lit up frightened, confused faces. "There is no harm done," shouted Wienis. "Keep your places. Power willreturn in a moment."He turned to the captain of the guard who stood stiffly at attention. "Whatis it, Captain?""Your highness," was the instant response, "the palace is surrounded by thepeople of the city.""What do they want?" snarled Wienis. "A priest is at the head. He has been identified as High Priest PolyVerisof. He demands the immediate release of Mayor Salvor Hardin andcessation of the war against the Foundation." The report was made in theexpressionless tones of an officer, but his eyes shifted uneasily. Wienis cried, "if any of the rabble attempt to pass the palace gates, blastthem out of existence. For the moment, nothing more. Let them howl! Therewill be an accounting tomorrow."The torches had been distributed now, and the ballroom was again alight. Wienis rushed to the throne, still standing by the window, and dragged thestricken, wax-faced Lepold to his feet. "Come with me." He cast one look out of the window. The city waspitch-black. From below there were the hoarse confused cries of the mob. Only toward the fight, where the Argolid Temple stood was thereillumination. He swore angrily, and dragged the king away. Wienis burst into his chambers, the five guardsmen at his heels. Lepoldfollowed, wide-eyed, scared speechless. "Hardin," said Wienis, huskily, "you are playing with forces too great foryou."The mayor ignored the speaker. In the pearly light of the pocketnucleo-bulb at his side, he remained quietly seated, a slightly ironicsmile on his face. "Good morning, your majesty," he said to Lepold. "I congratulate you onyour coronation.""Hardin," cried Wienis again, "order your priests back to their jobs."Hardin looked up coolly. "Order them yourself, Wienis, and see who isplaying with forces too great for whom. Right now, there's not a wheelturning in Anacreon. There's not a light burning, except in the temples. There's not a drop of water running, except in the temples. On the wintryhalf of the planet, there's not a calorie of heat, except in the temples. The hospitals are taking in no more patients. The power plants have shutdown. All ships are grounded. If you don't like it, Wienis, you can orderthe priests back to their jobs. I don't wish to.""By Space, Hardin, I will. If it's to be a showdown, so be it. We'll see ifyour priests can withstand the army. Tonight, every temple on the planetwill be put under army supervision.""Very good, but how are you going to give the orders? Every line ofcommunication on the planet is shut down. You'll find that neither wave norhyperwave will work. In fact, the only communicator of the planet that willwork ? outside of the temples, of course ?is the televisor right here inthis room, and I've fitted it only for reception."Wienis struggled vainly for breath, and Hardin continued, "If you wish youcan order your army into the Argolid Temple just outside the palace andthen use the ultrawave sets there to contact other portions of the planet. But if you do that, I'm afraid the army contigent will be cut to pieces bythe mob, and then what will protect your palace, Wienis? And your lives,Wienis?"Wienis said thickly, "We can hold out, devil. We'll last the day. Let themob howl and let the power die, but we'll hold out. And when the news comesback that the Foundation has been taken, your precious mob will find uponwhat vacuum their religion has been built, and they'll desert your priestsand turn against them. I give you until noon tomorrow, Hardin, because youcan stop the power on Anacreon but you can't stop my fleet." His voicecroaked exultantly. "They're on their way, Hardin, with the great cruiseryou yourself ordered repaired, at the head."Hardin replied lightly. "Yes, the cruiser I myself ordered repaired ?butin my own way. Tell me, Wienis, have you ever heard of a hyperwave relay? No, I see you haven't. Well, in about two minutes you'll find out what onecan do."The televisor flashed to life as he spoke, and he amended, "No, in twoseconds. Sit down, Wienis. and listen." 第六章 　　塞佛•哈定并没有直接来到安纳克瑞昂星——安纳克瑞昂王国就是根据这颗行星命名的，直到加冕的前一天，他才到达这个首都世界。在此之前，他飞到了这个王国的八个较大星系，在每个星系都做了极短暂的停留，时间刚好只能够让他与基地的代表进行一次会谈。 这一趟旅行，使他深深体会到了这个王国幅员的辽阔。这里曾经是银河帝国极具特色的一部分，但是与昔日帝国不可思议的广大版图相比，它只不过是一个小碎片，一颗毫不起眼的苍蝇屎。然而哈定的思考模式，一向只习惯于单一的行星，而且还是一个人口稀疏的行星，因此安纳克瑞昂的幅员与人口，已经足以令他感到吃惊不已了。 如今安纳克瑞昂王国的国境，与当年的安纳克瑞昂郡极为接近，境内包含二十五个恒星系，其中六个星系拥有不只一个住人行星。它的总人口数为一百九十亿，虽然与帝国全盛时期的人口无法相比，但是，由于基地提供的科援促进了科学的发展，人口也因此在急速增长中。 哈定直到现在，才真正体认到这项科援工作的艰巨——虽然已经花了三十年的时间，却只有在首都世界上建立了核电系统而已；王国的外围，仍有广大的区域没有恢复核能发电。但是，即使如今这样的一点成绩，还是利用帝国残留下来的部分设备拼凑而成，否则连这一点进展都是不可能的。 当哈定终于到达首都世界的时候，发觉一切商业活动都完全停摆了。在外围区域，庆祝活动已经持续若干时日，而在安纳克瑞昂星上，更充满了预祝国王列普德成年的狂热宗教庆典，每个人都热情万分地全心全意投入。 哈定找到了他们的大使维瑞索夫，发现他由于过分忙碌而显得愁眉苦脸、形容憔悴。他们只交谈了半个小时，维瑞索夫就被迫匆匆离去，去监督其他灵殿的庆典。但是这半小时已经使哈定获益匪浅，他已经胸有成竹，准备参加当天晚上的烟火盛会。 这次哈定完全是以普通游客的身分出现，因为万一他的身分曝光，必然会被迫负责宗教性活动，而他实在没有心情做那些无聊的事。因此，当王宫的大厅中挤满了珠光宝气的王公贵族时，他夹在其中一点也不起眼，根本没有人注意到他，更没有人过来跟他打招呼。 哈定也曾站在长串的参谒者中，在安全距离之外引见给列普德国王，国王则独自威严地站在放射性灵光的眩目光芒中。不到一小时之后，国王将要坐在镶着宝石、外表装饰着黄金浮雕、由铐表合金制成的厚重王座上，与王座一起庄严地浮到半空中，再缓缓贴地飞掠到窗口，然后在王宫的窗前翱翔，让外面成千上万的百姓瞻仰，接受百姓近乎疯狂的热情欢呼。当然，如果不是内部暗藏了核能发动机，王座也不可能那么沉重。 时间已经十一点多了，哈定开始坐立不安，他踮起脚尖来想看得清楚一点——甚至想站到椅子上，不过总算忍住了这个冲动。终于，哈定看见温尼斯穿过人群向他走来，他的心情顿时感到轻松了许多。 温尼斯走得很慢，因为他几乎每走一步，就得跟一些尊贵的贵族亲切寒暄。那些贵族的祖辈都曾协助过列普德的祖父僭取王位，从此子孙世世代代便永远承袭爵位。 温尼斯终于从最后一个贵族的身边离开，来到了哈定的面前。他挤出几丝高傲的笑容，斑白眉毛下的黑色眼珠却射出了得意的光芒。 “亲爱的哈定，”温尼斯低声说：“你不肯表露自己的身分，想必一定会很无聊。” “我一点也不觉得无聊，殿下，我正看得起劲呢。这一切都太有趣了，您也知道，端点星可没有这么隆重的庆典。” “当然啦，愿不愿意到我的书房去？我们可以无拘无束地好好聊聊。” “当然好。” 于是两人臂挽着臂上楼去了。 几位公爵的未亡人惊讶地盯着他们的背影，怎么也想不通哈定的身分——这个衣着平凡、外表也毫下起眼的陌生人，竟然受到摄政王这般的礼遇，他究竟是什么人？ 进了温尼斯的房间之后，哈定十分轻松地坐了下来。他接过摄政王亲自斟的酒，并轻声地表示谢意。 “这是卢奎斯酒，哈定，”温尼斯说：“是王室酒窖中的真品——已经有两个世纪了，是宙昂人叛乱之前十年所酿制的。” “真正的王室佳酿。”哈定礼貌地附和着：“祝列普德一世——安纳克瑞昂国王政躬康泰。” 两人干杯后，温尼斯又殷勤地为哈定斟满，然后说：“他很快就会成为银河外缘的皇帝，而接下来的发展，又有谁能预料呢？银河总该有再统一的一天。” “这点毫无疑问——是由安纳克瑞昂统一吗？” “有何不可？在基地的协助之下，我们的科技优于银河外缘其他的世界，这一点是无庸置疑的。” 哈定放下空杯，然后说：“嗯，话是没错，只是，基地必须协助任何一个需要科援的国家。基于基地政府的高度理想主义，以及基地缔造者哈里•谢顿崇高的道德目标，我们绝不能偏袒任何国家。这是无法改变的原则，殿下。” 温尼斯的微笑又扩大了一些：“套一句当今的俗话：灵助自助者。我非常了解，如果基地不是受到若干压力，也绝对不可能如此慷慨。” “这一点我可不承认，基地不是为你们修理了那艘帝国的巡弋舰吗？虽然我们的宇航局一直希望拿来作为研究之用。” 温尼斯以讽刺的口吻，重复着哈定所说的最后几个宇：“研究之用！是吗？如果我没有拿战争来威胁的话，你们是绝不肯修理那艘星舰的。” 哈定做了一个不以为然的手势：“这我就不知道了。” “我知道，而且知道这种威胁万试万灵。” “现在也灵验吗？” “现在谈威胁已经太晚了。”温尼斯很快地瞄了一下办公桌上的时钟：“你听好，哈定，你以前来过安纳克瑞昂，那时你我都很年轻，不过在那时候，我们的行事方法就已经迥然不同。你是所谓的和平主义者，对吧？” “我想大概是吧，至少，我认为以武力达到目的，是一种很不划算的手段，总会有更好的替代方法——虽然那些方法有时比较不那么直接。” “是啊，我听过你的名言：‘武力是无能者最后的手段’。但是——”他故意表现得不经意地抓抓耳朵：“我并不认为我是个无能者。” 哈定礼貌性地点点头，却一言不发。 温尼斯继续说：“然而，我一直信赖直接路线，我认为应该朝着目标笔直地开拓道路，再沿着这条直路不偏不倚地前进。以前我以这个方法取得了许多成就，今后还要用这个方法完成更多的功业。” “这我知道，”哈定插嘴道：“我相信您现在开拓的道路，是为了要让您和您的儿子直达王位。想想上一任国王——就是您的兄长——所遭遇的不幸意外，以及当今国王欠佳的健康状况。他的确健康欠佳，对不对？” 面对着哈定的指控，温尼斯只是皱着眉头，用更严厉的声音说：“为了你自己好，哈定，我劝你最好避免某些话题。你以为自己是端点星的市长，就有特权可以说……嗯……这种不负责任的话吗？如果你真的这么想的话，请你清醒一点。我可不是会被什么话吓倒的人，我的人生哲学是只要正视困难，困难便终将消失，我从来没有逃避过任何问题。” “这一点我并不怀疑，那么如今您决定正视的困难究竟是什么？” “就是说服基地与我们合作。哈定，你可知道，你的和平政策使你犯了几个非常严重的错误，因为你往往低估了对手的勇气。你要知道，并不是所有人都像你一样害怕直接行动。” “比如说？”哈定问道。 “比如说，你单独来到安纳克瑞昂，并且单独跟我进入我的书房。” 哈定环顾四周，然后再问：“那又有什么不对？” “没什么，”温尼斯说：“不过房间外面有五名警卫，他们全副武装，手握核铳。哈定，我不相信你能走得出去。” 哈定市长扬了扬眉，回答道：“我一时还不想走哩，您真的那么怕我啊？” “我一点也不怕你，但是，这可以让你体认到我的决心，我们可以称之为一种表示吧。” “您爱怎么说都随便您，”哈定不在乎地说：“您怎么说都一样，我都不会害怕的。” “我相信你这种态度迟早会改变，但你还犯了另一个错误，哈定，一个更为严重的错误——端点星好像是完全不设防的。” “当然，我们需要防谁？我们并没有威胁到任何国家的利益，并且一视同仁地提供我们的科援。” “端点星一直保持无武装的状态，但是另一方面，”温尼斯说：“你又慷慨地协助我们扩充军备，特别是支持我们建立自己的星际舰队——一个庞大的舰队。事实上，自从你们将修好的帝国巡弋舰献给我们，这个舰队已经所向无敌了。” “殿下，您这是在浪费时间。”哈定作势要从椅子上站起来：“如果您想要向我们宣战，而且正在知会我这件事，请您允许我立即与我的政府联络。” “坐下来，哈定，我并没有向你们宣战，你也根本毋须通知你的政府。一度曾是帝国舰队巡弋舰的‘温尼斯号’，现在是我国远征舰队的旗舰。这个远征舰队，由我的儿子在旗舰上亲自指挥，一旦开战的时候——哈定，听好，是开战而不是宣战，他们将对基地立刻发动核武攻击，那时基地自然就会知道了。” 哈定皱着眉问：“在什么时候？” “如果你真的有兴趣知道的话，我可以告诉你，舰队在五十分钟之前，十一点整的时候刚刚离开安纳克瑞昂。当他们能够目视端点星时，就会发动第一波的核武攻击，那是明天中午的事。现在，你可以认为自己是一名战俘了。” “我自己正是这么认为，殿下，”哈定还是皱着眉头：“但是我却很失望。” 温尼斯轻蔑地咯咯笑着：“如此而已？” “是的，我曾经想过，以为在加冕典礼开始的同时——也就是午夜零时——才是舰队行动最适当的时刻。因为很明显地，您希望在摄政王的任内开战，如果这样的话，应该更具有戏剧性。” 摄政王温尼斯瞪着哈定说：“老天，你到底在说什么？” “您还听不懂啊？”哈定轻描淡写地说：“我把反击的时刻，刚好定在午夜零时。” 温尼斯坐在椅子上，瞪着哈定说：“你别想吓唬我，你们不可能会反击。如果你想指望其他王国的协助，最好还是死了这条心吧，他们的舰队全部加起来，也绝不是我们的对手。” “这我知道，但我并不想要发一枪一弹。我只是在一周以前，就让我的人放出了风声，说在今晚午夜，安纳克瑞昂星将实行‘教禁’。” “教禁？” “是啊，如果您还不懂，我可以解释一下：安纳克瑞昂所有的教士都将会开始罢工，除非我取消原来的命令。可是如今我被软禁，不能跟外界联络，自然无法收回成命。不过，即使我的行动自由，我也不打算这么做。”他的身子向前倾，语气忽然变得生动起来：“殿下，现在您了解了吧？攻击基地就等于是罪大恶极的亵渎行为。” 温尼斯显然在勉力克制着心中的纷乱：“别对我来这一套，哈定，这些话你留着对群众去说吧。” “亲爱的温尼斯，您认为我究竟应该留着向谁说呢？我可以想像，在过去的半小时中，安纳克瑞昂所有的灵殿都已经聚满了群众，在聆听教士对这个事件的训诫。如今安纳克瑞昂的人民，每一个人都已经知道，自己的政府正在对他们的信仰中心，发动邪恶而不义的攻击。现在还差四分钟就到午夜了，您最好还是下楼到大厅去看看吧，既然有五名警卫在门外，您也不用担心我会溜走。”哈定说完，又靠回到椅背上，自己再倒了一杯卢奎斯酒，然后以完全不在乎的神情望着天花板。 温尼斯突然怒不可遏，飞快地冲出了书房。 在大厅中，所有的名士淑女都鸦雀无声，让出了一条通向王座的宽敞通道。列普德坐在王座上，两手紧抓着扶手，头拾得很高，但是脸上的表情却僵凝着。中央的大吊灯光线渐渐暗了下来，拱型屋顶上镶嵌的无数核灯泡散发出彩色的闪光。就在此时，国王周围的绚丽灵光开始闪耀，并且上升到他的头上，凝聚成一顶耀眼的王冠。 温尼斯在楼梯半途停了下来，但是并没有人注意到他，所有的眼睛都注视着王座。温尼斯在那里站定，双手紧握着拳，心中警告自己，千万不可因为哈定的恐吓而贸然行事。 这时王座开始颤动，然后无声无息地垂直上升，接着开始飘栘，离开了座台，缓缓地飘下阶梯，终于在离地五公分处停下，再水平地滑向巨大的窗口。 一声沉重的钟声响起，午夜来临了。此时王座刚好在窗前停住——刹那之间，国王头上的灵光消失了。 在那一瞬间，国王惊愕得全身无法动弹，睑上的表情因惊惧而扭曲。一旦失去了灵光，他就变得与常人无异。接着王座摇晃了几下，便重重地落在地板上，立时发出了一声巨响，宫中的灯光也正好同时全暗了下来。 在嘈杂的尖叫声与一片混乱中，传来了温尼斯的吼叫声：“拿火把来！拿火把来！” 温尼斯在拥挤的人群中左冲右撞，一直拼命挤到门口。此时，宫中的卫士也从外面冲进了黑暗的大厅。 然后火把终于拿到大厅来了，那是原先准备在加冕典礼之后，在大街小巷举行盛大的火炬游行用的。 卫士们举着火把，蜂拥进入了大厅——蓝色、绿色、红色的光芒，照在一张张恐惧惶惑的脸上。 “没有关系，”温尼斯大喊：“大家留在原地别动，电力马上就可以恢复。” 温尼斯转身，向立正站着的卫士长问道：“队长，怎么回事？” “殿下，”卫士长立即回答：“宫殿被城里的群众包围了。” “他们要什么？”温尼斯咆哮道。 “他们由一个教士带头，有人认出他就是教长波利•维瑞索夫。他要求立刻释放塞佛•哈定市长，并且停止对基地所发动的战事。”卫士长以军人特有的坚定单调语气回答，但是眼光却不安地游移不定。 温尼斯怒吼：“如果有任何暴民妄图越过宫门，一律格杀勿论。除此之外不要妄动，现在要吼就让他们去吼好了，明天再跟他们好好算帐。” 送来的火把已经分散在大厅各处，大厅里又亮了起来。温尼斯赶紧冲向仍然靠在窗口的王座，把惊吓得面无人色的列普德拉了起来。 “跟我来！”温尼斯向窗外看了一眼，整个城市一片漆黑，只有右方的艾哥里德灵殿灯火辉煌，下面则传来了群众沙哑嘈杂拘吼声。他一面暴跳如雷地咒骂着，一面把国王拖了就走。 温尼斯一路冲回自己的房间，门口五名警卫立刻跟进来。然后才是列普德，他瞪大了眼睛，畏畏缩缩地走在最后面，一句话也说不出来。 “哈定，”温尼斯的声音沙哑异常：“你这是在玩火自焚！” 哈定市长身旁放着一个手提式核灯泡，发出了珍珠般的光芒。他根本不理会温尼斯，只是安详地静静坐着，脸上挂着一丝嘲弄的微笑。 “早安，陛下，”哈定对列普德说：“恭喜您顺利加冕。” “哈定，”温尼斯再度吼道：“命令你的教士回去工作！” 哈定镇定地抬起头来说：“你自己下令吧，温尼斯，看看我们两人到底是谁在玩火。现在整个安纳克瑞昂，除了灵殿之外，没有任何的机械在运转；除了灵殿之外，没有任何的灯泡发光：除了灵殿之外，也没有一滴自来水；处于冬季的半球，除了灵殿之外，连一卡的热量都没有——医院无法再接受病患，发电厂也将被迫关闭，所有的太空船被困在地面。如果你不喜欢这种情况，温尼斯，你可以自己命令教士回去工作，我可不想管。” “我对天发誓，我会下令的。哈定，如果我们非得摊牌不可，那就来吧，看看你的教士能不能挡得住我的军队。今晚，军方就要接管这个行星上的所有灵殿。” “很好，但是你要怎么样下令呢？这个行星上，所有的通讯线路都已中断，你将会发现不论是电波或超波都失灵了。我老实告诉你，这个房间里的视讯电话，是这个行星上唯一一台还能工作的通讯器材——当然，我是指灵殿以外的地方。不过，我也已经将它改装为只能接收，而无法发出讯号了。” 温尼斯似乎透不过气来，拼命大口喘着气。哈定继续说：“如果你想试试，可以派遣军队到宫殿附近的艾哥里德灵殿，利用那里的超波通讯器，和行星的其他区域联络。但是如果你真的那样做，派出去的军队只怕会被暴民打得落花流水。到那个时候，温尼斯，谁来保护这座宫殿呢？谁又来保护你们的小命呢？” 温尼斯嘶喊道：“我们能够撑下去的，你这个魔鬼！我们可以撑得过今天的，就让暴民去吼吧，就让电力中断吧，但是我们一定撑得过去的！当基地被攻陷的消息传来时，你那些伟大的群众，就会发觉他们的宗教是如何虚幻。他们将会背弃那些教士，并且反过来对付他们。我向你保证，哈定，你顶多得意到明天中午。你虽然切断了安纳克瑞昂的一切动力，但是你却无法阻挡我的舰队。” 他扯着喉咙，耀武扬威地继续说：“舰队正朝向目的地前进，哈定，由你下令修复的那艘巡弋舰率领。” 哈定却轻松地回答：“不错，那艘巡弋舰是我下令修复的——但却是照着我的意思修的。温尼斯，告诉我，你有没有听说过超波中继器？不，我知道你没听过。不过，在两分钟之内，你就可以知道那个装置的妙用了。” 就在此时，视讯电话突然亮了起来，于是哈定又改口道：“不，在两秒钟之内。温尼斯，坐下来好好听着。” Chapter 7 Theo Aporat was one of the very highest ranking priests of Anacreon. Fromthe standpoint of precedence alone, he deserved his appointment as headpriest- attendant upon the flagship Wienis. But it was not only rank or precedence. He knew the ship. He had workeddirectly under the holy men from the Foundation itself in repairing theship. He had gone over the motors under their orders. He had rewired the'visors; revamped the communications system; replated the punctured hull;reinforced the beams. He had even been permitted to help while the wise menof the Foundation had installed a device so holy it had never been placedin any previous ship, but had been reserved only for this magnificentcolossus of a vessel ?a hyperwave relay. It was no wonder that he felt heartsick over the purposes to which theglorious ship was perverted. He had never wanted to believe what Verisofhad told him ? that the ship was to be used for appalling wickedness; thatits guns were to be turned on the great Foundation. Turned on thatFoundation, where he had been trained as a youth, from which allblessedness was derived. Yet he could not doubt now, after what the admiral had told him. How could the king, divinely blessed, allow this abominable act? Or was itthe king? Was it not, perhaps, an action of the accursed regent, Wienis,without the knowledge of the king at all. And it was the son of this sameWienis that was the admiral who five minutes before had told him: "Attend to your souls and your blessings, priest. I will attend to myship."Aporat smiled crookedly. He would attend to his souls and his blessings ? and also to his cursings; and Prince Lefkin would whine soon enough. He had entered the general communications room now. His. acolyte precededhim and the two officers in charge made no move to interfere. The headpriest-attendant had the right of free entry anywhere on the ship. "Close the door," Aporat ordered, and looked at the chronometer. It lackedFive minutes of twelve. He had timed it well. With quick practiced motions, he moved the little levers that opened allcommunications, so that every part of the two-mile-long ship was withinreach of his voice and his image. "Soldiers of the royal flagship Wienis, attend! It is your priest-attendantthat speaks!" The sound of his voice reverberated, he knew, from the stematom blast in the extreme rear to the navigation tables in the prow. "Your ship," he cried, "is engaged in sacrilege. Without your knowledge, itis performing such an act as will doom the soul of every man among you tothe eternal frigidity of space! Listen! It is the intention of yourcommander to take this ship to the Foundation and there to bombard thatsource of all blessings into submission to his sinful will. And since thatis his intention, I, in the name of the Galactic Spirit, remove him fromhis command, for there is no command where the blessing of the GalacticSpirit has been withdrawn. The divine king himself may not maintain hiskingship without the consent of the Spirit."His voice took on a deeper tone, while the acolyte listened with venerationand the two soldiers with mounting fear. "And because this ship is uponsuch a devil's errand, the blessing of the Spirit is removed from it aswell."He lifted his arms solemnly, and before a thousand televisors throughoutthe ship, soldiers cowered, as the stately image of their priest-attendantspoke: "In the name of the Galactic Spirit and of his prophet, Hari Seldon, and ofhis interpreters, the holy men of the Foundation, I curse this ship. Letthe televisors of this ship, which are its eyes, become blind. Let itsgrapples, which are its arms, be paralyzed. Let the nuclear blasts, whichare its fists, lose their function. Let the motors, which are its heart,cease to beat. Let the communications, which are its voice, become dumb. Let its ventilations, which are its breath, fade. Let its lights, which areits soul, shrivel into nothing. In the name of the Galactic Spirit, I socurse this ship."And with his last word, at the stroke of midnight, a hand, light-yearsdistant in the Argolid Temple, opened an ultrawave relay, which at theinstantaneous speed of the ultrawave, opened another on the flagshipWienis. And the ship died! For it is the chief characteristic of the religion of science that itworks, and that such curses as that of Aporat's are really deadly. Aporat saw the darkness close down on the ship and heard the sudden ceasingof the soft, distant purring of the hyperatomic motors. He exulted and fromthe pocket of his long robe withdrew a self-powered nucleo-bulb that filledthe room with pearly light. He looked down at the two soldiers who, brave men though they undoubtedlywere, writhed on their knees in the last extremity of mortal terror. "Saveour souls, your reverence. We are poor men, ignorant of the crimes of ourleaders," one whimpered. "Follow," said Aporat, sternly. "Your soul is not yet lost."The ship was a turmoil of darkness in which fear was so thick and palpable,it was all but a miasmic smell. Soldiers crowded close wherever Aporat andhis circle of light passed, striving to touch the hem of his robe, pleadingfor the tiniest scrap of mercy. And always his answer was, "Follow me!"He found Prince Lefkin, groping his way through the officers' quarters,cursing loudly for lights. The admiral stared at the priest-attendant withhating eyes. "There you are!" Lefkin inherited his blue eyes from his mother, but therewas that about the hook in his nose and the squint in his eye that markedhim as the son of Wienis. "What is the meaning of your treasonable actions? Return the power to the ship. I am commander here.""No longer," said Aporat, somberly. Lefkin looked about wildly. "Seize that man. Arrest him, or by Space, Iwill send every man within reach of my voice out the air lock in the nude."He paused, and then shrieked, "It is your admiral that orders. Arrest him."Then, as he lost his head entirely, "Are you allowing yourselves to befooled by this mountebank, this harlequin? Do you cringe before a religioncompounded of clouds and moonbeams? This man is an imposter and theGalactic Spirit he speaks of a fraud of the imagination devised to? Aporat interrupted furiously. "Seize the blasphemer. You listen to him atthe peril of your souls."And promptly, the noble admiral went down under the clutching hands of ascore of soldiers. "Take him with you and follow me."Aporat turned, and with Lefkin dragged along after him, and the corridorsbehind black with soldiery, he returned to the communications room. There,he ordered the ex-commander before the one televisor that worked. "Order the rest of the fleet to cease course and to prepare for the returnto Anacreon."The disheveled Lefkin, bleeding, beaten, and half stunned, did so. "And now," continued Aporat, grimly, "we are in contact with Anacreon onthe hyperwave beam. Speak as I order you."Lefkin made a gesture of negation, and the mob in the room and the otherscrowding the corridor beyond, growled fearfully. "Speak!" said Aporat. "Begin: The Anacreonian navy? Lefkin began. 第七章 　　泰欧•艾波拉特是安纳克瑞昂地位极高的一名教士，在这次的远征任务中，他被任命为旗舰“温尼斯号”上的首席随军教士。 他能获得这个任命，除了由于地位与辈分的考量之外，更重要的原因，是由于他十分熟悉这艘星舰。在它的修复过程中，他曾在来自基地的圣者直接指导之下工作，根据他们的指挥，调整发动机、重新连接视讯电话的线路、翻修整个通讯系统、修补百孔干疮的舰身、补强舰体的结构。甚至当舰上装设一个极为神圣的装置时，他也获准在旁帮手。由于这个称为超波中继器的装置如此神圣，过去从来没有装设在任何一艘星舰或太空船上，它是专门保留给这艘伟大的星际战舰的。 因此，如今这艘神圣的星舰竟然要被用作不义之举，令他感到极度痛心。维瑞索夫早已告诉过他，这艘星舰将要犯下骇人的邪恶罪行——它的炮口会转向伟大的基地，但是他一直都不愿意栢信。伟大的基地，他年轻的时候就是在那里接受教士养成训练，那里提供了同胞所有的福祉，如今，怎么能够将炮口对准基地？ 不过，在听到舰队司令的一番话之后，他发觉这个事实已经不容置疑了。 然而，神圣的国王怎可允许这种邪恶的行动呢？他想，可能这并不是国王的意思？如果不是的话，也许是那个可恶的摄政工温尼斯假传圣旨，国王如今还被蒙在鼓里。而且，这个舰队的司令官正是温尼斯的儿子，就是他，在五分钟前告诉自己说：“教士，你只要负责看顾灵魂和认真祷告就好了，我会照顾我的星舰。” 艾波拉特露出了诡异的微笑，他想：我当然会看顾灵魂，并且认真地祷告，但是我也要认真地诅咒，让你——雷夫金王子——马上就要痛哭流涕。 现在他正走进总通讯室，由他手下的助理教士在前开道。执勤中的两名军官并没有拦阻他们，因为首席随军教士有权进入星舰的任何地方。 “把门关上。”艾波拉特命令道，然后看了看精密计时器——现在还差五分就是十二点，他将时间算得很准。 他以迅速而熟练的动作，打开了舰上所有的通讯系统。于是，在这艘全长二哩的星舰上，任何一个角落部可以听到他的声音，并且看到他的影象。 “温尼靳号旗舰上全体官兵请注意，这是你们的首席随军教士讲话！”艾波拉特自己很清楚，他的声音会立刻在星舰各处回响——从舰尾的核炮台，到舰首的领航台。 “你们的星舰，”他喊道：“正在进行冒渎的罪行。在你们不知情的状况下，它的行动足以令你们的灵魂永远流放在冰冷的太空中！注意听好！你们的指挥官，由于他心中罪恶的邪念，打算将这艘星舰驶往基地，轰炸并征服我们的万福之源。因为这个行动是他的意思，我奉银河圣灵之名，现在解除他的指挥权。因为没有银河圣灵的庇佑，就没有指挥权的存在。甚至于神圣的国王，如果没有圣灵的认可，也将无法维持王位。” 艾波拉特的声音越来越低沉，助理教士以虔诚的心情恭敬地聆听，一旁的两名军官则越听越恐惧。 “由于这艘星舰进行如此邪恶的勾当，银河圣灵的庇佑早已经消失了。” 此时艾波拉特庄严地举起双手，在舰上近千架视讯电话前，官兵们一个个怀着敬畏的心情，目不转睛地盯着首席随军教士威严的影象。 “奉银河圣灵之名，奉先知哈里•谢顿与他的诠释者——基地的圣者之名，我诅咒这艘星舰。让它的眼睛——视讯电话——全部瞎掉；让它的手臂——钩爪——通通瘫痪；让它的拳头——核炮——尽数失效；让它的心脏——发动机——停止搏动；让它的声音——通讯装置——喑哑无声；让它的呼吸器官——通风设备——奄奄一息；让它的灵魂——灯光——完全熄灭。奉银河圣灵之名，我如此诅咒这艘星舰。” 当他说完的时候，恰好是午夜十二点正。在几光年之外的艾哥里德灵殿，正有一只手打开了超波中继器的开关。它所送出的超波，毫无刹那的延迟，就在同一时刻，开启了“温尼斯号”旗舰上的另一个中继器。 于是，整艘星舰在一瞬间完全停摆！ 这就是科学性宗教最主要的特征——一切真的能够应验。艾波拉特对这艘星舰的诅咒，如数都成了事实。 艾波拉特看到一片漆黑笼罩着这艘星舰，也听到远方超核能发动机柔和的转动声突然停止。他感到非常高兴，便由法衣内取出了自备电源的核灯泡，使房间里充满了珍珠般的光芒。 然后他望向那两名军官，他们无疑是勇敢的军人，但是如今面对着精神上的极度恐惧，竟然不由自主地跪了下来。 “救救我们的灵魂吧，大师。我们都是无辜的可怜人，根本不知道指挥官所犯的罪行。”其中一个呜咽着说。 “跟我来！”艾波拉特以严厉的口吻说：“你们的灵魂还没有沉沦。” 整艘星舰在黑暗中陷入一片混乱，恐惧感似乎摸得着也闻得到。在艾波拉特与他身边的光圈经过之处，都有官兵蜂拥而上，拉着他的法衣边缘，请求他施舍一丝一毫的慈悲。 而他的答案却始终如一：“跟我来！” 他终于找到了雷夫金王子，王子正摸索着经过军官寝室走过来，一面还破口咒骂着黑暗。 雷夫金恶狠狠地瞪着首席随军教士：“你在这里啊！”王子的蓝眼睛得自母亲的遗传，但是鹰勾鼻与斜眼表明了他是温尼斯的儿子。 “你这种叛变的行为，究竟是什么意思？赶快恢复舰上的动力，我才是这里的指挥官。” “你已经不是了。”艾波拉特以阴森的口气说。 雷夫金狂乱地四下看看，然后吼道：“抓住这个人，逮捕他。不然我发誓，我会把你们这些抗命的人通通抓起来，剥光衣服，从气闸丢到外太空去。” 他顿了一顿，又尖叫道：“这是你们的司令官在下令，快抓住他！” 但是仍然没有人有任何动作，这使得他完全失去了理智，又大叫道：“你们愿意上这个神棍、这个小丑的当吗？你们何必害怕这种胡诌出来的宗教？这个人是一个骗子，他所说的银河圣灵，根本就是虚构的幌子，目的是要……” 艾波拉特愤怒地打断了他的话：“拿下这个亵渎的人，听到了他的话，也会危及你们的灵魂。” 好几个官兵立刻一拥而上，紧紧地抓住了这个尊贵的司令官。 “抓好他，跟我来！” 艾波拉特转身就走，雷夫金被抓着跟在后面，走廊中黑压压地挤满了官兵。艾波拉特回到总通讯室，立即命令将雷夫金带到一台仍可工作的视讯电话前，然后对这位前指挥官说：“命令舰队停止前进，准备返回安纳克瑞昂。” 雷夫金已经被打得头破血流，衣衫褴褛，也吓得有些神智不清，当然只好遵命了。 艾波拉特继续厉声道：“现在我们和安纳克瑞昂取得了超波联系，你照着我的话说。” 雷夫金做了一个不愿意的手势，立刻引来了周围官兵一阵可怖的怒吼。 “说吧！”艾波拉特道：“开始：安纳克瑞昂舰队……” 于是雷夫金便开始了。 Chapter 8 There was absolute silence in Wienis' chambers when the image of PrinceLefkin appeared at the televisor. There had been one startled gasp from theregent at the haggard face and shredded uniform of his son, and then hecollapsed into a chair, face contorted with surprise and apprehension. Hardin listened stolidly, hands clasped lightly in his lap, while thejust-crowned King Lepold sat shriveled in the most shadowy comer, bitingspasmodically at his goldbraided sleeve. Even the soldiers had lost theemotionless stare that is the prerogative of the military, and, from wherethey lined up against the door, nuclear blasts ready, peered furtively atthe figure upon the televisor. Lefkin spoke, reluctantly, with a tired voice that paused at intervals asthough he were being prompted-and not gently: "The Anacreonian navy ... aware of the nature of its mission ... andrefusing to be a party ... to abominable sacrilage ... is returning toAnacreon ... with the following ultimatum issued ... to those blasphemingsinners ... who would dare to use profane force ... against the Foundation... source of all blessings ... and against the Galactic Spirit. Cease atonce all war against ... the true faith . . . and guarantee in a mannersuiting us of the navy ... as represented by our ... priest-attendant, TheoAporat ... that such war will never in the future ... be resumed, andthat"? here a long pause, and then continuing ?and that the one-timeprince regent, Wienis ... be imprisoned ... and tried before anecclesiastical court ... for his crimes. Otherwise the royal navy ... uponreturning to Anacreon ... will blast the palace to the ground ... and takewhatever other measures ... arenecessary ... to destroy the nest of sinners ... and the den of destroyers... of men's souls that now prevail."The voice ended with half a sob and the screen went blank. Hardin's fingers passed rapidly over the nucleo-bulb and its light fadeduntil in the dimness, the hitherto regent, the king, and the soldiers werehazy-edged shadows; and for the first time it could be seen that an auraencompassed Hardin. It was not the blazing light that was the prerogative of kings, but oneless spectacular, less impressive, and yet one more effective in its ownway, and more useful. Hardin's voice was softly ironic as he addressed the same Wienis who hadone hour earlier declared him a prisoner of war and Terminus on the pointof destruction, and who now was a huddled shadow, broken and silent. "There is an old fable," said Hardin, "as old perhaps as humanity, for theoldest records containing it are merely copies of other records stillolder, that might interest you. It runs as follows: "A horse having a wolf as a powerful and dangerous enemy lived in constantfear of his life. Being driven to desperation, it occured to him to seek astrong ally. Whereupon he approached a man, and offered an alliance,pointing out that the wolf was likewise an enemy of the man. The manaccepted the partnership at once and offered to kill the wolf immediately,if his new partner would only co-operate by placing his greater speed atthe man's disposal. The horse was willing, and allowed the man to placebridle and saddle upon him. The man mounted, hunted down the wolf, andkilled him. "The horse, joyful and relieved, thanked the man, and said: 'Now that ourenemy is dead, remove your bridle and saddle and restore my freedom.' "Whereupon the man laughed loudly and replied, 'Never!' and applied thespurs with a will."Silence still. The shadow that was Wienis did not stir. Hardin continued quietly, "You see the analogy, I hope. In their anxiety tocement forever domination over their own people, the kings of the FourKingdoms accepted the religion of science that made them divine; and thatsame religion of science was their bridle and saddle, for it placed thelife blood of nuclear power in the hands of the priesthoodwho took theirorders from us, be it noted, and not from you. You killed the wolf, butcould not get rid of the m? Wienis sprang to his feet and in the shadows, his eyes were maddenedhollows. His voice was thick, incoherent. "And yet I'll get you. You won'tescape. You'll rot. Let them blow us up. Let them blow everything up. You'll rot! I'll get you! "Soldiers!" he thundered, hysterically. "Shoot me down that devil. Blasthim! Blast him!"Hardin turned about in his chair to face the soldiers and smiled. One aimedhis nuclear blast and then lowered it. The others never budged. SalvorHardin, mayor of Terminus, surrounded by that soft aura, smiling soconfidently, and before whom all the power of Anacreon had crumbled topowder was too much for them, despite the orders of the shrieking maniacjust beyond. Wienis shouted incoherently and staggered to the nearest soldier. Wildly,he wrested the nuclear blast from the man's hand-aimed it at Hardin, whodidn't stir, shoved the lever and held it contacted. The pale continous beam impinged upon the force-field that surrounded themayor of Terminus and was sucked harmlessly to neutralization. Wienispressed harder and laughed tearingly. Hardin still smiled and his force-field aura scarcely brightened as itabsorbed the energies of the nuclear blast. From his comer Lepold coveredhis eyes and moaned. And, with a yell of despair, Wienis changed his aim and shot again ?andtoppled to the floor with his head blown into nothingness. Hardin winced at the sight and muttered, "A man of 'direct action' to theend. The last refuge!" 第八章 　　当雷夫金王子的影象出现在视讯电话时，温尼斯的房间里完全静了下来。摄政王看见儿子憔悴的面容与被撕烂的制服时，惊吓得倒抽了一口凉气，然后整个人跌坐在椅子上。由于惊恐与焦虑，他的脸孔整个都扭曲了。 哈定双手轻握着拳，搁在膝头上，面无表情地听着视讯电话传来的声音。刚刚加冕的列普德国王，则蜷缩在最阴暗的角落里，紧张兮兮地咬着镶金边的袖子。就连警卫们也都不再板起职业军人式的脸孔，他们在门边排成一列，手中握着核铳，眼睛却偷偷瞄着视讯电话中的影象。 雷夫金开始讲话，疲倦的声音听来似乎万分不情愿。他讲得断断续续，好像身后有人在不断地提词，而且对他很不客气。 “安纳克瑞昂舰队……了解到这次任务的本质之后……拒绝成为冒渎圣地的共犯……现在正在返回安纳克瑞昂的途中……对于敢向万福之源的……基地和……银河圣灵……使用暴力的……冒渎神圣的罪人……发出下面的最后通牒：马上停止对于真实信仰中心……的一切攻击……并且以我们的舰队……由首席随军教士艾波拉特代表……可以接受的方式……保证永不再有……这样的战事发生，同时……” 在这里有好长时间的停顿，然后才继续下去：“同时保证将曾任摄政王的温尼斯……下狱……他所犯的罪行……交由宗教法庭审判。否则王国的舰队……回到安纳克瑞昂之后……会将宫殿夷为平地……并且采取其他一切……必要的措施……摧毁威胁人民灵魂的罪人……的巢穴……” 雷夫金的话以半声哭泣作为结束，萤幕上的影象便在此时消失了。 哈定迅速地按了一下核灯泡，光线随即黯淡下来，前摄政王、国王与警卫们都变成了朦胧的黑影。直到这时，才看得出哈定的身旁居然也有灵光围绕着。 这股灵光不像国王特有的灵光那样闪耀夺目，它没有那么壮观，也不那么显着，但是却更为有效又有用。 一小时之前，温尼斯还得意洋洋地宣称哈定成了一名战俘，端点星是一个将要被毁灭的目标。现在他却整个人瘫成一团，心灰意冷，默然不语。 “我记得有一个非常古老的寓言故事，”哈定对温尼斯说。他的声音非常柔和，却带着挖苦的意味：“这个故事可能和人类的历史同样久远，因为已知最古老的记载，仍是抄自更为古老的版本。你可能会对这个故事感兴趣，它是这么说的： “从前有一匹马，他有一个危险而凶猛的敌人——狼，所以每天都战战兢兢地度日。在绝望中的马，突然想到要找一个强壮的盟友，于是他找到了人。他对人说狼也是人的大敌，提出要和人结盟的建议。人立刻接受了，他说只要马能跟他合作，将快腿交给他来指挥，这样他们就可以立刻去将狼杀掉。马答应了这个条件，允许人在他身上装上马缰和马鞍。于是人就骑着马去猎狼，果然把狼给杀死了。 “马终于高兴地松了口气，他向人道谢，并说：‘如今我们的敌人已经死了，请你解开马缰和马鞍，还我自由吧。’“人却哈哈大笑，回答马说：‘你休想！’然后狠狠地用马刺踢了他一下。” 室内还是一片静寂，温尼斯的身影依然一动也没动。 哈定继续轻声说：“我希望你听得懂这个比喻——四王国的国王，为了巩固政权，以便永远统治人民，接受了可以将他们神化的科学性宗教。这个宗教就成了他们的马缰和马鞍，因为它把核能的源头交到了教上的手中——而那些教亡却听命于我们，请注意，而不是服从你们。你们虽然杀死了狼，但是却无法摆脱人……” 温尼斯突然从阴影中一跃而起，双眼看来像是两个狂野狰狞的深洞，他的声音混浊而又语无伦次：“不管怎么样，我要干掉你，你逃不掉的，你会死在这里。让他们把这里炸平吧，炸毁一切都没有关系，你会先死在这里，我要干掉你！” “卫兵！”他神经质地狂暍道：“替我把这个恶魔射死，射死他！射死他！” 哈定将椅子转向，微笑着面对那些警卫。其中一个举起核铳想要瞄准，却马上又垂下手去，其余的根本一动也不动。在一团柔和的灵光包围中，端点星市长塞佛•哈定胸有成竹地微笑着。在他的面前，安纳克瑞昂的一切力量都粉碎了，显得自不量力得可笑。警卫们受不了这种莫名的压迫感，完全不再理会温尼斯疯狂嘶喊出的命令。 温尼斯一面继续语无伦次地吼叫，一面摇摇晃晃地走向最靠近他的一名警卫，一把夺走了他手中的核铳，立刻瞄准泰然自若的哈定，然后重重地扣下扳机。 蒙胧的连续光束立刻射向哈定，但是一碰到了环绕在他周围的力场，就全部被吸收中和了。温尼斯发出疯狂诡异的大笑，并且更用力地把下扳机。 哈定却依然微笑着，力场吸收了核铳的能量之后，只是微微发出了一点光芒。而列普德仍然畏缩在角落里，捣着眼睛不停地呻吟。 不久，温尼斯发出了一声绝望的喊叫，将铣口转向，再度扣下扳机——他立时倒在地上，头部被轰得一点也不剩。 目睹了这一切，哈定也不禁心中一凛，喃喃地说：“他真是一个贯彻始终的直接路线派，这就是他最后的下场。” Chapter 9 The Time Vault was filled; filled far beyond the available seatingcapacity, and men lined the back of the room, three deep. Salvor Hardin compared this large company with the few men attending thefirst appearance of Hari Seldon, thirty years earlier. There had only beensix, then; the five old Encyclopedists ?all dead now ?and himself, theyoung figurehead of a mayor. It had been on that day, that he, with YohanLee's assistance had removed the "figurehead" stigma from his office. It was quite different now; different in every respect. Every man of theCity Council was awaiting Seldon's appearance. He, himself, was stillmayor, but all-powerful now; and since the utter rout of Anacreon,all-popular. When he had returned from Anacreon with the news of the deathof Wienis, and the new treaty signed with the trembling Lepold, he wasgreeted with a vote of confidence of shrieking unanimity. When this wasfollowed in rapid order, by similar treaties signed with each of the otherthree kingdoms ?treaties that gave the Foundation powers such as wouldforever prevent any attempts at attack similar to that of Anacreon's ? torchlight processions had been held in every city street of Terminus. Noteven Hari Seldon's name had been more loudly cheered. Hardin's lips twitched. Such popularity had been his after the first crisisalso. Across the room, Sef Sermak and Lewis Bort were engaged in animateddiscussion, and recent events seemed to have put them out not at all. Theyhad joined in the vote of confidence; made speeches in which they publiclyadmitted that they had been in the wrong, apologized handsomely for the useof certain phrases in earlier debates, excused themselves delicately bydeclaring they had merely followed the dictates of their judgement andtheir conscience ?and immediately launched a new Actionist campaign. Yohan Lee touched Hardin's sleeve and pointed significantly to his watch. Hardin looked up. "Hello there, Lee. Are you still sour? What's wrong now?""He's due in five minutes, isn't he?""I presume so. He appeared at noon last time.""What if he doesn't?""Are you going to wear me down with your worries all your life? If hedoesn't, he won't."Lee frowned and shook his head slowly. "If this thing flops, we're inanother mess. Without Seldon's backing for what we've done, Sermak will befree to start all over. He wants outright annexation of the Four Kingdoms,and immediate expansion of the Foundation ?by force, if necessary. He'sbegun his campaign, already.""I know. A fire eater must eat fire even if he has to kindle it himself. And you, Lee, have got to worry even if you must kill yourself to inventsomething to worry about."Lee would have answered, but he lost his breath at just that moment ?asthe lights yellowed and went dim. He raised his arm to point to the glasscubicle that dominated half the room and then collapsed into a chair with awindy sigh. Hardin himself straightened at the sight of the figure that now filled thecubicle ? a figure in a wheel chair! He alone, of all those present couldremember the day, decades ago, when that figure had appeared first. He hadbeen young then, and the figure old. Since then, the figure had not aged aday, but he himself had in turn grown old. The figure stared straight ahead, hands fingering a book in its lap. It said, "I am Hari Seldon!" The voice was old and soft. There was a breathless silence in the room and Hari Seldon continuedconversationally, "This is the second time I've been here. Of course, Idon't know if any of you were here the first time. In fact, I have no wayof telling, by sense perception, that there is anyone here at all, but thatdoesn't matter. If the second crisis has been overcome safely, you arebound to be here; there is no way out. If you are not here, then the secondcrisis has been too much for you."He smiled engagingly. "I doubt that, however, for my figures show aninety-eight point four percent probability there is to be no significantdeviation from the Plan in the first eighty years. "According to our calculations, you have now reached domination of thebarbarian kingdoms immediately surrounding the Foundation. Just as in thefirst crisis you held them off by use of the Balance of Power, so in thesecond, you gained mastery by use of the Spiritual Power as against theTemporal. "However, I might warn you here against overconfidence. It is not my way togrant you any foreknowledge in these recordings, but it would be safe toindicate that what you have now achieved is merely a new balance-though onein which your position is considerably better. The Spiritual Power, whilesufficient to ward off attacks of the Temporal is not sufficient to attackin turn. Because of the invariable growth of the counteracting force knownas Regionalism, or Nationalism, the Spiritual Power cannot prevail. I amtelling you nothing new, I'm sure. "You must pardon me, by the way, for speaking to you in this vague way. Theterms I use are at best mere approximations, but none of you is qualifiedto understand the true symbology of psychohistory, and so I must do thebest I can. "In this case, the Foundation is only at the start of the path that leadsto the Second Galactic Empire. The neighboring kingdoms, in manpower andresources are still overwhelmingly powerful as compared to yourselves. Outside them lies the vast tangled jungle of barbarism that extends aroundthe entire breadth of the Galaxy. Within that rim there is still what isleft of the Galactic Empire ?and that, weakened and decaying though it is,is still incomparably mighty."At this point, Hari Seldon lifted his book and opened it. His face grewsolemn. "And never forget there was another Foundation established eightyyears ago; a Foundation at the other end of the Galaxy, at Star's End. Theywill always be there for consideration. Gentlemen, nine hundred and twentyyears of the Plan stretch ahead of you. The problem is yours!"He dropped his eyes to his book and flicked out of existence, while thelights brightened to fullness. In the babble that followed, Lee leaned overto Hardin's ear. "He didn't say when he'd be back."Hardin replied, "I know ?but I trust he won't return until you and I aresafely and cozily dead!" 第九章 　　穹窿中挤满了人潮，除了座无虚席之外，后面的墙边还满满地站了三排。 塞佛•哈定看到这么多人，不禁联想起哈里•谢顿第一次出现时的情景。那是三十年前的事了，当时只有六个人在场。其中五位是年老的百科全书编纂者，他们现在都已经作古了，另一个人就是他自己，一位年轻的傀儡市长。也就是在同一天，他与约翰•李发动政变，摘除了“傀儡”这个羞耻的头衔。 如今的情况完全不同了，一切都不一样了，市议会中的每个成员都在等待着谢顿的出现。哈定自己仍是市长，但是早已大权在握——自从令安纳克瑞昂溃不成军之后，他更是声势显赫。当他从安纳克瑞昂带回温尼斯的死讯，以及跟吓坏了的列普德新签的条约时，在欢声雷动之中，他赢得了市议会一致通过的信任投票。接着他又一鼓作气，迅速跟另外三个王国签订了类似的条约——基地据此获得了更大的权力，足以预防任何类似安纳克瑞昂这次的侵略企图。当这些条约签订时，端点星的每条大街小巷都挤满了参加火炬游行的人群，就连哈里•谢顿的名字，也从来没有被人欢呼得如此响亮过。 哈定撇了撇嘴，想到当年第一次危机过后，自己也曾经这么风光过一阵子。 在穹窿的另一个角落，赛夫•瑟麦克与路易士•玻特正在进行热烈的讨论。最近发生的事似乎一点也没有令他们气馁，他们照样参加信任投票，并且发表演说，公开承认自己的错误，并且漂亮地为以前的若干不当言辞致歉。他们油腔滑调地为自己辩解，说他们的行为只不过是遵循理性与良知——然后行动党立刻就展开了新的活动。 约翰•李碰了碰哈定的袖子，若有深意地指指手表。 哈定抬起头来说：“嗨，约翰，你怎么还是忧心忡仲的样子呢，又有什么问题啦？” “五分钟后他就应该出现了，对不对？” “我想是的，上次他就是在中午出现的。” “如果他不出现怎么办？” “你一辈子都要用自己担心的事来烦我吗？他不出现就算了。” 约翰皱着眉，轻轻地摇了摇头：“如果他不出现，那我们还会有麻烦。如果没有谢顿为我们所做的事背书的话，瑟麦克会毫无顾忌地卷土重来。他想要彻底兼并四王国，立即扩张基地的版图，必要时甚至会采取武力——他已经开始为这个主张活动了。” “我知道，玩火者即使会因而自焚，也非得玩火不可——狗改不了吃屎。而你，约翰，却一定要千方百计自寻烦恼。” 约翰正准备要回答，却突然一句话也说不出来，因为灯光在这一霎那间陡然转暗。他伸出手臂，指了指占穹窿一半面积的玻璃室，随即就瘫坐在椅子上，还轻轻发出了“嘘”的一声。 哈定看见玻璃室中出现的影象时，也不禁把身子挺直——那是一个坐在轮椅上的人！今天来到现场的众人，只有他知道几十年前，这个影象头一次出现时的情景，那时候他还年轻，玻璃室里的影象是个老人。现在，三十年过去了，这个影象一点变化都没有，但是哈定自己却已经垂垂老矣。 影象一直凝望着前方，双手抚弄着膝上的一本书。终于，他开始说话了：“我是哈里•谢顿。”声音苍老而柔和。 穹窿中的人全都屏息以待，哈里•谢顿继续流畅地说下去：“这是我第二次在此出现，当然，我不知道你们之中，是否有人在我头一次出现时曾经在场。事实上，光凭感觉，我也无法知道现在有没有人来到，不过这都没有关系。如果你们已经安全地克服了第二次危机，你们就一定会来到这里，这一点绝对可以确定。如果你们没有来，就表示第二次危机不是你们所能应付的。” 他露出了动人的笑容，继续说道：“不过我想不致于如此，因为我的计算显示，在最初的八十年间，计划不产生重大偏差的机率是千分之九百八十四。 “根据我们的计算，你们现在已经可以控制紧邻基地的几个野蛮王国了。第一次危机时，你们是利用‘势力均衡’来防止他们入侵；而第二次，你们则利用‘形而上的力量’来击败‘形而下的力量’。 “但是，我要在这里再度警告各位，千万不要过于自信。在这些录影中，我并不想让你们预知任何未来的发展，不过仍然可以告诉你们一点，那就是你们现在所获得的，只不过是一个新的平衡罢了——即使你们的处境已经比以前好得多。‘形而上的力量’虽然足以抵挡‘形而下的力量’所发动的攻击，却不足以反过来主动出击。由于地方主义或国家主义等等阻力的不断成长，‘形而上的力量’并无法永远保持优势。我相信，我所说的你们其中早就有人已经想到了。 “不过，请你们一定要原谅我说得这么含糊，我现在所用的语汇，顶多只是近似的叙述。但是各位都不了解心理史学的术语和符号，所以我只能尽量用普通的语言来解释。 “目前的状况，基地只是来到了迈向第二银河帝国的起点。邻近的诸王国，在人力及资源方面，仍旧还胜过你们无数倍。在这些王国的外面，是充斥整个银河的浑沌蛮荒丛林；而在银河的内域，还有银河帝国的残躯——虽然帝国在不断地衰败，伹它的势力仍旧是强大无匹的。” 说到这里，哈里•谢顿捧起了书本并打开来，面容转趋庄严：“你们也绝对不能忘记，在八十年前，我们还建立了另一个基地。它在银河的另一端，在群星的尽头，你们一刻都不能忽视它的存在。各位，在你们面前展开的，是已经计划好的九百二十年的未来，就看各位如何来面对了！” 谢顿的眼光垂到书本上，影象就突然消失了，室内又恢复了原来的光亮。在接下来的一阵嘈杂声中，约翰附在哈定的耳旁说：“他并没有说什么时候再回来。” 哈定答道：“我知道——但是我希望，在你我寿终正寝之前，他再也不会回来•了！” PART IV THE TRADERS TRADERS?.. and constantly in advance of the political hegemony of theFoundation were the Traders, reaching out tenuous fingerholds through thetremendous distances of the Periphery. Months or years might pass betweenlandings on Terminus; their ships were often nothing more than patchquiltsof home-made repairs and improvisations; their honesty was none of thehighest; their daring... Through it all they forged an empire more enduring than thepseudo-religious despotism of the Four Kingdoms... Tales without end are told of these massive, lonely figures who borehalf-seriously, half-mockingly a motto adopted from one of Salvor Hardin'sepigrams, "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what isright!" It is difficult now to tell which tales are real and whichapocryphal. There are none probably that have not suffered someexaggeration.... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICALimmar Ponyets was completely a-lather when the call reached his receiver ? which proves that the old bromide about telemessages and the shower holdstrue even in the dark, hard space of the Galactic Periphery. Luckily that part of a free-lance trade ship which is not given over tomiscellaneous merchandise is extremely snug. So much so, that the shower,hot water included, is located in a two-by-four cubby, ten feet from thecontrol panels. Ponyets heard the staccato rattle of the receiver quiteplainly. Dripping suds and a growl, he stepped out to adjust the vocal, and threehours later a second trade ship was alongside, and a grinning youngsterentered through the air tube between the ships. Ponyets rattled his best chair forward and perched himself on thepilot-swivel. "What've you been doing, Gorm?" he asked, darkly. "Chasing me all the wayfrom the Foundation?"Les Gorm broke out a cigarette, and shook his head definitely, "Me? Not achance. I'm just a sucker who happened to land on Glyptal IV the day afterthe mail. So they sent me out after you with this."The tiny, gleaming sphere changed hands, and Gorm added, "It'sconfidential. Super-secret. Can't be trusted to the sub-ether and all that. Or so I gather. At least, it's a Personal Capsule, and won't open foranyone but you."Ponyets regarded the capsule distastefully, "I can see that. And I neverknew one of these to hold good news, either."It opened in his hand and the thin, transparent tape unrolled stiffly. Hiseyes swept the message quickly, for when the last of the tape had emerged,the first was already brown and crinkled. In a minute and a half it hadturned black and, molecule by molecule, fallen apart. Ponyets grunted hollowly, "Oh, Galaxy!"Les Gorm said quietly, "Can I help somehow? Or is it too secret?""It will bear telling, since you're of the Guild. I've got to go toAskone.""That place? How come?""They've imprisoned a trader. But keep it to yourself.'' Gorm's expression jolted into anger, "Imprisoned! That's against theConvention.""So is the interference with local politics.""Oh! Is that what he did?" Gorm meditated. "Who's the trader'? Anyone Iknow?""No!" said Ponyets sharply, and Gorm accepted the implication and asked nofurther questions. Ponyets was up and staring darkly out the visiplate. He mumbled strongexpressions at that part of the misty lens-form that was the body of theGalaxy, then said loudly, "Damnedest mess! I'm way behind quota."Light broke on Gorm's intellect, "Hey, friend, Askone is a closed area.""That's right. You can't sell as much as a penknife on Askone. They won'tbuy nuclear gadgets of any sort. With my quota dead on its feet, it'smurder to go there.""Can't get out of it?"Ponyets shook his head absently, A know the fellow involved. Can't walk outon a friend. What of it? I am in the hands of the Galactic Spirit and walkcheerfully in the way he points out."Gorm said blankly, "Huh?"Ponyets looked at him, and laughed shortly, "I forgot. You never read the'Bood of the Spirit,' did you?""Never heard of it," said Gorm, curtly. "Well, you would if you'd had a religious training.""Religious training? For the priesthood?" Gorm was profoundly shocked. "Afraid so. It's my dark shame and secret. I was too much for the ReverendFathers, though, They expelled me, for reasons sufficient to promote me toa secular education under the Foundation. Well, look, I'd better push off. How's your quota this year?"Gorm crushed out his cigarette and adjusted his cap, "I've got my lastcargo going now. I'll make it.""Lucky fellow," gloomed Ponyets, and for many minutes after Les Gorm left,he sat in motionless reverie. So Eskel Gorov was on Askone ?and in prison as well! That was bad! In fact, considerably worse than it might appear. It was onething to tell a curious youngster a diluted version of the business tothrow him off and send him about his own. It was a thing of a differentsort to face the truth. For Limmar Ponyets was one of the few people who happened to know thatMaster Trader Eskel Gorov was not a trader at all; but that entirelydifferent thing, an agent of the Foundation! 第一章 　　行商 行商……长久以来，行商一直是基地政治霸权的先锋，在遥远的银河外缘稀疏的群星间不断向外扩张。他们通常一出去就是数个月甚至数年，才会再次回到端点星。行商所驾驶的太空船，大多是自己用旧货拼揍改装而成，或者用临时制造的简陋交通工具。他们的德行不能算高尚，但是个个胆识过人……他们利用这些资源所建立的“帝国”远比假宗教之名、行专制之实的四王国还要巩固…… 这些坚强而又孤独的行商，流传下来的故事简直不胜枚举。他们都半认真、半戏谑地，以哈定的一句警语作为座右铭，那就是“不要让道德观阻止你做正确的事！” 有关行商的故事，到底何者为真，何者为伪，如今几乎已经无法分辨，不过可以确定，难免有夸大不实之处…… ——《银河百科全书》 第一章 利玛•彭耶慈接到呼叫讯号的时候，全身正沾满了肥皂泡沫。这证明了那个老掉牙的说法——长距离通讯与淋浴总是有不解之缘，在黑暗荒凉的银河外缘太空也一样成立。 幸好，这种个人太空商船并未被商品占满，“浴室”的部分还算非常宽敞舒适——在二尺乘四尺的小空间里，备有热水淋浴设备。这里离驾驶座的控制台大约有十尺，所以彭耶慈可以清楚地听见收讯器“咔答咔答”的声响。 他赶紧冲掉肥皂泡沬，发出一声咆哮，然后快步走出来调整通话仪。三个小时之后，另一艘太空商船驶近，横靠在他的一侧。然后，一个面带微笑的年轻人，从两船之间的空气甬道走了过来。 彭耶慈立刻把最好的一张椅子推过去，自己则坐在驾驶座的旋转椅上。 “戈姆，你在干什么？”他不高兴地问：“难道你专程由基地一路追我追到这里？” 列斯•戈姆拿出一支香烟，坚定地摇着头说：“我？我才不会干这种事，我只是倒楣被抓来当公差。当我降落在葛里普特四号行星的时候，他们刚好在前一天收到了这个邮件，所以就命令我追来把它交给你。” 戈姆递给彭耶慈一个发亮的小球体，然后又说：“这是机密文件，超级机密的。我想就是由于这个缘故，所以不能使用次以太或其他类似的方法传递。至少，这是—个私人信囊，除了你自己之外，任何人都无法打开。” 彭耶慈望着这个小球，露出了不悦的表情：“我可以看得出来，我也知道，这种邮件向来都是报忧不报喜。” 他把手中的小球打开，就有薄薄的透明胶带慢慢展开来，彭耶慈的眼睛迅速扫过上面的文字——他必须这么做，因为等到最后那一部分出现时，前面的胶带已经变色变形了。在一分半钟之内，胶带就全部变成黑色，再分解成无数的分子而散落一地。 彭耶慈故意喃喃抱怨：“唉，老天啊！” 列斯•戈姆轻声问道：“我能帮什么忙？还是真的那么机密，不能告诉我？” “告诉你也无妨，反正你是公会的人——我得到阿斯康去一趟。” “到那个地方去？为什么？” “有一个行商在那里被逮捕下狱，不过这件事你不能对别人说。” 戈姆的神情转趋愤怒，叫道：“逮捕下狱！那是违反公约的。” “可是干涉内政也违反公约啊。” “哦，那家伙真的这么做吗？”戈姆想了想又说：“那个行商叫什么名字？我认识他吗？” “不！”彭耶慈的回答听来很严肃，使得戈姆知道其中另有隐情，便识趣地不再追问下去。 彭耶慈站了起来，以忧郁的眼光盯着显象板，对着形成银河主体的朦胧透镜状部分，低声而坚定地说了几句话，随即又提高嗓门说道：“真是他妈的一团槽，我的销售定额进度已经落后了！” 戈姆像是忽然想到了什么：“嘿，老友，阿斯康却是个贸易闭锁区域。” “是啊，在阿斯康，你连一支削铅笔刀都卖不出去，他们不会购买任何的核能装置。我还有那么多存货，却派我到那里去，简直是要我的命。” “不去不行吗？” 彭耶慈心不在焉地摇摇头：“我认识那个被捕的家伙，总不能对朋友见死不救。不然怎么办？我活在银河圣灵的怀抱中，它指示我去任何地方，我都得要欣然接受。” 戈姆不解地发出了“哦”的一声。 彭耶慈望着他，轻声笑了一下：“我忘了，你从来没有读过‘圣灵全书’吧，对不对？” “我连听都没听过。”戈姆回答得很简单。 “如果你受过宗教训练的话，就一定会知道。” “宗教训练？你是说教士养成训练吗？”戈姆大为吃惊。 “恐怕就是如此，这是我始终不愿意公开的秘密和耻辱。当初师父们认为我太难管教，就将我驱逐出教门，然后我才开始接受基地的普通教育。喔，我得赶紧出发了，你今年的定额销售得如何？” 列斯•戈姆捻熄了香烟，把帽子戴正，回答说：“现在只剩最后一批了，我一定能卖完的。” “幸运的家伙。”彭耶慈以沮丧的口气说。 在列斯•戈姆离去后，彭耶慈继续陷入沉思，一动也不动达数分钟之久。 原来艾斯克•哥罗夫在阿斯康，而且被关在牢里！那可真糟糕！事实上，比表面的情况要更坏得多。刚才，为了打发戈姆这个好奇心强烈的年轻人，所以彭耶慈告诉他一点含糊的梗概，并且故意说得很轻松。可是将要面对的真实情况，却完全不是那么一回事。 因为行商长艾斯克•哥罗夫其实并不是行商，他真正的身分是基地的间谍。这件事只有少数几个人知晓内情，而他——利玛•彭耶慈刚好是其中之一。 Chapter 2 Two weeks gone! Two weeks wasted. One week to reach Askone, at the extreme borders of which the vigilantwarships speared out to meet him in converging numbers. Whatever theirdetection system was, it worked ?and well. They sidled him in slowly, without a signal, maintaining their colddistance, and pointing him harshly towards the central sun of Askone. Ponyets could have handled them at a pinch. Those ships were holdovers fromthe dead-and-gone Galactic Empire ? but they were sports cruisers, notwarships; and without nuclear weapons, they were so many picturesque andimpotent ellipsoids. But Eskel Gorov was a prisoner in their hands, andGorov was not a hostage to lose. The Askonians must know that. And then another week ?a week to wind a weary way through the clouds ofminor officials that formed the buffer between the Grand Master and theouter world. Each little sub-secretary required soothing and conciliation. Each required careful and nauseating milking for the flourishing signaturethat was the pathway to the next official one higher up. For the first time, Ponyets found his trader's identification papersuseless. I Now, at last, the Grand Master was on the other side of the Guard-flankedgilded door ?and two weeks had gone. Gorov was still a prisoner and Ponyets' cargo rotted useless in the holdsof his ship. The Grand Master was a small man; a small man with a balding head and verywrinkled face, whose body seemed weighed down to motionlessness by thehuge, glossy fur collar about his neck. His fingers moved on either side, and the line of armed men backed away tofor a passage, along which Ponyets strode to the foot of the Chair ofState. "Don't speak," snapped the Grand Master, and Ponyets' opening lips closedtightly. "That's right," the Askonian ruler relaxed visibly, "I can't endure uselesschatter. You cannot threaten and I won't abide flattery. Nor is there roomfor injured complaints. I have lost count of the times you wanderers havebeen warned that your devil's machines are not wanted anywhere in Askone.""Sir," said Ponyets, quietly, "there is no attempt to justify the trader inquestion. It is not the policy of traders to intrude where they are notwanted. But the Galaxy is great, and it has happened before that a boundaryhas been trespassed unwittingly. It was a deplorable mistake.""Deplorable, certainly," squeaked the Grand Master. "But mistake? Yourpeople on Glyptal IV have been bombarding me with pleas for negotiationsince two hours after the sacrilegious wretch was seized. I have beenwarned by them of your own coming many times over. It seems awell-organized rescue campaign. Much seems to have been anticipated ?alittle too much for mistakes, deplorable or otherwise."The Askonian's black eyes were scornful. He raced on, "And are you traders,flitting from world to world like mad little butterflies, so mad in yourown right that you can land on Askone's largest world, in the center of itssystem, and consider it an unwitting boundary mixup? Come, surely not."Ponyets winced without showing it. He said, doggedly, "If the attempt totrade was deliberate, your Veneration, it was most injudicious and contraryto the strictest regulations of our Guild.""Injudicious, yes," said the Askonian, curtly. "So much so, that yourcomrade is likely to lose life in payment."Ponyets' stomach knotted. There was no irresolution there. He said, "Death,your Veneration, is so absolute and irrevocable a phenomenon that certainlythere must be some alternative."There was a pause before the guarded answer came, "I have heard that theFoundation is rich.""Rich? Certainly. But our riches are that which you refuse to take. Ournuclear goods are worth? "Your goods are worthless in that they lack the ancestral blessing. Yourgoods are wicked and accursed in that they lie under the ancestralinterdict." The sentences were intoned; the recitation of a formula. The Grand Master's eyelids dropped, and he said with meaning, "You havenothing else of value?"The meaning was lost on the trader, "I don't understand. What is it youwant?"The Askonian's hands spread apart, "You ask me to trade places with you,and make known to you my wants. I think not. Your colleague, it seems, mustsuffer the punishment set for sacrilege by the Askonian code. Death by gas. We are a just people. The poorest peasant, in like case, would suffer nomore. I, myself, would suffer no less."Ponyets mumbled hopelessly, "Your Veneration, would it be permitted that Ispeak to the prisoner?""Askonian law," said the Grand Master coldly, "allows no communication witha condemned man."Mentally, Ponyets held his breath, "Your Veneration, I ask you to bemerciful towards a man's soul, in the hour when his body stands forfeit. Hehas been separated from spiritual consolation in all the time that his lifehas been in danger. Even now, he faces the prospect of going unprepared tothe bosom of the Spirit that rules all."The Grand Master said slowly and suspiciously, "You are a Tender of theSoul?"Ponyets dropped a humble head, "I have been so trained. In the emptyexpanses of space, the wandering traders need men like myself to care forthe spiritual side of a life so given over to commerce and worldlypursuits."The Askonian ruler sucked thoughtfully at his lower lip. "Every man shouldprepare his soul for his journey to his ancestral spirits. Yet I had neverthought you traders to be believers." 第二章 　　两个星期过去了，也白白地浪费了！ 航行到阿斯康就花了一个星期。当彭耶慈到达最外围的边界时，阿斯康的警戒战舰就出现了，并且一起涌过来拦截他的太空船。姑且不论他们的侦察系统如何，总归是十分有效。 那些战舰缓缓挨近彭耶慈的太空船，可是却连一个讯号都不发，只是保持着安全的距离，强迫他转向，朝阿斯康的中心太阳飞去。 彭耶慈本可以轻易地解决那些小战舰，因为那些都是当年银河帝国的陈旧遗物——它们其实根本不是战舰，而只是高速太空游艇，并没有配备核武器。它们的外型是十分华丽的椭圆体，但是却根本不堪一击。然而艾斯克•哥罗夫落在他们手中，他是基地绝对不能失去的重要人物，这一点阿斯康人一定很明白，所以他们并不怕彭耶慈会发动攻击。然后又过了一个星期，在这七天中，彭耶慈花了很大的力气，拜会了许许多多的官吏。这些多如牛毛的大小官吏，是阿斯康的大公与外界的“桥梁”。彭耶慈必须逐个地巴结奉承疏通，让每一位都得到一些令人想到就作呕的甜头，然后他们才肯施舍龙飞凤舞的签名，让他能接洽到更高一级的机关。 彭耶慈头一次发觉，他的行商证明文件根本没有一点用处。 就是因为这样，在接到密件的两个星期之后，他才终于来到阿斯康的宫廷。现在他只要再走过警卫森严的镀金大门，就可以见到那位大公了。 此时，哥罗夫仍旧是阶下囚，而彭耶慈带来的大批货物，还全部堆积在船舱里，都快开始生銹了。 大公的个子矮小，秃头，脸上布满了皱纹。由于颈际围着巨大光润的毛皮领，身子好像被压得不能动弹似的。 大公向两侧做个手势，成队的武装卫士立刻退开几步，让出了一条路来。彭耶慈就顺着那条通道，大步朝向这位统治者走去。 “别说话。”大公先声夺人，彭耶慈只好赶紧把张开的嘴闭了起来。 “这就对了。”这位阿斯康的统治者显得轻松了许多：“我受不了无用的废话，威胁和奉承对我也没用，这里也不准备让任何受委屈的人喊冤。我不知道警告过你们这些浪人多少次了——阿斯康绝对不要你们那些邪门的机器。” “大人，”彭耶慈轻声地说：“我并不打算替那位行商辩解。行商绝不会故意侵入不受欢迎的地方，只是银河实在太大了，往往一疏忽就会误入边境，这种事以前也曾经发生过，这次的事件只是一场令人遗憾的误会。” “令人遗憾？的确不错。”大公尖声说道：“至于你说这是误会嘛，自从那个冒渎的恶棍被捕后两小时起，你们在葛里普特四号上的人，就不断请求我，想要与我交涉，并且多次提醒我说会有人亲自前来。这似乎是一个相当有计划的救援行动，很像是你们早就有预谋——姑且不论是否令人遗憾，总之这实在不像是个单纯的误会。” 阿斯康大公的黑眼珠显露出轻蔑的眼光，又急速说下去：“你们这些跑码头的行商，就跟疯狂的小蝴蝶一样，从一个行星慌慌张张地飞到另一个行星，甚至疯狂到以为能够任意降落在阿斯康的最大世界——这个星系的中心，却还狡辩说是不小心而误入边境。得了吧，当然不是那么回事。” 这番话令彭耶慈有点心虚，但是他并没表现出来，仍旧顽固地说：“如果他故意试图在此进行贸易，大人，那他就太不聪明了，而且也违反了我们公会的严格规定。” “不聪明吗？的确如此。”阿斯康的大公气咻咻地说：“所以你的同伴极可能付出他的生命，作为他不聪明的代价。” 彭耶慈感到胃部抽搐了一下，看来对方极为英明果断。他只好说：“大人，死亡是绝对无法挽回的憾事，总该有别的刑罚代替吧？” 停顿了一会儿之后，大公小心翼翼地试探着问：“听说基地很富裕。” “富裕？的确如此，但是我们的财富都是你们所不要的，我们的核能货品价值也……” “你们的货品没有祖先的祝福，所以根本一文不值。那些货品都是我们祖先所禁忌的，所以不但邪恶，而且受到诅咒。”他说这话时，那种抑扬顿挫的腔调，显示他分明就是在背书。 然后大公的眼睑垂下来，又意味深长地问：“你们难道就没有别的值钱的东西了吗？” 但是这位行商却会不过意来：“我不明白您的话，您到底想要什么？” 大公摊开双手说：“你这是要求我与你主客易位，自己告诉你我想要什么，我可不打算这么做。你的伙伴，照阿斯康的法律，似乎要以冒渎神圣罪来惩治，也就是以毒气处死。我们绝对公正，任何人犯了同样的罪行，处罚都是一样的。不会由于罪犯是穷困的农夫而加重，也不会由于我是大公而减轻。” 彭耶慈无奈地轻声问：“大人，您能允许我与犯人见一面吗？” 大公冷冶地回答说：“根据阿斯康的律法，死刑犯不准与他人接触。” 彭耶慈心中紧张到了极点：“大人，我请求您，在他面临死亡之际，对他的灵魂施舍一点慈悲吧。在他的生命受到威胁这段期间，从来都没有得到精神拘慰藉。如今，他甚至要在毫无心理准备的情况之下，就要回到主宰一切的圣灵怀中了。” 大公以怀疑的语气缓缓问道：“你是个‘灵魂守护者’吗？” 彭耶慈谦虚地低下头去，回答说：“我的确是个科班出身的灵魂守护者。在浩淼而虚空的太空中流浪的行商们，他们将一生都投注于商业与世俗的追求，所以需要有我们这种人，来照顾他们的性灵生活。” 阿斯康的统治者咬着下唇，沉思了一会儿才说：“人人都应该在灵魂归于祖灵怀抱之前，尽量做好准备工作。只是我怎么也想不到，你们这些行商居然也会如此虔诚。” Chapter 3 Eskel Gorov stirred on his couch and opened one eye as Limmar Ponyetsentered the heavily reinforced door. It boomed shut behind him. Gorovsputtered and came to his feet. "Ponyets! They sent you?""Pure chance," said Ponyets, bitterly, "or the work of my own personalmalevolent demon. Item one, you get into a mess on Askone. Item two, mysales route, as known to the Board of Trade, carries me within fiftyparsecs of the system at just the time of item one. Item three, we'veworked together before and the Board knows it. Isn't that a sweet,inevitable set-up? The answer just pops out of a slot.""Be careful," said Gorov, tautly. "There'll be someone listening. Are youwearing a Field Distorter?"Ponyets indicated the ornamented bracelet that hugged his wrist and Gorovrelaxed. Ponyets looked about him. The cell was bare, but large. It was well-lit andit lacked offensive odors. He said, "Not bad. They're treating you with kidgloves."Gorov brushed the remark aside, "Listen, how did you get down here? I'vebeen in strict solitary for almost two weeks.""Ever since I came, huh? Well, it seems the old bird who's boss here hashis weak points. He leans toward pious speeches, so I took a chance thatworked. I'm here in the capacity of your spiritual adviser. There'ssomething about a pious man such as he. He will cheerfully cut your throatif it suits him, but he will hesitate to endanger the welfare of yourimmaterial and problematical soul. It's just a piece of empiricalpsychology. A trader has to know a little of everything."Gorov's smile was sardonic, "And you've been to theological school as well. You're all right, Ponyets. I'm glad they sent you. But the Grand Masterdoesn't love my soul exclusively. Has he mentioned a ransom?"The trader's eyes narrowed, "He hinted ? barely. And he also threateneddeath by gas. I played safe, and dodged; it might easily have been a trap. So it's extortion, is it? What is it he wants?""Gold.""Gold!" Ponyets frowned. "The metal itself? What for?""It's their medium of exchange.""Is it? And where do I get gold from?""Wherever you can. Listen to me; this is important. Nothing will happen tome as long as the Grand Master has the scent of gold in his nose. Promiseit to him; as much as he asks for. Then go back to the Foundation, ifnecessary, to get it. When I'm free, we'll be escorted out of the system,and then we part company."Ponyets stared disapprovingly, "And then you'll come back and try again.""It's my assignment to sell nucleics to Askone.""They'll get you before you've gone a parsec in space. You know that, Isuppose.""I don't," said Gorov. "And if I did, it wouldn't affect things.""They'll kill you the second time."Gorov shrugged. Ponyets said quietly, "If I'm going to negotiate with the Grand Masteragain, I want to know the whole story. So far, I've been working it tooblind. As it was, the few mild remarks I did make almost threw hisVeneration into fits.""It's simple enough," said Gorov. "The only way we can increase thesecurity of the Foundation here in the Periphery is to form areligion-controlled commercial empire. We're still too weak to be able toforce political control. It's all we can do to hold the Four Kingdoms."Ponyets was nodding. "This I realize. And any system that doesn't acceptnuclear gadgets can never be placed under our religious control? "And can therefore become a focal point for independence and hostility. Yes.""All right, then," said Ponyets, "so much for theory. Now what exactlyprevents the sale. Religion? The Grand Master implied as much.""It's a form of ancestor worship. Their traditions tell of an evil pastfrom which they were saved by the simple and virtuous heroes of the pastgenerations. It amounts to a distortion of the anarchic period a centuryago, when the imperial troops were driven out and an independent governmentwas set up. Advanced science and nuclear power in particular becameidentified with the old imperial regime they remember with horror.""That so? But they have nice little ships which spotted me very handily twoparsecs away. That smells of nucleics to me."Gorov shrugged. "Those ships are holdovers of the Empire, no doubt. Probably with nuclear drive. What they have, they keep. The point is thatthey will not innovate and their internal economy is entirely non-nuclear. That is what we must change.""How were you going to do it?""By breaking the resistance at one point. To put it simply, if I could sella penknife with a force-field blade to a nobleman, it would be to hisinterest to force laws that would allow him to use it. Put that baldly, itsounds silly, but it is sound, psychologically. To make strategic sales, atstrategic points, would be to create a pro-nucleics faction at court.""And they send you for that purpose, while I'm only here to ransom you andleave, while you keep on trying? Isn't that sort of tail-backward?""In what way?" said Gorov, guardedly. "Listen," Ponyets was suddenly exasperated, "you're a diplomat, not atrader, and calling you a trader won't make you one. This case is for onewho's made a business of selling ?and I'm here with a full cargo stinkinginto uselessness, and a quota that won't ever be met, it looks like.""You mean you're going to risk your life on something that isn't yourbusiness?" Gorov smiled thinly. Ponyets said, "You mean that this is a matter of patriotism and tradersaren't patriotic?""Notoriously not. Pioneers never are.""All right. I'll grant that. I don't scoot about space to save theFoundation or anything like that. But I'm out to make money, and this is mychance. If it helps the Foundation at the same time, all the better. AndI've risked my life on slimmer chances."Ponyets rose, and Gorov rose with him, "What are you going to do?"The trader smiled, "Gorov, I don't know ?not yet. But if the crux of thematter is to make a sale, then I'm your man. I'm not a boaster as a generalthing, but there's one thing I'll always back up. I've never ended up belowquota yet."The door to the cell opened almost instantly when he knocked, and twoguards fell in on either side. 第三章 　　当利玛•彭耶慈从厚重的牢门进来时，惊动了躺在床上的艾斯克•哥罗夫，他立刻睁开了一只眼睛。接着牢门又重新关上，发出一声轰然巨响，此时哥罗夫已经站了起来。 “彭耶慈！是他们派你来的？” “纯粹是偶然，”彭耶慈苦涩地说：“或者是我自己身上的恶魔在作祟。第一，你在阿斯康惹了麻烦；第二，贸易局知道我的贸易路线——你出事的时候，我正在离此地五十秒差距的星系中；第三，贸易局也知道我们以前曾经共事过，光是这一点，我就无法推卸责任，对不对？由这几点看来，答案就呼之欲出了。” “小心——”哥罗夫紧张地说：“隔墙有耳，你带了电磁场扭曲器没有？” 彭耶慈指了一下戴在腕上的手镯，哥罗夫这才放心。然后彭耶慈环顾四周，发现这个单人牢房虽然没有什么家具，但是非常宽敞，照明设备充足，也没有令人不快的气味。所以他说：“相当好嘛，他们对你的待遇还不错。” 哥罗夫不理他，只是问道：“你是怎么进来的？我已经有两个星期没见到任何人了。” “那就是自从我来到这里以后，嗯？这没什么，我只不过摸到了大公那个老家伙的弱点，那就是他听得进去虔诚的言语。我试着从这方面下手，结果就成功了。所以，我现在的身分，是你的灵魂守护者。像他这种所谓虔诚的人，都有一个共同的特点——为了自己的目的，他可以不眨眼地割断别人的喉咙，但是他却不敢危害不切实际、虚无缥缈的灵魂。这不过是实征心理学的常识罢了，作为一个行商，无论什么学问都得懂一点。” 哥罗夫现出挖苦的微笑说：“此外，你还在灵学院待过。你实在不错，彭耶慈，我很高兴他们派你来。不过那个大公绝不会只关心我的灵魂，他提到赎金问题没有？” 彭耶慈眯起了眼睛说：“他暗示过——不过说得很隐晦。他还威胁说要用毒气处死你，我小心翼翼地避开了这个问题，因为那很可能是个陷阱。所以你认为这是一种勒索，对不对？他到底要什么？” “黄金。” “黄金！”彭耶慈皱起眉头：“他要这种金属？为什么呢？” “那是他们的交易媒介。” “是吗？我又要到哪里去找黄金？” “到任何你能去的地方。注意听我说，这点最要紧，只要让大公闻到一丝黄金的气味，我就一定能毫发无伤。不管他要多少，请无论如何都答应他，必要的话，请你回基地去申请。在我获释之后，他们将会护送我们离开这个星系，然后我们就分手。” 彭耶慈不以为然地盯着对方说：“然后你要回来再试一次？” “我的任务就是要将核能用品推销给阿斯康人。” “你兜回来一个秒差距之后，就会再度被捕，我想你应该心里有数。” “不，我没有数。”哥罗夫说：“但是即使我心里有数，我还是会做出相同的决定。” “第二次你就死定了。” 哥罗夫的反应只是耸耸肩。 彭耶慈又轻声说道：“如果我得再跟大公谈判的话，我要了解整个事情的来龙去脉。目前为止，我简直像是瞎子摸象一样，只说了几句温和委婉的话，就令大公大为光火了。” “事情很简单——”哥罗夫说：“为了保障基地在银河外缘的安全，我们所能采取的唯一办法，就是建立由宗教控制的商业帝国。我们仍然无力强制实施政治性的控制，如今我们控制四王国，也只是仰赖这个办法而已。” 彭耶慈点点头：“这点我了解，同时我也知道，不肯接受核能装置的星系，就绝不会在我们的宗教控制之下。” “对，并且会成为独立与敌对的汇聚点。” “好吧，那我知道了。”彭耶慈说：“理论上的讨论到此为止，现在请告诉我，究竟是什么挡住了我们的生意？是宗教吗？大公也曾提过一些。” “那是一种祖先崇拜。根据他们的传说，在过去有一个邪恶的世代，是良善而德行崇高的英雄祖先救了他们。这种传说是对上个世纪无政府状态的曲解，帝国的军队就是在那时被赶走的，独立的政府也是在当时建立的。因此，他们将先进的科技，尤其是核能，视为与可怖的帝政是一体两面的东西。” “是这样的吗？可是他们有设备良好的小型太空船。我在两秒差距之外时，就被他们轻而易举地盯上了，我觉得那些太空船好像具有核能动力。” 哥罗夫耸耸肩：“你说的那种太空船，显然是帝国时代的遗物，的确可能具有核能发动机。他们的政策是接收原有的东西，然而问题是他们不想革新，内部的经济体系是完全非核的，而那正是我们需要改变的状况。” “你打算怎么办？” “在重要的关键上一举突破。简单地举个例子，假如我能把力场式削铅笔刀卖给一个贵族，他就会试图修改法律，让他自己能够合法使用。说得更露骨一点，也许你会认为很蠢，但在心理学上这是很正当的，那就是只要在战略性的地点，实施战略性的销售，就能在宫廷里建立起拥核的派系。” “所以他们派你来，就是为了这个目的。我是专程来这里赎你的，很快就要离开，难道你还要留下来，继续一试再试？你这样子做合理吗？” “怎么说呢？”哥罗夫谨慎地问。 “我告诉你，”彭耶慈突然生起气来：“你是一个外交宫，并不是行商，虽然你假扮成行商，但是却完全不懂这一行。这件任务该由货真价实的行商来进行——我的船上现在还满载着快要生銹的货物，而且看起来我的定额将无法销售得完。” “你的意思是说，你愿意挺身而出，为不关己的事冒生命危险？”哥罗夫微笑着说。 彭耶慈回答：“而你的意思是说，行商都没有什么爱国心，不会做出这种爱国行为？” “关于这一点，行商简直恶名昭彰，所有的拓荒者向来都没有爱国心。” “好吧，我承认这一点。我并不是为了要拯救基地这种事情，才会在太空中忙碌奔波，我跑码头只是为了赚钱。如今这个机会十分难得，如果同时又可以帮基地一个忙，那岂不是一举两得？我愿意拿生命来赌一赌这点机会。”说完彭耶慈便站了起来。 哥罗夫也跟着站起来，问道：“你打算怎么办？” 彭耶慈微微一笑：“哥罗夫，老实告诉你，我也不知道该怎么办——至少现在还不知道。不过既然问题的关键是做生意，我想我是最佳的人选了。我一向不喜欢自夸，但是有一件事绝对可以大言不惭，那就是我每次都能将定额全部销售完。” 说完他敲敲门，厚重的牢门立时打开，两个警卫随即走到他的身边。 Chapter 4 "A show!" said the Grand Master, grimly. He settled himself well into hisfurs, and one thin hand grasped the iron cudgel he used as a cane. "And gold, your Veneration.""And gold," agreed the Grand Master, carelessly. Ponyets set the box down and opened it with as fine an appearance ofconfidence as he could manage. He felt alone in the face of universalhostility; the way he had felt out in space his first year. The semicircleof bearded councilors who faced him down, stared unpleasantly. Among themwas Pherl, the thin-faced favorite who sat next to the Grand Master instiff hostility. Ponyets had met him once already and marked himimmediately as prime enemy, and, as a consequence, prime victim. Outside the hall, a small army awaited events. Ponyets was effectivelyisolated from his ship; he lacked any weapon, but his attempted bribe; andGorov was still a hostage. He made the final adjustments on the clumsy monstrosity that had cost him aweek of ingenuity, and prayed once again that the lead-lined quartz wouldstand the strain. "What is it?" asked the Grand Master. "This," said Ponyets, stepping back, "is a small device I have constructedmyself.""That is obvious, but it is not the information I want. Is it one of theblack-magic abominations of your world?""It is nuclear in nature, admitted Ponyets, gravely, "but none of you needtouch it, or have anything to do with it. It is for myself alone, and if itcontains abominations, I take the foulness of it upon myself."The Grand Master had raised his iron cane at the machine in a threateninggesture and his lips moved rapidly and silently in a purifying invocation. The thin-faced councilor at his right leaned towards him and his straggledred mustache approached the Grand Master's ear. The ancient Askonianpetulantly shrugged himself free. "And what is the connection of your instrument of evil and the gold thatmay save your countryman's life?""With this machine," began Ponyets, as his hand dropped softly onto thecentral chamber and caressed its hard, round flanks, "I can turn the ironyou discard into gold of the finest quality. It is the only device known toman that will take iron ?the ugly iron, your Veneration, that props up thechair you sit in and the walls of this building ?and change it to shining,heavy, yellow gold."Ponyets felt himself botching it. His usual sales talk was smooth, facileand plausible; but this limped like a shot-up space wagon. But it was thecontent, not the form, that interested the Grand Master. "So? Transmutation? Men have been fools who have claimed the ability. Theyhave paid for their prying sacrilege.""Had they succeeded?""No." The Grand Master seemed coldly amused. "Success at producing goldwould have been a crime that carried its own antidote. It is the attemptplus the failure that is fatal. Here, what can you do with my staff?" Hepounded the floor with it. "Your Veneration will excuse me. My device is a small model, prepared bymyself, and your staff is too long."The Grand Master's small shining eye wandered and stopped, "Randel, yourbuckles. Come, man, they shall be replaced double if need be."The buckles passed down the line, hand to hand. The Grand Master weighedthem thoughtfully. "Here," he said, and threw them to the floor. Ponyets picked them up. He tugged hard before the cylinder opened, and hiseyes blinked and squinted with effort as he centered the buckles carefullyon the anode screen. Later, it would be easier but there must be nofailures the first time. The homemade transmuter crackled malevolently for ten minutes while theodor of ozone became faintly present. The Askonians backed away, muttering,and again Pherl whispered urgently into his ruler's ear. The Grand Master'sexpression was stony. He did not budge. And the buckles were gold. Ponyets held them out to the Grand Master with a murmured, "YourVeneration!" but the old man hesitated, then gestured them away. His starelingered upon the transmuter. Ponyets said rapidly, "Gentlemen, this is pure gold. Gold through andthrough. You may subject it to every known physical and chemical test, ifyou wish to prove the point. It cannot be identified fromnaturally-occurring gold in any way. Any iron can be so treated. Rust willnot interfere, not will a moderate amount of alloying metals? But Ponyets spoke only to fill a vacuum. He let the buckles remain in hisoutstretched hand, and it was the gold that argued for him. The Grand Master stretched out a slow hand at last, and the thin-facedPherl was roused to open speech. "Your Veneration, the gold is from apoisoned source."And Ponyets countered, "A rose can grow from the mud, your Veneration. Inyour dealings with your neighbors, you buy material of all imaginablevariety, without inquiring as to where they get it, whether from anorthodox machine blessed by your benign ancestors or from somespace-spawned outrage. Come, I don't offer the machine. I offer the gold.""Your Veneration," said Pherl, "you are not responsible for the sins offoreigners who work neither with your consent nor knowledge. But to acceptthis strange pseudo-gold made sinfully from iron in your presence and withyour consent is an affront to the living spirits of our holy ancestors.""Yet gold is gold," said the Grand Master, doubtfully, "and is but anexchange for the heathen person of a convicted felon. Pherl, you are toocritical." But he withdrew his hand. Ponyets said, "You are wisdom, itself, your Veneration. Consider ?to giveup a heathen is to lose nothing for your ancestors, whereas with the goldyou get in exchange you can ornament the shrines of their holy spirits. Andsurely, were gold evil in itself, if such, a thing could be, the evil woulddepart of necessity once the metal were put to such pious use.""Now by the bones of my grandfather," said the Grand Master with surprisingvehemence. His lips separated in a shrill laugh, "Pherl, what do you say ofthis young man? The statement is valid. It is as valid as the words of myancestors."Pherl said gloomily, "So it would seem. Grant that the validity does notturn out to be a device of the Malignant Spirit.""I'll make it even better," said Ponyets, suddenly. "Hold the gold inhostage. Place it on the altars of your ancestors as an offering and holdme for thirty days. If at the end of that time, there is no evidence ofdispleasure ? if no disasters occur ?surely, it would be proof that theoffering was accepted. What more can be offered?"And when the Grand Master rose to his feet to search out disapproval, not aman in the council failed to signal his agreement. Even Pherl chewed theragged end of his mustache and nodded curtly. Ponyets smiled and meditated on the uses of a religious education. 第四章 　　“你要做一场表演？”大公绷着脸说。他整个身子藏在毛裘中，枯瘦的手抓着一根充作拐杖的铁棒。 “还有黄金要献给您，大人。” “还有黄金要献给我。”大公漫不经心地表示同意。 彭耶慈尽可能表现得信心十足，将带来的那口箱子放下然后打开。由于周围的人全都充满了敌意，令他感到孤独而无助，就像是头一次在太空中航行的那种感觉一样。 蓄着胡子的顾问官们围坐成半圆形，都以不友善的眼光瞪着他。其中最显眼的一位，是坐在大公身旁、深受大公宠信的法尔，他的脸庞瘦削，脸上露出强烈的敌意。彭耶慈前些天曾经见过他一次，当时就把他列为主要敌人，却也因此成为彭耶慈的头号猎物。 在大厅外面，有一小队军队正在待命。如今，彭耶慈与他的太空船完全隔离了，除了计划好的行贿之外，他什么武器也没有，而哥罗夫仍然是他们的人质。 他带来的这个既简陋又怪异的奇特装置，是他花了一周的心血才做成的。现在他正在做最后的调整，然后再度祷告，祈望从太空船上拆下的石英能耐得住形变。 “这是什么？”大公问。 彭耶慈一面后退，一面说：“这是我自己设计制造的一个小装置。” “我当然看得出来，但我想知道的不是这个。我是问你，这是不是你们那个世界的妖术道具之一？” “它的确使用核能，”彭耶慈以严肃的口吻承认：“不过你们任何人都用不着碰它，也不必跟它产生任何瓜葛。全部都由我来操作，如果有什么不祥，就让我一个人自作自受好了。” 大公如临大敌般挥舞着手上的铁棒，嘴里还念念有词，好像在念诵着祛除不祥的咒语。右边那位瘦削的顾问官探身靠向大公，他的红髭尖端还险些刺到大公的耳朵，大公露出厌恶的表情赶紧避开。 “你的这个邪恶的东西，和能解救你那个同胞的黄金有什么关系？” “利用这具机器，”彭耶慈开始解释，同时将手轻轻放在箱子上，抚摸着圆形的侧壁：“我能将您扔进来的铁块，变为成色最好的黄金。天地之间，只有这种机器，能够把铁——卑贱的铁，大人，就像大人所坐的椅子的椅脚，或支撑这座建筑物的铁柱——放进去之后，变成闪闪发光、沉甸甸的纯金。” 彭耶慈觉得自己说的话简直辞不达意。平常推销商品的时候，他的口齿伶俐、能言善道，此刻却笨嘴笨舌，好像是中了弹的太空货船一样摇摇欲坠。幸亏大公关心的不是他的话，而只是他话中的内容。 “哦？那么这是点金术吗？从前有些愚人自称有这种能力，但是都因为冒渎神圣，结果自取其咎。” “他们有没有成功？” “没有。”大公显得很串灾乐祸：“人力制造黄金是一种罪过，本身就孕育了失败的种子，这种尝试加上不可避免的失败，就会带来杀身之祸。好，就用我这根铁棒试试吧。”他用铁棒敲敲地面。 “大人请原谅，我自己做的这个装置是小型的，您的那根铁棒实在太长了。” 大公闪烁的小眼睛开始四下巡视，然后忽然停了下来：“蓝达，把你的皮带扣给我。来，别怕，如果弄坏的话，我会加倍补偿你。” 于是皮带扣从众人的手中传了过来，交给大公，大公先仔细掂了掂它的重量。 “拿去。”说完他就把皮带扣扔在地上。 彭耶慈捡起皮带扣，用力拉开圆筒，眨了眨眼睛，仔细将皮带扣放在阳极屏的正中央——以后一定会更熟练更轻松，但是第一次绝对不能失败。 那台机器随即发出“噼哩帕啦”的刺耳声响，足足持续了十分钟之久，并且飘出少许难闻的臭味。顾问官们赶紧向后退去，大家都在喃喃抱怨。法尔不知又在大公耳旁嘀咕些什么，大公却一直面无表情，一动也不动。 终于，皮带扣的质地由铁变成了黄金。 彭耶慈把金质的皮带扣捧到大公面前，低声说了一句：“大人请看！”但是大公犹豫了一下，然后做个手势要他拿开，眼光则一直注视着那个转化装置。 彭耶慈立刻一口气说：“各位，这是纯金，百分之百的黄金。如果你们想要证明的话，可以用任何物理或化学方法来检验，从任何角度来看，它都跟天然黄金一模一样。所有的铁都能如法炮制，即使生銹也没有关系，掺杂了少量别的金属也无妨——” 彭耶慈说的这一串话，只是为了打破沉默的僵局。他抓着皮带扣的手一直没有收回来，只有这个金皮带扣能够证明一切。 当大公终于缓缓伸出手时，瘦脸的法雨赶紧又进言：“大人，这金块的来源不干净。” 彭耶慈立刻反驳：“大人，烂泥巴里也可以找到好玫瑰。您跟邻邦买来的各式各样物品，也从来不会过问它们的来源——到底是由列祖列宗祝福过的传统机器生产的，还是什么邪异古怪的仪器所制造的。请别害怕，我也不是要将这具机器送给您，只是献上这块黄金而已。” “大人，”法尔说：“对于没有得到您的允许，而背着您犯下罪恶的异邦人，您不必为他们所犯的罪行负责。可是，假如大人接受了在您面前，由您同意的情况之下，用铁所做成的邪异冒牌金块，这就是对我们祖先的圣灵大不敬了。” “但是黄金就是黄金，”大公以犹疑的口吻说：“同时，这是用来交换一个犯了重罪的异教徒。法尔，你太吹毛求疵了。”然而大公还是把手缩了回来。 彭耶慈又说：“大人是个聪明人，请您好好考虑——放走一个异教徒，对祖先不会造成任何损失，另一方面，换来的黄金可以好好装饰祭祀圣灵的宗祠。而且，即使黄金本身真是邪恶的，但是用在如此虔敬的目的上，它的邪恶也就自然而然消失了。” “奉我祖父遗骨之名，”大公显然相当热中，他发出了尖锐的笑声：“法尔，你觉得这个年轻人怎么样？他的话很有道理，和我的祖先们所说的一样有道理。” 法尔以沮丧的声音答道：“似乎就是这样，只要这个道理不为‘邪灵’利用就好。” “我有办法可以让你们更安心。”彭耶慈突然说：“请把这块黄金拿去，当作祭品供在你们祖先的圣坛上，再把我扣留三十天。如果三十天过去之后，没有任何不祥——没有任何灾厄发生的话，当然，那就表示祭品被接纳了，还有什么比这个更好的办法呢？” 大公站起来，想看看有没有不赞成的人，结果在场的顾问官们当然一致同意。就连法尔也咬着凌乱的髭角，心不甘情不愿地点了头。 彭耶慈现出了微笑，在心中感谢着宗教教育的妙用。 Chapter 5 Another week rubbed away before the meeting with Pherl was arranged. Ponyets felt the tension, but he was used to the feeling of physicalhelplessness now. He had left city limits under guard. He was in Pherl'ssuburban villa under guard. There was nothing to do but accept it withouteven looking over his shoulder. Pherl was taller and younger outside the circle of Elders. In nonformalcostume, he seemed no Elder at all. He said abruptly, "You're a peculiar man." His close-set eyes seemed toquiver. "You've done nothing this last week, and particularly these lasttwo hours, but imply that I need gold. It seems useless labor, for who doesnot? Why not advance one step?""It is not simply gold," said Ponyets, discreetly. "Not simply gold. Notmerely a coin or two. It is rather all that lies behind gold.""Now what can lie behind gold?" prodded Pherl, with a down-curved smile. "Certainly this is not the preliminary of another clumsy demonstration.""Clumsy?" Ponyets frowned slightly. "Oh, definitely." Pherl folded his hands and nudged them gently with hischin. "I don't criticize you. The clumsiness was on purpose, I am sure. Imight have warned his Veneration of that, had I been certain of the motive. Now had I been you, I would have produced the gold upon my ship, andoffered it alone. The show you offered us and the antagonism you arousedwould have been dispensed with.""True," Ponyets admitted, "but since I was myself, I accepted theantagonism for the sake of attracting your attention.""Is that it? Simply that?" Pherl made no effort to hide his contemptuousamusement. "And I imagine you suggested the thirty-day purification periodthat you might assure yourself time to turn the attraction into something abit more substantial. But what if the gold turns out to be impure?"Ponyets allowed himself a dark humor in return, "When the judgement of thatimpurity depends upon those who are most interested in finding it pure?"Pherl lifted his eyes and stared narrowly at the trader. He seemed at oncesurprised and satisfied. "A sensible point. Now tell me why you wished to attract me.""This I will do. In the short time I have been here, I have observed usefulfacts that concern you and interest me. For instance, you are young-veryyoung for a member of the council, and even of a relatively young family.""You criticize my family?""Not at all. Your ancestors are great and holy; all will admit that. Butthere are those that say you are not a member of one of the Five Tribes."Pherl leaned back, "With all respect to those involved," and he did nothide his venom, "the Five Tribes have impoverished loins and thin blood. Not fifty members of the Tribes are alive.""Yet there are those who say the nation would not be willing to see any manoutside the Tribes as Grand Master. And so young and newly-advanced afavorite of the Grand Master is bound to make powerful enemies among thegreat ones of the State ?it is said. His Veneration is aging and hisprotection will not last past his death, when it is an enemy of yours whowill undoubtedly be the one to interpret the words of his Spirit."Pherl scowled, "For a foreigner you hear much. Such ears are made forcropping.""That may be decided later.""Let me anticipate." Pherl stirred impatiently in his seat. "You're goingto offer me wealth and power in terms of those evil little machines youcarry in your ship. Well?""Suppose it so. What would be your objection? Simply your standard of goodand evil?"Pherl shook his head. "Not at all. Look, my Outlander, your opinion of usin your heathen agnosticism is what it is ?but I am not the entire slaveof our mythology, though I may appear so. I am an educated man, sir, and, Ihope, an enlightened one. The full depth of our religious customs, in theritualistic rather than the ethical sense, is for the masses.""Your objection, then?" pressed Ponyets, gently. "Just that. The masses. I might be willing to deal with you, but yourlittle machines must be used to be useful. How might riches come to me, ifI had to use ?what is it you sell??well, a razor, for instance, only inthe strictest, trembling secrecy. Even if my chin were more simply and morecleanly shaven, how would I become rich? And how would I avoid death by gaschamber or mob frightfulness if I were ever once caught using it?"Ponyets shrugged, "You are correct. I might point out that the remedy wouldbe to educate your own people into the use of nucleics for theirconvenience and your own substantial profit. It would be a gigantic pieceof work; I don't deny it; but the returns would be still more gigantic. Still that is your concern, and, at the moment, not mine at all. For Ioffer neither razor, knife, nor mechanical garbage disposer.""What do you offer?""Gold itself. Directly. You may have the machine I demonstrated last week."And now Pherl stiffened and the skin on his forehead moved jerkily. "Thetransmuter?""Exactly. Your supply of gold will equal your supply of iron. That, Iimagine, is sufficient for all needs. Sufficient for the Grand Mastershipitself, despite youth and enemies. And it is safe.""In what way?""In that secrecy is the essence of its use; that same secrecy you describedas the only safety with regard to nucleics. You may bury the transmuter inthe deepest dungeon of the strongest fortress on your furthest estate, andit will still bring you instant wealth. It is the gold you buy, not themachine, and that gold bears no trace of its manufacture, for it cannot betold from the natural creation.""And who is to operate the machine?""Yourself. Five minutes teaching is all you will require. I'll set it upfor you wherever you wish.""And in return?""Well," Ponyets grew cautious. "I ask a price and a handsome one. It is myliving. Let us say,?for it its a valuable machine ?the equivalent of acubic foot of gold in wrought iron."Pherl laughed, and Ponyets grew red. "I point out, sir," he added, stiffly,"that you can get your price back in two hours.""True, and in one hour, you might be gone, and my machine might suddenlyturn out to be useless. I'll need a guarantee.""You have my word.""A very good one," Pherl bowed sardonically, "but your presence would be aneven better assurance. I'll give you my word to pay you one week afterdelivery in working order.""Impossible.""Impossible? When you've already incurred the death penalty very handily byeven offering to sell me anything. The only alternative is my word thatyou'll get the gas chamber tomorrow otherwise."Ponyet's face was expressionless, but his eyes might have flickered. Hesaid, "It is an unfair advantage. You will at least put your promise inwriting?""And also become liable for execution? No, sir!" Pherl smiled a broadsatisfaction. "No, sir! Only one of us is a fool."The trader said in a small voice, "It is agreed, then." 第五章 　　又等待了一个星期，彭耶慈才获得了法尔的接见。他虽然觉得紧张，伹已经习惯了这种孤独无助的感觉。在他去见法尔的途中，从离开城市开始，直到进入郊外法尔的别墅，一路上都有警卫监视。他根本没有办法抗议或拒绝，只有顺其自然地接受如此的安排。 当法尔不在“元老”群中的时候，反而显得更高大、更年轻。而且由于今天他穿着便服，所以根本一点都不像一个元老。 法尔突然冒出一句话：“你是一个怪人。”他那一对生得很靠近的眼睛，这时似乎正在颤抖。 然后他又说：“过去一个星期，特别是这两个小时，你除了频频暗示知道我需要黄金，其他什么正事都没有做。这简直是多此一举，谁不喜欢黄金呢？你为什么不再进一步说明你的意图？” “问题不单单只是黄金而已。”彭耶慈慎重地说：“不单单是黄金的问题，也不是一两个金币，应该说是黄金背后的一切比较恰当。” “黄金背后还有什么呢？”法尔追问，还露出了一个诡异的笑容：“显然，你并没有准备再做一场笨拙的示范。” “笨拙？”彭耶慈微皱起眉头。 “嗯，当然。”法尔将下巴轻触着环抱的双手：“我并不是在挑剔，我可以肯定你的笨拙也是故意的。假如我知道你的用意何在，我将会向大公提出警告。如果换成我，我会在太空船上制造黄金，然后直接拿黄金来奉献。这样做，就不会因为那场表演而引起敌意了。” “你说得对，”彭耶慈承认：“但是我有我的做法，我是为了引起你的注意，才甘冒招惹敌意的危险。” “真的吗？就这么简单？”法尔毫不掩饰他的幸灾乐祸：“我认为你提议的三十天观察期，大概是为了要争取时间，以便将我的注意转化为更有意义的态度。可是，假如有人发现黄金不纯时，你要怎么办？” 彭耶慈故意以讽刺的口吻回答：“而这个判断，是出自那些最渴望黄金是纯正的人？” 法尔抬起头，眯起眼睛来看着这个行商，似乎又惊又喜地道：“你说的也有道理，现在请告诉我，你为什么要引起我的注意？” “遵命——我来此地不久之后，就发现几件与你有关，而且对我有利的事。比如说你很年轻，我是指身为顾问官的一员而言，你甚至出身于一个新兴的家族。” “你在批评我的家族？” “绝对没有，谁都知道你的祖先既伟大又神圣，任何人都不能否认这一点。但是却有人批评你，说你并不属于‘五大部族’。” 法尔仰靠在椅背上说：“关于这些问题——五大部族已经没落了，就像是一个风烛残年的老人，几乎已是油尽灯枯。如今五大部族的后裔，总共还剩下不到五十人。”他并没有掩饰他的恨意。 “话虽如此，还是有人不喜欢五大部族以外的人担任大公。你那么年轻，又是最受大公宠信的新贵，一定会招来许多强有力的敌人，这也是我听来的。大公已经老了，他一旦去世之后，就不能再保护你。等到那一天来临的时候，解释他的‘灵言’的，必定是你的政敌之一。” 法尔露出不悦的神色：“你这个异邦人听到的太多了，这种耳朵应该割掉。” “这一点我们可以再研究。” “让我猜猜看，”法尔显得坐立不安—：“你想建议我，利用你的太空商船上那些邪恶的小机器，为我自己带来财富和权力，对不对？” “就算你说得对吧，你为什么要反对？只是因为你的善恶道德标准？” 法尔摇摇头：“绝对不会。听好，异邦人，根据你们异教徒的不可知论，你们对我们的看法或许如此——但是，我并非完全是传统神话的奴役，虽然表面上我表现得如此。我是受过教育的人，我的眼睛是雪亮的——至少我希望是这样。我们的一切宗教习俗与仪典，都是形式胜于实质的，因为那是大众的宗教。” “那么，你反对的到底是什么呢？”彭耶慈以温和的口气追问。 “就是这一点——群众的态度。我个人倒是很愿意和你打交道，但是你那些小机器必须可以使用才行，否则我又怎么能够致富呢？如果我——你到底要卖给我什么——比如说剃刀吧，如果我只能偷偷摸摸、战战兢兢地使用的话，即使我刮胡子能刮得更便利更干净，我又怎么能藉此发大财？此外，如果被人发现我使用这种剃刀，又如何能避免被抓进毒气室，或是被暴民吓死的恶运？” 彭耶慈耸耸肩：“你说的不错，我认为解决之道，就是要重新教育你们的人民，让大家都习惯使用核能用品——为了他们自身的方便，以及你的实际利益。虽然这是一项艰巨的任务，这点我不否认，但是利润相当大。而且这和你现在有切身的关系，却不干我什么事，因为我要卖给你的，可不是剃刀、水果刀或垃圾处理器之类的东西。” “那你要卖给我什么？” “就是黄金，直接卖给你黄金，我可以将上周展示的那具机器卖给你。” 听了这番话，法尔全身僵硬，前额的皮肤抽动起来。他问：“那个金属转化装置吗？” “没错，有了它，你有多少铁，就能有多少黄金。有了那么多黄金，我相信足够应付一切的需要，当然也包括获得大公的地位。什么年轻啦、政敌啦等等，全都不成问题了，而且绝对安全。” “怎么做呢？” “当然要绝对秘密地使用，就是你刚才所说的，使用核能用品的唯一安全策略。你得到那具机器之后，埋在你最远的领地上最牢固的城堡中最深的地牢里，这样你很快就可以变成大富翁。请记住，你现在要买的不是机器，而是黄金。而且，这些黄金绝对看不出是制造出来的，因为它们与天然黄金毫无两样。” “那么谁来操作机器呢？” “你自己啊，只需要五分钟，你就可以学会如何操作。等你决定之后，我随时可以替你安装。” “你要什么代价呢？” “嗯——”彭耶慈的口气变得谨慎了：“我会狮子大开口，因为我是靠这个吃饭的。那具机器相当宝贵，所以我想——我要二立方尺的黄金，用等值的锻铁来支付。” 法尔笑了起来，令彭耶慈涨红了脸。 “大人，我再提醒你一次，”他以平板的声音补充道：“你在两小时之内，就能够将本钱捞回来。” “你说的对。但是在一小时之内，你就可能消失无踪，我的机器也许就会突然失灵，我需要一点保证。” “我可以向你保证。” “很好，”法尔嘲弄似地弯腰一鞠躬说：“但是如果你留下来的话，那就是更好的保证了。我也向你保证，如果我接到机器一周以后，运转仍然正常的话，我一定马上付钱。” “不可能。” “不可能？你向我推销任何东西，都足以使你被判死刑。如果你不答应，唯一的下场，就是明天便将你送进毒气室。” 彭耶慈面无表情，但是眼睛却似乎闪烁着兴奋的光芒。他说：“这样做你占尽了便宜，太不公平了，你至少要写个书面协定给我。” “让我也有把柄落在你手上，好让你也拿死刑来威胁我？哼，你休想！”法尔得意非凡地笑着说：“不可能的，老兄，我们之中有一个笨蛋就足够了。” 彭耶慈这位行商无可奈何地低声说：“那么，只好就这样喽。” Chapter 6 Gorov was released on the thirtieth day, and five hundred pounds of theyellowest gold took his place. And with him was released the quarantinedand untouched abomination that was his ship. Then, as on the journey into the Askonian system, so on the journey out,the cylinder of sleek little ships ushered them on their way. Ponyets watched the dimly sun-lit speck that was Gorov's ship while Gorov'svoice pierced through to him, clear and thin on the tight,distortion-bounded ether-beam. He was saying, "But it isn't what's wanted, Ponyets. A transmuter won't do. Where did you get one, anyway?""I didn't," Ponyets answer was patient. "I juiced it up out of a foodirradiation chamber. It isn't any good, really. The power consumption isprohibitive on any large scale or the Foundation would use transmutationinstead of chasing all over the Galaxy for heavy metals. It's one of thestandard tricks every trader uses, except that I never saw an iron-to-goldone before. But it's impressive, and it works ? very temporarily.""All right. But that particular trick is no good.""It got you out of a nasty spot.""That is very far from the point. Especially since I've got to go back,once we shake our solicitous escort.""Why?""You yourself explained it to this politician of yours," Gorov's voice wason edge. "Your entire sales-point rested on the fact that the transmuterwas a means to an end, but of no value in itself? that he was buying thegold, not the machine. It was good psychology, since it worked, but? "But?" Ponyets urged blandly and obtusely. The voice from the receiver grew shriller, "But we want to sell them amachine of value in itself, something they would want to use openly;something that would tend to force them out in favor of nuclear techniquesas a matter of self-interest.""I understand all that," said Ponyets, gently. "You once explained it. Butlook at what follows from my sale, will you? As long as that transmuterlasts, Pherl will coin gold; and it will last long enough to buy him thenext election. The present Grand Master won't last long.""You count on gratitude?" asked Gorov, coldly. "No ? on intelligent self-interest. The transmuter gets him an election;other mechanisms? "No! No! Your premise is twisted. It's not the transmuter, he'll credit ? it'll be the good, old-fashioned gold. That's what I'm trying to tell you."Ponyets grinned and shifted into a more comfortable position. All right. He'd baited the poor fellow sufficiently. Gorov was beginning to soundwild. The trader said, "Not so fast, Gorov. I haven't finished. There are othergadgets already involved."There was a short silence. Then, Gorov's voice sounded cautiously, "Whatother gadgets?"Ponyets gestured automatically and uselessly, "You see that escort?""I do," said Gorov shortly. "Tell me about those gadgets.""I will, 杋f you'll listen. That's Pherl's private navy escorting us; aspecial honor to him from the Grand Master. He managed to squeeze thatout.""So?""And where do you think he's taking us? To his mining estates on theoutskirts of Askone, that's where. Listen!" Ponyets was suddenly fiery, "Itold you I was in this to make money, not to save worlds. All right. I soldthat transmuter for nothing. Nothing except the risk of the gas chamber andthat doesn't count towards the quota.""Get back to the mining estates, Ponyets. Where do they come in?""With the profits. We're stacking up on tin, Gorov. Tin to fill every lastcubic foot this old scow can scrape up, and then some more for yours. I'mgoing down with Pherl to collect, old man, and you're going to cover mefrom upstairs with every gun you've got ?just in case Pherl isn't assporting about the matter as he lets on to be. That tin's my profit.""For the transmuter?""For my entire cargo of nucleics. At double price, plus a bonus." Heshrugged, almost apologetically. "I admit I gouged him, but I've got tomake quota, don't I?"Gorov was evidently lost. He said, weakly, "Do you mind explaining'?""What's there to explain? It's obvious, Gorov. Look, the clever dog thoughthe had me in a foolproof trap, because his word was worth more than mine tothe Grand Master. He took the transmuter. That was a capital crime inAskone. But at any time he could say that he had lured me on into a trapwith the purest of patriotic motives, and denounce me as a seller offorbidden things.""That was obvious.""Sure, but word against simple word wasn't all there was to it. You see,Pherl had never heard nor conceived of a microfilm-recorder."Gorov laughed suddenly. "That's right," said Ponyets. "He had the upper hand. I was properlychastened. But when I set up the transmuter for him in my whipped-dogfashion, I incorporated the recorder into the device and removed it in thenext day's overhaul. I had a perfect record of his sanctum sanctorum, hisholy-of-holies, with he himself, poor Pherl, operating the transmuter forall the ergs it had and crowing over his first piece of gold as if it werean egg he had just laid.""You showed him the results?""Two days later. The poor sap had never seen three-dimensional color-soundimages in his life. He claims he isn't superstitious, but if I ever saw anadult look as scared as he did then, call me rookie. When I told him I hada recorder planted in the city square, set to go off at midday with amillion fanatical Askonians to watch, and to tear him to piecessubsequently, he was gibbering at my knees in half a second. He was readyto make any deal I wanted.""Did you?" Gorov's voice was suppressing laughter. "I mean, have oneplanted in the city square.""No, but that didn't matter. He made the deal. He bought every gadget Ihad, and every one you had for as much tin as we could carry. At thatmoment, he believed me capable of anything. The agreement is in writing andyou'll have a copy before I go down with him, just as another precaution.""But you've damaged his ego," said Gorov. "Will he use the gadgets?""Why not? It's his only way of recouping his losses, and if he makes moneyout of it, he'll salve his pride. And he will be the next Grand Master ? and the best man we could have in our favor.""Yes," said Gorov, "it was a good sale. Yet you've certainly got anuncomfortable sales technique. No wonder you were kicked out of a seminary. Have you no sense of morals?""What are the odds?" said Ponyets, indifferently. "You know what SalvorHardin said about a sense of morals." 第六章 　　哥罗夫终于在第三十天被释放了，赎金是五百磅成色最纯的黄金。与他同时获释的是被扣押的太空船——阿斯康人认为那是邪恶的物件，所以没有动它丝毫。 然后，与彭耶慈进入阿斯康星系时一样，众多小型战舰编成整齐的圆筒状队形，引领彭耶慈与哥罗夫离开这个星系。 当哥罗夫清晰而微弱的声音，经由高传真以太波束传来时，彭耶慈正望着哥罗夫的太空船，它在阳光的照耀下形成一个模糊的小亮点。 哥罗夫说：“但这并不是我们想要做的，彭耶慈，一台金属转化装置不可能达成目标。不过，那台机器你是从哪里弄来的？” “不是弄来的，”彭耶慈耐心地回答：“是我拿船上的微波炉改成的。它并没有实用价值，因为耗费的能量太大，所以不能用于大量生产。否则基地就不会为了寻找重金属，而派人在银河中到处奔波了。这是每个行商都会玩的一种把戏，不过我相信，点铁成金这一招还是我首创的。这可以使对方留下深刻的印象，而且非常成功——然而只是非常暂时性的。” “好吧，可是那种把戏并不太高明。” “至少把你从那个鬼地方救出来了。” “问题根本不在这里，而且我必须要回去——一旦我们摆脱了这些强行护送的战舰之后。” “为什么？” “你曾经向那个政客解释过，”哥罗夫的声音显得坐立不安：“你的整个推销重点，是基于转化装置只是达成目的的一种手段，它本身并没有任何价值。他买的，其实是黄金，而不是机器。以心理学的观点来看，这一招很不错，因为它成功了，但是——” “但是什么？”彭耶慈故作不解，以温和的口气追问。 收讯器中的声音转趋尖锐：“但是我们要卖的机器，应该是本身就有价值，而且是他们想要公开使用的。这才可以迫使他们为了本身的利益，而不得不引进核能科技。” “这点我完全了解，”彭耶慈轻声地说：“你以前向我解释过。但是，请你想想我所销售的东西将造成的结果。只要法尔拥有转化装置，他就可以不断地制造黄金，维持到足以让他赢得下次的选举——现任的大公已经来日无多了。” “你指望他会感激你吗？”哥罗夫冷淡地问。 “不——我指望的是他为自己所作的高明打算。转化装置可以帮他赢得选举，然后别的机器就……” “不，不！你把前提弄拧了。他信赖的不是转化装置，而是黄金——亘古不变的黄金，我要你搞清楚的就是这一点。” 彭耶慈笑了笑，换了一个较舒服的姿势。好了，他想，哥罗夫这个可怜的家伙，已经被他逗弄得差不多了。看来再不告诉他真相，他可就要发狂啦。 于是彭耶慈说：“别着急，哥罗夫，我的话还没有说完。其实，这次我还动用了一些其他的装置。” 沉默了一会儿之后，哥罗夫小心地问：“什么其他的装置？” 彭耶慈不自觉地打着手势，但是哥罗夫当然看不到。 “你看见那些护送的战舰了吗？” “看到了，”哥罗夫不耐烦地说：“你还是直截了当地告诉我吧。” “我会的，你别插嘴——现在护送我们的，是法尔的私人舰队。这是大公给他的殊荣，法尔花了很大的力气才争取到的。” “所以呢？” “你以为他要带我们到哪里去？我们要去的地方，是他在阿斯康外围的私人矿区，你听我说——”彭耶慈的声音突然变得急躁起来：“我告诉过你，我这么做只是为了赚钱，并不是想要拯救银河系各个世界。没错，我把转化装置卖给他，除了被带进毒气室的危险，其他什么也没得到，而这东西还不能算在我的定额里面。” “你再说说那个私人矿区吧，彭耶慈，那跟这件事又有什么关系？” “那就是我们的报酬。我们要去那里采锡，哥罗夫，我要把我的太空船里每一立方尺都填满，然后你的太空船也要尽量装。我和法尔下去采集，老朋友，你就在上面用所有的武器替我掩护——这是为了防范法尔突然食言，那些锡就是他给我的报酬。” “就是他买下转化装置的代价？” “还有你我的太空船中所有的核能用品，每一样都以双倍的价钱卖给他，而且还有小费。”他耸耸肩，好像在为自己辩解：“我承认狠狠地敲诈了他一笔，但是我的定额必须销售完，对不对？” 哥罗夫显然还是摸不着头脑，他有气无力地说：“能不能解释给我听？” “哪里还需要解释？这是件很明显的事。哥罗夫，听好，那家伙自以为聪明，以为他可以高枕无忧吃定了我，因为大公很听信他的话，而绝对不会相信我。他收下转化装置，这在阿斯康是要被处极刑的。但是他随时可以辩称，他那样做是出于爱国的动机，是故意要诱我入彀，准备以此指控我销售违禁物品。” “的确不错。” “当然，但是空口总是无凭。你知道吗？法尔从来不晓得有微缩影片摄影仪这种东西。” 哥罗夫突然忍不住笑了起来。 “你想到了。”彭耶慈说：“看起来他是占尽了上风，我吃了大亏。但是我低声下气地帮他安装转化装置时，偷偷在里面藏了一台摄影仪，第二天来做检查时才又取走。摄影仪把他在那个最秘密的场所，所有的一举一动都详细记录了下来。可怜的法尔，他使尽吃奶的力气，好像要把那具机器榨干了才满意。当他看见第一块黄金时，就像生了金蛋的老母鸡一样，高兴得咯咯乱叫。” “你把录影放给他看了吗？” “那是两天以后的事。那个可怜的蠢蛋从没见过立体彩色有声影像，他说他不信邪，但是我这一辈子，从来还没见过一个成年人那么害怕。我又告诉他，说我已经在市中心广场安装了放映机，准备让阿斯康的百万群众在大白天欣赏这一幕，然后他一定会被碎尸万段。他听了我的话，半秒钟之内就吓得双膝落地，抱着我的脚拼命求饶，说他愿意答应我的任何要求。” “你真的那么做了吗？”哥罗夫勉强止住了笑：“我是说，在市中心广场安装了放映机？” “没有，不过这并不重要。他已经和我成交了，买下你我所带来的一切货物。他所付的代价，就是让我们尽量装锡带回去。那个时候，他简直相信我无所不能。我们的协定写成了书面合约，在我和他一起下去之前，我会传给你一份，这也是一个预防万一的做法。” “但是你已经伤了他的自尊心。”哥罗夫说：“他会使用那些装置吗？” “他有不用的道理吗？对他来说，那是他弥补损失的唯一方法，而且如果能够赚一笔钱，自尊心也可以得到补偿。此外，他还会因此成为下一届的大公——对我们而言，他是最恰当的人选。” “说的也是，”哥罗夫说：“的确是笔好买卖。但是不管怎么说，你的推销术有点邪门，难怪你会被踢出灵学院——你难道没有一点道德观念吗？” “我可不管那个，”彭耶慈满不在乎地说：“你总该知道塞佛•哈定对道德的评价吧。” PART V THE MERCHANT PRINCES TRADERS-... With psychohistoric inevitability. economic control of theFoundation grew. The traders grew rich; and with riches came power.... It is sometimes forgotten that Hober Mallow began life as an ordinarytrader. It is never forgotten that he ended it as the first of the MerchantPrinces.... ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAJorane Sutt put the tips of carefully-manicured fingers together and said,"It's something of a puzzle. In fact ?and this is in the strictest ofconfidence ? it may be another one of Hari Seldon's crises."The man opposite felt in the pocket of his short Smyrnian jacket for acigarette. "Don't know about that, Sutt. As a general rule, politiciansstart shouting 'Seldon crisis' at every mayoralty campaign."Sutt smiled very faintly, "I'm not campaigning, Mallow. We're facingnuclear weapons, and we don't know where they're coming from."Hober Mallow of Smyrno, Master Trader, smoked quietly, almostindifferently. "Go on. If you have more to say, get it out." Mallow nevermade the mistake of being overpolite to a Foundation man. He might be anOutlander, but a man's a man for a?that. Sutt indicated the trimensional star-map on the table. He adjusted thecontrols and a cluster of some half-dozen stellar systems blazed red. 'That," he said quietly, "is the Korellian Republic."The trader nodded, "I've been there. Stinking rathole! I suppose you cancall it a republic but it's always someone out of the Argo family that getselected Commdor each time. And if you ever don't like it ?things happen toyou." He twisted his lip and repeated, "I've been there.""But you've come back, which hasn't always happened. Three trade ships,inviolate under the Conventions, have disappeared within the territory ofthe Republic in the last year. And those ships were armed with all theusual nuclear explosives and force-field defenses.""What was the last word heard from the ships?""Routine reports. Nothing else.""What did Korell say?"Sutt's eyes gleamed sardonically, "There was no way of asking. TheFoundation's greatest asset throughout the Periphery is its reputation ofpower. Do you think we can lose three ships and ask for them?""Well, then, suppose you tell me what you want with me."Jorane Sutt did not waste his time in the luxury of annoyance. As secretaryto the mayor, he had held off opposition councilmen, jobseekers, reformers,and crackpots who claimed to have solved in its entirety the course offuture history as worked out by Hari Seldon. With training like that, ittook a good deal to disturb him. He said methodically, "In a moment. You see, three ships lost in the samesector in the same year can't be accident, and nuclear power can beconquered only by more nuclear power. The question automatically arises: ifKorell has nuclear weapons, where is it getting them?""And where does it?""Two alternatives. Either the Korellians have constructed them themselves? "Far-fetched!""Very! But the other possibility is that we are being afflicted with a caseof treason.""You think so?" Mallow's voice was cold. The secretary said calmly, "There's nothing miraculous about thepossibility. Since the Four Kingdoms accepted the Foundation Convention, wehave had to deal with considerable groups of dissident populations in eachnation. Each former kingdom has its pretenders and its former noblemen, whocan't very well pretend to love the Foundation. Some of them are becomingactive, perhaps."Mallow was a dull red. "I see. Is there anything you want to say to me? I'ma Smyrnian.""I know. You're a Smyrnian ? born in Smyrno, one of the former FourKingdoms. You're a Foundation man by education only. By birth, you're anOutlander and a foreigner. No doubt your grandfather was a baron at thetime of the wars with Anacreon and Loris, and no doubt your family estateswere taken away when Sef Sermak redistributed the land.""No, by Black Space, no! My grandfather was a blood-poor son-of-a-spacerwho died heaving coal at starving wages before the Foundation took over. Iowe nothing to the old regime. But I was born in Smyrno, and I'm notashamed of either Smyrno or Smyrnians, by the Galaxy. Your sly little hintsof treason aren't going to panic me into licking Foundation spittle. Andnow you can either give your orders or make your accusations. I don't carewhich.""My good Master Trader, I don't care an electron whether your grandfatherwas King of Smyrno or the greatest pauper on the planet. I recited thatrigmarole about your birth and ancestry to show you that I'm not interestedin them. Evidently, you missed the point. Let's go back now. You're aSmyrnian. You know the Outlanders. Also, you're a trader and one of thebest. You've been to Korell and you know the Korellians. That's whereyou've got to go."Mallow breathed deeply, "As a spy?""Not at all. As a trader ?but with your eyes open. If you can find outwhere the power is coming from ?I might remind you, since you're aSmyrnian, that two of those lost trade ships had Smyrnian crews.""When do I start?""When will your ship be ready?""In six days.""Then that's when you start. You'll have all the details at the Admiralty.""Right!" The trader rose, shook hands roughly, and strode out. Sutt waited, spreading his fingers gingerly and rubbing out the pressure;then shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the mayor's office. The mayor deadened the visiplate and leaned back. "What do you make of it,Sutt?""He could be a good actor," said Sutt, and stared thoughtfully ahead. 第一章 　　商业王侯 行商……基于心理史学的必然性，基地的经济支配力量越来越强，行商也越来越富有。随着财富的累积，权力亦随之而来…… 人们通常不太记得侯伯•马洛原只是一位平凡的行商，却永远忘不了他后来成为第一们商业王侯…… ——《银河百科全书》 第一章 乔兰•瑟特把修剪得整齐漂亮的指尖并在一起，然后开口道：“这可说是一个谜，事实上——这是绝对机密——它说不定又是另一个谢顿危机。” 坐在瑟特对面的那个人，摸了摸他所穿的司密尔诺式短上衣的口袋，掏出一根香烟来，然后回答说：“这我就不知道了，瑟特。每次市长选举时，政客们都会大声疾呼‘谢顿危机’，这几乎已经是惯例了。” 瑟特露出了一丝微笑说：“我不是在竞选，马洛。我们现在面临了核武器的威胁，却不知道那些武器来自何方。” 司密尔诺出身的行商长侯伯•马洛静静地抽着烟，几乎毫不经意地说：“继续啊，如果你还有话要说，就请全部一吐为快吧。”马洛对基地的人一向不会过分客气，纵然他是个异邦人，却从不认为自己比道地的基地公民矮了一截。 瑟特指指桌上的三维星图，调整了一下控制钮，就有一团红色的光芒出现，它们代表半打左右的恒星系。 “那里就是柯瑞尔共和国。”瑟特轻声地说。 行商马洛点点头：“我去过那里，简直是个臭老鼠窝！你虽然可以称它为共和国，但是每次当选为‘领袖’的，都是艾哥家族的人。任何人如果有异议的话，就会吃不了兜着走。”然后他又撇着嘴唇再度强调：“我去过那里。” “但是你又回来了，并不是每个人都能那样走运。去年有三艘太空商船，虽然受到公约的保护，却在那个共和国的境域里无缘无故失踪了。而且那些太空船上，都照例配备有一般的核弹和力场防护罩。” “那些太空商船在最后的通讯中，有没有说些什么？” “只是例行报告罢了，没有什么别的话。” “柯瑞尔怎么说呢？” 瑟特的眼睛闪现出几丝嘲弄的神色：“这是没法问的，基地立足于银河外缘的最大资本，就是强大实力的威名。你以为我们可以向对方打听那三艘太空船的下落吗？我们已经丢了太空船，绝不能再丢脸了。” “好吧，那么你告诉我，你到底要我做什么呢？” 瑟特从来不会为了无谓的麻烦浪费时间，身为市长的机要秘书，无论是反对党的议员、求职者、改革家，或自称完全解出了谢顿计划中未来历史轨迹的狂人，他全都应付过。有了这些实战的经验，他已经练就了一身临危不乱的本领。 因此，他有条不紊地说：“我马上就会告诉你——一年之间，有三艘太空船在同一个星区里失踪，这绝不可能是意外，你是否也体会到了？而且，想要打败核武装的船舰，只有更强大的核能武器才做得到。因此，问题就来了，如果柯瑞尔拥有核武，它究竟是从哪里弄来的？” “他们是从哪里得到的呢？” “这有两种可能。第一，那是柯瑞尔人自己制造的……” “太不可能了！” “没错，那么，另一个可能就是我们的内部出了叛徒。” “你真的这么想吗？”马洛的声音很冶漠。 市长机要秘书平静地说：“这个可能性绝对存在。自从四王国接受了‘基地公约’之后，我们就面临着各王国内众多异议人士的威胁——在这些解体的王国中，原来都有许多觊觎王位的人，以及既得利益的贵族阶级，他们不可能心甘情愿效忠基地，也许其中有些人已经开始活动了。” 马洛微带愠意地说：“我知道了。你到底要告诉我什么？请注意，我可是司密尔诺人。” “我知道你是司密尔诺人——你生于司密尔诺，就是当年四王国之一的司密尔诺王国。你只是在基地受教育而已，以你的出身来说，你是一个异邦人。在你们的王国与安纳克瑞昂以及洛瑞斯交战时，你的祖父无疑还是一位男爵；而当赛夫•瑟麦克实施土地改革时，你们家族的领地就全部被没收了。” “不对，老天爷，简直大错特错！我的祖父是个卑微的平民，他只是‘外世界人’的后裔，是一个赤贫的矿工，一生仅靠挖煤糊口。在基地接管司密尔诺之前他已经去世，我并没受到以前那个政权的任何荫庇。然而，我的确生于司密尔诺，但是我并不会因此自卑。你狡猾地暗示我是个叛徒，这样做一点也吓不倒我，我不会因此对基地卑躬屈膝地讨饶。现在，你到底是要命令我做什么事，还是要指控我是叛徒？这都悉听尊便，我可不在乎。” “我的好行商长，你的祖父究竟是司密尔诺的国王，还是那个行星上的头号乞丐，我连半点也不关心。我之所以会不厌其烦地提到你的出身和祖先，只是向你表示我对这问题毫无兴趣。显然你是会错意了，让我们从头再来一次如何——你是司密尔诺人，你了解异邦人的情形，同时你是一个行商，而且是最杰出的行商之一；你到过柯瑞尔，也对柯瑞尔人有些认识，这些都是我们要你再跑一趟的原因。” 马洛深深地吸了一口气：“要我去当间谍？” “绝对不是，你仍然以行商的身分前去——只是眼睛要放亮一点，希望你能找到他们的核能来源——既然你是司密尔诺人，我也许应该提醒你，在失踪的三艘商船中，其中两艘上有司密尔诺的船员。” “我要在什么时候出发？” “你的太空船什么时候能准备好？” “六天之内。” “那么你就在六天之后出发，详细的资料可以向舰队总部取得。” “好！”行商长马洛站起来，与瑟特用力握了握手，然后就跨着大步走出去。 瑟特将右手五根手指松开来，把刚才握手时受到的压力慢慢搓掉，然后他耸耸肩，走进了市长室。 市长关掉了显象板的开关，靠在椅子上问：“瑟特，你认为怎么样？” “他会是个好演员。”瑟特说完，便若有所思地瞪着前方。 Chapter 2 It was evening of the same day, and in Jorane Sutt's bachelor apartment onthe twenty-first floor of the Hardin Building, Publis Manlio was sippingwine slowly. It was Publis Manlio in whose slight, aging body were fulfilled two greatoffices of the Foundation. He was Foreign Secretary in the mayor's cabinet,and to all the outer suns, barring only the Foundation itself, he was, inaddition, Primate of the Church, Purveyor of the Holy Food, Master of theTemples, and so forth almost indefinitely in confusing but sonoroussyllables. He was saying, "But he agreed to let you send out that trader. It is apoint.""But such a small one," said Sutt. "It gets us nothing immediately. Thewhole business is the crudest sort of stratagem, since we have no way offoreseeing it to the end. It is a mere paying out of rope on the chancethat somewhere along the length of it will be a noose.""True. And this Mallow is a capable man. What if he is not an easy prey todupery?""That is a chance that must be run. If there is treachery, it is thecapable men that are implicated. If not, we need a capable man to detectthe truth. And Mallow will be guarded. Your glass is empty.""No, thanks. I've had enough."Sutt filled his own glass and patiently endured the other's uneasy reverie. Of whatever the reverie consisted, it ended indecisively, for the primatesaid suddenly, almost explosively, "Sutt, what's on your mind?""I'll tell you, Manlio." His thin lips parted, "We're in the middle of aSeldon crisis."Manlio stared, then said softly, "How do you know? Has Seldon appeared inthe Time Vault again?""That much, my friend, is not necessary. Look, reason it out. Since theGalactic Empire abandoned the Periphery, and threw us on our own, we havenever had an opponent who possessed nuclear power. Now, for the first time,we have one. That seems significant even if it stood by itself. And itdoesn't. For the first time in over seventy years, we are facing a majordomestic political crisis. I should think the synchronization of the twocrises, inner and outer, puts it beyond all doubt."Manlio's eyes narrowed, "If that's all, it's not enough. There have beentwo Seldon crises so far, and both times the Foundation was in danger ofextermination. Nothing can be a third crisis till that danger returns."Sutt never showed impatience, "That danger is coming. Any fool can tell acrisis when it arrives. The real service to the state is to detect it inembryo. Look, Manlio, we're proceeding along a planned history. We knowthat Hari Seldon worked out the historical probabilities of the future. Weknow that some day we're to rebuild the Galactic Empire. We know that itwill take a thousand years or thereabouts. And we know that in the intervalwe will face certain definite crises. "Now the first crisis came fifty years after the establishment of theFoundation, and the second, thirty years later than that. Almostseventy-five years have gone since. It's time, Manlio, it's time."Manlio rubbed his nose uncertainly, "And you've made your plans to meetthis crisis?"Sutt nodded. "And I," continued Manlio, "am to play a part in it?"Sutt nodded again, "Before we can meet the foreign threat of atomic power,we've got to put our own house in order. These traders? "Ah!" The primate stiffened, and his eyes grew sharp. "That's right. These traders. They are useful, but they are too strong ? and too uncontrolled. They are Outlanders, educated apart from religion. Onthe one hand, we put knowledge into their hands, and on the other, weremove our strongest hold upon them.""If we can prove treachery?""If we could, direct action would be simple and sufficient. But thatdoesn't signify in the least. Even if treason among them did not exist,they would form an uncertain element in our society. They wouldn't be boundto us by patriotism or common descent, or even by religious awe. Undertheir secular leadership, the outer provinces, which, since Hardin's time,look to us as the Holy Planet, might break away.""I see all that, but the cure? "The cure must come quickly, before the Seldon Crisis becomes acute. Ifnuclear weapons are without and disaffection within, the odds might be toogreat." Sutt put down the empty glass he had been fingering, "This isobviously your job.""Mine?""I can't do it. My office is appointive and has no legislative standing.""The mayor? "Impossible. His personality is entirely negative. He is energetic only inevading responsibility. But if an independent party arose that mightendanger re-election, he might allow himself to be led.""But, Sutt, I lack the aptitude for practical politics.""Leave that to me. Who knows, Manlio? Since Salvor Hardin's time, theprimacy and the mayoralty have never been combined in a single person. Butit might happen now ?if your job were well done." 第二章 　　同一天傍晚，在哈定大厦二十一楼，乔兰•瑟特的单身公寓里，帕布利斯•曼里欧正在慢条斯理地呷着酒。曼里欧虽然瘦弱矮小又老态龙钟，却身兼基地两项重要的职位。他既是市长内阁的外务部长，也是基地之外各个恒星系的“首席教长”，并且拥有“圣粮供给者”、“灵殿主持”等等莫测高深却又声势惊人的头衔。 他突然对瑟特说：“但是市长已经同意你派那个行商去，这才是重点。” “但这只是一件小事，”瑟特说：“不能马上就见效，整个计划还只是最粗浅的谋略，因为我们无法预见最后的结果。我们现在这样做，只能算是等待愿者上钩而已。” “的确如此。不过，这位马洛是个相当精明的人，我们想拿他作饵，万一瞒不过他怎么办？” “我们这是孤注一掷，非得冒这个险不可。如果真有叛变阴谋的话，一定跟某些精明的人有牵连；但如果不是内奸干的事，我们仍然需要一个精明的人，来为我们查明真相。我自然会派人好好监视马洛——你的杯子空了。” “哦，谢谢，我不喝了。” 瑟特自己又倒了一杯，耐心地等着对方从焦虑的沉思中回过神来。 不过瑟特可以察觉得出，不管这位首席教长在沉思什么，他显然并没有得到结论，因为他突然拼命大叫一声：“瑟特，你到底在打什么主意？” “这这样的，曼里欧，”瑟特张开薄薄的嘴唇说：“我们如今又面临了另一个谢顿危机。” 曼里欧张大眼睛瞪着瑟特，不过还是轻声地问道：“你怎么知道？难道谢顿又在穹窿中出现了？” “老朋友，这点完全不需要谢顿的提示。你仔细想想看，理由其实呼之欲出。自从帝国放弃银河外缘，任我们自生自灭之后，我们从来没有遇到过任何拥有核能的对手。直到如今，才算是头一次碰上，这件事本身就可说是意义重大。但是问题却又无独有偶，我们如今还面临了七十多年来首度的国内重大政治危机。我认为内外两种危机同时发作，就足以证明谢顿危机又来临了。” 曼里欧眯着眼睛说：“如果只是这样，其实还不能算数。目前为止，基地总共经历过两次谢顿危机，两次都令基地面临几乎覆亡的命运，如果没有这种致命的威胁再度出现，任何其他的情况部不能算是第三次危机。” 瑟特一向都表现得极有耐心：“威胁已经迫近了。当危机降临之后，再笨的人也都看得出来。我们对国家能做的真正贡献，就是当危机还在孕育之际，就趁早将它侦测出来。听好，曼里欧，我们正在根据一个计划好的历史而发展——我们知道哈里•谢顿已经把未来的历史机率都算了出来；也知道有朝一日我们将要重建银河帝国；还知道这个伟业需要大约一千年的时间；而且我们更知道，在这期间，我们必然会面临许多危机。 “而第一次的危机，发生在基地成立后第五十年，然后再过三十年，又发生了第二次危机。如今又已经过了差不多七十五年，是时候了，曼里欧，是时候了。” 曼里欧不安地摸摸鼻子说：“那么，你已经拟定好了应付这个危机的计划？” 瑟特点了点头。 “而我，”曼里欧继续说：“也要在这个计划中扮演一角吗？” 瑟特又点点头，然后说：“在应付外来的核武威胁之前，我们得先好奸整顿自己的国家。那些行商……” “啊！”首席教长态度转趋强硬，眼光也变得更为锐利。 “没错，那些行商虽然很有用，但是他们的势力太强了——而且也太难驾驭。他们都是异邦人，没有受过宗教教育。我们一方面将知识交到他们的手中，另一方面，却又除去了对他们最有效的控制手段。” “假如我们能证明他们叛变的话？” “假如我们能够证明的话，只要直接采取行动就行了。但是这样说一点意义都没有，即使行商全都无意叛变，仍然是我们这个社会的不安因素。他们不会因为爱国心或宗族的缘故而受我们约束，甚至宗教的敬畏对他们也产生不了遏阻作用。自从哈定时代以来，外围的许多世界就尊称基地为‘神圣行星”，可是在行商世俗式的领导之下，却有可能很快就要脱离我们了。” “这点我知道，但是有什么补救办法……” “必须即时补救才来得及，在谢顿危机升到顶点以前，我们就要赶快行动。否则一旦外受核能武器的威胁，内部又有叛乱发生，到那时候胜算就太小了。”瑟特放下了把弄许久的空酒杯，又说：“这显然是你的责任。” “我？” “我没有办法，我的职位是市长委派的，没有民意基础。” “市长……” “不可能指望他，他的性格非常消极，最拿手的把戏就是推卸责任。如果有某个独立政党兴起，威胁到他连任的话，他很可能会甘愿被牵着鼻子走。” “但是，瑟特，我缺乏实际的从政经验。” “这一点你别担心，全部包在我身上。曼里欧，政治这码子事谁也说不准，自塞佛•哈定之后，从来没有人同时兼任首席教长和市长，但是说不定现在又要出现了——如果你好好干的话。” Chapter 3 And at the other end of town, in homelier surroundings, Hober Mallow kept asecond appointment. He had listened long, and now he said cautiously, "Yes,I've heard of your campaigns to get trader representation in the council. But why me, Twer?"Jaim Twer, who would remind you any time, asked or unasked, that he was inthe first group of Outlanders to receive a lay education at the Foundation,beamed. "I know what I'm doing," he said. "Remember when I met you first, lastyear.""At the Trader's Convention.""Right. You ran the meeting. You had those red-necked oxen planted in theirseats, then put them in your shirtpocket and walked off with them. Andyou're all right with the Foundation masses, too. You've got glamor ?or,at any rate, solid adventure-publicity, which is the same thing.""Very good," said Mallow, dryly. "But why now?"'Because now's our chance. Do you know that the Secretary of Education hashanded in his resignation? It's not out in the open yet, but it will be.""How do you know?""That ? never mind? He waved a disgusted hand. "It's so. The Actionistparty is splitting wide open, and we can murder it right now on a straightquestion of equal rights for traders; or, rather, democracy, pro- andanti-."Mallow lounged back in his chair and stared at his thick fingers, "Uh-uh. Sorry, Twer. I'm leaving next week on business. You'll have to get someoneelse."Twer stared, "Business? What kind of business?""Very super-secret. Triple-A priority. All that, you know. Had a talk withthe mayor's own secretary.""Snake Sutt?" Jaim Twer grew excited. "A trick. The son-of-a-spacer isgetting rid of you. Mallow? "Hold on!" Mallow's hand fell on the other's balled fist. "Don't go into ablaze. If it's a trick, I'll be back some day for the reckoning. if itisn't, your snake, Sutt, is playing into our hands. Listen, there's aSeldon crisis coming up."Mallow waited for a reaction but it never came. Twer merely stared. "What'sa Seldon crisis?""Galaxy!" Mallow exploded angrily at the anticlimax, "What the blue blazesdid you do when you went to school? What do you mean anyway by a foolquestion like that?"The elder man frowned, "If you'll explain? There was a long pause, then, "I'll explain." Mallow's eyebrows lowered,and he spoke slowly. "When the Galactic Empire began to die at the edges,and when the ends of the Galaxy reverted to barbarism and dropped away,Hari Seldon and his band of psychologists planted a colony, the Foundation,out here in the middle of the mess, so that we could incubate art, science,and technology, and form the nucleus of the Second Empire.""Oh, yes, yes? "I'm not finished," said the trader, coldly. "The future course of theFoundation was plotted according to the science of psychohistory, thenhighly developed, and conditions arranged so as to bring about a series ofcrises that will force us most rapidly along the route to future Empire. Each crisis, each Seldon crisis, marks an epoch in our history. We'reapproaching one now ?our third."Twer shrugged. "I suppose this was mentioned in school, but I've been outof school a long time ?longer than you.""I suppose so. Forget it. What matters is that I'm being sent out into themiddle of the development of this crisis. There's no telling what I'll havewhen I come back, and there is a council election every year."Twer looked up, "Are you on the track of anything?""No.""You have definite plans?""Not the faintest inkling of one.""Well? "Well, nothing. Hardin once said: 'To succeed, planning alone isinsufficient. One must improvise as well.' I'll improvise."Twer shook his head uncertainly, and they stood, looking at each other. Mallow said, quite suddenly, but quite matter-of-factly, "I tell you what,how about coming with me? Don't stare, man. You've been a trader before youdecided them was more excitement in politics. Or so I've heard.""Where are you going? Tell me that."Towards the Whassallian Rift. I can't be more specific till we're out inspace. What do you say?"Suppose Sutt decides he wants me where he can see"Not likely. If he's anxious to get rid of me, why not of you as well? Besides which, no trader would hit space if he couldn't pick his own crew. I take whom I please."There was a queer glint in the older man's eyes, "All right. I'll go." Heheld out his hand, "It'll be my first trip in three years."Mallow grasped and shook the other's hand, "Good! All fired good! And nowI've got to round up the boys. You know where the Far Star docks, don 'tyou? Then show up tomorrow. Good-by." 第三章 　　在端点市的另一端，一个很平凡的居住环境，侯伯•马洛正在赴当天的第二个约会。他已经听对方说了很久，直到现在才小心翼翼地问道：“是的，我听说过你正在筹划，想要送一个行商进市议会，作为我们大家的代表。但是，杜尔，你为什么选上我呢？” 詹姆•杜尔这个人总爱主动提醒人家——不管对方有没有问他——他是第一批到基地接受非宗教式普通教育的异邦人。现在他笑着说：“我知道自己在做什么，还记得去年我第一次见到你的场合吗？” “是在行商大会上。” “对，你是大会的主办人，从头到尾你都盯牢了那些极端分子，让他们枯坐干等、有口难言，简直吃定了他们。而且你与基地人民的关系良好，你有一种奇特的大众魅力——或者说，你的前卫作风深得人心，这两种说法其实没有什么不同。” “说得好，”马洛以冷漠的口气答道：“但是为什么要选在这个时候呢？” “因为现在是我们最好的机会。你知不知道，教育部长已经递出了辞呈？这件事还没有正式公布，不过也快了。” “你又是怎么知道的？” “这——你就不用管了。”他不耐烦地摇摇手：“反正情形就是这样，行动党已经严重分裂。我们只要正面向他们提出行商的平权问题，也就是为行商请命要求民主，不论他们的反应是赞成或反对，都可以让他们受到致命的一击。” 马洛懒洋洋地半躺在椅子中，看着自己粗壮的手指头：“唔——很抱歉，杜尔，下星期我就要去出差，恐怕你得找别人了。” 杜尔瞪着马洛说：“出差？出什么差？” “这是极度的超级机密，而且绝对第一优先。你应该知道这种事的，我已经跟市长的机要秘书谈好了。” “毒蛇瑟特吗？”杜尔变得激动起来：“那是一个阴谋诡计。马洛，那个外世界人的杂种想把你支开……” “等一等！”马洛按住对方捏紧的拳头：“别那么激动。如果这是阴谋，有一天我自然会回来找他算帐；如果不是的话，那条毒蛇反而会让我们玩弄于股掌之上。你可知道，谢顿危机又要来了。” 马洛期待对方会有所反应，但杜尔却似乎完全不为所动，只是瞪着他说：“什么是谢顿危机？” “我的天啊！”对于这种意想不到的反高潮，马洛简直要气炸了：“你在学校时究竟学了些什么东西？怎么会问这种幼稚的问题，你到底是什么意思？” 比马洛年长的杜尔只好皱皱眉说：“请你解释给我听好吗？” 沉默了好一阵子之后，马洛才说：“好，我就解释给你听。”他的双眉深锁，说得很慢：“当银河帝国从外围开始分崩离析时，银河外缘变得四分五裂，又回到了蛮荒时代。但是哈里•谢顿和他手下的一批心理学家，在这片浑沌蛮荒的中心建立了一个自治殖民市，就是我们这个基地。目的是要我们继续培育文艺与科技，使它成为第二帝国的种子。” “哦，对，对——” “我还没有说完，”马洛冷冷地道：“基地未来的历史轨迹，是根据心理史学所规划出来的——心理史学这门科学，到了谢顿手中已经登峰造极。谢顿在我们未来的历史中，安排了一连串的危机，这些危机，会迫使我们以最迅速的步伐，朝向未来的帝国前进。每一次的危机，也就是所谓的‘谢顿危机’，都会在我们的历史上标出一个新纪元。现在我们又接近另一个危机了——第三次的危机。” 杜尔耸耸肩：“当年在学校时，我一定也听老师讲过。不过，我已经毕业好久了——至少比你久。” “我想也是，别提了。现在的问题是，在这个危机的发展过程中，我刚好被派出去。等到我回来以后，不知道基地会变成什么样子，而且，每年都会有市议员的选举。” 杜尔抬头看着对方说：“你找到了什么线索吗？” “没有。” “有没有什么具体计划？” “半点概念也没有。” “那么……” “那么，没有关系。哈定曾经说过：‘想要成功，单凭计划绝对不够，还得步步为营，随机应变。’我就是打算这么做。” 杜尔不放心地摇摇头，然后两人同时站了起来，互相望着对方。 马洛忽然以相当平静的口吻说：“我有一个主意，你跟我一起去好不好？别瞪着我，老兄，我听说你原来也是一名行商，后来才发现搞政治更刺激更有趣，对不对？” “你得先告诉我，你究竟要到哪里去？” “现在我只能说，是向瓦沙尔裂隙飞去。上了太空以后，我才能进一步告诉你详情，怎么样？” “假如瑟特要把我留在他看得见的地方，那怎么办？” “不太可能，如果他急着想把我赶走，难道不想连你也眼不见为净？此外，行商如果不能挑选到自己中意的人手，绝对不会愿意升空的，我当然也不例外。” 杜尔的眼中忽然闪出一丝奇异的光彩。 “好，我去。”他伸出手来说：“三年来，这还是我第一次旅行呢。 马洛握着他的手：“好，好极了！现在我还要赶去召集船员，你知道‘远星号’停在哪里吧？明天请自己来报到，再见。” Chapter 4 Korell is that frequent phenomenon in history: the republic whose ruler hasevery attribute of the absolute monarch but the name. It therefore enjoyedthe usual despotism unrestrained even by those two moderating influences inthe legitimate monarchies: regal "honor" and court etiquette. Materially, its prosperity was low. The day of the Galactic Empire haddeparted, with nothing but silent memorials and broken structures totestify to it. The day of the Foundation had not yet come ? and in thefierce determination of its ruler, the Commdor Asper Argo, with his strictregulation of the traders and his stricter prohibition of the missionaries,it was never coming. The spaceport itself was decrepit and decayed, and the crew of the Far Starwere drearily aware of that. The moldering hangars made for a molderingatmosphere and Jaim Twer itched and fretted over a game of solitaire. Hober Mallow said thoughtfully, "Good trading material here." He wasstaring quietly out the viewport. So far, there was little else to be saidabout Korell. The trip here was uneventful. The squadron of Korellian shipsthat had shot out to intercept the Far Star had been tiny, limping relicsof ancient glory or battered, clumsy hulks. They had maintained theirdistance fearfully, and still maintained it, and for a week now, Mallow'srequests for an audience with the local go government had been unanswered. Mallow repeated, "Good trading here. You might call this virgin territory."Jaim Twer looked up impatiently, and threw his cards aside, "What the devildo you intend doing, Mallow? The crew's grumbling, the officers areworried, and I抦 wondering? "Wondering? About what?""About the situation. And about you. What are we doing?""Waiting."The old trader snorted and grew red. He growled, "You're going it blind,Mallow. There's a guard around the field and there are ships overhead. Suppose they're getting ready to blow us into a hole in the ground.""They've had a week.""Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements." Twer's eyes were sharp andhard. Mallow sat down abruptly, "Yes, I'd thought of that You see, it poses apretty problem. First, we got here without trouble. That may mean nothing,however, for only three ships out of better than three hundred wenta-glimmer last year. The percentage is low. But that may mean also that thenumber of their ships equipped with nuclear power is small, and that theydare not expose them needlessly, until that number grows. "But it could mean, on the other hand, that they haven't nuclear powerafter all. Or maybe they have and are keeping undercover, for fear we knowsomething. It's one thing, after all, to piratize blundering, light-armedmerchant ships. It's another to fool around with an accredited envoy of theFoundation when the mere fact of his presence may mean the Foundation isgrowing suspicious. "Combine this? "Hold on, Mallow, hold on." Twer raised his hands. "You're just aboutdrowning me with talk. What're you getting at? Never mind the in-betweens.""You've got to have the in-betweens, or you won't understand, Twer. We'reboth waiting. They don't know what I'm doing here and I don't know whatthey've got here. But I'm in the weaker position because I'm one andthey're an entire world ?maybe with atomic power. I can't afford to be theone to weaken. Sure it's dangerous. Sure there may be a hole in the groundwaiting for us. But we knew that from the start. What else is there to do?""I don't?Who's that, now?"Mallow looked up patiently, and tuned the receiver. The visiplate glowedinto the craggy face of the watch sergeant. "Speak, sergeant."The sergeant said, "Pardon, sir. The men have given entry to a Foundationmissionary.""A what?" Mallow's face grew livid. "A missionary, sit. He's in need of hospitalization, sir-""There'll be more than one in need of that, sergeant, for this piece ofwork. Order the men to battle stations."Crew's lounge was almost empty. Five minutes after the order, even the menon the off-shift were at their guns. It was speed that was the great virtuein the anarchic regions of the interstellar space of the Periphery, and itwas in speed above all that the crew of a master trader excelled. Mallow entered slowly, and stared the missionary up and down and around. His eye slid to Lieutenant Tinter, who shifted uneasily to one side and toWatch-Sergeant Demen, whose blank face and stolid figure flanked the other. The Master Trader turned to Twer and paused thoughtfully, "Well, then,Twer, get the officers here quietly, except for the co-ordinators and thetrajectorian. The men are to remain at stations till further orders."There was a five-minute hiatus, in which Mallow kicked open the doors tothe lavatories, looked behind the bar, pulled the draperies across thethick windows. For half a minute he left the room altogether, and when hereturned he was humming abstractedly. Men filed in. Twer followed, and closed the door silently. Mallow said quietly, "First, who let this man in without orders from me?"The watch sergeant stepped forward. Every eye shifted. "Pardon, sir. It wasno definite person. It was a sort of mutual agreement. He was one of us,you might say, and these foreigners here? Mallow cut him short, "I sympathize with your feelings, sergeant, andunderstand them. These men, were they under your command?""Yes, sir.""When this is over, they're to be confined to individual quarters for aweek. You yourself are relieved of all supervisory duties for a similarperiod. Understood?"The sergeant's face never changed, but there was the slightest droop to hisshoulders. He said, crisply, "Yes, sir.""You may leave. Get to your gun-station."The door closed behind him and the babble rose. Twer broke in, "Why the punishment, Mallow? You know that these Korellianskill captured missionaries.""An action against my orders is bad in itself whatever other reasons theremay be in its favor. No one was to leave or enter the ship withoutpermission."Lieutenant Tinter murmured rebelliously, "Seven days without action. Youcan't maintain discipline that way."Mallow said icily, "I can. There's no merit in discipline under idealcircumstances. I'll have it in the face of death, or it's useless. Where'sthis missionary? Get him here in front of me."The trader sat down, while the scarlet-cloaked figure was carefully broughtforward. "What's your name, reverend?""Eh?" The scarlet-robed figure wheeled towards Mallow, the whole bodyturning as a unit. His eyes were blankly open and there was a bruise on onetemple. He had not spoken, nor, as far as Mallow could tell, moved duringall the previous interval. "Your name, revered one?"The missionary started to sudden feverish life. His arms went out in anembracing gesture. "My son ? my children. May you always be in theprotecting arms of the Galactic Spirit."Twer stepped forward, eyes troubled, voice husky, "The man's sick. Take himto bed, somebody. Order him to bed, Mallow, and have him seen to. He'sbadly hurt."Mallow's great arm shoved him back, "Don't interfere, Twer, or I'll haveyou out of the room. Your name, revered one?"The missionary's hands clasped in sudden supplication, "As you areenlightened men, save me from the heathen." The words tumbled out, "Save mefrom these brutes and darkened ones who raven after me and would afflictthe Galactic Spirit with their crimes. I am Jord Parma, of the Anacreonianworlds. Educated at the Foundation; the Foundation itself, my children. Iam a Priest of the Spirit educated into all the mysteries, who have comehere where the inner voice called me." He was gasping. "I have suffered atthe hands of the unenlightened. As you are Children of the Spirit; and inthe name of that Spirit, protect me from them."A voice broke in upon them, as the emergency alarm box clamoredmetallically: "Enemy units in sight! Instruction desired!"Every eye shot mechanically upward to the speaker. Mallow swore violently. He clicked open the reverse and yelled, "Maintainvigil! That is all!" and turned it off. He made his way to the thick drapes that rustled aside at a touch andstared grimly out,Enemy units! Several thousands of them in the persons of the individualmembers of a Korellian mob. The rolling rabble encompassed the port fromextreme end to extreme end, and in the cold, hard light of magnesium flaresthe foremost straggled closer. "Tinter!" The trader never turned, but the back of his neck was red. "Getthe outer speaker working and find out what they want. Ask if they have arepresentative of the law with them. Make no promises and no threats, orI'll kill you."Tinter turned and left. Mallow felt a rough hand on his shoulder and he struck it aside. It wasTwer. His voice was an angry hiss in his ear, "Mallow, you're bound to holdonto this man. There's no way of maintaining decency and honor otherwise. He's of the Foundation and, after all, he ? is a priest. These savagesoutside?Do you hear me?""I hear you, Twer." Mallow's voice was incisive. "I've got more to do herethan guard missionaries. I'll do, sir, what I please, and, by Seldon andall the Galaxy, if you try to stop me, I'll tear out your stinkingwindpipe. Don't get in my way, Twer, or it will be the last of you."He turned and strode past. "You! Revered Parma! Did you know that, byconvention, no Foundation missionaries may enter the Korellian territory?"The missionary was trembling, "I can but go where the Spirit leads, my son. If the darkened ones refuse enlightenment, is it not the greater sign oftheir need for it?""That's outside the question, revered one. You are here against the law ofboth Korell and the Foundation. I cannot in law protect you."The missionary's hands were raised again. His earlier bewilderment wasgone. There was the raucous clamor of the ship's outer communication systemin action, and the faint, undulating gabble of the angry horde in response. The sound made his eyes wild. "You hear them? Why do you talk of law to me, of a law made by men? Thereare higher laws. Was it not the Galactic Spirit that said: Thou shalt notstand idly by to the hurl of thy fellowman. And has he not said: Even asthou dealest with the humble and defenseless, thus shalt thou be dealtwith. "Have you not guns? Have you not a ship? And behind you is there not theFoundation? And above and all-about you is there not the Spirit that rulesthe universe?" He paused for breath. And then the great outer voice of the Far Star ceased and Lieutenant Tinterwas back, troubled. "Speak!" said Mallow, shortly. "Sir, they demand the person of Jord Parma.""If not?""There are various threats, sir. It is difficult to make much out. Thereare so many ?and they seem quite mad. There is someone who says he governsthe district and has police powers, but he is quite evidently not his ownmaster.""Master or not," shrugged Mallow, "he is the law. Tell them that if thisgovernor, or policeman, or whatever he is, approaches the ship alone, hecan have the Revered Jord Parma."And there was suddenly a gun in his hand. He added, "I don't know whatinsubordination is. I have never had any experience with it. But if there'sanyone here who thinks he can teach me, I'd like to teach him my antidotein return.'' The gun swiveled slowly, and rested on Twer. With an effort, the oldtrader's face untwisted and his hands unclenched and lowered. His breathwas a harsh rasp in his nostrils. Tinter left, and in five minutes a puny figure detached itself from thecrowd. It approached slowly and hesitantly, plainly drenched in fear andapprehension. Twice it turned back, and twice the patently obvious threatsof the many-headed monster urged him on. "All right," Mallow gestured with the hand-blaster, which remainedunsheathed. "Grun and Upshur, take him out."The missionary screeched. He raised his arms and rigid fingers spearedupward as the voluminous sleeves fell away to reveal the thin, veined arms. There was a momentary, tiny flash of light that came and went in a breath. Mallow blinked and gestured again, contemptuously. The missionary's voice poured out as he struggled in the two-fold grasp,"Cursed be the traitor who abandons his fellowman to evil and to death. Deafened be the ears that are deaf to the pleadings of the helpless. Blindbe the eyes that are blind to innocence. Blackened forever be the soul thatconsorts with blackness? Twer clamped his hands tightly over his ears. Mallow flipped his blaster and put it away. "Disperse," he said, evenly,"to respective stations. Maintain full vigil for six hours after dispersionof crowd. Double stations for forty-eight hours thereafter. Furtherinstructions at that time. Twer, come with me."They were alone in Mallow's private quarters. Mallow indicated a chair andTwer sat down. His stocky figure looked shrunken. Mallow stared him down, sardonically. "Twer," he said, "I'm disappointed. Your three years in politics seem to have gotten you out of trader habits. Remember, I may be a democrat back at the Foundation, but there's nothingshort of tyranny that can run my ship the way I want it run. I never had topull a blaster on my men before, and I wouldn't have had to now, if youhadn't gone out of line. "Twer, you have no official position, but you're here on my invitation, andI'll extend you every courtesy ?in private. However, from now on, in thepresence of my officers or men, I'm 'sir,' and not 'Mallow.' And when Igive an order, you'll jump faster than a third-class recruit just for luck,or I'll have you handcuffed in the sub-level even faster. Understand?"The party-leader swallowed dryly. He said, reluctantly, "My apologies.""Accepted! Will you shake?"Twer's limp fingers were swallowed in Mallow's huge palm. Twer said, "Mymotives were good. It's difficult to send a man out to be lynched. Thatwobbly-kneed governor or whatever-he-was can't save him. It's murder.""I can't help that. Frankly, the incident smelled too bad. Didn't younotice?""Notice what?""This spaceport is deep in the middle of a sleepy far section. Suddenly amissionary escapes. Where from? He comes here. Coincidence? A huge crowdgathers. From where? The nearest city of any size must be at least ahundred miles away. But they arrive in half an hour. How?""How?" echoed Twer. "Well, what if the missionary were brought here and released as bait. Ourfriend, Revered Parma, was considerably confused. He seemed at no time tobe in complete possession of his wits.""Hard usage? murmured Twer bitterly. "Maybe! And maybe the idea was to have us go all chivalrous and gallant,into a stupid defense of the man. He was here against the laws of Korelland the Foundation. If I withhold him, it is an act of war against Korell,and the Foundation would have no legal right to defend us.""That ?that's pretty far-fetched."The speaker blared and forestalled Mallow's answer: "Sir, officialcommunication received.""Submit immediately!"The gleaming cylinder arrived in its slot with a click. Mallow opened itand shook out the silver-impregnated sheet it held. He rubbed itappreciatively between thumb and finger and said, "Teleported direct fromthe capital. Commdor's own stationery."He read it in a glance and laughed shortly, "So my idea was far-fetched,was it?"He tossed it to Twer, and added, "Half an hour after we hand back themissionary, we finally get a very polite invitation to the Commdor's augustpresence ?after seven days of previous waiting. I think we passed a test." 第四章 　　柯瑞尔的政体是历史上常见的一种现象，它虽有共和国之名，统治者却比专制的君主更有过之而无不及——不但能够行独裁专政之实，又可以不像正统君主那样，处处要考虑王室的荣誉，还得受到宫廷规范的束缚。 这个国家的经济并不繁荣——银河帝国统治的时代早已结束，只剩下无言的纪念碑与残破的建筑物，勉强证明这段时期曾经存在。然而，由于领袖阿斯培•艾哥的铁腕政策，柯瑞尔严格限制行商的活动，更严禁传教士入境，因此“基地时代”的来临，看来似乎是遥遥无期。 现在，“远星号”停泊在柯瑞尔境内一个陈旧的太空航站中，破烂的船库内充满着腐朽的气氛，令大家都感到一股阴森之意。随行的詹姆•杜尔无所事事，正在一个人起劲地玩着单人牌戏。 侯伯•马洛静静地由眺望窗往外看去，然后若有深意地说：“这里有很好的物资，可以做些好买卖。” 直到目前为止，柯瑞尔这个地方简直乏善可陈。这次的旅途一直平安无事，当天升空拦截“远星号”的星舰中队，都是由一些小型的旧时战舰组成，不是显得有气无力就是外表百孔千疮。那些星舰始终小心翼翼地与“远星号”保持一段距离，直到目前仍旧如此，双方已经僵持了整整一个星期。马洛早已提出与当地政府官员会面的要求，然而至今仍然没有得到答覆。 马洛又重复说道：“这里可以做好买卖，简直可以称为贸易处女地。” 杜尔不耐烦地抬起头来，将扑克牌丢到一边：“马洛，你到底在搞什么鬼？现在船员已经开始发牢骚，军官已经在担心，而我也开始怀疑……” “怀疑？怀疑什么？” “这里的情势，还有你，我们究竟在干什么？” “我们在等待。” 这位老行商闷哼几声，气得脸都涨红了。他大声咆哮道：“马洛，难道你瞎了吗？太空航站已经被警卫包围，我们的头上又有星舰盘旋，也许他们快准备好了，随时可能会把我们炸到地底去。” “已经整整一周了，他们真要如此做的话，绝对不会等到现在。” “说不定他们在等待增援。”杜尔的眼光既锐利又冷峻。 马洛忽然坐下来：“是呀，我也考虑到了这点，你可知道，这其中有一个很大的问题。第一，我们很顺利地抵达这里——不过这点也许没有什么意义，因为去年有超过三百艘船舰经过此地，却只有三艘被击毁，这个比率算是低的。但是话又说回来，这可能表示他们只有少数星舰具有核动力，所以不敢轻易曝光，除非等到数量累积到一定的程度。 “但是另一方面，这也可能意味着他们根本没有核能。或者他们虽然拥有，却绝不轻易示人，生怕让我们发现。无论如何，打劫轻武装的大型太空商船，跟骚扰基地正式派遣的特使，是完全不同的两码子事。基地会派遣特使前来此地，就足以表示我们已经起了疑心。 “综合以上这几点……” “等等，马洛，等一等。”杜尔举起双手来说：“我都快被你的口水淹死了，你究竟想说什么？请把分析的过程省略好吗？” “你一定得听听我的分析，杜尔，否则你不会了解的。其实我们双方都在等待，他们不知道我来这里要做什么，我也不晓得他们的企图何在。但是我方的实力较弱，因为我们要以一己之力，对抗他们的整个世界，而且对方可能拥有核能。即使如此，我们却绝对不能示弱。我知道这样会很危险，的确随时可能被轰到地底去，这些危险我们一开始就已经晓得了，然而不这么做，还有更好的办法吗？” “这我就不……咦，是什么人？” 马洛赶紧抬起头来，迅速调整着收讯器，显象板上很快便出现了值班中上有棱有角的脸孔。 “中士，说吧。” 那位中士说：“报告船长，船员们将一名基地来的传教士放进来了。” “什么？”马洛在一刹那间变得面如土色。 “报告船长，一名传教上，他需要医生……” “你们干的这件好事，会使许多人都要找医生。中士，立刻叫大家进入战备位置！” 在命令发布五分钟后，连轮休的人员也都拿起武器各就各位——在银河外缘群星间的无政府地带，最重要的生存条件便是效率，而行商长手下的人，更是以超卓的效率着称。 马洛缓缓地走进船员休息室，上下左右仔细打量着这位传教士，又向汀特中尉瞄了一眼，中尉不安地挪到一旁。接着，马洛又看了看值班的第门中士，这位中士面无表情地呆站在中尉身边。 然后，马洛的目光停在杜尔身上，沉思良久之后才说：“好吧，杜尔，除了导航官和弹道官之外，把其他的军官都悄悄带到这里来，其余人员一律留在岗位上待命。” 杜尔走出去之后，马洛立刻将每个洗手间的门都踢开，并且探头向酒吧台后面瞧了瞧，再把厚实的窗帘通通拉上。然后他离开了半分钟，又若无其事地哼着歌走了回来。 五分钟过后，所有的军官都鱼贯进入了休息室。杜尔跟在最后面走进来，顺手将门轻轻关上。 马洛平静地说：“首先我想知道，到底是谁没有得到我的准许，就让这个人进来的？” 值班的中士向前走了几步，所有的眼光都集中在他的身上。 “报告船长，这并不是哪一个人的意思，而是大家一致同意让他进来的。这个人可以说是我们的同胞，而这里的异邦人……” 此时马洛打断他的话：“你们这种同胞爱，我很同情，也很了解。中士，那些船员是你的手下吗？” “报告船长，是的。” “等这件事情结束后，让他们在自己的寝室中禁足一周。这段期间你的指挥权也暂时解除，明白了吗？” 中士脸色不变，但是双肩却微微抽搐。他简洁有力地回答：“报告船长，明白了。” “好，你们可以离开了，赶紧回到你们的炮位去。” 门一开一关之后，外面就响起了一阵嘈杂声。 杜尔忍不住质问：“马洛，为什么要处罚他们？你明明知道，柯瑞尔人逮到传教士就会处死。” “任何行动，无论有什么奸理由，只要是违背我的命令，本身就是不可饶恕的错误。没有我的批准，任何人都不许上下这艘太空船。” 汀特中尉不服气地喃喃说道：“七天不准行动，你怎么能用这种惩罚来维持军纪？” 马洛却冷冷地说：“我当然可以。在理想的情况下，看不出军纪的价值，唯有在生死关头，才能显得出它的重要性，否则这种军纪不要也罢。那位传教士呢？把他带到我的面前来。” 马洛刚刚坐下，穿着红色斗篷的传教士就被人小心地扶了过来。 “师父，请问您的大名？” “啊？”传教士转身面向马洛，整个身体好像泥塑木雕一般僵硬，双眼茫然地睁得老大，一侧太阳穴上带着擦伤。他一直没有开口，马洛还注意到，他也几乎完全没有任何动作。 “师父，请问大名？” 传教士像是忽然活转过来，双手伸向前做拥抱状，并且说：“孩子，我的孩子，愿银河圣灵永远保护你。” 杜尔走向前来，带着困扰的神情，以沙哑的声音说：“这个人受伤了，谁带他去休息？马洛，下令派人送他去休息，再找个人照顾他，他伤得很重。” 马洛用结实的手掌将杜尔一把推开：“这件事你别插手，杜尔，不然我就把你赶出去。师父，您的大名？” 传教士突然双手合十，回答道：“你们既然是受过软化的文明人，请救我离开这个异教之邦吧。” 接着他又慌张地说：“救救我吧，那些蒙昧的畜牲要捕杀我，要以他们的罪恶亵渎银河圣灵。我名叫裘德•帕尔玛，来自安纳克瑞昂，曾经在基地接受教育。我在基地修习到无上的教义，成为一名灵的使者。我来到这里，是由于发自内心的召唤。” 他喘着气继续说：“我落在那些无明的野蛮人手中，你们既是圣灵之子，奉圣灵之名，请你们保护我吧。” 紧急警报盒中突然发出响亮而尖厉的叫声：“发现敌方部队，请示命令！请示命令！” 所有的眼睛都不自觉地抬头盯着上方的扩音器。 马洛大声咒骂着，同时按下通讯器的回答键，大声喊道：“继续监视！没有别的指示了！” 然后他就切断了通话开关，走到厚厚的窗帘前，“唰”地一声拉开窗帘，用冶峻的眼光注视着外面。 敌方的部队——不，其实是数千名柯瑞尔民众！这些人山人海的乌合之众，以排山倒海之势向太空航站席卷而来。在冷冽的镁光照耀之下，可以看得出，最前面的人潮已经零零星星地逼近了。 “汀特！”马洛急得颈部都涨红了，他头也不回地说：“打开外面的扩音器，问他们究竟要什么，再问问这些人里面，有没有具有法律效力的代表。不要答应任何事，也不要恐吓他们，否则我先枪毙你。” 汀特中尉接令后，便立刻走了出去。 此时马洛感到一只手掌按在他的肩膀，那当然是杜尔，但是马洛想也不想就把它推开了。 杜尔却在马洛的耳旁叱道：“马洛，你有义务收容这个人，否则我们无法维持正义与光荣的名声。他来自基地，而且他毕竟是……是一名教士，外面那些野蛮人——你听见我说的话没有？” “我在听，杜尔。”马洛的声音很尖刻：“我到这里来，并不是来护教的，我有更重要的事要做，而我将照着自己的意思行事。杜尔先生，我向谢顿和银河发誓，如果你想阻止我，我会把你的喉管捏碎。不要多管闲事，杜尔，不然明年的今天就是你的忌日。” 然后马洛又转身向那位传教士走去，问道：“你，帕尔玛师父！你知不知道，根据公约，基地的传教上绝对不可进入柯瑞尔境内？” 传教士全身发抖：“孩子，我只遵照灵的指引前进。如果那些蒙昧的人拒绝接受软化，那岂不是更证明了他们真的需要？” “问题不在这里，师父。既然你到了这里，就是违反了柯瑞尔和基地双方的法律，依法我不能保护你。” 传教士又举起双手，他先前的狼狈模样已经消失无踪了。此时，太空船外面的通讯装置正发出刺耳的喊话声，而激愤的群众所做的回应，传到舱内则变成了微弱的、此起彼落的叽喳声。 听到了那些声音，传教亡像发狂似地说：“你听到没有？为什么要跟我谈法律问题？法律是凡人定的，天地之间还有更高的‘法’。银河圣灵不是说过：汝等不可坐视同胞蒙受伤害；他还说过：今日尔等如何对待卑微无助之人，明日他人亦将如何待之。 “你难道没有枪炮吗？这艘太空船难道不是你的吗？基地难道不是你的后盾吗？在你的头上三尺和你的四面八方，难道不存在主宰宇宙万物的圣灵吗？”他一口气说到这里才停下来。 这时，“远星号”外面巨大的喊话声停止了，汀特中尉带着一脸的为难走了回来。 “赶快报告！”马洛不耐烦地说。 “报告船长，他们要求把裘德•帕尔玛这个人交给他们。” “如果我们不交人呢？” “报告船长，他们做出了各种各样的恐吓威胁，但是具体内容没有什么意义。他们的人数太多了——而且似乎都相当疯狂。有一个人说他是这个地区的负责人，控制着警力，但是在他后面很显然还有人在操纵。” “不管他的后面还有没有人，”马洛耸耸肩：“无论如何，他代表法律。告诉外面那些群众，不管那个人是总督或警察局长，或者是其他任何的官衔，只要他单独进到太空船来，就可以把裘德•帕尔玛教士带走。” 马洛说到这里，突然将核铳抓在手中，然后继续说：“我不懂什么叫作抗命，我自己从来没有这种经验。但是如果这里有谁想教我的话，我也马上会教他化解之道。” 然后铳口慢慢转向，最后对准了杜尔。这位老行商只好勉力克制住冲动，他脸部的肌肉渐渐松弛，紧握着的拳头也松开放下，但是呼吸却仍然急促而大声。 汀特中尉再度离开。不到五分钟，一个小小的人影脱离了群众，缓慢而迟疑地往前走，显得极为惶恐不安。他两次想向后转，伹却都被群众的威胁与怒吼赶了回来。 “好，”马洛用手中的核铳比画着：“葛朗、鸟普舒，你们把他带出去。” 传教士立时发出骇人的尖叫，他举起双手，十指有力地朝天张开，宽敞的袖子滑下来，露出了细瘦而血管凸起的手臂。与此同时，还有一道微弱的光芒一闪即逝。马洛轻蔑地眨眨眼睛，再度做了一下手势。 传教士被两人一边一个抓着，他还不断地挣扎，同时喊道：“将同胞推进邪恶与死亡的叛徒不得好死！不理会无助者求救的耳朵都要变聋！无视冤屈者的眼睛通通瞎掉！跟邪灵打交道的灵魂永远堕入黑暗地狱……” 杜尔赶紧用双手紧紧捣住了耳朵。 马洛关上核铳的保险，插回皮套中，然后以平静的口气对众人说：“现在解散，回到各人的岗位上。等外面的群众散去之后，继续保持严密监视六个小时，然后再维持四十八小时的加强戒备，之后我会再行指示。杜尔，你跟我来。” 他们两人来到马洛的寝室中，马洛向一张椅子指了指，杜尔便坐了下来，矮胖的身子显得有些畏畏缩缩。 马洛低头看着他，以嘲讽的口气说：“杜尔，我很失望，你只不过从政三年，似乎就忘记了行商的一切。请你记住，我在基地的时候，也许是个民主主义者，但是现在我指挥这艘太空商船，就必须得独裁专制，放松一点都不行。我以前从来没有对手下拔铳相向，刚才要不是你太过分，我也用不着破例。 “杜尔，你是我请来的，并没有正式的职务，私底下我会对你尽量礼遇——但只限于私下。从现在开始，当着我的官兵和船员的面，你也要箅称我‘船长’，不可以再喊我‘马洛’。如果我再下任何命令，你的动作最好比别人都快，否则我会先将你铐在底舱，明白了吗？” 这位政党领袖只好忍气吞声，用很勉强的口气说：“我向你道歉。” “我接受！我们握个手好吗？” 于是杜尔柔弱的手指，被马洛粗壮的手掌包住了好一会儿。然后杜尔说：“我劝你是出于好意，我不忍心看你将那个传教士送到暴民手中，让他受到私刑。来提人的那个胆小鬼，不管他是总督还是什么官，他救不了那名传教士的，这简直就是谋杀。” “我也没办法，坦白说，这件事有点反常，你难道没有注意到吗？” “注意到什么？” “这个太空航站位在荒郊野外，却突然有一位传教士逃到这里，他是从哪里来的？他来到这里是巧合吗？然后又有大批群众追来，他们又是从哪里来的？离这里最近的任何城市，都至少在一百哩以外，但是他们在半小时之内就到了，又是怎么赶来的？” “怎么赶来的呢？”杜尔追问。 “嗯，有可能这位传教士是一个诱饵，被人故意带到这附近再释放。我们这位同胞，帕尔玛大师，看起来根本神智不清，他的精神好像始终没有正常过。” “这种做法太过分了……”杜尔悲愤地说。 “也许吧，也许他们这么做，是故意引诱我们见义勇为，不顾一切地保护这个人。他来这里便是触犯了柯瑞尔与基地的法律，如果我硬要将他留下来，就等于是向柯瑞尔宣战，基地也没有任何名义能保护我们。” “这——这种说法太牵强了。” 马洛还没有回答，扩音器就响了起来：“报告船长，刚收到一份来自官方的信函。” “马上送过来！” “啪”地一声，一个发光的圆筒很快就从传送槽中跳了出来。马洛将圆筒打开，倒出了一张镶银的纸卷，他玩味似地用手指揉了揉，再对杜尔说：“从首都直接传送过来的，是领袖的专用信笺。” 他对信笺瞄了一眼，然后冷冷地笑了一声：“你仍认为我的想法太牵强了，是吗？” 然后他将信笺扔给杜尔，又说：“我们把传教士交出去半小时后，就终于接到这封十分礼貌的邀请函，请我们去谒见领袖——经过了七天的等待，我想我们已经通过一项测验了。” Chapter 5 Commdor Asper was a man of the people, by self-acclamation. His remainingback-fringe of gray hair drooped limply to his shoulders, his shirt neededlaundering, and he spoke with a snuffle. "There is no ostentation here, Trader Mallow," he said. "No false show. Inme, you see merely the first citizen of the state. That's what Commdormeans, and that's the only title I have."He seemed inordinately pleased with it all, "in fact, I consider that factone of the strongest bonds between Korell and your nation. I understand youpeople enjoy the republican blessings we do.""Exactly, Commdor," said Mallow gravely, taking mental exception to thecomparison, "an argument which I consider strongly in favor of continuedpeace and friendship between our governments.""Peace! Ah!" The Commdor's sparse gray beard twitched to the sentimentalgrimaces of his face. "I don't think there is anyone in the Periphery whohas so near his heart the ideal of Peace, as I have. I can truthfully saythat since I succeeded my illustrious father to the leadership of thestate, the reign of Peace has never been broken. Perhaps I shouldn't sayit" 杊e coughed gently? "but I have been told that my people, myfellow-citizens rather, know me as Asper, the Well-Beloved."Mallow's eyes wandered over the well-kept garden. Perhaps the tall men andthe strangely-designed but openly-vicious weapons they carried justhappened to be lurking in odd comers as a precaution against himself. Thatwould be understandable. But the lofty, steel-girdered walls that circledthe place had quite obviously been recently strengthened ? an unfittingoccupation for such a Well-Beloved Asper. He said, "It is fortunate that I have you to deal with then, Commdor. Thedespots and monarchs of surrounding worlds, which haven't the benefit ofenlightened administration, often lack the qualities that would make aruler well-beloved.""Such as?" There was a cautious note in the Commdor's voice. "Such as a concern for the best interests of their people, You, on theother hand, would understand,"The Commdor kept his eyes on the gravel path as they walked leisurely, Hishands caressed each other behind his back. Mallow went on smoothly, "Up to now, trade between our two nations hassuffered because of the restrictions placed upon our traders by yourgovernment. Surely, it has long been evident to you that unlimited trade? "Free Trade!" mumbled the Commdor. "Free Trade, then. You must see that it would be of benefit to both of us. There are things you have that we want, and things we have that you want. It asks only an exchange to bring increased prosperity. An enlightenedruler such as yourself, a friend of the people ?I might say, a member ofthe people ? needs no elaboration on that theme. I won't insult yourintelligence by offering any.""True! I have seen this. But what would you?" His voice was a plaintivewhine. "Your people have always been so unreasonable. I am in favor of allthe trade our economy can support, but not on your terms. I am not solemaster here." His voice rose, "I am only the servant of public opinion. Mypeople will not take commerce which carries with it a compulsory religion."Mallow drew himself up, "A compulsory religion?""So it has always been in effect. Surely you remember the case of Askonetwenty years ago. First they were sold some of your goods and then yourpeople asked for complete freedom of missionary effort in order that thegoods might be run properly; that Temples of Health be set up. There wasthen the establishment of religious schools; autonomous rights for allofficers of the religion and with what result? Askone is now an integralmember of the Foundation's system and the Grand Master cannot call hisunderwear his own. Oh, no! Oh, no! The dignity of an independent peoplecould never suffer it.""None of what you speak is at all what I suggest," interposed Mallow. "No?""No. I'm a Master Trader. Money is my religion. All this mysticism andhocus-pocus of the missionaries annoy me, and I'm glad you refuse tocountenance it. It makes you more my type of man."The Commdor's laugh was high-pitched and jerky, "Well said! The Foundationshould have sent a man of your caliber before this."He laid a friendly hand upon the trader's bulking shoulder, "But man, youhave told me only half. You have told me what the catch is not. Now tell mewhat it is.""The only catch, Commdor, is that you're going to be burdened with animmense quantity of riches.""Indeed?" he snuffled. "But what could I want with riches? The true wealthis the love of one's people. I have that.""You can have both, for it is possible to gather gold with one hand andlove with the other.""Now that, my young man, would be an interesting phenomenon, if it werepossible. How would you go about it?""Oh, in a number of ways. The difficulty is choosing among them. Let's see. Well, luxury items, for instance. This object here, now? Mallow drew gently out of an inner pocket a flat, linked chain of polishedmetal. "This, for instance.""What is it?""That's got to be demonstrated. Can you get a woman? Any young female willdo. And a mirror, full length.""Hm-mmm. Let's get indoors, then."The Commdor referred to his dwelling place as a house. The populaceundoubtedly would call it a palace. To Mallow's straightforward eyes, itlooked uncommonly like a fortress. it was built on an eminence thatoverlooked the capital. Its walls were thick and reinforced. Its approacheswere guarded, and its architecture was shaped for defense. Just the type ofdwelling, Mallow thought sourly, for Asper, the Well-Beloved. A young girl was before them. She bent low to the Commdor, who said, "Thisis one of the Commdora's girls. Will she do?""Perfectly!"The Commdor watched carefully while Mallow snapped the chain about thegirl's waist, and stepped back. The Commdor snuffled, "Well. Is that all?""Will you draw the curtain, Commdor. Young lady, there's a little knob justnear the snap. Will you move it upward, please? Go ahead, it won't hurtyou."The girl did so, drew a sharp breath, looked at her hands, and gasped,"Oh!"From her waist as a source she was drowned in a pale, streamingluminescence of shifting color that drew itself over her head in a flashingcoronet of liquid fire. It was as if someone had tom the aurora borealisout of the sky and molded it into a cloak. The girl stepped to the mirror and stared, fascinated. "Here, take this." Mallow handed her a necklace of dull pebbles. "Put itaround your neck."The girl did so, and each pebble, as it entered the luminescent fieldbecame an individual flame that leaped and sparkled in crimson and gold. "What do you think of it?" Mallow asked her. The girl didn't answer butthere was adoration in her eyes. The Commdor gestured and reluctantly, shepushed the knob down, and the glory died. She left ? with a memory. "It's yours, Commdor," said Mallow, "for the Commdora. Consider it a smallgift from the Foundation.""Hm-mmm.' The Commdor turned the belt and necklace over in his hand asthough calculating the weight. "How is it done?"Mallow shrugged, "That's a question for our technical experts. But it willwork for you without ? mark you, without ? priestly help.""Well, it's only feminine frippery after all. What could you do with it? Where would the money come in?""You have balls, receptions, banquets ? that sort of thing?""Oh, yes.""Do you realize what women will pay for that sort of jewelry? Ten thousandcredits, at least."The Commdor seemed struck in a heap, "Ah!""And since the power unit of this particular item will not last longer thansix months, there will be the necessity of frequent replacements. Now wecan sell as many of these as you want for the equivalent in wrought iron ofone thousand credits. There's nine hundred percent profit for you."The Commdor plucked at his beard and seemed engaged in awesome mentalcalculations, "Galaxy, how they would fight for them. I'll keep the supplysmall and let them bid. Of course, it wouldn't do to let them know that Ipersonally? Mallow said, "We can explain the workings of dummy corporations, if youwould like. 朤hen, working further at random, take our complete line ofhousehold gadgets. We have collapsible stoves that will roast the toughestmeats to the desired tenderness in two minutes. We've got knives that won'trequire sharpening. We've got the equivalent of a complete laundry that canbe packed in a small closet and will work entirely automatically. Dittodish-washers. Ditto-ditto floor-scrubbers, furniture polishers,dust-precipitators, lighting fixtures ?oh, anything you like. Think ofyour increased popularity, if you make them available to the public. Thinkof your increased quantity of, uh, worldly goods, if they're available as agovernment monopoly at nine hundred percent profit. It will be worth manytimes the money to them, and they needn't know what you pay for it. And,mind you, none of it will require priestly supervision. Everybody will behappy.""Except you, it seems. What do you get out of it?""Just what every trader gets by Foundation law. My men and I will collecthalf of whatever profits we take in. Just you buy all I want to sell you,and we'll both make out quite well. Quite well."The Commdor was enjoying his thoughts, "What did you say you wanted to bepaid with? Iron?""That, and coal, and bauxite. Also tobacco, pepper, magnesium, hardwood. Nothing you haven't got enough of.""It sounds well.""I think so. Oh, and still another item at random, Commdor. I could retoolyour factories.""Eh? How's that?""Well, take your steel foundries. I have handy little gadgets that could dotricks with steel that would cut production costs to one percent ofprevious marks. You could cut prices by half, and still split extremely fatprofits with the manufacturers. I tell you, I could show you exactly what Imean, if you allowed me a demonstration. Do you have a steel foundry inthis city? It wouldn't take long.""It could be arranged, Trader Mallow. But tomorrow, tomorrow. Would youdine with us tonight?""My men? began Mallow. "Let them all come," said the Commdor, expansively. "A symbolic friendlyunion of our nations. It will give us a chance for further friendlydiscussion. But one thing," his face lengthened and grew stem, "none ofyour religion. Don't think that all this is an entering wedge for themissionaries.""Commdor," said Mallow, dryly, "I give you my word that religion would cutmy profits.""Then that will do for now. You'll be escorted back to your ship." 第五章 　　领袖阿斯培自认为“人民的公仆”，他的头发稀疏，只剩下后脑的一撮灰发松软地垂在肩上。马洛对他的第一个印象，是他的衬衫显然需要烫洗了，并且注意到他说话时带着浓重的鼻音。 “马洛行商，我们这里是个民风纯朴的地方。”领袖说：“你不要做任何的不实宣传。在你面前的人，只是这个国家的第一公民，所谓的领袖就是这个意思，而这也是我唯一的头衔。” 他似乎非常喜欢绕着这个话题打转：“事实上，我认为这一点，是柯瑞尔和贵国的密切关联之一。我知道贵国人民和我们一样，也在享受着共和制度的福祉。” “正是如此，领袖，”马洛郑重其事地说，但是心中却绝对不敢苟同：“我深信就是因为这样，才维持了我们两国政府间的和平与邦谊。” “和平！啊！”这位领袖稀疏的灰白胡子抽动着，面容微微扭曲，显得感慨万千：“我认为在银河外缘各个世界，再也没有人比我更有和平的理想了。不瞒你说，自从我继家父之后，成为这个国家的统治者以来，就一直在实行和平统治，从来也没有间断过。也许我不该说——” 他轻轻咳嗽一声，继续说道：“但是有人曾经告诉我，我的人民——不，应该说是我的同胞，他们都称我为‘万民拥戴的阿斯培’。” 马洛一面听，眼睛一面巡视着富丽堂皇的庭院。他看到了几个身材高大的人，全都布署在一些偏僻的角落，佩戴着奇形怪状但显然威力强大的武器——也许他们是在防备自己，他想，这是可以理解的。然而，这个地方四周都围着高耸的钢筋混凝上墙，而且显然在最近又曾经加强过——这对于‘万民拥戴的阿斯培’而言，显然不能算是很合适的居所。 马洛回答说：“领袖，我很庆幸自己能与您交涉。邻近世界那些不肯实施开明统治的专制君主，大都欠缺王者风范，所以无法成为万民拥戴的统治者。” “比方说？”领袖以很谨慎的口气问。 “比方说，他们就不懂得关心人民最大的福祉。而您不同，我相信您最了解这一点。” 他们两人一面说，一面在庭院里悠闲地漫步。领袖的眼睛凝注在碎石子路上，两只手放在背后互相揉搓着。马洛又继续流畅地说：“直到目前为止，我们两国之间的贸易仍然无法展开，这是因为贵国政府对我国的行商所做的重重限制。当然，我想您一定早就很清楚，不设限的贸易……” “自由贸易！”领袖轻声地纠正。 “是的，是自由贸易。您一定了解那会使我们双方都能受惠。你们拥有一些我们需要的物资，我们也有不少你们想要的货品，只要能够展开交易互通有无，就能够增进彼此的繁荣。像您这么开明的统治者，人民之友——或者说一句不怕您生气的话，您就是人民的一份子——根本用不着我在这个题目上大作文章，说多了只会侮辱您的智慧。” “确实如此，这些我都完全了解，但是你打算怎么办？”领袖故意以哀求的口吻说：“你们的人一直都很不讲理。在我们的经济体制许可之内，任何贸易我都赞成，但是绝不能根据你们的条件，我并不是这个国家唯一的主人——” 然后他提高了嗓门说：“我不过是民意的公仆而已，我的人民不会接受附带强迫性宗教的贸易。” 马洛立刻紧张地问道：“强迫性宗教？” “你们一向如此，想必你还记得二十年前的‘阿斯康’事件吧。你们一开始先推销商品，接着你们就要求绝对的传教自由，藉口是为了教导他们妥善使用那些商品，以及为了建立‘健康灵殿’。然后又设立了宗教学校，并为神职人员争取到自治权。最后的结果如何呢？阿斯康如今已经成为基地体系的一份子，他们的大公连一点实权也没有了。哦！不行，不行！有尊严的独立人民绝对不能忍受这些。” “我想建议的通商方式，与您所说的完全不同。”马洛插嘴说。 “不同？” “没错，我是一名行商长，金钱就是我的宗教，财神才是我唯一的信仰。我最讨厌传教士那一套神秘兮兮的秘法，还有那些叽哩呱啦的咒语。我很高兴您拒绝接受这个宗教，这么一来，就使得我们更加意气相投了。” 领袖发出了尖锐而颤抖的笑声：“说得好！基地早就应该派你这种能干的人来了。” 他亲热地把手放在马洛厚实的肩膀上：“但是老兄，其实你只说了一半——你刚才只告诉我说，与你进行贸易不会带来什么样的坏处；现在应该再说说，究竟又会有什么好处？” “唯一的好处，领袖，就是您将会获得数不清的财富。” “是吗？”领袖嗤之以鼻：“我要财富做什么？真正的财富就是人民的爱戴，而这我已经有了。” “两者得兼又有何妨？您可以腾出一只手捞黄金，另一只手仍旧拥抱人民。” “年轻人，真能这样的话，那就太有意思了。你要我怎么做呢？” “喔，方法实在很多，困难只在于如何选择。让我想想看，嗯，比如说奢侈品，我带来的这个样品——” 马洛从衣袋里慢慢掏出一条扁平的金属链子：“比如这个。” “那是什么？” “它的价值必须示范才能显现出来。您能找一个少女来吗？只要是年轻女性都可以，另外再请您找一个全身的大镜子。” “嗯——那么我们进屋里去吧。” 领袖称自己的住处为“领袖之家”，但是想必民众都称之为宫殿。在马洛这个外人的眼中看来，它简直就像是一座堡垒。这座大宅建在一个可以俯瞰首都的丘陵上，城墙十分厚实坚固，各个通道都有警卫站岗，整个建筑的结构都在强调易守难攻。马洛在心里暗笑：“万民拥戴的阿斯培”如何需要住在这样的环境中？ 一位年轻的少女来到他们面前，对领袖恭敬地鞠躬行礼。 领袖对马洛说：“这是领袖夫人的侍女，她可以吗？” “好极了！” 于是马洛将金属链环绕在少女的腰际，并把钮扣扣好，便退开了几步。 从头到尾，领袖一直目不转睛地仔细看着，然后不以为然地哼着鼻子问：“啊，就这样吗？” “领袖，请您把窗帘拉上。小姐，钮扣旁边有个小按钮，请你按一下好吗？放心，不会有事的。” 少女依言照做，随即大吃一惊，望着自己的双手惊呼：“哎呀！” 自腰际以上，她整个人都被朦胧而流转的冷光笼罩着。这股色彩变幻不定的光芒，渐渐上升到她的头顶，形成一顶绚丽夺目的冠冕。就像是有人从天上摘下北极光，替她铸成了一件无形的披风。 少女走到镜子前面，出神地望着镜中的自己。 “来，拿着这个，”马洛又将一串黯淡无光的珠子串成的项链交给少女：“把它带在颈上。” 少女戴上之后，每一颗珠子在冷光的范围内，也都散发出了深红与金黄色的光焰。 “你喜欢吗？”马洛问那少女。 她虽然没有回答，眼中却充满了艳羡之意，直到领袖做了一个手势，少女才依依不舍地再按了一下按钮。炫目的光彩立时消失了，她也随即退下，但一定永难忘记这段经历。 “领袖，这个就送给领袖夫人，”马洛说：“算是基地的一点心意。” “嗯——”领袖将两件饰物拿在手中来回拨弄，好像是在估量它们的重量。然后他又问马洛：“这是怎么做到的？” 马洛耸耸肩道：“这种问题只有我们的技术专家可以回答。不过，我想特别提醒您，重要的是它不需要教士的指导就能使用。” “嗯，但这只不过是女人的饰物罢了，你能拿它来做些什么？又怎么能靠它赚钱？” “你们这里可有舞会、欢迎会、宴会等等的社交活动？” “喔，当然有。” “您知道妇女们肯花多少钱买这种珠宝吗？至少一万点。” 领袖似乎大吃一惊：“啊！” “而且由于它的能源顶多只能维持六个月，所以必须经常换新。现在我愿意以一千点一个的价钱将它卖给您，请您以等值的锻铁支付。无论您要多少，我都可以供应，您的利润是百分之九百。” 领袖拼命扯着胡子，似乎正在进行复杂的心算：“天啊，她们一定会打破头来抢购。我会故意只供应极少的数量，让她们都来竞标。当然，不能让任何人知道是我自己……” 马洛说：“如果您真的有兴趣，我可以为您说明我们合作的暗盘，然后，我再随便举例来解释——我们备有全套的家庭用品，例如折叠式烤炉，可以在两分钟内，把最硬的肉烤成您喜欢的熟度；还有不需要磨的利刀；整套袖珍型的全自动洗衣机，整个可以放进小柜子里面；此外还有同类型的洗碗机、同类型的地板清洁机、家具清拭机、尘埃收集机、照明装置等等——喔，您想要的，应有尽有。 “请您想想看，如果您让大众都能买到这些东西，您的声望会再增加多少。再请您想想看，您还可以藉此迅速累积……喔，累积多少财富。以百分之九百的利润，采取政府专卖的形式，对于民众而言，这些装置仍然价廉物美，他们也绝对不会晓得您进货的价格。我还要再提醒您一次，这些家庭用的装置，全都不需要教士的监督指导，这岂不是皆大欢喜？” “不过似乎只有你是例外，大家都有好处，你自己图的是什么呢？” “我所能得到的，就是一个行商应得的利润。根据基地的法律，我和我的手下可以得到利润的一半。您只要将我想卖给您的东西照单全收，我们双方都会是赢家，一定能够合作愉快。” 领袖已经听得很陶醉：“你说希望我们用什么付帐？用铁吗？” “是的，或者是煤、铝矿砂、烟草、胡椒、镁，或是硬木，这些都是你们所盛产的东西。” “这个条件还算可以。” “我也是这么想。哦，对了，还有一点，领袖，我还可以替你们改良工厂的设备。” “啊？那是什么意思？” “就拿炼钢厂为例，我有一些小机器，能够轻易地处理钢铁加工，可以使成本降低为原来的百分之一。工厂改造之后，您只要将售价减半，还是能和制造业者分享巨大的利润。我跟您说，如果您允许我做一次示范，我就可以证明我的话。城里头有没有炼钢厂？这不会浪费太多时间的。” “这件事情不难安排，马洛行商。不过那是明天的事，明天再谈，今晚与我共进晚餐如何？” “我的手下……”马洛刚一开口就被打断了。 “让他们全部一起来，”领袖大方地说：“这是我们两国亲善的象征，能让我们有机会再多做一些友好的会谈。不过，我只想提醒你一件事——” 他拉长了脸孔，严肃地说：“绝对不要讨论你们的宗教，别以为这些可以当作传教士的敲门砖。” “领袖，”马洛毫不动容地说：“我向您保证，宗教会令我的利润折损。” “那么到此为止，我还觉得满意，我会派人护送你回太空船去。” Chapter 6 The Commdora was much younger than her husband. Her face was pale andcoldly formed and her black hair was drawn smoothly and tightly back. Her voice was tart. "You are quite finished, my gracious and noble husband? Quite, quite finished? I suppose I may even enter the garden if I wish,now.""There is no need for dramatics, Licia, my dear," said the Commdor, mildly. "The young man will attend at dinner tonight, and you can speak with himall you wish and even amuse yourself by listening to all I say. Room willhave to be arranged for his men somewhere about the place. The stars grantthat they be few in numbers.""Most likely they'll be great hogs of eaters who will eat meat by thequarter-animal and wine by the hogshead. And you will groan for two nightswhen you calculate the expense.""Well now, perhaps I won't. Despite your opinion, the dinner is to be onthe most lavish scale.""Oh, I see." She stared at him contemptuously. "You are very friendly withthese barbarians. Perhaps that is why I was not to be permitted to attendyour conversation. Perhaps your little weazened soul is plotting to turnagainst my father.""Not at all.""Yes, I'd be likely to believe you, wouldn't I? If ever a poor woman wassacrificed for policy to an unsavory marriage, it was myself. I could havepicked a more proper man from the alleys and mudheaps of my native world.""Well, now, I'll tell you what, my lady. Perhaps you would enjoy returningto your native world. Except that, to retain as a souvenir that portion ofyou with which I am best acquainted, I could have your tongue cut outfirst. And," he tolled his head, calculatingly, to one side, "as a finalimproving touch to your beauty, your ears and the tip of your nose aswell.""You wouldn't dare, you little pug-dog. My father would pulverize your toynation to meteoric dust. In fact, he might do it in any case, if I told himyou were treating with these barbarians.""Hm-mmm. Well, there's no need for threats. You are free to question theman yourself tonight. Meanwhile, madam, keep your wagging tongue still.""At your orders?""Here, take this, then, and keep still."The band was about her waist and the necklace around her neck. He pushedthe knob himself and stepped back. The Commdora drew in her breath and held out her hands stiffly. Shefingered the necklace gingerly, and gasped again. The Commdor rubbed his hands with satisfaction and said, "You may wear ittonight ?and I'll get you more. Now keep still."The Commdora kept still. 第六章 　　领袖夫人比她的丈夫年轻很多。她的脸色苍白，面容冷峻，乌黑的长发在脑后梳成一个光润紧致的髻。 她的声音听来很泼辣：“你全部都说完了吗？我仁慈高贵的丈夫，全部、全部都说完了吗？我想现在，如果我希望的话，我应该可以到花园走走了。” “莉西雅，亲爱的，你不需要再唱戏了。”领袖温和地说：“那个年轻人今晚会出席晚宴，你可以跟他自由交谈，你有兴趣的话，甚至可以听听我说什么。此外，我们还要为他的手下安排房间，老天保佑他们的人不会来得太多。” “他们一定个个都是馋鬼老饕，大块吃肉大碗喝酒。等到你算出了这一顿的开销之后，保证会心痛得呻吟两个晚上。” “嗯，也许我这次例外。不管你怎么说，我还是要筹备一场最丰盛的晚宴。” “啊，我知道了。”她轻蔑地瞪着领袖：“你对那些蛮子倒很热络嘛，可能就是因为这样，才不准我参加刚才的会谈。也许你的小心眼里头，正计划着要如何背叛我的父亲。” “绝对没有。” “一定是这样，难道我应该相信你呀？为了政治的理由而牺牲，陷身不幸福的婚姻中的女人，最可怜的就要算是我了。我从自己国家的大街小巷，甚至贫民窟里头，都可以随便挑一个更适合我的丈夫。” “好吧，听着，夫人，让我来告诉你怎么办。也许你真的应该开开心心回娘家去，不过得留下身体的一部分给我当纪念品。就留下我最熟悉的部分好了，我要先割掉你的舌头，然后——”他懒洋洋地把头倚在椅背上，好像是在精打细算：“为了使你变得更美丽，耳朵和鼻头也得割下来。” “你不敢，你这只哈巴狗，我的父亲会将你这个迷你国家轰成一片星尘。事实上，只要我告诉他说你和那些蛮子打交道，他就一定会这么做的。” “哼——好啦，你用不着威胁我，今天晚上你可以自己去问那个人。现在，夫人，把你的三寸不烂之舌给我收起来。” “这是你的命令吗？” “这个，拿去，然后给我闭嘴。” 领袖将金属链缠到她的腰际，又拿项链给她戴上，再按下了按钮。 领袖夫人倒抽了一口气，僵硬地伸出双手，小心翼翼地抚摸着项链，然后又开始喘息。 领袖满意地搓搓手，对她说：“今晚你就可以戴着出席，将来我还会帮你弄到更多，现在——给我闭嘴。” 领袖夫人果然再也没有开口。 Chapter 7 Jaim Twer fidgeted and shuffled his feet. He said, "What's twisting yourface?"Hober Mallow lifted out of his brooding, "Is my face twisted? It's notmeant so.""Something must have happened yesterday, 朓 mean, besides that feast." Withsudden conviction, "Mallow, there's trouble, isn't there?""Trouble? No. Quite the opposite. In fact, I'm in the position of throwingmy full weight against a door and finding it ajar at the time. We'regetting into this steel foundry too easily.""You suspect a trap?""Oh, for Seldon's sake, don't be melodramatic." Mallow swallowed hisimpatience and added conversationally, "It's just that the easy entrancemeans there will be nothing to see. "Nuclear power, huh?" Twer ruminated. "I'll tell you. There's just about noevidence of any nuclear power economy here in Korell. And it would bepretty hard to mask all signs of the widespread effects a fundamentaltechnology such as nucleics would have on everything.""Not if it was just starting up, Twer, and being applied to a war economy. You'd find it in the shipyards and the steel foundries only.""So if we don't find it, then? "Then they haven't got it ?or they're not showing it. Toss a coin or takea guess."Twer shook his head, "I wish I'd been with you yesterday.""I wish you had, too," said Mallow stonily. "I have no objection to moralsupport. Unfortunately, it was the Commdor who set the terms of themeeting, and not myself. And what is coming now would seem to be the royalgroundcar to escort us to the foundry. Have you got the gadgets?""All of them." 第七章 　杜尔慌慌张张地踱着步走过来，对马洛说：“为什么臭着一张脸？” 侯伯•马洛从沉思中拾起头来：“我臭着脸吗？我不是故意的。” “昨天一定发生了什么事——我的意思是说，除了晚宴以外。”杜尔突然以极肯定的口气说：“马洛，有麻烦了，对不对？” “麻烦？没有，其实正好相反。我运足了吃奶的力气正准备要撞门，却发现那扇门已经开了一条缝。领袖一下子就答应我们到炼钢厂去，这似乎太容易了。” “你怀疑这是陷阱吗？” “喔，看在谢顿的份上，不要那么悲观好吗？”马洛压抓着不耐烦的情绪，以平常的口吻说：“只是一切来得太容易了，就代表我们什么也看不到。” “你是指核能，嗯？”杜尔深思熟虑地说：“让我告诉你，我们在柯瑞尔，是不会发现任何核能迹象的。像核能这种科技，对国计民生有深远的影响，不可能百分之百遮掩得起来。他们如果有核能用品的话，一定各行各业都在使用了。” “但是如果才刚刚起步，而且是应用在军事方面，那就另当别论了。杜尔，果真这样，就只能在太空船制造厂和炼钢厂看到了。” “如果我们在那里还找不到的话，那么……” “那就表示他们还没有核能——或是故意藏起来，让我们猜猜看，或者掷硬币占卜一下。” 杜尔摇摇头说：“如果昨天我和你在一起就好了。” “我也希望如此，”马洛面无表情地说：“我不反对你给我精神上的支持，可惜决定会谈方式的人是领袖而不是我。现在开来的车子，似乎就是领袖派来的专车，准备接我们到炼钢厂去了。东西带好了没有？” “全都带齐了。” Chapter 8 The foundry was large, and bore the odor of decay which no amount ofsuperficial repairs could quite erase. It was empty now and in quite anunnatural state of quiet, as it played unaccustomed host to the Commdor andhis court. Mallow had swung the steel sheet onto the two supports with a carelessheave. He had taken the instrument held out to him by Twer and was grippingthe leather handle inside its leaden sheath. "The instrument," he said, "is dangerous, but so is a buzz saw. You justhave to keep your fingers away."And as he spoke, he drew the muzzle-slit swiftly down the length of thesteel sheet, which quietly and instantly fell in two. There was a unanimous jump, and Mallow laughed. He picked up one of thehalves and propped it against his knee, "You can adjust the cutting-lengthaccurately to a hundredth of an inch, and a two-inch sheet will slit downthe middle as easily as this thing did. If you've got the thickness exactlyjudged, you can place steel on a wooden table, and split the metal withoutscratching the wood."And at each phrase, the nuclear shear moved and a gouged chunk of steelflew across the room. "That," he said, "is whittling ?with steel."He passed back the shear. "Or else you have the plane. Do you want todecrease the thickness of a sheet, smooth out an irregularity, removecorrosion? Watch!"Thin, transparent foil flew off the other half of the original sheet insix-inch swarths, then eight-inch, then twelve. "Or drills? It's all the same principle."They were crowded around now. It might have been a sleight-of-hand show, acomer magician, a vaudeville act made into high-pressure salesmanship. Commdor Asper fingered scraps of steel. High officials of the governmenttiptoed over each other's shoulders, and whispered, while Mallow punchedclean, beautiful round holes through an inch of hard steel at every touchof his nuclear drill. "Just one more demonstration. Bring two short lengths of pipe, somebody."An Honorable Chamberlain of something-or-other sprang to obedience in thegeneral excitement and thought-absorption, and stained his hands like anylaborer. Mallow stood them upright and shaved the ends off with a single stroke ofthe shear, and then joined the pipes, fresh cut to fresh cut. And there was a single pipe! The new ends, with even atomic irregularitiesmissing, formed one piece upon joining. Then Mallow looked up at his audience, stumbled at his first word andstopped. There was the keen stirring of excitement in his chest, and thebase of his stomach went tingly and cold. The Commdor's own bodyguard, in the confusion, had struggled to the frontline, and Mallow, for the first time, was near enough to see theirunfamiliar hand-weapons in detail. They were nuclear! There was no mistaking it; an explosive projectileweapon with a barrel like that was impossible. But that wasn't the bigpoint. That wasn't the point at all. The butts of those weapons had, deeply etched upon them, in worn goldplating, the Spaceship-and-Sun! The same Spaceship-and-Sun that was stamped on every. one of the greatvolumes of the original Encyclopedia that the Foundation had begun and notyet finished. The same Spaceship-and-Sun that had blazoned the banner ofthe Galactic Empire through millennia. Mallow talked through and around his thoughts, "Test that pipe! It's onepiece. Not perfect; naturally, the joining shouldn't be done by hand."There was no need of further legerdemain. It had gone over. Mallow wasthrough. He had what he wanted. There was only one thing in his mind. Thegolden globe with its conventionalized rays, and the oblique cigar shapethat was a space vessel. The Spaceship-and-Sun of the Empire! The Empire! The words drilled! A century and a half had passed but therewas still the-Empire, somewhere deeper in the Galaxy. And it was emergingagain, out into the Periphery. Mallow smiled! 第八章 　　炼钢厂的规模相当大，空气中弥漫着腐朽的气息，除非是彻底翻修，否则怎么也不可能除去这种怪味道。为了接待领袖与随行官员的大驾光临，工厂里面的闲杂人等全被赶走了，因此显得异常冷清。 马洛已经准备开始示范。他先顺手举起一块钢板，放在两个支架上，然后握住了杜尔递给他的工具，将手伸进铅套中，紧紧抓着皮质的把手。 “这个器具很危险，”马洛说：“不过普通的圆锯也一样危险，只要别把手指头放在前面，就不会有事的。”马洛一面说着，一面用锯口迅速在钢板上齐中划了一道，钢板立时悄无声息地裂为两半。 在场的众人都吓了一跳。马洛则笑了起来，拾起了其中的一块撑在膝盖上，然后说道：“这个机器的切割厚度可以微调到百分之一寸，一块两寸厚的钢板也能像这样轻易地一剖为二。只要厚度量得准确，就可以把钢板放在木桌上切割，而一点都不会伤到桌面。” 他每说一句，就用这个核能钢剪把钢板切下一块来，顿时满屋于部是钢板的碎片。 示范完了以后，马洛又说：“这才是真正的削钢如泥。” 然后他将钢剪递还给杜尔，又说：“此外还有钢刨，如果你们想让钢板变薄一点，或是将凹凸不平或銹蚀的地方刨平，那么请看！” 随着马洛的舞动，一片片透明的钢箔飘落下来，钢板的表面被刨下了六寸宽、八寸宽……十二寸宽。 “想不想要核能钢钻？它们都是应用相同的原理。” 在场的所有人士全都围了上来，这好像是为了推销商品而进行的一场魔术或杂耍，而马洛就是今天的街头魔术师。当马洛用钢钻轻易地在一寸厚的钢板上，打出了一个个完美无瑕的圆洞时，高级官员们全都踮起了脚尖来看，还不时地低声交换着意见。领袖用手指抚摸着钻下来的钢层，若有所思地默然不语。 “现在我准备进行最后一个表演，谁能帮我拿两根短的钢管来？” 此时众人看得如痴如狂，但总算有一位好像是什么高官听到了马洛的话，赶紧依言为他找来了钢管。纵然他是一位高官，两手也无法例外地弄得满是油污。 马洛将两根钢管竖起来，用钢剪将上端削去一小节，然后把新削开的两端相对，将两根钢管接在一起。 结果两根钢管竟然变作了一根！接头处甚至连原子尺度的瑕疵都没有，根本看不出任何接合的痕迹。 马洛拾起头来看着他的观众，正想要说话的时候，喉咙却突然哽住了，发不出任何声音来。他的胸口感到了强烈的悸动，胃部却觉得发冷而刺痛。 因为他终于和领袖的贴身保镳面对面了。他们全都挤到最前排来，站在领袖的左右，马洛第一次看清楚他们所佩戴的随身武器。 那是核能武器！马洛可以肯定绝对错不了，使用火药的手铣，铳管绝对不可能像那个样子。 然而，这还不是重点，光是这一点，绝不会令马洛惊讶得哑口无言。重点是在那些武器的把手上，都有着镀金的薄片，而薄片上镂刻着星舰与太阳的标志！ 在基地陆续出版的百科全书每一巨册的封面上，全都盖着同样的标志。而数千年来，这个星舰与太阳的标志，也纹绣在银河帝国的每一面旗帜上。 一时之间，马洛的心中兴起无数的念头，但他还是勉力镇定地说：“请试试这根钢管，保证绝对看不出是两根接在一起的。当然，这还不算完美，因为应该使用机器接合才对。” 一切都已经结束，马洛想，不需要再变任何的戏法了。自己的目的已经达到，找到了想找的东西了。现在他的脑海中只有一个画面，那就是一个金球，周围有着意象式的光芒，上面叠着一个倾斜的雪茄状星舰。 那就是帝国的国徽，星舰与太阳的标志！ 帝国！这两个字眼在马洛的心中不断地回荡。一个半世纪已经过去了，帝国仍旧存在于银河深处。如今它又出现了，势力再度触及到了银河外缘。 想到这里，马洛竟然微笑了起来。 Chapter 9 The Far Star was two days out in space, when Hober Mallow, in his privatequarters with Senior Lieutenant Drawt, handed him an envelope, a roll ofmicrofilm, and a silvery spheroid. "As of an hour from now, Lieutenant, you're Acting Captain of the Far Star,until I return, 杘r forever."Drawt made a motion of standing but Mallow waved him down imperiously. "Quiet, and listen. The envelope contains the exact location of the planetto which you're to proceed. There you will wait for me for two months. If,before the two months are up, the Foundation locates you, the microfilm ismy report of the trip. "If, however," and his voice was somber, "I do not return at the end of twomonths, and Foundation vessels do not locate you, proceed to the planet,Terminus, and hand in the Time Capsule as the report. Do you understandthat?""Yes, sir.""At no time are you, or any of the men, to amplify in any single instance,my official report.""If we are questioned, sir?""Then you know nothing.""Yes, sir."The interview ended, and fifty minutes later, a lifeboat kicked lightly offthe side of the Far Star. 第九章 　　“远星号”已经在太空中飞行了两天。 侯伯•马洛将卓特上尉叫到他的寝室来，交给他一个信封、一卷微缩胶片与一个银色的小球。 “一小时以后，上尉，你就是远星号上的代理船长，直到我回来为止——也可能需要你永远代理下去。” 卓特刚要站起来，但马洛却立刻挥手示意他别动。 “别说话，仔细听着。信封里是一个行星的准确座标，你率领远星号飞到那个行星去，在那里等我两个月。如果在这两个月之间，基地的人找到了你们，那卷微缩胶片就是我给基地的报告。” “然而，”马洛的声音变得有些忧郁：“如果两个月之后我还没有回来，而基地的船舰也没有发现你，就立刻回到端点星去，将那个定时信囊交给基地政府，作为这次任务的报告，明白了吗？” “报告船长，明白了。” “不论在任何时候、任何的情况之下，你自己或是其他的船员，都不准将我的报告内容泄露出去。” “报告船长，如果有人问我们呢？” “那么你们就什么也不知道。” “报告船长，记住了。” 他们的会谈到此结束，五十分钟之后，一架救生艇便从“远星号”的腹侧轻轻地弹开。 Chapter 10 Onum Barr was an old man, too old to be afraid. Since the lastdisturbances, he had lived alone on the fringes of the land with what bookshe had saved from the ruins. He had nothing he feared losing, least of allthe worn remnant of his life, and so he faced the intruder withoutcringing. "Your door was open," the stranger explained. His accent was clipped and harsh, and Barr did not fail to notice thestrange blue-steel hand-weapon at his hip. In the half gloom of the smallroom, Barr saw the glow of a force-shield surrounding the man. He said, wearily, "There is no reason to keep it closed. Do you wishanything of me?""Yes." The stranger remained standing in the center of the room. He waslarge, both in height and bulk. "Yours is the only house about here.""It is a desolate place," agreed Barr, "but there is a town to the east. Ican show you the way'.""In a while. May I sit?""If the chairs will hold you," said the old man, gravely. They were old,too. Relics of a better youth. The stranger said, "My name is Hober Mallow. I come from a far province."Barr nodded and smiled, "Your tongue convicted you of that long ago. I amOnum Barr of Siwenna ? and once Patrician of the Empire.""Then this is Siwenna. I had only old maps to guide me.""They would have to be old, indeed, for star-positions to be misplaced."Barr sat quite still, while the other's eyes drifted away into a reverie. He noticed that the nuclear force-shield had vanished from about the manand admitted dryly to himself that his person no longer seemed formidableto strangers ? or even, for good or for evil, to his enemies. He said, "My house is poor and my resources few. You may share what I haveif your stomach can endure black bread and dried corn."Mallow shook his head, "No, I have eaten, and I can't stay. All I need arethe directions to the center of government.""That is easily enough done, and poor though I am, deprives me of nothing. Do you mean the capital of the planet, or of the Imperial Sector?"The younger man's eyes narrowed, "Aren't the two identical? Isn't thisSiwenna?"The old patrician nodded slowly, "Siwenna, yes. But Siwenna is no longercapital of the Normannic Sector. Your old map has misled you after all. Thestars may not change even in centuries, but political boundaries are alltoo fluid.""That's too bad. In fact, that's very bad. Is the new capital far off?""It's on Orsha II. Twenty parsecs off. Your map will direct you. How old isit?""A hundred and fifty years.""That old?" The old man sighed. "History has been crowded since. Do youknow any of it?"Mallow shook his bead slowly. Barr said, "You're fortunate. It has been an evil time for the provinces,but for the reign of Stannell VI, and he died fifty years ago. Since thattime, rebellion and ruin, ruin and rebellion." Barr wondered if he weregrowing garrulous. It was a lonely life out here, and he had so littlechance to talk to men. Mallow said with sudden sharpness, "Ruin, eh? You sound as if the provincewere impoverished.""Perhaps not on an absolute scale. The physical resources of twenty-fivefirst-rank planets take a long time to use up. Compared to the wealth ofthe last century, though, we have gone a long way downhill ?and there isno sign of turning, not yet. Why are you so interested in all this, youngman? You are all alive and your eyes shine!"The trader came near enough to blushing, as the faded eyes seemed to looktoo deep into his and smile at what they saw. He said, "Now look here. I'm a trader out there ?out toward the rim of theGalaxy. I've located some old maps, and I'm out to open new markets. Naturally, talk of impoverished provinces disturbs me. You can't get moneyout of a world unless money's there to be got. Now how's Siwenna, forinstance?"The old man leaned forward, "I cannot say. It will do even yet, perhaps. But you a trader? You look more like a fighting man. You hold your handnear your gun and there is a scar on your jawbone."Mallow jerked his head, "There isn't much law out there where I come from. Fighting and scars are part of a trader's overhead. But fighting is onlyuseful when there's money at the end, and if I can get it without, so muchthe sweeter. Now will I find enough money here to make it worth thefighting? I take it I can find the fighting easily enough.""Easily enough," agreed Barr. "You could join Wiscard's remnants in the RedStars. I don't know, though, if you'd call that fighting or piracy. Or youcould join our present gracious viceroy ? gracious by right of murder,pillage, rapine, and the word of a boy Emperor, since rightfullyassassinated." The patrician's thin cheeks reddened. His eyes closed andthen opened, bird-bright. "You don't sound very friendly to the viceroy, Patrician Barr," saidMallow. "What if I'm one of his spies?""What if you are?" said Barr, bitterly. "What can you take?" He gestured awithered arm at the bare interior of the decaying mansion. "Your life.""It would leave me easily enough. It has been with me five years too long. But you are not one of the viceroy's men. If you were, perhaps even nowinstinctive self-preservation would keep my mouth closed.""How do you know?"The old man laughed, "You seem suspicious ?Come, I'll wager you think I'mtrying to trap you into denouncing the government. No, no. I am pastpolitics.""Past politics? Is a man ever past that? The words you used to describe theviceroy ?what were they? Murder, pillage, all that. You didn't soundobjective. Not exactly. Not as if you were past politics."The old man shrugged, "Memories sting when they come suddenly. Listen! Judge for yourself! When Siwenna was the provincial capital, I was apatrician and a member of the provincial senate. My family was an old andhonored one. One of my great-grandfathers had been?No, never mind that. Past glories are poor feeding.""I take it," said Mallow, "there was a civil war, or a revolution."Barr's face darkened. "Civil wars are chronic in these degenerate days, butSiwenna had kept apart. Under Stannell VI, it had almost achieved itsancient prosperity. But weak emperors followed, and weak emperors meanstrong viceroys, and our last viceroy ?the same Wiscard, whose remnantsstill prey on the commerce among the Red Stars ?aimed at the ImperialPurple. He wasn't the first to aim. And if he had succeeded, he wouldn'thave been the first to succeed. "But he failed. For when the Emperor's Admiral approached the province atthe head of a fleet, Siwenna itself rebelled against its rebel viceroy." Hestopped, sadly. Mallow found himself tense on the edge of his seat, and relaxed slowly,"Please continue, sir.""Thank you," said Barr, wearily. "It's kind of you to humor an old man. They rebelled; or I should say, we rebelled, for I was one of the minorleaders. Wiscard left Siwenna, barely ahead of us, and the planet, and withit the province, were thrown open to the admiral with every gesture ofloyalty to the Emperor. Why we did this, 朓'm not sure. Maybe we felt loyalto the symbol, if not the person, of the Emperor, 朼 cruel and viciouschild. Maybe we feared the horrors of a siege.""Well?" urged Mallow, gently. "Well, came the grim retort, "that didn't suit the admiral. He wanted theglory of conquering a rebellious province and his men wanted the loot suchconquest would involve. So while the people were still gathered in everylarge city, cheering the Emperor and his admiral, he occupied all armedcenters, and then ordered the population put to the nuclear blast.""On what pretext?""On the pretext that they had rebelled against their viceroy, the Emperor'sanointed. And the admiral became the new viceroy, by virtue of one month ofmassacre, pillage and complete horror. I had six sons. Five died ? variously. I had a daughter. I hope she died, eventually. I escaped becauseI was old. I came here, too old to cause even our viceroy worry." He benthis gray head, "They left me nothing, because I had helped drive out arebellious governor and deprived an admiral of his glory."Mallow sat silent, and waited. Then, "What of your sixth son?" he askedsoftly. "Eh?" Barr smiled acidly. "He is safe, for he has joined the admiral as acommon soldier under an assumed name. He is a gunner in the viceroy'spersonal fleet. Oh, no, I see your eyes. He is not an unnatural son. Hevisits me when he can and gives me what he can. He keeps me alive. And someday, our great and glorious viceroy will grovel to his death, and it willbe my son who will be his executioner.""And you tell this to a stranger? You endanger your son.""No. I help him, by introducing a new enemy. And were I a friend of theviceroy, as I am his enemy, I would tell him to string outer space withships, clear to the rim of the Galaxy.""There are no ships there?""Did you find any? Did any space-guards question your entry? With ships fewenough, and the bordering provinces filled with their share of intrigue andiniquity, none can be spared to guard the barbarian outer suns. No dangerever threatened us from the broken edge of the Galaxy, 杣ntil you came.""I? I'm no danger.""There will be more after you."Mallow shook his head slowly, "I'm not sure I understand you.""Listen!" There was a feverish edge to the old man's voice. "I knew youwhen you entered. You have a force-shield about your body, or had when Ifirst saw you."Doubtful silence, then, "Yes, 朓 had.""Good. That was a flaw, but you didn't know that. There are some things Iknow. It's out of fashion in these decaying times to be a scholar. Eventsrace and flash past and who cannot fight the tide with nuclear-blast inhand is swept away, as I was. But I was a scholar, and I know that in allthe history of nucleics, no portable force-shield was ever invented. Wehave force-shields ?huge, lumbering powerhouses that will protect a city,or even a ship, but not one, single man.""Ah?" Mallow's underlip thrust out. "And what do you deduce from that?""There have been stories percolating through space. They travel strangepaths and become distorted with every parsec, 朾ut when I was young therewas a small ship of strange men, who did not know our customs and could nottell where they came from. They talked of magicians at the edge of theGalaxy; magicians who glowed in the darkness, who flew unaided through theair, and whom weapons would not touch. "We laughed. I laughed, too. I forgot it till today. But you glow in thedarkness, and I don't think my blaster, if I had one, would hurt you. Tellme, can you fly through air as you sit there now?"Mallow said calmly, "I can make nothing of all this."Barr smiled, "I'm content with the answer. I do not examine my guests. Butif there are magicians; if you are one of them; there may some day be agreat influx of them, or you. Perhaps that would be well. Maybe we need newblood." He muttered soundlessly to himself, then, slowly, "But it works theother way, too. Our new viceroy also dreams, as did our old Wiscard.""Also after the Emperor's crown?"Barr nodded, "My son hears tales. In the viceroy's personal entourage, onecould scarcely help it. And he tells me of them. Our new viceroy would notrefuse the Crown if offered, but he guards his line of retreat. There arestories that, failing Imperial heights, he plans to carve out a new Empirein the Barbarian hinterland. It is said, but I don't vouch for this, thathe has already given one of his daughters as wife to a Kinglet somewhere inthe uncharted Periphery.""If one listened to every story? "I know. There are many more. I'm old and I babble nonsense. But what doyou say?" And those sharp, old eyes peered deep. The trader considered, "I say nothing. But I'd like to ask something. DoesSiwenna have nuclear power? Now, wait, I know that it possesses theknowledge of nucleics. I mean, do they have power generators intact, or didthe recent sack destroy them?""Destroy them? Oh, no. Half a planet would be wiped out before the smallestpower station would be touched. They are irreplaceable and the suppliers ofthe strength of the fleet." Almost proudly, "We have the largest and beston this side of Trantor itself.""Then what would I do first if I wanted to see these generators?""Nothing!" replied Barr, decisively. "You couldn't approach any militarycenter without being shot down instantly. Neither could anyone. Siwenna isstill deprived of civic rights.""You mean all the power stations are under the military?""No. There are the small city stations, the ones supplying power forheating and lighting homes, powering vehicles and so forth. Those arealmost as bad. They're controlled by the tech-men.""Who are they?""A specialized group which supervises the power plants. The honor ishereditary, the young ones being brought up in the profession asapprentices. Strict sense of duty, honor, and all that. No one but atech-man could enter a station.""I see.""I don't say, though," added Barr, "that there aren't cases where tech-menhaven't been bribed. In days when we have nine emperors in fifty years andseven of these are assassinated, 杦hen every space-captain aspires to theusurpation of a viceroyship, and every viceroy to the Imperium,I suppose even a tech-man can fall prey to money. But it would require agood deal, and I have none. Have you?""Money? No. But does one always bribe with money?""What else, when money buys all else.""There is quite enough that money won't buy. And now if you'll tell me thenearest city with one of the stations, and how best to get there, I'llthank you.""Wait!" Barr held out his thin hands. "Where do you rush? You come here,but I ask no questions. In the city, where the inhabitants are still calledrebels, you would be challenged by the first soldier or guard who heardyour accent and saw your clothes."He rose and from an obscure comer of an old chest brought out a booklet. "My passport, 杅orged. I escaped with it."He placed it in Mallow's hand and folded the fingers over it. "Thedescription doesn't fit, but if you flourish it, the chances are many toone they will not look closely.""But you. You'll be left without one."The old exile shrugged cynically, "What of it? And a further caution. Curbyour tongue! Your accent is barbarous, your idioms peculiar, and every oncein a while you deliver yourself of the most astounding archaisms. The lessyou speak, the less suspicion you will draw upon yourself. Now I'll tellyou how to get to the city? Five minutes later, Mallow was gone. He returned but once, for a moment, to the old patrician's house, beforeleaving it entirely, however. And when Onum Barr stepped into his littlegarden early the next morning, he found a box at his feet. It containedprovisions, concentrated provisions such as one would find aboard ship, andalien in taste and preparation. But they were good, and lasted long. 第十章 　　欧南•巴尔是一个老人，已经老得无所畏惧。自从上次的动乱之后，他就独自一人住在这个偏僻的地方，陪伴着他的，只有他从废墟中抢救出来的书籍，除此之外孑然一身。巴尔从不担心会失落任何东西，更别提自己已步人风烛残年的老命了。所以，现在面对着一个闯进家里的陌生人，他也完全面无惧色。 “您家的门开着。”陌生人解释道。 他的腔调一听就知道不是本地人，巴尔也注意到了他的腰际挂着精钢制成的随身武器。在这个相当昏暗的小房间中，巴尔还看得出陌生人的周围闪耀着奇异的光芒，显然那是一种力场防护罩。 巴尔以疲倦的声音道：“我没有任何理由需要关门，你希望我帮什么忙吗？” “是的，”这个陌生人站在房间中央没有栘动，他的个子很高，也很健壮。他又说：“这附近只有您一户人家。” “没错，这里是个很偏僻的地方。”巴尔说：“不过东边有个城镇，我可以告诉你怎么走。” “等会儿再告诉我吧，我可以坐下来吗？” “如果这把椅子支持得住的话。”老人严肃地说：“家具也都老了，都是过时的老古董了。” 陌生人又说：“我名叫侯伯•马洛，来自一个很遥远的地方。” 巴尔点点头，微笑着说：“你的舌头早就泄露了这个秘密。我是西维纳人欧南•巴尔，曾经是帝国的一名贵族。” “那么这里的确是西维纳，我不能确定，因为我只有一些旧地图作参考。” “那些地图一定很旧了，连恒星的位置都不对。” 巴尔一直静静地坐着，马洛的眼睛则转移到一侧，好像在想什么心事。巴尔注意到他周围的力场已经消失，明白这代表马洛——不论他是敌是友——已不再像刚才那样提防自己了。 然后巴尔又说：“我的房子很破旧，这里物资也极为贫乏，但是欢迎你与我分享一切，如果你能够咽得下黑面包和干玉米的话。” 马洛摇摇头道：“谢谢您，但我已经吃饱了。我也不能久留，只想请您指点我去政府中枢的方向。” “虽然我穷得两袖清风、一无所有，但是帮这个忙，对我而言仍然简单得很。你指的是这个行星的首邑，还是本星区的首府？” 马洛眨眨眼睛问：“这两个地方不同吗？这里难道不是西维纳？” 老贵族缓缓地点了点头：“这里是西维纳没错，但是西维纳已经不再是诺曼星区的首府，你被这些旧地图误导了。星辰也许几个世纪都不会改变，然而人为的疆界却始终变幻无常。” “那就太糟糕了，事实上，简直是槽透了。新的首府离这里很远吗？” “在奥夏二号行星上，离此地有二十秒差距，你的地图上应该有的——这地图究竟有多久的历史了？” “一百五十年。” “那么旧了？”老人叹了一口气道：“这段期间的历史非常热闹，你可略知一二？” 马洛缓缓地摇着头。 巴尔又说：“你很幸运，在这里，过去一百多年来是一段邪恶的时代，唯有斯达涅尔六世在位时例外，而他崩逝也已经有五十年了。从那时候开始，就不断地发生叛乱谋反、烧杀掳掠；烧杀掳掠、叛乱谋反。”巴尔突然想到自己是否变得太罗唆，但是这里的生活实在太孤寂，这个机会真是太难得了。 马洛突然尖声问道：“烧杀掳掠，啊？听您的口气，好像这个星省已经成了荒芜的废墟。” “也许还没有那么严重，想要耗尽二十五个一级行星的资源，也得要花上很长的一段时间。然而，与上个世纪的富庶相比，我们已经走了好长的下坡路——而且没有任何好转的迹象，至少目前还没有。年轻人，你为什么对这一切那么有兴趣？看你全身充满活力，眼光也显得神采奕奕。” 这些话令马洛几乎面红耳赤。老人的双眼虽然失去了光采，却仍然能看透对方的内心，正在为他所发现的事实而微笑。 马洛只好说：“让我告诉您，在我们那个地方——那里接近银河的边缘，我的职业是一名行商。我发现了一批旧地图，就来到这里打算开发新市场，所以一提到荒芜的地区，自然令我浑身不舒服。在一个没有钱的世界中，我怎么可能赚得到钱呢？西维纳这个地方，目前的情况究竟如何？” 老人的身体微微向前倾：“我也不能确定，也许，可能还算过得去吧。你说你是一名行商？可是你看起来更像一名战士。你的手一直紧挨着佩枪，而且下颚还有一道疤痕。” 马洛猛然抬起头来：“我们那个地方法律不张，战斗和挂彩都是行商们成本的一部分。不过只有在有利可图的时候，战斗才算是有意义；如果不用动刀动枪就能够赚到钱，那岂不是更妙。我是否能在此地找到值得一战的利益？我想战斗的机会倒是很容易找的。” “太容易了，”巴尔同意道：“你可以加入红星带的威斯卡余党，不过我不知道，你会管他们所做的勾当叫战斗或是打劫。或者你也可以投效我们现任的总督，他是一位很‘仁慈’的家伙——在幼年皇帝的默许之下，他可以随意杀人、尽情劫掠，不过如今那个皇帝当然也被暗杀了。”老贵族瘦削的双颊转红，他将眼睛闭上，然后又再张开，目光变得如鹰隼般锐利。 “巴尔贵族，如此听来，您对总督似乎并不很友善。”马洛说：“如果我是他的间谍，您怎么办？” “如果你真的是间谍的话，”巴尔挖苦道：“你又能从我这里得到什么呢？”说完，他用枯瘦的手，指了指残破而几乎空无一物的屋子。 “您的性命呢？” “生命随时会离我而去，我其实早该死了，已经又苟活了五个年头。但是我可以确定你并不是总督的人，假如你是的话，也许只是直觉的自保心理，就会让我把嘴巴闭上了。” “您又怎么知道？” 老人笑道：“你好像很多疑，我敢打赌，你以为我试图引诱你诽谤政府。不，不，我早已经脱离政治了。” “脱离政治？人能脱离得了政治吗？您用来形容总督的那些话，是怎么说的？随意杀人、尽情劫掠等等，听起来并不客观，至少并不完全客观，不像是您已经脱离政治了。” 老人耸耸肩道：“过去的记忆突然浮现，总是会令人感到痛苦。听好，然后你自己判断——当西维纳仍是星区首府的时候，我是一名贵族，并且还是星省的议员。我的家族拥有光荣悠久的历史，曾祖那一辈曾经出过……不，别提了，昔日的光荣如今于事无补。” 马洛说：“我想您的意思是说，这里曾经发生过内战，或是一场革命？” 巴尔脸色阴沉地答道：“在如今这个人心不古的世代，内战简直可说是家常便饭，不过西维纳仍然能够侥幸避免。当斯达涅尔六世在位期间，这里甚至几乎恢复了昔日的繁荣，但是此后继位的皇帝都是懦弱无能之辈，这就使得总督们一个个坐大。而我们上一任的总督——就是我刚才提到的那个威斯卡，他仍然率领余党盘踞在红星带，时常出没抢劫经过那里的商人。威斯卡当年曾经觊觎帝国的帝位，不过他并不是第一个具有如此野心的人，即使他当初真的成功了，也不会是第一个篡位的总督。 “然而他最后还是失败了，因为当帝国派遣的远征舰队兵临城下之际，西维纳的人民也开始反抗这位反叛的总督。”他说到这里停了下来，神情显得极为哀伤。 马洛发觉自己紧张得快要从椅子上滑下来，他慢慢放松一些，然后才问：“老贵族，请继续说下去。” “谢谢，”巴尔有气无力地说：“你的心地真好，愿意让一个老人开心——他们开始反抗，或者我应该说，是我们开始反抗，因为我也是其中的领导者之一。结果威斯卡逃离了西维纳，只差一点就被我们抓到。然后，我们立刻开放这个行星，以及整个的星省，欢迎远征舰队的司令官驾临，充分表现了我们对皇帝陛下的忠心。至于我们为什么要这么做，我自己也不确定，也许我们即使不认同那个皇帝——他是个既残忍又邪恶的小鬼，却仍然想要对‘皇帝’这个象征效忠。不过也有可能，是因为我们害怕被帝国的军队攻下。” “后来呢？”马洛轻声地追问。 “后来啊——”老人很感伤地回答：“我们这么做，仍然不能让那个舰队司令满意。因为他此行的目的，就是要立下一个征服叛乱星省的彪炳战功，而他的部下，则都在等着征服之后可以大肆劫掠战利品。因此当许多民众仍然聚集在各大城市中，为皇帝和司令的到来高声欢呼之际，那个司令竟然占领了所有的武装据点，然后下令用核炮对付那些手无寸铁的平民。” “用什么名义？” “名义就是他们反抗原来的总督——他本身虽然叛变，但仍然是钦命的官员。接着，这个司令藉着一个月的屠杀、劫掠和恐怖统治，使他自己得以继任为新的总督。我原来有六个儿子，其中五个已经死了，而且死法各异；我还有一个女儿，我希望她最后也能死去。我自己能够安全逃离，只是因为我太老了，我来到了这里，新总督完全不将我放在心上，所以才没有赶尽杀绝。”他垂下头来，灰白的头发对着马洛，又继续说：“但是他们将我的一切全部都没收了，因为我曾经出力赶走那个叛变的总督，损及了舰队司令的战功。” 马洛坐着默然不语，静静等了好一阵子，然后才轻声问：“您的最后一个儿子现在如何？” “唔，”巴尔苦笑道：“他很安全，他用化名投到了司令的麾下，如今是总督私人舰队中的一名炮手。喔，我从你的眼中看得出你在想什么——不对，他并不是一个不肖的儿子，他只要有时间就会来看我，并且带来他所能找到的各种物资，我如今可说是靠他养活的。将来有一天，我们这位伟大而仁慈的总督一命呜呼，那一定就是我儿子下的手。” “而您将这种事情告诉一个陌生人？这样会危及令公子的性命。” “不，我其实是在帮助他，我正在为总督制造一个新的敌人。如果我是总督的朋友，我会劝他在外太空用星舰筑成长城，一直布署到银河边缘。” “你们的外太空难道没有星舰巡弋吗？” “你看到了吗？你来的时候，曾经遭到任何警戒舰队的拦截吗？由于星舰不足，边境的星省又为本身的叛变与犯罪问题所困扰，没有一个星省可以分派出多余的星舰，用于警戒外围的蛮荒星空。长久以来，银河边缘的残破世界也从来不曾威胁过我们——直到如今，你来了。” “我？我一点也不危险。” “可是你来过之后，就会有更多的人陆续来到。” 马洛缓缓地摇头：“我恐怕并不明白您的话。” “听好！”老人的声音突然充满了激动：“你刚才一进来，我就已经知道你的来历了。我注意到你的身边围绕着力场防护罩，虽然现在已经没有了。” 马洛迟疑地沉默了奸一会儿，然后才说：“是的……我的确有这种东西。” “很好，这就使你露出了马脚，然而你自己还不晓得。我知道不少事情——在这种衰败的世代中，做一名学者已经赶不上潮流了，各种突如其来的变化，来得快去得也快，不能用手中的核铳保护自己的人，很快就会被潮流吞噬，像我就是一个最好的例子——我曾经是一名学者，我知道在核能装置的发展史中，从来没有出现过这种随身的防护罩。我们的确拥有力场防护罩，但是非常庞大，耗用大量的能源，可以保护一座城市，或是一艘星舰，但是绝对无法用在个人身上。” “啊？”马洛噘起嘴：“所以您推出了什么结论？” “在浩淼的太空中流传着许多故事，这些故事经由各种奇异的管道渗透扩散，每经过一秒差距就会扭曲一次。不过当我年轻的时候，曾经遇到过一群异邦人，他们驾驶一艘小型太空船前来。这些人不了解我们的风俗习惯，也说不出自己从何处来。他们曾经提到过银河边缘的魔术师，说那些魔术师的身体可以在黑暗中发出光芒，可以凭空在空气中飞行，而且任何武器也无法损伤他们分毫。 “当时我们听到这些之后，都忍不住捧腹大笑，我当然也跟着大家一起笑。这件事情我早就忘记了，直到今天才又想起来。你的确能够在黑暗中放光，假使现在我的手中有核铳的话，我想也不可能会伤到你。告诉我，你是不是随时随地能飞起来？” 马洛镇定地回答说：“您所说的这些，我全都做不到。” 巴尔微笑着道：“我接受你的答案，放心，我不会搜客人的身。不过，如果那些魔术师真的存在的话，又如果你也是其中的一份子，那么有朝一日，他们——或者应该说你们——也许就会大批蜂拥而至。然而这样可能也有好处，或许我们这里真的需要一些新血。” 接着，巴尔喃喃自语了几句话，马洛完全没有听见，然后才又听到老人慢慢地说：“但是这也会带来另一方面的影响，我们的新总督也有一个梦想，正如前总督威斯卡一样。” “他也在觊觎帝位？” 巴尔点点头：“我的儿子听到许多传言，他既然在总督的身边，自然不想听也不可能，他将听到的事情都告诉我了。我们这位新总督打的如意算盘，是如果能够顺利取得帝位当然最好，不过他也安排好了退路——如果他篡位失败的话，据说打算在蛮荒的内地建立一个新的帝国。还有一项传言，不过我并不能保证，说总督已经将他的一个女儿，下嫁给外缘一个不知名小国的君主。” “如果这些传言都是真的……” “我知道，传言还有很多很多。我老了，喋喋不休地净说些没有意义的废话，但是你的看法如何呢？”老人锐利的目光，似乎能透视到马洛的心底。 马洛考虑了一下才说：“我什么都说不上来，但是我还想再问一件事——西维纳究竟有没有核能？不，等一等，我知道你们会制造核能用品，我的意思是说，这里有没有完好的核能发电机？这些发电机有没有因为最近的劫掠而遭到破坏？” “遭到破坏？喔，当然没有。即使这个行星有一半被夷为平地，最小的发电厂也不会受到影响。它们是这个世界最重要的设施，也是舰队的动力来源。”然后他近乎骄傲地说：“从川陀一路算过来，我们这里的发电厂是最大最好的。” “那么，如果我想看看这些发电机，第一步应该如何做呢？” “做什么都没用！”巴尔斩钉截铁地答道：“你一旦接近任何军事据点，立刻就会被击毙。任何人都不可能做得到，西维纳仍旧是一个没有公民权的地方。” “您的意思是说，所有的发电厂都由军方监管吗？” “这倒不一定，像有些小规模的市立发电厂就不是。它们是用来供应家用照明和暖气的能源，以及交通工具的动力等等。不过这些发电厂也照样门禁森严，由一群‘技官’负责管理。” “那又是什么人？” “就是一群监督管理发电厂的技术人员。这种光荣的职业是世袭的，他们的学徒就是自己的子弟，从小就开始接受专职训练，灌输他们强烈的责任感、荣誉心等等。除了技官之外，没有任何人能够进入那些发电厂。” “我明白了。” “不过，”巴尔又补充道：“我可没有说每个技官都是清廉的。过去这五十年间，一连换了九个皇帝——其中就有七个是被行刺的。这种年头，每艘星舰的舰长都想当上总督，每一位总督又都想篡夺帝位，我猜即使是小小的技官，也一定能够用钱买得通。可是这要很多很多钱，我自己一文不名，你呢？” “钱？我也没有，难道行贿一定要用钱才行吗？” “在这个金钱万能的时代，你还能想到什么替代品？” “金钱买不到的东西多着呢。请您告诉我最近的一个具有这种发电厂的城市，还有如何能够最快到达那里，我会很感激您的。” “等一等！”巴尔伸出他枯瘦的双手：“你急什么？你到这里来，我可完全没有盘问你。然而你一旦进了城，那里的居民仍然被视为叛徒，任何一个军人或警卫，只要看到你的服饰，或是听出你的口音，就会马上把你给拦不来。” 老人站了起来，从一个老旧柜子的角落中掏出一个小本子，对马洛说：“这是我的护照——伪造的，我就是靠它逃出来的。” 他把护照放到马洛的手上，还将马洛的手指合起来：“照片和资料当然与你不合，不过如果只是虚晃一下，你过关的机会是很大的。” “但是您呢？您把它给了我，自己就没有了。” 老人耸耸肩，显得毫不在乎：“我要它有什么用？我最后再警告你一点，最好少开尊口。你的腔调很不文雅，用语又很奇怪，不时还会吐出惊人的古语。你说得越少，就越不容易让别人怀疑你。现在我来告诉你怎么到那个城市去……” 五分钟之后，马洛便离开了。 但是他不久之后又回来了一次，这次只在门口逗留片刻。第二天一大早，当欧南•巴尔走进小小的庭院时，发现脚旁有一个盒子。盒子里面装的是食物——那好像是太空船所携带的浓缩口粮，不论是口味或烹调方式都是他所陌生的。 然而这些食物既营养又好吃，而且可以保存很久。 Chapter 11 The tech-man was short, and his skin glistened with well-kept plumpness. His hair was a fringe and his skull shone through pinkly. The rings on hisfingers were thick and heavy, his clothes were scented, and he was thefirst man Mallow had met on the planet who hadn't looked hungry. The tech-man's lips pursed peevishly, "Now, my man, quickly. I have thingsof great importance waiting for me. You seem a stranger? He seemed toevaluate Mallow's definitely un-Siwennese costume and his eyelids wereheavy with suspicion. "I am not of the neighborhood," said Mallow, calmly, "but the matter isirrelevant. I have had the honor to send you a little gift yesterday? The tech-man's nose lifted, "I received it. An interesting gewgaw. I mayhave use for it on occasion.""I have other and more interesting gifts. Quite out of the gewgaw stage.""Oh-h?" The tech-man's voice lingered thoughtfully over the monosyllable. "I think I already see the course of the interview; it has happened before. You are going to give me some trifle or other. A few credits, perhaps acloak, second-rate jewelry; anything your little soul may think sufficientto corrupt a tech-man." His lower lip puffed out belligerently, "And I knowwhat you wish in exchange. There have been others and to spare with thesame bright idea. You wish to be adopted into our clan. You wish to betaught the mysteries of nucleics and the care of the machines. You thinkbecause you dogs of Siwenna ?and probably your strangerhood is assumed forsafety's sake ?are being daily punished for your rebellion that you canescape what you deserve by throwing over yourselves the privileges andprotections of the tech-man's guild."Mallow would have spoken, but the tech-man raised himself into a suddenroar. "And now leave before I report your name to the Protector of theCity. Do you think that I would betray the trust? The Siwennese traitorsthat preceded me would have ?perhaps! But you deal with a different breednow. Why, Galaxy, I marvel that I do not kill you myself at this momentwith my bare hands."Mallow smiled to himself. The entire speech was patently artificial in toneand content, so that all the dignified indignation degenerated intouninspired farce. The trader glanced humorously at the two flabby hands that had been namedas his possible executioners then and there, and said, "Your Wisdom, youare wrong on three counts. First, I am not a creature of the viceroy cometo test your loyalty. Second, my gift is something the Emperor himself inall his splendor does not and will never possess. Third, what I wish inreturn is very little; a nothing; a mere breath.""So you say!" He descended into heavy sarcasm. "Come, what is this imperialdonation that your godlike power wishes to bestow upon me? Something theEmperor doesn't have, eh?" He broke into a sharp squawk of derision. Mallow rose and pushed the chair aside, "I have waited three days to seeyou, Your Wisdom, but the display will take only three seconds. If you willjust draw that blaster whose butt I see very near your hand? "Eh?""And shoot me, I will be obliged.""What?""If I am killed, you can tell the police I tried to bribe you intobetraying guild secrets. You'll receive high praise. If I am not killed,you may have my shield."For the first time, the tech-man became aware of the dimly-whiteillumination that hovered closely about his visitor, as though he had beendipped in pearl-dust. His blaster raised to the level and with eyesa-squint in wonder and suspicion, he closed contact. The molecules of air caught in the sudden surge of atomic disruption, toreinto glowing, burning ions, and marked out the blinding thin line thatstruck at Mallow's heart ?and splashed! While Mallow's look of patience never changed, the nuclear forces that toreat him consumed themselves against that fragile, pearly illumination, andcrashed back to die in mid-air. The tech-man's blaster dropped to the floor with an unnoticed crash. Mallow said, "Does the Emperor have a personal force-shield? You can haveone."The tech-man stuttered, "Are you a tech-man?""No.""Then ?then where did you get that?""What do you care?" Mallow was coolly contemptuous. "Do you want it?" Athin, knobbed chain fell upon the desk, "There it is."The tech-man snatched it up and fingered it nervously, "Is this complete?""Complete.""Where's the power?"Mallow's finger fell upon the largest knob, dull in its leaden case. The tech-man looked up, and his face was congested with blood, "Sir, I am atech-man, senior grade. I have twenty years behind me as supervisor and Istudied under the great Bier at the University of Trantor. If you have theinfernal charlatanry to tell me that a small container the size of a ?of awalnut, blast it, holds a nuclear generator, I'll have you before theProtector in three seconds.""Explain it yourself then, if you can. I say it's complete."The tech-man's flush faded slowly as he bound the chain about his waist,and, following Mallow's gesture, pushed the knob. The radiance thatsurrounded him shone into dim relief. His blaster lifted, then hesitated. Slowly, he adjusted it to an almost burnless minimum. And then, convulsively, he closed circuit and the nuclear fire dashedagainst his hand, harmlessly. .He whirled, "And what if I shoot you now, and keep the shield.""Try!" said Mallow. "Do you think I gave you my only sample?" And he, too,was solidly incased in light. The tech-man giggled nervously. The blaster clattered onto the desk. Hesaid, "And what is this mere nothing, this breath, that you wish inreturn'?""I want to see your generators.""You realize that that is forbidden. It would mean ejection into space forboth of us? "I don't want to touch them or have anything to do with them. I want to seethem ?from a distance.""If not?""If not, you have your shield, but I have other things. For one thing, ablaster especially designed to pierce that shield.""Hm-mmm." The tech-man's eyes shifted. "Come with me." 第十一章 　　这位技官个子矮胖，皮肤还闪着一层油光，一看就知道长年养尊处优。他的头发秃得只剩下边缘的一圈，中间的头皮泛着粉红色的光芒。他戴了好几个戒指，每一个都又粗又重，衣服上还洒了香水……马洛在这个行星上遇到了不少人，他却是唯一没有面霹饥色的一位。 现在技官不高兴地撇着嘴说：“喂，你，快一点。我还有许多非常重要的事有待处理，你看来像是外地来的……”他似乎在打量马洛的打扮，那显然不是西维纳的传统服饰，连他的眼睑都现出了浓厚的怀疑之色。 “我的确并不住在附近，”马洛镇定地说：“但是这一点并不重要。我感到很荣幸，昨天有机会送给你一件小礼物。” 技官鼻孔朝天说道：“我收到了，相当有意思的小摆饰，也许哪一天我会用得着。” “我还有许多更有趣的礼物，保证实用，绝对不只是摆饰而已。” “哦——”技官一直持续着这个声音，沉思了良久之后才说：“我想，我已经了解你来见我的目的了，这种事情以前也曾经发生过。你想要送一些什么东西给我，比如说一点钱，或者是一件披风、二流的珠宝。你们这种没有见识的人，以为拿这些东西，就能够收买一位技官！” 他鼓胀着嘴唇继续说：“我也知道你想要交换什么，以前也有其他人打过同样的如意算盘——希望我们能收容你们，想要学习核能的秘密和维修核电厂的技术。你们打这个主意，是因为你们这些西维纳狗子，还因为当年的叛变而天天受到惩罚——也许你根本就是西维纳人，故意做异邦人的打扮以求自保。你以为只要能够投靠技官公会，就能享有我们的特权，我们就会保护你，你就能够逃得掉应受的惩罚吗？” 马洛正想要说话，但是技官却又突然大声吼道：“现在赶快给我滚吧，否则我要向本城的护民官告发你。你以为我会辜负所托吗？在我之前的西维纳叛徒也许会如此做，他们可能会！但是你现在面对的是另一个典型。唉，天啊，我怎么还能这么镇静，这连我自己也觉得很惊讶，我现在就应该用双手将你活活掐死。” 马洛在心里暗笑，因为技官所说的这一番话，不论是语调或内容部明显地矫揉造作。因此他口中义正辞严的愤慨，听在马洛的耳中，全都成了别脚的独白。 马洛故意看了一眼技官那两只柔软无力的手掌，想到自己“险些”就被它们掐死，不禁感到十分好笑。然后他对技官说：“睿智的阁下，你总共误会了三件事。第一，我不是总督派来试探你的忠诚的走狗：第二，我要送你的礼物非常珍贵，即使显赫如皇帝陛下也没有，而且他也永远不可能得到：第三，我所要求的回报非常非常小，简直是微不足道，几乎不让你费吹灰之力。” “这可是你说的！”技官的声音变得充满了讥讽：“好，你到底有什么奇珍异宝要献给我？竟然连皇上也没有。”然后他就忍不住拼命地哈哈大笑。 马洛站起身来，将椅子推开：“我足足等了三天才见到你，睿智的阁下，然而我只需要三秒钟，就可以向你展示这件礼物的妙用。我注意到你的手一直放在核铙的附近，请你拔出来吧。” “啊？” “然后劳驾你对准我射击。” “什么？” “如果我被打死了，你可以告诉警察，说是我试图贿赂你出卖公会的秘密。这样你不但不会有事，还会得到很大的奖赏。然而，假如我没有死的话，我就把身上的防护罩送给你。” 直到这时，技官才注意到这位来访者的身旁笼罩着一层黯淡的白光，好像被一团珍珠粉末包围着一样。于是他举起了核铳，以充满疑惧的心情瞄准马洛，然后猛然扣下扳机。 在巨大能量瞬间释放之下，周围的空气分子立刻受热燃烧，进而被撕裂成白热的离子。核铳射出的能束，划出了一条眩目的直线，一端正中马洛的心脏，随即就迸溅开来！ 马洛仍然一动不动地站在那里。被那团黯淡的珍珠般光芒所挡住的能束，尽数反弹而消失在半空中。 技官手中的核铳突然掉到地上，但是他却浑然不觉。 此时马洛才开口问道：“皇上有没有这样的个人力场防护罩？我可以将它送给你。” 技官结结巴巴地说：“你也是一名技官？” “我不是。” “那么——那么你是从哪里弄来这种东西的？” “这你何必管呢？”马洛的口气已经不再客气，他轻蔑地说：“你到底想不想要？” 书桌上突然出现了一个细小的链子，上面有许多圆形的凸起。马洛轻描淡写地说：“就是这个东西。” 技官一把将链子抓起来，满腹狐疑地不停抚摸着，然后又问马洛：“这是一组完整的套件吗？” “完整。” “能源在哪里呢？” 马洛用手指指向链子上最大的一个圆形凸起，那是个毫不起眼的铅质容器。 技官抬起头来，满脸涨得通红：“先生，我是一名技官，一名资深的技官。我曾经在川陀大学，受业于伟大的布勒教授，我担任主任也已经有二十年的历史。如果你有意用这种下三滥的伎俩骗我，要我相信这么一个胡桃大小的容器中，他妈的，里面竟然有一个核能发电机，我在三秒钟之内，就送你到护民官那里去。” “你要是不相信的话，可以自己试试看，我告诉你这是一个完整的套件。” 技官开始将链子系在腰际，此时脸色已经逐渐恢复正常。然后他依照马洛的指示，按下了其中一个凸起，全身立刻被一团不很明显的光辉笼罩。他将核铳拾起来，但是却犹豫着不敢行动，只是慢慢地将强度调到几乎无害的程度。 终于，他用颤抖的手按下了扳机，核铳吐出的光焰喷射到他另一只手上，他却一点感觉也没有。 技官立即转身：“如果我现在再向你射击，把这个防护罩据为已有，你又能怎么办？” “你试试看啊！”马洛笑道：“你以为我给你的那个，就是我身边唯一的样品吗？”说着，他的四周又泛起了一团光芒。 技官只好心虚地咯咯笑着，将手中的核铳扔到书桌上，对马洛说：“你刚才说的那个简直微不足道、几乎不会费我吹灰之力的回报是什么？” “我要看看你们的发电机。” “你明明晓得这是严格禁止的事，如果让人发现的话，我们两个都会被投射到太空去……” “我并不想碰触那些机器，也绝对不会进行任何的破坏。我只是想要看看它们——远远地看一看就行了。” “如果我不答应呢？” “如果你不答应的话，你还是可以留下那个防护罩。不过，我身边还有其他的玩意，比如说，专门用来射穿那种防护罩的特制核铳。” “嗯——”技官的眼珠游移着：“跟我来吧！” Chapter 12 The tech-man's home was a small two-story affair on the Outskirts of thehuge, cubiform, windowless affair that dominated the center of the city. Mallow passed from one to the other through an underground passage, andfound himself in the silent, ozone-tinged atmosphere of the powerhouse. For fifteen minutes, he followed his guide and said nothing. His eyesmissed nothing. His fingers touched nothing. And then, the tech-man said instrangled tones, "Have you had enough? I couldn't trust my underlings inthis case.""Could you ever?" asked Mallow, ironically. "I've had enough."They were back in the office and Mallow said, thoughtfully, "And all thosegenerators are in your hands?""Every one," said the tech-man, with more than a touch of complacency. "And you keep them running and in order?""Right!""And if they break down?"The tech-man shook his head indignantly, "They don't break down. They neverbreak down. They were built for eternity.""Eternity is a long time. Just suppose? "It is unscientific to suppose meaningless cases.""All right. Suppose I were to blast a vital part into nothingness? Isuppose the machines aren't immune to nuclear forces? Suppose I fuse avital connection, or smash a quartz D-tube?""Well, then," shouted the tech-man, furiously, "you would be killed.""Yes, I know that," Mallow was shouting, too, "but what about thegenerator? Could you repair it?""Sir," the tech-man howled his words, "you have had a fair return. You'vehad what you asked for. Now get out! I owe you nothing more!"Mallow bowed with a satiric respect and left. Two days later he was back where the Far Star waited to return with him tothe planet, Terminus. And two days later, the tech-man's shield went dead, and for all hispuzzling and cursing never glowed again. 第十二章 　　他们离开了技官的家，那是位于发电厂外围，一幢小型的双层楼房——发电厂占据着这个城市的中心地带，是一个庞大、方形、没有任何窗户的建筑物。 然后马洛跟随着技官，穿过一条又一条的地下通道，终于来到了静寂而充满臭氧气味的发电室。 在其后的十五分钟内，马洛一言不发地跟着技官到处参观。他的眼睛没有遗漏任何一处，但手指却没有碰触任何地方。看完一遍之后，技官压低了声音说：“你看够了没有？我干这种事情，那些手下可能会去告密，这回我信不过他们。” “你哪回又信得过他们了？”马洛故意讽刺地问，然后才说：“我看够了。” 于是他们来到了技官的办公室，马洛又若有所思地问道：“所有的发电机都在你的管理之下？” “每一部都归我管。”技官以分外骄傲的语气说。 “所以你负责维护它们正常运转？” “没错！” “如果发生故障怎么办？” 技官显得很不高兴地摇着头：“这些机器不会故障的，它们永远不会发生故障，能够让子子孙孙永远保用。” “‘水远’可是很长的时间喔，我只是说假设……” “假设不可能存在的情况，是不科学的。” “好吧，那么假设我用核铳将某个重要的零件轰掉，我想这些机器不可能抵挡得了核铳，对不对？又假设我将某个重要的接点烧熔，或者是打爆了一根石英D型管？” “哼，这样的话，”技官怒吼道：“你会被处决。” “是的，这点我知道。”马洛也开始咆哮：“但是发电机还是坏了，你能够修理吗？” “先生，”技官继续狂嗥：“你已经得到了回报，看到了你想看的东西。现在立刻给我滚蛋！我再也不欠你什么了！” 马洛嘲弄似地向他鞠了一个躬，便迳自离开了。 两天之后，马洛来到了“远星号”停泊之处，随即准备回到端点星。 此时，技官得到的那个防护罩就失灵了。不论他如何想办法，不论他怎样咒骂，那种奇异的光芒都再也没有出现过。 Chapter 13 Mallow relaxed for almost the first time in six months. He was on his backin the sunroom of his new house, stripped to the skin. His great, brownarms were thrown up and out, and the muscles tautened into a stretch, thenfaded into repose. The man beside him placed a cigar between Mallow's teeth and lit it. Hechamped on one of his own and said, "You must be overworked. Maybe you needa long rest.""Maybe I do, Jael, but I'd rather rest in a council seat. Because I'm goingto have that seat, and you're going to help me."Ankor Jael raised his eyebrows and said, "How did I get into this?""You got in obviously. Firstly, you're an old dog of a politico. Secondly,you were booted out of your cabinet seat by Jorane Sutt, the same fellowwho'd rather lose an eyeball than see me in the council. You don't thinkmuch of my chances, do you?""Not much," agreed the ex-Minister of Education. "You're a Smyrnian.""That's no legal bar. I've had a lay education.""Well, come now. Since when does prejudice follow any law but its own. Now,how about your own man ? this Jaim Twer? What does he say?""He spoke about running me for council almost a year ago," replied Malloweasily, "but I've outgrown him. He couldn't have pulled it off in any case. Not enough depth. He's loud and forceful ?but that's only an expression ofnuisance value. I'm off to put over a real coup. I need you. ""Jorane Sutt is the cleverest politician on the planet and he'll be againstyou. I don't claim to be able to outsmart him. And don't think he doesn'tfight hard, and dirty.""I've got money.""Mat helps. But it takes a lot to buy off prejudice, you dirty Smyrnian.""I'll have a lot.""Well, I'll look into the matter. But don't ever you crawl up on your hindlegs and bleat that I encouraged you in the matter. Who's that?"Mallow pulled the corners of his mouth down, and said, "Jorane Sutthimself, I think. He's early, and I can understand it. I抳e been dodginghim for a month. Look, Jael, get into the next room, and turn the speakeron low. I want you to listen."He helped the council member out of the room with a shove of his bare foot,then scrambled up and into a silk robe. The synthetic sunlight faded tonormal power. The secretary to the mayor entered stiffly, while the solemn major-domotiptoed the door shut behind him. Mallow fastened his belt and said, "Take your choice of chairs, Sutt."Sutt barely cracked a flickering smile. The chair he chose was comfortablebut he did not relax into it. From its edge, he said, "If you'll state yourterms to begin with, we'll get down to business.""What terms?""You wish to be coaxed? Well, then, what, for instance, did you do atKorell? Your report was incomplete.""I gave it to you months ago. You were satisfied then."Yes," Sutt rubbed his forehead thoughtfully with one finger, "but sincethen your activities have been significant. We know a good deal of whatyou're doing, Mallow. We know, exactly, how many factories you're puttingup; in what a hurry you're doing it; and how much it's costing you. Andthere's this palace you have," he gazed about him with a cold lack ofappreciation, "which set you back considerably more than my annual salary;and a swathe you've been cutting ?a very considerable and expensive swathe?through the upper layers of Foundation society.""So? Beyond proving that you employ capable spies, what does it show?""It shows you have money you didn't have a year ago. And that can showanything ? for instance, that a good deal went on at Korell that we knownothing of. Where are you getting your money?""My dear Sutt, you can't really expect me to tell you.""I don't.""I didn't think you did. That's why I'm going to tell you. It's straightfrom the treasure-chests of the Commdor of Korell."Sutt blinked. Mallow smiled and continued. "Unfortunately for you, the money is quitelegitimate. I'm a Master Trader and the money I received was a quantity ofwrought iron and chromite in exchange for a number of trinkets I was ableto supply him with. Fifty per cent of the profit is mine by hideboundcontract with the Foundation. The other half goes to the government at theend of the year when all good citizens pay their income tax.""There was no mention of any trade agreement in your report.""Nor was there any mention of what I had for breakfast that day, or thename of my current mistress, or any other irrelevant detail." Mallow'ssmile was fading into a sneer. "I was sent ?to quote yourself ?to keep myeyes open. They were never. shut. You wanted to find out what happened tothe captured Foundation merchant ships. I never saw or heard of them. Youwanted to find out if Korell had nuclear power. My report tells of nuclearblasters in the possession of the Commdor's private bodyguard. I saw noother signs. And the blasters I did see are relics of the old Empire, andmay be show-pieces that do not work, for all my knowledge. "So far, I followed orders, but beyond that I was, and. still am, a freeagent. According to the laws of the Foundation, a Master Trader may openwhatever new markets he can, and receive therefrom his due half of theprofits. What are your objections? I don't see them."Sutt bent his eyes carefully towards the wall and spoke with a difficultlack of anger, "It is the general custom of all traders to advance thereligion with their trade.""I adhere to law, and not to custom.""There are times when custom can be the higher law.""Then appeal to the courts."Sutt raised somber eyes which seemed to retreat into their sockets. "You'rea Smyrnian after all. It seems naturalization and education can't wipe outthe taint in the blood. Listen, and try to understand, just the same. "This goes beyond money, or markets. We have the science of the great HariSeldon to prove that upon us depends the future empire of the Galaxy, andfrom the course that leads to that Imperium we cannot turn. The religion wehave is our all-important instrument towards that end. With it we havebrought the Four Kingdoms under our control, even at the moment when theywould have crushed us. It is the most potent device known with which tocontrol men and worlds. "The primary reason for the development of trade and traders was tointroduce and spread this religion more quickly, and to insure that theintroduction of new techniques and a new economy would be subject to ourthorough and intimate control."He paused for breath, and Mallow interjected quietly, "I know the theory. Iunderstand it entirely.""Do you? It is more than I expected. Then you see, of course, that yourattempt at trade for its own sake; at mass production of worthless gadgets,which can only affect a world's economy superficially; at the subversion ofinterstellar policy to the god of profits; at the divorce of nuclear powerfrom our controlling religion ? can only end with the overthrow andcomplete negation of the policy that has worked successfully for acentury.""And time enough, too," said Mallow, indifferently, "for a policy outdated,dangerous and impossible. However well your religion has succeeded in theFour Kingdoms, scarcely another world in the Periphery has accepted it. Atthe time we seized control of the Kingdoms, there were a sufficient numberof exiles, Galaxy knows, to spread the story of how Salvor Hardin used thepriesthood and the superstition of the people to overthrow the independenceand power of the secular monarchs. And if that wasn't enough, the case ofAskone two decades back made it plain enough. There isn't a ruler in thePeriphery now that wouldn't sooner cut his own throat than let a priest ofthe Foundation enter the territory. "I don't propose to force Korell or any other world to accept something Iknow they don't want. No, Sutt. If nuclear power makes them dangerous, asincere friendship through trade will be many times better than an insecureoverlordship, based on the hated supremacy of a foreign spiritual power,which, once it weakens ever so slightly, can only fall entirely and leavenothing substantial behind except an immortal fear and hate."Suit said cynically, "Very nicely put. So, to get back to the originalpoint of discussion, what are your terms? What do you require to exchangeyour ideas for mine?""You think my convictions are for sale?""Why not?" came the cold response. "Isn't that your business, buying andselling?""Only at a profit," said Mallow, unoffended. "Can you offer me more thanI'm getting as is?""You could have three-quarters of your trade profits, rather than half."Mallow laughed shortly, "A fine offer. The whole of the trade on your termswould fall far below ?a tenth share on mine. Try harder than that.""You could have a council seat.""I'll have that anyway, without and despite you."With a sudden movement, Sutt clenched his fist, "You could also saveyourself a prison term. Of twenty years, if I have my way. Count the profitin that.""No profit at all, but can you fulfill such a threat?""How about a trial for murder?""Whose murder?" asked Mallow, contemptuously. Sutt's voice was harsh now, though no louder than before, "The murder of anAnacreonian priest, in the service of the Foundation.""Is that so now? And what's your evidence?"The secretary to the mayor leaned forward, "Mallow, I'm not bluffing. Thepreliminaries are over. I have only to sign one final paper and the case ofthe Foundation versus Hober Mallow, Master Trader, is begun. You abandoneda subject of the Foundation to torture and death at the hands of an alienmob, Mallow, and you have only five seconds to prevent the punishment dueyou. For myself, I'd rather you decided to bluff it out. You'd be safer asa destroyed enemy, than as a doubtfully-converted friend."Mallow said solemnly, "You have your wish.""Good!" and the secretary smiled savagely. "It was the mayor who wished thepreliminary attempt at compromise, not I. Witness that I did not try toohard."The door opened before him, and he left. Mallow looked up as Ankor Jael re-entered the room. Mallow said, "Did you hear him?"The politician flopped to the floor. "I never heard him as angry as that,since I've known the snake.""All right. What do you make of it?""Well, I'll tell you. A foreign policy of domination through spiritualmeans is his idee fixe, but it's my notion that his ultimate aims aren'tspiritual. I was fired out of the Cabinet for arguing on the same issue, asI needn't tell you.""You needn't. And what are those unspiritual aims according to yournotion?"Jael grew serious, "Well, he's not stupid, so he must see the bankruptcy ofour religious policy, which has hardly made a single conquest for us inseventy years. He's obviously using it for purposes of his own. "Now any dogma primarily based on faith and emotionalism, is a dangerousweapon to use on others, since it is almost impossible to guarantee thatthe weapon will never be turned on the user. For a hundred years now, we'vesupported a ritual and mythology that is becoming more and more venerable,traditional ? and immovable. In some ways, it isn't under our control anymore.""In what ways?" demanded Mallow. "Don't stop. I want your thoughts.""Well, suppose one man, one ambitious man, uses the force of religionagainst us, rather than for us.""You mean Sutt? "You're right. I mean Sutt. Listen, man, if he could mobilize the varioushierarchies on the subject planets against the Foundation in the name oforthodoxy, what chance would we stand? By planting himself at the head ofthe standards of the pious, he could make war on heresy, as represented byyou, for instance, and make himself king eventually. After all, it wasHardin who said: 'A nuclear blaster is a good weapon, but it can point bothways.'"Mallow slapped his bare thigh, "All right, Jael, then get me in thatcouncil, and I'll fight him."Jael paused, then said significantly, "Maybe not. What was all that abouthaving a priest lynched? Is isn't true, is it?""It's true enough," Mallow said, carelessly. Jael whistled, "Has he definite proof?""He should have." Mallow hesitated, then added, "Jaim Twer was his man fromthe beginning, though neither of them knew that I knew that. And Jaim Twerwas an eyewitness."Jael shook his head. "Uh-uh. That's bad.""Bad? What's bad about it? That priest was illegally upon the planet by theFoundation's own laws. He was obviously used by the Korellian government asa bait, whether involuntary or not. By all the laws of common-sense, I hadno choice but one action ?and that action was strictly within the law. Ifhe brings me to trial, he'll do nothing but make a prime fool of himself."And Jael shook his head again, "No, Mallow, you've missed it. I told you heplayed dirty. He's not out to convict you; he knows he can't do that. Buthe is out to ruin your standing with the people. You heard what he said. Custom is higher than law, at times. You could walk out of the trialscot-free, but if the people think you threw a priest to the dogs, yourpopularity is gone. "They'll admit you did the legal thing, even the sensible thing. But justthe same you'll have been, in their eyes, a cowardly dog, an unfeelingbrute, a hard-hearted monster. And you would never get elected to thecouncil. You might even lose your rating as Master Trader by having yourcitizenship voted away from you. You're not native born, you know. Whatmore do you think Sutt can want?" Mallow frowned stubbornly, "So!" "Myboy," said Jael. "I'll stand by you, but I can't help. You're on the spot,杁ead center." 第十三章 　　六个月以来，马洛似乎直到今天才松懈下来。他现在躺在新居的太阳室中，一丝不挂地享受着日光浴，还不时张开两只壮硕棕黑的手臂，来回地伸着懒腰，结实的肌肉也随着一收一张。 安可•杰尔站在马洛身旁，将一根雪茄塞进他的嘴里，又为他点上了火，然后自己也点了一根，才对马洛说：“你一定累坏了，也许应该好好休息一段日子。” “也许吧，杰尔，但是我宁愿进市议会去休息。我要取得一席市议员的席位，而你要帮我这个忙。” 杰尔扬扬眉毛，然后说：“你要竞选市议员，怎么会把我也牵扯进去？” “这是理所当然的事。第一，你是个经验老到的政治人物；第二，你被乔兰•瑟特踢出了内阁，而那家伙宁愿失去一只眼睛，也不愿意看到我当上市议员。你认为我没有什么机会，对不对？” “机会并不大，”这位前教育部长表示同意：“因为你是司密尔诺人。” “根据法律，这一点不成问题，我接受过基地的普通教育。” “这个，你想想看，根深蒂固的成见和法律有什么关联？不过，你们自己人怎么说？那个詹姆•杜尔，他的看法如何？” “差不多在一年以前，他就曾经劝我竞选市议员。”马洛流畅地答道：“但是我现在的实力已经比他还强，他无论如何帮不了我的忙。这个人没有什么深度，专门虚张声势，但是他这样做只会惹人反感。我要赢得漂漂亮亮，这就需要你的帮助了。” “乔兰•瑟特可是这个行星上最精明的政客，而他必定会跟你唱反调的。我并不敢说我能胜过他，你也别以为他不会出狠招、下毒手，用各种卑鄙无耻的手段对付你。” “可是我有钱啊。” “这倒很有帮助，但是想要用钱来消除偏见，那可不是一笔小数目——你这个丑陋的司密尔诺人。” “我可以砸下很多的钱。” “这样的话，我会好好考量一下。不过话先说在前头，到时候你不要反咬我一口，说是我怂恿你瞠这滩浑水的——是谁来了？” 马洛把嘴角向下一扯：“我想就是乔兰•瑟特，他来早了。不过我可以理解，因为我已经跟他玩捉迷藏，足足玩了一个月啦。听好，杰尔，你到隔壁房间去等着，将扬声器的声音调低，我要你也听听我们的谈话。” 说完马洛便用赤脚将门踢开，把杰尔赶到了隔壁去。然后他再爬起来，穿上了丝质睡袍，并将人工日光调节到普通的强度。 市长机要秘书此时板着脸走了进来，表情严肃的管家蹑手蹑脚在他后面将门关上。 马洛一面系着腰带，一面说道：“瑟特，请随便坐。” 瑟特勉强咧开嘴角笑了笑，选了一个看来很舒服的椅子，不过他只坐在椅子的边缘，全身似乎仍然紧绷着。他一开口就对马洛说：“如果，你现在就提出你的条件，我们立刻可以进入正题。” “什么条件？” “你想要慢慢磨是吗？好吧，那就让我从头说起。比如说，你在柯瑞尔到底做了些什么？你交上来的报告并不完整。” “我在几个月以前就交给你了，当时你似乎很满意。” “是的，”瑟特若有所思地用一根手指抚着额头：“但是从那个时候开始，你的一切行动都颇耐人寻味。你在进行的事情我们知道不少，马洛，我们知道你正在兴建多少工厂，你为什么急着做这件事，还有这总共花了你多少钱。而你现在住的这座宫殿式建筑——” 他环顾四周，却没有带着任何欣赏的眼光，然后又继续说：“你在这座建筑上的花费，是我的年薪的许多倍。此外，你为了打进基地的上流社会，也动用了相当多的钱。” “所以呢？这除了证明你雇了许多高明的侦探之外，还能说明什么？” “这说明了你在这一年之间，财富暴增了许多，而这个事实又意味着许多的可能——比如说，当你在柯瑞尔的时候，发生了很多我们所不知道的事。你那些钱究竟是从哪里来的？” “亲爱的瑟特，你不会以为我会告诉你实情吧。” “当然不会。” “我就知道你不会，但是我偏要老老实实告诉你——那些钱都是来自柯瑞尔领袖的金库。” 瑟特听了不禁猛眨眼睛。 马洛微笑着继续说道：“你一定感到很遗憾，我所赚的这些钱都是完全合法的。我是一名行商长，我跟那位领袖做成了一笔交易，卖给他一大批饰物，收取锻铁与铬铁矿作为代价。根据我与基地签订的苛刻契约，利润的百分之五十归我所有。在年终缴交所得税的时候，我会将另外一半交给政府，这是每一个好公民应尽的义务。” “在你的报告中，并没有提到任何的贸易协定。” “但是也没有提到那一天我的早餐吃什么，或是我当时的情妇叫什么名字，或者其他任何不相干的细节。”马洛原来的微笑变作了冷嘲：“我被派到那里去——套一句你自己的话——是要我将眼睛放亮一点，我保证从来没有眯起眼睛来。你要我去调查失踪的基地太空商船发生了什么事，我却从来没有听到或看到什么；你要我查出柯瑞尔有没有核能，我在报告中已经提到，领袖的贴身保镳配备有核铳，除此之外我没有看到任何其他迹象。我所看到的核铳是帝国的遗物，也许早就不能用了，只是一种装饰品而已。 “前面提到的这些，我都是奉命行事，但是除此之外，我始终是一名独立的行商长。根据基地的法律，行商长可以尽量开发新市场，从中取得一半的利润。你到底在反对什么呢？我实在不明白。” 瑟特小心翼翼地将眼光转移到墙壁上，勉强压抑着怒意说：“根据一般性的惯例，行商在推展贸易的同时，也要帮助基地宣教。” “我遵奉的是法律，而不是惯例。” “有些时候，惯例的力量会超过法律。” “那么你去法院控告我违反惯例好了。” 瑟特扬起深陷在眼窝中的忧郁眼珠：“你毕竟是司密尔诺人，归化与教育似乎并不能让你改头换面。注意听好，并且给我好好弄明白—— “这件事情与金钱或市场无关，伟大的哈里•谢顿所发扬光大的那门科学，证明了未来的银河帝国要靠我们来建立，对于这个神圣的使命，我们全都义无反顾。而我们所拥有的宗教，是达成这个目标不可或缺的工具。利用这个宗教，在四王国有足够力量粉碎基地的时候，我们就能令他们臣服。这个宗教可说是控制其他世界最强而有力的手段，历史上还找不出比它更有效的办法。 “而我们发展贸易和奖励行商的主要原因，就是为了能更迅速有效地宣教，以便保证我们输出到其他世界的新科技体系，能够在我们彻底而直接的控制之下。” 说到这里，瑟特停下来缓一口气，马洛乘机轻声说道：“我知道这些理论，我全部都了解。” “你了解吗？这可真是出乎我的意料之外。这么说的话，你当然应该明白你所做的那些事——像是试图将贸易独立；大量生产没有价值、不能动摇经济体系根本的小东西；将我们的星际政策交到财神手中；并且让核能与控制它的宗教脱离——你的这些行为，等于全盘否定基地成功地实施了一个世纪的政策，并且最后会将它完全推翻。” “其实也到了该推翻的时候了，”马洛轻描淡写地说：“因为这个政策已经过时，并且变得危险又不可行。纵使我们的宗教成功地控制了四王国，银河外缘却鲜少有其他世界接受这个宗教。当我们取得了这些王国的控制权时，曾有为数不少的人流亡到别的世界，天晓得他们会如何尽力宣传这段历史，指控塞佛•哈定利用教士制度与人民的迷信，推翻了君主的地位、剥夺了君主的威权。如果这还不足以说明，二十年前的‘阿斯康事件’是个更明显的例子。如今，银河外缘的每一个统治者，都宁死也不愿意让基地的教士入境。 “我认为不应该强迫柯瑞尔，或是其他任何的世界，接受我自己明明知道他们不想要的东西。瑟特，这是不对的。如果他们因为拥有核能而变得危险，那么我们靠贸易关系与他们建立亲密邦谊，比起用不可靠的宗教宰制他们要好得多。因为后者依靠的是外来的神秘力量，它无异于一种令人憎恨的霸权，一旦稍微呈现疲弱的趋势，它就会全面崩溃。最后，除了永无止境的畏惧与恨意之外，其他什么都不会剩下来。” 瑟特却以讽刺的口吻说：“说得很好，那么，回到我们原来的题目，你所提出的条件是什么？你想得到什么好处才愿意放弃自己这种观点，而接受我的想法？” “你以为我会出卖自己的信仰？” “有何不可？”瑟特冶冶地答道：“你的本行不就是做买卖吗？” “只有在有利可图的情况下，我才会待价而沽。”马洛一点也不动气：“你难道有什么办法，能让我赚得比现在更多？” “你可以保留净利的七成半，而不是如今的五成。” 马洛冷笑了几声，然后说：“这的确是很优惠的条件，可是依照你的做法，贸易额会降低到比如今的十分之一还低得多，你得找些更好的条件。” “你还可以在市议会中获得一个席位。” “无论如何我都会当选的，你帮不帮忙都一样。即使你要扯我的后腿，也无法改变这个事实。” 瑟特的身子陡然抽动了一下，还捏紧了拳头：“除此之外，你还能免除一场牢狱之灾。否则的话，我可以让你在监牢里待上二十年，你把这一点也考虑进去。” “这不算数，你能拿什么罪名威胁我？” “谋杀罪，怎么样？” “谋杀什么人？”马洛轻蔑地问道。 瑟特的声音变得尖厉，不过音量并没有提高：“谋杀一名为基地工作的安纳克瑞昂教士。” “真的吗？你又有什么证据？” 市长机要秘书的身子向前倾，说道：“马洛，我可不是在虚张声势，我们的搜证准备工作都已经完成，只要我再签署最后一份文件，基地控告行商长侯伯•马洛的案件就能成立了。你曾故意遗弃一名基地的公民，令他落在异邦暴民的手中遭受酷刑而死。马洛，你只有五秒钟的时间决定是否妥协。对我个人而言，我倒宁愿你不加理会，因为将你变成一个可疑的盟友，不如将你变成死掉的敌人来得安全。” 马洛一本正经地说：“那我让你如愿吧。” “好极了！”瑟特狂笑：“其实是市长要我试着与你先礼后兵，而不是我自己的意思。你也应该察觉得出来，我并没有很努力地试图说服你。”说完他便转身离去。 安可•杰尔又走进来，马洛抬起头来对他说：“他说的话你都听到了吗？” 杰尔来回地踱步：“自从我认识这条毒蛇以来，从来没有见过他发这么大的脾气。” “好吧，你的看法如何？” “这个吗，让我告诉你，利用宗教取得支配权的对外政策，是他的脑袋中根深蒂固的观念，可是我却认为，他最终的目的并不在于宗教。我被赶出市长的内阁，也就是因为指出了这一点，这件事不用我再多说了吧？” “不必了，那么根据你的想法，那些非宗教的目的又是什么呢？” 杰尔的口气转趋严肃：“嗯，他并不笨，所以一定也看出了我们的宗教政策已经破产。因为在过去的七十年间，这个宗教几乎没有帮我们征服过任何世界。所以，他显然是想利用宗教达成自己的目的。 “宗教原来的出发点，都是诉诸感情与信仰，但如果将宗教当成武器，它要算是很危险的一种，因为没有人敢保证，这种武器不会反过来伤害使用者。过去一百年来，我们所发展的这些仪典与神话，已经变得越来越神圣、越来越传统、越来越深植人心。就某一方面而言，它已经脱出了我们的控制。” “这怎么说呢？”马洛追问：“别停下来，我想知道你的想法。” “这个——假设一个人，一个野心勃勃的人，想要利用宗教来对付我们，而不是帮助我们。” “你是指瑟特……” “你猜对了，我说的就是他。听好，老兄，如果他能够假借正统之名，动员基地辖下的行星上各级神职人员反抗基地，我们是否能应付得了？他会使自己成为那些虔诚信徒的领袖，发动一场战争来声讨异教徒——例如，就是以你作为代表，这样最后他就可能称王。总之，正如哈定曾说过的：‘核铳虽是很称手的武器，可惜无法分辨敌我。’” 马洛使劲一拍赤裸的大腿，道：“好吧，杰尔，把我送进市议会，我再好好跟他斗。” 杰尔好一会儿不作声，然后才若有深意地说：“也许办不到了。他刚才说，你害得一个教士被人以私刑处决，这究竟是怎么回事？不可能是真的吧？” “可以说是真的了。”马洛毫不在意地回答。 杰尔不禁吹了一声口啃：“他有真凭实据吗？” “他应该有的。”马洛犹豫了一下，然后又补充道：“詹姆•杜尔从头到尾都在为他工作，不过他们两个人都不知道我已经察觉了。他所说的那件事情，杜尔就是现场目击者。” 杰尔摇摇头：“喔——这可就糟糕了。” “糟糕？有什么好糟糕的？根据基地的法律，那名教士去那个行星是非法的行为，他显然被柯瑞尔政府拿来当作诱饵，不论他是否出于自愿。基于法律常识，我别无选择，只能采取一种行动——而这个行动是百分之百合法的。如果他真的要控告我，只会在众人面前丢人现眼罢了。” 安可•杰尔再度摇了摇头：“不对，马洛，你忽略了很重要的一点，我告诉过你，什么样卑鄙无耻的手段他都使得出来。他的目的不是要将你定罪，他也知道没办法做得到，但是他真正的企图，是要破坏你在群众心目中的地位。你听到他刚才说的：有些时候，惯例的力量会超过法律。你自然可以大摇大摆地走出法庭，但是如果让群众知道，你将一名教士丢给一群野蛮的暴民，那你的声望就泡汤了。 “群众虽然会承认你所做的完全合法，甚至也是合理的，但是你在他们的心目中，却变成了一个懦弱的家伙、一个没有感情的野兽、一个铁石心肠的怪物，这样你就永远不可能选得上市议员。更糟的是，你知道吗？因为你不是土生土长的基地人，他们还可以用公民投票的方式，取消你的公民权，这样你的行商长资格也会丢了。你想想看，这样能不能让瑟特满意？” 马洛紧皱着眉：“原来如此！” “小老弟，”杰尔说：“我还是会站在你这边的，不过恐怕帮不了什么忙了。如今你的麻烦可大啦，他们必定要将你先除之而后快。” Chapter 14 The council chamber was full in a very literal sense on the fourth day ofthe trial of Hober Mallow, Master Trader. The only councilman absent wasfeebly cursing the fractured skull that had bedridden him. The gallerieswere filled to the aisleways and ceilings with those few of the crowd whoby influence, wealth, or sheer diabolic perseverance had managed to get in. The rest filled the square outside, in swarming knots about the open-airtrimensional 'visors. Ankor Jael made his way into the chamber with the near-futile aid andexertions of the police department, and then through the scarcely smallerconfusion within to Hober Mallow's seat. Mallow turned with relief, "By Seldon, you cut it thin. Have you got it?""Here, take it," said Jael. "It's everything you asked for.""Good. How are they taking it outside?""They're wild clear through." Jael stirred uneasily, "You should never haveallowed public hearings. You could have stopped them.""I didn't want to.""There's lynch talk. And Publis Manlio's men on the outer planets? "I wanted to ask you about that, Jael. He's stirring up the Hierarchyagainst me, is he?"" Is he? It's the sweetest setup you ever saw, As Foreign Secretary, hehandles the prosecution in a case of interstellar law. As High Priest andPrimate of the Church, he rouses the fanatic hordes? "Well, forget it. Do you remember that Hardin quotation you threw at melast month? We'll show them that the nuclear blaster can point both ways."The mayor was taking his seat now and the council members were rising inrespect. Mallow whispered, "It's my turn today. Sit here and watch the fun."The day's proceedings began and fifteen minutes later, Hober Mallow steppedthrough a hostile whisper to the empty space before the mayor's bench. Alone beam of light centered upon him and in the public 'visors of the city,as well as on the myriads of private 'visors in almost every home of theFoundation's planets, the lonely giant figure of a man stared outdefiantly. He began easily and quietly, "To save time, I will admit the truth of everypoint made against me by the prosecution. The story of the priest and themob as related by them is perfectly accurate in every detail."There was a stirring in the chamber and a triumphant mass-snarl from thegallery. He waited patiently for silence. "However, the picture they presented fell short of completion. I ask theprivilege of supplying the completion in my own fashion. My story may seemirrelevant at first. I ask your indulgence for that."Mallow made no reference to the notes before him. "I begin at the same time as the prosecution did; the day of my meetingwith Jorane Sutt and Jaim Twer. What went on at those meetings you know. The conversations have been described, and to that description I havenothing to add ?except my own thoughts of that day. "They were suspicious thoughts, for the events of that day were queer. Consider. Two people, neither of whom I knew more than casually, makeunnatural and somewhat unbelievable propositions to me. One, the secretaryto the mayor, asks me to play the part of intelligence agent to thegovernment in a highly confidential matter, the nature and importance ofwhich has already been explained to you. The other, self-styled leader of apolitical party, asks me to run for a council seat. "Naturally I looked for the ulterior motive. Sutt's seemed evident. Hedidn't trust me. Perhaps he thought I was selling nuclear power to enemiesand plotting rebellion. And perhaps he was forcing the issue, or thought hewas. In that case, he would need a man of his own near me on my proposedmission, as a spy. The last thought, however, did not occur to me untillater on, when Jaim Twer came on the scene. "Consider again: Twer presents himself as a trader, retired into politics,yet I know of no details of his trading career, although my knowledge ofthe field is immense. And further, although Twer boasted of a layeducation, he had never heard of a Seldon crisis."Hober Mallow waited to let the significance sink in and was rewarded withthe first silence he had yet encountered, as the gallery caught itscollective breath. That was for the inhabitants of Terminus itself. The menof the Outer Planets could hear only censored versions that would suit therequirements of religion. They would hear nothing of Seldon crises. Butthere would be further strokes they would not miss. Mallow continued: "Who here can honestly state that any man with a lay education can possiblybe ignorant of the nature of a Seldon crisis? There is only one type ofeducation upon the Foundation that excludes all mention of the plannedhistory of Seldon and deals only with the man himself as a semi-mythicalwizard? "I knew at that instant that Jaim Twer had never been a trader. I knew thenthat he was in holy orders and perhaps a full-fledged priest; and,doubtless, that for the three years he had pretended to head a politicalparty of the traders, he had been a bought man of Jorane Sutt. "At the moment, I struck in the dark. I did not know Sun's purposes withregard to myself, but since he seemed to be feeding me rope liberally, Ihanded him a few fathoms of my own. My notion was that Twer was to be withme on my voyage as unofficial guardian on behalf of Jorane Sutt. Well, ifhe didn't get on, I knew well there'd be other devices waiting ?and thoseothers I might not catch in time. A known enemy is relatively safe. Iinvited Twer to come with me. He accepted. "That, gentlemen of the council, explains two things. First, it tells youthat Twer is not a friend of mine testifying against me reluctantly and forconscience' sake, as the prosecution would have you believe. He is a spy,performing his paid job. Secondly, it explains a certain action of mine onthe occasion of the first appearance of the priest whom I am accused ofhaving murdered ? an action as yet unmentioned, because unknown."Now there was a disturbed whispering in the council. Mallow cleared histhroat theatrically, and continued: "I hate to describe my feelings when I first heard that we had a refugeemissionary on board. I even hate to remember them. Essentially, theyconsisted of wild uncertainty. The event struck me at the moment as a moveby Sutt, and passed beyond my comprehension or calculation. I was at sea ? and completely. "There was one thing I could do. I got rid of Twer for five minutes bysending him after my officers. In his absence, I set up a Visual Recordreceiver, so that whatever happened might be preserved for future study. This was in the hope, the wild but earnest hope, that what confused me atthe time might become plain upon review. "I have gone over that Visual Record some fifty times since. I have it herewith me now, and will repeat the job a fifty-first time in your presenceright now."The mayor pounded monotonously for order, as the chamber lost itsequilibrium and the gallery roared. In five million homes on Terminus,excited observers crowded their receiving sets more closely, and at theprosecutor's own bench, Jorane Sutt shook his head coldly at the nervoushigh priest, while his eyes blazed fixedly on Mallow's face. The center of the chamber was cleared, and the lights burnt low. AnkorJael, from his bench on the left, made the adjustments, and with apreliminary click, a holographic scene sprang to view; in color, inthree-dimensions, in every attribute of life but life itself. There was the missionary, confused and battered, standing between thelieutenant and the sergeant. Mallow's image waited silently, and then menfiled in, Twer bringing up the rear. The conversation played itself out, word for word. The sergeant wasdisciplined, and the missionary was questioned. The mob appeared, theirgrowl could be heard, and the Revered Jord Parma made his wild appeal. Mallow drew his gun, and the missionary, as he was dragged away, lifted hisarms in a mad, final curse and a tiny flash of light came and went. The scene ended, with the officers frozen at the horror of the situation,while Twer clamped shaking hands over his ears, and Mallow calmly put hisgun away. The lights were on again; the empty space in the center of the floor was nolonger even apparently full. Mallow, the real Mallow of the present, tookup the burden of his narration: "The incident, you see, is exactly as the prosecution has presented it ?onthe surface. I'll explain that shortly. Jaim Twer's emotions through thewhole business shows clearly a priestly education, by the way. "It was on that same day that I pointed out certain incongruities in theepisode to Twer. I asked him where the missionary came from in the midst ofthe near-desolate tract we occupied at the time. I asked further where thegigantic mob had come from with the nearest sizable town a hundred milesaway. The prosecution has paid no attention to such problems. "Or to other points; for instance, the curious point of Jord Parma'sblatant conspicuousness. A missionary on Korell, risking his life indefiance of both Korellian and Foundation law, parades about in a very newand very distinctive priestly costume. There's something wrong there. Atthe time, I suggested that the missionary was an unwitting accomplice ofthe Commdor, who was using him in an attempt to force us into an act ofwildly illegal aggression, to justify, in law, his subsequent destructionof our ship and of us. "The prosecution has anticipated this justification of my actions. Theyhave expected me to explain that the safety of my ship, my crew, my missionitself were at stake and could not be sacrificed for one man, when that manwould, in any case, have been destroyed, with us or without us. They replyby muttering about the Foundation's 'honor' and the necessity of upholdingour 'dignity' in order to maintain our ascendancy. "For some strange reason, however, the prosecution has neglected Jord Parmahimself, 朼s an individual. They brought out no details concerning him;neither his birthplace, nor his education, nor any detail of previoushistory. The explanation of this will also explain the incongruities I havepointed out in the Visual Record you have just seen. The two are connected. "The prosecution has advanced no details concerning Jord Parma because itcannot. That scene you saw by Visual Record seemed phoney because JordParma was phoney. There never was a Jord Parma. This whole trial is thebiggest farce ever cooked up over an issue that never existed."Once more he had to wait for the babble to die down. He said, slowly: "I'm going to show you the enlargement of a single still from the VisualRecord. It will speak for itself. Lights again, Jael."The chamber dimmed, and the empty air filled again with frozen figures inghostly, waxen illusion. The officers of the Far Star struck their stiff,impossible attitudes. A gun pointed from Mallow's rigid hand. At his left,the Revered Jord Parma, caught in mid-shriek, stretched his claws upward,while the failing sleeves hung halfway. And from the missionary's hand there was that little gleam that in theprevious showing had flashed and gone. It was a permanent glow now. "Keep your eye on that light on his hand," called Mallow from the shadows. "Enlarge that scene, Jael!"The tableau bloated quickly. Outer portions fell away as the missionarydrew towards the center and became a giant. Then there was only a hand andan arm, and then only a hand, which filled everything and remained there inimmense, hazy tautness. The light had become a set of fuzzy, glowing letters: K S P. "That," Mallow's voice boomed out, "is a sample of tatooing, gentlemen. Under ordinary light it is invisible, but under ultraviolet light ?withwhich I flooded the room in taking this Visual Record, it stands out inhigh relief. I'll admit it is a naive method of secret identification, butit works on Korell, where UV light is not to be found on street comers. Even in our ship, detection was accidental. "Perhaps some of you have already guessed what K S P stands for. Jord Parmaknew his priestly lingo well and did his job magnificently. Where he hadlearned it, and how, I cannot say, but K S P stands for 'Korellian SecretPolice.'"Mallow shouted over the tumult, roaring against the noise, "I havecollateral proof in the form of documents brought from Korell, which I canpresent to the council if required. "And where is now the prosecution's case? They have already made andre-made the monstrous suggestion that I should have fought for themissionary in defiance of the law, and sacrificed my mission, my ship, andmyself to the 'honor' of the Foundation. "But to do it for an impostor? "Should I have done it then for a Korellian secret agent tricked out in therobes and verbal gymnastics probably borrowed of an Anacreonian exile? Would Jorane Sutt and Publis Manlio have had me fall into a stupid, odioustrap? His hoarsened voice faded into the featureless background of a shoutingmob. He was being lifted onto shoulders, and carried to the mayor's bench. Out the windows, he could see a torrent of madmen swarming into the squareto add to the thousands there already. Mallow looked about for Ankor Jael, but it was impossible to find anysingle face in the incoherence of the mass. Slowly he became aware of arhythmic, repeated shout, that was spreading from a small beginning, andpulsing into insanity: "Long live Mallow ? long live Mallow ? long live Mallow? 第十四章 　　行商长马洛的公审已经进行到了第四天，市议厅可说是名副其实的爆满。唯一缺席的一名市议员，是因为头骨挫伤而卧病在床，为此他还不停地长吁短叹。旁听席上则挤满了群众，连走道与近屋顶处都挤得水泄不通。这些有幸能进入市议厅旁听的民众，都是靠着过人的影响力、财力、体力或耐力才达到目的的。其他大多数的民众则挤在外面的广场上，在每个立体电视幕周围形成一群又一群的人潮。 安可•杰尔靠着警方的帮助，费了九牛二虎之力，才好不容易钻进了市议厅。然后他又努力穿过里面几乎同样拥挤的人群，才终于来到了马洛的座位旁。 马洛转过头来，感到松了一口气，对杰尔说：“谢顿保佑，你总算及时赶到，东西带来了吗？” “在这里，拿去——”杰尔说：“正是你所要的东西。” “太好了，外面的情形如何？” “他们简直疯狂透顶了，”杰尔不安地挪动着身子：“你根本不应该让他们举行公审，你本来可以阻止他们的。” “我并不想这么做。” “有人提到要对你动私刑，而曼里欧在其他行星上的手下……” “我正想要问你这件事呢，杰尔，他想要煽动教士阶级对付我，是吗？” “是吗？保证那是你所见过最厉害的诡计。他一方面以外务部长的身分，用星际法起诉这件案子；另一方面，他又以首席教长和灵殿主持的身分，挑起了狂热信徒们的……” “好了，别管这些。你还记不记得上个月你对我引述的哈定警语？我们会让他们明白，核铳其实可以瞄准任何一方。” 此时市长正准备就坐，议员们都起立致意。马洛压低声音道：“今天轮到我表演了，你坐在这里等着看好戏吧。” 当天的审判程序随即展开，十五分钟之后，侯伯•马洛穿过发出轻声咒骂的人群，走到了市长席前面的位置，一束灯光立时聚焦在他身上。在场的所有人，还有市内的公共电视幕与端点星每个家庭的电视幕前的观众，都能看到马洛魁梧的身形孤独地站在那里，旁若无人地凝视着前方。 他开始以平静温和的语气说：“为了节省时间，我承认检方对我所指控的每一点皆属实。他们所陈述的有关教士与暴民的故事，所有细节也都是千真万确的。一议场中立刻起了一阵骚动，旁听席上则爆出了得意的吼叫。 马洛耐心地等待众人静下来之后，然后再说：“然而，他们所展现的纪录并不完整，我请求能允许我用自己的方式提供完整的版本。我要叙述的事情，最初看来可能与本案无关，请各位多多包涵。” 马洛并没有翻看面前的笔记本，就继续说下去：“检方的陈述是从我与乔兰•瑟特，以及詹姆•杜尔会面的那一天开始，我也准备从那里讲起。这两次会面的详细经过，各位都已经知道了。证人们已经描述过当时的对话，我不想对这些叙述添油加醋，只想补充一点我个人的想法。 “那就是我感到疑惑，因为那天所发生的事情十分古怪。请各位想想看，那两位先生，跟我都顶多只碰过一两次面，却在同一天，对我提出了极重大、甚至有点不可思议的提议。首先，市长的机要秘书请求我，要我为政府从事极机密的情报工作，至于这项工作的性质与重要性，前几天都已经解释得很清楚了。随后，那位自封的政党领袖，又鼓励我去竞选市议员。 “我当然分析过他们的真正动机，瑟特的动机似乎很明显，他根本不信任我，也许他以为我将核能的机密卖给敌人，并且想要谋反。他这么做，可能是想逼我露出马脚，或者至少他自以为如此。这样的话，他就需要在我替他执行任务时，在我身边安插一个自己人，作为他的眼线。最后这一点，我是直到后来才想到的，那就是詹姆•杜尔出场的时候。 “请各位再想想看，杜尔以一个退休转入政界的行商身分出现，可是我完全不清楚他的行商生涯，然而我却对这一行所知甚详。此外，虽然杜尔总爱夸耀他所受的是普通教育，他却从来没有听说过‘谢顿危机’！” 说到这里，侯伯•马洛停了下来，好让他的话渗入每一个人的思绪中。所有的人此时都屏气凝神，这是马洛第一次使得全场鸦雀无声。不过除了现场之外，只有端点星上的居民，能够听到他所说的最后那几句话，其他行星上的电视幕，却只能接收到经过剪接、适合宗教尺度的版本，所以那些世界的居民都不会听到谢顿危机。不过，他们仍然不会错过马洛后面的精彩表演。 然后马洛又继续说下去：“在座的各位有谁敢说，一个在基地上受过普通教育的人，竟然会不晓得什么是谢顿危机？在基地上，只有一种教育完全避免提到谢顿所规划的历史，而只是将他描述为一个接近神话的人物。“我当时就立刻明白了——詹姆•杜尔根本没有做过行商，也想到了他一定是一名神职人员，也许还是一位合格的教士。所以这三年以来，他领导那个行商组成的政党，无疑是另有目的。因为打从一开始，他就被乔兰•瑟特收买，始终都在为他工作！ “这个时候，我像是在黑暗之中盲目地摸索。我不知道瑟特对我有什么图谋，他似乎是在跟我故弄玄虚，于是我也决定礼尚往来。我的想法是，杜尔应该会设法与我同行，替乔兰•瑟特在暗中监视我。反之，如果杜尔没有如此要求，我知道一定还会有什么诡计等着，但是那些诡计我一时还无法识破。既然敌明我暗的情势其实相当安全，我就主动邀请杜尔同行，而他一口就答应了。 “各位议员先生，这一点解释了两件事情。第一，它说明了杜尔其实并不是我的朋友，他出庭作证，并非像检方要各位相信的那样，是出于良知才不得不如此。他其实是一名间谍，拿人钱财而奉命行事。第二点，它解释了当那名教士——就是检方指控被我谋杀的传教士——他首度出现的时候，我所做的一些行动。这些行动到现在还没有提到，因为检方并不知道。” 此时议场内又传来一阵窃窃私语，马洛夸张地清清喉咙，再继续说下去：“我乍听到有一个逃难的传教士上船时，说实在的，心情简直复杂之极。我实在不想描述那种感觉，甚至不希望再去回忆。当时我的第一个念头，以为这是瑟特所玩的把戏，然而这一招并不在我的算计与了解之内。这令我感到茫然，完全不知所措。 “然而，我至少可以做一件事情——我故意将杜尔支开五分钟，叫他去帮我把军官都找来。当他离开之后，我乘机在隐密处架设起视讯记录器。这样不管发生了什么事，都可以记录下来，以备日后参考研究。虽然我并没有太大把握，但是我的确抱着很大的希望，希望当时令我困惑不解的情况，在事后藉着视讯纪录的帮助，有可能让真相大白。 “这段视讯纪录我总共看了五十遍，现在我将它带来了，准备在各位面前再放映一遍。” 这时议场内起了阵阵骚动，旁听席上则响起嘈杂的吆喝声，市长只好使劲一下一下敲着议槌。端点星上的五百万户居民，全都挤在自家的电视幕前激动不已。乔兰•瑟特坐在检察官席上，向紧张兮兮的首席教长冶静地摇摇头，他充满愤怒的眼光却紧盯在马洛的脸上。 现在市议厅的中央部分清理了出来，灯光也已经调暗。安可•杰尔在左方的座椅上调整着放映装置，“咔答”一声之后，就映出了一个彩色立体的全讯影象，所有的一切都栩栩如生。 影象中包括了那名传教士，他站在中尉与中士之间，显得神情惶惑，身上还有不少伤痕。马洛的影象则在沉默地等待着，然后军官鱼贯而入，而由杜尔殿后。 全讯影象中的人物开始说话，一句一句既清晰又逼真。马洛先把中士训诫了一顿，然后再询问传教士，接着外面出现了大批暴民，他们的吼声也都能听得见。裘德•帕尔玛教亡开始尖声苦苦哀求，然后马洛拔出核铳。当传教士被拖走的时候，他举起手臂来，疯狂地诅咒着众人，附近有一点光芒一闪即逝。 全讯影象到此告一段落。军官们目瞪口呆的身形在那一刻凝结，杜尔双手紧紧捣住耳朵，马洛则正在冷静地将核铳收起来。 然后市议厅重新大放光明，刚才出现在中央的全讯影象立时消失。马洛——真的马洛——又继续开始他的陈述：“各位可以由此看出，这件事的经过，与检方所描述的完全一样——然而只是表面上如此，这一点我很快就会再加以说明。顺便提一下，詹姆•杜尔对此事的情绪化反应，明白地显示了他曾经受过教士养成教育。 “在当天事件告一段落之后，我曾经向杜尔指出这个突发事件的不合理之处。我问他说，我们停泊在这个几乎荒芜的空旷地带，那个传教士是怎么找上这艘太空船的？我还问他说，既然稍具规模的城镇离此至少有一百哩，大批的暴民又是如何赶来的？然而，检方却完全没有注意到这一类的问题。 “此外还有其他的疑点，比如说，裘德•帕尔玛为什么会穿着那么显眼而华丽的法衣？他冒着生命的危险，干犯着基地与柯瑞尔双方的法律，偷偷跑到柯瑞尔来传教，却穿着新颖又极显眼的法衣到处招摇，这里头绝对有问题。在当时，我曾怀疑他在不知不觉间被柯瑞尔的领袖利用，以便诱使我们在慌乱之中，做出了违法的侵略性举动。这样一来，他立刻就有了藉口，马上就能合法地摧毁我们的船舰与人员。 “然而检方就是期待我会答辩说，我后来所做的决定，便是基于上述的考量。他们希望我会辩称，由于我的太空船、我的手下，以及我的任务都遭到威胁，所以我不能为一个人而让全体牺牲，使得通盘的计划横遭破坏。因为不论我们是否保护那名教士，看来他都是死定了。然而检方又声称，唯有维护基地的‘光荣’与‘尊严’，才有可能保持基地既有的霸权，所以我犯下的错误不可饶恕。 “可是，由于某种不明的原因，检方忽略了裘德•帕尔玛这个人的背景，他们没有详细说明他的个人资料——例如出生地、所受的教育，或是过去的经历。其中真正的原因，也能够解释我刚才指出的视讯纪录中的疑点，因为这两者是互相关联的。 “检方没有进一步提出裘德•帕尔玛的个人资料，是因为他们根本做不到。各位刚才所看到的视讯纪录，内容好像大有问题，那是因为裘德•帕尔玛这个人大有问题。其实，根本就没有裘德•帕尔玛这号人物，这场审判是根据子虚乌有的事件捏造出来的，本身就是一场最大的闹剧！” 马洛再度停了下来，等待着喧哗声渐渐消失，然后再慢慢地说：“我不用再多说什么，让我将静止的视讯纪录放大，给各位看个清楚，各位就会完全明白了。杰尔，把灯光再熄掉。” 于是市议厅再度暗了下来，中央又凭空出现了许多蒙胧苍白的静止身形。“远星号”上的军官都摆出了固定不动的姿势，马洛粗壮的手中握着一把核铳。裘德•帕尔玛教士站在马洛的左方，正尖叫到一半，他的十指朝天，袖子滑下了半截。 这位传教士的手臂上有一个亮点，显然就是刚才那道一闪即逝的光芒，如今被冻结成固定的光点。 “请各位注意看他手臂上的亮点，”马洛在暗处叫道：“将这一部分放大，杰尔！” 于是那一部分的影象开始迅速膨胀，传教上的身形逐渐变成一个巨人，并且向中央移动，其他的全讯影象则逐渐消失。很快地，只剩下一只巨大的手臂，到最后只有一只手停留在中央。这只巨手占满了整个空间，由朦胧而紧绷的光线所组成。 这时原先的那个亮点，变成了一组模糊而闪烁的字母：ＫＳＰ。 马洛的声音听来震耳欲聋：“各位，那是一种特殊的刺青，在普通的光线之下无法看见，但是在紫外线的照射下，就会变得鲜明而显着。而我为了拍摄这个视讯纪录，刚好开启了那个房间中的紫外线。虽然这种秘密身分的识别方法十分原始，但是在柯瑞尔还算行得通，因为那里并不是到处都有紫外线灯。其实，即使在我们的太空船上，能有这样的发现，也纯粹要靠运气。 “也许有人已经猜到了ＫＳＰ代表的是什么。裘德•帕尔玛对于教士的用语相当熟悉，他的演技非常高明，至于他是如何，又是从哪里学来这一套的，这我也不清楚。但是这都并不重要，重要的是ＫＳＰ代表‘柯瑞尔秘密警察’。” 马洛继续用力吼着，试图掩盖全场嘈杂的噪音：“此外，我这里还有从柯瑞尔带回来的文件，能够作为辅助证物。如果需要的话，可以呈给议会参考。 “现在，检方公诉的这件案子究竟有什么意义？他们一而再、再而三地大声疾呼，认为我应该不顾任何法律，不顾一切地为那个教士而战；应该为了基地的‘光荣’而牺牲我的任务、我的船舰，甚至我自己！ “可是为了一个骗子，值得吗？ “那个柯瑞尔秘密警察，也许是从安纳克瑞昂的流亡者那里借到了法衣，学会了那些教士用语，当时我应该为他而战吗？乔兰•瑟特和帕布利斯•曼里欧两人，希望我掉进这么一个愚蠢而卑鄙的陷阱……” 此时马洛嘶哑的声音被群众杂乱的吼叫声所掩盖，然后他被许多人扛在肩膀上，抬到了市长席。由大厅的窗户，他可以看到外面广场上聚集了数千名群众，而疯狂的人潮仍然不断地继续涌进广场。 马洛四下张望，想要寻找杰尔，但是在这种极度混乱的场面中，是不可能看清楚任何一个人的。 在嘈杂的喧哗中，他渐渐听到了一种规律的吼叫声。声音不断重复着，由小而大，最后变成了疯狂的呐喊： “马洛万岁——马洛万岁——马洛万岁——” Chapter 15 Ankor Jael blinked at Mallow out of a haggard face. The last two days hadbeen mad, sleepless ones. "Mallow, you've put on a beautiful show, so don't spoil it by jumping toohigh. You can't seriously consider running for mayor. Mob enthusiasm is apowerful thing, but it's notoriously fickle.""Exactly!" said Mallow, grimly, "so we must coddle it, and the best way todo that is to continue the show.""Now what?""You're to have Publis Manlio and Jorane Sutt arrested? "What!""Just what you hear. Have the mayor arrest them! I don't care what threatsyou use. I control the mob, 杅or today, at any rate. He won't dare facethem.""But on what charge, man?""On the obvious one. They've been inciting the priesthood of the outerplanets to take sides in the factional quarrels of the Foundation. That'sillegal, by Seldon. Charge them with 'endangering the state.' And I don'tcare about a conviction any more than they did in my case. Just get themout of circulation until I'm mayor.""It's half a year till election.""Not too long!" Mallow was on his feet, and his sudden grip of Jael's armwas tight. "Listen, I'd seize the government by force if I had to ?the waySalvor Hardin did a hundred years ago. There's still that Seldon crisiscoming up, and when it comes I have to be mayor and high priest. Both!"Jael's brow furrowed. He said, quietly, "What's it going to be? Korell,after all?"Mallow nodded, "Of course. They'll declare war, eventually, though I'mbetting it'll take another pair of years.""With nuclear ships?""What do you think? Those three merchant ships we lost in their spacesector weren't knocked over with compressed-air pistols. Jael, they'regetting ships from the Empire itself. Don't open your mouth like a fool. Isaid the Empire! It's still there, you know. It many be gone here in thePeriphery but in the Galactic center it's still very much alive. And onefalse move means that it, itself, may be on our neck. That's why I must bemayor and high priest. I'm the only man who knows how to fight the crisis."Jael swallowed dryly, "How? What are you going to do?""Nothing."Jael smiled uncertainly, "Really! All of that!"But Mallow's answer was incisive, "When I'm boss of this Foundation, I'mgoing to do nothing. One hundred percent of nothing, and that is the secretof this crisis." 第十五章 　　安可•杰尔看来形容憔悴，过去两天他的精神始终处于亢奋状态，一直都没有阖过眼。 他无精打采地向马洛眨眨眼：“马洛，你做了一场精采的表演，但是最好能见好就收。你说要竞选市长，这不是玩真的吧？群众的热情的确是一股很大的力量，却也是出了名的反覆无常。” “一点都不错！”马洛绷着脸说：“所以我们一定要尽力维持，而最好的办法，就是把戏继续唱下去。” “所以现在该做什么？” “现在你应该想办法，将曼里欧和瑟特下狱……” “你说什么？” “就是刚才那句话，你现在就去叫市长逮捕他们两人，我不在乎你用什么威胁手段。群众抓在我的手上——至少今天如此，市长绝对不敢跟群众唱反调。” “可是，老兄，用什么罪名呢？” “就挑最明显的一项——他们煽动其他世界的教士介入基地的党争。谢顿在上，那可是国法不容的举动，你就告发他们犯了‘危害国家安全’之罪。他们控告我是另有所谋，我也一样不在乎他们会不会被定罪，只要让他们无法行动，直到我当选市长为止就行了。” “但是，离选举还有半年啊。” “很快了，”马洛站了起来，使劲一把抓住杰尔的手臂：“听好，如果真有必要的话，我会以武力夺取政权——就像塞佛•哈定一百年前所做的一样。另一个谢顿危机已经逼近了，当危机来到时，我一定要成为市长兼首席教长，兼任两者！” 杰雨皱起眉头，轻声地问：“会有什么事情发生？难道还是跟柯瑞尔有关？” 马洛点头道：“当然，他们终究会对基地宣战的，不过我在赌他们还会再等两年。” “他们会使用配备核武的星舰吗？” “你想呢？我们有三艘太空商船在他们的星区中失踪，它们不可能是被打鸟的气枪击毁的。杰尔，柯瑞尔直接从帝国那里取得星舰——别把嘴巴张得那么大，像个傻瓜一样。没错，我说的就是那个银河帝国，它还存在，你知道吗？虽然银河外缘已经不再是帝国的势力范围，可是在银河的核心区域，帝国还依然十分巩固。我们只要走错了一步，帝国就会直接派兵攻打过来。所以我必须要成为市长兼首席教长，因为只有我才知道如何应付这次的危机。” 杰尔吞咽了一口口水，硬生生地问：“怎么应付？你准备要怎么做？” “什么都不做。” 杰尔满脸疑惑地微笑着：“真的？就是这样吗？” 但是马洛回答得斩钉截铁：“当我能够替基地当家作主时，我什么都不要做，百分之百地无为而治，这就是度过这次危机的秘诀。” Chapter 16 Asper Argo, the Well-Beloved, Commdor of the Korellian Republic greeted hiswife's entry by a hangdog lowering of his scanty eyebrows. To her at least,his self-adopted epithet did not apply. Even he knew that. She said, in a voice as sleek as her hair and as cold as her eyes, "Mygracious lord, I understand, has finally come to a decision upon the fateof the Foundation upstarts.""Indeed?" said the Commdor, sourly. "And what more does your versatileunderstanding embrace?""Enough, my very noble husband. You had another of your vacillatingconsultations with your councilors. Fine advisors." With infinite scorn, "Aherd of palsied purblind idiots hugging their sterile profits close totheir sunken chests in the face of my father's displeasure.""And who, my dear," was the mild response, "is the excellent source fromwhich your understanding understands all this?"The Commdora laughed shortly, "If I told you, my source would be morecorpse than source.""Well, you'll have your own way, as always." The Commdor shrugged andturned away. "And as for your father's displeasure: I much fear me itextends to a niggardly refusal to supply more ships.""More ships!" She blazed away, hotly, "And haven't you five? Don't deny it. I know you have five; and a sixth is promised.""Promised for the last year.""But one ?just one ?can blast that Foundation into stinking rubble. Justone! One, to sweep their little pygmy boats out of space.""I couldn't attack their planet, even with a dozen.""And how long would their planet hold out with their trade ruined, andtheir cargoes of toys and trash destroyed?" "Those toys and trash meanmoney," he sighed. "A good deal of money.""But if you had the Foundation itself, would you not have all itcontained'? And if you had my father's respect and gratitude, would you nothave more than ever the Foundation could give you? It's been three years ? more ? since that barbarian came with his magic sideshow. It's longenough.""My dear!" The Commdor turned and faced her. "I am growing old. I am weary. I lack the resilience to withstand your rattling mouth. You say you knowthat I have decided. Well, I have. It is over, and there is war betweenKorell and the Foundation.""Well!" The Commdora's figure expanded and her eyes sparkled, "You learnedwisdom at last, though in your dotage. And now when you are master of thishinterland, you may be sufficiently respectable to be of some weight andimportance in the Empire. For one thing, we might leave this barbarousworld and attend the viceroy's court. Indeed we might."She swept out, with a smile, and a hand on her hip. Her hair gleamed in thelight. The Commdor waited, and then said to the closed door, with malignance andhate, "And when I am master of what you call the hinterland, I may besufficiently respectable to do without your father's arrogance and hisdaughter's tongue. Completely ?without!" 第十六章 　　阿斯培•艾哥，万民拥戴的柯瑞尔共和国领袖，正皱起稀疏的眉毛，露出了卑微的表情迎接他的夫人。在这个国家中，他自封的名号至少对一个人并不适用，这一点连他自己都很明白。 她一见面就说：“我亲爱的主公，我知道，你终于对基地那些暴发户的命运有所决定了。”她的声音与头发一般光润，与她的眼睛一样冷冽。 “哦，是吗？”领袖不悦地说：“我亲爱的夫人，你的消息可真灵通，你究竟还知道什么？” “知道得够多了，我尊贵无比的丈夫。你自己如往常一样优柔寡断，所以又找了那些顾问官，进行了一次谘商会议，他们可真是了不起的顾问。”她的声调轻蔑之极：“一群口歪眼科的白痴，竟然不怕我父亲震怒，非得把一点蝇头小利，紧紧地抱在皮包骨的怀里。” “亲爱的，”领袖故意以温和的口气问道：“到底是谁那么有本事，让你能够无所不知，无所不晓？” 领袖夫人冷笑了一声：“假如我告诉你是谁的话，到了明天他有再大的本事，也保不住自己的小命了。” “好吧，你总是有你的办法。”领袖耸耸肩，转过头去说：“至于会令你的父亲不高兴，我倒十分害怕，怕他会因此小气得不再提供星舰。” “你还要星舰？”她激动地拼命吼道：“你不是已经有五艘了吗？不要否认，我知道你已经有五艘了。而且，他也已经允诺要再给你一艘。” “他打从去年就一直这么说。” “但是任何一艘，只要一艘，就能够将基地轰成一团齑粉；只要一艘，就可以把那些侏儒船舰一扫而光。” “即使我有一打星舰，也不能去攻击他们的行星。” “但是如果他们的对外贸易被摧毁，所有那些破铜烂铁、那些玩具都被破坏的话，他们的世界还能再支撑多久？” “那些破铜烂铁和玩具都可以换钱，”他叹了一声：“很多很多的钱。” “但是如果你拿下了基地，不就拥有那里的一切了吗？而如果你能够赢得我父亲的敬重与感激，难道不会得到比整个基地更多的东西吗？已经三年了——其实还不止，自从那个蛮子来这里表演魔术，到现在已经很久很久了。” “亲爱的！”领袖又转过身来面对着她：“我年纪越来越大，身体也越来越虚弱，没有精力忍受你的喋喋不休。你说知道我已经有了决定，是的，我的确决定了。柯瑞尔与基地的关系已经结束，两国马上就要开战。” “好！”领袖夫人眉开眼笑，神情振奋地说：“你活到这么一大把年纪，如今总算是开窍啦。一旦你成为内地之主，在帝国里就能取得重要的一席之地，你会有地位，会受到充分的敬重。而我们就有可能离开这个不文明的世界，到总督府去谋个职位，我们真的做得到。” 说完她就翩然离去，脸上带着微笑，一手擦腰，黑发显得炤熠生光。 领袖静待她走远了，才对着关上的门破口大骂，声音充满了恶毒与恨意：“当我真的成了你所谓的内地之主，就一定能得到足够的敬重，可以不需要忍受你父亲的傲慢自大，还有他女儿的伶牙俐齿，完全——不必！” Chapter 17 The senior lieutenant of the Dark Nebula stared in horror at the visiplate. "Great Galloping Galaxies!" It should have been a howl, but it was awhisper instead, "What's that?"It was a ship, but a whale to the Dark Nebula's minnow; and on its side wasthe Spaceship-and-Sun of the Empire. Every alarm on the ship yammeredhysterically. The orders went out, and the Dark Nebula prepared to run if it could, andfight if it must, 杦hile down in the hyperwave room, a message stormed itsway through hyperspace to the Foundation. Over and over again! Partly a plea for help, but mainly a warning ofdanger. 第十七章 　　“黑暗星云号”上的一位上尉，正吃惊地盯着显象板，心中感到万分恐惧。 “我的老天爷啊！”他本来应该发出一声狂啸，却反而压低了声音说：“那是什么东西？” 那是一艘星际战舰，但是“黑暗星云号”与之相比，简直就是小虾米对大鲸鱼。在那艘巨型星舰的两侧，还可以看到帝国的国徽——星舰与太阳。 “黑暗星云号”上的每一个警报器，都立时发出了疯狂的呜鸣。 命令很快就下达了：“黑暗星云号”能逃就逃，逃不掉就奋力应战。在它下方的超波通讯室，发射出了一束超波讯息，经由超空间向基地猛扑而去。 这道讯息一再重复着，虽然也有求救的意味，但主要是在向基地示警。 Chapter 18 Hober Mallow shuffled his feet wearily as he leafed through the reports. Two years of the mayoralty had made him a bit more housebroken, a bitsofter, a bit more patient, 朾ut it had not made him learn to likegovernment reports and the mind-breaking officialese in which they werewritten. "How many ships did they get?" asked Jael. "Four trapped on the ground. Two unreported. All others accounted for andsafe." Mallow grunted, "We should have done better, but it's just ascratch."There was no answer and Mallow looked up, "Does anything worry you?""I wish Sutt would get here," was the almost irrelevant answer. "Ah, yes, and now we'll hear another lecture on the home front.""No, we won't," snapped Jael, "but you're stubborn, Mallow. You may haveworked out the foreign situation to the last detail but you've never givena care about what goes on here on the home planet.""Well, that's your job, isn't it? What did I make you Minister of Educationand Propaganda for?""Obviously to send me to an early and miserable grave, for all theco-operation you give me. For the last year, I've been deafening you withthe rising danger of Sutt and his Religionists. What good will your plansbe, if Sutt forces a special election and has you thrown out?""None, I admit.""And your speech last night just about handed the election to Sutt with asmile and a pat. Was there any necessity for being so frank?""Isn't there such a thing as stealing Sutt's thunder?""No," said Jael, violently, "not the way you did it. You claim to haveforeseen everything, and don't explain why you traded with Korell to theirexclusive benefit for three years. Your only plan of battle is to retirewithout a battle. You abandon all trade with the sectors of space nearKorell. You openly proclaim a stalemate. You promise no offensive, even inthe future. Galaxy, Mallow, what am I supposed to do with such a mess?""It lacks glamor?""It lacks mob emotion-appeal.""Same thing.""Mallow, wake up. You have two alternatives. Either you present the peoplewith a dynamic foreign policy, whatever your private plans are, or you makesome sort of compromise with Sutt."Mallow said, "All right, if I've failed the first, let's try the second. Sutt's just arrived."Sutt and Mallow had not met personally since the day of the trial, twoyears back. Neither detected any change in the other, except for thatsubtle atmosphere about each which made it quite evident that the roles ofruler and defier had changed. Sutt took his seat without shaking hands. Mallow offered a cigar and said, "Mind if Jael stays? He wants a compromiseearnestly. He can act as mediator if tempers rise."Sutt shrugged, "A compromise will be well for you. Upon another occasion Ionce asked you to state your terms. I presume the positions are reversednow.""You presume correctly.""Then there are my terms. You must abandon your blundering policy ofeconomic bribery and trade in gadgetry, and return to the tested foreignpolicy of our fathers.""You mean conquest by missionary.""Exactly.""No compromise short of that?""None.""Um-mmm." Mallow lit up very slowly and inhaled the tip of his cigar into abright glow. "In Hardin's time, when conquest by missionary was new andradical, men like yourself opposed it. Now it is tried, tested, hallowed,杄verything a Jorane Sutt would find well. But, tell me, how would you getus out of our present mess?""Your present mess. I had nothing to do with it.""Consider the question suitably modified.""A strong offensive is indicated. The stalemate you seem to be satisfiedwith is fatal. It would be a confession of weakness to all the worlds ofthe Periphery, where the appearance of strength is all-important, andthere's not one vulture among them that wouldn't join the assault for itsshare of the corpse. You ought to understand that. You're from Smyrno,aren't you?"Mallow passed over the significance of the remark. He said, "And if youbeat Korell, what of the Empire? That is the real enemy."Sutt's narrow smile tugged at the comers of his mouth, "Oh, no, yourrecords of your visit to Siwenna were complete. The viceroy of theNormannic Sector is interested in creating dissension in the Periphery forhis own benefit, but only as a side issue. He isn't going to stakeeverything on an expedition to the Galaxy's rim when he has fifty hostileneighbors and an emperor to rebel against. I paraphrase your own words.""Oh, yes he might, Sutt, if he thinks we're strong enough to be dangerous. And he might think so, if we destroy Korell by the main force of frontalattack. We'd have to be considerably more subtle.""As for instance? Mallow leaned back, "Sutt, I'll give you your chance. I don't need you, butI can use you. So I'll tell you what it's all about, and then you caneither join me and receive a place in a coalition cabinet, or you can playthe martyr and rot in jail.""Once before you tried that last trick.""Not very hard, Sutt. The right time has only just come. Now listen."Mallow's eyes narrowed. "When I first landed on Korell," he began, A bribed the Commdor with thetrinkets and gadgets that form the trader's usual stock. At the start,that. was meant only to get us entrance into a steel foundry. I had no planfurther than that, but in that I succeeded. I got what I wanted. But it wasonly after my visit to the Empire that I first realized exactly what aweapon I could build that trade into. "This is a Seldon crisis we're facing, Sutt, and Seldon crises are notsolved by individuals but by historic forces. Hari Seldon, when he plannedour course of future history, did not count on brilliant heroics but on thebroad sweeps of economics and sociology. So the solutions to the variouscrises must be achieved by the forces that become available to us at thetime. "In this case, 杢rade!"Sutt raised his eyebrows skeptically and took advantage of the pause, "Ihope I am not of subnormal intelligence, but the fact is that your vaguelecture isn't very illuminating.""It will become so," said Mallow. "Consider that until now the power oftrade has been underestimated. It has been thought that it took apriesthood under our control to make it a powerful weapon. That is not so,and this is my contribution to the Galactic situation. Trade withoutpriests! Trade alone! It is strong enough. Let us become very simple andspecific. Korell is now at war with us. Consequently our trade with her hasstopped. But, 杗otice that I am making this as simple as a problem inaddition, 杋n the past three years she has based her economy more and moreupon the nuclear techniques which we have introduced and which only we cancontinue to supply. Now what do you suppose will happen once the tinynuclear generators begin failing, and one gadget after another goes out ofcommission? "The small household appliances go first. After a half a year of thisstalemate that you abhor, a woman's nuclear knife won't work any more. Herstove begins failing. Her washer doesn't do a good job. Thetemperature-humidity control in her house dies on a hot summer day. Whathappens?"He paused for an answer, and Sutt said calmly, "Nothing. People endure agood deal in war.""Very true. They do. They'll send their sons out in unlimited numbers todie horribly on broken spaceships. They'll bear up under enemy bombardment,if it means they have to live on stale bread and foul water in caves half amile deep. But it's very hard to bear up under little things when thepatriotic uplift of imminent danger is not present. It's going to, be astalemate. There will be no casualties, no bombardments, no battles. "There will just be a knife that won't cut, and a stove that won't cook,and a house that freezes in the winter. It will be annoying, and peoplewill grumble."Sutt said slowly, wonderingly, "Is that what you're setting your hopes on,man? What do you expect? A housewives' rebellion? A Jacquerie? A suddenuprising of butchers and grocers with their cleavers and bread-knivesshouting 'Give us back our Automatic Super-Kleeno Nuclear WashingMachines.'""No, sir," said Mallow, impatiently, "I do not. I expect, however, ageneral background of grumbling and dissatisfaction which will be seized onby more important figures later on.""And what more important figures are these?""The manufacturers, the factory owners, the industrialists of Korell. Whentwo years of the stalemate have gone, the machines in the factories will,one by one, begin to fail. Those industries which we have changed fromfirst to last with our new nuclear gadgets will find themselves verysuddenly ruined. The heavy industries will find themselves, en masse and ata stroke, the owners of nothing but scrap machinery that won't work.""The factories ran well enough before you came there, Mallow.""Yes, Sutt, so they did ?at about one-twentieth the profits, even if youleave out of consideration the cost of reconversion to the originalpre-nuclear state. With the industrialist and financier and the average manall against him, how long will the Commdor hold out?""As long as he pleases, as soon as it occurs to him to get new nucleargenerators from the Empire."And Mallow laughed joyously, "You've missed, Sutt, missed as badly as theCommdor himself. You've missed everything, and understood nothing. Look,man, the Empire can replace nothing. The Empire has always been a realm ofcolossal resources. They've calculated everything in planets, in stellarsystems, in whole sectors of the Galaxy. Their generators are giganticbecause they thought in gigantic fashion. "But we, ?we , our little Foundation, our single world almost withoutmetallic resources, 杊ave had to work with brute economy. Our generatorshave had to be the size of our thumb, because it was all the metal we couldafford. We had to develop new techniques and new methods, 杢echniques andmethods the Empire can't follow because they have degenerated past thestage where they can make any really vital scientific advance. "With all their nuclear shields, large enough to protect a ship, a city, anentire world; they could never build one to protect a single man. To supplylight and heat to a city, they have motors six stories high, 朓 saw them ? where ours could fit into this room. And when I told one of their nuclearspecialists that a lead container the size of a walnut contained a nucleargenerator, he almost choked with indignation on the spot. "Why, they don't even understand their own colossi any longer. The machineswork from generation to generation automatically, and the caretakers are ahereditary caste who would be helpless if a single D-tube in all that vaststructure burnt out. "The whole war is a battle between those two systems, between the Empireand the Foundation; between the big and the little. To seize control of aworld, they bribe with immense ships that can make war, but lack alleconomic significance. We, on the other hand, bribe with little things,useless in war, but vital to prosperity and profits. "A king, or a Commdor, will take the ships and even make war. Arbitraryrulers throughout history have bartered their subjects' welfare for whatthey consider honor, and glory, and conquest. But it's still the littlethings in life that count ?and Asper Argo won't stand up against theeconomic depression that will sweep all Korell in two or three years."Sutt was at the window, his back to Mallow and Jael. It was early eveningnow, and the few stars that struggled feebly here at the very rim of theGalaxy sparked against the background of the misty, wispy Lens thatincluded the remnants of that Empire, still vast, that fought against them. Sutt said, "No. You are not the man.""You don't believe me?""I mean I don't trust you. You're smooth-tongued. You befooled me properlywhen I thought I had you under proper care on your first trip to Korell. When I thought I had you cornered at the trial, you wormed your way out ofit and into the mayor's chair by demagoguery. There is nothing straightabout you; no motive that hasn't another behind it; no statement thathasn't three meanings. "Suppose you were a traitor. Suppose your visit to the Empire had broughtyou a subsidy and a promise of power. Your actions would be precisely whatthey are now. You would bring about a war after having strengthened theenemy. You would force the Foundation into inactivity. And you wouldadvance a plausible explanation of everything, one so plausible it wouldconvince everyone.""You mean there'll be no compromise?" asked Mallow, gently. "I mean you must get out, by free will or force.""I warned you of the only alternative to co-operation."Jorane Sutt's face congested with blood in a sudden access of emotion. "AndI warn you, Hober Mallow of Smyrno, that if you arrest me, there will be noquarter. My men will stop nowhere in spreading the truth about you, and thecommon people of the Foundation will unite against their foreign ruler. They have a consciousness of destiny that a Smyrnian can never understand ? and that consciousness will destroy you."Hober Mallow said quietly to the two guards who had entered, "Take himaway. He's under arrest."Sutt said, "Your last chance."Mallow stubbed out his cigar and never looked up. And five minutes later, Jael stirred and said, wearily, "Well, now thatyou've made a martyr for the cause, what next?"Mallow stopped playing with the ash tray and looked up, "That's not theSutt I used to know. He's a blood-blind bull. Galaxy, he hates me.""All the more dangerous then.""More dangerous? Nonsense! He's lost all power of judgement."Jael said grimly, "You're overconfident, Mallow. You're ignoring thepossibility of a popular rebellion."Mallow looked up, grim in his turn, "Once and for all, Jael, there is nopossibility of a popular rebellion.""You're sure of yourself!""I'm sure of the Seldon crisis and the historical validity of theirsolutions, externally and internally. There are some things I didn't tellSuit right now. He tried to control the Foundation itself by religiousforces as he controlled the outer worlds, and he failed, 杦hich is thesurest sign that in the Seldon scheme, religion is played out. "Economic control worked differently. And to paraphrase that famous SalvorHardin quotation of yours, it's a poor nuclear blaster that won't pointboth ways. If Korell prospered with our trade, so did we. If Korellianfactories fail without our trade; and if the prosperity of the outer worldsvanishes with commercial isolation; so will our factories fail and ourprosperity vanish. "And there isn't a factory, not a trading center. not a shipping line thatisn't under my control; that I couldn't squeeze to nothing if Sutt attemptsrevolutionary propaganda. Where his propaganda succeeds, or even looks asthough it might succeed, I will make certain that prosperity dies. Where itfails, prosperity will continue, because my factories will remain fullystaffed. "So by the same reasoning which makes me sure that the Korellians willrevolt in favor of prosperity, I am sure we will not revolt against it. Thegame will be played out to its end.""So then," said Jael, "you're establishing a plutocracy. You're making us aland of traders and merchant princes. Then what of the future?"Mallow lifted his gloomy face, and exclaimed fiercely, "What business ofmine is the future? No doubt Seldon has foreseen it and prepared againstit. There will be other crises in the time to come when money power hasbecome as dead a force as religion is now. Let my successors solve thosenew problems, as I have solved the one of today."KORELL?..And so after three years of a war which was certainly the mostunfought war on record, the Republic of Korell surrendered unconditionally,and Hober Mallow took his place next to Hari Seldon and Salvor Hardin inthe hearts of the people of the Foundation. ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA ABOUT THE AUTHORIsaac Asimov was born in the Soviet union to his great surprise. He movedquickly to correct the situation. When his parents emigrated to the UnitedStates, Isaac (three years old at the time) stowed away in their baggage. He has been an American citizen since the age of eight. Brought up in Brooklyn, and educated in its public schools, he eventuallyfound his way to Columbia University and, over the protests of the schooladministration, managed to annex a series of degrees in chemistry, up toand including a Ph.D. He then infiltrated Boston University and climbed theacademic ladder, ignoring all cries of outrage, until he found himselfProfessor of Biochemistry. Meanwhile, at the age of nine, he found the love of his life (in theinanimate sense) when he discovered his first science-fiction magazine. Bythe time he was eleven, he began to write stories, and at eighteen, heactually worked up the nerve to submit one. It was rejected. After fourlong months of tribulation and suffering, he sold his first story and,thereafter, he never looked back. In 1941, when he was twenty-one years old, he wrote the classic short story"Nightfall" and his future was assured. Shortly before that he had begunwriting his robot stories, and shortly after that he had begun hisFoundation series. What was left except quantity? At the present time, he has published over260 books, distributed through every major division of the Dewey system oflibrary classification, and shows no signs of slowing up. He remains asyouthful, as lively, and as lovable as ever, and grows more handsome witheach year. You can be sure that this is so since he has written this littleessay himself and his devotion to absolute objectivity is notorious. He is married to Janet Jeppson, psychiatrist and writer, has two childrenby a previous marriage, and lives in New York City. 第十八章 　　侯伯•马洛一面不耐烦地踱着步，一面翻阅着手中许多份报告。当了两年的市长，他变得比较能够待在室内，比较温和圆滑，也比较有耐心。然而，他却始终没有培养出对政府公文与官样文章的兴趣，总是一看到那些东西就头大。 “我们损失了多少艘星舰？”杰尔问道。 “四艘困在地面上被俘，两艘目前下落不明，其余的据报都还平安。”马洛喃喃地说：“我们应该做得更好，但这只不过是一点轻伤。” 杰尔没有回答，马洛抬起头来又说：“你在担心什么事情吗？” “我希望瑟特会来这里。”杰尔似乎答非所问。 “喔，对啊，这样我们可以让他再为我们上一堂内政课。” “不，不是这样。”杰尔吼道：“可是你也太固执了，马洛。对外事务上上下下你都事必躬亲，处理得一丝不苟，可是对于自己的行星上所发生的事情，你却从来一点都未曾关心过。” “哦，那可是你的差事，对不对？否则的话，我任命你当教育兼宣传部长干什么？” “照你这种合作态度来看，你这项任命，显然是想让我马上就死得很难看。去年一整年，我在你耳边不知唠叨过多少次了，提醒你注意瑟特和他领导的基本教义派——他们的势力越来越大，这是非常危险的。如果瑟特强行要求举行特别投票，准备将你罢免，你的因应对策是什么？” “我承认，我根本没有对策。” “而你昨晚的演说，等于是将这个选举的批准令，恭敬地双手交给瑟特，你有必要做得那么直率吗？” “你难道看不出来，我这样做，目的是要让他无法先声夺人。” “不可能，”杰尔激昂地说：“你这样做没有用。你宣称预见了一切，但是你从来没有解释过，为什么在过去三年以来，你对柯瑞尔所实施的贸易政策，让他们占尽了所有的便宜。你对这场战争的唯一战略，就是不战而退；你放弃了柯瑞尔附近星区每一个贸易机会，公开宣布战争进入胶着状态；你完全没有提到要主动出击，未来也没有这种计划。老天啊，马洛，这简直一团糟，你要我怎么办？” “你是说我的做法不够吸引人？” “它缺乏吸引群众情绪的魅力。” “还不是都一样。” “马洛，醒醒吧。你现在只有两条路可以走——一是立刻公布一个强硬的对外政策，姑且不论你的真正计划内容如何；另一条路，就是与瑟特达成某种程度的妥协。” 马洛回答说：“好吧，算我无法做到第一点，让我们试试第二个办法，瑟特也刚好到了。” 自从两年前的那场审判结束之后，瑟特与马洛就没有再碰过面。今天再度见面，互相之间却察觉不出任何改变，只是这次会面的微妙气氛，让人很清楚地感到了情势早已主客易位。 瑟特没有跟马洛握手，就一屁股坐了下来。 马洛递给他一根雪茄，然后说：“让杰尔也留下来，你不会介意吧？他十分渴望我俩能够妥协，如果我们情绪过于激动，他还可以做个调人。” 瑟特耸耸肩：“你的确很需要一个妥协方案。上一次，我曾经要求你提出自己的条件，我想如今的情势刚好相反了。” “你想得很正确。” “好，那么现在让我来提出我的条件。你必须放弃那些愚蠢幼稚的对外政策，诸如经济上的贿赂，小型器具的贸易路线等等，立刻回归先人们所制定并通过考验的传统政策。” “你是说以宣教的手段征服其他世界？” “正是如此。” “否则，是不是就没有妥协的余地？” “绝对没有。” “嗯——”马洛以极缓慢的动作点着了雪茄，再深深吸了一口，雪茄头立刻发出黯淡的红色光芒。“在哈定的时代，靠宣教来征服其他世界的政策，是一个崭新而且激进的手段。当时，像你们这种保守的人全都反对。然而，这个政策通过了时间的考验，如今已经被神圣化了，像你瑟特这样的人，就认为它每一方面都是好的。但是，请告诉我，你要如何让我们脱出目前的困境？” “是你目前的困境，与我完全没有关系。” “就照你的意思修正这个问题吧，请回答。” “我们需要以强大的力量主动出击。你似乎对目前的胶着状态很满意，其实它有致命的危险性，因为这样，等于我们对外缘的所有世界示弱。然而，处于银河外绿这个星际丛林中，最重要的生存之道就是将实力展现出来。否则其他的世界，都会像秃鹰一样飞过来攻击我们，每个世界都希望能分一杯羹，你应该明白这一点。你来自司密尔诺，对不对？” 马洛却故意忽略了最后一句话的弦外之音，回答说：“即使你能击败柯瑞尔，又如何对付帝国呢？那才是我们真正的敌人。” 瑟特的嘴角用力扯出一丝笑容：“喔，不，你在访问西维纳的报告上写得很完整，西维纳的总督汲汲在外缘制造纠纷，纯粹是为了他个人的考量，这只是一个细微末节的问题。当他的周围有五十多个虎视眈眈的强邻，又要筹划如何叛变帝国的时候，他绝对不会贸然派遣远征军到银河的边缘——这些都是摘录自你的报告。” “喔，你错了，瑟特。如果我们强大到足以对他构成威胁，他就真的会那么做。假使我们以主力的正面攻击，一举击溃柯瑞尔的话，就会令他感受到这种威胁，我们的做法必须更迂回、更微妙才行。” “比如说——” 马洛靠向椅背，回答道：“瑟特，我会给你机会，我并不需要你，但是可以让你派上用场。所以我会告诉你一切的来龙去脉，然后你自己再决定——或是与我合作成为联合内阁中的一员；不然你也可以扮演烈士的角色，在监牢里度过余生。” “以前，你也曾经用过这一套。” “当时我没有尽全力，瑟特，适当的时机才刚刚来临。现在给我听好——”马洛眯起了眼睛。 “那次我奉你之命到柯瑞尔去，”马洛开始说：“我拿一些饰品和器具贿赂那个领袖，那些都是货舱中最普通的东西。我最初的本意，只是想藉此获得进入炼钢厂的机会，除此之外并没有进一步的计划。一切都进行得很顺利，我看到了想要找的东西。然而，直到我去帝国的一角探访过之后，才终于恍然大悟，想到了如何利用贸易作为一种武器。 “目前我们正面临另一个谢顿危机，瑟特。想要解除谢顿危机，绝对不可能依靠个人，而必须仰赖历史的力量。当哈里•谢顿为我们规划未来的历史轨迹时，并没有考虑到什么烜赫的英雄豪杰、名将良相，他所计算的是经济与社会的历史巨流。所以每一个不同的危机，都有不同的解决之道，端视当时我们手中的力量而定。 “而这一次——是贸易！” 瑟特狐疑地扬扬眉，趁着马洛停顿的机会插嘴道：“我希望不是自己过于低能，但是我实在感到你的演说含糊不清。” “你很快就会明白的。”马洛回答说：“想想看，直到目前为止，贸易的力量始终被人低估了——长久以来，大家都以为想要使贸易成为一个威力强大的武器，就必须要有一个受我们控制的教士阶级。但事实却不然，这个发现可以说是我的贡献——没有教士的贸易！纯粹的贸易！其实它本身就已经威力无穷。 “让我们来讨论一个很简单而特定的例子，就是柯瑞尔共和国。由于现在我们与柯瑞尔交战，因此双方的贸易完全中断。然而——请注意，我把这个情况简化成一个个案来讨论——在过去的三年间，柯瑞尔的经济体系变得越来越仰赖核能科技，而这些科技都是我们引进的，也只有我们能够提供维修服务。现在让我们来假设一下，当那些微型的核能发电机停摆了，而各种小器具也一个接着一个无法使用时，究竟会发生些什么事情？ “首先发生问题的，是小型的家用核能装置。经过了半年你所谓的致命胶着状态之后，核能削刀就失灵了，核能烤炉、洗衣机也罢工了，在炎热的夏天，温湿度调节器也成了摆饰。这样，会导致什么结果？” 马洛说到这里停了下来，等待着瑟特的回答。瑟特以平静的口吻说：“什么都不会发生，在战争期间，人民都能表现出充分的韧性与耐力。” “说得很对，人民在战时的确能够共体时艰，还会将自己的子弟一个个送去从军，忍心让他们悲惨地阵亡在被击毁的星舰中。他们不会屈服于敌人的空袭轰炸，即使必须躲藏在半哩深的掩体中，靠发霉的面包和馊水度日。可是话又说回来，如果根本没有什么迫在眉睫的危险，人民的爱国心就不会被激发出来，这样，那些小小的不便，反而会令人感到难以忍受。这就会酿成一种胶着状态，没有任何的死伤、没有空袭，也没有真刀真枪的战争。 “会发生的变化，只是刀子再也切不动食物，炉子再也不能烹饪，到了冬天房间里就冷得要死。这样就会干扰到人民的生活，而人民势必会发出怨言。” 瑟特以怀疑的口气慢慢说：“老兄啊，这就是你所抱的希望吗？你究竟在指望什么？家庭主妇革命？农民暴动？卖肉和卖食品的小贩突然叛乱，拿着他们切肉和切面包的刀子，走上街头高喊：‘无核能，毋宁死！’” “不是这样的，瑟特先生，”马洛也变得不耐烦了：“我指望的不是这些。我真正期待的，是这种普遍不满的情绪，会渐渐传染给更具影响力的人士。” “那么，谁又是更具有影响力的人士？” “例如柯瑞尔境内的制造业者、工厂厂主、实业家等等。等到这种胶着状态持续两年之后，工厂里的机器就会一个接一个停摆，那些经过我们利用核能装置彻头彻尾改良过的工业，将在短期之内全部停工。而重工业的大老板，会发现他们的机器一下子全都变成了废铁。” “马洛，在你没有去那里之前，他们的工厂也营运得很好。” “没错，瑟特，当时的确如此，不过利润大约只有现在的十二分之一。即使将转换回非核能体系的成本忽略不计，也绝对没有人肯干这种赔本生意。像这样，当实业家、资本家，还有大多数的人民都对领袖极度不满时，你想那个领袖还能做多久？” “他要再做多久都行，只要他能想到向帝国取得新的核能发电机。” 马洛却笑得很开心：“你搞错了，瑟特，错得和领袖本人一样严重。你将所有的事都弄拧了，根本搞不清楚状况。请注意，老兄，帝国完全帮不上任何忙。因为帝国一直是个庞然大物，拥有几乎无穷无尽的资源。他们所考虑的每一个问题，一向都是以行星、星系、星区为单位；他们所制造的发电机也庞大无比，就是因为他们习惯于如此的思考模式。 “然而我们，我们却不同——我们这个小小的基地，我们这个没有金属资源的单一世界，必须要想办法另辟蹊径，建立完全不同的体系。我们的发电机只有拇指般大小，因为我们只有那么一点金属。我们不得不发展新的科技，而这些科技都是帝国望尘莫及的，因为帝国整体的创造力已经消退，无法再做出任何重大的科技进展。 “他们虽然有巨大的核能防护罩，大到足以保护一艘星舰、一座城市，甚至整个世界，却无论如何造不出个人用的防护罩。为了供给一座城市的光与热，他们使用六层楼高的发电机——我亲眼看到过——而我们的大型发电机，却可以放在这个房间里。而当我告诉一个帝国的核能专家，说可以将发电机装进一个胡桃大小的铅盒中，他几乎气得当场窒息。 “没错，他们的专家也不再了解那些庞大的怪物。所有的机器部是全自动的，他们将这些机器一代一代传下去，连维修人员都是世袭的特权阶级。然而里面即使是一根D型管烧坏了，那些人也一样束手无策。 “所以这一场战争，其实是两种不同体系之战——基地体系对抗帝国体系，毫微体系对抗巨型体系。帝国控制某个世界的办法，是提供他们巨型星舰作为贿赂，这些星舰虽然是战场上的利器，却对国计民生没有任何意义。而我们则刚好相反，我们专门以一些小玩意收买人心，这些小东西在战争中当然没有用处，然而却是经济繁荣、工商发展所不可或缺的。 “对国王或领袖而言，他们会宁愿选择星舰，甚至因而发起战争。在历史上，每一个独裁专制的统治者，都喜欢以人民的福祉，换取他们心目中的光荣与武功。然而对于广大的民众，与他们有切身关系的只是那些小东西。因此，在未来的两三年之内，经济萧条势必会横扫柯瑞尔共和国，而我相信阿斯培•艾哥将无法再撑下去。” 瑟特不知不觉走到了窗前，背对着马洛与杰尔。现在已经是黄昏时分，几颗星星在这个银河边缘的上空，吃力地眨着眼睛。在这些星光的背后，是朦胧的透镜状银河主体，帝国的残躯仍然蛰居其中，依旧势力强大，与基地隐隐呈现遥相对峙之势。 瑟特陡然开口：“不，不应该由你担任这个角色。” “你不信任我的能力？” “我的意思是说，我不相信你的忠诚。你是个油嘴滑舌的家伙，当初我派你去柯瑞尔，以为已经将一切安排得天衣无缝，结果到头来还是被你耍了。在公审时，我以为你已是瓮中之鳖，你却仍然有办法脱困。不但如此，还进一步利用群众的力量，谋得了市长的位置。你一点也不坦诚，你的每一项动机都另有用意，你说的每一句话至少都有三重含意。 “假如你是一个叛徒，假如你去帝国探访时，被帝国的人收买了，并且还对你许诺了权力，这对于你目前所采取的各种行动，也一样可以解释得合情合理。你把敌人养肥了之后再开战，你迫使基地打不还手，你对每件事情都会提出听来很有道理的解释，每一个人都会被你唬住。” “你的意思是说，没有妥协的余地了？”马洛以温和的语调问道。 “我的意思是说，无论如何你都得下台，不论是你主动辞职，还是由我们把你赶走。” “我刚才已经警告过你，不跟我合作的下场是什么。” 瑟特突然万分激动，满脸涨得通红：“我也警告你，司密尔诺来的侯伯•马洛，你如果将我逮捕的话，就等于是自掘坟墓。我的人立刻会到处宣扬你的底细，基地的民众将会团结起来反抗你这个异族统治者。我们都对基地的命运有一种自觉，这不是你们司密尔诺人能够了解的——而这种自觉就足以将你摧毁。” 马洛转过头，对走进来的两名警卫轻声道：“把他带走，他被逮捕了。” 瑟特急忙说：“这是你的最后机会。” 可是马洛却没有抬起头来，也没有回答，只是自顾自地将雪茄捻熄。 五分钟之后，杰尔才忧心忡仲而有气无力地说：“好了，现在你已经制造了一个烈士，下一步准备怎么办？” 马洛这才停止拨弄烟灰缸，抬起头来说：“这不是我所认识的瑟特，他简直像一头被刺瞎眼睛的蛮牛。老天，他可真是恨我呢。” “这样会使得他更危险。” “更危险？胡说八道！他已经完全失去了判断力。” 杰尔绷着脸说：“你太过于自信了，马洛，你忽略了群众造反的可能性。” 马洛盯着他，也绷起脸说：“我只说一次，杰尔，绝对不可能有群众造反。” “你实在太过自信了。” “我不是对自己有信心，而是对谢顿危机，以及危机解决之道的合理性——不论是内在还是外在的合理性，都具有充分的信心。有些事情我刚才并没有告诉瑟特——他试图仿照控制其他世界的方式，以宗教的力量来控制基地本身，结果他失败了，这就是一个最佳的实例，表示在谢顿计划中，宗教这个角色已经功成身退。 “然而经济的力量却完全不同，套用塞佛•哈定那句着名的警语：它是对敌我双方一视同仁的武器。如果柯瑞尔由于与我们贸易而变得繁荣，我们自己的经济也会一并受惠。反之，如果柯瑞尔的工厂因为和我们的贸易中断而倒闭，其他世界又因为贸易孤立而萧条，我们的工厂一样会关门大吉，基地也会因而陷入不景气。 “如今，所有的工厂、贸易中心、运输航线等等，无一不在我的管辖之下，如果瑟特试图进行革命的宣传，我绝不能缩头不管。如果他的宣传手段成功了，或者只是看起来似乎会成功，我保证这里的繁荣会被他毁掉。反之如果他失败了，我们就可以继续保有今天的繁荣，因为我的工厂能提供许多人就业的机会。 “我既然相信柯瑞尔的人民，会因为追求繁荣而爆发革命，基于同样的理由，我相信我们的人民绝不想让繁荣毁掉，这出戏的结局大致就是这个样子。” “所以照你这么说，”杰尔道：“你正在建立一种财阀政治，要将我们这里变成行商和商业王侯的乐园。这样演变下去，将来会变成什么样的局面？” 马洛抬起了板着的脸孔，厉声吼道：“未来关我什么屁事？谢顿一定早已预见，也早就准备好了锦囊妙计。当金钱的力量像如今的宗教一样过气时，自然还会有其他的危机出现。那些问题就留给将来的继任者吧，无论如何，我已经解决了当前的难局。” 柯瑞尔……因此，经过了三年有史以来实战最少的战争之后，柯瑞尔共和国终于无条件投降。侯伯•马洛也因此成为继哈里•谢顿与塞佛•哈定之后，基地人民心目中的第三位英雄。 【全文完】