Mother Rittah was well into her seventies, perhaps, but had the kind of face that, at first sight, seemed to belie¹ that. Plump cheeks, a little mouth, a small round chin slightly doubled. She was very short--not quite 1.5 meters tall--and had a thick body.
But there were fine wrinkles about her eyes and when she smiled, as she smiled at the sight of them, others broke out over her face. And she moved with difficulty.
"Come in, come in," she said in a soft high-pitchedivoice and peered at them as though her eyesight was beginning to fail. "Outsiders ... Outworlders even. Am I right? You dont seem to have the Trantor smell about you."
Seldon wished she hadnt mentioned smell. The apartment, overcrowded and littered with small possessions that seemed dim and dusty, reeked² with food odors that were on the edge of rancidity. The air was so thick and clinging that he was sure his clothes would smell strongly of it when they left.
He said, "You are right, Mother Rittah. I am Hari Seldon of Helicon. My friend is Dors Venabili of Cinna."
"So," she said, looking about for an unoccupied spot on the floor where she could invite them to sit, but finding none suitable.
Dors said, "We are willing to stand, Mother."
"What?" she looked up at Dors. "You must speak briskly, my child. My hearing is not what it was when I was your age."
"Why dont you get a hearing device?" said Seldon, raising his voice.
"It wouldnt help, Master Seldon. Something seems to be wrong with the nerve and I have no money for nerve rebuilding.--You have come to learn the future from old Mother Rittah?"
"Not quite," said Seldon. "I have come to learn the past."
"Excellent. It is such a strain to decide what people want to hear."
"It must be quite an art," said Dors, smiling.
"It seems easy, but one has to he properly convincing. I earn my fees."
"If you have a credit outlet," said Seldon. "We will pay any reasonable fees if you tell us about Earth--without cleverly designing what you tell us to suit what we want to hear. We wish to hear the truth."
The old woman, who had been shuffling³ about the room, making adjustments here and there, as though to make it all prettier and more suitable for important visitors, stopped short. "What do you want to know about Earth?"
"What is it, to begin with?"

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