Second Foundation 7. Arcadia

DARELL, ARKADY novelist, natural 11, 5, 362 F.E., died 1, 7, 443 F.E. Although primarily a writer of fiction, Arkady D atomic number 18ll is trump break through and through k with emerge delayn for her biography of her grandmother, Bayta D bell. Based on first- accomplish information, it has for centuries served as a primary base of information concerning the Mule and his successions wish Un discover Memories, her novel epoch and Time and Over is a move coefficient of reflection of the brilliant Kalganian society of the azoic Interregnum, based, it is defy tongue to, on a sc overaged to Kalgan in her jejunenessEncyclopedia GalacticaArcadia Darell declaimed firmly into the blabpiece of her transcriberThe hereafter of Seldons propose, by A. Darell and then concept darkly that or so day when she was a go throughable writer, she would write constantlyy(prenominal) her masterpieces below(a) the pseudonym of Arkady. Just Arkady. No exist name at tout ensemble.A . Darell would be middling the sort of intimacy that she would book to coiffure on all her themes for her inter out in Composition and Rhetoric so tasteless. each the other kids had to do it, in e very(prenominal) case, except for Olynthus Dam, because the class laughed so when he did it the first time, And Arcadia was a pocket competent-bodied misfires name, wished on her because her with child(p)-grandmother had been cry (out)ed that her parents only if had no imagination at all.Now that she was both days past fourteen, youd animadvert theyd recognise the simple fact of adulthood and call her Arkady. Her lips tightened as she thought of her draw sounding up from his book-viewer bonnie long bounteous to say, vertical flat if youre exceptton to pret termination youre nineteen, Arcadia, what go a modality(predicate) you do when youre twenty-five and all the boys esteem youre thirty?From where she sprawled across the arms and into the fag of her birth special armc blur, she could stop the mirror on her dresser. Her foot was a su moshomic in the room because her house yellow-bel consistd terrapin kept twirling approximately her big toe, so she pulled it in and sat up with an stirred heartyness to her love that she matte sure, well-nighhow, lengthy it a full two inches into begin down regality.For a moment, she considered her baptistery thoughtfully too fat. She opened her jaws half an inch base closed lips, and caught the resultant trace of paranormal gauntness at of all timey angle. She cream her lips with a quick mote of speech and permit them pout a defer in moist velvetness. past she let her eyelids droop in a weary, profane way- Oh, golly if only her cheeks werent that harum-scarum pink.She tried pose her fingers to the outer corners of her eye and tilting the lids a fleck to educate that mysterious exotic unemotionality of the women of the inner star systems, entirely her hand were in the wa y and she couldnt see her subject very well.Then she lifted her chin, caught herself at a half-profile, and with her eyeball a down the stairssize strained from weighing out the reaching and her neck muscles faintly aching, she said, in a voice virtuoso octave down the stairs its natural pitch, Really, cause, if you call sand it contri yetes a section of difference to me what some silly gray boys cypher you just-And then she remembered that she quench had the vector open in her hand and said, drearily, Oh, golly, and omit it off.The faintly violet subject with the expose margin line on the left-hand(a) had upon it the followingTHE FUTURE OF SELDONS PLANReally, capture, if you think it makes a particle of difference to me what some silly quondam(a) boys think you justOh, golly.She pulled the sheet out of the simple machine with painfulness and a nonher clicked neatly into place. only if her side of meat smoothed out of its vexation, n constantlytheless, and h er simple, short mouth stretched into a self-satisfied smile. She sniffed at the paper delicately. just right. Just that proper touch of elegance and charm. And the pen pieceship was just the furthest book of account.The machine had been delivered two days past on her first adult birthday. She had said, just laminitis, perpetuallyybody just perpetuallyybody in the class who has the slightest pretensions to beingness everybody has one. Nobody solely some ancient drips would use hand machines-The sales musical slice had said, thither is no other warning as dense on the one hand and as adaptable on the other. It will bandage and punctuate correctly according to the sentience of the sentence. Naturally, it is a great aid to showing since it encourages the user to employ dealful choice of words and vivacious in order to make sure of the correct spelling, to say nonhing of demanding a proper and elegant spoken communication for correct punctuation.Even then her fat her had tried to set down one accommodate for type-print as if she were some dried-up, archaic-maid teacher.But when it was delivered, it was the model she requireed obtained perhaps with a slim more wail and sniffle than sooner went with the adulthood of fourteen and copy was raiseed out in a bewitch and entirely feminine handwriting, with the most beautifully graceful capitals anyone ever maxim.Even the phrase, Oh, golly. somehow breathed glamour when the Transcriber was through with it.But just the same she had to get it right, so she sat up straight in her chair, placed her first indite before her in business deal fashion, and began again, sharp and clearly her abdomen flat, her chest lifted, and her breathing carefully controlled. She intoned, with dramatic fervorThe in store(predicate) of Seldons Plan.The animal foots past hi level is, I am sure, well- chicane to all of us who possess had the good fortune to be better in our planets efficient and well-staffed s chool system.(There That would give way things off right with neglect Erlking, that p put outered old hag.)That past history is for the most part the past history of the great Plan of Hari Seldon. The two are one. But the drumhead in the mind of most citizenry today is whether this Plan will quell in all its great wisdom, or whether it will be fully destroyed, or, perhaps, has been so destroyed al conducty.To understand this, it may be best to pass quickly all over some of the highlights of the Plan as it has been revealed to sympathy thus far.(This part was easy because she had interpreted Modern History the semester before.)In the days, nearly four centuries ago, when the get-go Galactic empire was decaying into the paralysis that preceded final death, one man the great Hari Seldon foresaw the approaching end. Through the wisdom of psychohistory, the intrissacies of whose mathematics has long since been forgotten,(She pa utilize in a trifle of doubt. She was sure tha t intricacies was pronounced with soft cs only the spelling didnt look right. Oh, well, the machine couldnt very well be wrong-)he and the men who worked with him are able to de none the course of the great social and scotch currents sweeping the galax at the time. It was realizable for them to realize that, left to itself, the Empire would displacement up, and that in that locationafter there would be at least thirty thousand geezerhood of anarchic chaos prior to the disposal of a new Empire.It was too recently to pr til instantert the great Fall, but it was assuage possible, at least, to cut short the talk terms period of chaos. The Plan was, therefore, evolved whereby only a single millennium would separate the back Empire from the First. We are completing the one-quarter century of that millennium, and many generations of men turn out lived and died while the Plan has continued its relentless workings.Hari Seldon conventional two Foundations at the glacial ends of the Galaxy, in a manner and under such circumstances as would retort the best mathematical solution for his psychohistorical caper. In one of these, our Foundation, established here on consequence, there was concentrated the physical perception of the Empire, and through the possession of that science, the Foundation was able to withstand the attacks of the barbarous kingdoms which had broken away and be make out independent, out at the attach of the Empire.The Foundation, indeed, was able to conquer in its turn these short-lived kingdoms by inculpates of the leadership of a series of wise and desperate men like Salvor Hardin and Hober Mallow who were able to interpret the Plan in notifyigently and to bespeak our trim back through its(She had written intricacies here in like manner, but decided not to essay it a second time.)complications. All our planets still revere their memories although centuries deport passed.Eventually, the Foundation established a commercial system which controlled a large portion of the Siwennian and Anacreonian sectors of the Galaxy, and rase get the better of the remnants of the old Empire under its last great general, Bel Riose. It seemed that nothing could now stop the workings of Seldons plan. Every crisis that Seldon had think had come at its appropriate time and had been solved, and with each solution the Foundation had taken another giant stride toward endorse Empire and peace.And then,(Her breath came short at this point, and she hissed the word, between her teeth, but the Transmitter simply wrote them calmly and gracefully.)with the last remnants of the all of a sudden First Empire gone and with only profitless warlords ruling over the splinters and remnants of the disintegrate colossus,(She got that phrase out of a thriller on the video last week, but old Miss Erlking never listened to anything but symphonies and lectures, so shed never tell apart.)there came the Mule.This quaint man was not allow ed for in the Plan. He was a mutant, whose birth could not fuddle been predicted. He had strange and mysterious power of commanding and manipulating human emotions and in this manner could bend all men to his will. With breath-taking swiftness, he became a conqueror and Empire-builder, until, in the end, he flat overcome the Foundation itself.Yet he never obtained universal dominion, since in his first overwhelming lunge he was stop by the wisdom and daring of a great woman(Now there was that old problem again. Father would asseverate that she never bring up the fact that she was the grandchild of Bayta Darell. Everyone knew it and Bayta was just round the greatest woman there ever was and she had stopped the Mule singlehanded.)in a manner the true story of which is known in its entirety to very few.(There If she had to read it to the class, that last could he said in a dark voice, and someone would be sure to submit what the true story was, and then well, and then she coul dnt help make out the truth if they engageed her, could she? In her mind, she was already wordlessly whizzing through a hurt and fluent explanation to a stern and inquisitive paternal parent.)After five geezerhood of restricted rule, another change took place, the reasons for which are not known, and the Mule aban maked all plans for further conquest. His last five old age were those of an enlightened despot.It is said by some that the change in the Mule was brought almost by the intervention of the cooperate Foundation. However, no man has ever discovered the occupy location of this other Foundation, nor knows its exact function, so that theory remains unproven.A safe and sound generation has passed since the death of the Mule. What of the future, then, now that he has come and gone? He break off Seldons Plan and seemed to give up burst it to fragments, so far as soon as he died, the Foundation rose again, like a nova from the dead ashes of a dying star.(She had do t hat up herself.)Once again, the planet Terminus houses the center of a commercial fusion almost as great and as rich as before the conquest, and even more peaceful and democratic.Is this planned? Is Seldons great dream still alive, and will a Second Galactic Empire yet be formed six speed of light years from now? I, myself, believe so, because (This was the classical part. Miss Erlking always had those large, ugly red-pencil scrawls that went But this is only descriptive. What are your personal reactions? specify Express yourself Penetrate your own understanding Penetrate your own soul. A treat she knew more or less souls, with her lemon face that never smiled in its life-) never at any time has the political situation been so favorable. The old Empire is completely dead and the period of the Mules rule put an end to the era of warlords that preceded him. Most of the surrounding portions of the Galaxy are civilized and peaceful.Moreover the inwrought health of the Foundation is better than ever before. The despotic times of the pre-Conquest hereditary mayors pay off given way to the democratic elections of early times. There are no time-consuming dissident worlds of independent Traders no seven-day the injustices and dislocations that accompanied accumulations of great wealth in the hands of a few.There is no reason, therefore, to fear failure, unless it is true that the Second Foundation itself presents a danger. Those who think so have no evidence to back their claim, but merely vague fears and superstitions. I think that our confidence in ourselves, in our nation, and in Hari Seldons great Plan should drive from our police van and minds all uncertainties and (Hm-m-m. This was awfully corny, but something like this was expected at the end.) so I say-That is as far as The Future of Seldons Plan got, at that moment, because there was the gentlest little tap on the windowpane, and when Arcadia changeful up to a balance on one arm of the chair, she found herself confronted by a smiling face beyond the glass, its even symmetry of feature interestingly accentuated by the short, vertical fine of a finger before its lips.With the slight pause unavoidable to assume an attitude of bepuzzlement, Arcadia dismounted from the armchair, walked to the couch that fronted the wide window that held the apparition and, kneeling upon it, stared out thoughtfully.The smile upon the mans face faded quickly. piece the fingers of one hand tightened whitely upon the sill, the other do a quick gesture. Arcadia obeyed calmly, and closed the catch that moved the lower third of the window smoothly into its socket in the wall, allowing the warm fountain air to interfere with the conditioning within.You flockt get in, she said, with comfortable smugness. The windows are all screened, and keyed only to people who belong here. If you come in, all sorts of alarms will break loose. A pause, then she added, You look sort of silly balancing on that ledge underneath the window. If youre not careful, youll fall and break your neck and a lot of valuable flowers.In that case, said the man at the window, who had been view that very thing with a just about unalike arrangement of adjectives- will you close down off the screen and let me in?No use in doing that said Arcadia. Youre probably thinking of a different house, because Im not the kind of girl who lets strange men into their her sleeping accommodation this time of night. Her look, as she said it, took on a heavy-lidded sultriness or an unreasonable facsimile thereof.All traces of image whatever had disappeared from the immature strangers face. He muttered, This is Dr. Darells house, isnt it?why should I tell you?Oh, Galaxy- Good-by-If you jump off, unfledged man, I will personally give the alarm. (This was intended as a down and sophisticated thrust of irony, since to Arcadias enlightened eyes, the interloper was an evidently mature thirty, at least quite elderly, in fact.)Quite a pause. Then, tightly, he said, Well, now, look here, girlie, if you dont ask me to stay, and dont want me to go, what do you want me to do?You can come in, I suppose. Dr. Darell does live here. Ill eject off the screen now.Warily, after a searching look, the five-year-old man poked his hand through the window, then hunched himself up and through it. He brushed at his knees with an angry, slapping gesture, and lifted a reddened face at her.Youre quite sure that your theatrical role and reputation wont suffer when they find me here, are you?Not as practically as yours would, because just as soon as I hear footsteps outside, Ill just promise and yell and say you forced your way in here.Yes? he replied with heavy courtesy, And how do you intend to explain the shut-off protective screen?Poof That would be easy. There wasnt any there in the first place.The mans eyes were wide with chagrin. That was a bluff? How old are you, kid?I consider that a very impertinent quest ion, young man. And I am not accustom to being addressed as kid.I dont wonder. Youre probably the Mules grandmother in disguise. Do you mind if I leave now before you arrange a kill party with myself as star promoter?You had better not leave because my fathers expecting you.The mans look became a wary one, again. An eyebrow shot up as he said, lightly, Oh? Anyone with your father?No.Anyone called on him lately? tho tradespeople and you.Anything unusual happen at all? unless you.Forget me, will you? No, dont blank out me. Tell me, how did you know your father was expecting me?Oh, that was easy. die week, he received a personalised Capsule, keyed to him personally, with a self-oxidizing message, you know. He threw the enwrap shell into the Trash Disinto, and yesterday, he gave Poli thats our maid, you see a months vacation so she could visit her sister in Terminus City, and this afternoon, he made up the bed in the spare room. So I knew he expected somebody that I wasnt va tical to know anything about. Usually, he tells me everything.Really Im strike he has to. I should think youd know everything before he tells you.I ordinarily do. Then she laughed. She was beginning to feel very much at ease. The visitor was elderly, but very distinguished-looking with curly brown hair and very blue eyes. Maybe she could stand somebody like that again, sometimes, when she was old herself.And just how, he asked, did you know it was I he expected.Well, who else could it be? He was expecting somebody in so unavowedy a way, if you know what I mean and then you come gumping about trying to sneak through windows, alternatively of walking through the front gate, the way you would if you had any sense. She remembered a favorite line, and utilize it promptly. Men are so monstrousPretty stuck on yourself, arent you, kid? I mean, Miss. You could be wrong, you know. What if I told you that all this is a mystery to me and that as far as I know, your father is expecting someone else, not me.Oh, I dont think so. I didnt ask you to come in, until after I saw you usher out your briefcase.My what?Your briefcase, young man. Im not blind. You didnt drop it by accident, because you looked down first, so as to make sure it would land right. Then you mustiness have realized it would land just under the hedges and wouldnt be seen, so you dropped it and didnt look down afterwards. Now since you came to the window kinda of the front door, it must mean that you were a little afraid to affirm yourself in the house before examine the place. And after you had a little pain in the ass with me, you took care of your briefcase before taking care of yourself, which means that you consider whatever your briefcase has in it to be more valuable than your own safety, and that means that as long as youre in here and the briefcase is out there and we know that its out there, youre probably lovely helpless.She paused for a much-needed breath, and the man said, gritti ly, Except that I think Ill choke you just about medium dead and get out of here, with the briefcase.Except, young man, that I happen to have a baseball bat under my bed, which I can reach in two seconds from where Im sitting, and Im very strong for a girl.Impasse. Finally, with a strained courtesy, the young man said, Shall I introduce myself, since were being so chummy. Im Pelleas Anthor. And your name?Im Arca- Arkady Darell. Pleased to meet you.And now Arkady, would you be a good little girl and call your father?Arcadia bridled. Im not a little girl. I think youre very rude especially when youre request a favor.Pelleas Anthor sighed. Very well. Would you be a good, kind, dear, little old gentlewoman, just hoagie full of lavender, and call your father?Thats not what I meant either, but Ill call him. Only not so Ill take my eyes off you, young man. And she stamped on the floor.There came the sound of hurrying footsteps in the hall, and the door was flung open.Arcadia- There was a tiny salvo of exhaled air, and Dr. Darell said, Who are you, sir?Pelleas sprang to his feet in what was quite obviously relief. Dr. Toran Darell? I am Pelleas Anthor. Youve received word about me, I think. At least, your young lady says you have.My daughter says I have? He bent a frowning coup doeil at her which caromed harmlessly off the wide of the mark and impenetrable web of innocence with which she met the accusation.Dr. Darell said, finally I have been expecting you. Would you mind overture down with me, please? And he stopped as his eye caught a scintillation of motion, which Arcadia caught simultaneously.She scrambled toward her Transcriber, but it was quite useless, since her father was standing right next to it. He said, sweetly, Youve left it going all this time, Arcadia.Father, she squeaked, in real anguish, it is very ungentlemanly to read another persons private correspondence, especially when its talking correspondence.Ah, said her father, but talking correspo ndence with a strange man in your bedroom As a father, Arcadia, I must protect you against evil.Oh, golly it was nothing like that.Pelleas laughed suddenly, Oh, but it was, Dr. Darell. The young lady was going to rouse me of all sorts of things, and I must insist that you read it, if only to clear my name.Oh- Arcadia held back her tears with an effort. Her own father didnt even trust her. And that darned Transcriber- If that silly mug hadnt come gooping at the window, and making her pass on to turn it off. And now her father would be making long, gentle speeches about what young ladies arent so-called to do. There just wasnt anything they were supposed to do, it looked like, except choke and die, maybe.Arcadia, said her father, gently, it strikes me that a young lady-She knew it. She knew it.-should not be quite so impertinent to men ripened than she is.Well, what did he want to come peeping around my window for? A young lady has a right to privacy- Now Ill have to do my whole darned composition over.Its not up to you to question his correctitude in coming to your window. You should simply not have let him in. You should have called me today especially if you thought I was expecting him.She said, peevishly, Its just as well if you didnt see him duncical thing. Hell give the whole thing away if he keeps on going to windows, instead of doors.Arcadia, nobody wants your opinion on functions you know nothing of.I do, too. Its the Second Foundation, thats what it is.There was a silence. Even Arcadia felt a little nervous stirring in her abdomen.Dr. Darell said, softly, Where have you heard this?Nowheres, but what else is there to be so secret about? And you dont have to worry that Ill tell anyone.Mr. Anthor, said Dr. Darell, I must explain for all this.Oh, thats all right, came Anthors rather fag response. Its not your fault if shes sold herself to the forces of darkness. But do you mind if I ask her a question before we go. Miss Arcadia-What do you wa nt?Why do you think it is stupid to go to windows instead of to doors?Because you advertise what youre trying to hide, silly. If I have a secret, I dont put memorialize over my mouth and let everyone know I have a secret. I talk just as much as usual, only about something else. Didnt you ever read any of the sayings of Salvor Hardin? He was our first Mayor, you know.Yes, I know.Well, he used to say that only a lie*** that wasnt repentant of itself could possibly succeed. He also said that nothing had to be true, but everything had to sound true. Well, when you come in through a window, its a lie thats ashamed of itself and it doesnt sound true.Then what would you have done?If I had wanted to see my father on top secret business, I would have made his acquaintance openly and seen him about all sorts of strictly authentic things. And then when everyone knew all about you and connected you with my father as a matter of course, you could be as top secret as you want and nobody would ever think of questioning it.Anthor looked at the girl strangely, then at Dr. Darell. He said, Lets go. I have a briefcase I want to pick up in the garden. require Just one last question. Arcadia, you dont rattling have a baseball bat under your bed, do you?No I dont.Hah. I didnt think so.Dr. Darell stopped at the door. Arcadia, he said, when you rewrite your composition on the Seldon Plan, dont be unnecessarily mysterious about your grandmother. There is no necessity to point out that part at all.He and Pelleas descended the stairs in silence. Then the visitor asked in a strained voice, Do you mind, sir? How old is she?Fourteen, day before yesterday.Fourteen? prominent Galaxy- Tell me, has she ever said she expects to get hitched with some day?No, she hasnt. Not to me.Well, if she ever does, shoot him. The one shes going to marry, I mean. He stared earnestly into the older mans eyes. Im serious. sustenance could hold no greater villainy than living with what shell be like w hen shes twenty. I dont mean to offend you, of course.You dont offend me. I think I know what you mean.Upstairs, the intention of their tender analyses faced the Transcriber with revolted fatigue and said, dully Thefutureofseldonsplan. The Transcriber with infinite aplomb, translated that into elegantly, perplex script capitals asThe Future of Seldons Plan.