Foundation's Edge - Isaac Asimov [116]
"In any case," said Quintesetz, "the story is as follows--if I may vastly simplify and leave out many poetic ornamentations which, frankly, I don't accept, though the general population does or pretends to. Around Earth, there grew up colony worlds circling neighboring stars and these colony worlds were far richer in robots than was Earth itself. There was more use for robots on raw, new worlds. Earth, in fact, retreated, wished no more robots, and rebelled against them."
"What happened?" asked Pelorat.
"The Outer Worlds were the stronger. With the help of their robots, the children defeated and controlled Earth--the Mother. Pardon me, but I can't help slipping into quotation. But there were those from Earth who fled their world--with better ships and stronger modes of hyperspatial travel. They fled to far distant stars and worlds, far beyond the closer worlds earlier colonized. New colonies were founded--without robots--in which human beings could live freely. Those were the Times of Flight, so-called, and the day upon which the first Earthmen reached the Sayshell Sector--this very planet, in fact--is the Day of Flight, celebrated annually for many thousands of years."
Pelorat said, "My dear chap, what you are saying, then, is that Sayshell was founded directly from Earth."
Quintesetz thought and hesitated for a moment. Then he said, "That is the official belief."
"Obviously," said Trevize, "you don't accept it."
"It seems to me--" Quintesetz began and then burst out, "Oh, Great Stars and Small Planets, I don't! It is entirely too unlikely, but it's official dogma and however secularized the government has become, lip service to that, at least, is essential. --Still, to the point. In your article, J.P., there is no indication that you're aware of this story--of robots and of two waves of colonization, a lesser one with robots and a greater one without."
"I certainly was not," said Pelorat. "I hear it now for the first time and, my dear S.Q., I am eternally grateful to you for making this known to me. I am astonished that no hint of this has appeared in any of the writings--"
"It shows," said Quintesetz, "how effective our social system is. It's our Sayshellian secret--our great mystery."
"Perhaps," said Trevize dryly. "Yet the second wave of colonization--the robotless wave--must have moved out in all directions. Why is it only on Sayshell that this great secret exists?"
Quintesetz said, "It may exist elsewhere and be just as secret. Our own conservatives believe that only Sayshell was settled from Earth and that all the rest of the Galaxy was settled from Sayshell. That, of course, is probably nonsense."
Pelorat said, "These subsidiary puzzles can be worked out in time. Now that I have the starting point, I can seek out similar information on other worlds. What counts is that I have discovered the question to ask and a good question is, of course, the key by which infinite answers can be educed. How fortunate that I--"
Trevize said, "Yes, Janov, but the good S.Q. has not told us the whole story, surely. What happened to the older colonies and their robots? Do your traditions say?"
"Not in detail, but in essence. Human and humanoid cannot live together, apparently. The worlds with robots died. They were not viable."
"And Earth?"
"Humans left it and settled here and presumably (though the conservatives would disagree) on other planets as well."
"Surely not every human being left Earth. The planet was not deserted."
"Presumably not. I don't know."
Trevize said abruptly, "Was it left radioactive?"
Quintesetz looked astonished. "Radioactive?"
"That's what I'm asking."
"Not to my knowledge. I never heard of such a thing."
Trevize put a knuckle to his teeth and considered. Finally he said, "S.Q., it's getting late and we have trespassed sufficiently on your time, perhaps." (Pelorat made a motion as though he were about to protest, but Trevize's hand was on the other's knee and his grip tightened--so Pelorat, looking disturbed, subsided.)
Quintesetz said, "I was