Foundation's Edge - Isaac Asimov [130]
Branno said, "We've got it almost encapsulated--almost sucked in--yet it's white. Our map doesn't even show it as a loyal-ally-in-pink."
Kodell shrugged. "It's not officially a loyal ally, but it never bothers us. It is neutral."
"All right. See this, then." Another touch at the controls. The red sprang out distinctly further. It covered nearly half the Galaxy. "That," said Mayor Branno, "was the Mule's realm at the time of his death. If you'll peer in among the red, you'll find the Sayshell Union, completely surrounded this time, but still white. It is the only enclave left free by the Mule."
"It was neutral then, too."
"The Mule had no great respect for neutrality."
"He seems to have had, in this case."
"Seems to have had. What has Sayshell got?"
Kodell said, "Nothing! Believe me, Mayor, she is ours any time we want her."
"Is she? Yet somehow she isn't ours."
"There's no need to want her."
Branno sat back in her chair and, with a sweep of her arm over the controls, turned the Galaxy dark. "I think we now want her."
"Pardon, Mayor?"
"Liono, I sent that foolish Councilman into space as a lightning rod. I felt that the Second Foundation would see him as a greater danger than he was and see the Foundation itself as the lesser danger. The lightning would strike him and reveal its origin to us."
"Yes, Mayor!"
"My intention was that he go to the decayed ruins of Trantor to fumble through what--if anything--was left of its Library and search for the Earth. That's the world, you remember, that these wearisome mystics tell us was the site of origin of humanity, as though that matters, even in the unlikely case it is true. The Second Foundation couldn't possibly have believed that was really what he was after and they would have moved to find out what he was really looking for."
"But he didn't go to Trantor."
"No. Quite unexpectedly, he has gone to Sayshell. Why?"
"I don't know. But please forgive an old bloodhound whose duty it is to suspect everything and tell me how you know he and this Pelorat have gone to Sayshell. I know that Compor reports it, but how far can we trust Compor?"
"The hyper-relay tells us that Compor's ship has indeed landed on Sayshell Planet."
"Undoubtedly, but how do you know that Trevize and Pelorat have? Compor may have gone to Sayshell for his own reasons and may not know--or care--where the others are."
"The fact is, that our ambassador on Sayshell has informed us of the arrival of the ship on which we placed Trevize and Pelorat. I am not ready to believe the ship arrived at Sayshell without them. What is more, Compor reports having talked to them and, if he cannot be trusted, we have other reports placing them at Sayshell University, where they consulted with a historian of no particular note."
"None of this," said Kodell mildly, "has reached me."
Branno sniffed. "Do not feel stepped on. I am dealing with this personally and the information has now reached you--with not much in the way of delay, either. The latest news--just received--is from the ambassador. Our lightning rod is moving on. He stayed on Sayshell Planet two days, then left. He is heading for another planet system, he says, some ten parsecs away. He gave the name and the Galactic co-ordinates of his destination to the ambassador, who passed them on to us."
"Is there anything corroborative from Compor?"
"Compor's message that Trevize and Pelorat have left Sayshell came even before the ambassador's message. Compor has not yet determined where Trevize is going. Presumably he will follow."
Kodell said, "We are missing the why's of the situation." He popped a pastille into his mouth and sucked at it meditatively. "Why did Trevize go to Sayshell? Why did he leave?"
"The question that intrigues me most is: Where? Where is Trevize going?"
"You did say, Mayor, did you not, that he gave the name and co-ordinates of his destination to the ambassador. Are you implying that he lied to the ambassador? Or that the ambassador is lying to us?"
"Even assuming