Foundation's Edge - Isaac Asimov [142]
What Gendibal did was the mentalic equivalent of a snap of the fingers. Compor staggered slightly under the impress of a sharp but fleeting pain. There was an impress of enforced concentration that puckered the skin of his thought and left the man with the awareness of a casual but awesome power that could be utilized if the Speaker chose.
Compor was left with a vast respect for Gendibal.
Gendibal said pleasantly, "I am merely attracting your attention, Compor, my friend. Please let me know the present whereabouts of your friend, Golan Trevize, and his friend, Janov Pelorat."
Compor said hesitantly, "Shall I speak in the presence of the woman, Speaker?"
"The woman, Compor, is an extension of myself. There is no reason, therefore, why you should not speak openly."
"As you say, Speaker. Trevize and Pelorat are now approaching a planet known as Gaia."
"So you said in your last communication the other day. Surely they have already landed on Gaia and perhaps left again. They did not stay long on Sayshell Planet."
"They had not yet landed during the time I followed them, Speaker. They are approaching the planet with great caution, pausing substantial periods between micro-Jumps. It is clear to me they have no information about the planet they are approaching and therefore hesitate."
"Do you have information, Compor?"
"I have none, Speaker," said Compor, "or at least my ship's computer has none."
"This computer?" Gendibal's eyes fell upon the control panel and he asked in sudden hope, "Can it aid usefully in running the ship?"
"It can run the ship completely, Speaker. One need merely think into it."
Gendibal felt suddenly uneasy. "The Foundation has gone that far?"
"Yes, but clumsily. The computer does not work well. I must repeat my thoughts several times and even then I get but minimal information."
Gendibal said, "It may be able to do better than that."
"I am sure of it, Speaker," said Compor respectfully.
"But never mind that for the moment. Why does it have no information on Gaia?"
"I do not know, Speaker. It claims to have--as far as a computer may be said to be able to claim--records on every human-inhabited planet in the Galaxy."
"It cannot have more information than has been fed into it and if those who did the feeding thought they had records of all such planets when, in actual fact, they did not, then the computer would labor under the same misapprehension. Correct?"
"Certainly, Speaker."
"Did you inquire at Sayshell?"
"Speaker," said Compor uneasily, "there are people who speak of Gaia on Sayshell, but what they say is valueless. Clearly superstition. The tale they tell is that Gaia is a powerful world that held off even the Mule."
"Is that what they say, indeed?" said Gendibal, suppressing excitement. "Were you so sure that this was superstition that you asked for no details?"
"No, Speaker. I asked a great deal, but what I have just told you is all that anyone can say. They can speak on the subject at great length, but when they have done so, all that it boils down to is what I have just said."
"Apparently," said Gendibal, "that is what Trevize had heard, too, and he goes to Gaia for some reason connected with that--to tap this great power, perhaps. And he does so cautiously, for perhaps he also fears this great power."
"That is certainly possible, Speaker."
"And yet you did not follow?"
"I did follow, Speaker, long enough to make sure he was indeed making for Gaia. I then returned here to the outskirts of the Gaian system."
"Why?"
"Three reasons, Speaker. First, you were about to arrive and I wanted to meet you at least partway and bring you aboard at the earliest moment, as you had directed. Since my ship has a hyper-relay on board, I could not move too far away from Trevize and Pelorat without rousing suspicion on Terminus, but I judged I could risk moving this far. Second, when it was clear that Trevize was approaching Gaia Planet very slowly, I judged there would be time enough for me to move toward you and hasten our meeting without being overtaken by events, especially since you