Foundation's Edge - Isaac Asimov [79]
The First Speaker said, "I will suspend judgment on that. Let us proceed without that item of information but if, in the judgment of the Table, the information must be obtained, Speaker Gendibal will have to yield it."
Delarmi said, "If the speaker does not yield the information now, it is only fair to say that I assume he has an agent serving him--an agent who is privately employed by him and who is not responsible to the Table generally. We cannot be sure that such an agent is obeying the rules of behavior governing Second Foundation personnel."
The First Speaker said with some displeasure, "I see all the implications, Speaker Delarmi. There is no need to spell them out for me."
"I merely mention it for the record, First Speaker, since this aggravates the offense and it is not an item mentioned in the bill of impeachment, which, I would like to say, has not been read in full and to which I move this item be added."
"The clerk is directed to add the item," said the First Speaker, "and the precise wording will be adjusted at the appropriate time. --Speaker Gendibal" (he, at least, capitalized) "your defense is indeed a step backward. Continue."
Gendibal said, "Not only has this Trevize moved in an unexpected direction, but at an unprecedented speed. My information, which the First Speaker does not yet have, is that he has traveled nearly ten thousand parsecs in well under an hour."
"In a single Jump?" said one of the Speakers incredulously.
"In over two dozen Jumps, one after the other, with virtually no time intervening," said Gendibal, "something that is even more difficult to imagine than a single Jump. Even if he is now located, it will take time to follow him and, if he detects us and really means to flee us, we will not be able to overtake him. --And you spend your time in games of impeachment and allow two days to pass so that you might savor them the more."
The First Speaker managed to mask his anguish. "Please tell us, Speaker Gendibal, what you think the significance of this might be."
"It is an indication, First Speaker, of the technological advances that are being made by the First Foundation, who are far more powerful now than they were in the time of Preem Palver. We could not stand up against them if they found us and were free to act."
Speaker Delarmi rose to her feet. She said, "First Speaker, our time is being wasted with irrelevancies. We are not children to be frightened with tales by Grandmother Spacewarp. It does not matter how impressive the machinery of the First Foundation is when, in any crisis, their minds will be in our control."
"What do you have to say to that, Speaker Gendibal?" asked the First Speaker.
"Merely that we will come to the matter of minds in due course. For the moment, I merely wish to stress the superior--and increasing--technological might of the First Foundation."
The First Speaker said, "Pass on to the next point, Speaker Gendibal. Your first point, I must tell you, does not impress me as very pertinent to the matter contained in the bill of impeachment."
There was a clear gesture of agreement from the Table generally.
Gendibal said, "I pass on. Trevize has a companion in his present journey" (he paused momentarily to consider pronunciation) "one Janov Pelorat, a rather ineffectual scholar who has devoted his life to tracking down myths and legends concerning Earth."
"You know all this about him? Your hidden source, I presume?" said Delarmi, who had settled into her role of prosecutor with a clear feeling of comfort.
"Yes, I know all this about him," said Gendibal stolidly. "A few months ago, the Mayor of Terminus, an energetic and capable woman, grew interested in this scholar for no clear reason, and so I grew interested, too, as a matter of course. Nor have I kept this to myself. All the information I have gained has been made available to the First Speaker."
"I bear witness to that," said the First Speaker in a low voice.
An elderly Speaker said, "What is this Earth?