Prelude to Foundation - Isaac Asimov [53]
"Murder doesn't," said Dors. "I'm ready to chance a trial for malicious mischief. Are you ready to chance a trial for murder?"
Jenarr reddened, perhaps more at the necessity of giving in than at the threat. "I'll come, but I'll have no merry on you, young woman, if your student eventually turns out to have been safe within the dome these past three hours."
27.
The three went up the elevator in an inimical silence. Leggen had eaten only part of his dinner and had left his wife at the dining area without adequate explanation. Benastra had eaten no dinner at dl and had possibly disappointed some woman companion, also without adequate explanation. Dors Venabili had not eaten either and she seemed the most tense and unhappy of the three. She carried a thermal blanket and two photonic founts.
When they reached the entrance to Upperside, Leggen, jaw muscles tightening, entered his identification number and the door opened. A cold wind rushed at them and Benastra grunted. None of the three was adequately dressed, but the two men had no inten. tion of remaining up there long.
Dors said tightly, "It's snowing."
Leggen said, "It's wet snow. The temperature's just about at the freezing point. It's not a killing frost."
"It depends on how long one remains in it, doesn't it?" said Dors. "And being soaked in melting snow won't help."
Leggen grunted. "Well, where is he?" He stared resentfully out into utter blackness, made even worse by the light from the entrance behind him.
Dors said, "Here, Dr. Benastm, hold this blanket for me. And you, Dr. Leggen, close the door behind you without locking it."
"There's no automatic lock on it. Do you think we're foolish?"
"Perhaps not, but you can lock it from the inside and leave anyone outside unable to get into the dome."
"If someone's outside, point him out. Show him to me," said Leggen.
"He could be anywhere." Dors lifted her arms with a photonic fount circling each wrist.
"We can't look everywhere," mumbled Benastra miserably.
The founts blazed into light, spraying in every direction. The snowflakes glittered like a vast mob Of fireflies, making it even more difficult to see.
"The footsteps were getting steadily louder," said Dors. "Fie had to be approaching the transducer. Where would it be located?"
"I haven't any idea," snapped Leggen. -That's outside my field and my responsibility."
"Dr. Benastra?"
Benastra's reply was hesitant. "I don't really know. To tell you the truth, I've never been up here before. It was installed before my time. The computer knows, but we never thought to ask it that. -I'm cold and I don't see what use I am up here."
"You'll have to stay up here for a while," said Dom firmly. "Follow me. I'm going to circle the entrance in an outward spiral."
"We can't see much through the snow," said Leggen.
"I know that. If it wasn't snowing, we'd have seen him by now. I'm sure of it. As it is, it may take a few minutes. We can stand that." She was by no means as confident as her words made it appear.
She began to walk, swinging her arms, playing the light over as large a field as she could, straining her eyes for a dark blotch against the snow.
And, as it happened, it was Benastra who first said, "What's that?" and pointed.
Dom overlapped the two founts, making a bright cone of light in the indicated direction. She ran toward it, as did the other two.
They had found him, huddled and wet, about ten meters from the door, five from the nearest meteorological device. Dors felt for his heartbeat, but it was not necessary for, responding to her touch, Seldon stirred and whimpered.
"Give me the blanket, Dr. Benastra," said Dors in a voice that was faint with relief. She flapped it open and spread it out in the snow. "Lift him onto it carefully and I'll wrap him. Then we'll carry him down."
In the elevator, vapors were rising from the wrapped Seldon as the blanket warmed to blood temperature.
Dom said, "Once we have him in his room, Dr. Leggen, you get a doctor-a good one-and see that he comes at once. If Dr. Seldon