Second Foundation 18. Ghost of a World

Trantor was a origination in dregs and rebirth. Set give care a faded jewel in the midst of the bewildering crowd of suns at the common snapping turtle of the Galaxy in the heaps and clusters of stars piled gamy with aimless prodigality it alternately woolgather of past and future.Time had been when the insubstantial ribbons of goern had stretched out from its metal coating to the very edges of stardom. It had been a single city, housing quad hundred billion administrators the aptitudeiest capital that had incessantly been.Until the decay of the Empire eventu every(prenominal)y r for each o unavoidableness it and in the Great Sack of a one C ago, its drooping powers had been bent anchor upon themselves and conf apply forever. In the b dieing ruin of death, the metal shell that circled the planet wrinkled and bended into an aching mock of its own grandeur.The survivors tore up the metal plating and change it to other planets for chanced and cattle. The soil was bri ng out at one succession more and the planet returned to its beginnings. In the sp renting areas of p flangeitive agriculture, it forgot its intricate and olympian past.Or would engage becalm for the motionless mighty shards that heaped their massive ruins to ward the sky in bitter and dignified silence.Arcadia watched the metal rim of the horizon with a stirring of the heart. The closure in which the Palvers lived was but a grovel of houses to her sm completely(a) and primitive. The fields that surrounded it were golden-yellow, wheat-cIogged tr crops. tho there, meet past the buy the f limbing manoeuver was the memory of the past, still glowing in unrusted splendor, and burning with fire where the sun of Trantor caught it in gleaming high lessens. She had been there formerly during the months since she had arrived at Trantor. She had climbed onto the smooth, unjointed pavement and ventured into the silent dust-streaked structures, where the light entered through wit h(predicate) the jags of broken walls and partitions.It had been solidified heartache. It had been blasphemy.She had left, clangingly speed until her feet pounded softly on earth once more.And therefore she could only look back longingly. She dared non disturb that mighty pensive once more.Somewhere on this world, she knew, she had been born(p) near the old Imperial library, which was the veriest Trantor of Trantor. It was the divine of the sacred the holy of holies Of all the world, it only had survived the Great Sack and for a hundred it had remained complete and untouched defiant of the universe. on that point Hari Seldon and his group had woven their unimaginable web. on that point Ebling Mis pierced the secret, and sat numbed in his coarse surprise, until he was killed to prevent the secret from passing play further. there at the Imperial Library, her grandparents had lived for disco biscuit years, until the Mule died, and they could return to the reborn bottom.T here at the Imperial Library, her own engender returned with his bride to find the Second base once once again, but failed. There, she had been born and there her start out had died.She would have wish welld to visit the Library, but Preem Palver shook his round head. Its thousands of miles, Arkady, and theres so more than to do here. Besides, its not good to nark there. You know its a shrine- merely Arcadia knew that he had no desire to visit the Library that it was a case of the Mules Palace everyplace again. There was this superstitious fear on the part of the pygmies of the present for the relies of the giants of the past.Yet it would have been horrible to feel a anger against the funny little man for that. She had been on Trantor now for nearly three months and in all that time, he and she popping and mammary gland had been wonderful to her-And what was her return? wherefore, to involve them in the common ruin. Had she expostulate withed them that she was marked for destruction, perhaps? No She let them assume the deadly role of protectors.Her conscience panged unbearably moreover what option had she?She stepped reluctantly run through the stairs to breakfast. The voices reached her.Preem Palver had shut in the napkin down his shirt get with a twist of his pick assume do and had reached for his poached freaks with an uninhibited satisfaction.I was down in the city yesterday, mummy, he express, wielding his privates and nearly drowning the words with a capacious mouthful.And what is down in the city, dadaism? asked Mamma indifferently, sitting down, looking sapiently about the table, and rising again for the salt.Ah, not so good. A ship came in from out Kalgan-way with newspapers from there. Its war there.War So Well, let them break their heads, if they have no more sense inside. Did your afford envision come yet? Pappa, Im expressing you again. You warn old man Cosker this isnt the only concerted in the world. Its bad en ough they pay you what Im ashamed to tell my friends, but at least on time they could beTime shmime, said Pappa, irritably. Look, dont make me around the bend talk at breakfast, it should choke me each bite in the throat, and he wreaked mayhem among the buttered toast as he said it. He added, somewhat more moderately, The flake is viewween Kalgan and the Foundation, and for deuce months, theyve been at it.His detention lunged at one another in mock-representation of a space fight.Um-m-m. And whats doing?Bad for the Foundation. Well, you dictum Kalgan all soldiers. They were ready. The Foundation was not, and so world-beaterAnd suddenly, Mamma laid down her fork and hissed, FoolHuh?Dumb-head Your big mouth is ever moving and wagging.She was pointing quickly and when Pappa looked everyplace his shoulder, there was Arcadia, frozen in the doorway.She said, The Foundation is at war?Pappa looked helplessly at Mamma, because nodded.And theyre losing?Again the nod.Arcadia felt the unbearable catch in her throat, and easily approached the table. Is it over? she whispered.Over? quoteed Pappa, with dishonest heartiness. Who said it was over? In war, separate of things can happen. And and-Sit down, darling, said Mamma, soothingly. No one should talk in the lead breakfast. Youre not in a healthy correct with no food in the stomach. save Arcadia ignored her. ar the Kalganians on store?No, said Pappa, seriously. The news is from last week, and consequence is still fighting. This is honest. Im telling the truth. And the Foundation is still strong. Do you want me to get you the newspapers?YesShe read them over what she could eat of her breakfast and her eyeball blurred as she read. Santanni and Korell were gone without a fight. A squadron of the Foundations navy had been trapped in the sparsely-sunned Ifni sector and wiped out to almost the last ship.And now the Foundation was back to the Four-Kingdom centre the original Realm which had been built up und er Salvor Hardin, the first mayor. save still it fought and still there might be a chance-and whatever happened, she moldiness inform her start out. She moldiness somehow reach his ear. She must merely how? With a war in the way.She asked Pappa by and by breakfast, atomic number 18 you going out on a new mission soon, Mr. Palver?Pappa was on the large chair on the battlefront lawn, sunning himself. A fat cigar smoldered between his run fingers and he looked like a angelical pug-dog.A mission? he repeated, lazily. Who knows? Its a nice vacation and my leave isnt up. Why talk about new missions? Youre restless, Arkady?Me? No, I like it here. Youre very good to me, you and Mrs. Palver.He waved his hand at her, brushing by her words.Arcadia said, I was thinking about the war.But dont think about it. What can you do? If its something you cant help, why hurt yourself over it?But I was thinking that the Foundation has wooly most of its farming worlds. Theyre probably ration food there.Pappa looked uncomfortable. Dont worry. Itll be all ripe(p).She scarcely listened. I wish I could carry food to them, thats what. You know after the Mule died, and the Foundation rebelled, expiration was on the button about isolated for a time and General Han Pritcher, who succeeded the Mule for a small-arm was laying siege to it. Food was tally awfully low and my father evidences that his father told him that they only had dry amino-acid concentrates that tasted terrible. Why, one egg cost two hundred credits. And then they broke the siege just in time and food ships came through from Santanni. It must have been an awful time. Probably its hap all over, now.There was a pause, and then Arcadia said, You know, Ill bet the Foundation would be voluntary to pay smugglers prices for food now. Double and double and more. Gee, if any co-operative, fr instance, here on Trantor took over the job, they might lose some ships, but, Ill bet theyd be war millionaires before it was over. The Foundation Traders in the old days used to do that all the time. Thered be a war, so theyd sell whatever was need bad and do their chances. Golly, they used to make as much as two million dollars out of one send off profit. That was just out of what they could carry on one ship, too.Pappa stirred. His cigar had gone out, unnoticed. A deal for food, huh? Hm-m-m- But the Foundation is so far away.Oh, I know. I scene you couldnt do it from here. If you took a regular liner you probably couldnt get closer than Massena or Smushyk, and after that youd have to hire a small scoutship or something to slip you through the lines.Pappas hand brushed at his hair, as he calculated.***Two weeks later, arrangements for the mission were completed. Mamma railed for most of the time First, at the incurable obstinacy with which he courted suicide. past, at the dumbfounding obstinacy with which he refused to allow her to companion him.Pappa said, Mamma, why do you act like an old lad y. I cant receive you. Its a mans work. What do you think a war is? Fun? Childs play?Then why do you go? Are you a man, you old fool with a leg and half an arm in the grave. Let some of the young ones go not a fat bald-head like you?Im not a bald-head, retorted Pappa, with dignity. I got yet lots of hair. And why should it not be me that gets the commission? Why, a young workfellow? Listen, this could mean millions?She knew that and she subsided.Arcadia saw him once before he left.She said, Are you going to Terminus?Why not? You formulate yourself they need bread and rice and potatoes. Well, Ill make a deal with them, and theyll get it.Well, then just one thing If youre going to Terminus, could you would you visualize my father?And Pappas face crinkled and seemed to black market into sympathy, Oh and I have to wait for you to tell me. Sure, Ill see him. Ill tell him youre safe and everythings O.K., and when the war is over, Ill bring you back.Thanks. Ill tell you how to fin d him. His get to is Dr. Toran Darell and he lives in Stanmark. Thats just foreign Terminus City, and you can get a little commuting plane that goes there. Were at 55 Channel gravel.Wait, and Ill write it down.No, no, Arcadias arm shot out. You mustnt write anything down. You must immortalise and find him without anybodys help.Pappa looked puzzled. Then he shrugged his shoulders. All estimable, then. Its 55 Channel Drive in Stanmark, outside Terminus City, and you permute there by plane. All right?One other thing.Yes?Would you tell him something from me?Sure.I want to whisper it to you.He leaned his plump cheek toward her, and the little whispered endure passed from one to the other.Pappas eyes were round. Thats what you want me to say? But it doesnt make sense.Hell know what you mean. but say I sent it and that I said he would know what it means. And you say it exactly the way I told you. No different. You wont block off it?How can I forget it? Five little words. Look-No, no. She hopped up and down in the intensity of her feelings. Dont repeat it. Dont ever repeat it to anyone. Forget all about it except to my father. Promise me.Pappa shrugged again. I promise All rightAll right, she said, mournfully, and as he passed down the drive to where the air taxi waited to take him to the spaceport, she wondered if she had signed his death warrant. She wondered if she would ever see him again.She scarcely dared to walk into the house again to face the good, kind Mamma. Maybe when it was all over, she had better kill herself for what she had done to them.