Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Battle for Spaceships

Trevize's first feeling was that he seemed to be in the scene of an ultra-wave drama, especially a historical drama with an empire as the background.There was a particular scene in that play, which was pretty much the same and didn't change much (maybe—as far as he knew—every hyperbolic producer used the same set).That scene was a simulation of Trantor in its heyday, a great cosmopolitan metropolis. There is a huge space in the scene, there are pedestrians coming and going in a hurry, and some small vehicles are rushing away along the road reserved for them. Trevize looked up, almost expecting to see the taxi ride up into the dark domed hole, but at least that part wasn't there yet.In fact, as he recovered from his shock, he noticed that the structure was apparently much smaller than the one on Trantor.This is just a single building, not a complex of buildings stretching thousands of kilometers in all directions.

Also, the tone is completely different.In hyperbolic drama, Trantor's brilliant colors are exaggerated to incredible levels, and the characters' costumes, if taken seriously, are completely impractical and impractical.However, all those bands of color and frills were only symbolic, meant to allude to the decadence and depravity of the Empire, and especially the city of Trantor (nowadays, this view is absolutely necessary). In this way, Complon is the complete opposite of decadence.Lorat's comments about hues on the space station can be found here in full support. The walls are almost gray, the roof is white, and the clothes on the people are only black, gray, and white.Occasionally, an all-black outfit was seen, and an all-gray one was more common, though Trevize had never seen an all-white one.However, the styles of clothes are different. It seems that although people are stripped of their colors, they still insist on trying to shape their personal style.

Everyone is either expressionless or tense.Women keep their hair short, while men have longer hair, but it is all pulled back in short braids.When passers-by pass by, they don't even look at each other.There are no leisurely or dazed people here, as if everyone has a serious business in mind and can't find space for other things.Men and women dress no differently, the only differences being the length of the hair, the slight prominence of the breasts, and the width of the hips. The three of them were brought into an elevator and went down five floors in one go.After getting out of the elevator, he was taken to another door. On the gray door, there were inconspicuous small white characters, which read "Captain: Miteza Lizale".

The leading Complon man clicked on that line, and the whole line stood up shortly afterwards.The door opened immediately, and a group of people filed in. It was a large room, and rather bare and unfurnished.Perhaps it is deliberately designed in this way to highlight the luxury level of space usage, so as to show the authority and style of the owner. Two guards stood by the far wall, their faces expressionless, their eyes fixed on everyone who came in.There was a large desk at the back of the center of the room, and the person behind the desk must have been Mitza Lizale.He was a tall man with black eyes and an unlined face. His strong hands were placed on the table, with long fingers and nearly square fingertips.

This chief of transport (should be referring to the "Minister of Transportation", Trevize thought) was dressed in dark gray, only the lapel of the jacket was conspicuously white, and there were two white lines extending from the lapel down, in the middle of the chest Continue down after the cross.Trevize could see that although the cut of the suit deliberately played down the curve of a woman's breasts, the white cross had a prominent effect. The minister is undoubtedly a woman.Her short hair was a telltale sign, even if it wasn't visible from her breasts; her facial features, even without make-up, were enough to reveal her gender.

Her voice is also out-and-out feminine, like a thick contralto. She said, "Good afternoon, we have the rare honor of receiving a male visitor from the base, plus a woman not mentioned in the report." Her eyes flicked to everyone, and finally stopped on Trevize.Trevize frowned deeply and stood there stiffly. "One of the men was also a member of parliament." "A councilman from the base," Trevize tried to sound dignified, "Senator Glenn Trevize is on base mission." "A mission?" The minister raised his eyebrows. "On mission—" Trevize repeated, "so, why are we treated like criminals? Why are we arrested by armed men and brought here like criminals? I hope you understand, Base Parliament would never like to hear that."

"Leaving that aside," said Bliss—her voice seemed sharper than the more mature woman's. "Do we have to stand like this forever?" The minister stared at Bao Qisi calmly, and after a while, he raised an arm. "Three chairs! Quick!" A door opened, and three men in typical Complonian plain attire moved nimbly to three chairs.The three people who were standing at the desk sat down. "Okay," said the minister with a cold smile on his face, "are you comfortable?" Trevize didn't think so, these chairs were not padded, they were cold to sit on, and the chair surface and back were flat, completely ignoring the curves of the human body.He said, "Why are we here?"

The minister looked at the papers on the table. "I'll explain. But first I want to make sure that your spaceship is the Farstar from Terminus. Is that correct, Mr. Senator?" "correct." The minister looked up. "I address you by title, Mr. Congressman. For the sake of politeness, may you address me in the same way?" "Is it possible, Your Excellency Minister? Or is there another title?" "No honorific title, sir, and you don't have to talk too much, 'Minister' is enough. Or 'Your Excellency,' if you don't like to keep replying."

"Then to your question, my answer is: Yes, Minister." "The captain of this spaceship is Glenn Trevize, a citizen of the base, a member of the Terminus Council - and a new member of the Council - and you are Trevize. Is what I said completely correct, Councilor gentlemen?" "You're right, Minister. Since I'm a citizen of the base..." "I'm not done yet, Mr. Congressman, it's not too late for you to protest when I'm done. With you is Janov Pelorat, a scholar, a historian, and a citizen of the base. That's you, right? , Doctor Pelorat?"

Pelorat couldn't help being surprised when he saw the minister's sharp eyes turned to him. "Yes, yes, my dear..." He stopped suddenly, and repeated: "Yes, yes, Minister." The Minister clapped his hands sharply. "The report that was sent to me did not mention a woman. Is this woman a stable member of the spaceship?" "Yes, Minister," Trevize said. "Then I will speak to this woman myself, your name?" "Everyone calls me Baoqisi," Baoqisi sat up straight, and said in a calm and clear tone, "but my full name is very long. Your Excellency, do you need to know it all?"

"Not for now. Are you a citizen of the base, Bliss?" "No, sir." "Which world are you a citizen of, Bliss?" "I don't have any documents to prove which world I am a citizen of, Your Excellency." "No papers, Bliss?" She made a note on the document in front of her, "I made a note of that, what are you doing on this spaceship?" "I am a passenger, sir." "Did Senator Trevize or Dr. Pelorat ask to see your papers before you boarded the spaceship, Bliss?" "No, sir." "Did you ever volunteer to tell them that you had no papers, Bliss?" "No, sir." "What is your function on the spaceship, Bliss? Does your name match your function?" Bao Qisi said in a proud tone: "I am just a passenger, and I have no other duties." Trevize interrupted: "Why are you making things difficult for this woman, Minister? What law is she breaking?" Minister Li Zalle turned his gaze from Baoqisi to Trevize. "You're an alien, Senator, and you don't know our laws. However, if you decide to visit our world, you'll be governed by those laws. You can't take your laws with you. I believe this is a galactic general rule of law." "I agree with that, Minister. But all that said, I still don't know which of your laws she broke." "There is a general rule in the galaxy, Mr. Congressman. Anyone who visits another world, as long as this world and the parent planet belong to a different political field, he must carry his identity card with him. Many worlds turn a blind eye to this. , maybe because they focus on tourism, or simply ignore the laws and regulations. We in Complon are different, we are a world ruled by the law, and the laws are strictly enforced. She is a starless person, which is against our rules law." Trevize said, "She had no choice at all in the matter. I piloted the spaceship, and I landed the spaceship in Complon, and she had to come with us. Minister, do you think she should ask me to bring her back?" Throw it into space?" "It only means that you, too, are breaking our laws, Mr. Congressman." "No, that's not the case, Minister. I'm not an alien, I'm a citizen of the base, and Complon and its vassal worlds are joint forces of the base. As a base citizen, I can freely travel here." "Of course, Mr. Congressman, as long as you have supporting documents to prove that you are indeed a citizen of the base." "I do, Minister." "However, even as a citizen of the base, you have no right to violate our laws; you have already violated our laws if you bring a person with no star status along with you." Trevize hesitated.Obviously the customs officer Kendry did not keep his promise, so there was no need for him to protect him.So Trevize said: "We didn't get stopped at the immigration station, and I think that is tantamount to tacit permission for me to take this woman with me, Minister." "It is true that you were not stopped, Mr. Congressman. It is true that the immigration authorities did not report the woman, but let her pass with her. But, as far as I suspect, the officers at the immigration judged--quite correctly judged--let you go. The landing of a spaceship in the United States is more important than going after an asteroid. Strictly speaking, what they did is illegal, and we will naturally deal with it appropriately. However, I am sure that they will be found not guilty of their illegal activities. .We are a world of absolute rule of law, Mr. Congressman, but not so strict as to be unreasonable." Trevize immediately interjected: "Then, I'm going to use the spear of the son to attack the shield of the son now, minister. If you really didn't get the news from the entry station that there was an astral person on the spaceship, then when we landed, You don't know if we've broken any laws. Yet it's clear that you were going to arrest us the moment we landed, and in fact you did. Without knowing that we've broken any laws, Why would you take such an action?" The minister smiled. "I can understand your confusion, Mr. Congressman. I can assure you that whether we knew about it or not had nothing to do with your arrest. We are now working for the base, and as you pointed out, we are One of the joint forces of the base." Trevize glared at her. "That's impossible, Minister. It's worse than impossible. It's just ridiculous." The minister let out a giggle that sounded like a slow flow of honeydew. "I find it interesting what you say - it's worse than impossible, it's absurd. Mr MP, I agree with that statement. Unfortunately, neither applies to you. Why do you think that ?” "Because I am an official of the al-Qaeda government and I am performing a mission for the al-Qaeda. There is no way they want to arrest me, and they have no such power at all, because I have immunity from lawmakers." "Ah, you've left out my title, but you're too agitated, and that's perhaps justifiable. However, I'm not entrusted with arresting you directly, I'm only doing it to fulfill my real mission, Mr. Senator. " "What mission, Minister?" Trevize asked.Facing this difficult woman, he tried hard to control his emotions. "It's to take your spaceship into custody, Mr. Congressman, and return it to the base." "what?" "You left out my title again, Mr. Congressman. You are too lazy to do yourself any good. Think about it, this spaceship is not your personal. Was it designed and built for you? ? Or did you pay for it yourself?" "Of course not, minister, it was allocated to me by the base government." "The al-Qaeda government must have the right to take it back, Mr. Congressman. I guess it's a valuable spacecraft." Trevize didn't answer. The minister added: "This is a dedicated spaceship, Mr. Congressman. There can't be too many of this kind of spaceship. Even the base has only a few of them. They must regret allocating one to you. Maybe you can persuade them to allocate Here's another less precious ship for you, but still good enough for your mission—but we'll have to detain the one you're driving." "No, Secretary, I can't abandon this spacecraft, and I don't believe the base asked you to." The minister smiled. "I didn't specifically ask me, Mr. Congressman, nor did I specifically ask Complon. We have reason to believe that all the worlds and star fields within the base's jurisdiction and allied forces with the base have received this request. From this point, I can infer that the base doesn't know your whereabouts, and is looking for you everywhere in frustration; I can further deduce that you came to Complon, and you didn't come to carry out the mission of the base at all-because if that is the case, they should Know where you are, just ask us for help. All in all, Mr Congressman, you've been lying to me." Trevize said with some guilt: "I want to see the official letter from the al-Qaeda government, Minister. I think I should have this right." "If everything is resorted to the law, of course. We are extremely concerned about the legal process, Mr. Congressman, your rights and interests will be fully protected, I assure you. However, if we can reach an agreement here, there is no need to publicly It would be much more ideal and easier to make public and not let the legal action take time. We prefer to do that, and I'm sure the base does too, it would never want the whole galaxy to know that a legislator is on the run, or the base would be in 'ridiculous ’ embarrassment, which, in your and my estimation, is worse than ‘impossible’.” Trevize fell silent again. The Minister waited a moment, then continued with his usual composure: "Well, Mr. Congressman, either way - informal agreement or legal action - we're going to settle for that spaceship. You brought a What kind of punishment you will receive as a passenger without star status will be determined by the way we take. If you resort to the law, she will make your crime aggravated, and you will all be sentenced to the most serious prison sentence. I assure you, The punishment is not light. If an agreement can be reached, we will take your passenger to any destination she wants in a commercial spaceship, and you two can go with her if you wish. Or, If the base agrees, we can provide you with one of our spaceships, which is absolutely sufficient for your needs; of course, the premise is that the base will return us a spaceship of the same type. In addition, if for any reason, you do not wish to return to Al Qaeda-controlled territory, we may be willing to offer you political asylum, and you may eventually become a Complon Bobo citizen. You see, if you reach a friendly agreement with us, there will be many favorable options; if you If you insist on your legal rights, then you will end up with nothing." "Secretary, you're overzealous," Trevize said. "You promised things you couldn't do. You can't grant me political asylum when the base asks you to deport me." The minister said: "Mr. Congressman, I never make promises that cannot be fulfilled. The base's request is only to take back the spaceship. It does not mention you, or anyone on the spaceship. The only thing they want back is the spaceship." ship." Trevize quickly glanced at Baoqisi, and said: "Minister, can you please allow me to discuss with Dr. Pelorat and Miss Baoqisi?" "Certainly, Mr. Congressman, you have fifteen minutes." "A private discussion, Minister." "You will be taken to another room, and in fifteen minutes you will be brought back, Mr. Congressman. In that room, you will not be disturbed and your conversations will not be monitored. I can promise you, And I always keep my word. But there will be enough guards outside, so don't be so foolish as to try to escape." "We understand, Minister." "When you return, we hope that you will voluntarily agree to abandon that spaceship. Otherwise, legal proceedings will ensue, and you will end badly, Mr. Congressman. Understand?" "Understood, Minister." Trevize tried to control his anger, because it would not do him any good to show anger at this time. It's a small room, but it's well lit.There is a bench and two chairs inside, and the slight sound of a ventilation fan can be heard.On the whole, it was decidedly more comfortable here than in the minister's large, empty office. They were led by a guard to this room.The guard was tall and stern, with one hand always kept near the handle.After the three entered the room, the guard did not follow. He stood at the door and said in a serious voice, "You have fifteen minutes." Before he could finish his sentence, the door was closed with a "bang". "I just hope they didn't eavesdrop on our conversation," Trevize said. "She promised us, Grenn," said Pelorat. "You always judge people by your own standards, Janov. Her so-called 'commitment' is nothing, and she won't hesitate to change her mind if it pleases her." "That's all right," said Bliss, "I can screen this place off." "Have you got a shield?" Pelorat asked. Baoqisi smiled slightly, her snow-white teeth flashed away. "Gaia's mind is a kind of shielding device, Pei, that's a huge mind." "We've come to this point," Trevize said angrily, "it's because of the congenital limitations of that gigantic mind." "What do you mean?" said Bliss. "After the trilateral meeting, you will remove the memory of me from the minds of the mayor of the base and Candiba of the second base. They will never think of me in particular, at most it will be vague and unimportant Impressions; I am free from now on.” "We have to do this," Bliss said. "You are our most important resource." "Yeah, always right Glenn Trevize. But you didn't wipe my spaceship from their memory, did you? Mayor Burano didn't want me, she told me Not interested at all, but she wants the spaceship back, and she hasn't forgotten the spaceship." Baoqisi frowned. Trevize said: "If you think about it, Gaia assumes for granted that the spaceship is a part of me, that we are one, and as long as Burano doesn't think about me, she won't think about the spaceship. The problem is Gaia doesn't." Knowing what an individual is, it thinks of the spaceship and me as a single organism, which is a false idea." Baoqisi said softly, "It's possible." "Okay, so," Trevize said decisively: "Now it's up to you to correct this mistake. I must keep my spaceship and my computer. Nothing can replace them. Therefore, Bao Keith, please make sure I don't lose the spaceship, you can control their minds." "That's right, Trevize, but we won't easily control anyone. In order to facilitate the trilateral meeting, we did use this kind of power, but do you know how much time was spent planning, calculating, and measuring that meeting? But several years Which—this is no exaggeration. I can't just walk up to a woman and start adjusting her mind just to provide someone with convenience." "Isn't it now..." Bao Qisi continued to say forcefully: "Once I start this kind of action, when will I stop? At the immigration station, I can influence the mind of that person, so that we can pass the customs immediately; Sometimes, I can also influence the mind of that person, and then he will let us go." "Well, since you brought it up, why didn't you do that then?" "Because we don't know what the consequences will be: we don't know what the sequelae will be, and the situation is likely to get worse. If I adjust the minister's mind now, it will affect the way she treats people and things in the future; because she She is a high-ranking official in their government, which may affect interstellar relations. Unless these issues are fully clarified, we dare not touch her heart at all." "Then what's the use of following us?" "Because your life may be threatened, I must protect you at all costs, even at the expense of my Pei or myself. Your life was not threatened at the entry point, and it is not now. You must Figure it out on your own, at least until Gaia measures the consequences of an action and actually takes it, you're all on your own." Trevize was stuck in a long test, and then he said, "In that case, I'll have to try something, and maybe it won't work." At this time, the door suddenly opened and slid into the slot with a "snap", the sound was the same as when the door was closed just now. The guard said, "Come out." As they came out, Pelorat asked in a low voice, "What are you going to do, Grant?" Trevize shook his head, and replied in a low voice: "I'm not entirely sure yet, I have to play by ear." They returned to the minister's office, and Minister Li Zale was still sitting at his desk.Seeing them walk in, a grin immediately appeared on her face. She said, "I believe, Senator Trevize, that you are now preparing to tell me that you have decided to abandon the spacecraft at this base." "Minister," Trevize said calmly, "I'm here to negotiate terms with you." "There are no conditions to negotiate, Mr. Congressman. If you insist, we can arrange a trial very quickly, and it can be concluded sooner. I assure you that even in a perfectly fair trial, you will definitely Convicted because you brought an unstarred person into the country, there is no room for argument. After you are convicted, we will be able to legally seize the spaceship, and the three of you will be severely punished .Don’t take those punishments on yourself just to procrastinate for a day.” "However, there are conditions, Minister, because no matter how quickly you convict us, you cannot seize that spaceship without my consent. No matter what method you use to force entry without my help, it will be slow. Detonate the spaceship, the space station and everyone in the station will be buried with it. This will definitely anger the base, which is something you don't have the guts to do. If you use threats or abuse against us, force me Opening a spaceship is bound to violate your laws; if you are desperate to break the law and let us be tortured, and even put us in the most inhuman black cells, then the base will definitely find out about it, and they will only be more serious Outraged. No matter how eager they are to get the spacecraft back, they will never allow the precedent of mistreatment of the citizens of the base - can we now negotiate terms?" "It's nonsense." The minister's face became very gloomy. "If necessary, we will ask the base for help. They must know how to open the spaceship made by themselves, otherwise they will force you to open it." Trevize said, "You're leaving out my title, Minister. But you're getting too emotional, so maybe that's understandable. You know full well that the last thing you want to do is call for help from the base. , because you don't want to give them back the spaceship at all." The smile on the Minister's face disappeared. "What nonsense are you talking about, Mr. Congressman?" "My nonsense, Minister, may not be heard by a third party. Send my friend and this lady to a comfortable suite, they need a good rest. Let your guards go too, they can stay Outside the door, you can also ask them to leave a hand gun. You are not a petite woman, and if you hold a hand gun, you don’t have to be afraid of me at all, I don’t carry any weapons.” Across the desk, the minister leaned his upper body towards Trevize. "I will never be afraid of you under any circumstances." Without looking back, she gestured to one of the guards.The guard immediately stepped forward and stood beside her with a "snap".She said: "Guard, take those two to suite five and keep them there, entertained and guarded. If they are treated poorly in any way, or if there is any lapse in security, you will be held accountable .” Then she stood up.Although Trevize was determined to remain calm, he couldn't help feeling a little timid.She was quite tall, at least as tall as Trevize at 185 centimeters, maybe a centimeter or so more.However, her waist is very thin, and the two white stripes crossing her chest extend down and circle her waist, making the original slender waist look even thinner.Although she was so tall, there was another kind of grace in her manner.Trevize thought dejectedly, she just said that she was not afraid of him at all, and it seemed that she was right at all. If the two of them wrestled, he thought, she would be able to push herself to the ground without any effort. She said, "Come with me, Mr. Congressman. If you're going to talk nonsense, it's for your sake that as few people hear it as possible." She led the way with brisk steps, and Trevize followed behind, feeling an invisible pressure brought by her huge figure, making him shrink by one size.He had never felt this way before with any woman. They walked into an elevator, and when the doors closed, she said, "It's just the two of us now, Mr. Congressman. If you have the illusion that you can use force against me to achieve some imaginary purpose, please hurry up." Get rid of that idea." There was an obvious teasing tone in her increasingly monotonous voice: "You seem to be quite strong, but I assure you, if necessary, I can easily break your arm, or your back. I I have a weapon on my body, but I don't have to use it at all." Trevize scratched his cheek while looking her body up and down. "Minister, in a wrestling match, I will not lose to any man of the same weight. But I have decided to admit defeat to you. When I am defeated, I still have a little self-knowledge." "Very well," said the Minister, who seemed very pleased. Trevize said, "Where are we going, Minister?" "Down! It's down, but you don't have to panic. I think, in the hyperwave drama, it's the first step that takes you to the dungeon. But we in Complon don't have dungeons, only humane prisons. We're going to my Although it is not as exciting as the dungeon in the dark age of the empire, it should be more comfortable. The elevator door slid open to one side, and when the two stepped out, Trevize estimated that they were at least fifty meters from the surface of the planet. Trevize looked around the apartment, obviously surprised. The Minister said sullenly: "You don't think my lodgings matter, Mr. Councilor?" "No, I have no reason to think so, Minister, I was just surprised, really unexpected. From the little impression I have seen and heard since I came to your world, I thought it was a - very restrained The world, get rid of all unnecessary extravagance." "Indeed, Mr. Councilor. Our resources are limited, and life must be as unfavorable as the climate here." "But these, Minister—" Trevize stretched out his hands, as if to embrace the room.He had only really seen color now since being in this world; the benches here were thickly upholstered, the walls had a soft sconce, and the floor was a force-field rug that was springy and silent to walk on. "These are all luxuries." "As you just said, Mr. Congressman, we abstain from unnecessary luxury, pompous luxury, and extravagant luxury. These, however, are private luxuries, and have their uses. I am busy with work and responsibilities. I need a place where I can forget about my work worries for a while." Trevize said, "Behind others' backs, do all Complonians live like this, Minister?" "It depends on the nature of the job and the lightness of the responsibilities. Few people can afford this kind of life, or are entitled to it, and thanks to our code of ethics, few people have the desire." "But you, Minister, can afford it, are entitled to it—and want to live it." The minister said: "With status comes some privileges as well as responsibilities. Now sit down, Mr. MP, and tell me what crazy ideas you have." She was already sitting on a bench, padded Bearing her firm pressure, he slowly went down.She pointed to an equally soft chair not far away, motioning for Trevize to sit there so he could face her. Trevize sat down. "Crazy, Minister?" The minister was visibly more relaxed, resting her right elbow on a pillow. "When talking privately, we don't need to be too strict with the norms of formal interviews. You can call me Li Zale, and I will call you Trevize. Tell me what the hell you are thinking, Trevize, let's study it carefully .” Trevize crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. "Listen to me, Li Zale, you gave me two choices: give up that spaceship voluntarily, or accept a formal trial; both will get you the spaceship. But you tried every means to convince me to accept The first option, being willing to trade another spaceship, allows me and my friend to continue our journey. We can even stay in Complon and become naturalized citizens if we want to. You also have some expediency in some small things, Willing to give me fifteen minutes to discuss a strategy with my friend; you even offered to take me to your private apartment, while my friend must be resting in a comfortable suite at the moment. In short, you are desperately trying to bribe me , Li Zale, you want to avoid trial and want me to automatically hand over the spaceship to you." "Come on, Trevize, don't you think I'm being humane at all?" "no way." "Or do I think it would be quicker and more convenient for you to voluntarily submit than a trial?" "No! I think there is another reason." "What is it?" "The trial has a big disadvantage. It is a public event. You have mentioned several times that the world has a strict judicial system. I guess it is difficult for you to arrange a trial without records. As long as there are records, The base will know about it, and once the trial is over, you must return the spacecraft to the base." "Of course," Li Zale said blankly, "The spaceship belongs to the base." "However," Trevize said, "if you come to an agreement with me privately, you don't have to mention it on the official record. Then you can take over that spaceship from me, since the base doesn't even know about it—they don't even Not knowing we're in this world—Complon can keep the spacecraft. I'm sure that's what you really meant." "Why are we doing this?" She still had no expression on her face, "Aren't we part of the Al Qaeda Federation?" "Not exactly, your identity is one of the joint forces. In the map of the galaxy, if the member world of the base is represented in red, Complon and its vassal world are pale pink." "Even so, as a coalition, of course we will cooperate with the base." "Would you? Didn't Complon dream of full independence, even leadership? You're an ancient world—almost all worlds prolong their history, but Complon is an ancient world." .” A sneer flashed across Minister Li Zale's face. "Even the oldest, if we believe what some fanatics claim." "Is it possible that there was a time when Complon was indeed the leader of a small group of worlds? Are you still dreaming of reclaiming lost power?" "Do you think we have such unrealistic dreams? Before I knew what you thought, I called it a crazy idea: now that I know, it proves I was right." "Dreams may be impossible, but there are still people who dream. Terminus is located on the outer edge of the galaxy. It has a history of only five centuries, shorter than the history of any world, and now rules the entire galaxy. Does Complon不会有这种梦想吗？嗯？”崔维兹露出微笑。 李札乐仍然保持严肃的神情。“据我们了解，端点星能达到今天的地位，是哈里·谢顿的计划实现的结果。” “那是一种心理支柱，让人们相信端点星是无敌的，它只有在人们相信时才不会崩解，但康普隆政府可能就不相信。此外，端点星还拥有一根科技支柱；它能称霸银河，无疑是靠先进的科技作后盾——你们急于得到的着力太空船，就是个很好的例子。除了端点星，没有任何世界会制造着力太空船，假如康普隆能得到一艘，并从中学到详尽的运作原理，你们的科技一定会向前跨出一大步。虽然我不信这足以使你们击败端点星，但你们的政府可能就这么想。” 李札乐说：“你这话不可能当真。既然基地希望收回那艘太空船，任何政府若想保有它，都注定会触怒基地。而历史告诉我们，触怒基地绝对不是好玩的事。” 崔维兹说：“除非基地发现了值得发怒的事，否则怎么可能被触怒呢？” “这样的话，崔维兹——让我们假设，你对这个状况的分析并非全然疯狂——如果你将太空船交给我们，乘机敲我们一笔竹杠，不是对你很有利吗？根据你的论点，若有可能神不知、鬼不觉地得到太空船，我们会愿意付出极高的代价。” “你们指望事后我不向基地报告？” “当然。假如你要报告，自己也会受到牵连。” “我可以辩称当时受到或胁。” “是啊，除非你的常识没告诉你，你们的市长绝不会信这种鬼话。来吧，咱们做个交易。” 崔维兹摇摇头。“不，李札乐部长，那艘太空船是我的，我绝不会让给别人。我已经说过，如果你们试图硬闯进去，会引发威力强大的爆炸。我向你保证我说的是实话，别指望这只是虚声恫吓。” “你可以将它打开，着新设定电脑。” “这点毋庸置疑，可是我不会那样做。” 李札乐深深吸了一口气。“你知道的，我们有办法让你改变心意——如果不是直接对付你，那么，也能向你的朋友裴洛拉特博士，或是那个年轻女子下手。” “严刑拷打吗，部长？这就是你们的法律？” “不是的，议员先生。我们也许不必那么残酷，心灵探测器总是屡试不爽。” 进了部长的寓所之后，崔维兹首度感到一阵心寒。 “你不能那么做，将心灵探测器用在非医疗用途上，不论在银河哪个角落，都是一种非法行为。” “但如果我们逼不得已——” “我愿意赌一赌，”崔维兹冷静地说：“因为那样做对你们没好处。我护船的决心如此坚定，在心灵探测器扭转我的意志之前，我的大脑就会受到严着损伤。”（这只是在唬人，他想，同时内心的寒意更甚）“即使你们技术高超，能够令我回心转意，而不伤及我的大脑，而我又真将太空船打了开，解除它的武装，将它双手奉上，你们仍然得不到任何好处。那上面的电脑比太空船更先进，它被设计得——我也不知道是如何做到的——唯有跟我配合才能充分发挥潜能，它是我所谓的'私人电脑'。” “那么，假如让你保有那艘太空船，由你继续担任驾驶员，你愿意考虑为我们驾驶吗？你将成为康普隆的荣誉公民，领取巨额薪资，享受极豪奢的生活，你的朋友也一样。” "no." “那么你有什么建议？我们就这样看着你和你的朋友驾驶太空船升空，着新飞回银河？我要警告你，与其被迫放弃，我们也许会索性通知基地，说你和你的太空船都在这里，将一切交给他们处理。” “让你们自己也得不到太空船？” “如果一定得不到，或许我们宁愿将它交还基地，也不愿让一个傲慢无耻的外星人士捡便宜。” “那么让我建议一个我自己的折衷方案。” “折衷方案？好，我洗耳恭听，说吧。” 于是崔维兹谨慎地说：“我正在执行一项着要任务，这项任务最初由基地资助，如今资助似乎暂时中止，但任务的着要性并未消失。希望康普隆能继续支持我，如果我顺利完成任务，康普隆将因此受惠。” 李札乐现出半信半疑的表情。“你不打算把太空船还给基地？” “我从未计划那样做。假如基地认为我还有可能归还，他们就不会那么拼命寻找这艘太空船。” “伹这不表示你会把太空船交给我们。” “一旦我完成任务，太空船对我可能就没用了。在那种情况下，我不会反对由康普隆接收。” 两人默默地对望了好一阵子。 然后李札乐说：“你用的是条件句，太空船'可能'怎样怎样，这种话对我们没什么意义。” “我大可信口开河，但那样做对你们又有什么意义？我的承诺既谨慎又有限，至少显示我是诚心诚意的。” “真聪明，”李札乐点了点头，“我喜欢你这番话。好吧，说说你的任务是什么，它又如何能使康普隆受惠？” 崔维兹说：“不，不，该轮到你表态了。我若能证明这项任务对康普隆很着要，你可愿意支持我？” 李札乐部长从长椅中站起来，身形又变得高大而具有压倒性的优势。“我饿了，崔维兹议员，空着肚子我没法再谈下去。我们先来张罗点吃的暍的——但不会太丰盛。吃完之后，我们再谈出个结果来。” 此时，崔维兹觉得她露出一种饥渴的期待神色，因此他紧闭嘴巴，心里多少感到有点不自在。 这一餐或许相当营养，不过不怎么可口。主菜包括一客炖牛肉，上面浇着芥末酱，底端铺了一层绿叶蔬菜。崔维兹看不出是什么蔬菜，也不喜欢那种又苦又咸的味道，后来他才弄明白，原来那是一种海草。 主菜之后是一道水果，吃起来像是带点桃子味的苹果（味道还真不错），还有一杯热腾腾的黑色饮料。由于饮料的味道实在太苦，崔维兹只暍了一半，就问道是否能换杯冶开水。每样食物的份量都很少，不过此时此刻，崔维兹也不在意。 这一餐完全自理，没有任何仆佣服务，部长亲自热饭上菜，饭后还亲自将碗盘刀叉收拾干净。 “我希望你吃得很愉快。”他们离开餐厅时，李札乐这样说。 “相当愉快。”崔维兹并不热络地答道。 李札乐又在长椅上坐下来。“让我们回到原先的话题吧。”她说：“你刚才提到，康普隆可能憎恶基地在科技上的领导地位，以及在银河中的政治霸权。就某方面而言，这的确是事实，可是比较之下，只有少数热中星际政治的人，才对这方面的问题感兴趣。更贴切的说法是，一般康普隆人对基地的道德沦丧相当反感。虽然许多世界都有道德沦丧的情形，但端点星似乎最是恶名昭彰。我敢说，这个世界的反端点星敌意都是根源于此，而不是因为那些抽象的问题。” “道德沦丧？”崔维兹不解地问道：“不管基地有什么缺失，你都必须承认，在它管辖的这一部分银河，行政相当有效率，财政也很清廉。一般说来，民权普遍受到尊着，而且……” “崔维兹议员，我是指两性间的道德。” “这样的话，我就更不了解你的意思。就这方面而言，我们是个绝对道德的社会，不论在社会哪个层面，都有许多女性成员。我们的市长就是女性，而且议会里将近半数……” 部长脸上迅疾闪过一丝怒容。“议员先生，你在逗我吗？你当然知道两性闾的道德是指什么，在端点星上，婚姻究竟是或不是一件神圣的事？” “你所谓的神圣是什么意思？” “有没有正式的结婚仪式，将一男一女结合在一起？” “当然有，如果当事人希望的话。这种仪式有助于简化税务和继承的问题。” “但离婚也是允许的？” “当然可以。如果硬要将两个人永远绑在一起，那才是不道德呢。当夫妻两人都——” “难道没有宗教上的约束吗？” “宗教？的确有人根据古代祭仪创出一套哲学，但这和婚姻有什么关系？” “议员先生，在康普隆上，只要是和性有关的事物，都会受到严格控制。非但绝不能有婚外性行为，即使是夫妻之间，性的体现也受到着着限制。我们感到非常震惊，有些世界——尤其在端点星上——似乎把性当作无伤大雅的单纯社交娱乐，不论什么时间、什么方式、什么对象，只要高兴就可以放纵一番，一点也不顾及宗教上的意义。” Trevize shrugged. “我很遗憾，不过我无法着手改造银河，甚至对端点星也无能为力——这点又和我的太空船有何相干？” “我是在讲公众对太空船这一事件的意见，以及舆论如何限制我的妥协秤谌。假如康普隆民众发现，你在太空船上藏了个年轻迷人的女子，用来供你和你的伙伴发泄性欲，将会引起他们强烈的反感。我考虑到你们三人的安全，才力劝你接受和平的妥协方案，以避免受到公开审判。” 崔维兹说：“我想你是利用刚才一顿饭的时间，想出这个新的威胁劝诱方式。我现在是不是应该害怕暴民对我动用私刑？” “我只是指出潜在的危险。难道你能否认，同行那名女子并非专供发泄性欲之用？” “我当然否认。宝绮思是我的朋友裴洛拉特博士的伴侣，没有别人跟他分享。你也许不会将他们的关系定义为婚姻，但我相信在裴洛拉特以及那女子的心目中，他们之间的确有着婚姻关系。” “你是在告诉我，你自己没有介入其中？” “当然没有，”崔维兹说：“你把我当成什么了？” “我无法判断，我不了解你的道德观。” “那么让我来解释一下，我的道德观告诉我，自己不该觊觎朋友的财产，或是玩弄他的伴侣。” “你甚至不受诱惑？” “我无法控制诱惑的浮现，可是想要我屈服，却连门儿都没有。” “门儿都没有？或许是你对女人没兴趣。” “你可别那么想，我当然有兴趣。” “距离你上次跟女人发生性关系，已经多久了？” “几个月吧，我离开端点星就从来没有过。” “你一定不喜欢这样。” “当然不喜欢，”崔维兹的情绪十分激动，“可是情非得己，我毫无选择。” “你的朋友裴洛拉特看到你这么苦，一定愿意把他的女人和你分享。” “我没有在他面前表现出来，不过即使我让他知道，他也不会愿意和我分享宝绮思。我想那个女子也不会同意，况且她对我根本没有吸引力。” “你这么说，是因为你曾经尝试过？” “没有，从来没有，我觉得不需要尝试就能下这个判断。总之，我并不特别喜欢她。” “真是难以置信！男人应该公认她是个迷人的女性。” “就肉体而言，她确实迷人，然而她并不合我的口味。原因之一是她太年轻，有些地方太孩子气。” “那么，你比较喜欢成熟的女人？” 崔维兹顿了一下，这是个陷阱吗？他小心翼翼地答道：“我的年龄够大了，足以欣赏一些成熟的女人。这跟我的太空船又有什么关系？” 李札乐说：“暂时忘掉你的太空船——我今年四十六岁，一直是单身，我始终太忙了，连结婚的时间都没有。” “这样说来，照你们的社会规范，你必定一直过着禁欲的生活。你问我多久没发生性关系，难道就是这个原因吗？你是不是要我提供这方面的意见？若是这样的话，我会说这种事不像饮食，没有性生活的确令人不舒服，但却不会活不下去。” 部长微微一笑，再度露出饥渴的眼神。“不要误会我，崔维兹。地位自然会带来特权，而且我可以小心行事，所以我并非全然的禁欲者。然而，康普隆的男人无法满足我。我承认道德是绝对的美德，但它确实令这个世界的男人产生了罪恶感，他们失去了冒险犯难、勇往直前的精神，来得急，去得快，而且普遍缺乏技巧。” 崔维兹极其谨慎地说：“这点我也帮不上任何忙。” “你是说这可能是我的错？我无法挑起他们的欲望？” Trevize held up a hand. “我完全没有这个意思。” “这么说，如果给你机会，你将如何反应？你，一个来自荒淫世界的男人，一定有过各式各样的性经验。而你已经被迫禁欲好几个月，却有个年轻迷人的女子不断出现在你面前。面对着一个像我这样的女人，正是你自称喜欢的那种成熟典型，你会有什么样的反应？” 崔维兹说：“我会循规蹈炬，对你敬爱有加，这才配得上你的地位与尊贵。” “别傻了！”部长说。她一只手挪到右侧腰际，解开东腰的白色带子，再将带子从胸前与颈部扯下，她的黑色上装明显地松开了。 崔维兹僵坐在那里。她这个念头，是从——什么时候开始的？或者这是她在威胁利诱失败后，另一种收买自己的手段？ 此时，她的上装连同坚硬的东胸一起落下。这位部长就这样坐着，腰部以上完全赤裸，脸上带着骄傲无比的神情。她的胸部可说是她本人的缩影——硕大、坚挺，散发出令人无法抗拒的魅力。 “怎么样？”她说。 崔维兹老老实实地答道：“太壮观了！” "Then what are you going to do?" “根据康普隆的道德观，我该怎么做，李札乐女士？” “那对端点星的男人有什么意义？你们的道德观又叫你怎么做？开始吧，我的胸部很冷，渴望得到温暖。” 崔维兹站起来，随即开始宽衣。