Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven

Itur Demerzel is not often seen, save for Emperor Kryon.There are various reasons for his retreat into the background, one of which is that his appearance has barely changed over time. Seldon hadn't seen him in years, either, and had never really spoken to him in private, except in the early days of his arrival on Trantor. In light of Seldon's recent impromptu meeting with Raschin Joronan, both Seldon and Demerzel agreed that it would be best not to make too much of their relationship.If Hari Seldon visited the prime minister's office in the palace directly, it would be impossible not to attract the attention of others.

For safety reasons, they decided to arrange the meeting in a small but luxurious suite in the "Dome Hotel", just outside the palace. Seeing Demerzel was painfully reminiscent of the old days.The pain was heightened by the fact that Demerzel was just as he had been.His face was still angular.He was still tall, strong and imposing, and his hair was still jet-black with a little blond.He is not handsome, but noble temperament.He looked pretty much what some people thought an ideal Chancellor of the Empire should look like, but he was very different from anyone who had ever held that position in previous history.

Seldon thought to himself that half of his power might come from his appearance. This kind of power overshadowed the emperor, over the imperial court, and even the entire empire. Demerzel walked towards him, a gentle smile that made his lips curl up, but did not disturb the balance of his face in the slightest. "Harry," he said, "it's a pleasure to see you. I'm half convinced that you'll change your mind and give up." "I worry more about you than half-believe, Prime Minister." "Call me Eto—if you're afraid to use my real name." "No. I can't say it. You know that."

"Done in front of me. Go ahead. I'd rather like to hear you call me by my real name." Seldon hesitated, as if in disbelief that his lips could spell those words, his vocal chords could make those sounds. "Daniel," he drawled. "R. Daniel Oliver," said Demmerzier, "very well. Come eat with me, Harry. It's a nice relief for me to eat with you so I don't have to force myself to eat. " "It's a great honor. Although munching on a table alone is far from the atmosphere of a feast in my mind. Of course, I have a bite or two—" "As long as you're happy—"

"Each to each other," said Seldon, "though I am a little skeptical that it is wise for us to stay together too long." "Don't worry, this is the emperor's order. His Majesty the Emperor asked me to meet you." "Why, Daniel?" "In two years' time there will be another 'Decade'.—You look quite surprised. Have you not forgotten?" "No. I just never thought of it." "Aren't you going to attend? You were a sensation at the last convention." "Yes. By psychohistory. A little sensational."

"You have the Emperor's attention. No mathematician has ever done that." "It was you, not the emperor, who first attracted attention. I had to flee, to escape the emperor's attention, and you settled me in a hideout until the time came, and I assure you, to begin psychohistorical research. Buried." "Being the head of the mathematics department of a prestigious university is not buried." "Of course. Because it's my psychohistory that's buried." "Aha, here comes the food. For now, let's talk about something else, catch up. How is Dors?"

"It's wonderful. A loyal and responsible wife. I worry about my personal safety all day long, and guard me like a hound." "That's her job." "She reminds me of that too—often. Honestly, Daniel, I don't know how to express my gratitude for bringing the two of us together." "Thank you, Harry, but, to tell you the truth, I didn't foresee happy marriages for the two of you, especially for Dors—" "Anyway, I want to thank you for the gift you gave me, no matter what your actual purpose is." "I'm delighted. But it's a gift, and you'll find out later, it may have a deeper meaning—and so does my friendship."

Seldon was speechless at this.Seeing Demozel gesture to him, he buried his head in the meal.After a while, he nodded slightly at a small piece of fish meat on the fork and said: "I can't exactly identify what kind of meat it is, but I can recognize that it is the way the Mackenzie cook it." "Yes. I know you like the taste." "That's the reason the McGonns exist. The only reason. But they mean something to you. I won't forget." "This special meaning has long since come to an end. Their ancestors lived on a planet named Aurora a long time ago. Their lifespan is more than three hundred years old, and they are the overlords of the 'Fifty Worlds' of the Milky Way. It was an Aurora who designed and built me ​​in the first place. I will not forget that, and my memory is seldom distorted, and I remember it far more accurately than their descendants of the Macgans. But then, and a long, long time ago, I left I have chosen for myself what is good for human society as a whole, and I have followed it to the best of my ability, up to now."

Seldon suddenly said nervously, "We won't be bugged, will we?" Demozel looked amused: "If you think about it now, it's too late. So don't worry, I've taken the necessary precautions. Not too many people will see you coming in , and not too many people will see you go. Even those who see you will not be too surprised. Because I have long been known to be an amateur mathematician with high eyesight and low abilities. This is for those courtiers who are not my peers It's a good joke for me. It won't surprise anyone here that I'm concerned about the upcoming 'Decade Conference' and preparing for it. And I really want to ask you about the conference."

"I don't know how I can help you. There's only one thing I can talk about at the convention—and that's the one thing I can't talk about. If I go to the convention, it's only as an audience. I No intention of publishing any papers." "I understand that. Even so, let me tell you something interesting. His Majesty the Emperor will never forget you." "Because you often mention me in his ear, I guess." "Wrong. It's not my fault. His Majesty's behavior can sometimes confuse me. He knows about the upcoming congress and obviously remembers your last conversation. His interest in psychohistory You haven't retreated at all, and there may even be a tendency to intensify, I have to remind you. It is very likely that he will summon you again. The imperial court will undoubtedly regard this as a supreme honor-to be summoned twice in a lifetime .”

"You're joking. What's the use of me seeing him?" "The problem is that no matter when and where, the emperor's summons cannot be refused.—how about your two young protégés, Hugo and Ricky?" "You are asking the question knowingly. I believe you know all the troubles around me like the back of your hand." "Yes. But that's just about security. It doesn't cover every aspect of your life. I have so many things to do, I can't cover everything." "Didn't Dors report to you?" "She will report at critical moments. But usually not. It may be difficult for her to be a spy who reports every detail." It was that shallow smile again.Seldon snorted softly, "Not a bad job, lads. Hugo is getting harder to handle now. He's more of a psychohistorian than I am, and I guess he thinks I'm holding him back. As for Ricky, he was a sweet little rascal--he always was. I liked him when he was a nasty street urchin, and it's even more surprising that he had Dors's favorite too. .I really believe, Daniel, if one day Dors gets tired of me and wants to leave me, she will stay because of her inseparable love for Rich." Demerzel nodded, and Seldon continued in a deep voice "I wouldn't be here today if Rachel in Weshamborough didn't find him likable. I'd have been shot—" He shifted uneasily. "I hate to think about that, Daniel. It was a total accident, an unpredictable event. What's the use of psychohistory?" "Didn't you tell me that, at its best, psychohistory can only deal with very large quantities from which to derive probabilities, but is powerless to individuals." "But in case this body is of vital importance—" "I suspect you'll eventually find that no individual is truly crucial, including me — and you." "Perhaps you're right. I've found that, however much my work rests on these assumptions, I can't help thinking of myself as someone who matters, and that's a monstrously unreasonable kind of self-importance.—And You're equally important to me, and that's what I've come here to discuss with you—frankly. I need to know." "To know what?" A waiter clears away After leaving, the lights in the room dimmed a little, making the surrounding walls seem to be closer, giving people the feeling of a private conversation. Seldon said: "Qiao Ruonan." He cherishes words like gold, as if he thinks that just mentioning this name is enough to explain the problem. "Aha, how about it?" "Do you know this person?" "Of course. How could I not know?" "Very well. I want to know about him, too." "What do you want to know?" "Come on, Daniel, don't play games with me. Is he dangerous?" "Of course it's dangerous. Do you have any doubts about it?" "I mean, is it dangerous to you? To your position as Prime Minister?" "That's what I mean. That's what makes him dangerous." "And you let it go?" Demerzel leaned forward, resting his left elbow on the table between them. "Some things are independent of my will, Harry. Let's look at things rationally. His Majesty the Emperor, Cleon, the Great I, has been on the throne for eighteen years, and I have always been his chief Adviser to prime minister, and I've been in that position at the end of his father's reign. It's been a long time, and few prime ministers have been in power for so long." "You're not your usual Prime Minister, Daniel, you know that. You have to be in charge during the development of psychohistory. Don't laugh at me. It's true. You told me when we first met, eight years ago. , the empire is gradually decaying and declining. Have you changed your mind now?" "of course not." "Actually, the signs of decline are more pronounced now, aren't they?" "Yes, despite my efforts to prevent it." "What would happen without you? Qiao Ruonan is now pushing the entire empire against you." "Trantor, Harry. Just Trantor. The outside world is secure, and they are grateful for my efforts, even though the economy is declining and trade is shrinking." "But Trantor is where it matters. Trantor—the royal world we live in, the imperial capital, the heartland, the administrative center—is the place that can overthrow you. If Trantor says no to you, you You won't be able to keep your job." "I agree." "If you're gone, who cares about the outside world? What's going to stop the decline from accelerating and the Empire's swift descent into anarchy?" "Of course, that's a possibility." "So you have to do something. Hugo is convinced that you are in jeopardy, and the aspect may not be guaranteed. He relied on intuition. Dors also said the same thing, and she explained it in terms, what is the big three or the big four—— of--" "Robot Law," Demerzel interjected. "Little Ricky seems to be fascinated by Jo Ruonan's teachings--Dar blood after all, you know. And I--I was a little unsure, so I came to you for comfort, I think so. Tell me The current situation is under your control." "I would be more than happy to tell you that, if it would do. Unfortunately, I have little comfort to offer you. I am in danger." "And you do nothing?" "No. I have spent great efforts to eliminate dissatisfaction and downplay Qiao Ruonan's influence. If I really did nothing, maybe I would have been kicked out a long time ago. But doing so alone is not enough." Seldon hesitated After a while, he finally said, "I think Qiao Ruonan is actually a Mackenzie." "yes?" "That's my judgment. I think we might be able to use that against him, but I'm a little hesitant about unleashing the power of racial bias." "Your hesitation is wise. There are many things that once done have side effects that we don't want to see. You know, Harry, I am not afraid of losing my wife - as long as the successor can continue to implement my principles and delay as long as possible." The decline of the Empire. On the other hand, if Jo Ruonan were to be my successor, then, in my opinion, it would be a catastrophe." "Then it is reasonable for us to stop him by any means." "Not quite right. Even if Qiao Ruonan is eliminated and I survive, the empire may still fall into anarchy. Although it is imperative to eliminate Qiao Ruonan, if this behavior will promote the decline of the empire, then I cannot adopt it .I still can’t think of a way to get the best of both worlds.” "Minimum principle," Seldon muttered. "What did you say?" "Dors explained that you would be bound by the principle of the least." "indeed so." "Then it appears that my visit to you has failed, Daniel." "You mean to say that you came looking for comfort and found nothing." "I'm afraid that's exactly what it is." "But I saw you because I was looking for comfort, too." "From me?" "From psychohistory. Psychohistory should foresee a safe route I haven't seen." Seldon sighed heavily. "Daniel, psychohistory isn't quite there yet." The Prime Minister looked at him sternly. "You've been using it for eight years, Harry." "It may not be able to develop to that point in eight years or eight hundred years. This is a difficult problem to deal with." Demozel said: "I don't expect the technology to be perfect, but you should have some outlines, some frameworks, and some basic rules for guidance. It may not be perfect, but it is better than pure guessing." "But I don't have any more than I did eight years ago." Seldon lamented, "That's all. You must remain in power, Joranan must be eliminated, and at the same time the stability of the Empire must be maintained for as long as possible. Only then would I have the opportunity to develop psychohistory. And yet none of these things can be done unless I develop psychohistory first. Is that so?" "Looks like it is, Harry." "So we're arguing in this boring cycle, and the empire is falling apart." "Unless something unforeseen happens. Unless you make something unforeseen happen." "Me? Daniel, how could I do it without psychohistory?" "I don't know that, Harry." So Seldon got up to leave—and left sadly.