Second Foundation 12. Lord

Of either the foundings of the Galaxy, Kalgan doubtless had the most unique history. That of the planet Terminus, for instance, was that of an almost uninterrupted rise. That of Trantor, once cap of the Galaxy, was that of an almost uninterrupted fall. simply Kalgan-Kalgan first gained fame as the pleasure fill outledge domain of the Galaxy two centuries in front the birth of Hari Seldon. It was a pleasure world in the sense that it made an industry and an immensely profitable wizard, at that out of amusement.And it was a stable industry. It was the most stable industry in the Galaxy. When all the Galaxy perished as a civilization, little by little, bargonly a feathers weight of catastrophe fell upon Kalgan. No matter how the frugality and sociology of the neighboring sectors of the Galaxy changed, there was everlastingly an elite and it is always the feature film of an elite that it possesses leisure as the great reward of its elite-hood.Kalgan was at the service, the refore, in turn and successfully of the effete and perfumed dandies of the Imperial Court with their sparkling and obscene ladies of the rough and raucous warlords who ruled in iron the worlds they had gained in blood, with their ungoverned and lascivious wenches of the plump and luxurious businessmen of the design, with their lush and flagitious working girles.It was instead a undiscriminating, since they all had money. And since Kalgan serviced all and barred none since its commodity was in unflagging demand since it had the wisdom to interfere in no worlds politics, to stand on no ones legitimacy, it prospered when nothing else did, and remained fat when all grew thin.That is, until the Mule. Then, somehow, it fell, too, before a conqueror who was impervious to amusement, or to anything besides conquest. To him all planets were alike, even Kalgan.So for a decade, Kalgan found itself in the strange role of Galactic metropolis mistress of the greatest imperium since the end of the Galactic Empire itself.And then, with the death of the Mule, as sudden as the zoom, came the drop. The base of operations broke away. With it and after it, much of the rest of the Mules dominions. Fifty years later there was left moreover the bewildering holding of that short space of power, like an opium dream. Kalgan never quite recovered. It could never counter to the unconcerned pleasure world it had been, for the spell of power never quite releases its bold. It lived instead under a succession of men whom the Foundation called the clerics of Kalgan, but who styled themselves get-go Citizen of the Galaxy, in imitation of the Mules only title, and who maintained the fiction that they were conquerors too.The topical Lord of Kalgan had held that position for five months. He had gained it originally by rightfulness of his position at the head of the Kalganian navy, and through a lamentable overleap of caution on the part of the previous lord. thus far no one o n Kalgan was quite stupid comely to go into the question of legitimacy too grand or too closely. These things observeed, and are best accepted.Yet that sort of survival of the fittest in addition to dressting a gift on bloodiness and evil, occasionally allowed capability to come to the fore as well. Lord Stettin was competent enough and not easy to manage.Not easy for his eminence, the stolon Minister, who, with fine impartiality, had served the last lord as well as the rescue and who would, if he lived long enough, serve the next as honestly.Nor easy for the doll Callia, who was Stettins more than than friend, yet less than wife.In Lord Stettins private apartments the triad were alone that evening. The First Citizen, bulky and glistening in the admirals uniform that he affected, scowled from out the unupholstered chair in which he sat as rigidly as the plastic of which it was composed. His First Minister Lev Meirus, faced him with a far-off unconcern, his long, nervous fi ngers stroking absently and rhythmically the deep line that turn from hooked nose along gaunt and sunken cheek to the point, nearly, of the gray-bearded chin. The doll Callia disposed of herself gracefully on the deeply furred covering of a foamite couch, her full lips trembling a bit in an unheeded pout.Sir, state Meirus it was the only title adhering to a lord who was styled only First Citizen, you privation a certain view of the continuity of history. Your feature life, with its tremendous revolutions, leads you to call back of the course of civilization as something equally amenable to sudden change. provided it is not.The Mule showed otherwise.But who can follow in his footsteps. He was more than man, remember. And be, too, was not entirely successful.Poochie, whimpered the Lady Callia, suddenly, and then shrank into herself at the furious motion from the First Citizen.Lord Stettin verbalise, harshly, Do not interrupt, Callia. Meirus, I am jade of inaction. My predeces sor spent his life polishing the navy into a finely-turned dick that has not its equal in the Galaxy. And he died with the magnificent machine assembly idle. Am I to continue that? I, an Admiral of the Navy?How long before the machine rusts? At present, it is a drain on the Treasury and returns nothing. Its officers long for dominion, its men for loot. All Kalgan desires the return of Empire and notoriety. Are you capable of spirit that?These are but words that you use, but I grasp your meaning. Dominion, loot, glory pleasant when they are obtained, but the process of obtaining them is often risky and always unpleasant. The first fine flush may not last. And in all history, it has never been wise to attack the Foundation. Even the Mule would have been wiser to refrain- in that respect were tears in the Lady Callias blue, empty eyes. Of late, Poochie scarcely saw her, and now, when he had promised the evening to her, this horrible, thin, gray man, who always looked through her r ather than at her, had hale his way in. And Poochie let him. She dared not say anything was frightened even of the cock that forced its way out.But Stettin was speaking now in the part she hated, hard and Impatient. He was saying Youre a slave to the far past. The Foundation is greater in volume and population, but they are loosely pucker and will fall apart at a blow. What holds them together these days is merely inertia an inertia I am strong enough to smash. You are hypnotized by the old days when only the Foundation had atomic power. They were able to dodge the last hammer blows of the dying Empire and then faced only the unbrained anarchy of the warlords who would counter the Foundations atomic vessels only with hulks and relics.But the Mule, my dear Meirus, has changed that. He spread the knowledge, that the Foundation had hoarded to itself, through half the Galaxy and the monopoly in science is gone forever. We can match them.And the wink Foundation? questioned Meirus , coolly.And the Second Foundation? repeated Stettin as coolly. Do you know its intentions? It took ten years to stop the Mule, if, indeed, it was the factor, which some doubt. Are you unaware that a grievous many of the Foundations psychologists and sociologists are of the opinion that the Seldon Plan has been completely cut off since the days of the Mule? If the Plan has gone, then a vacuum exists which I may fill as well as the next man.Our knowledge of these matters is not great enough to warrant the gamble. Our knowledge, perhaps, but we have a Foundation visitor on the planet. Did you know that? A Homir Munn who, I understand, has indite articles on the Mule, and has expressed exactly that opinion, that the Seldon Plan no longer exists.The First Minister nodded, I have heard of him, or at to the lowest degree of his writings. What does he desire?He asks permission to enter the Mules palace.Indeed? It would be wise to refuse. It is never advisable to disturb the superstiti ons with which a planet is held.I will consider that and we will speak again.Meirus bowed himself out.Lady Callia said tearfully, Are you angry with me, Poochie?***Stettin turned on her savagely. Have I not told you before never to call me by that ridiculous name in the presence of others?You used to like it.Well, I dont any more, and it is not to happen again.He stared at her darkly. It was a mystery to him that he tolerated her these days. She was a soft, light thing, comfortable to the touch, with a pliable affection that was a convenient facet to a hard life. Yet, even that affection was becoming wearisome. She dreamed of marriage, of being First Lady.RidiculousShe was all very well when he had been an admiral only but now as First Citizen and future conqueror, he necessary more. He needed heirs who could unite his future dominions, something the Mule had never had, which was why his Empire did not survive his strange nonhuman life. He, Stettin, needed someone of the great historic families of the Foundation with whom he could fuse dynasties.He wondered testily why he did not rid himself of Callia now. It would be no trouble. She would whine a bit- He dismissed the thought. She had her points, occasionally.Callia was cheering up now. The regularise of Graybeard was gone and her Poochies granite face was softening now. She lifted herself in a single, fluid motion and melted toward him.Youre not going to scold me, are you?No. He patted her absently. Now just sit quietly for a while, will you? I want to think.About the man from the Foundation?Yes.Poochie? This was a pause.What?Poochie, the man has a little girl with him, you said. Remember? Could I teach her when she comes? I never-Now what do you think I want him to father his brat with him for? Is my audience room to be a grammar school? full of your nonsense, Callia.But Ill take care of her, Poochie. You wont even have to bother with her. Its just that I hardly ever see children, and you know ho w I savour them.He looked at her sardonically. She never tired of this approach. She loved children i.e. his children i.e. his legitimate children i.e. marriage. He laughed.This particular little piece, he said, is a great girl of cardinal or fifteen. Shes probably as tall as you are.Callia looked crushed. Well, could I, anyway? She could express me about the Foundation? Ive always wanted to go there, you know. My grandfather was a Foundation man. Wont you take me there, sometime, Poochie?Stettin smiled at the thought. Perhaps he would, as conqueror. The good nature that the thought supplied him with made itself felt in his words, I will, I will. And you can see the girl and talk Foundation to her all you want. But not near me, understand.I wont bother you, honestly. Ill have her in my own rooms. She was happy again. It was not very often these days that she was allowed to have her way. She put her arms about his neck and after the slightest hesitation, she felt its tendons relax and the magnanimous head come softly down upon her shoulder.