Chapter 5

COMMISSION  OF PUBLIC  SAFETY?..  The aristocratic  coterie rose  to powerafter the  assassination of Cleon I, last of the  Entuns. In the main, theyformed  an  element  of  order  during  the centuries  of  instability  anduncertainty  in  the  Imperium.  Usually under  the  control  of the  greatfamilies of  the Chens  and the Divarts,  it degenerated eventually  into ablind  instrument  for maintenance  of  the  status quo....  They were  notcompletely removed as a power in the state until after the accession of thelast   strong  Emperor,   Cleon   H.  The   first  Chief   Commissioner....
... In  a way, the beginning  of the Commission's decline  can be traced tothe trial of Hari Seldon two years before the beginning of the FoundationalEra. That trial is described in Gaal Dornick's biography of Hari Seldon....
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAGaal did  not carry out his promise. He was awakened  the next morning by amuted buzzer.  He answered it, and  the voice of the  desk clerk, as muted,polite and deprecating as  it well might be, informed him that he was underdetention   at   the   orders  of   the   Commission   of  Public   Safety.
Gaal sprang  to the door and  found it would no  longer open. He could onlydress and wait.
They came for him  and took him elsewhere, but it was still detention. Theyasked him questions most  politely. It was all very civilized. He explainedthat  he was a  provincial of Synnax;  that he  had attended such  and suchschools  and obtained  a Doctor of  Mathematics degree  on such and  such adate.  He had applied  for a position  on Dr.  Seldon's staff and  had beenaccepted. Over  and over  again, he gave  these details; and  over and overagain, they returned to the question of his joining the Seldon Project. Howhad he  heard of it; what  were to be his  duties; what secret instructionshad he received; what was it all about?
He answered  that he did not know. He had no  secret instructions. He was ascholar   and   a  mathematician.   He   had  no   interest  in   politics.
And finally the gentle  inquisitor asked, "When will Trantor be destroyed?"Gaal faltered, "I could not say of my own knowledge.""Could you say of anyone's?""How could I speak for another?" He felt warm; overwarm.
The inquisitor said, "Has anyone told you of such destruction; set a date?"And,  as the  young man  hesitated, he  went on,  "You have  been followed,doctor. We  were at the airport when you  arrived; on the observation towerwhen  you waited  for your  appointment; and,  of course,  we were  able tooverhear your conversation with Dr. Seldon."Gaal said, "Then you know his views on the matter.""Perhaps. But we would like to hear them from you.""He is of the opinion that Trantor would be destroyed within threecenturies.""He proved it, ?uh ?mathematically?""Yes, he did," ?defiantly.
"You  maintain   the  ?  uh  ? mathematics   to  be  valid,   I  suppose.
"If Dr. Seldon vouches for it, it is valid.""Then we will return.""Wait.  I have  a right  to a  lawyer. I  demand my  rights as  an Imperialcitizen.""You shall have them."And he did.
It  was a tall  man that eventually  entered, a  man whose face  seemed allvertical lines and so thin that one could wonder whether there was room fora smile.
Gaal looked up. He felt disheveled and wilted. So much had happened, yet hehad been on Trantor not more than thirty hours.
The man  said, "I am Lors  Avakim. Dr. Seldon has  directed me to representyou.""Is  that so?  Well, then,  look here.  I demand  an instant appeal  to theEmperor.  I'm  being held  without  cause.  I'm innocent  of  anything. Ofanything." He slashed his hands outward, palms down, "You've got to arrangea hearing with the Emperor, instantly."Avakim was carefully emptying the contents of a flat folder onto the floor.
If Gaal had had the stomach for it, he might have recognized Cellomet legalforms, metal thin and  tapelike, adapted for insertion within the smallnessof a  personal capsule.  He might also  have recognized a  pocket recorder.
Avakim, paying no attention to Gaal's outburst, finally looked up. He said,"The Commission will, of  course, have a spy beam on our conversation. Thisis against the law, but they will use one nevertheless."Gaal ground his teeth.
"However," and Avakim seated  himself deliberately, "the recorder I have onthe table, ?which  is a perfectly ordinary recorder to all appearances andperforms  it  duties  well  ?has  the  additional  property of  completelyblanketing the spy beam. This is something they will not find out at once.""Then I can speak.""Of course.""Then I want a hearing with the Emperor."Avakim smiled frostily, and it turned out that there was room for it on histhin face  after all. His cheeks  wrinkled to make the  room. He said, "Youare from the provinces.""I am none the  less an Imperial citizen. As good a one as you or as any ofthis Commission of Public Safety.""No  doubt; no  doubt.  It is  merely that,  as  a provincial,  you  do notunderstand  life on  Trantor as  it is,  There are  no hearings  before theEmperor.""To  whom  else would  one  appeal  from this  Commission?  Is there  otherprocedure?""None. There  is no recourse in a  practical sense. Legalistically, you mayappeal to  the Emperor, but you would get no  hearing. The Emperor today isnot the  Emperor of an Entun dynasty, you know. Trantor,  I am afraid is inthe  hands  of the  aristocratic  families,  members of  which compose  theCommission of Public Safety.  This is a development which is well predictedby psychohistory."Gaal said, "Indeed? In  that case, if Dr. Seldon can predict the history ofTrantor three hundred years into the future ?
"He   can   predict   it   fifteen   hundred  years   into   the   future.""Let it  be fifteen thousand. Why couldn't  he yesterday have predicted theevents of  this morning and warned  me. 朜o, I'm sorry."  Gaal sat down andrested  his   head  in   one  sweating  palm,  "I   quite  understand  thatpsychohistory is  a statistical science and cannot  predict the future of asingle  man   with  any  accuracy.  You'll   understand  that  I'm  upset.""But  you are  wrong.  Dr. Seldon  was of  the  opinion that  you  would bearrested this morning.""What!""It is unfortunate, but true. The Commission has been more and more hostileto his activities. New  members joining the group have been interfered withto an  increasing extent. The graphs showed  that for our purposes, mattersmight best be brought  to a climax now. The Commission of itself was movingsomewhat  slowly so  Dr. Seldon  visited you  yesterday for the  purpose offorcing their hand. No other reason."Gaal caught his breath, "I resent ?
"Please. It  was necessary. You  were not picked for  any personal reasons.
You  must realize  that Dr.  Seldon's plans,  which are  laid out  with thedeveloped mathematics of over eighteen years include all eventualities withsignificant probabilities. This is  one of them. I've been sent here for noother purpose than to  assure you that you need not fear. It will end well;almost certainly  so for  the project; and with  reasonable probability foryou.""What are the figures?" demanded Gaal.
"For the project, over 99.9%.""And for myself?""I am instructed that this probability is 77.2%.""Then I've got better  than one chance in five of being sentenced to prisonor to death.""The last is under one per cent.""Indeed. Calculations  upon one  man mean nothing.  You send Dr.  Seldon tome.""Unfortunately,    I   cannot.    Dr.   Seldon   is    himself   arrested."The door  was thrown open before  the rising Gaal could  do more than utterthe beginning of a cry. A guard entered, walked to the table, picked up therecorder,  looked  upon  all  sides  of  it  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.
Avakim said quietly, "I will need that instrument.""We  will supply  you with  one, Counsellor,  that does  not cast  a staticfield.""My interview is done, in that case."Gaal watched him leave and was alone.