Chapter 8

For a long while, they sat silently as the taxi whined through the hundredsof miles of worm-like tunnels toward the University. And then Gaal stirred.
He said:
"Was what you told  the Commissioner true? Would your execution have reallyhastened the Fall?"Seldon said, "I never  lie about psychohistoric findings. Nor would it haveavailed me in  this case. Chen knew I spoke the truth.  He is a very cleverpolitician and  politicians by the very  nature of their work  must have aninstinctive feeling for the truths of psychohistory.""Then  need you  have accepted  exile," Gaal  wondered, but Seldon  did notanswer.
When they burst out upon the University grounds, Gaal's muscles took actionof their own; or rather, inaction. He had to be carried, almost, out of thetaxi.
All the  University was a blaze of light. Gaal  had almost forgotten that asun could exist.
The  University  structures  lacked  the hard  steel-gray  of  the rest  ofTrantor. They were silvery, rather. The metallic luster was almost ivory incolor.
Seldon said, "Soldiers, it seems.""What?" Gaal  brought his eyes to  the prosaic ground and  found a sentinelahead of them.
They  stopped before  him, and  a soft-spoken  captain materialized  from anear-by doorway.
He said, "Dr. Seldon?""Yes.""We have  been waiting for you. You and your men  will be under martial lawhenceforth. I  have been instructed to  inform you that six  months will beallowed you for preparations to leave for Terminus.""Six months!"  began Gaal,  but Seldon's fingers  were upon his  elbow withgentle pressure.
"These are my instructions," repeated the captain.
He  was gone,  and Gaal  turned to Seldon,  "Why, what  can be done  in sixmonths? This is but slower murder.""Quietly. Quietly. Let us reach my office."It  was  not  a  large  office,  but  it  was  quite  spy-proof  and  quiteundetectably so.  Spy-beams trained  upon it received  neither a suspicioussilence  nor  an even  more  suspicious  static. They  received, rather,  aconversation constructed at random out of a vast stock of innocuous phrasesin various tones and voices.
"Now,"   said  Seldon,  at   his  ease,   "six  months  will   be  enough.""I don't see how.""Because, my boy, in a plan such as ours, the actions of others are bent toour needs. Have I  not said to you already that Chen's temperamental makeuphas been subjected to greater scrutiny than that of any other single man inhistory.  The   trial  was  not  allowed  to   begin  until  the  time  andcircumstances   were  fight   for   the  ending   of  our   own  choosing.""But could you have arranged?
"杢o be exiled to  Terminus? Why not?" He put his fingers on a certain spoton his desk and a small section of the wall behind him slid aside. Only hisown  fingers could have  done so,  since only his  particular print-patterncould have activated the scanner beneath.
"You  will find  several  microfilms inside,"  said Seldon.  "Take  the onemarked with the letter, T."Gaal  did so  and waited  while Seldon  fixed it  within the  projector andhanded the  young man a pair of eyepieces.  Gaal adjusted them, and watchedthe film unroll before his eyes.
He said, "But then?
Seldon said, "What surprises you?""Have you been preparing to leave for two years?""Two  and a  half. Of  course, we  could not  be certain  that it  would beTerminus he  would choose, but we hoped it might be  and we acted upon thatassumption?
"But why, Dr. Seldon? If you arranged the exile, why? Could not events befar better controlled here on Trantor?""Why, there are some reasons. Working on Terminus, we will have Imperialsupport without ever rousing fears that we would endanger Imperial safety."Gaal said, "But you aroused those fears only to force exile. I still do notunderstand.""Twenty thousand families would not travel to the end of the Galaxy oftheir own will perhaps.""But why should they be forced there?" Gaal paused, "May I not know?"Seldon said, "Not yet. It is enough for the moment that you know that ascientific refuge will be established on Terminus. And another will beestablished at the other end of the Galaxy, let us say," and he smiled, "atStar's End. And as for the rest, I will die soon, and you will see morethan I. 朜o, no. Spare me your shock and good wishes. My doctors tell methat I cannot live longer than a year or two. But then, I have accomplishedin life what I have intended and under what circumstances may one betterdie.""And after you die, sir?""Why, there will be successors ?perhaps even yourself. And thesesuccessors will be able to apply the final touch in the scheme andinstigate the revolt on Anacreon at the right time and in the right manner.
Thereafter, events may roll unheeded.""I do not understand.""You will." Seldon's lined face grew peaceful and tired, both at once,"Most will leave for Terminus, but some will stay. It will be easy toarrange. 朆ut as for me," and he concluded in a whisper, so that Gaal couldscarcely hear him, "I am finished."