Chapter 6

Salvor Hardin did not travel to the planet Anacreon ?from which planet thekingdom derived  its name ?immediately. It was only  on the day before thecoronation that he arrived, after having made flying visits to eight of thelarger stellar systems of the kingdom, stopping only long, enough to conferwith the local representatives of the Foundation.
The trip  left him  with an oppressive  realization of the  vastness of thekingdom. It  was a little splinter, an  insignificant fly speck compared tothe  inconceivable reaches  of  the Galactic  Empire of  which it  had onceformed so distinguished a part; but to one whose habits of thought had beenbuilt  around  a  single  planet,  and  a  sparsely settled  one  at  that,Anacreon's size in area and population was staggering.
Following  closely  the  boundaries  of the  old  Prefect  of Anacreon,  itembraced twenty-five  stellar systems, six of  which included more than oneinhabited world. The population  of nineteen billion, though still far lessthan  it  had been  in  the Empire's  heyday  was rising  rapidly with  theincreasing   scientific    development   fostered    by   the   Foundation.
And it  was only now that Hardin found himself floored  by the magnitude ofthat task.  Even in thirty years, only the  capital world had been powered.
The outer  provinces still possessed immense  stretches where nuclear powerhad not yet been  re-introduced. Even the progress that had been made mighthave been  impossible had  it not been  for the still  workable relics leftover by the ebbing tide of Empire.
When  Hardin did arrive  at the capital  world, it  was to find  all normalbusiness at  an absolute standstill. In the  outer provinces there had beenand still were celebrations;  but here on the planet Anacreon, not a personbut took feverish part  in the hectic religious pageantry that heralded thecoming-of-age of their god-king, Lepold.
Hardin had been able to snatch only half an hour from a haggard and harriedVerisof before  his ambassador  was forced to  rush off to  supervise stillanother temple  festival. But the half-hour was  a most profitable one, andHardin  prepared   himself  for  the  night's   fireworks  well  satisfied.
In all,  he acted as an  observer, for he had  no stomach for the religioustasks he  would undoubtedly  have had to  undertake if his  identity becameknown. So, when the palace's ballroom filled itself with a glittering hordeof the  kingdom's very highest and most  exalted nobility, he found himselfhugging the wall, little noticed or totally ignored.
He had been introduced  to Lepold as one of a long line of introducees, andfrom a  safe distance,  for the king  stood apart in  lonely and impressivegrandeur, surrounded  by his deadly blaze of  radioactive aura. And in lessthan an hour this  same king would take his seat upon the massive throne ofrhodium-iridium alloy  with jewel-set  gold chasings, and  then, throne andall would  rise maestically into the  air, skim the ground  slowly to hoverbefore the  great window from which  the great crowds of  common folk couldsee their  king and shout  themselves into near apoplexy.  The throne wouldnot have  been so massive, of course, if it had  not had a shielded nuclearmotor built into it.
It was  past eleven.  Hardin fidgeted and  stood on his toes  to better hisview. He  resisted an impulse to  stand on a chair.  And then he saw Wienisthreading through the crowd toward him and he relaxed.
Wienis' progress  was slow. At almost  every step, he had  to pass a kindlysentence  with some  revered  noble whose  grandfather had  helped Lepold'sgrandfather  brigandize the  kingdom and  had received a  dukedom therefor.
And then  he disentangled himself from the  last uniformed peer and reachedHardin. His  smile crooked  itself into a  smirk and his  black eyes peeredfrom   under  grizzled   brows  with   glints  of  satisfaction   in  them.
"My dear  Hardin," he said, in  a low voice, "you  must expect to be bored,when you refuse to announce your identity.""I am not bored,  your highness. This is all extremely interesting. We haveno comparable spectacles on Terminus, you know.""No doubt.  But would you care  to step into my  private chambers, where wecan  speak   at  greater  length  and   with  considerably  more  privacy?""Certainly."With arms linked, the two ascended the staircase, and more than one dowagerduchess stared after them  in surprise and wondered at the identity of thisinsignificantly  dressed and  uninteresting-looking  stranger on  whom suchsignal honor was being conferred by the prince regent.
In Wienis' chambers, Hardin  relaxed in perfect comfort and accepted with amurmur of  gratitude the  glass of liquor  that had been poured  out by theregent's own hand.
"Locris wine, Hardin," said Wienis, "from the royal cellars. The real thing? two centuries  in age.  It was  laid down  ten years before  the ZeonianRebellion.""A  really royal  drink," agreed  Hardin, politely.  "To Lepold I,  King ofAnacreon."They drank, and Wienis added blandly, at the pause, "And soon to be Emperorof  the Periphery,  and  further, who  knows? The  Galaxy  may some  day bereunited.""Undoubtedly. By Anacreon?""Why not? With the  help of the Foundation, our scientific superiority overthe rest of the Periphery would be undisputable."Hardin  set his  empty glass  down and  said, "Well,  yes, except  that, ofcourse, the Foundation is bound to help any nation that requests scientificaid of  it. Due to the high idealism of our  government and the great moralpurpose of our founder,  Hari Seldon, we are unable to play favorites. Thatcan't be helped, your highness."Wienis'  smile broadened. "The  Galactic Spirit,  to use the  popular cant,helps those  who help themselves. I quite  understand that, left to itself,the Foundation would never cooperate.""I wouldn't  say that. We repaired the Imperial  cruiser for you, though myboard  of  navigation  wished it  for  themselves  for research  purposes."The regent repeated the last words ironically. "Research purposes! Yeeeeeetyou   would   not  have   repaired   it,   had  I   not  threatened   war."Hardin made a deprecatory gesture. "I don't know.""I do. And that threat always stood.""And still stands now?""Now it  is rather too late  to speak of threats."  Wienis had cast a rapidglance at  the clock on his desk. "Look here,  Hardin, you were on Anacreononce before. You were  young then; we were both young. But even then we hadentirely different  ways of looking at things. You're  what they call a manof peace, aren't you?""I  suppose I  am. At  least, I  consider violence  an uneconomical  way ofattaining  an end.  There are  always better  substitutes, though  they maysometimes be a little less direct.""Yee. I've heard of your famous remark: 'Violence is the last refuge of theincompetent.' And  yet" ?the  regent scratched one ear  gently in affectedabstraction    ?I    wouldn't    call    myself   exactly    incompetent."Hardin nodded politely and said nothing.
"And in spite of that," Wienis continued, "I have always believed in directaction.  I have  believed in carving  a straight  path to my  objective andfollowing that path. I have accomplished much that way, and fully expect toaccomplish still more.""I know," interrupted Hardin. "I believe you are carving a path such as youdescribe for yourself and  your children that leads directly to the throne,considering the  late unfortunate death  of the king's father  ?your elderbrother  and  the  king's  own precarious  state  of  health.  He  is in  aprecarious state of health, is he not?"Wienis frowned  at the shot, and his voice grew  harder. "You might find itadvisable,  Hardin, to  avoid certain  subjects. You may  consider yourselfprivileged as mayor of Terminus to make ... uh ... injudicious remarks, butif  you do,  please disabuse  yourself of the  notion. I  am not one  to befrightened at  words. It has  been my philosophy of  life that difficultiesvanish when  faced boldly, and I  have never turned my  back upon one yet.""I don't  doubt that. What  particular difficulty are you  refusing to turnyour back upon at the present moment?""The difficulty,  Hardin, of persuading the  Foundation to co-operate. Yourpolicy  of peace,  you see, has  led you  into making several  very seriousmistakes, simply because you underestimated the boldness of your adversary.
Not everyone is as afraid of direct action as you are.""For instance?" suggested Hardin.
"For instance, you came to Anacreon alone and accompanied me to my chambersalone."Hardin looked about him. "And what is wrong with that?""Nothing," said the regent,  "except that outside this room are five policeguards,  well  armed and  ready  to shoot.  I  don't think  you can  leave,Hardin."The mayor's  eyebrows lifted, "I have no immediate  desire to leave. Do youthen fear me so much?""I  don't fear  you  at all.  But this  may  serve to  impress you  with mydetermination. Shall we call it a gesture?""Call  it  what  you  please," said  Hardin,  indifferently.  "I shall  notdiscommode  myself over  the  incident, whatever  you choose  to  call it.""I'm sure  that attitude will change  with time. But you  have made anothererror, Hardin,  a more  serious one. It  seems that the  planet Terminus isalmost wholly undefended.""Naturally. What  have we to fear? We threaten  no one's interest and serveall alike.""And while  remaining helpless," Wienis  went on, "you kindly  helped us toarm ourselves,  aiding us particularly in the development  of a navy of ourown,  a great  navy.  In fact,  a navy  which, since  your donation  of theImperial cruiser, is quite irresistible.""Your highness,  you are wasting time." Hardin made as  if to rise from hisseat. "If  you mean to declare  war, and are informing  me of the fact, youwill   allow   me   to   communicate   with   my   government   at   once.""Sit down,  Hardin. I am not  declaring war, and you  are not communicatingwith your government at all. When the war is fought ?not declared, Hardin,fought ? the Foundation will be informed of it in  due time by the nuclearblasts  of the  Anacreonian  navy under  the lead  of my  own son  upon theflagship, Wienis, once a cruiser of the Imperial navy."Hardin frowned. "When will all this happen?""If you're really interested,  the ships of the fleet left Anacreon exactlyfifty minutes  ago, at eleven, and the first shot will  be fired as soon asthey sight  Terminus, which  should be at  noon tomorrow. You  may consideryourself a prisoner of war.""That's  exactly what I  do consider  myself, your highness,"  said Hardin,still frowning. "But I'm disappointed."Wienis chuckled contemptuously. "Is that all?""Yes. I  had thought that the  moment of coronation ? midnight, you know ?
would be the logical time to set the fleet in motion. Evidently, you wantedto  start the  war while  you were  still regent.  It would have  been moredramatic the other way."The   regent   stared.   "What   in   Space   are   you   talking   about?""Don't you  understand?" said  Hardin, softly. "I had  set my counterstrokefor midnight."Wienis  started from  his  chair. "You  are not  bluffing  me. There  is nocounterstroke. If  you are counting  on the support of  the other kingdoms,forget   it.   Their   navies,   combined,   are  no   match   for   ours.""I know that. I don't intend firing a shot. It is simply that the word wentout a week ago that at midnight tonight, the planet Anacreon goes under theinterdict.""The interdict?""Yes.  If  you don't  understand,  I  might explain  that  every priest  inAnacreon is  going on strike, unless  I countermand the order.  But I can'twhile I'm being held incommunicado; nor do I wish to even if I weren't!" Heleaned  forward and  added, with  sudden animation,  "Do you  realize, yourhighness, that an attack on the Foundation is nothing short of sacrilege ofthe highest order?"Wienis was groping visibly for self-control. "Give me none of that, Hardin.
Save it for the mob.""My dear  Wienis, whoever do you  think I am saving  it for? I imagine thatfor the  last half hour every  temple on Anacreon has  been the center of amob listening  to a priest  exhorting them upon that  very subject. There'snot a man or  woman on Anacreon that doesn't know that their government haslaunched a  vicious, unprovoked  attack upon the center  of their religion.
But it lacks only four minutes of midnight now. You'd better go down to theballroom to  watch events. I'll be  safe here with five  guards outside thedoor."  He leaned  back in his  chair, helped  himself to another  glass ofLocris  wine,   and  gazed  at  the   ceiling  with  perfect  indifference.
Wienis suddenly furious, rushed out of the room.
A  hush had  fallen over  the elite in  the ballroom,  as a broad  path wascleared for  the throne. Lepold sat  on it now, hands  solidly on its arms,head high, face frozen. The huge chandeliers had dimmed and in the diffusedmulti-colored light from the  tiny nucleo-bulbs that bespangled the vaultedceiling, the  royal aura shone out bravely, lifting  high above his head toform a blazing coronet.
Wienis paused on the stairway. No one saw him; all eyes were on the throne.
He clenched his fists and remained where he was; Hardin would not bluff himinto action.
And then  the throne stiffed. Noiselessly, it  lifted upward ?and drifted.
Off  the  dais,  slowly   down  the  steps,  and  then  horizontally,  fivecentimetres off  the floor, it worked itself  toward the huge, open window.
At the  sound of  the deep-toned bell  that signified midnight,  it stoppedbefore the window ?and the king's aura died.
For a frozen split second, the king did not move, face twisted in surprise,without an  aura, merely human; and then the  throne wobbled and dropped tothe floor  with a  crashing thump, just  as every light in  the palace wentout.
Through the  shrieking din and confusion,  Wienis' bull voice sounded. "Getthe flares! Get the flares!"He  buffeted right and  left through the  crowd and  forced his way  to thedoor.  From  without,  palace   guards  had  streamed  into  the  darkness.
Somehow the  flares were brought back to the  ballroom; flares that were tohave been used in the gigantic torchlight procession through the streets ofthe city after the coronation.
Back to the ballroom guardsmen swarmed with torches ?blue, green, and red;where   the   strange   light    lit   up   frightened,   confused   faces.
"There  is no  harm done,"  shouted Wienis.  "Keep your places.  Power willreturn in a moment."He turned to the captain of the guard who stood stiffly at attention. "Whatis it, Captain?""Your highness," was the instant response, "the palace is surrounded by thepeople of the city.""What do they want?" snarled Wienis.
"A  priest is  at  the head.  He has  been identified  as High  Priest PolyVerisof.  He  demands the  immediate  release  of Mayor  Salvor Hardin  andcessation of  the war against the  Foundation." The report was  made in theexpressionless  tones  of  an  officer,  but  his  eyes  shifted  uneasily.
Wienis cried, "if any of the rabble attempt to pass the palace gates, blastthem out  of existence. For the moment, nothing  more. Let them howl! Therewill be an accounting tomorrow."The torches  had been distributed  now, and the ballroom  was again alight.
Wienis rushed to the  throne, still standing by the window, and dragged thestricken, wax-faced Lepold to his feet.
"Come  with  me."  He  cast one  look  out  of  the  window.  The city  waspitch-black. From  below there were  the hoarse confused cries  of the mob.
Only  toward   the  fight,  where  the   Argolid  Temple  stood  was  thereillumination.   He   swore   angrily,    and   dragged   the   king   away.
Wienis burst  into his  chambers, the five  guardsmen at his  heels. Lepoldfollowed, wide-eyed, scared speechless.
"Hardin," said Wienis, huskily,  "you are playing with forces too great foryou."The  mayor  ignored  the  speaker.  In  the  pearly  light  of  the  pocketnucleo-bulb  at his  side, he  remained quietly  seated, a  slightly ironicsmile on his face.
"Good morning,  your majesty,"  he said to  Lepold. "I congratulate  you onyour coronation.""Hardin,"  cried Wienis  again, "order  your priests  back to  their jobs."Hardin  looked up  coolly.  "Order them  yourself, Wienis,  and see  who isplaying  with forces  too great for  whom. Right  now, there's not  a wheelturning in  Anacreon. There's not  a light burning, except  in the temples.
There's not  a drop of water running, except in  the temples. On the wintryhalf of  the planet, there's not a calorie of  heat, except in the temples.
The hospitals  are taking in no  more patients. The power  plants have shutdown. All  ships are grounded. If you don't like it,  Wienis, you can orderthe priests back to their jobs. I don't wish to.""By Space, Hardin, I will. If it's to be a showdown, so be it. We'll see ifyour priests  can withstand the  army. Tonight, every temple  on the planetwill be put under army supervision.""Very  good, but  how  are you  going to  give  the orders?  Every  line ofcommunication on the planet is shut down. You'll find that neither wave norhyperwave will work. In fact, the only communicator of the planet that willwork ? outside of the temples, of course ?is  the televisor right here inthis room, and I've fitted it only for reception."Wienis struggled vainly for  breath, and Hardin continued, "If you wish youcan order  your army  into the Argolid  Temple just outside  the palace andthen use the ultrawave  sets there to contact other portions of the planet.
But if you do  that, I'm afraid the army contigent will be cut to pieces bythe mob,  and then what will  protect your palace, Wienis?  And your lives,Wienis?"Wienis said  thickly, "We can hold out, devil. We'll  last the day. Let themob howl and let the power die, but we'll hold out. And when the news comesback that  the Foundation has been taken, your  precious mob will find uponwhat vacuum their religion  has been built, and they'll desert your priestsand turn against them.  I give you until noon tomorrow, Hardin, because youcan stop  the power  on Anacreon but  you can't  stop my fleet."  His voicecroaked exultantly.  "They're on their way,  Hardin, with the great cruiseryou yourself ordered repaired, at the head."Hardin replied  lightly. "Yes, the cruiser I  myself ordered repaired ?butin my  own way. Tell me, Wienis, have you ever  heard of a hyperwave relay?
No, I see you  haven't. Well, in about two minutes you'll find out what onecan do."The  televisor flashed to  life as he  spoke, and  he amended, "No,  in twoseconds. Sit down, Wienis. and listen."