Chapter 16

Asper Argo, the Well-Beloved, Commdor of the Korellian Republic greeted hiswife's entry by a hangdog lowering of his scanty eyebrows. To her at least,his   self-adopted   epithet   did   not   apply.  Even   he   knew   that.
She said,  in a  voice as sleek  as her hair  and as cold as  her eyes, "Mygracious lord,  I understand, has finally come to  a decision upon the fateof the Foundation upstarts.""Indeed?"  said the  Commdor, sourly.  "And what  more does  your versatileunderstanding embrace?""Enough,  my  very  noble  husband. You  had  another  of your  vacillatingconsultations with your councilors. Fine advisors." With infinite scorn, "Aherd  of palsied  purblind idiots  hugging their  sterile profits  close totheir   sunken   chests  in   the   face  of   my  father's   displeasure.""And who,  my dear," was the  mild response, "is the  excellent source fromwhich your understanding understands all this?"The  Commdora laughed  shortly, "If  I told  you, my  source would  be morecorpse than source.""Well,  you'll have  your  own way,  as always."  The Commdor  shrugged andturned  away. "And  as for  your father's  displeasure: I  much fear  me itextends to a niggardly refusal to supply more ships.""More ships!" She blazed away, hotly, "And haven't you five? Don't deny it.
I know you have five; and a sixth is promised.""Promised for the last year.""But one ?just  one ?can blast that Foundation into stinking rubble. Justone!   One,   to  sweep   their   little   pygmy  boats   out  of   space.""I couldn't attack their planet, even with a dozen.""And  how long  would their planet  hold out  with their trade  ruined, andtheir  cargoes of  toys and  trash destroyed?"  "Those toys and  trash meanmoney," he sighed. "A good deal of money.""But  if  you  had  the  Foundation  itself,  would  you not  have  all  itcontained'? And if you had my father's respect and gratitude, would you nothave more than ever  the Foundation could give you? It's been three years ?
more  ? since that  barbarian  came  with his  magic  sideshow. It's  longenough.""My dear!" The Commdor turned and faced her. "I am growing old. I am weary.
I lack  the resilience to withstand  your rattling mouth. You  say you knowthat I  have decided.  Well, I have. It  is over, and there  is war betweenKorell and the Foundation.""Well!" The Commdora's figure  expanded and her eyes sparkled, "You learnedwisdom at last, though  in your dotage. And now when you are master of thishinterland, you  may be sufficiently  respectable to be of  some weight andimportance  in the  Empire. For  one thing,  we might leave  this barbarousworld and attend the viceroy's court. Indeed we might."She swept out, with a smile, and a hand on her hip. Her hair gleamed in thelight.
The Commdor  waited, and then said to the  closed door, with malignance andhate,  "And when  I am  master of what  you call  the hinterland, I  may besufficiently  respectable to  do  without your  father's arrogance  and hisdaughter's tongue. Completely ?without!"