Foundation and Earth

Pelorat hesitated again. "I also know that you must get tired of arguing with Bliss."

"Actually, I don't think we'll be arguing much, Janov. She and I are actually getting along quite well. We even had a reasonable discussion just the other day-no shouting, no recrimination-about her delay in inactivating the Guardian Robots. She keeps saving our lives, after all, so I can't very well offer her less than friendship, can I?"

"Yes, I see that, but I don't mean arguing, in the sense of quarreling. I mean this constant wrangle about Galaxia as opposed to individuality."

"Oh, that! I suppose that will continue-politely."

"Would you mind, Golan, if I took up the argument on her behalf?"

"Perfectly all right. Do you accept the idea of Galaxia on your own, or is it that you simply feel happier when you agree with Bliss?"

"Honestly, on my own. I think that Galaxia is what should be forthcoming. You yourself chose that course of action and I am constantly becoming more convinced that that is correct."

"Because I chose it? That's no argument. Whatever Gaia says, I may be wrong, you know. So don't let Bliss persuade you into Galaxia on that basis."

"I don't think you are wrong. Solaria showed me that, not Bliss."

"How?"

"Well, to begin with, we are Isolates, you and I"

"Her term, Janov. I prefer to think of us as individuals."

"A matter of semantics, old chap. Call it what you will, we are enclosed in our private skins surrounding our private thoughts, and we think first and foremost of ourselves. Self-defense is our first law of nature, even if that means harming everyone else in existence."

"People have been known to give their lives for others."

"A rare phenomenon. Many more people have been known to sacrifice the dearest needs of others to some foolish whim of their own."

"And what has that to do with Solaria?"

"Why, on Solaria, we see what Isolates-or individuals, if you prefer-can become. The Solarians can hardly bear to divide a whole world among themselves. They consider living a life of complete isolation to be perfect liberty.

They have no yearning for even their own offspring, but kill them if there are too many. They surround themselves with robot slaves to which they supply the power, so that if they die, their whole huge estate symbolically dies as well. Is this admirable, Golan? Can you compare it in decency, kindness, and mutual concern with Gaia? Bliss has not discussed this with me at all. It is my own feeling."

Trevize said, "And it is like you to have that feeling, Janov. I share it. I think Solarian society is horrible, but it wasn't always like that. They are descended from Earthmen, and, more immediately, from Spacers who lived a much more normal life. The Solarians chose a path, for one reason or another, which led to an extreme, but you can't judge by extremes. In all the Galaxy, with its millions of inhabited worlds, is there one you know that now, or in the past, has had a society like that of Solaria, or even remotely like that of Solaria? And would even Solaria have such a society if it were not riddled with robots? Is it conceivable that a society of individuals could evolve to such a pitch of Solarian horror without robots?"

Pelorat's face twitched a little. "You punch holes in everything, Golan or at least I mean you don't ever seem to be at a loss in defending the type of Galaxy you voted against."

"I won't knock down everything. There is a rationale for Galaxia and when I find it, I'll know it, and I'll give in. Or perhaps, more accurately, if I find it.

"Do you think you might not?"

Trevize shrugged. "How can I say? Do you know why I'm waiting a few hours to make the Jump, and why I'm in danger of talking myself into waiting a few days?"

"You said it would be safer if we waited."

"Yes, that's what I said, but we'd be safe enough now. What I really fear is that those Spacer worlds for which we have the co-ordinates will fail us altogether. We have only three, and we've already used up two, narrowly escaping death each time. In doing so, we have still not gained any hint as to Earth's location, or even, in actual fact, Earth's existence. Now I face the third and last chance, and what if it, too, fails us?"

Pelorat sighed. "You know there are old folk tales-one, in fact, exists among those I gave Fallom to practice upon-in which someone is allowed three wishes, but only three. Three seems to be a significant number in these things, perhaps because it is the first odd number so that it is the smallest decisive number. You know, two out of three wins. The point is that in these stories, the wishes are of no use. No one ever wishes correctly, which, I have always supposed, is ancient wisdom to the effect that the satisfaction of your wants must be earned, and not-"

He fell suddenly silent and abashed. "I'm sorry, old man, but I'm wasting your time. I do tend to rattle on when I get started on my hobby."