Foundation and Earth

"But that's the fault of our language," said Bliss, "and not of Fallom. No human language has been devised with hermaphroditism in mind. And I'm glad you brought it up, because I've been thinking about it myself. Saying 'it,' as Bander itself insisted on doing, is no solution. That is a pronoun intended for objects to which sex is irrelevant, and there is no pronoun at all for objects that are sexually active in both senses. Why not just pick one of the pronouns arbitrarily, then? I think of Fallom as a girl. She has the high voice of one, for one thing, and she has the capacity of producing young, which is the vital definition of femininity. Pelorat has agreed; why don't you do so, too? Let it be 'she' and 'her.' "

Trevize shrugged. "Very well. It will sound peculiar to point out that she has testicles, but very well."

Bliss sighed. "You do have this annoying habit of trying to turn everything into a joke, but I know you are under tension and I'll make allowance for that. Just use the feminine pronoun for Fallom, please."

"I will." Trevize hesitated, then, unable to resist, said, "Fallom seems more your surrogate-child every time I see you together. Is it that you want a child and don't think Janov can give you one?"

Bliss's eyes opened wide. "He's not there for children! Do you think I use him as a handy device to help me have a child? It is not time for me to have a child, in any case. And when it is time, it will have to be a Gaian child, something for which Pel doesn't qualify."

"You mean Janov will have to be discarded?"

"Not at all. A temporary diversion, only. It might even be brought about by artificial insemination."

"I presume you can only have a child when Gaia's decision is that one is necessary; when there is a gap produced by the death of an already-existing, Gaian human fragment."

"That is an unfeeling way of putting it, but it is true enough. Gaia must be well proportioned in all its parts and relationships."

"As in the case of the Solarians."

Bliss's lips pressed together and her face grew a little white. "Not at all. '' The Solarians produce more than they need and destroy the excess. We produce just what we need and there is never a necessity of destroying-as you replace the dying outer layers of your skin by just enough new growth for renewal and by not one cell more."

"I see what you mean," said Trevize. "I hope, by the way, that you are considering Janov's feelings."

"In connection with a possible child for me? That has never come up for discussion; nor will it."

"No, I don't mean that. It strikes me you are becoming more and more interested in Fallom. Janov may feel neglected."

"He's not neglected, and he is as interested in Fallom as I am. She is another point of mutual involvement that draws us even closer together. Can it be that you are the one who feels neglected?"

"I?" He was genuinely surprised.

"Yes, you. I don't understand Isolates any more than you understand Gaia, but I have a feeling that you enjoy being the central point of attention on this ship, and you may feel cut out by Fallom."

"That's foolish."

"No more foolish than your suggestion that I am neglecting Pel."

"Then let's declare a truce and stop. I'll try to view Fallom as a girl, and I shall not worry excessively about you being inconsiderate of Janov's feelings."

Bliss smiled. "Thank you. All is well, then."

Trevize turned away, and Bliss then said, "Wait!"

Trevize turned back and said, just a bit wearily, "Yes?"

"It's quite clear to me, Trevize, that you're sad and depressed. I am not going to probe your mind, but you might be willing to tell me what's wrong. Yesterday, you said there was an appropriate planet in this system and you seemed quite pleased. It's still there, I hope. The finding hasn't turned out to be mistaken, has it?"

"There's an appropriate planet in the system, and it's still there," said Trevize.

"Is it the right size?"

Trevize nodded. "Since it's appropriate, it's of the right size. And it's at the right distance from the star as well."

"Well, then, what's wrong?"

"We're close enough now to analyze the atmosphere. It turns out that it has none to speak of."

"No atmosphere?"

"None to speak of. It's a nonhabitable planet, and there is no other circling the sun that has even the remotest capacity for habitability. We have come up with zero on this third attempt."

62.

PELORAT, looking grave, was clearly unwilling to intrude on Trevize's unhappy silence. He watched from the door of the pilot-room, apparently hoping that Trevize would initiate a conversation.

Trevize did not. If ever a silence seemed stubborn, his did.

And finally, Pelorat could stand it no longer, and said, in a rather timid way, "What are we doing?"

Trevize looked up, stared at Pelorat for a moment, turned away, and then said, "We're zeroing in on the planet."

"But since there's no atmosphere-"