Another figure stepped closer to Hari. The headman of the Earthling tribe. Though his accent was still quaint and thick, Hari found his speech understandable.
“There ees still time for families to settle their affeers. Please goh on, sir.” The lanky Terran nodded at Mors Planch.
Hari felt a twinge of irritation, for this was really none of the Earthling’s business, but Gornon cut in first, glowering at the Earther.
“What doyou know of such matters? It is time to prepare! Note how the luminance grows brighter even as we speak.”
Through the crack in the sarcophagus, Hari saw that the glow was indeed more intense. Biron Maserd stepped back from the forward edge of the platform and gestured within.
“There is something expanding outward from that building! Like a sphere made of some liquid metal. It’s coming closer!”
“Are we safe standing here?” Horis Antic asked nervously.
R. Gornon replied, “It has never expanded beyond the boundaries of the sarcophagus. It will not touch those standing on the platform.”
“And what about Hari Seldon?” asked the cyborg robot, Zorma. “Will it be safe for him to enter that thing?”
Gornon let out a sigh of emulated frustration.
“We’ve performed calibration experiments for the lastthousand years. Professor Seldon will experience a gentle, instantaneous transition to the chosen future era-a time just a few centuries from now, when decisions must be made that will affect all of human destiny.”
Mors Planch murmured-”A few centuries…” Then he took a step toward Hari. “Well, Professor Seldon. Do we have a deal?”
Hari glanced at Wanda, hoping for a nod, but instead she shook her head.
“I cannot read the secret in his mind, Grandfather. There is something complex about his brain. Recall how hard I fought yesterday, just to keep him standing still? Still, I’m sure we’ll find out where he’s hidden Bellis. It will just take time, working on him in private.”
Hari didn’t like the last part of her statement.
Perhaps striking a deal would be better. I could depart this world with a clear conscience.
Before Hari could speak, however, Planch let out a roar. He raised both manacled hands and charged.
Swift as lightning, R. Gornon Vlimt grabbed Hari and swung him out of the way. But in that blurred instant, Hari realized thathe was not the pirate captain’s target. By seeming to attack Hari, Planch kept Gornon busy in reflex protective mode, clearing the way for his real goal.
Mors Planch took four rapid steps toward Biron Maserd, standing at the platform’s edge. The nobleman tensed, preparing to fight-then, in an instant’s realization, he hopped nimbly out of the way.
Screaming a cry filled with both fear and exultation, Planch leaped off the parapet into the opal light. Hurtling across empty space, his body collided with a slowly expanding sphere that rippled like liquid mercury…and vanished within.
As Hari stared, the mirror ball kept expanding, inexorably approaching the place where he stood. No one spoke until Gornon Vlimt commented with an impassive voice, “We shall have to be certain he is greeted with compassion, in five centuries’ time. By that point, he will not be able to alter destiny, but we must make sure he doesn’t harm Professor Seldon when he emerges on the other side.”
Hari felt a wash of emotions-admiration for the spacer captain’s courage, plus despair over having lost a clue to his other granddaughter’s whereabouts. R. Gornon’s stoic pragmatism aside, Hari looked at the expanding space-time anomaly with growing dread.
The next person to speak was the Earthling headman. This time his accent was softer, easier to understand.
“It is true that someone must be waiting here on Earth to greet Mors Planch, but we needn’t fear for the safety of Hari Seldon.”
“And why is that?” asked Cloudia, the cyborg who had begun life as a human woman.
“Because Hari Seldon is not taking this journey. Not tonight. Not ever.“
Now everyone focused their complete attention on the Earthling, who stood up taller, erasing the stooped posture that most Terrans manifested. Wanda stared at the lanky man, then gasped a cry of realization. Zorma was next to react, uttering an oath.
Lacking mentalic powers, Hari was slower to catch on. Still, he found something familiar about the headman’s voice tones, and the way he now held himself-resembling Prometheus, whose laborious agonies never ended.
Hari whispered a single word, “Daneel. “
R. Gornon Vlimt nodded, his face as impassive as ever.
“Olivaw. You have been here quite some time, I presume?”
The robot who had disguised himself as an Earthling nodded.
“Of course, I’ve long known about the experiments your group was performing here. I could not destroy the time anomaly, but we’ve been monitoring the locale. I arranged years ago to become a figure of importance to the local Earthling tribes, who respond enthusiastically to my influence. When they reported fresh activity at this site, I combined that with tales of Hari’s abduction and reached the obvious conclusion.”
Daneel Olivaw turned to Hari.
“I am sorry, old friend. You’ve gone through terrible trials, at a time when you should relax, in peaceful knowledge of your accomplishments. I would have been here sooner, and hoped to catch up with you on Pengia. But there were sudden problems with some of the Calvinian sects, renewing their fight for the pure old religion, who want to destroy the Seldon Plan at all costs. Defeating them took some time. I hope you will forgive the delay.”
Forgive?Hari wondered what there was to forgive. True, he had been used. By Giskardians and Calvinians, and Ktlinans…and by several other factions, both human and robotic. Yet, in adamant honesty, he confessed to himself that the last few weeks had been more fun than anything else that happened in his life since he became important to galactic affairs. Since before he ever became First Minister of the Empire…back when he and Dors were young adventurers inserting their thoughts into the minds of primitive creatures, living the wild and free lives of chimpanzees.
“That’s all right, Daneel. I figured all along that you would show up and spare me the angst of making this decision.”
“I appeal to you, Olivaw,” said R. Gornon Vlimt. “As one whom you trusted for so many millennia, please allow us to continue tonight’s work.”
Daneel made eye contact with Gornon.
“You know that I honor the memories of our comradeship. I recall innumerable battles we fought, side by side, during the robotic civil wars. The Zeroth Law never had a stronger champion than you.”
“Then cannot you believe that I’m doing all of this for humanity’s long-range good?”
“I can, indeed,” Daneel replied. “But centuries ago, we disagreed over what that long-range good should be. With matters at a critical juncture, I cannot let you interfere.”
This brought a reaction from Hari.
“What interference, Daneel? Everything occurred to your benefit. Take the ancient archives and the terraforming machines-you sensed they might pose a danger, after the old empire collapses. During the age that follows, they might be discovered at random and destabilize the planned transition. You already decided to destroy them, under the Zeroth Law. But some of your compatriots were uncomfortable with the positronic dissonance that caused. By giving my permission, I made it easier for your followers to act.” He glanced at Wanda, and saw her shiver briefly at his mention of the archives. She, too, understood how dangerous they were. How they had to be destroyed.
“And when the agents of chaos found us there, in the nebula-” Hari continued, “-Planch said it was because of some unknown informant aboard our ship, who told them where to find us. But I’m guessing it might have beenyou, Daneel, using the lure of the archives to draw all the Ktlina agents toward one place, eliminating the threat posed by this century’s worst chaos world.”