Forward the Foundation

"Don't tell me anything. You can tell it in court."

Wanda said in a sweet small voice, "Officer, if you will just listen to us-"

The officer said, "You go along home, young lady."

Wanda drew herself up. "I most certainly won't, Officer. Where my grandfather goes, there go I." Her eyes flashed and the security officer muttered, "Well, come along, then."

18

Seldon was enraged. "I've never been in custody before in my entire life. A couple of months ago eight men assaulted me. I was able to fight them off with the help of my son, but while that was going on was there a security officer in sight? Did people stop to help me? No. This time, I'm better prepared and I knocked a man flat who had been about to assault me. Was there a security officer in sight? Absolutely. She put the collar on me. There were people watching, too, and they were amused at seeing an old man being taken in for assault and battery. What kind of world do we live on?"

Civ Novker, Seldon's lawyer, sighed and said calmly, "A corrupt world, but don't worry. Nothing will happen to you. I'll get you out on bail and then, eventually, you'll come back for trial before a jury of your peers and the most you'll get-the very most-are some hard words from the bench. Your age and your reputation-"

"Forget my reputation," said Seldon, still angry. "I'm a psychohistorian and, at the present time, that is a dirty word. They'll be glad to see me in jail."

"No, they won't," said Novker. "There may be some screwballs who have it in for you, but I'll see to it that none of them gets on the jury."

Wanda said, "Do we really have to subject my grandfather to all this? He's not a young man anymore. Can't we just appear before the magistrate and not bother with a jury trial?"

The lawyer turned to her. "It can be done. If you're insane, maybe. Magistrates are impatient power-mad people who would just as soon put a person into jail for a year as listen to him. No one goes up before a magistrate."

"I think we should," said Wanda.

Seldon said, "Well now, Wanda, I think we ought to listen to Civ-" But as he said that, he felt a strong churning in his abdomen. It was Wanda's "push." Seldon said, "Well-if you insist."

"She can't insist," said the lawyer. "I won't allow it."

Wanda said, "My grandfather is your client. If he wants something done his way, you've got to do it."

"I can refuse to represent him."

"Well then, leave," said Wanda sharply, "and we'll face the magistrate alone."

Novker thought and said, "Very well, then-if you're going to be so adamant. I've represented Hari for years and I suppose I won't abandon him now. But I warn you, the chances are he'll get a jail sentence and I'll have to work like the devil to get it lifted-if I can do it.at all."

"I'm not afraid," said Wanda.

Seldon bit his lip and the lawyer turned to him. "What about you? Are you willing to let your granddaughter call the shots?"

Seldon thought a bit, then admitted, much to the old lawyer's surprise, "Yes. Yes, I am."

19

The magistrate looked sourly at Seldon as he gave his story.

The magistrate said, "What makes you think it was the intention of this man you struck to attack you? Did he strike you? Did he threaten you? Did he in any way place you under bodily fear?"

"My granddaughter was aware of his approach and was quite certain that he was planning to attack me."

"Surely, sir, that cannot be enough. Is there anything else you can tell me before I pass judgment?"

"Well now, wait a while," said Seldon indignantly. "Don't pass judgment so quickly. I was assaulted a few weeks ago by eight men whom I held off with the help of my son. So, you see, I have reason to think that I might be assaulted again."

The magistrate shuffled his papers. "Assaulted by eight men. Did you report that?"

"There were no security officers around. Not one."

"Aside from the point. Did you report it?"

"No, sir."

"Why not?"

"For one thing, I was afraid of getting into long drawn-out legal proceedings. Since we had driven off eight men and were safe, it seemed useless to ask for more trouble."

"How did you manage to ward off eight men just you and your son?"

Seldon hesitated. "My son is now on Santanni and outside Trantorian control. Thus, I can tell you that he had Dahlite knives and was expert in their use. He killed one man and badly hurt two others. The rest ran, carrying off the dead and wounded."

"But did you not report the death of a man and the wounding of two others?"

"No, sir. Same reason as before. And we fought in self-defense. However, if you can track down the three dead and wounded, you will have evidence that we were attacked."