Foundation and Earth

Pelorat hesitated for no more than a moment. "Bliss will understand," he said. "She will, in any case, be better off without me-after a while."

Daneel shook his head. "Your offer, Dr. Pelorat, is a generous one, but I cannot accept it. Your brain is an old one and it cannot survive for more than two or three decades at best, even in a merger with my own. I need something else. See!" He pointed and said, "I've called her back."

Bliss was returning, walking happily, with a bounce to her steps.

Pelorat rose convulsively to his feet. "Bliss! Oh no!"

"Do not be alarmed, Dr. Pelorat," said Daneel. "I cannot use Bliss. That would merge me with Gaia, and I must remain independent of Gaia, as I have already explained."

"But in that case," said Pelorat, "who-"

And Trevize, looking at the slim figure running after Bliss, said, "The robot has wanted Fallom all along, Janov."

103.

Brass returned, smiling, clearly in a state of great pleasure.

"We couldn't pass beyond the bounds of the estate," she said, "but it all reminded me very much of Solaria. Fallom, of course, is convinced it is Solaria. I asked her if she didn't think that Daneel had an appearance different from that of Jemby-after all, Jemby was metallic-and Fallom said, 'No, not really.' I don't know what she meant by 'not really."'

She looked across to the middle distance where Fallom was now playing her flute for a grave Daneel, whose head nodded in time. The sound reached them, thin, clear, and lovely.

"Did you know she took the flute with her when we left the ship?" asked Bliss. "I suspect we won't be able to get her away from Daneel for quite a while."

The remark was met with a heavy silence, and Bliss looked at the two men in quick alarm. "What's the matter?"

Trevize gestured gently in Pelorat's direction. It was up to him, the gesture seemed to say.

Pelorat cleared his throat and said, "Actually, Bliss, I think that Fallom will be staying with Daneel permanently."

"Indeed?" Bliss, frowning, made as though to walk in Daneel's direction, but Pelorat caught her arm. "Bliss dear, you can't. He's more powerful than Gaia even now, and Fallom must stay with him if Galaxia is to come into existence. Let me explain-and, Golan, please correct me if I get anything wrong."

Bliss listened to the account, her expression sinking into something close to despair.

Trevize said, in an attempt at cool reason, "You see how it is, Bliss. The child is a Spacer and Daneel was designed and put together by Spacers. The child was brought up by a robot and knew nothing else on an estate as empty as this one. The child has transductive powers which Daneel will need, and she will live for three or four centuries, which may be what is required for the construction of Galaxia."

Bliss said, her cheeks flushed and her eyes moist, "I suppose that the robot maneuvered our trip to Earth in such a way as to make us pass through Solaria in order to pick up a child for his use."

Trevize shrugged. "He may simply have taken advantage of the opportunity. I don't think his powers are strong enough at the moment to make complete puppets of us at hyperspatial distances."

"No. It was purposeful. He made certain that I would feel strongly attracted to the child so that I would take her with me, rather than leave her to be killed; that I would protect her even against you when you showed nothing but resentment and annoyance at her being with us."

Trevize said, "That might just as easily have been your Gaian ethics, which Daneel could have strengthened a bit, I suppose. Come, Bliss, there's nothing to be gained. Suppose you could take Fallom away. Where could you then take her that would make her as happy as she is here? Would you take her back to Solaria where she would be killed quite pitilessly; to some crowded world where she would sicken and die; to Gaia, where she would wear her heart out longing for Jemby; on an endless voyage through the Galaxy, where she would think that every world we came across was her Solaria? And would you find a substitute for Daneel's use so that Galaxia could be constructed?"

Bliss was sadly silent.

Pelorat held out his hand to her, a bit timidly. "Bliss," he said, "I volunteered to have my brain fused with Daneel's. He wouldn't take it because he said I was too old. I wish he had, if that would have saved Fallom for you."

Bliss took his hand and kissed it. "Thank you, Pel, but the price would be too high, even for Fallom." She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. "Perhaps, when we get back to Gaia, room will be found in the global organism for a child for me-and I will place Fallom in the syllables of its name."

And now Daneel, as though aware that the matter was settled, was walking toward them, with Fallom skipping along at his side.