Foundation and Earth

"From the manner in which you say that, I gather you don't believe it."

"There is no evidence that such a war took place. Common belief, even universal belief, is not, in itself, evidence."

"What else might have happened?"

"There is no evidence that anything happened. The radioactivity might be as purely invented a legend as the large satellite."

Pelorat said, "What is the generally accepted story of Earth's history? I have, during my professional career, collected a large number of origin-legends, many of them involving a world called Earth, or some name very much like that. I have none from Comporellon, nothing beyond the vague mention of a Benbally who might have come from nowhere for all that Comporellian legends say."

"That's not surprising. We don't usually export our legends and I'm astonished you have found references even to Benbally. Superstition, again."

"But you are not superstitious and you would not hesitate to talk about it, would you?"

"That's correct," said the small historian, casting his eyes upward at Pelorat. "It would certainly add greatly, perhaps even dangerously, to my unpopularity if I did, but you three are leaving Comporellon soon and I take it you will never quote me as a source."

"You have our word of honor," said Pelorat quickly.

"Then here is a summary of what is supposed to have happened, shorn of any supernaturalism or moralizing. Earth existed as the sole world of human beings for an immeasurable period and then, about twenty to twenty-five thousand years ago, the human species developed interstellar travel by way of the hyperspatial Jump and colonized a group of planets.

"The Settlers on these planets made use of robots, which had first been devised on Earth before the days of hyperspatial travel and-do you know what robots are, by the way?"

"Yes," said Trevize. "We have been asked that more than once. We know what robots are."

"The Settlers, with a thoroughly roboticized society, developed a high technology and unusual longevity and despised their ancestral world. According to more dramatic versions of their story, they dominated and oppressed the ancestral world.

"Eventually, then, Earth sent out a new group of Settlers, among whom robots were forbidden. Of the new worlds, Comporellon was among the first. Our own patriots insist it was the first, but there is no evidence of that that a Skeptic can accept. The first group of Settlers died out, and-"

Trevize said, "Why did the first set die out, Dr. Deniador?"

"Why? Usually they are imagined by our romantics as having been punished for their crimes by He Who Punishes, though no one bothers to say why He waited so long. But one doesn't have to resort to fairy tales. It is easy to argue that a society that depends totally on robots becomes soft and decadent, dwindling and dying out of sheer boredom or, more subtly, by losing the will to live.

"The second wave of Settlers, without robots, lived on and took over the entire Galaxy, but Earth grew radioactive and slowly dropped out of sight. The reason usually given for this is that there were robots on Earth, too, since the first wave had encouraged that."

Bliss, who had listened to the account with some visible impatience, said, "Well, Dr. Deniador, radioactivity or not, and however many waves of settlers there might have been, the crucial question is a simple one. Exactly where is Earth? What are its co-ordinates?"

Deniador said, "The answer to that question is: I don't know. But come, it is time for lunch. I can have one brought in, and we can discuss Earth over it for as long as you want."

"You don't know?" said Trevize, the sound of his voice rising in pitch and intensity.

"Actually, as far as I know, no one knows."

"But that is impossible."

"Councilman," said Deniador, with a soft sigh, "if you wish to call the truth impossible, that is your privilege, but it will get you nowhere."

Chapter 7 Leaving Comporellon

26.

LUNCHEON consisted of a heap of soft, crusty balls that came in different shades and that contained a variety of fillings.

Deniador picked up a small object which unfolded into a pair of thin, transparent gloves, and put them on. His guests followed suit.

Bliss said, "What is inside these objects, please?"

Deniador said, "The pink ones are filled with spicy chopped fish, a great Comporellian delicacy. These yellow ones contain a cheese filling that is very mild. The green ones contain a vegetable mixture. Do eat them while they are a quite warm. Later we will have hot almond pie and the usual beverages. I might recommend the hot cider. In a cold climate, we have a tendency to heat our foods, even desserts."

"You do yourself well," said Pelorat.

"Not really," said Deniador. "I'm being hospitable to guests. For myself, I get along on very little. I don't have much body mass to support, as you have probably noticed."