Foundation and Empire 23. The Ruins Of Trantor

The location of an objective upon the commodious mankind of Trantor presents a problem unusual in the Galaxy. at that place are no continents or oceans to locate from a thousand miles distance. in that respect are no rivers, lakes, and islands to catch sight of through with(predicate) the cloud rifts.The metal-covered world was had been one colossal city, and alone the old over-embellished palace could be identified readily from outer space by a curiousr. The Bayta circled the world at almost circulate-car height in restate painful search.From polar regions, where the icy coating of the metal spires were somber turn up of the breakdown or neglect of the weather-conditioning machinery, they worked southwards. Occasionally they could experi manpowert with the cor dealings -(or presumable correlations)- between what they motto and what the inadequate map obtained at Neotrantor showed.But it was unmistakable when it came. The initiative in the metal coat of the planet was fifty miles. The unusual verdancy spread over hundreds of square miles, inclosing the mighty grace of the ancient majestic residences.The Bayta hovered and slowly oriented itself. There were only the huge supercauseways to guide them. prospicient straight arrows on the map, smooth, gleaming ribbons there below them.What the map indicated to be the University area was reached by dead reckoning, and upon the flat area of what once must(prenominal) hold in been a busy landing-field, the institutionalise lowered itself.It was only as they submerged into the welter of metal that the smooth beauty apparent from the air dissolved into the broken, twisted near-wreckage that had been left in the wake of the Sack. Spires were truncated, smooth walls gouted and twisted, and mediocre for an instant there was the glimpse of a shaven area of hide perhaps several hundred acres in extent dingy and plowed.Lee Senter waited as the ship settled downward cautiously. It was a strange ship, n ot from Neotrantor, and inwardly he sighed. Strange ships and confused dealings with the men of outer space could mean the end of the short days of peace, a return to the old grandiose times of death and battle. Senter was leader of the sort the old books were in his charge and he had read of those old days. He did not want them.Perhaps ten minutes spent themselves as the strange ship came down to nestle upon the flatness, simply long memories shortened themselves in that time. There was low gear the great farm of his childhood that remained in his mind merely as busy crowds of wad. Then there was the travel of the schoolboyish families to rising lands. He was ten, then an only child, puzzled, and frightened.Then the new buildings the great metal slabs to be uprooted and tom aside the exposed solid ground to be turned, and freshened, and invigorated neighboring buildings to be tom down and leveled others to be transformed to living quarters.There were crops to be give ris en and harvested peaceful relations with neighboring farms to be established-There was growth and expansion, and the quiet efficiency of self-rule. There was the coming of a new generation of hard, little youngsters born to the soil. There was the great day when he was chosen leader of the Group and for the first time since his eighteenth birthday he did not shave and saw the first stubble of his Leaders Beard appear.And now the Galaxy might burst out and put an end to the brief idyll of isolation-The ship landed. He watched wordlessly as the port opened. Four emerged, cautious and watchful. There were three men, varied, old, young, slenderize and beaked. And a woman striding among them like an equal. His hand left the two shiny black tufts of his buy upd as he stepped forward.He gave the universal move of peace. Both hands were before him hard, calloused palms upward. The young man approached two steps and duplicated the gesture. I come in peace.The accent was strange, but t he spoken language were understandable, and welcome. He replied, deeply, In peace be it. You are welcome to the hospitality of the Group. Are you hungry? You shall eat. Are you thirsty? You shall drink.Slowly, the reply came, We thank you for your kindness, and shall bear good report of your Group when we return to our world.A queer answer, but good. Behind him, the men of the Group were smiling, and from the recesses of the surrounding structures, the women emerged.In his own quarters, he removed the locked, mirror-walled box from its hidden place, and offered each of the guests the long, plump cigars that were reserved for great occasions. Before the woman, he hesitated. She had taken a seat among the men. The strangers evidently allowed, as yet expected, such effrontery. Stiffly, he offered the box.She accepted one with a smile, and drew in its aromatic smoke, with all the relish one could expect. Lee Senter repressed a scandalized emotion.The stiff conversation, in advance of the meal, touched politely upon the subject of fanning on Trantor.It was the old man who asked, What about hydroponics? Surely, for such a world as Trantor, hydroponics would be the answer.Senter shook his head slowly. He matte up uncertain. His knowledge was the unfamiliar matter of the books he had read, Artificial fanning in chemicals, I think? No, not on Trantor. This hydroponics requires a world of industy for instance, a great chemical industry. And in war or disaster, when industry breaks down, the people starve. Nor can all pabulums be grown artificially. Some lose their food value. The soil is cheaper, still better always more dependable.And your food submit is sufficient?Sufficient perhaps monotonous. We have fowl that supply eggs, and milk-yielders for our dairy farm products but our meat supply rests upon our foreign trade.Trade. The young man seemed roused to jerky interest. You trade then. But what do you export?Metal, was the curt answer. Look for yourself. We have an infinite supply, ready processed. They come from Neotrantor with ships, demolish an indicated area-increasing our growing space and guide us in exchange meat, canned fruit, food concentrates, farm machinery and so on. They carry off the metal and both sides profit.They feasted on bread and cheese, and a vegetable stew that was unreservedly delicious. It was over the dessert of frosted fruit, the only imported item on the menu, that, for the first time, the Outlanders became other than mere guests. The young man produced a map of Trantor.Calmly, Lee Senter studied it. He listened and state gravely, The University Grounds are a static area. We farmers do not grow crops on it. We do not, by preference, even enter it. It is one of our a few(prenominal) relics of another time we would keep undisturbed. We are seekers after knowledge. We would disturb nothing. Our ship would be our hostage. The old man offered this eagerly, feverishly.I can take you there then, said Senter.T hat night the strangers slept, and that night Lee Senter sent a substance to Neotrantor.