Robots and Empire (Page 19)

"I see your point, sir."

Baley remained in thoughtful silence for a moment, then said, in very nearly a whisper as though dreading being overheard, "Who knows of your abilities?"

"Among human beings only yourself – and you cannot mention it to others."

"I know well I can’t. The point is, though, that it is you, not Fastolfe, who has engineered the turnaround that has made every official with whom you’ve come in contact a proponent of emigration. And it is to bring that about that you arranged to have Fastolfe take you, rather than Daneel, to Earth with him – you were essential and Daneel might have been a distraction."

Giskard said, "I felt it necessary to keep personnel to a minimum in order to avoid making my task harder by abrading the sensitivities of Earthpeople. I regret, sir, Daneel’s absence. I fully sense your disappointment at not being able to greet him."

"Well – " Baley shook his head. "I understand the necessity and I rely on your explaining to Daneel that I badly missed him. In any case, I am still making my point. If Earth embarks on a great policy of world settlement and if the Spacers are left behind in the race to expand, the responsibility for that – and therefore for the crisis that will inevitably arise – will be yours. You must, for that reason, feel it your further responsibility to use your abilities to protect Earth when the crisis comes."

"I will do what I can, sir."

"And should you succeed there, Amadiro – or his followers – may turn on Gladia. You must not forget to protect her, too.

"Daneel and I will not forget."

"Thank you, Giskard."

And they parted.

When Giskard, following Fastolfe, entered the module to begin the voyage back to Aurora, he saw Baley once again. This time there was no opportunity to speak to him.

Baley waved and mouthed one soundless word: "Remember."

Giskard sensed the word and, in addition, the emotion behind it.

After that, Giskard never saw Baley again. Never.

13

Giskard had never found it possible to flip through the sharp images of that one visit to Earth, without then following it with the images of the key visit to Amadiro at the Institute of Robotics.

It had not been an easy conference to arrange. Amadiro, with the bitterness of defeat heavy upon him, would not exacerbate his humiliation by going to Fastolfe’s establishment.

"Well, then," Fastolfe had said to Giskard. "I can afford to be magnanimous in victory. I will go to him. Besides, I must see him."

Fastolfe had been a member of the Institute of Robotics since Baley had made possible the crushing of Amadiro and of his political ambitions. In return, Fastolfe had passed over to the Institute all the data for the building and maintenance of humaniform robots. A number had been manufactured and then the project had come to an end and Fastolfe had chafed.

It had been Fastolfe’s intention, at first, to arrive at the Institute without any robot companion. He would have placed himself, without protection and (so to speak) naked, into the midst of what was still the stronghold of the enemy’s camp. It would have been a sign of humility and trust, but it would also have been an indication of complete selfconfidence and Amadiro would have understood that. Fastolfe, entirely alone, would be demonstrating his certainty that Amadiro, with all the resources of the Institute at his command, would not dare to touch his single enemy coming carelessly and defenselessly within reach of his fist.

And yet in the end, Fastolfe, not quite knowing how, chose to have Giskard accompany him.

Amadiro seemed to have lost a little weight since last Fastolfe had seen him, but he was still a formidable specimen; tall and heavyset. He lacked the self-confident smile that had once been his hallmark and when he attempted it at Fastolfe’s entrance, it seemed more like a snarl that faded into a look of somber dissatisfaction.

"Well, Kelden," said Fastolfe, making free with the other’s familiar name, "we don’t see each other often, despite the fact that we have now been colleagues for four years."

"Let’s not have any false bonhomie, Fastolfe," said Amadiro in a clearly annoyed and low-pitched growl, "and address me as Amadiro. We are not colleagues except in name and I make no secret – and never have – of my belief that your foreign policy is suicidal for us."

Three of Amadiro’s robots, large and gleaming, were present and Fastolfe studied them with raised eyebrows, "You are well protected, Amadiro, against one man of peace together with his single robot."

"They will not attack you, Fastolfe, as you well know. But why did you bring Giskard? Why not your masterpiece, Daneel?"

"Would it be safe to bring Daneel within your reach, Amadiro?"

"I take it you intend that as humor. I no longer need Daneel. We build our own humaniforms."

"On the basis of my design."

"With improvements."

"And yet you do not use the humaniforms. That is why I have come to see you. I know that my position in the Institute is a name-only thing and that even my presence is unwelcome, let alone my opinions and recommendations. However, I must, as an Institute member, protest your failure to use the humaniforms."

"How do you wish me to use them?"

"The intention was to have the humaniforms open up new worlds into which Spacers could eventually emigrate, after those worlds had been terraformed and made completely habitable, wasn’t it?"

"But that was something you opposed, Fastolfe, wasn’t it?"

Fastolfe said, "Yes, I did. I wanted Spacers themselves to emigrate to new worlds and to do their own terraforming. That, however, is not happening and, I now see, is not likely to happen. Let us send the humaniforms, then. That would be better than nothing."