Isaac Asimov - Robots and Empire

“And what is that. A greater nobility?”

“Of course not. We’re no more noble than Spacers are. What we’ve got is the Earth. It’s our world. Every Settler visits Earth as often as he can. Every Settler knows that there is a world, a large, advanced world, with an incredibly rich history and cultural variety and ecological complexity that is his or hers and to which he or she belongs. The Settler worlds might quarrel with each other, but the quarrel cannot possibly result in violence or in a permanent breach of relations, for the Earth government is automatically called in to mediate all problems and its decision is sufficient and unquestioned.

“Those are our three advantages, Gladia: the lack of robots, something that allows us to build new worlds with our own hands; the rapid succession of generations, which makes for constant change; and, most of all, the Earth, which gives us our central core.”

Gladia said urgently, “But the Spacers—” and she stopped.

D.G. smiled and said with an edge of bitterness, “Were you going to say that the Spacers are also descended from Earthpeople and that it is their planet, too? Factually true, but psychologically false. The Spacers have done their best to deny their heritage. They don’t consider themselves Earthmen once-removed—or any-number-removed. If I were a mystic, I would say that by cutting themselves away from their roots, the Spacers cannot survive long. Of course, I’m not a mystic so I don’t put it that way—but they cannot survive long, just the same. I believe that.”

Then, after a short pause, he added, with a somewhat troubled—kindness, as though he realized that in his exultation he was striking a sensitive spot within her, “But please think of yourself as a human being, Gladia, rather than as a Spacer, and I will think of myself as a human being, rather than as a Settler. Humanity will survive, whether it will be in the form of Settlers or Spacers or both. I believe it will be in the form of Settlers only, but I may be wrong.”

“No,” said Gladia, trying to be unemotional. “I think you’re right—unless somehow people learn to stop making the Spacer/Settler distinction. It is my goal—to help people do that.”

“However,” said D.G., glancing at the dim time strip that circled the wall, “I delay your dinner. May I eat with you?”

“Certainly,” said Gladia.

D.G. rose to his feet. “Then I’ll go get it. I’d send Daneel or Giskard, but I don’t ever want to get into the habit of ordering robots about. Besides, however much the crew adores you, I don’t think their adoration extends to your robots.”

Gladia did not actually enjoy the meal when D.G. brought it. She did not seem to grow accustomed to the lack of subtlety in its flavors that might be the heritage of Earth cooking of yeast for mass consumption, but then, neither was it particularly repulsive. She ate stolidly.

D.G., noting her lack of enthusiasm, said, “The food doesn’t upset you, I hope?”

She shook her head. “No. Apparently, I’m acclimated. I had some unpleasant episodes when I first got on the ship, but nothing really severe.”

“I’m glad of that, but, Gladia—”

“Yes?”

“Can you suggest no reason why the Auroran government should want you back so urgently? It can’t be your handling of the overseer and it can’t be your speech. The request was sent out well before they could have known of either.”

“In that case, D.G.,” Gladia said sadly, “they can’t possibly want me for anything. They never have.”

“But there must be something. As I told you, the message arrived in the name of the Chairman of the Council of Aurora.”

“This particular Chairman at this particular time is thought to be rather a figurehead.”

“Oh? Who stands behind him? Kelden Amadiro?”

“Exactly. You know of him, then.”

“Oh, yes,” said D.G. grimly, “the center of anti-Earth fanaticism. The man who was politically smashed by Dr. Fastolfe twenty decades ago survives to threaten us again. There’s an example of the dead hand of longevity.”

“But there’s the puzzle, too.” Gladia said. “Amadiro is a vengeful man. He knows that it was Elijah Baley who was the cause of that defeat you speak of and Amadiro believes I shared responsibility. His dislike—extreme dislike—extends to me. If the Chairman wants me, that can only be because Amadiro wants me—and why should Amadiro want me? He would rather get rid of me. That’s probably why he sent me along with you to Solaria. Surely he expected your ship would be destroyed—and me along with it. And that would not have pained him at all.”

“No uncontrollable tears, eh?” said D.G. thoughtfully.

“But surely that’s not what you were told. No one said to you, ‘Go with this mad Trader because it would give us pleasure to have you killed.’”

“No. They said that you wanted my help badly and that it was politic to cooperate with the Settler worlds at the moment and that it would do Aurora a great deal of good if I would report back to them on all that occurred on Solaria once I returned.”

“Yes, they would say so. They might even have meant it to some extent. Then, when—against all their expectations—our ship got off safely while an Auroran ship was destroyed, they might well have wanted a firsthand account of what happened. Therefore, when I took you to Baleyworld instead of back to Aurora, they would scream for your return. That might possibly be it. By now, of course, they know the story, so they might no longer want you though”—he was talking to himself rather than to Gladia—“what they know is what they picked up from Baleyworld hypervision and they may not choose to accept that at face value. And yet—”

“And yet what, D.G.?”

“Somehow instinct tells me that their message could not have been sparked only by their desire to have you report. The forcefulness of the demand, it seems to me, went beyond that.”

“There’s nothing else they can want. Nothing ,” said Gladia.

“I wonder,” said D.G.

“I wonder as well,” said Daneel from his wall niche that night.

“You wonder concerning what, friend Daneel?” asked Giskard.

“I wonder concerning the true significance of the message from Aurora demanding Lady Gladia. To me, as to the captain, a desire for a report seems a not altogether sufficient motivation.”

“Have you an alternate suggestion?”

“I have a thought, friend Giskard.”

“May I know it, friend Daneel?”

“It has occurred to me that, in demanding the return of Madam Gladia, the Auroran Council may expect to see more than they ask for—and it may not be Madam Gladia they want.”

“What is there more than Madam Gladia that they will get?”

“Friend Giskard, is it conceivable that Lady Gladia will return without you and me?”

“No, but of what use to the Auroran Council would you and I be?”

“I, friend Giskard, would be of no use to them. You, however, are unique, for you can sense minds directly.”

“That is true, friend Daneel, but they do not know this.”

“Since our leaving, is it not possible that they have somehow discovered the fact and have come to regret bitterly having allowed you to leave Aurora?”

Giskard did not hesitate perceptibly. “No, it is not possible, friend Daneel. How would they have found out?”

Daneel said carefully, “I have reasoned in this fashion. You have, on your long-ago visit to Earth with Dr. Fastolfe, managed to adjust a few Earth robots so as to allow them a very limited mental capacity, merely enough to enable them to continue your work of influencing officials on Earth to look with courage and favor on the process of Settlement. So, at least, you once told me. There are, therefore, robots on Earth that are capable of mind adjusting.