"No immediate problem, Mayor. Do not make the mistake of seeing only the results that appear at once. You can establish a Second Empire merely by proclaiming it, but you will not be able to maintain it. You will have to reconquer it every ten years."
"Then we will do so until the worlds tire, as you are tiring."
"They will not tire, any more than I will. Nor will the process continue for a very long time, for there is a second and greater danger to the Pseudo-Empire you would proclaim. Since it can be temporarily maintained only by an ever-stronger military force which will be ever-exercised, the generals of the Foundation will, for the first time, become more important and more powerful than the civilian authorities. The Pseudo-Empire will break up into military regions within which individual commanders will be supreme. There will be anarchy - and a slide back into a barbarism that may last longer than the thirty thousand years forecast by Seldon before the Seldon Plan was implemented."
"Childish threats. Even if the mathematics of the Seldon Plan predicted all this, it predicts only probabilities - not inevitabilities."
"Mayor Branno," said Gendibal earnestly. "Forget the Seldon Plan. You do not understand its mathematics and you cannot visualize its pattern. But you do not have to, perhaps. You are a tested politician; and a successful one, to judge from the post you hold; even more so, a courageous one, to judge from the gamble you are now taking. Therefore, use your political acumen. Consider the political and military history of humanity and consider it in the light of what you know of human nature - of the manner in which people, politicians, and military officers act, react, and interact - and see if I'm not right."
Branno said, "Even if you were right, Second Foundationer, it is a risk we must take. With proper leadership and with continuing technological advance - in mentalics, as well as in physics - we can overcome. Hari Seldon never calculated such advances properly. He couldn't. Where in the Plan does it allow for the development of a mentalic shield by the First Foundation? Why should we want the Plan, in any case? We will risk founding a new Empire without it. Failure without it would, after all, be better than success with it. We do not want an Empire in which we play puppets to the hidden manipulators of the Second Foundation."
"You say that only because you do not understand what failure will be like for the people of the Galaxy."
"Perhaps!" said Branno stonily. "Are you beginning to weary, Second Foundationer?"
"Not at all. - Let me propose an alternative action that you have not considered - one in which I need not surrender to you, nor you to me. - We are in the vicinity of a planet called Gaia."
"I am aware of that."
"Are you aware that it was probably the birthplace of the Mule?"
"I would want more evidence than resides in your mere statement to that effect."
"The planet is surrounded by a mentalic field. It is the home of many Mules. If you accomplish your dream of destroying the Second Foundation, you will make yourselves the slaves of this planet of Mules. What harm have Second Foundationers ever done you specific, rather than imagined or theorized harm? Now ask yourself what harm a single Mule has done you."
"I still have nothing more than your statements."
"As long as we remain here, I can give you nothing more. - I propose a truce, therefore. Keep your shield up, if you don't trust me, but be prepared to co-operate with me. Let us, together, approach this planet - and when you are convinced that it is dangerous, then I will nullify its mentalic field and you will order your ships to take possession of it."
"And then?"
"And then, at least, it will be the First Foundation against the Second Foundation, with no outside forces to be considered. The fight will then be clear whereas now, you see, we dare not fight, for both Foundations are at bay."
"Why did you not say this before?"
"I thought I might convince you that we were not enemies, so that we might co-operate. Since I have apparently failed at that, I suggest co-operation in any case."
Branno paused, her head bent in thought. Then she said, "You are trying to put me to sleep with lullabies. How will you, by yourself, nullify the mentalic field of a whole planet of Mules? The thought is so ludicrous that I cannot trust in the truth of your proposition."
"I am not alone," said Gendibal. "Behind me is the full force of the Second Foundation - and that force, channeled through me, will take care of Gaia. 'What's more, it can, at any time, brush aside your shield as though it were thin fog."
"If so, why do you need my help?"
"First, because nullifying the field is not enough. The Second Foundation cannot devote itself, now and forever, to the eternal task of nullifying, any more than I can spend the rest of my life dancing this conversational minuet with you. We need the physical action your ships can supply. - And besides, if I cannot convince you by reason that the two Foundations should look upon each other as allies, perhaps a co-operative venture of the greatest importance can be convincing. Deeds may do the job where words fail."
A second silence and then Branno said, "I am willing to approach Gaia more closely, if we can approach co-operatively. I make no promises beyond that."
"That will be enough," said Gendibal, leaning toward his computer.
Novi said, "No, Master, up to this point, it didn't matter, but please make no further move. We must wait for Councilman Trevize of Terminus."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
DECISION
Janov Pelorat said, with a small trace of petulance in his voice, "Really, Golan, no one seems to care for the fact that this is the first time in a moderately long life - not too long, I assure you, Bliss - in which I have been traveling through the Galaxy. Yet each time I come to a world, I am off it again and back in space before I can really have a chance to study it. It has happened twice now."