"I fail to see the third alternative."
"Suppose the Seldon Plan is being controlled by means of a psychohistorical method so advanced that the reactions of small groups of people - even perhaps of individual persons - can be predicted, a method that we of the Second Foundation do not possess. Then, and only then, my mathematics would predict that the Seldon Plan should indeed experience no Deviations?"
For a while (by Second Foundation standards) the First Speaker made no response. He said, "There is no such advanced psychohistorical method that is known to me or, I am certain from your manner, to you. If you and I know of none, the chance that any other Speaker, or any group of Speakers, has developed such a micropsychohistory - if I may call it that - and has kept it secret from the rest of the Table is infinitesimally small. Don't you agree?"
"I agree."
"Then either your analysis is wrong or else micropsychohistory is in the hands of some group outside the Second Foundation."
"Exactly, First Speaker, the latter alternative must be correct."
"Can you demonstrate the truth of such a statement?"
"I cannot, in any formal way; but consider. - Has there not already been a person who could affect the Seldon Plan by dealing with individual people?"
"I presume you are referring to the Mule."
"Yes, certainly."
"The Mule could only disrupt. The problem here is that the Seldon Plan is working too well, considerably closer to perfection than your mathematics would allow. You would need an Anti-Mule - someone who is as capable of overriding the Plan as the Mule was, but who acts for the opposite motive - overriding not to disrupt but to perfect."
"Exactly, First Speaker. I wish I had thought of that expression. What was the Mule? A mutant. But where did he come from? How did he come to be? no one really knows. Might there not be more?"
"Apparently not. The one thing that is best known about the Mule is that he was sterile. Hence his name. Or do you think that is a myth?"
"I am not referring to descendants of the Mule. Might it not be that the Mule was an aberrant member of what is - or has now become - a sizable group of people with Mulish powers who - for some reason of their own - are not disrupting the Seldon Plan but supporting it?"
"Why in the Galaxy should they support it?"
"Why do we support it? We plan a Second Empire in which we - or, rather, our intellectual descendants - will be the decision makers. If, some other group is supporting the Plan even more efficiently than we are, they cannot be planning to leave the decision - making to us. They will make the decisions - but to what end? Ought we not try to find out what kind of a Second Empire they are sweeping us into?"
"And how do you propose to find out?"
"Well, why has the Mayor of Terminus exiled Golan Trevize? By doing so, she allows a possibly dangerous person to move freely about the Galaxy. That she does it out of motives of humanity, I cannot believe. Historically the rulers of the First Foundation have always acted realistically, which means, usually, without regard for 'morality.' One of their heroes - Salvor Hardin - counseled against morality, in fact. No, I think the Mayor acted under compulsion from agents of the Anti-Mules, to use your phrase. I think Trevize has been recruited by them and I think he is the spearhead of danger to us. Deadly danger."
And the First Speaker said, "By Seldon, you may be right. But how will we ever convince the Table of this?"
"First Speaker, you underestimate your eminence."
CHAPTER SIX
EARTH
Trevize was hot and annoyed. He and Pelorat were sitting in the small dining area, having just completed their midday meal.
Pelorat said, "We've only been in space two days and I find myself quite comfortable, although I miss fresh air, nature, and all that. Strange! Never seemed to notice all that sort of thing when it was all round me. Still between my wafer and that remarkable computer of yours, I have my entire library with me - or all that matters, at any rate. And I don't feel the least bit frightened of being out in space now. Astonishing!"
Trevize made a noncommittal sound. His eyes were inwardly focused.
Pelorat said gently, "I don't mean to intrude, Golan, but I don't really think you're listening. Not that I'm a particularly interesting person always been a hit of a bore, you know. Still, you seem preoccupied in another way. - Are we in trouble? Needn't be afraid to tell me, you know. Not much I could do, I suppose, but I won't go into panic, dear fellow."
"In trouble?" Trevize seemed to come to his senses, frowning slightly.
"I mean the ship. It's a new model, so I suppose there could be something wrong:" Pelorat allowed himself a small, uncertain smile.
Trevize shook his head vigorously. "Stupid of me to leave you in such uncertainty, Janov. There's nothing wrong at all with the ship. It's working perfectly. It's just that I've been looking for a hyper-relay."
"Ah, I see. - Except that I don't. What is a hyper-relay?"
"Well, let me explain, Janov. I am in communication with Terminus. At least, I can be anytime I wish and Terminus can, in reverse, be in communication with us. They know the ship's location, having observed its trajectory. Even if they had not, they could locate us by scanning near-space for mass, which would warn them of the presence of a ship or, possibly, a meteoroid. But they could further detect an energy pattern, which would not only distinguish a ship from a meteoroid but would identify a particular ship, for no two ships make use of energy in quite the same way. In some way, our pattern remains characteristic, no matter what appliances or instruments we turn on and off. The ship may be unknown, of course, but if it is a ship whose energy pattern is on record in Terminus - as ours is - it can be identified as soon as detected."