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.It is certainly within the borders of theSayshell Union.We know that much, eh, Pelorat? Pelorat, who had been listening stolidly, started at beingsuddenly addressed and said, If it comes to that, Golan, I know where it is. Trevize turned to look at him. Since when, Janov? Since earlier this evening, my dear Golan.You showed us theFive Sisters, S.Q., on our way from your office to your house.You pointed outa dim star at the center of the pentagon.I m positive that s Gaia. Quintesetz hesitated--his face, hidden in the dimness, wasbeyond any chance of interpretation.Finally he said, Well, that s what ourastronomers tell us--privately.It is a planet that circles that star. Trevize gazed contemplatively at Pelorat, but the expressionon the professor s face was unreadable.Trevize turned to Quintesetz, Thentell us about that star.Do you have its co-ordinates? I? No. He was almost violent in his denial. I have nostellar co-ordinates here.You can get it from our astronomy department,though I imagine not without trouble.No travel to that star is permitted. Why not? It s within your territory, isn t it? Spaciographically, yes.Politically, no. Page 183 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlTrevize waited for something more to be said.When that didn tcome, he rose. Professor Quintesetz, he said formally, I am not apoliceman, soldier, diplomat, or thug.I am not here to force information outof you.Instead, I shall, against my will, go to our ambassador.Surely, youmust understand that it is not I, for my own personal interest, that requestthis information.This is Foundation business and I don t want to make aninterstellar incident out of this.I don t think the Sayshell Union would wantto, either. Quintesetz said uncertainly, What is this Foundationbusiness? That s not something I can discuss with you.If Gaia is notsomething you can discuss with me, then we will transfer it all to thegovernment level and, under the circumstances, it may be the worse forSayshell.Sayshell has kept its independence of the Federation and I have noobjection to that.I have no reason to wish Sayshell ill and I do not wish toapproach our ambassador.In fact, I will harm my own career in doing so, for Iam under strict instruction to get this informationwithout making a governmentmatter of it.Please tell me, then, if there is some firm reason why youcannot discuss Gaia.Will you be arrested or otherwise punished, if you speak?Will you tell me plainly that I have no choice but to go to the ambassadorialheight? No no, said Quintesetz, who sounded utterly confused. Iknow nothing about government matters.We simply don t speak of that world. Superstition? Well, yes! Superstition! --Skies of Sayshell, in what way amI better than that foolish person who told you that Gaia was in hyperspace--orthan my wife who won t even stay in a room where Gaia is mentioned and who mayeven have left the house for fear it will be smashed by-- Lightning? Bysome stroke from afar.And I, even I, hesitate to pronouncethe name.Gaia! Gaia! The syllables do not hurt! I am unharmed! Yet Ihesitate.--But please believe me when I say that I honestly don t know theco-ordinates for Gaia s star.I can try to help you get it, if that will help,but let me tell you that we don t discuss the world here in the Union.We keephands and minds off it.I can tell you what little is known--really known,rather than supposed--and I doubt that you can learn anything more anywhere inthese worlds of the Union. We know Gaia is an ancient world and there are some who thinkit is the oldest world in this sector of the Galaxy, but we are not certain.Patriotism tells us Sayshell Planet is the oldest; fear tells us Gaia Planetis.The only way of combining the two is to suppose that Gaia is Earth, sinceit is known that Sayshell was settled by Earthpeople. Most historians think--among themselves--that Gaia Planet wasfounded independently.They think it is not a colony of any world of our Unionand that the Union was not colonized by Gaia.There is no consensus oncomparative age, whether Gaia was settled before or after Sayshell was. Trevize said, So far, what you know is nothing, since everypossible alternative is believed by someone or other. Quintesetz nodded ruefully. It would seem so.It wasPage 184 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcomparatively late in our history that we became conscious of the existence ofGaia.We had been preoccupied at first in forming the Union, then in fightingoff the Galactic Empire, then in trying to find our proper role as an Imperialprovince and in limiting the power of the Viceroys. It wasn t till the days of Imperial weakness were faradvanced that one of the later Viceroys, who was under very weak centralcontrol by then, came to realize that Gaia existed and seemed to maintain itsindependence from the Sayshellian province and even from the Empire itself
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