"And you said to me, 'Gladia, please, I must sit down.' Oh, Elijah, it was the most wonderful thing you could have said to me."
Baley felt himself flush. "It embarrassed me hideously at the time. Such a confession of weakness."
"It was just what I wanted. It drove me wild with desire. I forced you to bed and came to you and, for the first time in my life, I gave. I took nothing. And the spell of Jander passed, for I knew that he had not been enough, either. It must be possible to take and give both. - Elijah, stay with me."
Baley shook his head. "Gladia, if I tore my heart in two, it wouldn't change the facts. I cannot remain on Aurora. I must return to Earth. You cannot come to Earth."
"Elijah, what if I can come to Earth?"
"Why do you say such a foolish thing? Even if you could, I would age quickly and soon be useless to you. In twenty years, thirty at the most, I will be an old man, probably dead, while you will stay as you are for centuries."
"But that is what I mean, Elijah. On Earth, I will catch your infections and I will grow old quickly, too."
"You wouldn't want that. Besides, old age isn't an infection. You will me rely grow sick, very quickly, and die. Gladia, you can find another man."
"An Auroran?" She said it with contempt.
"You can teach. Now that you know how to take and to give, teach them how to do both as well."
"If I teach, will they learn?"
"Some will. Surely some will. You have so much time to find the one who will. There is - " (No, he thought, it is not wise to mention Gremionis now, but perhaps if he comes to her - less politely and with a little more determination - )
She seemed thoughtful. "Is it possible?" Then, looking at Baley, with her gray-blue eyes moist, "Oh, Elijah, do you remember anything at all of what happened last night?"
"I must admit," said Baley a little sadly, "that some of it is distressingly hazy."
"If you remembered, you would not want to leave me."
"I don't want to leave you as it is, Gladia. It is just that I must."
"And afterward," she said, "you seemed so quietly happy, so rested. I lay nestled on your shoulder and felt your heart beat rapidly at first, then more and more slowly, except when you sat up so suddenly. Do you remember that?"
Baley started and leaned a little away from her, gazing into her eyes, wildly. "No, I don't remember that. What do you mean? What did I do?"
"I told you. You sat up suddenly."
"Yes, but what else?" His heart was beating rapidly now, as rapidly as it, must have in the wake of last night's sex. Three times, something that had seemed the truth had come to, him, but the first two times he had been entirely alone. The third time, last night, however, Gladia had been with him. He had had a witness.
Gladia said, "Nothing else, really. I said, 'What is it, Elijah?' But you paid no attention to me. You said, 'I have it. I have it.' You didn't speak clearly and your eyes were unfocused. It was a little frightening."
"Is that all I said? Jehoshaphat, Gladia! Didn't I say anything more?"
Gladia frowned. "I don't remember. But then you lay back and I said, 'Don't be frightened, Elijah. Don't be frightened. You're safe now.' And I stroked you and you settled - back and fell asleep - and snored. - I never heard anyone snore before, but that's what it must have been - from the descriptions." The thought clearly amused her.
Baley said, "Listen to me, Gladia. What did I say? 'I have it. I have it.' Did I say what it was I had?"
She frowned again. "No. I don't remember - Wait, you did say one thing in a very low voice. You, said, 'He was there first.'"
"'He was there first.' That's what I said?"
"Yes. I took it for granted that you meant Giskard was there before the other robots, that you were trying to overcome your fears of being taken away, that you were reliving that time in the storm. Yes! That's why I stroked you and said, 'Don't be frightened, Elijah. You're safe now, till you relaxed.'"
"'He was there first.' 'He was there first.' - I won't forget it now. Gladia, thanks for last night. Thanks for talking to me now."
Gladia said, "Is there something important about you saying that Giskard found you first? He did. You know that."
"It can't be that, Gladia. It must be something I don't know but manage to discover only when my mind is totally relaxed."
"But what does it mean, then?"
"I'm not sure, but if that's what I said, it must mean something. And I have an hour or so to figure it out." He stood up. "I must leave now."
He had taken a few steps toward the door, but Gladia flew to him and put her arms around him. "Wait, Elijah."
Baley hesitated, then lowered his head to kiss her. For a long moment, they clung together.
"Will I see you again, Elijah?"
Baley said, sadly, "I can't say; I hope so."
And he went off to find Daneel and Giskard, so that he could make the necessary preparations for the confrontation about to come.
73
Baley's sadness persisted as he walked across the long lawn to Fastolfe's establishment.
The robots walked on either side. Daneel seemed at his ease, but Giskard, faithful to his programming and apparently unable to relax it, maintained his close watch on the surroundings.
Baley said, "What is the name of the Chairman of the Legislature, Daneel?"
"I cannot say, Partner Elijah. On the occasions when he has been referred to in my hearing, he has been referred to only as 'the Chairman.' He is addressed as 'Mr. Chairman.'"