She was quite tall and sat stiffly upright in the chair. Her uniform was not very different from that of a man, nor was her hair styling or facial adornment. What gave her sex away immediately were her breasts, the prominence of which she made no attempt to hide.
She was fortyish, her facial features regular and cleanly chiseled. She had middle-aged attractively, with, as yet, no visible gray in her dark hair.
She said, "You are Plainclothesman Elijah Baley, Classification C-7." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes, ma'am," Baley answered, nevertheless.
"I am Undersecretary Lavinia Demachek. You don't look very much as you did in that hyperwave drama concerning you."
Baley had been told that often. "They couldn't very well portray me as I am and collect much of an audience, ma'am," said Baley dryly.
"I'm not sure of that. You look stronger than the baby-faced actor they used."
Baley hesitated, a second or so and decided to take the chance - or perhaps felt he couldn't resist taking it. Solemnly, he said, "You have a cultivated taste, ma'am."
She laughed and Baley let out his breath very gently. She said, "I like to think I have. - Now what do you mean by keeping me waiting?"
"I was not informed you would come, ma'am, and it was off-time for me."
"Which you spent Outside, I understand."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You are one of those cranks, as I would say were my taste not a cultivated one. Let me ask, instead, if you are one of those enthusiasts."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You expect to emigrate some day and found new worlds in the wilderness of the Galaxy?"
"Perhaps not, ma'am. I may prove to be too old, but - "
"How old are you?"
"Forty-five, ma'am."
"Well, you look it. I am forty-five also, as it happens."
"You do not look it, ma'am."
"Older or younger?" She broke into laughter again, then said, "But let's not play games. Do you imply I am too old to be a pioneer - "
"No one can, be a pioneer in our society, without training Outside. The training works best with the young. My son, I hope, will someday stand on another world."
"Indeed? You know, of course, that the Galaxy belongs to the Spacer worlds."
"There are only fifty of them, ma'am. There are millions of worlds in the Galaxy that are habitable - or can be made habitable - and that probably do not possess indigenous intelligent life."
"Yes, but not one ship can leave Earth without Spacer permission."
"That might be granted, ma'am."
"I do not share your optimism, Mr. Baley."
"I have spoken to Spacers who - "
"I know you have," said Demachek. "My superior is Albert Minnim, who, two years ago, sent you to Solaria." She permitted herself a small curve of the lips. - "An actor portrayed him in a bit role on that hyperwave drama, one that resembled him closely, as I recall. He was not pleased, as I also recall."
Baley changed the subject. "I asked Undersecretary Minnim - "
"He has been promoted, you know."
Baley thoroughly understood the importance of grades in classification. "His new title, ma'am?"
"Vice-Secretary."
"Thank you. I asked Vice-Secretary Minnim to request permission for me to visit Aurora to deal with this subject."
"Eh?"
"Not very long after my return from Solaria. I have renewed the request twice since."
"But have not received a favorable reply!"
"No, ma'am."
"Are you surprised?"
"I am disappointed, ma'am."
"No point in that." She leaned back a trifle in the chair. "Our relationship with the Spacer worlds is very touchy. You may feel that your two feats of detection have eased the situation - and so they have. That awful hyperwave drama has also helped. The total easing, however, has been this much, she placed her thumb and forefinger close, together, out of this much," and she spread her hands far apart.
"Under those circumstances," she went on, "we could scarcely take the risk of sending you to Aurora, the leading Spacer world, and having you perhaps do something that could create interstellar tension."
Baley's eyes met hers. "I have been on Solaria and have done no harm. On the contrary - "
"Yes, I know, but you were there at Spacer request, which is parsecs distant from being there at our request. You cannot fail to see that."
Baley was silent.
She made a soft snorting sound of nonsurprise and said, "The situation has grown worse since your requests were placed with - and very correctly ignored by - the Vice-Secretary. It has grown particularly worse in the last month."
"Is that the reason for this conference, ma'am?"
"Do you grow impatient, sir?" She addressed him, sardonically in the to-a-superior intonation. "Do you direct me to come to the point?"
"No, ma'am."
"Certainly you do. And why not? I grow tedious. Let me approach the point by asking if you know Dr. Han Fastolfe."
Baley said carefully, "I met him once, nearly, three years ago, in what was then Spacetown."
"You liked him, I believe."
"He was friendly - for a Spacer."
She made another soft snorting sound. "I imagine so. Are you aware that he has been an important political power on Aurora over the last two years?"
"I had heard he was in the government from a - a partner I once had."
"From R. Daneel Olivaw, your Spacer robot friend?"