"My ex-partner, ma'am."
"On the occasion when you solved a small problem concerning two mathematicians on board a Spacer ship - "
Baley nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"We keep informed, you see. Dr. Han Fastolfe has been, more or less, the guiding light of the Auroran government for two years, an important figure in their World Legislature, and he is even spoken of as a possible future Chairman. - The Chairman, you understand, is the closest thing to a chief executive that the Aurorans have."
Baley said, "Yes, ma'am," and wondered when she would get to the very delicate matter of which the Commissioner had spoken.
Demachek seemed in no hurry. She said, "Fastolfe is a moderate. That's what he calls himself. He feels Aurora - and the Spacer worlds generally - have gone too far in their direction, as you, perhaps, feel that we on Earth have gone too far in ours. He wishes to, step backward to less robotry, to a more rapid turnover of generations, and to alliance and friendship with Earth. Naturally, we support him - but very quietly. If we were too demonstrative in our affection, that might well be the kiss of death for him."
Baley said, "I believe he would support Earth's exploration and settlement of other worlds."
"I believe so, too. I am of the opinion he said as much to you."
"Yes, ma'am, when we met."
Demachek steepled her hands and put the tips of her fingers to her chin. "Do you think he represents public opinion on the Spacer worlds?"
"I don't know, ma'am."
"I'm afraid he does not. Those who are with him are lukewarm. Those who are against him are an ardent legion. It is only his political skills and his personal warmth that have kept him as close to the seats of power as he is. His greatest weakness, of course, is his sympathy for Earth. That is constantly used against him and it influences many who would share his views in every other respect. If you were sent to Aurora, any mistake you made would help strengthen anti-Earth feeling and would therefore weaken him, possibly fatally. Earth simply cannot take that risk."
Baley muttered, "I see."
"Fastolfe is willing to take the risk. It was he who arranged to have you sent to Solaria at a time when his political power was barely beginning and when he was very vulnerable. But then, he has only his personal power to lose, whereas we must be concerned with the welfare of over eight billion Earthpeople. That is what makes the present political situation almost unbearably delicate."
She paused and, finally, Baley was forced to ask the question. "What is the situation that you are referring to, ma'am?"
"It seems," said Demachek, "that Fastolfe has become implicated in a serious and unprecedented scandal. If he is clumsy, the chances are that he will undergo political destruction in a matter of weeks. If he is superhumanly clever, perhaps he will hold out for some months. A little sooner, a little later, he could be destroyed as a political force on Aurora - and that would be a real disaster for Earth, you see."
"May I ask what he is accused of? Corruption? Treason?"
"Nothing that small. His personal integrity, - is, in any case, unquestioned even by his enemies."
"A crime of passion, then? Murder?"
"Not quite murder."
"I don't understand, ma'am."
"There are human beings on Aurora, Mr. Baley. And there are robots, too, most of them something like ours, not, very much more, advanced in most cases. However, there are a few humaniform robots, robots so humaniform that they can be taken for human."
Baley nodded. "I know that very well."
"I suppose that destroying a humaniform robot is not exactly murder in the strict sense of the word."
Baley leaned forward, eyes widening. He shouted, "Jehoshaphat, woman! Stop playing games. Are you telling me that Dr. Fastolfe has killed R. Daneel?"
Roth leaped to his feet and seemed about to advance on Baley, but Undersecretary Demachek waved him back. She seemed unruffled.
She said, "Under the circumstances, I excuse your disrespect, Baley. No, R. Daneel has not been killed. He is not the only humaniform robot on Aurora. Another such robot, not R. Daneel, has been killed, if you wish to use the term loosely. To be more precise, its mind has been totally destroyed; it was placed into permanent and irreversible roblock."
Baley said, "And they say that Dr. Fastolfe did it?"
"His enemies are saying so. The extremists, who wish only Spacers to spread through the Galaxy and who wish Earthpeople to vanish from the Universe, are saying so. If these extremists can maneuver another election within the next few weeks, they will surely gain total control of the government, with incalculable results."
"Why is this roblock so important politically? I don't understand."
"I am not myself certain," said Demachek. "I do not pretend to understand Auroran politics. I gather that the humaniforms were in some way involved with the extremist plans and that the destruction has infuriated them." She wrinkled her nose. "I find their politics very confusing and I will only mislead you if I try to interpret it."
Baley labored to control himself under the Undersecretary's level stare. He said in a low voice, "Why am I here?"
"Because of Fastolfe. Once before you went out into space in order to solve a murder and succeeded. Fastolfe wants you to try again. You are to go to Aurora and discover who was responsible for the roblock! He feels that to be his only chance of turning back the extremists."
"I am not a roboticist. I know nothing about Aurora - "
"You knew nothing about Solaria, either, yet you managed. The point is, Baley, we are as eager to find out what really happened as Fastolfe is. We don't want him destroyed. If he is, Earth will be subject to a kind of hostility from these Spacer extremists that will probably be greater than anything we have yet experienced. We don't want that to happen"