Trevize nodded. "However," he said, "just give me a moment or two to catch my breath, and I'll force myself to do so."
And while the three adults looked at each other, Fallow approached the computer-desk and stared curiously at the handmarks upon it. She reached out her own hand tentatively toward the markings, and Trevize blocked the motion with a swift outthrusting of his own arm and a sharp, "Mustn't touch, Fallow."
The young Solarian seemed startled, and retreated to the comfort of Bliss's encircling arm.
Pelorat said, "We must face it, Golan. What if you find nothing in real space?"
"Then we will be forced to go back to the earlier plan," said Trevize, "and visit each of the forty-seven Spacer worlds in turn."
"And if that yields nothing, Golan?"
Trevize shook his head in annoyance, as though to prevent that thought from taking too deep a root. Staring down at his knees, he said abruptly, "Then I will think of something else."
"But what if there is no world of forebears at all?"
Trevize looked up sharply at the treble voice. "Who said that?" he asked.
It was a useless question. The moment of disbelief faded, and he knew very well who the questioner was.
"I did," said Fallow.
Trevize looked at her with a slight frown. "Did you understand the conversation?"
Fallow said, "You are looking for the world of forebears, but you haven't found it yet. Maybe there isn't no such world."
"Any such world," said Bliss softly.
"No, Fallow," said Trevize seriously. "There has been a very big effort to hide it. To try so hard to hide something means there is something there to hide. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"Yes," said Fallow. "You do not let me touch the hands on the deck. Because you do not let me do that means it would be interesting to touch them."
"Ah, but not for you, Fallom. Bliss, you are creating a monster that will destroy us all. Don't ever let her in here unless I'm at the desk. And even then, think twice, will you?"
The small byplay, however, seemed to have shaken him out of his irresolution. He said, "Obviously, I had better get to work. If I just sit here, uncertain as to what to do, that little fright will take over the ship."
The lights dimmed, and Bliss said in a low voice, "You promised, Trevize. Do not call her a monster or a fright in her hearing."
"Then keep an eye on her, and teach her some manners. Tell her children should be never heard and seldom seen."
Bliss frowned. "Your attitude toward children is simply appalling, Trevize."
"Maybe, but this is not the time to discuss the matter."
Then he said, in tones in which satisfaction and relief were equally represented, "There's Alpha again in real space. And to its left, and slightly upward, is almost as bright a star and one that isn't in the computer's Galactic map. That is Earth's sun. I'll wager all my fortune on it."
72.
"WELL, Now," said Bliss, "we won't take any part of your fortune if you lose, so why not settle the matter in a forthright manner? Let's visit the star as soon as you can make the Jump."
Trevize shook his head. "No. This time it's not a matter of irresolution or fear. It's a matter of being careful. Three times we've visited an unknown world and three times we've come up against something unexpectedly dangerous. And three times, moreover, we've had to leave that world in a hurry. This time the matter is ultimately crucial and I will not play my cards in ignorance again; or at least in any more ignorance than I can help. So far, all we have are vague stories about radioactivity, and that is not enough. By an odd chance that no one could have anticipated, there is a planet with human life about a parsec from Earth-"
"Do we really know that Alpha has a planet with human life on it?" put in Pelorat. "You said the computer placed a question mark after that."
"Even so," said Trevize, "it's worth trying. Why not take a look at it? If it does indeed have human beings on it, let us find out what they know about Earth. For them, after all, Earth is not a distant thing of legend; it is a neighbor world, bright and prominent in their sky."
Bliss said thoughtfully, "It's not a bad idea. It occurs to me that if Alpha is inhabited and if the inhabitants are not your thoroughly typical Isolates, they may be friendly, and we might be able to get some decent food for a change."
"And meet some pleasant people," said Trevize. "Don't forget that. Will it be all right with you, Janov?"
Pelorat said, "You make the decision, old chap. Wherever you go, I will go, too.
Fallom said suddenly, "Will we find Jemby?"
Bliss said hastily, before Trevize could answer, "We will look for it, Fallom."
And then Trevize said, "It's settled then. On to Alpha."
73.
"Two BIG stars," said Fallom, pointing to the viewscreen.
"That's right," said Trevize. "Two of them. Bliss, do keep an eye on her. I don't want her fiddling with anything."
"She's fascinated by machinery," said Bliss.
"Yes, I know she is," said Trevize, "but I'm not fascinated by her fascination. Though to tell you the truth, I'm as fascinated as she is at seeing two stars that bright in the viewscreen at the same time."
The two stars were bright enough to seem to be on the point of showing a disc-each of them. The screen had automatically increased filtration density in order to remove the hard radiation and dim the light of the bright stars so as to avoid retinal damage. As a result, few other stars were bright enough to be noticeable, and the two that were reigned in haughty near-isolation.