"How do they keep from getting fat?" wondered Pelorat in a low voice.
Trevize shrugged. "Lots of physical labor, perhaps."
It was clearly a society in which decorum at meals was not greatly valued. There was a miscellaneous hubbub of shouting, laughing, and thumping on the table with thick, obviously unbreakable, cups. Women were as loud and raucous as men, albeit in higher pitch.
Pelorat winced, but Trevize, who now (temporarily, at least) felt no trace of the discomfort he had spoken of to Hiroko, felt both relaxed and good-natured.
He said, "Actually, it has its pleasant side. These are people who appear to enjoy life and who have few, if any, cares. Weather is what they make it and food is unimaginably plentiful. This is a golden age for them that simply continues and continues."
He had to shout to make himself heard, and Pelorat shouted back, "But it's so noisy."
"They're used to it."
"I don't see how they can understand each other in this riot."
Certainly, it was all lost on the two Foundationers. The queer pronunciation and the archaic grammar and word order of the Alphan language made it impossible to understand at the intense sound levels. To the Foundationers, it was like listening to the sounds of a zoo in fright.
It was not till after lunch that they rejoined Bliss in a small structure, which Trevize found to be rather inconsiderably different from Hiroko's quarters, and which had been assigned them as their own temporary living quarters. Fallom was in the second room, enormously relieved to be alone, according to Bliss, and attempting to nap.
Pelorat looked at the door-gap in the wall and said uncertainly, "There's very little privacy here. How can we speak freely?"
"I assure you," said Trevize, "that once we pull the canvas barrier across the door, we won't be disturbed. The canvas makes it impenetrable by all the force of social custom."
Pelorat glanced at the high, open windows. "We can be overheard."
"We need not shout. The Alphans won't eavesdrop. Even when they stood outside the windows of the dining room at breakfast, they remained at a respectful distance."
Bliss smiled. "You've learned so much about Alphan customs in the time you spent alone with gentle little Hiroko, and you've gained such confidence in their respect for privacy. What happened?"
Trevize said, "If you're aware that the tendrils of my mind have undergone a change for the better and can guess the reason, I can only ask you to leave my mind alone."
"You know very well that Gaia will not touch your mind under any circumstances short of life-crisis, and you know why. Still, I'm not mentally blind. I could sense what happened a kilometer away. Is this your invariable custom on space voyages, my erotomaniac friend?"
"Erotomaniac? Come, Bliss. Twice on this entire trip. Twice!"
"We were only on two worlds that had functioning human females on them. Two out of two, and we had only been a few hours on each."
"You are well aware I had no choice on Comporellon."
"That makes sense. I remember what she looked like." For a few moments, Bliss dissolved in laughter. Then she said, "Yet I don't think Hiroko held you helpless in her mighty grip, or inflicted her irresistible will on your cringing body."
"Of course not. I was perfectly willing. But it was her suggestion, just the same."
Pelorat said, with just a tinge of envy in his voice, "Does this happen to you all the time, Golan?"
"Of course it must, Pel," said Bliss. "Women are helplessly drawn to him."
"I wish that were so," said Trevize, "but it isn't. And I'm glad it isn't-I do have other things I want to do in life. Just the same, in this case I was irresistible. After all, we were the first people from another world that Hiroko had ever seen or, apparently, that anyone now alive on Alpha had ever seen: I gathered from things she let slip, casual remarks, that she had the rather exciting notion that I might be different from Alphans, either anatomically or in my technique. Poor thing. I'm afraid she was disappointed."
"Oh?" said Bliss. "Were you?"
"No," said Trevize. "I have been on a number of worlds and I have had my experiences. And what I had discovered is that people are people and sex is sex, wherever one goes. If there are noticeable differences, they are usually both trivial and unpleasant. The perfumes I've encountered in my time! I remember when a young woman simply couldn't manage unless there was music loudly played, music that consisted of a desperate screeching sound. So she played the music and then I couldn't manage. I assure you-if it's the same old thing, then I'm satisfied."
"Speaking of music," said Bliss, "we are invited to a musicale after dinner. A very formal thing, apparently, that is being held in our honor. I gather the Alphans are very proud of their music."
Trevize grimaced. "Their pride will in no way make the music sound better to our ears."
"Hear me out," said Bliss. "I gather that their pride is that they play expertly on very archaic instruments. Very archaic. We may get some information about Earth by way of them."
Trevize's eyebrows shot up. "An interesting thought. And that reminds me that both of you may already have information. Janov, did you see this Monolee that Hiroko told us about?"
"Indeed I did," said Pelorat. "I was with him for three hours and Hiroko did not exaggerate. It was a virtual monologue on his part and when I left to come to lunch, he clung to me and would not let me go until I promised to return whenever I could in order that I might listen to him some more."