"It seems to me..." Quintesetz began and then burst out, "Oh, Great Stars and Small Planets, I don't! It is entirely too unlikely, but it's official dogma and however secularized the government has become, lip service to that, at least, is essential. - Still, to the point. In your article, J. P., there is no indication that you're aware of this story - of robots and of two waves of colonization, a lesser one with robots and a greater one without."
"I certainly was not," said Pelorat. "I hear it now for the first time and, my dear SQ., I am eternally grateful to you for making this known to me. I am astonished that no hint of this has appeared in any of the writings..."
"It shows," said Quintesetz, "how effective our social system is. It's our Sayshellian secret - our great mystery."
"Perhaps," said Trevize dryly. "Yet the second wave of colonization - the robotless wave - must have moved out in all directions. Why is it only on Sayshell that this great secret exists?"
Quintesetz said, "It may exist elsewhere and be just as secret. Our own conservatives believe that only Sayshell was settled from Earth and that all the rest of the Galaxy was settled from Sayshell. That, of course, is probably nonsense."
Pelorat said, "These subsidiary puzzles can be worked out in time. Now that I have the starting point, I can seek out similar information on other worlds. What counts is that I have discovered the question to ask and a good question is, of course, the key by which infinite answers can be educed. How fortunate that I..."
Trevize said, "Yes, Janov, but the good SQ. has not told us the whole story, surely. What happened to the older colonies and their robots? Do your traditions say?"
"Not in detail, but in essence. Human and humanoid cannot live together, apparently. The worlds with robots died. They were not viable."
"And Earth?"
"Humans left it and settled here and presumably (though the conservatives would disagree) on other planets as well."
"Surely not every human being left Earth. The planet was not deserted."
"Presumably not. I don't know."
Trevize said abruptly, "Was it left radioactive?"
Quintesetz looked astonished. "Radioactive?"
"That's what I'm asking."
"Not to my knowledge. I never heard of such a thing."
Trevize put a knuckle to his teeth and considered. Finally he said, "S. Q., it's getting late and we have trespassed sufficiently on your time, perhaps." (Pelorat made a motion as though he were about to protest, but Trevize's hand was on the other's knee and his grip tightened - so Pelorat, looking disturbed, subsided.)
Quintesetz said, "I was delighted to be of use."
"You have been and if there's anything we can do in exchange, name it."
Quintesetz laughed gently. "If the good J. P. will be so kind as to refrain from mentioning my name in connection with any writing he does on our mystery, that will be sufficient repayment."
Pelorat said eagerly, "You would be able to get the credit you deserve - and perhaps be more appreciated - if you were allowed to visit Terminus and even, perhaps, remain there as a visiting scholar at our university for an extended period. We might arrange that. Sayshell might not like the Federation, but they might not like refusing a direct request that you be allowed to come to Terminus to attend, let us say, a colloquium on some aspect of ancient history."
The Sayshellian half-rose. "Are you saying you can pull strings to arrange that?"
Trevize said, "Why, I hadn't thought of it, but J. P. is perfectly right. That would be feasible - if we tried. And, of course, the more grateful you make us, the harder we will try."
Quintesetz paused, then frowned. "What do you mean, sir?"
"All you have to do is tell us about Gaia, S. Q.," said Trevize. And all the light in Quintesetz's face died.
Quintesetz looked down at his desk. His hand stroked absent-mindedly at his short, tightly curled hair. Then he looked at Trevize and pursed his lips tightly. It was as though he were determined not to speak.
Trevize lifted his eyebrows and waited and finally Quintesetz said in a strangled sort of way, "it is getting indeed late - quite glemmering."
Until then he had spoken in good Galactic, but now his words took on a strange shape as though the Sayshellian mode of speech were pushing past his classical education.
"Glemmering, S. Q. ?"
"It is nearly full night."
Trevize nodded. "I am thoughtless. And I am hungry, too. Could you please join us for an evening meal, S. Q., at our expense? We could then, perhaps, continue our discussion - about Gaia."
Quintesetz rose heavily to his feet. He was taller than either of the two men from Terminus, but he was older and pudgier and his height did not lend him the appearance of strength. He seemed more weary than when they had arrived.
He blinked at them and said, "I forget my hospitality. You are Outworlders and it would not be fitting that you entertain me. Come to my home. It is on campus and not far and, if you wish to carry on a conversation, I can do so in a more relaxed manner there than here. My only regret" (he seemed a little uneasy) "is that I can offer you only a limited meal. My wife and I are vegetarians and if you are meat-eating, I can Only express my apologies and regrets."
Trevize said, "J. P. and I will be quite content to forego our carnivorous natures for one meal. Your conversation will more than make up for it - I hope."
"I can promise you an interesting meal, whatever the conversation," said Quintesetz, "if your taste should run to our Sayshellian spices. My wife and I have made a rare study of such things."