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.The child s as well. Child, she thought disgustedly, and bristled at Anthor in thedarkness.Anthor had opened his briefcase now, and out of it, he tookseveral dozen brainwave records.They were not originals.Norhad the briefcase been fitted with an ordinary lock.Had the key Asim_0553803735_3p_all_r1.qxd 2/4/04 12:08 PM Page 117SECOND FOUNDATI ON 117been held in any hand other than his own, the contents thereofwould have silently and instantly oxidized to an indecipherableash.Once removed from the briefcase,the records did so anywayafter half an hour.But during their short lifetime, Anthor spoke quickly. I havethe records here of several minor government officials, atAnacreon.This is a psychologist at Locris University; this an in-dustrialist at Siwenna.The rest are as you see. They crowded closely.To all but Darell, they were so manyquivers on parchment.To Darell, they shouted with a milliontongues.Anthor pointed lightly, I call your attention, Dr.Darell, to theplateau region among the secondary Tauian waves in the frontallobe,which is what all these records have in common.Would youuse my Analytical Rule, sir,to check my statement? The Analytical Rule might be considered a distant relation asa skyscraper is to a shack of that kindergarten toy, the logarith-mic Slide Rule.Darell used it with the wrist flip of long practice.He made freehand drawings of the result and, as Anthor stated,there were featureless plateaus in frontal lobe regions wherestrong swings should have been expected. How would you interpret that, Dr.Darell? asked Anthor. I m not sure.Offhand, I don t see how it s possible.Even incases of amnesia, there is suppression, but not removal.Drasticbrain surgery,perhaps? Oh, something s been cut out, cried Anthor, impatiently, yes! Not in the physical sense, however.You know, the Mulecould have done just that.He could have suppressed completelyall capacity for a certain emotion or attitude of mind, and leavenothing but just such a flatness.Or else Or else the Second Foundation could have done it.Is that it? asked Turbor,with a slow smile.There was no real need to answer that thoroughly rhetoricalquestion. What made you suspicious, Mr.Anthor? asked Munn. It wasn t I.It was Dr.Kleise.He collected brainwave patterns, Asim_0553803735_3p_all_r1.qxd 2/4/04 12:08 PM Page 118118 I SAAC ASI MOVmuch as the Planetary Police do, but along different lines.Hespecialized in intellectuals, government officials, and businessleaders.You see, it s quite obvious that if the Second Foundationis directing the historical course of the Galaxy of us that theymust do it subtly and in as minimal a fashion as possible.If theywork through minds, as they must, it is the minds of people withinfluence; culturally, industrially, or politically.And with those heconcerned himself. Yes, objected Munn, but is there corroboration? How dothese people act I mean the ones with the plateau? Maybe it sall a perfectly normal phenomenon. He looked hopelessly at theothers out of his somehow childlike blue eyes, but met no en-couraging return. I leave that to Dr.Darell, said Anthor. Ask him how manytimes he s seen this phenomenon in his general studies, or in re-ported cases in the literature over the past generation.Then askhim the chances of it being discovered in almost one out of everythousand cases among the categories Dr.Kleise studied. I suppose that there is no doubt, said Darell, thoughtfully, that these are artificial mentalities.They have been tamperedwith.In a way,I have suspected this I know that, Dr.Darell, said Anthor. I also know you onceworked with Dr.Kleise.I would like to know why you stopped. There wasn t actually hostility in his question.Perhaps nothingmore than caution; but, at any rate, it resulted in a long pause.Darell looked from one to another of his guests, then saidbrusquely, Because there was no point to Kleise s battle.He wascompeting with an adversary too strong for him.He was detect-ing what we he and I knew he would detect that we werenot our own masters.And I didn t want to know! I had my self-respect.I liked to think that our Foundation was captain of itscollective soul;that our forefathers had not quite fought and diedfor nothing.I thought it would be most simple to turn my faceaway as long as I was not quite sure.I didn t need my position Asim_0553803735_3p_all_r1.qxd 2/4/04 12:08 PM Page 119SECOND FOUNDATI ON 119since the government pension awarded to my mother s family inperpetuity would take care of my uncomplicated needs
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