"The Legislature shouts at each other, argues, thunders, and lightens, and in the end-nothing is done. Hari, I couldn't even do as small a thing as fix the broken dome lights you noticed. How much will it cost? Who's in charge? Oh, the lights will be fixed, but it can easily take a few months to do it. That's democracy."
Hari Seldon said, "As I recall, the Emperor Cleon was forever complaining that he could not do what he wished to do."
"The Emperor Cleon," said Agis impatiently, "had two first-class First Ministers-Demerzel and yourself-and you each labored to keep Cleon from doing anything foolish. I have seventy-five hundred First Ministers, all of whom are foolish from start to finish. But surely, Hari, you haven't come to complain to me about the attacks."
"No, I haven't. Something much worse. Sire-Agis-I need credits."
The Emperor stared at him. "After what I've been telling you, Hari? I have no credits. Oh yes, there're credits to run this establishment, of course, but in order to get them I have to face my seventy-five hundred legislators. If you think I can go to them and say, `I want credits for my friend, Hari Seldon' and if you think I'll get one quarter of what I ask for in anything less than two years, you're crazy. It won't happen."
He shrugged and said, more gently, "Don't get me wrong, Hari. I would like to help you if I could. I would particularly like to help you for the sake of your granddaughter. Looking at her makes me feel as though I should give you all the credits you would like-but it can't be done."
Seldon said, "Agis, if I don't get funding, psychohistory will go down the drain-after nearly forty years."
"It's come to nothing in nearly forty years, so why worry?"
"Agis," said Seldon "there's nothing more I can do now. The assaults on me were precisely because I'm a psychohistorian. People consider me a predictor of destruction."
The Emperor nodded. "You're bad luck, Raven Seldon. I told you this earlier."
Seldon stood up wretchedly. "I'm through, then."
Wanda stood, too, next to Seldon the top of her head reaching her grandfather's shoulder. She gazed fixedly at the Emperor.
As Hari turned to go, the Emperor said, "Wait. Wait. There's a little verse I once memorized:
' Ill fares the land
To hastening ills a prey
Where wealth accumulates
And men decay.' "
"What does it mean?" asked a dispirited Seldon.
"It means that the Empire is steadily deteriorating and falling apart, but that doesn't keep some individuals from growing rich. Why not turn to some of our wealthy entrepreneurs? They don't have legislators and can, if they wish, simply sign a credit voucher."
Seldon stared. "I'll try that."
22
"Mr. Bindris," said Hari Seldon, reaching out his hand to shake the other's. "I am so glad to be able to see you. It was good of you to agree to see me."
"Why not?" said Terep Bindris jovially. "I know you well. Or, rather, I know of you well."
"That's pleasant. I take it you've heard of psychohistory, then."
"Oh yes, what intelligent person hasn't? Not that I understand anything about it, of course. And who is this young lady you have with you?"
"My granddaughter, Wanda."
"A very pretty young woman." He beamed. "Somehow I feel I'd be putty in her hands."
Wanda said, "I think you exaggerate, sir."
"No, really. Now, please, sit down and tell me what it is I can do for you." He gestured expansively with his arm, indicating that they be seated on two overstuffed, richly brocaded chairs in front of the desk at which he sat. The chairs, like the ornate desk, the imposing carved doors which had slid back noiselessly at their arrival signal, and the gleaming obsidian floor of Bindris's vast office, were of the finest quality. And, although his surroundings were impressive-and imposing-Bindris himself was not. The slight cordial man would not be taken, at first glance, for one of Trantor's leading financial powerbrokers.
"We're here, sir, at the Emperor's suggestion."
"The Emperor?"
"Yes, he could not help us, but he thought a man like you might be able to do so. The question, of course, is credits."
Bindris's face fell. "Credits?" he said. "I don't understand."
"Well," said Seldon, "for nearly forty years, psychohistory has been supported by the government. However, times change and the Empire is no longer what it was."
"Yes, I know that."'
"The Emperor lacks the credits to support us or, even if he did have the credits, he couldn't get the request for funding past the Legislature. He recommends, therefore, that I see businesspeople who, in the first place, still have credits and, in the second place, can simply write out a credit voucher."
There was a longish pause and Bindris finally said, "The Emperor, I'm afraid, knows nothing about business. -How many credits do you want?"
"Mr. Bindris, we're talking about an enormous task. I'm going to need several million."
"Several million!"
"Yes, sir."
Bindris frowned. "Are we talking about a loan here? When do you expect to be able to pay it back?"
"Well, Mr. Bindris, I can't honestly say I ever expect to be able to pay it back. I'm looking for a gift."
"Even if I wanted to give you the credits-and let me tell you, for some strange reason I very much want to do so-I couldn't. The Emperor may have his Legislature, but I have my Board members. I can't make a gift of that sort without the Board's permission and they'll never grant it."