Seldon said, "If you come across anything unusual, will you get in touch with me instantly? I mean, don't wait for a complete analysis if you find something in the first hour. Don't make me wait."
"The chances of finding anything in the first hour are very slim, but I promise you, Professor Seldon that I will be in touch with you at once if it seems necessary."
Manella snatched Wanda's arm and led her off triumphantly. Raych followed, feet dragging. Seldon lingered and said, "This is more important than you know, Dr. Endelecki."
Dr. Endelecki nodded as she said, "Whatever the reason, Professor, I'll do my best."
Seldon left, his lips pressed tightly together. Why he had thought that somehow the genome would be worked out in five minutes and that a glance at it in another five minutes would give him an answer, he did not know. Now he would have to wait for weeks, without knowing what would be found.
He ground his teeth. Would his newest brainchild, the Second Foundation, ever be established or was it an illusion that would remain always just out of reach?
7
Hari Seldon walked into Dr. Endelecki's office, a nervous smile on his face.
He said, "You said a couple of weeks, Doctor. It's been over a month mow."
Dr. Endelecki nodded. "I'm sorry, Professor Seldon but you wanted everything exact and that is what I have tried to do."
"Well?" The look of anxiety on Seldon's face did not disappear. What did you find?"
"A hundred or so defective genes."
"What! Defective genes. Are you serious, Doctor?"
"Quite serious. Why not? There are no genomes without at least a hundred defective genes; usually there are considerably more. It's not as bad as it sounds, you know."
"No, I don't know. You're the expert, Doctor, not I."
Dr. Endelecki sighed and stirred in her chair. "You don't know anything about genetics, do you, Professor?"
"No, I don't. A man can't know everything."
"You're perfectly right. I know nothing about this-what do you call it?-this psychohistory of yours."
Dr. Endelecki shrugged, then continued. "If you wanted to explain anything about it, you would be forced to start from the beginning and I would probably not understand it even so. "Now, as to genetics-"
"Well?"
"An imperfect gene usually means nothing. There are imperfect genes-so imperfect and so crucial that they produce terrible disorders. These are very rare, though. Most imperfect genes simply don't work with absolute accuracy. They're like wheels that are slightly out of balance. A vehicle will move along, trembling a bit, but it will move along."
"Is that what Wanda has?"
"Yes. More or less. After all, if all genes were perfect, we would all look precisely the same, we would all behave precisely the same. It's the difference in genes that makes for different people."
"But won't it get worse as we grow older?"
"Yes. We all get worse as we grow older. I noticed you limping when you came in. Why is that?"
"A touch of sciatica," muttered Seldon.
"Did you have it all your life?"
"Of course not."
"Well, some of your genes have gotten worse with time and now you limp."
"And what will happen to Wanda with time?"
"I don't know. I can't predict the future, Professor; I believe that is your province. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that nothing unusual will happen to Wanda-at least, genetically-except the gathering of old age."
Seldon said, "Are you sure?"
"You have to take my word for it. You wanted to find out about Wanda's genome and you ran the risk of discovering things perhaps it is better not to know. But I tell you that, in my opinion, I can see nothing terrible happening to her."
"The imperfect genes-should we fix them? Can we fix them?"
"No. In the first place, it would be very expensive. Secondly, the chances are that they would not stay fixed. And finally, people are against it.
"But why?"
"Because they're against science in general. You should know this as well as anyone, Professor. I'm afraid the situation is such, especially since Cleon's death, that mysticism has been gaining ground. People don't believe in fixing genes scientifically. They would rather cure things by the laying on of hands or by mumbo-jumbo of some sort or other. Frankly it is extremely difficult for me to continue with my job. Very little funding is coming in."
Seldon nodded. "Actually I understand this situation all too well. Psychohistory explains it, but I honestly didn't think the situation was growing so bad so rapidly. I've been too involved in my own work to see the difficulties all around me." He sighed. "I've been watching the Galactic Empire slowly fall apart for over thirty years now-and now that it's beginning to collapse much more rapidly, I don't see how we can stop it in time."
"Are you trying to?" Dr. Endelecki seemed amused.
"Yes, I am."
"Lots of luck. About your sciatica. You know, fifty years ago it could have been cured. Not now, though."
"Why not?"
"Well, the devices used for it are gone; the people who could have handled them are working on other things. Medicine is declining."
"Along with everything else," mused Seldon. "But let's get back to Wanda. I feel she is a most unusual young woman with a brain that is different from most. What do her genes tell you about her brain?"
Dr. Endelecki leaned back in her chair. "Professor Seldon do you know just how many genes are involved in brain function?"