Vasilia's eyes widened and her hand on the table lifted upward and clenched into a fist, "What is this about Gremionis?"
"Only that he is a handsome young man and he knows you well. Am I to deal with these matters without hearing what you have to say?"
"I will tell you right now that - "
"No," said Baley loudly. "You will tell me nothing unless I see you face-to-face."
Her mouth twitched. "I will see you, then, but I will not remain with you one moment more than I choose. I warn you. - And bring Giskard."
The trimensional connection broke off with a snap and Baley felt himself turn dizzy at the sudden change in background that resulted. He made his way to a chair and sat down.
Giskard's hand was on his elbow, making certain that he reached the chair safely. "Can I help you in any way, sir?" he asked.
"I'm all right," said Baley. I just need to catch my breath."
Dr. Fastolfe was standing before him. "My apologies, again, for failure in my duties as a host. I listened on an extension that was equipped to receive and not transmit. I wanted to see my daughter, even if she didn't see me."
"I understand," said Baley, panting slightly. "If manners dictate that what you did requires an apology, then I forgive you."
"But what is this about Santirix Gremionis? The name is unfamiliar to me."
Baley looked up at Fastolfe and said, "Dr. Fastolfe, I heard his name from Gladia this morning. I know very little about him, but I took the chance of saying what I did to your daughter anyway. The odds were heavily against me, but the results were what I wanted them to be, nevertheless. As you see, I can make useful deductions, even when I have very little information, so you had better leave me in peace to continue to do so. Please, in the future, cooperate to the full and make no further mention of a Psychic Probe."
Fastolfe was silent and Baley felt a grim satisfaction at having imposed his will first on the daughter, then on the father.
How long he could continue to do so he did not know.
Chapter 9. VASILIA
36
Baley paused at the door of the airfoil and said firmly, "Giskard, I do not wish the windows opacified. I do not wish to sit in the back. I want to sit in the front seat and observe the Outside. Since I will be sitting between you and Daneel, I should be safe enough, unless the car itself is destroyed. And, in that case, we will all be destroyed and it won't matter whether I am in front or in back."
Giskard responded to the force of the statement by retreating into greater respectfulness. "Sir, if you should feel ill - "
"Then you will stop the car and I will climb into the back seat and you can opacify the rear windows. Or you needn't even stop. I can climb over the front seat while you are moving. The point is, Giskard, that it is important for me to become as acquainted with Aurora as is possible and it is important for me, in any case, to become accustomed to the Outside. I am stating this as an order, Giskard."
Daneel said softly, "Partner Elijah is quite correct in his request, friend Giskard. He will be reasonably safe."
Giskard, perhaps reluctantly (Baley could not interpret the expression on his not-quite-human face), gave in and took his place at the controls. Baley followed and looked out of the clear glass of the windshield without quite the assurance he had presented in his voice. However, the pressure of a robot on either side, was comforting.
The car rose on its jets of compressed air and swayed a bit as though it were finding its footing. Baley felt a queasy sensation in the pit of his stomach and tried not to regret his brave performance of moments before. There was no use trying to tell himself that Daneel and Giskard showed no signs of fear and should be imitated. They were robots and could not feel fear.
And then the car moved forward suddenly and Baley felt himself pushed hard against the seat. Within a minute he was moving at as fast a speed as he had ever experienced on the Expressways of the City. A wide, grassy road stretched out, ahead.
The speed seemed the greater for the fact, that there were none of the friendly lights and structures of the City on either side but rather wide gulfs of greenery and irregular formations.
Baley fought to keep his breath steady and to talk as naturally as he might of neutral things.
He said, "We don't seem to be passing any farmland, Daneel. This seems to be unused land."
Daneel said, "This is city territory, Partner Elijah. It is privately owned parkland and estates."
"City?" Baley could not accept the word. He knew what a City was.
"Eos is the largest and most important city on Aurora. The first to be established. The Auroran World Legislature sits here. The Chairman of the Legislature has his estate here and we will be passing it."
Not only a city but the largest. Baley looked about to either side. "I was under the impression that the Fastolfe and Gladia establishments were on the outskirts of Eos. I should think. We would have passed the city limits, by now."
"Not at all, Partner Elijah. We're passing through its center. The limits are seven kilometers away and our destination is nearly forty kilometers beyond that."
"The center of the city? I see no structures."
"They are not meant to be seen from the road, but there's, one you can make out between the trees. That is the establishment of Fuad Labord, a well-known writer."
"Do you know all the establishments by sight?"
"They are in my memory banks," said Daneel solemnly.
"There's no traffic on the road. Why is that?"
"Long distances are covered by air-cars or magnetic subcars. Trimensional connections - "