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基地系列:第二基地|Second Foundation

第五章 一人与骡|Chapter 5

属类： 双语小说 【分类】魔幻小说 -[作者: 艾萨克-阿西莫夫] 阅读：[9543]
《第二基地》是“基地”系列三部曲的最后一部。“谜”一般的第二基地的存在成了众矢之的，骡要铲除它，而第一基地的移民为了一个完全不同的理由也必须找到它，但是它究竟在哪里呢？这部故事就是各方人马找寻第二基地的传奇。骡倾全力寻找并铲除第二基地，却失败了。随后，基地人员也千方百计寻找第二基地，因为他们不愿把建立新帝国的功业拱手让人。谁也没想到，寻找的线索竟维系在一位小女孩身上。十四岁的艾嘉蒂娅怕得要死，她究竟发现了有关第二基地的什么秘密呢？
《 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 》
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从程尼斯的一举一动，完全看不出来他已经知晓在两方面——普利吉的态度，以及他们两人之间的关系——都已经起了微妙的变化。现在，他正靠在硬木长椅上，两脚大大咧咧地伸在面前。

1
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“你看这个总督有什么古怪？”

2
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普利吉耸耸肩：“一点都看不出来，我感觉他根本没有什么特异的精神力量。如果他真是第二基地的一员，也只能算是个很差劲的角色。”

3
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“你可知道，我并不这么认为，但我不能确定该如何解释。如果你是第二基地的人，你又会怎么做呢？”程尼斯的口气越来越显得深思熟虑，“如果你是第二基地的人，而你又知道我们到此地来的目的，你会用什么手段对付我们？”

4
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“当然是回转啦。”

5
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“跟骡所做的一样？”程尼斯猛然抬起头来瞪着对方，“假使他们真的已经令我们回转，我们能够察觉到吗？我很怀疑。不过，如果他们只是非常聪明的心理学家，并没有任何异能的话，那又会怎么做呢？”

6
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“若是这样的话，我想会尽快将我们杀掉。”

7
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“而我们的星舰呢？不对。”程尼斯伸出一根手指摆了摆，又说，“对方正在向我们故弄玄虚，普利吉，老前辈，这只是故弄玄虚。纵使他们精通情感控制，我们——你和我——却只是打头阵的小卒。他们真正要对抗的是骡，他们小心谨慎、步步为营，和我们采取的态度完全一样。所以我相信，他们已经知道我们的身份了。”

8
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普利吉用毫无表情的目光瞪着对方：“那么你打算怎么办？”

9
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“等，”他的口中迅速吐出这个字，然后再补充道，“让他们来找我们。他们会迟迟不敢行动，也许是害怕上头的星舰，但也可能是顾忌骡。他们先用那个总督来唬人，可是绝对不会成功，我们仍将按兵下动。这样的话，他们派来的下一个人，一定是真正的第二基地分子，而那个人会主动要求与我们谈判。”

10
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“然后呢？”

11
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“然后我们就跟他们达成协议。”

12
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“这个打算我可不敢苟同。”

13
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“因为你认为这么做会出卖骡？放心，不会的。”

14
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“不，骡知道如何对付你这种吃里扒外的行径。不论你多么精明，都逃不出他的手掌心，可是我仍然不敢苟同。”

15
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“因为你认为我们骗不了第二基地？”

16
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“或许吧，不过这也不是我的理由。”

17
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程尼斯的目光开始下移，盯着对方手中握着的核铳，然后绷着脸说：“你是说那玩意才是真正的理由？”

18
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普利吉晃了晃手中的核铳：“没错，现在你已经被捕了。”

19
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“为什么？”

20
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“因为你背叛了联邦第一公民。”

21
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程尼斯噘起嘴唇：“到底是怎么回事？”

22
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“叛变！正如我刚才说的，而我有责任要制止这种行为。”

23
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“你如何能证明？你有什么证据、假设，或者你根本就是在做白日梦？难道你疯了不成？”

24
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“我可没有发疯，可是你呢？你真以为骡会吃饱了没事干，派你这个乳臭未干的小子执行一个可笑的、充门面的任务？刚开始我也感到奇怪，可是我却不该花那么多时间纳闷。他为什么会派你来？因为你笑容可掬、穿着得体？因为你今年才二十八岁？”

25
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“也许因为他信得过我。你不是要找合理的解释吗？”

26
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“也许刚好因为他信不过你！如今看来这个解释也极为合理。”

27
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“我们是在创作自相矛盾的叙述吗？还是在比赛谁的废话字眼最多？”

28
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不过核铳却渐渐逼近，而普利吉紧紧跟在它后面。当他挺立在年轻人面前时，突然大声喝道：“站起来！”

29
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程尼斯不慌不忙地依言照做，他感到铣口挨到了自己的皮带上，不过胃部的肌肉并没有开始抽搐。

30
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普利吉说：“骡一心一思想找出第二基地，可是他失败了，而我也始终未能成功。我们两人都无法揭开的秘密，一定是极度隐秘的。所以，只剩下最后一个可行的办法，就是找一个已经知道那个秘密地点的人，来领导另一次的探索行动。”

31
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“而那个人就是我？”

32
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“显然正是。当然，最初我并不知道，不过虽然我的心智运作减缓，思考的方向至少还没有错。我们多么轻易就发现了‘群星的尽头’！你从透镜的无数可能内容中，一下子就找到正确的像场，这简直就是奇迹！接下来，我们所遇到的一切，全部都是我们预期的正确方向，真可说是天衣无缝！你这个大笨蛋！难道你就如此低估我，以为我会对你接二连三不可思议的好运，完全视若无睹、无动于衷吗？”

33
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“你的意思是说，我实在太成功了？”

34
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“如果你不是一个叛徒的话，连一半的成功都不可能。”

35
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“因为你对我的期望实在太低了？”

36
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核铳又向前戳了一下。而面对着程尼斯的那张脸，只有森冷的目光显露出逐渐升高的愤怒。

37
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“因为你被第二基地收买了。”

38
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“收买？”程尼斯以无比轻蔑的口气问道，然后又说，“拿出证据来。”

39
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“也可能是你的心灵受到了影响。”

40
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“而骡竟然会不知道？真是荒谬。”

41
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“骡当然早就知道，我要说的正是这一点。你这个笨蛋，骡当然早就知道！否则的话，你以为骡为什么要拨给你一艘星舰？如今你带领我们来到第二基地，这正是骡的计划。”

42
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“让我抽丝剥茧为你分析一下。我能不能请问你，我究竟为什么应该做这一切？假如我是一名叛徒，我为什么要带你到第二基地来？我为什么不在银河中随便乱闯一通，到头来跟你以前一样无功而返？”

43
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“你是为了这艘星舰，因为第二基地的人显然亟需核能武器自卫。”

44
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“你这个理由太过牵强。一艘星舰对他们根本没有用，如果他们认为能从中学得先进的科技，而明年就可以建设核能发电厂，那么这些第二基地的人，头脑也实在非常、非常简单。事实上，我应该说，你自己的头脑就是这么简单。”

45
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“你会有机会向骡当面解释这些。”

46
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“我们要回卡尔根去？”

47
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“正好相反！我们将留在这里。而骡差不多在十五分钟后，就会来到此地跟我们会合。你这个自以为聪明绝顶的小子，以为他没有跟踪我们吗？你这个诱饵刚好反过来了——虽然也许未将我们的猎物引出来，却引导我们来到了猎物的巢穴。”

48
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程尼斯说：“我可以坐下来，用简单明了的方式为你解释一些事吗？拜托。”

49
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“你给我乖乖站好。”

50
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“既然这样的话，我站着说也是一样。你认为骡一直在跟踪我们，是因为通讯线路中有一个超波中继器吗？”

51
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核铳仿佛轻微颤动了一下，不过程尼斯却不敢肯定。他继续说：“你看起来并不惊讶，可是我也不愿意浪费时间，猜测你是否真的感到惊讶。没错，我晓得这件事情。现在，我已经向你证明了，我知道一些你以为我不知道的事。接下来，我要告诉你一些我确定你不知道的事情。”

52
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“你的开场白实在太长了，程尼斯，我以为你捏造谎言的效率应该很高。”

53
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“我没有必要捏造任何事情。叛徒当然存在，或者你比较喜欢称之为敌方的特务。可是，骡却是透过一个迂回的管道知晓这件事的。你可知道，他手下的某些投诚者似乎被人动了手脚。”

54
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核铳这回的确晃动了一下，绝对错不了。

55
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“我要强调这一点，普利吉，这就是他需要我的真正原因，因为我并不是一个回转者。他难道没有向你强调过，说他需要一个非投诚者吗？他到底有没有告诉你这个真正的理由？”

56
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“试试别的伎俩吧，程尼斯。如果我起了背叛骡的念头，自己一定会察觉出来的。”说完，普利吉赶紧悄悄内视自己的心灵，发现根本没有变化，感觉完全一样，显然对面这个人是在说谎。

57
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“你是说你仍然感到对骡忠心耿耿？也许吧，因为忠心并没有被干扰。骡自己也说过，那太容易被发现了。可是你的精神感觉如何呢？是不是变得比较迟钝？从这趟旅程开始算起，你是否始终觉得很正常？或者有时会有奇怪的感觉，好像自己不能完全控制自己——你想干什么？想拿铳口在我肚子上戳个洞吗？”

58
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普利吉将核铳抽回了半寸，然后说：“你到底想说什么？”

59
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“我是说你已经被干扰、被控制了。你并没有亲眼看到骡将超波中继器安装在舰上，你根本没有看到任何人做这件事。我猜，你只不过突然发现它在那里，就跟我一样是无意中发现的。可是你马上假设那是骡安置的，而从那时候开始，你就一直以为是骡在跟踪我们。当然，你手腕上所戴的通讯器，可以用特殊波长和星舰联络，而我的通讯器却接收不到那些讯号。你以为这些我都被蒙在鼓里吗？”他说得越来越快，口气也变得极为愤慨，原本戴在脸上的冷漠面具，如今已经转成一张凶恶的脸孔。接着，他又补充道，“可是你却料错了，跟踪我们的并不是骡，根本就不是。”

60
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“如果不是骡，那么是什么人？”

61
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“哈，你认为是什么人呢？在我们升空的当天，我就已经发现了那个超波中继器，可是我并没有以为是骡放置的，他绝没有理由需要那么偷偷摸摸。你难道看不出那是个荒谬的推论吗？如果我真的是一个叛徒，而他又早已知道的话，他可以轻易地令我回转，让我变得像你一样。这样一来，他就能从我心中探出第二基地的秘密位置，根本不必将我送到银河的另一端。你自己能够对骡隐藏任何秘密吗？反过来说，如果我根本不知道的话，那么我也无法带他到那里去。所以不论怎么说，他都不需要将我派出来。”

62
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“显然，那个超波中继器一定是第二基地的特务放置的，因此不难推知跟踪我们的到底是谁。而如果你那了不起的脑袋没有被干扰的话，又怎么可能会上这个当呢？你会有这种大愚若智的想法，究竟算哪门子正常？我为什么要把一艘星舰带给第二基地？他们要星舰又有什么用？”

63
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“他们真正想要的是你这个人，普利吉。除了骡以外，你是最了解联邦内情的人。骡对他们而言是个危险人物，然而你却不是，这就是为什么他们会将探索的方向注入我心里。当然，假使我只是用透镜漫无目标地摸索，是万万不可能找得到达辛德的，这点我也知道。可是我更知道是第二基地躲在幕后，知道是他们在操纵这一切。所以何不将计就计呢？这其实是个尔虞我诈的心理战，他们想要逮住我们，而我们想要知道他们的大本营。谁能够坚持到底，不被对方唬住，谁就会是最后的赢家。”

64
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“可是如果你不将核铳拿开的话，我们就输定了。你这么做显然是身不由己，是受到了他们的控制。把核铳给我，普利吉，我知道你认为不该听我的话，可是这个念头并不是你自己的，而是由第二基地注入你的心中。把核铳交给我，普利吉，让我们站在一条线上，一起面对即将来临的大敌。”

65
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一股迷乱的情绪不断升高，令普利吉感到极为恐惧。诡辩！自己会错得这么离谱吗？为什么永远要怀疑自己？为什么不能肯定任何事情？是什么使得程尼斯的话听来那么有道理？

66
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诡辩！

67
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抑或是他饱经磨难的心灵，此时正在对抗另一个入侵者？

68
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自己是否分裂成了两个人？

69
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他模模糊糊看见程尼斯站在面前，还伸出一只手来。在这一瞬间，他知道自己就要将核铳交出去了。

70
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当他手臂的肌肉正要收缩，准备有所行动时，身后的门却打开了。他连忙回过头去。

71
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在广大的银河中，或许有许多面貌相似的人，会让别人在普通的情况下认错。此外，在某些特殊场合中，也有人会将根本就不相像的人混淆不清。然而，这两种情形都绝不可能发生在骡身上。

72
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普利吉心中所有的怒火，也无法抵挡住一股冰冷的精神洪流，陡然冲入他的体内。就体格而言，骡无法在任何情况下占得优势，如今也不例外。

73
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他现在的穿着令他看来十分滑稽。由于身上包着很厚的衣服，使他显得比平常臃肿，可是仍旧比普通人还要瘦弱。他的脸大半被遮着，那个特大号的鹰钩鼻露在外面，被寒冷的空气冻得通红。样子看起来就像是在雪地迷失数日、刚刚才被救回来的人——再没有比这个更恰当的比喻了。

74
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他一进门就说：“把核铳抓紧，普利吉。”

75
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此时程尼斯耸耸肩，自己找了位子坐下。骡转身对他说：“此地的情感氛围似乎极为杂乱，而且有明显的冲突。你说除我之外，还有人跟踪你们，这究竟是什么意思？”

76
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普利吉突然插嘴问道：“阁下，在我们的星舰上放置超波中继器，是不是您授意的？”

77
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骡将冷漠的双眼转向普利吉：“当然。整个银河系中，除了行星联邦之外，还可能有别的组织拥有这种装置吗？”

78
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“他说……”

79
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“好，他在这里，将军，不需要你来转述他的话。你刚才是不是说了些什么，程尼斯？”

80
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“是的，阁下，不过我显然是搞错了。我本来以为，超波中继器是某个被第二基地收买的人放置的，而我们被引到这里来，是出于某些人的阴谋，我正准备要还击呢。此外，我还有一个感觉，感到将军多少已经被他们控制了。”

81
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“听你的口气，好像你现在不这么想了。”

82
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“似乎就是如此。否则的话，刚才进门的就不会是您了。”

83
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“奸吧，那么，让我们来理清这个问题。”骡将厚实又附有电热装置的外套脱去，继续说道：“你不介意我也坐下吧？现在——我们在这里非常安全，完全不必担心会有任何人闯进来。在这个冰封的星球上，不会有任何一个本地人想要靠近这个地方，这一点我能够向你们保证。”他用冷酷的语调，强调着自己的力量。

84
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程尼斯却故意表现出厌恶：“有什么不可见人的？是不是有人会来奉茶，还会有舞娘出来表演呢？”

85
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“恐怕没有。你的理论到底是什么，年轻人？你说第二基地的人正在追踪你们，用的却是只有我才拥有的装置，还有——你说你是怎么找到这个地方的？”

86
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“这很明显，阁下，为了要解释所有已知的事实，似乎只能说我的脑子被灌输了一些概念……”

87
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“也是那些第二基地的人干的？”

88
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“不可能有别人，我想。”

89
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“那么你并没有想到，如果某个第二基地的人为了自己的目的，因而强迫、驱策，或是诱骗你到第二基地自投罗网——我想你认为他用的是与我类似的方法，可是我要提醒你，我能够植入他人心中的只有情感，而不是概念——反正，你并没有想到，如果他能够做到这种事，他就几乎没有必要用超波中继器追踪你。”

90
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程尼斯猛然抬起头，却被元首的大眼睛吓得一阵心悸。普利吉则在喃喃自语，从他松弛的肩膀上，可以看出他已经完全放松了。

91
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“对，”程尼斯回答：“我并没有想到这一点。”

92
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“如果他们不得不跟踪你，就表示他们不可能有办法左右你。而你在完全不受他们支配的情况下，根本不可能这么顺利找到这里。这一点你想到过没有？”

93
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“这点我也没有想到。”

94
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“为什么？难道说你的智商突然降低了那么多吗？”

95
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“我现在只能以一个问题来答复您，阁下。您是不是也要加入普利吉将军的阵营，跟他一起来指控我是个叛徒？”

96
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“如果我的答复是肯定的，你有办法为自己抗辩吗？”

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“我的理由刚才都已经跟将军说过了。如果我真的是一个叛徒，知道第二基地的下落，您就可以令我回转，直接从我心中探得那个秘密。而如果您认为有需要跟踪我，那么代表我在事先并不知情，因此也就不是一个叛徒。我就准备利用这个矛盾，来答覆您刚才提出的那个矛盾。”

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“那么你的结论是什么呢？”

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“我并不是一个叛徒。”

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“这一点我必须承认，因为你的论证无懈可击。”

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“那么现在我可否请问您，为什么您要暗中跟踪我们？”

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“因为对于所有已知的事实，其实还存在着第三种解释。你和普利吉两个人，都分别以个人的观点解释了部分而非全部的事实。而我——如果你们愿意多花点时间听我说——我可以将一切都解释得很圆满。我尽量长话短说，所以你们听来应该不会觉得厌烦。坐下来，普利吉，把你的核铳交给我。我们不会有危险的，不论是屋里屋外，都再也不会有人想攻击我们。事实上，就连第二基地也不会了。而这都是你的功劳，程尼斯。”

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房间中的照明是罗珊通用的电力白炽灯，仅有的一个灯泡吊在天花板上，昏黄的灯光映出了三道人影。

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骡说：“既然我感到有必要跟踪程尼斯，显然我期待能够有些收获。由于他以惊人的速度直奔第二基地，我们可以做一个合理的假设，那就是我所期待的事情果真发生了。然而，我却没有直接从他那里获得任何情报，所以一定是有什么东西阻止了我，这些都是事实。当然，程尼斯知道真正的答案，而我心里也很明白。你懂了吗，普利吉？”

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普利吉以顽固的口气说：“阁下，我不懂。”

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“那么让我来解释一下。知道第二基地的位置，又能够不让我探得这个秘密的，其实只有惟一的一种人。程尼斯，恐怕你并不是真正的叛徒，事实上，你根本就是第二基地的人。”

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程尼斯用双肘撑在膝盖上，身子微微向前倾，从愤怒而僵硬的嘴唇中吐出了一句：“您有什么直接的证据？演绎式的推论今天已经两度触礁了。”

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“我当然也有直接的证据，程尼斯，这相当简单。我曾经告诉过你，说我的手下被人暗中动了手脚，而主使者显然第一必须是非回转者，第二是与事件中心极为接近的人。这个范围虽然很大，可是却并非没有界限。你过去实在太成功了，程尼斯，大家都太喜欢你，你的一切都太顺利了。所以我怀疑——”

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“于是我征召你主持这次远征，而你并没有拒绝。我曾注意观察你的情感变化，发现你完全没有感到困扰。你的胸有成竹表演得太过火了，程尼斯。对于这么重大的任务，任何一个正常人，不论他的能力多么强，都难免会现出几丝犹豫。可是你心中就是没有这种反应，这代表你如果不是白痴，就是受到外力的控制。”

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“要想知道真相其实非常容易，我趁着你松懈的时候，突然将你的心灵一把抓住，并且在同一瞬间将悲痛的情绪注入，随即又将它解除。而你马上就显露出了愤怒，几乎配合得天衣无缝，我简直可以发誓那是一种自然的反应，不过那却只是我最初的想法。因为当我左右你的情感时，在你露出愤怒的反应之前，有那么一刹那的工夫，你的心灵竟然试图反抗，而这正是我想要知道的反应。”

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“没有任何人能够反抗我，即使是那么短暂的时间，除非他具有与我类似的精神控制力。”

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程尼斯的声音听来低沉而苦涩：“哦，是吗？那又怎么样？”

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“那就代表你死定了——因为你的确是第二基地的人。这是你惟一的下场，我相信你早就知道了。”

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于是程尼斯又看到了一把指着自己的核铳，然而，这次控制铳口方向的并不是普利吉，而是一个与他一样成熟、一样强固的心灵。他可以轻易按照自己的意志左右普利吉，可是对于骡的心灵却无能为力。

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而他能够用来扭转局势的时间，实在少之又少。

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接下来所发生的事情，实在很难以笔墨形容。因为笔者与普通人无异，只具有普通的感官；也跟普通人一样，没有控制他人情感的能力。

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简单地说，在骡的拇指将要扣下扳机的那一瞬间，程尼斯的心中转了无数的念头。

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骡的精神如今被坚毅果断的决心占据，绝不会有半分犹豫。从骡决心射杀程尼斯，到他将被高能光束分解殆尽的这段过程，假如程尼斯事后有兴趣计算一下，将会发现可资利用的时间仅有五分之一秒。

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只有那么一点点时间。

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而在那么短暂的时间中，骡发觉程尼斯大脑的情感势能陡然高涨，不过自己的心灵并未感到任何冲击。与此同时，一股纯粹而令人战栗的恨意，却从另外一个意想不到的方向袭来。

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就是由于这个新来的情绪，将他的大拇指从扳机旁边弹开。除此之外，再也没有任何力量能够做到这一点。几乎在他改变动作的同一时刻，他也完全体认到了这个新的情势。

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说时迟那时快，若从戏剧的观点而言，这个变化实在该用慢动作呈现。且先说骡，他的拇指离开了核铳，但是双眼仍旧紧盯着程尼斯；再说程尼斯，他全身紧绷，几乎下敢张口喘气；此外还有普利吉，他倒在椅子上全身痉挛，每一块肌肉都拼命抽搐，每一条肌腱都扭曲变形，训练有素的木然脸孔化作一张死灰的面具，上面布满了可怕的恨意，令人根本认不出他是谁。而他的双眼则紧紧地、直直地、目不转睛地盯在骡身上。

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程尼斯与骡只交换了一两个字——仅仅一两个字，对他们这种人而言，已经完全能够表露情感与意识，足以达到相互了解与沟通的目的。然而由于我们这些凡夫俗子先天性的限制，想要叙述这一段经过，必须将他们所交换的讯息转换成文字，包括刚才已经进行过的，以及即将进行的“对话”。

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程尼斯紧张地说道：“你现在已经腹背受敌了，第一公民。你无法同时控制两个心灵，因为其中之一来自第二基地，所以你只能任选其一。普利吉已经脱离回转状态，我刚刚把他的心灵枷锁打开了。他如今又是当年的普利吉，那个将你视作自由、正义与一切神圣事物的公敌，曾经试图行刺你的普利吉。此外他也知道，在过去五年间，你将他贬为一条摇尾乞怜的走狗。现在我压制住他的意志，不让他有所行动，可是假如你将我杀掉，那就没有人控制他了。在你还来下及将铳口转向，甚至以你的意志重新攫取他之前——他就会把你解决。”

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骡对于他所说的这些都毫不怀疑，因此仍然保持纹丝不动的姿势。

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程尼斯又说：“倘若你转移注意力去控制他或杀掉他，或是做出任何行动，你就来不及回过头来再阻止我。”听到这里，骡仍旧没有任何动作，只是轻轻地叹了一口气。

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“所以说，”程尼斯继续说道，“把核铳抛开吧，让我们两人公平地对决，然后你就可以把普利吉要回去。”

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“我犯了一个错误，”骡终于开口，“当我面对你的时候，不该让任何第三者在场，这样做引进了太多变数。我想，我必须为这个错误付出代价。”

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他随手将核铳抛在地上，又用脚将它踢到房间的另一角。与此同时，普利吉也瘫成一团沉沉睡去。

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“当他清醒的时候，一切都会恢复正常。”骡轻描淡写地说。

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从骡的拇指准备按下扳机，到他将核铳丢弃为止，这整个情势的逆转，其实只过了一点五秒的时间。

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但是在意识几乎无法察觉的范围，程尼斯及时从骡的心灵中发现了一丝飘忽的情绪——那仍是信心十足的得意之情。

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这两个人表面上看起来轻松自在，实际上却刚好相反——他们体内每一根职主管情感的神经，全都紧张得不停颤抖。

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There was no sign in any of Channis’ actions that he was aware of any subtle change in the attitude of Pritcher, and in their relations to each other. He leaned back on the hard wooden bench and spread-eagled his feet out in front of him.

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"What did you make of the governor?"

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Pritcher shrugged : "Nothing at all. He certainly seemed no mental genius to me. A very poor specimen of the Second Foundation, if that’s what he was supposed to be."

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"I don’t think he was, you know. I’m not sure what to make of it. Suppose you were a Second Foundationer," Channis grew thoughtful, "what would you do? Suppose you had an idea of our purpose here. How would you handle us?"

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" Conversion , of course."

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"Like the Mule?" Channis looked up, sharply. "Would we know if they had converted us? I wonder?And what if they were simply psychologists, but very clever ones."

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"In that case, I’d have us killed rather quickly."

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"And our ship? No." Channis wagged a forefinger . "We’re playing a bluff , Pritcher, old man. It can only be a bluff. Even if they have emotional control down pat, we ?you and I ?are only fronts. It’s the Mule they must fight, and they’re being just as careful of us as we are of them. I’m assuming that they know who we are."

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Pritcher, stared coldly: "What do you intend doing?"

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"Wait." The word was bitten off. "Let them come to us. They’re worried, maybe about the ship, but probably about the Mule. They bluffed with the governor. It didn’t work. We stayed pat. The next person they’ll send will be a Second Foundationer, and he抣l propose a deal of some sort."

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"And then?"

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"And then we make the deal."

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"I don’t think so."

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"Because you think it will double-cross the Mule? It won’t."

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"No, the Mule could handle your double-crosses, any you could invent. But I still don’t think so."

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"Because you think then we couldn’t double-cross the Foundationers?"

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"Perhaps not. But that抯 not the reason."

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Channis let his glance drop to what the other held in his fist, and said grimly: "You mean that’s the reason."

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Pritcher cradled his blaster, "That’s right. You are under arrest."

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"Why?"

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"For treason to the First Citizen of the union."

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Channis’ lips hardened upon one another: "What’s going on?"

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"Treason! As I said. And correction of the matter, on my part."

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"Your proof? Or evidence, assumptions, daydreams ? Are you mad?"

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"No. Are you? Do you think the Mule sends out unweaned youngsters on ridiculous swashbuckling missions for nothing? It was queer to me at the time. But I wasted time in doubting myself. Why should he send you? Because you smile and dress well? Because you’re twenty-eight."

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"Perhaps because I can be trusted. Or aren’t you in the market for logical reasons?"

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"Or perhaps because you can’t be trusted. Which is logical enough, as it turns out."

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"Are we matching paradoxes , or is this all a word game to see who can say the least in the most words?"

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And the blaster advanced, with Pritcher after it. He stood erect before the younger man: "Stand up!"

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Channis did so, in no particular hurry, and felt the muzzle of the blaster touch his belt with no shrinking of the stomach muscles.

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Pritcher said: "What the Mule wanted was to find the Second Foundation. He had failed and I had failed, and the secret that neither of us can find is a well-hidden one. So there was one outstanding possibility left ?and that was to find a seeker who ready knew the hiding-place."

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"Is that I?"

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" Apparently it was. I didn’t know then, of course, but though my mind must be slowing, it still points in the right direction. How easily we found Star’s End! How miraculously you examined the correct Field Region of the Lens from among an infinite number of possibilties! And having done so, how nicely we observe just the correct point for observation! You clumsy fool! Did you so underestimate me that no combination of impossible fortuties struck you as being too much for me to swallow?"

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"You mean I’ve been too successful?"

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"Too successful by half for any loyal man."

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"Because the standards of success you set me were so low?"

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And the blaster prodded , though in the face that confront Channis only the cold glitter of the eyes betrayed the growing anger: "Because you are in the pay of the Second Foundation."

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"Pay?"?infinite contempt. "Prove that."

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"Or under the mental influence."

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"Without the Mule’s knowledge? Ridiculous."

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"With the Mule’s knowledge. Exactly my point, my you dullard. With the Mule’s knowledge. Do you suppose else that you would be given a ship to play with? You led us to the Second Foundation as you were supposed to do."

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"I thresh a kernel of something or other out of this immensity of chaff . May I ask why I’m supposed to be doing all this? If were a traitor , why should I lead you to the Second Foundation? Why not hither and yon through the Galaxy , skipping gaily , finding no more than you ever did?’

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"For the sake of the ship. And because the men of the Second Foundation quite obviously need atomic warfare for self- defense ."

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’You’ll have to do better than that. One ship won’t mean thing to them, and if they think they’ll learn science from it a build atomic power plants next year, they are very, very simple Second Foundationers, indeed. On the order of simplicity as yourself, I should say."

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"You will have the opportunity to explain that to the Mule."

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"We’re going back to Kalgan?"

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"On the contrary. We’re staying here. And the Mule will join us in fifteen minutes ?more or less. Do you think he hasn’t followed us, my sharp-witted, nimble-minded lump of self-admiration? You have played the decoy well in reverse. You may not have led our victims to us, but you have certainly led us to our victims."

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"May I sit down," said Channis, "and explain something to you in picture drawings? Please."

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"You will remain standing ."

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At that, I can say it as well standing. You think the Mule followed us because of the hypertracer on the communication circuit?"

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The blaster might have wavered. Channis wouldn’t have sworn to it. He said: "You don’t look surprised. But I don’t waste time doubting that you feel surprised. Yes, I knew about it. And now, having shown you that I knew of something you didn’t think I did, I’ll tell you something you don’t know, that I know you don’t."

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"You allow yourself too many preliminaries, Channis. I should think your sense of invention was more smoothly greased.

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"There’s on invention to this. There have been traitors , of course, or enemy agents, if you prefer that term. But the Mule knew of that in a rather curious way. It seems, you see, that some of his Converted men had been tampered with."

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The blaster did waver that time. Unmistakably.

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"I emphasize that, Pritcher. It was why he needed me. I was an Unconverted man. Didn’t he emphasize to you that he needed an Unconverted? Whether he gave you the real reason or not?"

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"Try something else, Channis. If I were against the Mule, I’d know it." Quietly, rapidly, Pritcher was feeling his mind. It felt the same. It felt the same. Obviously the man was lying.

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"You mean you feel loyal to the Mule. Perhaps. Loyalty wasn’t tampered with. Too easily detectable , the Mule said. But how do you feel mentally? Sluggish ? Since you started this trip, have you always felt normal? Or have you felt strange sometimes, as though you weren’t quite yourself? What are you trying to do, bore a hole through me without touching the trigger?"

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Pritcher withdrew his blaster half an inch, "What are you trying to say?"

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"I say that you’ve been tampered with. You’ve been handled. You didn’t see the Mule install that hypertracer. You didn’t see anyone do it. You just found it there, and assumed it was the Mule, and ever since you’ve been assuming he was following us. Sure, the wrist receiver you’re wearing contacts the ship on a wave length mine isn’t good for. Do you think I didn’t know that?" He was speaking quickly now, angrily. His cloak of indifference had dissolved into savagery . "But it’s not the Mule that’s coming toward us from out there. It’s not the Mule."

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"Who, if not?"

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"Well, who do you suppose? I found that hypertracer, the day we left. But I didn’t think it was the Mule. He had no reason for indirection at that point. Don’t you see the nonsense of it? If I were a traitor and he knew that, I could be Converted as easily as you were, and he would have the secret of the location of the Second Foundation out of my mind without sending me half across the Galaxy. Can you keep a secret from the Mule? And if I didn’t know, then I couldn’t lead him to it. So why send me in either case?

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"Obviously, that hypertracer must have been put there by an agent of the Second Foundation. That’s who’s coming towards us now. And would you have been fooled if your precious mind hadn’t been tampered with? What kind of normality have you that you imagine immense folly to be wisdom? Me bring a ship to the Second Foundation? What would they do with a ship?

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"It’s you they want, Pritcher. You know more about the union than anyone but the Mule, and you’re not dangerous to them while he is. That抯 why they put the direction of search into my mind. Of course, it was completely impossible for me to find Tazenda by random searchings of the Lens. I knew that. But I knew there was the Second Foundation after us, and I knew they engineered it. Why not play their game? It was a battle of bluffs . They wanted us and I wanted their location ?and space take the one that couldn’t outbluff the other.

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"But it’s we that will lose as long as you hold that blaster on me. And it obviously isn’t your idea. It’s theirs. Give me the blaster, Pritcher. I know it seems wrong to you, but it isn’t your mind speaking, it’s the Second Foundation within you. Give me the blaster, Pritcher, and we抣l face what’s coming now, together."

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Pritcher, faced a growing confusion in horror. Plausibility ! Could he be so wrong? Why this eternal doubt of himself? Why wasn’t he sure? What made Channis sound so plausible ?

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Plausibility!

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Or was it his own tortured mind fighting the invasion of the alien.

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Was he split in two?

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Hazily , he saw Channis standing before him, hand outstretched ?and suddenly, he knew he was going to give him the blaster.

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And as the muscles of his arm were on the point of contracting in the proper manner to do so, the door opened, not hastily, behind him ?and he turned.

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There are perhaps men in the Galaxy who can be confused for one another even by men at their peaceful leisure. Correspondingly, there may be conditions of mind when even unlikely pairs may be mis-recognized. But the Mule rises above any combination of the two factors.

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Not all Pritcher’s agony of mind prevented the instantaneous mental flood of cool vigor that engulfed him.

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Physically , the Mule could not dominate any situation. Nor did he dominate this one.

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He was rather a ridiculous figure in his layers of clothing that thickened him past his normality without allowing him to reach normal dimensions even so. His face was muffled and the usually dominant beak covered what was left in a cold-red prominence .

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Probably as a vision of rescue, no greater incongruity could exist.

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He said: "Keep your blaster, Pritcher."

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Then he turned to Channis, who had shrugged and seated himself: "The emotional context here seems rather confusing and considerably in conflict. What’s this about someone other than myself following you?"

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Pritcher intervened sharply: "Was a hypertracer placed upon our ship by your orders, sir?"

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The Mule turned cool eyes upon him, "Certainly. Is it very likely that any organization in the Galaxy other than the union of Worlds would have access to it?’

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"He said?

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"Well, he’s here, general. Indirect quotation is not necessary. Have you been saying anything, Channis?"

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"Yes. But mistakes apparently, sir. It has been my opinion that the tracer was put there by someone in the pay of the Second Foundation and that we had been led here for some purpose of theirs, which I was prepared to counter. I was under the further impression that the general was more or less in their hands."

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"You sound as if you think so no longer."

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"I’m afraid not. Or it would not have been you at the door."

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"Well, then, let us thresh this out." The Mule peeled off the outer layers of padded, and electrically heated clothing. "Do you mind if I sit down as well? Now ?we are safe here and perfectly free of any danger of intrusion. No native of this lump of ice will have any desire to approach this place. I assure you of that," and there was a grim earnestness about his insistence upon his powers.

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Channis showed his disgust. "Why privacy? Is someone going to serve tea and bring out the dancing girls?"

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"Scarcely. What was this theory of yours, young man? A Second Foundationer was tracing you with a device which no one but I have and ?how did you say you found this place?"

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"Apparently, sir, it seems obvious, in order to account for known facts, that certain notions have been put into my head?

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"By these same Second Foundationers?"

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"No one else, I imagine."

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"Then it did not occur to you that if a Second Foundationer could force, or entice , or inveigle you into going to the Second Foundation for purposes of his own ?and I assume you imagined he used methods similar to mine, though, mind you, I can implant only emotions, not ideas ?it did not occur to you that if he could do that there was little necessity to put a hypertracer on you.

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And Channis looked up sharply and met his sovereign’s large eyes with sudden startle. Pritcher grunted and a visible relaxation showed itself in his shoulders.

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"No," said Channis, "that hadn’t occurred to me."

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"Or that if they were obliged to trace you, they couldn’t feel capable of directing you, and that, undirected, you could have precious little chance of finding your way here as you did. Did that occur to you?"

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"That, neither."

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"Why not? Has your intellectual level receded to a so-much-greater-than-probable degree?"

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"The only answer is a question, sir. Are you joining General Pritcher in accusing me of being a traitor?"

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"You have a defense in case I am?"

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"Only the one I presented to the general. If I were a traitor and knew the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, you could Convert me and learn the knowledge directly. If you felt it necessary to trace me, then I hadn’t the knowledge beforehand and wasn’t a traitor. So I answer your paradox with another."

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"Then your conclusion?"

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"That I am not a traitor."

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"To which I must agree, since your argument is irrefutable."

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"Then may I ask you why you had us secretly followed?"

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"Because to all the facts there is a third explanation. Both you and Pritcher explained some facts in your own individual ways, but not all. I ?if you can spare me the time ?will explain all. And in a rather short time, so there is little danger of boredom . Sit down, Pritcher, and give me your blaster. There is no danger of attack on us any longer. None from in here and none from out there. None in fact even from the Second Foundation. Thanks to you, Channis."

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The room was lit in the usual Rossemian fashion of electrically heated wire. A single bulb was suspended from the ceiling and in its dim yellow glow, the three cast their individual shadows.

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The Mule said: "Since I felt it necessary to trace Channis, it was obvious I expect to gain something thereby . Since he went to the Second Foundation with a startling speed and directness, we can reasonably assume that that was what I was expecting to happen. Since I did not gain the knowledge from him directly, something must have been preventing me. Those are the facts. Channis, of course, knows the answer. So do I. Do you see it, Pritcher?"

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And Pritcher said doggedly : "No, sir."

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"Then I抣l explain. Only one kind of man can both know the location of the Second Foundation and prevent me from learning it. Channis, I’m afraid you’re a Second Foundationer yourself."

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And Channis’ elbows rested on his knees as he leaned forward, and through stiff and angry lips said: "What is your direct evidence? Deduction has proven wrong twice today."

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"There is direct evidence, too, Channis. It was easy enough. I told you that my men had been tampered with. The tamperer must have been, obviously, someone who was a) Unconverted, and b) fairly close to the center of things. The field was large but not entirely unlimited

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. You were too successful, Channis. People liked you too much. You got along too well. I wondered?

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"And then I summoned you to take over this expedition and it didn’t set you back. I watched your emotions. It didn’t bother you. You overplayed the confidence there, Channis. No man of real competence could have avoided a dash of uncertainty at a job like that. Since your mind did avoid it, it was either a foolish one or a controlled one.

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It was easy to test the alternatives. I seized your mind at a moment of relaxation and filled it with grief for an instant and then removed it. You were angry afterwards with such accomplished art that I could have sworn it was a natural reaction, but for that which went first. For when I wrenched at your emotions, for just one instant, for one tiny instant before you could catch yourself, your mind resisted. It was all I needed to know.

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"No one could have resisted me, even for that tiny instant, without control similar to mine."

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Channis’ voice was low and bitter: "Well, then? Now what?"

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"And now you die ?as a Second Foundationer. Quite necessary, as I believe you realize."

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And once again Channis stared into the muzzle of a blaster. A muzzle guided this time by a mind, not like Pritcher’s capable of offhand twisting to suit himself, but by one as mature as his own and as resistant to force as his own.

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And the period of time allotted him for a correction of events was small.

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What followed thereafter is difficult to describe by one with the normal complement of senses and the normal incapacity for emotional control.

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Essentially , this is what Channis realized in the tiny space of time involved in the pushing of the Mule’s thumb upon the trigger contact.

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The Mule’s current emotional makeup was one of a hard and polished determination, unmisted by hesitation in the least. Had Channis been sufficiently interested afterward to calculate the time involved from the determination to shoot to the arrival of the disintegrating energies, he might have realized that his leeway was about one-fifth of a second.

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That was barely time.

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What the Mule realized in that same tiny space of time was that the emotional potential of Channis’ brain had surged suddenly upwards without his own mind feeling any impact and that, simultaneously , a flood of pure, thrilling hatred cascaded upon him from an unexpected direction.

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It was that new emotional element that jerked his thumb off the contact. Nothing else could have done it, and almost together with his change of action, came complete realization of the new situation.

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It was a tableau that endured far less than the significance adhering to it should require from a dramatic standpoint. There was the Mule, thumb off the blaster, staring intently upon Channis There was Channis taut , not quite daring to breathe yet. And there was Pritcher, convulsed in his chair; every muscle at a spasmodic breaking point; every tendon writhing in an effort to hurl forward; his face twisted at last out of schooled woodenness into an unrecognizable death mask of horrid hate; and his eyes only and entirely and supremely upon the Mule.

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Only a word or two passed between Channis and the Mule ?only a word or two and that utterly revealing stream of emotional consciousness that remains forever the true interplay of understanding between such as they. For the sake of our own limits, it is necessary to translate into words what went on, then, and thenceforward.

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Channis said, tensely: "You抮e between two fires, First Citizen. You can’t control two minds simultaneously, not when one of them is mine ?so you have your choice. Pritcher, is free of your Conversion now. I’ve snapped the bonds. He’s the old Pritcher; the one who tried to kill you once; the one who thinks you’re the enemy of all that is free and right and holy; and he’s the one besides who knows that you’ve debased him to helpless adulation for five years. I’m holding him back now by suppressing his will, but if you kill me, that ends, and in considerably less time than you could shift your blaster or even your will ?he will kill you."

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The Mule quite plainly realized that. He did not move.

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Channis continued: "If you turn to place him under control, to kill him, to do anything, you won’t ever be quick enough to turn again to stop me."

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The Mule still did not move. Only a soft sigh of realization.

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"So," said Channis, "throw down the blaster, and let us be on even terms again, and you can have Pritcher back."

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"I made a mistake," said the Mule, finally. "It was wrong to have a third party present when I confronted you. It introduced one variable too many. It is a mistake that must be paid for, I suppose."

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He dropped the blaster carelessly, and kicked it to the other end of the room. Simultaneously, Pritcher crumpled into profound sleep.

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"He抣l be normal when he awakes," said the Mule, indifferently.

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The entire exchange from the time the Mule’s thumb had begun pressing the trigger-contact to the time he dropped the blaster had occupied just under a second and a half of time.

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But just beneath the borders of consciousness, for a time just above the borders of detection, Channis caught a fugitive emotional gleam in the Mule’s mind. And it was still one of sure and confident triumph.

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