"Asimov, Isaac - 1. Foundation" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

table, Ц which is a perfectly ordinary recorder to all appearances and performs
it duties well Ц has the additional property of completely blanketing the spy
beam. This is something they will not find out at once."
"Then I can speak."
"Of course."
"Then I want a hearing with the Emperor."
Avakim smiled frostily, and it turned out that there was room for it on his thin
face after all. His cheeks wrinkled to make the room. He said, "You are from the
provinces."
"I am none the less an Imperial citizen. As good a one as you or as any of this
Commission of Public Safety."
"No doubt; no doubt. It is merely that, as a provincial, you do not understand
life on Trantor as it is, There are no hearings before the Emperor."
"To whom else would one appeal from this Commission? Is there other procedure?"
"None. There is no recourse in a practical sense. Legalistically, you may appeal
to the Emperor, but you would get no hearing. The Emperor today is not the
Emperor of an Entun dynasty, you know. Trantor, I am afraid is in the hands of
the aristocratic families, members of which compose the Commission of Public
Safety. This is a development which is well predicted by psychohistory."
Gaal said, "Indeed? In that case, if Dr. Seldon can predict the history of
Trantor three hundred years into the future Ц"
"He can predict it fifteen hundred years into the future."
"Let it be fifteen thousand. Why couldn't he yesterday have predicted the events
of this morning and warned me. ЦNo, I'm sorry." Gaal sat down and rested his
head in one sweating palm, "I quite understand that psychohistory is a
statistical science and cannot predict the future of a single man with any
accuracy. You'll understand that I'm upset."
"But you are wrong. Dr. Seldon was of the opinion that you would be arrested
this morning."
"What!"
"It is unfortunate, but true. The Commission has been more and more hostile to
his activities. New members joining the group have been interfered with to an
increasing extent. The graphs showed that for our purposes, matters might best
be brought to a climax now. The Commission of itself was moving somewhat slowly
so Dr. Seldon visited you yesterday for the purpose of forcing their hand. No
other reason."
Gaal caught his breath, "I resent Ц"
"Please. It was necessary. You were not picked for any personal reasons. You
must realize that Dr. Seldon's plans, which are laid out with the developed
mathematics of over eighteen years include all eventualities with significant
probabilities. This is one of them. I've been sent here for no other purpose
than to assure you that you need not fear. It will end well; almost certainly so
for the project; and with reasonable probability for you."
"What are the figures?" demanded Gaal.
"For the project, over 99.9%."
"And for myself?"
"I am instructed that this probability is 77.2%."
"Then I've got better than one chance in five of being sentenced to prison or to
death."
"The last is under one per cent."