"Asimov, Isaac - Cleon the Emperor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

Seldon said, УHow are things going at the Ministry, Raych? Any progress?Ф

УSome, Dad. The laws are passed. The court decisions are made. Speeches are pronounced. Still, it's difficult to move people. You can preach brotherhood all you want, but no one feels like a brother. What gets me is that the Dahlites are as bad as any of the others. They want to be treated as equals, they say, and so they do, but, given a chance, they have no desire to treat others as equals.Ф

Venabili said, УIt's all but impossible to change people's minds and hearts, Raych. It's enough to try and perhaps eliminate the worst of the injustices.Ф

УThe trouble is,Ф said Seldon, Уthat through most of history, no one's been working on this problem. Human beings have been allowed to fester in the delightful game of I'm-better-than-you, and cleaning up that mess isn't easy. If we allow things to follow their own bent and grow worse for a thousand years, we can't complain if it takes, say, one hundred years to work an improvement.Ф

УSometimes, Dad,Ф said Raych, УI think you gave me this job to punish me.Ф

Seldon's eyebrows raised. УWhat motivation could I have had to punish you?Ф

УFor feeling attracted to Joranum's program of sector-equality and for greater popular representation in government.Ф

УI don't blame you for that. These are attractive suggestions, but you know that Joranum and his gang were using it only as a device to gain power. AfterwardЧФ

УBut you had me entrap him despite my attraction to his views.Ф

Seldon said, УIt wasn't easy for me to ask you to do that.Ф

УAnd now you keep me working at the implementation of Joranum's program, just to show me how hard the task is in reality.Ф

Seldon said to Venabili, УHow do you like that, Dors? The boy attributes to me a kind of sneaky underhandedness that simply isn't part of my character.Ф

УSurely,Ф said Venabili, with the ghost of a smile playing at her lips, Уyou are attributing no such thing to your father.Ф

УNot really. In the ordinary course of life, there's no one straighter than you, Dad. But if you have to, you know you can stack the cards. Isn't that what you hope to do with Psychohistory?Ф

Seldon said sadly, УSo far, I've done very little with Psychohistory.Ф

УToo bad. I keep thinking that there is some sort of psychohistorical solution to the problem of human bigotry.Ф

УMaybe there is, but, if so, I haven't found it.Ф

When dinner was over, Seldon said, УYou and I, Raych, are going to have a little talk now.Ф

УIndeed?Ф said Venabili. УI take it I'm not invited.Ф

УMinisterial business, Dors.Ф

УMinisterial nonsense, Hari. You're going to ask the poor boy to do something I wouldn't want him to do.Ф

Seldon said firmly, УI'm certainly not going to ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do.Ф

Raych said, УIt's all right, Mom. Let Dad and me have our talk. I promise I'll tell you all about it afterward.Ф

Venabili's eyes rolled upward. УYou two will plead Сstate secrets.Т I know it.Ф

УAs a matter of fact,Ф said Seldon firmly. УThat's exactly what I must discuss. And of the first magnitude. I'm serious, Dors.Ф