"i'm sure it worked," said seldon. "naturally we won't have a complete reversal instantly. it takes time. but things are moving in the right direction now. i noticed that when i stopped namarti's talk at the university field. the audience was with him until i faced him and showed spunk against odds. the audience began to change sides at once."

"do you think this is an analogous situation?" asked dors dubiously.

"of course. if i don't have psychohistory, i can use analogy-and the brains i was born with, i suppose. there was the first minister, beleaguered on all sides with the accusation, and he faced it down with a smile and a laugh, the most nonrobot thing he could have done, so that in itself was an answer to the question. of course sympathy began to slide to his side. nothing would stop that. but that's only the beginning. we have to wait for sunmaster fourteen and hear what he has to say."

"are you confident there, too?"

"absolutely."