the small electro-clarification laboratory was, for some reason, maintained at a temperature somewhat lower than normal and dors venabili wondered idly why that might be. she sat quietly, waiting for the one occupant of the lab to finish whatever it was she was doing.

dors eyed the woman carefully. slim, with a long face. not exactly attractive, with her thin lips and receding jawline, but a look of intelligence shone in her dark brown eyes. the glowing nameplate on her desk said: cinda monay.

she turned to dors at last and said, "my apologies, dr. venabili, but there are some procedures that can't be interrupted even for the wife of the director."

"i would have been disappointed in you if you had neglected the procedure on my behalf. i have been told some excellent things about you."

"that's always nice to hear. who's been praising me?"

"quite a few," said dors. "i gather that you are one of the most prominent nonmathematicians in the project."

monay winced. "there's a certain tendency to divide the rest of us from the aristocracy of mathematics. my own feeling is that, if i'm prominent, then i'm a prominent member of the project. it makes no difference that i'm a nonmathematician."

"that certainly sounds reasonable to me. -how long have you been with the project?"

"two and a half years. before that i was a graduate student in radiational physics at streeling and, while i was doing that, i served a couple of years with the project as an intern."

"you've done well at the project, i understand."

"i've been promoted twice, dr. venabili."

"have you encountered any difficulties here, dr. monay? -whatever you say will be held confidential."

"the work is difficult, of course, but if you mean, have i run into any social difficulties, the answer is no. at least not any more than one would expect in any large and complex project, i imagine."

"and by that you mean?"

"occasional spats and quarrels. we're all human."

"but nothing serious?"

monay shook her head. "nothing serious."

"my understanding, dr. monay," said dors, "is that you have been responsible for the development of a device important to the use of the prime radiant. it makes it possible to cram much more information into the prime radiant."

monay broke into a radiant smile. "do you know about that?-yes, the electro-clarifier. after that was developed, professor seldon established this small laboratory and put me in charge of other work in that direction."

"i'm amazed that such an important advance did not bring you up into the higher echelons of the project."

"oh well," said monay, looking a trifle embarrassed. "i don't want to take all the credit. actually my work was only that of a technician-a very skilled and creative technician, i like to think-but there you are."

"and who worked with you?"

"didn't you know? it was tamwile elar. he worked out the theory that made the device possible and i designed and built the actual instrument."

"does that mean he took the credit, dr. monay?"

"no no. you mustn't think that. dr. elar is not that kind of man. he gave me full credit for my share of the work. in fact, it was his idea to call the device by our names-both our names-but he couldn't."

"why not?"

"well, that's professor seldon's rule, you know. all devices and equations are to be given functional names and not personal ones-to avoid resentment. so the device is just the electro-clarifier. when we're working together, however, he gives the device our names and, i tell you, dr. venabili, it sounds grand. perhaps someday, all of the project personnel will use the personal name. i hope so."

"i hope so, too," said dors politely. "you make elar sound like a very decent individual."

"he is. he is," said monay earnestly. "he is a delight to work for. right now, i'm working on a new version of the device, which is more powerful and which i don't quite understand. -i mean, what it's to be used for. however, he's directing me there."

"and are you making progress?"

"indeed. in fact, i've given dr. elar a prototype, which he plans to test. if it works out, we can proceed further."

"it sounds good," agreed dors. "what do you think would happen if professor seldon were to resign as director of the project? if he were to retire?"

monay looked surprised. "is the professor planning to retire?"

"not that i know of. i'm presenting you with a hypothetical case. suppose he retires. who do you think would be a natural successor? i think from what you have said that you would favor professor elar as the new director."

"yes, i would," responded monay after a trifling hesitation. "he's far and away the most brilliant of the new people and i think he could run the project in the best possible way. still, he's rather young. there are a considerable number of old fossils-well, you know what i mean-who would resent being passed over by a young squirt."

"is there any old fossil you're thinking of in particular? remember, this is confidential."

"quite a few of them, but there's dr. amaryl. he's the heir apparent."

"yes, i see what you mean." dors rose. "well, thank you so much for your help. i'll let you return to your work now."

she left, thinking about the electro-clarifier. and about amaryl.