it was not an easy task to obtain a complete genome of wanda. to begin with, the number of biophysicists equipped to handle the genome was small and those that existed were always busy.

nor was it possible for seldon to discuss his needs openly, in order to interest the biophysicists. it was absolutely essential, seldon felt, that the true reason for his interest in wanda's mental powers be kept secret from all the galaxy.

and if another difficulty was needed, it was the fact that the process was infernally expensive.

seldon shook his head and said to mian endelecki, the biophysicist he was now consulting, "why so expensive, dr. endelecki? i am not an expert in the field, but it is my distinct understanding that the process is completely computerized and that, once you have a scraping of skin cells, the genome can be completely built and analyzed in a matter of days."

"that's true. but having a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule stretching out for billions of nucleotides, with every puring and pyrimidine in its place, is the least of it; the very least of it, professor seldon. there is then the matter of studying each one and comparing it to some standard.

"now, consider, in the first place, that although we have records of complete genomes, they represent a vanishingly small fraction of the number of genomes that exist, so that we don't really know how standard they are."

seldon asked, "why so few?"

"a number of reasons. the expense, for one thing. few people are willing to spend the credits on it unless they have strong reason to think there is something wrong with their genome. and if they have no strong reason, they are reluctant to undergo analysis for fear they will find something wrong. now, then, are you sure you want your granddaughter genomed?"

"yes, i do. it is terribly important."

"why? does she show signs of a metabolic anomaly?"

"no, she doesn't. rather the reverse-if i knew the antonym of 'anomaly.' i consider her a most unusual person and i want to know just what it is that makes her unusual."

"unusual in what way?"

"mentally, but it's impossible for me to go into details, since i don't entirely understand it. maybe i will, once she is genomed."

"how old is she?"

"twelve. she'll soon be thirteen."

"in that case, i'll need permission from her parents."

seldon cleared his throat. "that may be difficult to get. i'm her grandfather. wouldn't my permission be enough?"

"for me, certainly. but, you know, we're talking about the law. i don抰 wish to lose my license to practice."

it was necessary for seldon to approach raych again. this, too, was difficult, as he protested once more that he and his wife, manella, wanted wanda to live a normal life of a normal girl. what if her genome did turn out to be abnormal? would she be whisked away to be prodded and probed like a laboratory specimen? would hari, in his fanatical devotion to his psychohistory project, press wanda into a life of all work and no play, shutting her off from other young people her age? but seldon was insistent.

"trust me, raych. i would never do anything to harm wanda. but this must be done. i need to know wanda's genome. if it is as i suspect it is, we may be on the verge of altering the course of psychohistory, of the future of the galaxy itself!"

and so raych was persuaded and somehow he obtained manella's consent, as well. and together, the three adults took wanda to dr. endelecki's office.

mian endelecki greeted them at the door. her hair was a shining white, but her face showed no sign of age.

she looked at the girl, who walked in with a look of curiosity on her face but with no signs of apprehension or fear. she then turned her gaze to the three adults who had accompanied wanda.

dr. endelecki said with a smile, "mother, father, and grandfather-am i right?"

seldon answered, "absolutely right."

raych looked hang-dog and manella, her face a little swollen and her eyes a little red, looked tired.

"wanda," began the doctor. "that is your name, isn't it?"

"yes, ma'am," said wanda in her clear voice.

"i'm going to tell you exactly what i'm going to do with you. you're right-handed, i suppose."

"yes, ma'am."

"very well, then, i'll spray a little patch on your left forearm with an anesthetic. it will just feel like a cool wind. nothing else. i'll then scrape a little skin from you just a tiny bit. there'll be no pain, no blood, no mark afterward. when i'm done, i'll spray a little disinfectant on it. the whole thing will take just a few minutes. does that sound all right to you?"

"sure," said wanda, as she held out her arm.

when it was over, dr. endelecki said, "i'll put the scraping under the microscope, choose a decent cell, and put my computerized gene analyzer to work. it will mark off every last nucleotide, but there are billions of them. it will probably take the better part of a day. it's all automatic, of course, so i won't be sitting here watching it and there's no point in your doing so, either.

"once the genome is prepared, it will take an even longer time to analyze it. if you want a complete job, it may take a couple of weeks. that is why it's so expensive a procedure. the work is hard and long. i'll call you in when i have it." she turned away, as if she had dismissed the family, and busied herself with the gleaming apparatus on the table in front of her.

seldon said, "if you come across anything unusual, will you get in touch with me instantly? i mean, don't wait for a complete analysis if you find something in the first hour. don't make me wait."

"the chances of finding anything in the first hour are very slim, but i promise you, professor seldon that i will be in touch with you at once if it seems necessary."

manella snatched wanda's arm and led her off triumphantly. raych followed, feet dragging. seldon lingered and said, "this is more important than you know, dr. endelecki."

dr. endelecki nodded as she said, "whatever the reason, professor, i'll do my best."

seldon left, his lips pressed tightly together. why he had thought that somehow the genome would be worked out in five minutes and that a glance at it in another five minutes would give him an answer, he did not know. now he would have to wait for weeks, without knowing what would be found.

he ground his teeth. would his newest brainchild, the second foundation, ever be established or was it an illusion that would remain always just out of reach?