dors had urged seldon to sleep a bit. they would be leaving halfway between lights out and lights on, under cover of "night," while the rest of the university slept. she insisted he could still use a little rest.

"and have you sleep on the floor again?" seldon asked.

she shrugged. "the bed will only hold one and if we both try to crowd into it, neither of us will get much sleep."

he looked at her hungrily for a moment and said, "then ill sleep on the floor this time."

"no, you wont. i wasnt the one who lay in a coma in the sleet."

as it happened, neither slept. though they darkened the room and though the perpetual hum of trantor was only a drowsy sound in the relatively quiet confines of the university, seldon found that he had to talk. he said, "ive been so much trouble to you, dors, here at the university. ive even been keeping you from your work. still, im sorry ill have to leave you."

dors said, "you wont leave me. im coming with you. hummin is arranging a leave of absence for me."

seldon said, dismayed, "i cant ask you to do that."

"youre not. hummins asking it. i must guard you. after all, i faded in connection with upperside and should make up for it."

"i told you. please dont feel guilty about that.--still, i must admit i would feel more comfortable with you at my side. if i could only be sure i wasnt interfering with your life ..."

dors said softly, "youre not, hari. please go to sleep."

seldon lay silent for a while, then whispered, "are you sure hummin can really arrange everything, dors?"

dors said, "hes a remarkable man. hes got influence here at the university and everywhere else, i think. if he says he can arrange for an indefinite leave for me, im sure he can. he is a most persuasive man."

"i know," said seldon. "sometimes i wonder what he really wants of me."

"what he says," said dors. "hes a man of strong and idealistic ideas and dreams."

"you sound as though you know him well, dors."

"oh yes, i know him well."

"intimately?"

dors made an odd noise. "im not sure what youre implying, hari, but, assuming the most insolent interpretation-- no, i dont know him intimately. what business would that be of yours anyway?"

"im sorry," said seldon. "i just didnt want, inadvertently, to be invading someone elses--"

"property? thats even more insulting. i think you had better go to sleep."

"im sorry again, dors, but i cant sleep. let me at least change the subject. you havent explained what the mycogen sector is. why will it be good for me to go there? whats it like?"

"its a small sector with a population of only about two million--if i remember correctly. the thing is that the mycogenians cling tightly to a set of traditions about early history and are supposed to have very ancient records not available to anyone else. its just possible they would be of more use to you in your attempted examination of pre-imperial times than orthodox historians might be. all our talk about early history brought the sector to mind."

"have you ever seen their records?"

"no. i dont know anyone who has."

"can you be sure that the records really exist, then?"

"actually, i cant say. the assumption among non-mycogenians is that theyre a bunch of madcaps, but that may be quite unfair. they certainly say they have records, so perhaps they do. in any case, we would be out of sight there. the mycogenians keep strictly to themselves.--and now please do go to sleep."

and somehow seldon finally did.