raych was eating, licking his fingers, and crumpling the bag in which the food--whatever it was--had been. a strong smell of onions pervaded the air--different somehow, yeast-based perhaps.

dors, retreating a little from the odor, said, "where did you get the food from, raych?"

"davans guys. they brought it to me. davans okay."

"then we dont have to buy you dinner, do we?" said seldon, conscious of his own empty stomach.

"ya owe me somethin," said raych, looking greedily in dorss direction. "how about the ladys knife? one of em."

"no knife," said dors. "you get us back safely and ill give you five credits."

"cant get no knife for five credits," grumbled raych.

"youre not getting anything but five credits," said dors.

"youre a lousy dame, lady," said raych.

"im a lousy dame with a quick knife, raych, so get moving."

"all right. dont get all perspired." raych waved his hand. "this way."

it was back through the empty corridors, but this time dors, looking this way and that, stopped. "hold on, raych. were being followed."

raych looked exasperated. "ya aint supposed to hear em."

seldon said, bending his head to one side, "i dont hear anything."

"i do," said dors. "now, raych, i dont want any fooling around. you tell me right now whats going on or ill rap your head so that you wont see straight for a week. i mean it."

raych held up one arm defensively. "you try it, you lousy dame. you try it. its davans guys. theyre just taking care of us, in case any knifers come along."

"davans guys?"

"yeah. theyre goin along the service corridors."

dorss right hand shot out and seized raych by the scruff of his upper garment. she lifted and he dangled, shouting, "hey, lady. hey!"

seldon said, "dors! dont be hard on him."

"ill be harder still if i think hes lying. youre my charge, hari, not he."

"im not lyin," said raych, struggling. "im not."

"im sure he isnt," said seldon.

"well, well see. raych, tell them to come out where we can see them." she let him drop and dusted her hands.

"youre some kind of nut, lady," said raych aggrievedly. then he raised his voice. "yay, davan! come out here, some of ya guys!"

there was a wait and then, from an unlit opening along the corridor, two dark-mustached men came out, one with a scar running the length of his cheek. each held the sheath of a knife in his hand, blade withdrawn.

"how many more of you are there?" asked dors harshly.

"a few," said one of the newcomers. "orders. were guarding you. davan wants you safe."

"thank you. try to be even quieter. raych, keep on moving."

raych said sulkily, "ya roughed me up when i was telling the truth."

"youre right," said dors. "at least, i think youre right ... and i apologize."

"im not sure i should accept," said raych, trying to stand tall. "but awright, just this once." he moved on.

when they reached the walkway, the unseen corps of guards vanished. at least, even dorss keen ears could hear them no more. by now, though, they were moving into the respectable part of the sector.

dors said thoughtfully, "i dont think we have clothes that would fit you, raych."

raych said, "why do ya want clothes to fit me, missus?" (respectability seemed to invade raych once they were out of the corridors.) "i got clothes."

"i thought youd like to come into our place and take a bath."

raych said, "what for? ill wash one o these days. and ill put on my other shirt." he looked up at dors shrewdly. "youre sorry ya roughed me up. right? ya tryin to make up?"

dors smiled. "yes. sort of."

raych waved a hand in lordly fashion. "thats all right. ya didnt hurt. listen. youre strong for a lady. ya lifted me up like i was nothin."

"i was annoyed, raych. i have to be concerned about master seldon."

"ya sort of his bodyguard?" raych looked at seldon inquiringly. "ya got a lady for a bodyguard?"

"i cant help it," said seldon smiling wryly. "she insists. and she certainly knows her job."

dors said, "think again, raych. are you sure you wont have a bath? a nice warm bath."

raych said, "i got no chance. ya think that lady is gonna let me in the house again?"

dors looked up and saw casilia tisalver outside the front door of the apartment complex, staring first at the outworld woman and then at the slum-bred boy. it would have been impossible to tell in which case her expression was angrier.

raych said, "well, so long, mister and missus. i dont know if shell let either of ya in the house." he placed his hands in his pocket and swaggered off in a fine affectation of carefree indifference.

seldon said, "good evening, mistress tisalver. its rather late, isnt it?"

"its very late," she replied. "there was a near riot today outside this very complex because of that newsman you pushed the street vermin at."

"we didnt push anyone on anyone," said dors.

"i was there," said mistress tisalver intransigently. "i saw it." she stepped aside to let them enter, but delayed long enough to make her reluctance quite plain.

"she acts as though that was the last straw," said dors as she and seldon made their way up to their rooms.

"so? what can she do about it?" asked seldon.

"i wonder," said dors.

officers

raych-- ... according to hari seldon, the original meeting with raych was entirely accidental. he was simply a gutter urchin from whom seldon had asked directions. but his life, from that moment on, continued to be intertwined with that of the great mathematician until ...

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