[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
through the burnt-orange variable-space, driving answering waves in the purple
layers nearby. Soon the entire bob showed furiously churning tur-
bulence.
"So the equations fail," Hari said.
"Yeah, big time, too. The grand cycles last about a hundred and twenty-
five years. But smoothing out events shorter than eighty years gives a steady
pattern. See "
Hari watched turbulence build like a hurricane churning a multicolored ocean.
Yugo said, "That takes away scatter due to 'generational styles,' Dors
bility rose. Whole planets had wars, depressions, general social illnesses."
Hari frowned. "That effect is it known?"
"Don't think so."
"This is why humans reached a barrier in improving their longevity? So-
ciety breaks down, ending the progress?"
"Yeah."
Yugo wore a small, tight smile, by which Hari knew that he was rather proud of
this result. "Growing irregularities, building to chaos."
This was the deep problem they had not mastered. "Damn!" Hari had a gut
dislike of unpredictability.
Yugo gave Hari a crooked smile. "On that one, boss, I got no news."
"Don't worry," Hari said cheerfully, though he didn't feel it. "You've made
good progress. Remember the adage the Imperium wasn't built in a day."
"Yeah, but it seems to be fallin' apart plenty fast."
They seldom mentioned the deep-seated motivation for psychohistory:
the pervasive anxiety that the Empire was declining, for reasons no one knew.
There were theories aplenty, but none had predictive power. Hari hoped to
supply that. Progress was infuriatingly slow.
Yugo was looking morose. Hari got up, came around the big desk, and gave Yugo
a gentle slap on the back. "Cheer up! Publish this result."
"Can I? We've got to keep psychohistory quiet."
published under his name would attract attention. A few might guess at the
immensely larger theory lurking behind the simple lifespan-resonance effect
Best to keep a low profile.
When Yugo had gone back to work, Hari sat for a while and watched the squalls
work through the data-fluids, still time-stepping in the air above his desk.
Then he glanced at a favorite quotation of his. pointed out to him by
Dors, given to him on a small, elegant ceramo-plaque:
Minimum force, applied at a cusp moment at the historical fulcrum, paves the
path to a distant vision. Pursue only those immediate goals which serve the
longest perspectives.
Emperor Kamble's 9th Oracle, Verse 17
"But suppose you can't afford long perspectives?* he muttered, then went back
to work.
7.
The next day he got an education in the realities of Imperial politics.
"You didn't know the 3D scope was on you?" Yugo asked.
Hari watched the conversation with Lamurk replay on his office holo. He had
fled to the University whoa the Imperial Specials started having trouble
botta^g the media mob away from his apartment. They had called in rein-
forcements when they caught a tarn drilling an acoustic tap into the apart-
ment from three
leagues."
Page 24
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"I appreciate the concern," Hari said dryly.
Dors tapped a finger to her lips. "I think you came over rather well."
"I didn't want to seem as though I were deliberately cutting up a majority
leader from the High Council," Hari said heatedly.
"But that's what you were doin'," Yugo said.
"I suppose, but at the time it seemed like polite ... banter," he finished
lamely. Edited for 3D, it was a quick verbal Ping-Pong with razor blades
instead of balls.
"But you topped him at every exchange," Dors observed.
"I don't even dislike him! He has done good things for the Empire." He paused,
thinking. "But it was. . . fun."
"Maybe you do have a talent for this," she said.
"I'd rather not."
"I don't think you have much choice," Yugo said. "You're gettin' famous."
"Fame is the accumulation of misunderstandings around a well-known name," Dors
said.
Hari smiled. "Well put."
"It's from Eldonian the Elder, the longest-lived emperor. The only one of his
clan to die of old age."
"Makes the point," Yugo said. "You gotta expect some stories, gossip,
I can give them." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
through the burnt-orange variable-space, driving answering waves in the purple
layers nearby. Soon the entire bob showed furiously churning tur-
bulence.
"So the equations fail," Hari said.
"Yeah, big time, too. The grand cycles last about a hundred and twenty-
five years. But smoothing out events shorter than eighty years gives a steady
pattern. See "
Hari watched turbulence build like a hurricane churning a multicolored ocean.
Yugo said, "That takes away scatter due to 'generational styles,' Dors
bility rose. Whole planets had wars, depressions, general social illnesses."
Hari frowned. "That effect is it known?"
"Don't think so."
"This is why humans reached a barrier in improving their longevity? So-
ciety breaks down, ending the progress?"
"Yeah."
Yugo wore a small, tight smile, by which Hari knew that he was rather proud of
this result. "Growing irregularities, building to chaos."
This was the deep problem they had not mastered. "Damn!" Hari had a gut
dislike of unpredictability.
Yugo gave Hari a crooked smile. "On that one, boss, I got no news."
"Don't worry," Hari said cheerfully, though he didn't feel it. "You've made
good progress. Remember the adage the Imperium wasn't built in a day."
"Yeah, but it seems to be fallin' apart plenty fast."
They seldom mentioned the deep-seated motivation for psychohistory:
the pervasive anxiety that the Empire was declining, for reasons no one knew.
There were theories aplenty, but none had predictive power. Hari hoped to
supply that. Progress was infuriatingly slow.
Yugo was looking morose. Hari got up, came around the big desk, and gave Yugo
a gentle slap on the back. "Cheer up! Publish this result."
"Can I? We've got to keep psychohistory quiet."
published under his name would attract attention. A few might guess at the
immensely larger theory lurking behind the simple lifespan-resonance effect
Best to keep a low profile.
When Yugo had gone back to work, Hari sat for a while and watched the squalls
work through the data-fluids, still time-stepping in the air above his desk.
Then he glanced at a favorite quotation of his. pointed out to him by
Dors, given to him on a small, elegant ceramo-plaque:
Minimum force, applied at a cusp moment at the historical fulcrum, paves the
path to a distant vision. Pursue only those immediate goals which serve the
longest perspectives.
Emperor Kamble's 9th Oracle, Verse 17
"But suppose you can't afford long perspectives?* he muttered, then went back
to work.
7.
The next day he got an education in the realities of Imperial politics.
"You didn't know the 3D scope was on you?" Yugo asked.
Hari watched the conversation with Lamurk replay on his office holo. He had
fled to the University whoa the Imperial Specials started having trouble
botta^g the media mob away from his apartment. They had called in rein-
forcements when they caught a tarn drilling an acoustic tap into the apart-
ment from three
leagues."
Page 24
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"I appreciate the concern," Hari said dryly.
Dors tapped a finger to her lips. "I think you came over rather well."
"I didn't want to seem as though I were deliberately cutting up a majority
leader from the High Council," Hari said heatedly.
"But that's what you were doin'," Yugo said.
"I suppose, but at the time it seemed like polite ... banter," he finished
lamely. Edited for 3D, it was a quick verbal Ping-Pong with razor blades
instead of balls.
"But you topped him at every exchange," Dors observed.
"I don't even dislike him! He has done good things for the Empire." He paused,
thinking. "But it was. . . fun."
"Maybe you do have a talent for this," she said.
"I'd rather not."
"I don't think you have much choice," Yugo said. "You're gettin' famous."
"Fame is the accumulation of misunderstandings around a well-known name," Dors
said.
Hari smiled. "Well put."
"It's from Eldonian the Elder, the longest-lived emperor. The only one of his
clan to die of old age."
"Makes the point," Yugo said. "You gotta expect some stories, gossip,
I can give them." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]