seldon had had a bad night also, nor was the new day promising to be much better. there weren't too many times when hari felt annoyed with dors. but this time, he was very annoyed.

he said, "what a foolish thing to do! wasn't it enough that we were all staying at the dome's edge hotel? that alone would have been sufficient to drive a paranoid ruler into thoughts of some sort of conspiracy."

"how? we were unarmed, hari. it was a holiday affair, the final touch of your birthday celebration. we posed no threat."

"yes, but then you carried out your invasion of the palace grounds. it was unforgivable. you raced to the palace to interfere with my session with the general, when i had specifically-and several times-made it plain that i didn't want you there. i had my own plans, you know."

dors said, "your desires and your orders and your plans all take second place to your safety. i was primarily concerned about that."

"i was in no danger."

"that is not something i can carelessly assume. there have been two attempts on your life. what makes you think there won't be a third?"

"the two attempts were made when i was first minister. i was probably worth killing then. who would want to kill an elderly mathematician?"

dors said, "that's exactly what i want to find out and that's what i want to stop. i must begin by doing some questioning right here at the project."

"no. you will simply be upsetting my people. leave them alone."

"that's exactly what i can't do. hari, my job is to protect you and for twenty-eight years i've been working at that. you cannot stop me now."

something in the blaze of her eyes made it quite clear that, whatever seldon's desires or orders might be, dors intended to do as she pleased.

seldon's safety came first.