like any intellectual, hari seldon had made use of the galactic library freely. for the most part, it had been done long-distance through computer, but occasionally he had visited it, more to get away from the pressures of the psychohistory project than for any other purpose. and, for the past couple of years, since he had first formulated his plan to find others like wanda, he had kept a private office there, so he could have ready access to any of the library's vast collection of data. he had even rented a small apartment in an adjacent sector under the dome so that he would be able to walk to the library when his ever-increasing research there prevented him from returning to the streeling sector.

now, however, his plan had taken on new dimensions and he wanted to meet las zenow. it was the first time he had ever met him face-to-face.

it was not easy to arrange a personal interview with the chief librarian of the galactic library. his own perception of the nature and value of his office was high and it was frequently said that when the emperor wished to consult the chief librarian, even he had to visit the library himself and wait his turn.

seldon however, had no trouble. zenow knew him well, though he had never seen hari seldon in person. "an honor, first minister," he said in greeting.

seldon smiled. "i trust you know that i have not held that post in sixteen years."

"the honor of the title is still yours. besides, sir, you were also instrumental in ridding us of the brutal rule of the junta. the junta, on a number of occasions, violated the sacred rule of the neutrality of the library."

(ah, thought seldon that accounts for the readiness with which he saw me.)

"merely rumor," he said aloud.

"and now, tell me," said zenow, who could not resist a quick look at the time band on his wrist, "what can i do for you?"

"chief librarian," began seldon "i have not come to ask anything easy of you. what i want is more space at the library. i want permission to bring in a number of my associates. i want permission to undertake a long and elaborate program of the greatest importance."

las zenow's face drew into an expression of distress. "you ask a great deal. can you explain the importance of all this?"

"yes. the empire is in the process of disintegration."

there was a long pause. then zenow said, "i have heard of your research into psychohistory. i have been told that your new science bears the promise of predicting the future. is it psychohistorical predictions of which you are speaking?"

"no. i have not yet reached the point in psychohistory where i can speak of the future with certainty. but you don't need psychohistory to know that the empire is disintegrating. you can see the evidence yourself."

zenow sighed. "my work here consumes me utterly, professor seldon. i am a child when it comes to political and social matters."

"you may, if you wish, consult the information contained in the library. why look around this very office-it is chock-full of every conceivable sort of information from throughout the entire galactic empire."

"i'm the last to keep up with it all, i'm afraid," zenow said, smiling sadly. "you know the old proverb: the shoemaker's child has no shoes. it seems to me, though, that the empire is restored. we have an emperor again."

"in name only, chief librarian. in most of the outlying provinces, the emperor's name is mentioned ritualistically now and then, but he plays no role in what they do. the outer worlds control their own programs and, more important, they control the local armed forces, which are outside the grip of the emperor's authority. if the emperor were to try to exert his authority anywhere outside the inner worlds, he would fail. i doubt that it will take more than twenty years, at the outside, before some of the outer worlds declare their independence."

zenow sighed again. "if you are right, we live in worse times than the empire has ever seen. but what has this to do with your desire for more office space and additional staff here in the library?"

"if the empire falls apart, the galactic library may not escape the general carnage."

"oh, but it must," said zenow earnestly. "there have been bad times before and it has always been understood that the galactic library on trantor, as the repository of all human knowledge, must remain inviolate. and so it will be in the future."

"it may not be. you said yourself that the junta violated its neutrality.?

"not seriously."

"it might be more serious next time and we can't allow this repository of all human knowledge to be damaged."

"how will your increased presence here prevent that?"

"it won't. but the project i am interested in will. i want to create a great encyclopedia, containing within it all the knowledge humanity will need to rebuild itself in case the worst happens-an encyclopedia galactica, if you will. we don't need everything the library has. much of it is trivial. the provincial libraries scattered over the galaxy may themselves be destroyed and, if not, all but the most local data is obtained by computerized connection with the galactic library in any case. what i intend, then, is something that is entirely independent and that contains, in as concise a form as possible, the essential information humanity needs."

"and if it, too, is destroyed?"

"i hope it will not be. it is my intention to find a world far away on the outskirts of the galaxy, one where i can transfer my encyclopedists and where they can work in peace. until such a place is found, however, i want the nucleus of the group to work here and to use the library facilities to decide what will be needed for the project."

zenow grimaced. "i see your point, professor seldon, but i'm not sure that it can be done."

"why not, chief librarian?"

"because being chief librarian does not make me an absolute monarch. i have a rather large board-a kind of legislature-and please don't think that i can just push your encyclopedia project through."

"i'm astonished."

"don't be. i am not a popular chief librarian. the board has been fighting, for some years now, for limited access to the library. i have resisted. it galls them that i have afforded you your small office space."

"limited access?"

"exactly. the idea is that if anyone needs information, he or she must communicate with a librarian and the librarian will get the information for the person. the board does not wish people to enter the library freely and deal with the computers themselves. they say that the expense required to keep the computers and other library equipment in shape is becoming prohibitive."

"but that's impossible. there's a millennial tradition of an open galactic library."

"so there is, but in recent years, appropriations to the library have been cut several times and we simply don't have the funds we used to have. it is becoming very difficult to keep our equipment up to the mark."

seldon rubbed his chin. "but if your appropriations are going down, i imagine you have to cut salaries and fire people-or, at least, not hire new ones."

"you are exactly right."

"in which case, how will you manage to place new labors on a shrinking work force by asking your people to obtain all the information that the public will request?"

"the idea is that we won't find all the information that the public will request but only those pieces of information that we consider important."

"so that not only will you abandon the open library but also the complete library?"

"i'm afraid so."

"i can't believe that any librarian would want this."

"you don't know gennaro mummery, professor seldon." at seldon's blank look, zenow continued. " `who is he?' you wonder. the leader of that portion of the board that wishes to close off the library. more and more of the board are on his side. if i let you and your colleagues into the library as an independent force, a number of board members who may not be on mummery's side but who are dead set against any control of any part of the library except by librarians may decide to vote with him. and in that case, i will be forced to resign as chief librarian."

"see here," said seldon with sudden energy. "all this business of possibly closing down the library, of making it less accessible, of refusing all information-all this business of declining appropriations-all this iiiitself a sign of imperial disintegration. don't you agree?"

"if you put it that way, you may be right."

"then let me talk to the board. let me explain what the future may hold and what i wish to do. perhaps i can persuade them, as i hope i've persuaded you."

zenow thought for a moment. "i'm willing to let you try, but you must know in advance that your plan may not work."

"i've got to take that chance. please do whatever has to be done and let me know when and where i can meet the board."

seldon left zenow in a mood of unease. everything he had told the chief librarian was true-and trivial. the real reason he needed the use of the library remained hidden.

partly this was because he didn't yet see that use clearly himself.