"A gweat achievement, this Encyclopedia of yoahs, Hahdin.
A feat, indeed, to rank with the most majestic accomplishments of all time."
"Most of us think so, milord. It's an accomplishment not quite accomplished as yet, however."
"Fwom the little I have seen of the efficiency of yoah Foundation, I have no feahs on that scoah."
And he nodded to Pirenne, who responded with a delighted bow.
Quite a love feast, thought Hardin.
"I wasn't complaining about the lack of efficiency, milord, as much as of the definite excess of efficiency on the part of the Anacreonians - though in another and more destructive direction."
"Ah, yes, Anacweon." A negligent wave of the hand.
"I have just come from theah.
Most bahbawous planet.
It is thowoughly inconceivable that human beings could live heah in the Pewiphewy.
The lack of the most elementawy wequiahments of a cultuahed gentleman; the absence of the most fundamental necessities foah comfoht and convenience - the uttah desuetude into which they-"
Hardin interrupted dryly:
"The Anacreonians, unfortunately, have all the elementary requirements for warfare and all the fundamental necessities for destruction."
"Quite, quite."
Lord Dorwin seemed annoyed, perhaps at being stopped midway in his sentence.
"But we ahn't to discuss business now, y'know.
Weally, I'm othahwise concuhned.
Doctah Piwenne, ahn't you going to show me the second volume?
Do, please."
The lights clicked out and for the next half-hour Hardin might as well have been on Anacreon for all the attention they paid him.
The book upon the screen made little sense to him, nor did he trouble to make the attempt to follow, but Lord Dorwin became quite humanly excited at times.
Hardin noticed that during these moments of excitement the chancellor pronounced his r's.
When the lights went on again, Lord Dorwin said:
"Mahvelous. Twuly mahvelous.
You ah not, by chance, intewested in ahchaeology, ah you, Hahdin?"
"Eh?"
Hardin shook himself out of an abstracted reverie.
"No, milord, can't say I am.
I'm a psychologist by original intention and a politician by final decision."
"Ah!
No doubt intewesting studies.
1, myself, y'know" - he helped himself to a giant pinch of snuff -"dabble in ahchaeology."
"Indeed?"
"His lordship," interrupted Pirenne, "is most thoroughly acquainted with the field."
"Well, p'haps I am, p'haps I am," said his lordship complacently.
"I have done an awful amount of wuhk in the science. Extwemely well-read, in fact. I've gone thwough all of Jawdun, Obijasi, Kwomwill… oh, all of them, y'know."
"I've heard of them, of course," said Hardin, "but I've never read them."
"You should some day, my deah fellow.
It would amply repay you.
Why, I cutainly considah it well wuhth the twip heah to the Pewiphewy to see this copy of Lameth.
Would you believe it, my Libwawy totally lacks a copy.
By the way, Doctah Piwenne, you have not fohgotten yoah pwomise to twansdevelop a copy foah me befoah I leave?"
"Only too pleased."
"Lameth, you must know," continued the chancellor, pontifically, "pwesents a new and most intwesting addition to my pwevious knowledge of the
'Owigin Question."'
"Which question?" asked Hardin.
"The 'Owigin Question.'
The place of the owigin of the human species, y'know.
Suahly you must know that it is thought that owiginally the human wace occupied only one planetawy system."