"Well, yes, I know that."
"Of cohse, no one knows exactly which system it is - lost in the mists of antiquity.
Theah ah theawies, howevah.
Siwius, some say. Othahs insist on Alpha Centauwi, oah on Sol, oah on 61 Cygni - all in the Siwius sectah, you see."
"And what does Lameth say?"
"Well, he goes off along a new twail completely.
He twies to show that ahchaeological wemains on the thuhd planet of the Ahctuwian System show that humanity existed theah befoah theah wah any indications of space-twavel."
"And that means it was humanity's birth planet?"
"P'haps.
I must wead it closely and weigh the evidence befoah I can say foah cuhtain.
One must see just how weliable his obsuhvations ah."
Hardin remained silent for a short while.
Then he said,
"When did Lameth write his book?"
"Oh - I should say about eight hundwed yeahs ago.
Of cohse, he has based it lahgely on the pwevious wuhk of Gleen."
"Then why rely on him?
Why not go to Arcturus and study the remains for yourself?"
Lord Dorwin raised his eyebrows and took a pinch of snuff hurriedly.
"Why, whatevah foah, my deah fellow?"
"To get the information firsthand, of course."
"But wheah's the necessity?
It seems an uncommonly woundabout and hopelessly wigmawolish method of getting anywheahs.
Look heah, now, I've got the wuhks of all the old mastahs - the gweat ahchaeologists of the past.
I wigh them against each othah - balance the disagweements - analyze the conflicting statements - decide which is pwobably cowwect - and come to a conclusion.
That is the scientific method.
At least" - patronizingly -"as I see it.
How insuffewably cwude it would be to go to Ahctuwus, oah to Sol, foah instance, and blundah about, when the old mastahs have covahed the gwound so much moah effectually than we could possibly hope to do." Hardin murmured politely, "I see."
"Come, milord," said Pirenne, "think we had better be returning."
"Ah, yes. P'haps we had."
As they left the room, Hardin said suddenly,
"Milord, may I ask a question?"
Lord Dorwin smiled blandly and emphasized his answer with a gracious flutter of the hand.
"Cuhtainly, my deah fellow.
Only too happy to be of suhvice. If I can help you in any way fwom my pooah stoah of knowledge-"
"It isn't exactly about archaeology, milord."
"No?"
"No.
It's this: Last year we received news here in Terminus about the meltdown of a power plant on Planet V of Gamma Andromeda.
We got the barest outline of the accident - no details at all.
I wonder if you could tell me exactly what happened."
Pirenne's mouth twisted.
"I wonder you annoy his lordship with questions on totally irrelevant subjects."
"Not at all, Doctah Piwenne," interceded the chancellor.
"It is quite all wight.
Theah isn't much to say concuhning it in any case.
The powah plant did undergo meltdown and it was quite a catastwophe, y'know.
I believe wadiatsen damage.
Weally, the govuhnment is sewiously considewing placing seveah westwictions upon the indiscwiminate use of nucleah powah - though that is not a thing for genewal publication, y'know."
"I understand," said Hardin.