The trial (Gaal supposed it to be one, though it bore little resemblancelegalistically to the elaborate trial techniques Gaal had read of) had notlasted long. It was in its third day. Yet already, Gaal could no longerstretch his memory back far enough to embrace its beginning.
He himself  had been but little  pecked at. The heavy  guns were trained onDr. Seldon  himself. Hari Seldon, however,  sat there unperturbed. To Gaal,he   was   the   only   spot  of   stability   remaining   in  the   world.
The audience  was small and drawn exclusively from  among the Barons of theEmpire.  Press  and public  were  excluded  and it  was  doubtful that  anysignificant number of outsiders  even knew that a trial of Seldon was beingconducted.  The  atmosphere  was one  of  unrelieved  hostility toward  thedefendants.
Five of  the Commission of Public  Safety sat behind the  raised desk. Theywore scarlet and gold  uniforms and the shining, close-fitting plastic capsthat were the sign  of their judicial function. In the center was the ChiefCommissioner Linge Chen. Gaal  had never before seen so great a Lord and hewatched  him with fascination.  Chen, throughout  the trial, rarely  said aword.  He made  it quite clear  that much  speech was beneath  his dignity.
The  Commission's   Advocate  consulted  his  notes   and  the  examinationcontinued, with Seldon still on the stand:
Q. Let us  see, Dr. Seldon. How many men are now  engaged in the project ofwhich you are head?
A. Fifty mathematicians.
Q. Including Dr. Gaal Dornick?
A. Dr. Dornick is the fifty-first,Q.  Oh, we  have fifty-one  then? Search  your memory, Dr.  Seldon. Perhapsthere   are    fifty-two   or   fifty-three?   Or    perhaps   even   more?
A. Dr.  Dornick has not yet formally joined  my organization. When he does,the  membership  will be  fifty-one.  It  is now  fifty,  as  I have  said.
Q. Not perhaps nearly a hundred thousand?
A. Mathematicians? No.
Q.  I did  not  say mathematicians.  Are there  a  hundred thousand  in allcapacities?
A. In all capacities, your figure may be correct.
Q.  May  be? I  say  it is.  I  say that  the  men in  your project  numberninety-eight thousand, five hundred and seventy-two.
A. I believe you are counting women and children.
Q. (raising  his voice) Ninety eight  thousand five hundred and seventy-twoindividuals is  the intent  of my statement.  There is no  need to quibble.
A. I accept the figures.
Q. (referring to his notes) Let us drop that for the moment, then, and takeup another matter which we have already discussed at some length. Would yourepeat,  Dr.  Seldon,  your  thoughts  concerning the  future  of  Trantor?
A. I have said,  and I say again, that Trantor will lie in ruins within thenext three centuries.
Q. You do not consider your statement a disloyal one?
A.   No,  sir.   Scientific  truth   is  beyond  loyalty   and  disloyalty.
Q.  You   are  sure  that  your   statement  represents  scientific  truth?
A. I am.
Q. On what basis?
A. On the basis of the mathematics of psychohistory.
Q. Can you prove that this mathematics is valid'?
A. Only to another mathematician.
Q. (with  a smile) Your claim  then is that your truth  is of so esoteric anature that  it is beyond the understanding of a plain  man. It seems to methat truth  should be clearer than that, less  mysterious, more open to themind.
A.  It  presents no  difficulties  to  some minds.  The  physics of  energytransfer, which we know  as thermodynamics, has been clear and true throughall the  history of  man since the  mythical ages, yet there  may be peoplepresent who  would find it impossible  to design a power  engine. People ofhigh   intelligence,   too.  I   doubt   if   the  learned   Commissioners?
At this  point, one  of the Commissioners  leaned toward the  Advocate. Hiswords  were  not heard  but  the hissing  of  the voice  carried a  certainasperity. The Advocate flushed and interrupted Seldon.
Q. We  are not here to  listen to speeches, Dr.  Seldon. Let us assume thatyou have  made your point. Let  me suggest to you  that your predictions ofdisaster  might be intended  to destroy  public confidence in  the ImperialGovernment for purposes of your own.
A. That is not so.
Q. Let me suggest  that you intend to claim that a period of time precedingthe so-called ruin of  Trantor will be filled with unrest of various types.
A. That is correct.
Q. And that by the mere prediction thereof, you hope to bring it about, andto have then an army of a hundred thousand available.
A. In  the first place, that is not so. And  if it were, investigation willshow  you that barely  ten thousand are  men of  military age, and  none ofthese has training in arms.
Q. Are you acting as an agent for another?
A. I am not in the pay of any man, Mr. Advocate.
Q.   You   are   entirely   disinterested?   You   are   serving   science?
A. I am.
Q.  Then  let  us   see  how.  Can  the  future  be  changed,  Dr.  Seldon?
A. Obviously.  This courtroom may explode in the next  few hours, or it maynot.  If it  did, the  future would  undoubtedly be  changed in  some minorrespects.
Q. You  quibble, Dr. Seldon. Can  the overall history of  the human race bechanged?
A. Yes.
Q. Easily?
A. No. With great difficulty.
Q. Why?
A.  The psychohistoric  trend of  a planet-full  of people contains  a hugeinertia. To  be changed it must be met  with something possessing a similarinertia.  Either as  many people  must be  concerned, or  if the  number ofpeople be  relatively small, enormous  time for change must  be allowed. Doyou understand?
Q. I think I  do. Trantor need not be ruined, if a great many people decideto act so that it will not.
A. That is right.
Q. As many as a hundred thousand people?
A. No, sir. That is far too few.
Q. You are sure?
A. Consider that Trantor  has a population of over forty billions. Considerfurther that the trend leading to ruin does not belong to Trantor alone butto the Empire as a whole and the Empire contains nearly a quintillion humanbeings.
Q. I  see. Then perhaps a hundred thousand people  can change the trend, ifthey   and    their   descendants   labor   for    three   hundred   years.
A.   I'm  afraid   not.  Three   hundred  years   is  too  short   a  time.
Q. Ah! In that case, Dr. Seldon, we are left with this deduction to be madefrom your statements. You  have gathered one hundred thousand people withinthe confines of your  project. These are insufficient to change the histo............