When Hardin denied owning  the Journal, he was perhaps technically correct,but no more. Hardin had been the leading spirit in the drive to incorporateTerminus  into an  autonomous  municipality-he had  been elected  its firstmayor-so it  was not surprising that, though not a single  share of Journalstock was  in his  name, some sixty  percent was controlled by  him in moredevious fashions.
There were ways.
Consequently, when Hardin began suggesting to Pirenne that he be allowed toattend meetings of the Board of Trustees, it was not quite coincidence thatthe  Journal  began a similar campaign.  And the first mass  meeting in thehistory of the Foundation was held, demanding representation of the City inthe "national" government.
And, eventually, Pirenne capitulated with ill grace.
Hardin, as he sat at the foot of the table, speculated idly as to just whatit was that made  physical scientists such poor administrators. It might bemerely that  they were  too used to  inflexible fact and far  too unused topliable people.
In any  case, there was Tomaz Sutt and Jord Fara  on his left; Lundin Crastand Yate  Fulham on  his fight; with  Pirenne, himself, presiding.  He knewthem all, of course, but they seemed to have put on an extra-special bit ofpomposity for the occasion.
Hardin had  dozed through the  initial formalities and then  perked up whenPirenne sipped  at the glass of water before him  by way of preparation andsaid:
"I find  it very gratifying to  be able to inform  the Board that since ourlast  meeting, I  have received  word that  Lord Dorwin, Chancellor  of theEmpire, will  arrive at Terminus in two weeks. It  may be taken for grantedthat  our relations  with  Anacreon will  be smoothed  out to  our completesatisfaction  as  soon as  the  Emperor  is informed  of  the situation.  "He smiled and addressed Hardin across the length of the table. "Informationto this effect has been given the Journal."Hardin snickered below his  breath. It seemed evident that Pirenne's desireto strut this information  before him had been one reason for his admissioninto the sacrosanctum.
He  said evenly:  "Leaving vague  expressions out  of account, what  do youexpect Lord Dorwin to do?"Tomaz  Sutt replied.  He had  a bad  habit of  addressing one in  the thirdperson when in his more stately moods.
"It is  quite evident," he  observed, "that Mayor Hardin  is a professionalcynic.  He can  scarcely fail  to realize  that the  Emperor would  be mostunlikely to allow his personal rights to be infringed.""Why? What would he do in case they were?"There was an annoyed stir. Pirenne said, "You are out of order," and, as anafterthought,  "and  are   making  what  are  near-treasonable  statements,besides.""Am I to consider myself answered?""Yes! If you have nothing further to say?
"Don't jump to conclusions. I'd like to ask a question. Besides this strokeof diplomacy  ?which may or may not prove to  mean anything ?has anythingconcrete been done to meet the Anacreonic menace?"Yate  Fulham drew  one hand along  his ferocious  red mustache. "You  see amenace there, do you?""Don't you?""Scarcely"?this with indulgence. "The Emperor?
"Great space!"  Hardin felt annoyed. "What  is this? Every once  in a whilesomeone  mentions 'Emperor'  or 'Empire' as  if it  were a magic  word. TheEmperor is  thousands of parsecs away, and I doubt  whether he gives a damnabout us.  And if he does,  what can he do? What  there was of the imperialnavy in these regions is in the hands of the four kingdoms now and Anacreonhas  its  share. Listen,  we  have  to fight  with  guns,  not with  words.
"Now, get  this. We've had two  months' grace so far,  mainly because we'vegiven Anacreon  the idea that we've got nuclear  weapons. Well, we all knowthat  that's a  little white  lie. We've  got nuclear  power, but  only forcommercial uses,  and darn little at  that. They're going to  find that outsoon, and  if you think they're going to  enjoy being jollied along, you'remistaken.""My dear sir?
"Hold on:  I'm not finished." Hardin  was warming up. He  liked this. "It'sall very well to  drag chancellors into this, but it would be much nicer todrag a few great big siege guns fitted for beautiful nuclear bombs into it.
We've lost two months, gentlemen, and we may not have another two months tolose. What do you propose to do?"Said Lundin  Crast, his  long nose wrinkling angrily:  "If you're proposingthe militarization  of the Foundation, I won't hear a  word of it. It wouldmark our  open entrance  into the field  of politics. We, Mr.  Mayor, are ascientific foundation and nothing else."Added Sutt:  "He does not realize,  moreover, that building armaments wouldmean withdrawing men ?valuable men ?from the Encyclopedia. That cannot bedone, come what may.""Very   true,"  agreed   Pirenne.  "The   Encyclopedia  first   ? always."Hardin  groaned  in  spirit.  The Board  seemed  to  suffer violently  fromEncyclopedia on the brain,He  said icily:  "Has  it ever  occurred to  this Board  that it  is barelypossible  that Terminus  may have  interests other than  the Encyclopedia?"Pirenne replied:  &quo............