Lord  Dorwin took  snuff. He  also had  long hair, curled  intricately and,quite obviously, artificially, to  which were added a pair of fluffy, blondsideburns,  which  he  fondled  affectionately.  Then,  too,  he  spoke  inoverprecise statements and left out all the r's.
At the moment,  Hardin had no time to think of more  of the reasons for theinstant detestation in which he had held the noble chancellor. Oh, yes, theelegant gestures of one  hand with which he accompanied his remarks and thestudied condescension with which  he accompanied even a simple affirmative.
But, at  any rate,  the problem now  was to locate him.  He had disappearedwith Pirenne  half an hour before  ?passed clean out  of sight, blast him.
Hardin  was  quite  sure  that  his  own  absence  during  the  preliminarydiscussions would quite suit Pirenne.
But Pirenne had  been seen in this wing And on this  floor. It was simply amatter of trying every  door. Halfway down, he said, "Ah!" and stepped intothe  darkened room.  The  profile of  Lord Dorwin's  intricate  hair-do wasunmistakable against the lighted screen.
Lord Dorwin  looked up  and said: "Ah,  Hahdin. You ah looking  foah us, nodoubt?"  He held  out his  snuffbox ? overadorned and poor  workmanship atthat, noted  Hardinand was politely refused whereat  he helped himself to apinch and smiled graciously.
Pirenne  scowled   and  Hardin  met  that   with  an  expression  of  blankindifference.
The only sound to break the short silence that followed was the clicking ofthe  lid of  Lord  Dorwin's snuffbox.  And then  he put  it away  and said:
"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 accomplishedas yet, however.""Fwom the  little I have seen of the efficiency  of yoah Foundation, I haveno feahs  on that  scoah." And he  nodded to Pirenne, who  responded with adelighted bow.
Quite a love feast, thought Hardin. "I wasn't complaining about the lack ofefficiency, milord, as much  as of the definite excess of efficiency on thepart  of  the  Anacreonians  ? though  in  another  and  more  destructivedirection.""Ah, yes,  Anacweon." A negligent wave of the hand.  "I have just come fromtheah.  Most bahbawous  planet. It  is thowoughly inconceivable  that humanbeings could  live heah in the  Pewiphewy. The lack of  the most elementawywequiahments of a cultuahed  gentleman; the absence of the most fundamentalnecessities foah  comfoht and convenience ? the uttah desuetude into whichthey?
Hardin interrupted  dryly: "The  Anacreonians, unfortunately, have  all theelementary requirements for warfare and all the fundamental necessities fordestruction.""Quite, quite." Lord Dorwin seemed annoyed, perhaps at being stopped midwayin his sentence. "But we ahn't to discuss business now, y'know. Weally, I'mothahwise concuhned. Doctah Piwenne,  ahn't you going to show me the secondvolume? Do, please."The lights clicked out and for the next half-hour Hardin might as well havebeen on  Anacreon for  all the attention  they paid him. The  book upon thescreen made little sense  to him, nor did he trouble to make the attempt tofollow,  but Lord  Dorwin  became quite  humanly excited  at  times. Hardinnoticed that  during these moments of  excitement the chancellor pronouncedhis r's.
When  the  lights  went  on  again,  Lord Dorwin  said:  "Mahvelous.  Twulymahvelous.  You  ah not,  by  chance,  intewested in  ahchaeology, ah  you,Hahdin?""Eh?" Hardin shook himself out of an abstracted reverie. "No, milord, can'tsay  I am.  I'm a psychologist  by original  intention and a  politician byfinal decision.""Ah! No  doubt intewesting studies. 1, myself,  y'know" ?he helped himselfto a giant pinch of snuff ?dabble in ahchaeology.""Indeed?""His lordship,"  interrupted Pirenne,  "is most thoroughly  acquainted withthe field.""Well, p'haps  I am, p'haps I am," said his lordship  complacently. "I havedone 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, Icutainly considah it well  wuhth the twip heah to the Pewiphewy to see thiscopy of  Lameth. Would you believe it, my Libwawy  totally lacks a copy. Bythe  way,   Doctah  Piwenne,  you  have   not  fohgotten  yoah  pwomise  totwansdevelop a copy foah me befoah I leave?""Only too pleased.""Lameth, you must know,"  continued the chancellor, pontifically, "pwesentsa new and most  intwesting addition to my pwevious knowledge of the 'OwiginQuestion."'
"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&n............