THE FOUR  KINGDOMS ? The name given  to those portions of  the Province ofAnacreon which  broke away from the First Empire in  the early years of theFoundational Era to form  independent and short-lived kingdoms. The largestand  most   powerful  of  these  was   Anacreon  itself  which  in  area...
...  Undoubtedly the  most interesting  aspect of  the history of  the FourKingdoms involves the strange society forced temporarily upon it during theadministration of Salvor Hardin....
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICAA deputation!
That Salvor  Hardin had seen it  coming made it none  the more pleasant. Onthe contrary, he found anticipation distinctly annoying.
Yohan Lee advocated extreme measures. "I don't see, Hardin," he said, "thatwe  need  waste any  time.  They can't  do  anything till  next election  ?
legally,  anyway ? and that  gives us  a year.  Give them  the brush-off."Hardin pursed  his lips. "Lee, you'll never learn.  In the forty years I'veknown you,  you've never  once learned the  gentle art of  sneaking up frombehind.""It's not my way of fighting," grumbled Lee.
"Yes, I  know that.  I suppose that's why  you're the one man  I trust." Hepaused  and reached  for a  cigar. "We've  come a  long way, Lee,  since weengineered our  coup against the Encyclopedists  way back. I'm getting old.
Sixty-two.  Do   you  ever  think  how   fast  those  thirty  years  went?"Lee snorted. "I don't feel old, and I'm sixty-six.""Yes, but I haven't  your digestion." Hardin sucked lazily at his cigar. Hehad long  since stopped  wishing for the  mild Vegan tobacco  of his youth.
Those days when the planet, Terminus, had trafficked with every part of theGalactic Empire belonged in the limbo to which all Good Old Days go. Towardthe same  limbo where the Galactic Empire was  heading. He wondered who thenew emperor  was ?or if  there was a new  emperor at all ? or any Empire.
Space! For  thirty years now,  since the breakup of  communications here atthe edge  of the  Galaxy, the whole  universe of Terminus  had consisted ofitself and the four surrounding kingdoms.
How the  mighty had fallen!  Kingdoms! They were  prefects in the old days,all part  of the  same province, which in  turn had been part  of a sector,which in turn  had been part of a quadrant, which in  turn had been part ofthe allembracing Galactic Empire.  And now that the Empire had lost controlover the  farther reaches  of the Galaxy,  these little splinter  groups ofplanets  became kingdoms ? with comic-opera  kings and nobles,  and petty,meaningless wars,  and a  life that went  on pathetically among  the ruins.
A  civilization  falling.  Nuclear   power  forgotten.  Science  fading  tomythology ? until the Foundation had stepped  in. The Foundation that HariSeldon   had  established   for  just   that  purpose  here   on  Terminus.
Lee was at the  window and his voice broke in on Hardin's reverie. "They'vecome," he said, "in a late-model ground car, the young pups." He took a fewuncertain   steps   toward   the   door   and  then   looked   at   Hardin.
Hardin smiled, and waved  him back. "I've given orders to have them broughtup here.""Here! What for? You're making them too important.""Why go  through all  the ceremonies of  an official mayor's  audience? I'mgetting  too old  for  red tape.  Besides  which, flattery  is useful  whendealing  with  youngsters ? particularly  when  it doesn't  commit you  toanything." He winked. "Sit  down, Lee, and give me your moral backing. I'llneed it with this young Sermak.""That  fellow,  Sermak,"  said  Lee, heavily,  "is  dangerous.  He's got  afollowing, Hardin, so don't underestimate him.""Have I ever underestimated anybody?""Well,  then,  arrest  him.  You  can  accuse  him of  something  or  otherafterward."Hardin ignored that last  bit of advice. "There they are, Lee." In responseto the signal, he  stepped on the pedal beneath his desk, and the door slidaside.
They filed in, the four that composed the deputation, and Hardin waved themgently to the armchairs that faced his desk in a semicircle. They bowed andwaited for the mayor to speak first.
Hardin flicked  open the curiously carved silver lid  of the cigar box thathad  once  belonged to  Jord  Fara  of the  old  Board of  Trustees in  thelong-dead days of the  Encyclopedists. It was a genuine Empire product fromSantanni, though  the cigars it now contained  were home-grown. One by one,with grave solemnity, the four of the deputation accepted cigars and lit upin ritualistic fashion.
Sef Sermak was second from the right, the youngest of the young group ?andthe most  interesting with  his bristly yellow  mustache trimmed precisely,and his  sunken eyes of  uncertain color. The other  three Hardin dismissedalmost immediately; they were  rank and file on the face of them. It was onSermak that he concentrated,  the Sermak who had already, in his first termin the  City Council, turned  that sedate body topsy-turvy  more than once,and it was to Sermak that he said:
"I've  been particularly anxious  to see  you, Councilman, ever  since yourvery excellent speech last month. Your attack on the foreign policy of thisgovernment was a most capable one."Sermak's eyes  smoldered. "Your interest  honors me. The attack  may or maynot have been capable, but it was certainly justified.""Perhaps! Your opinions are  yours, of course. Still you are rather young."Dryly. "It  is a  fault that most  people are guilty  of at  some period oftheir life.  You became mayor of  the city when you  were two years youngerthan I am now."Hardin smiled  to himself.  The yearling was  a cool customer.  He said, "Itake  it now  that you  have come  to see  me concerning this  same foreignpolicy that annoys you  so greatly in the Council Chamber. Are you speakingfor your  three colleagues,  or must I  listen to each  of you separately?"There  were  quick  mutual  glances among  the  four  young  men, a  slightflickering of eyelids.
Sermak said grimly, "I  speak for the people of Terminus ?a people who arenot now  truly represented in the rubberstamp  body they call the Council.""I see. Go ahead, then!""It comes to this, Mr. Mayor. We are dissatisfied?
"By 'we' you mean 'the people,' don't you?"Sermak  stared hostilely, sensing  a trap,  and replied coldly,  "I believethat my views reflect those of the majority of the voters of Terminus. Doesthat suit you?""Well,  a statement  like  that is  all the  better for  proof, but  go on,anyway. You are dissatisfied.""Yes,  dissatisfied  with  the  policy  which  for thirty  years  had  beenstripping Terminus defenseless against the inevitable attack from outside.""I see. And therefore? Go on, go on.""It's  nice  of you  to  anticipate. And  therefore  we are  forming a  newpolitical party;  one that will  stand for the immediate  needs of Terminusand not  for a mystic 'manifest destiny' of future  Empire. We are going tothrow you  and your lick-spittle  clique of appeasers out  of City Hall-andthat soon.""Unless? There's always an 'unless,' you know.""Not much of one in this case: Unless you resign now. I'm not asking you tochange your  policies ? I wouldn't trust  you that far.  Your promises areworth   nothing.   An   outright    resignation   is   all   we'll   take.""I see."  Hardin crossed his legs and teetered his  chair back on two legs.
"That's your  ultimatum. Nice  of you to  give me warning. But,  you see, Irather think I'll ignore it.""Don't  think  it was  a  warning, Mr.  Mayor.  It was  an announcement  ofprinciples and  of action.  The new party  has already been  formed, and itwill  begin its  official activities  tomorrow. There  is neither  room nordesire for  compromise, and, frankly,  it was only our  recognition of yourservices to  the City that induced  us to offer the  easy way out. I didn'tthink you'd take it, but my conscience is clear.
The next  election will be a more  forcible and quite irresistible reminderthat resignation is necessary."He rose and motioned the rest up.
Hardin lifted his arm. "Hold on! Sit down!"Sef Sermak seated himself once more with just a shade too much alacrity andHardin smiled behind a straight face. In spite of his words, he was waitingfor an offer.
Hardin said,  "In exactly what way do you  want our foreign policy changed?
Do you  want us  to attack the  Four Kingdoms, now,  at once,  and all foursimultaneously?""I make  no such suggestion, Mr.  Mayor. It is our  simple proposition thatall appeasement cease immediately. Throughout your administration, you havecarried out a policy of scientific aid to the Kingdoms. You have given themnuclear power.  You have helped rebuild  power plants on their territories.
You have established medical clinics, chemical laboratories and factories.""Well? And your objection?""You have done this  in order to keep them from attacking us. With these asbribes, you have been  playing the fool in a colossal game of blackmail, inwhich you have allowed Terminus to be sucked dry ?with the result that nowwe are at the mercy of these barbarians.""In what way?""Because you  have given them power,  given them weapons, actually servicedthe  ships of  their navies,  they are  infinitely stronger than  they werethree  decades  ago.&nbs............