Mallow relaxed for almost  the first time in six months. He was on his backin the  sunroom of  his new house,  stripped to the skin.  His great, brownarms were thrown up  and out, and the muscles tautened into a stretch, thenfaded into repose.
The man  beside him  placed a cigar  between Mallow's teeth and  lit it. Hechamped on one of his own and said, "You must be overworked. Maybe you needa long rest.""Maybe I do, Jael, but I'd rather rest in a council seat. Because I'm goingto have that seat, and you're going to help me."Ankor  Jael  raised his  eyebrows  and said,  "How  did I  get into  this?""You got in obviously.  Firstly, you're an old dog of a politico. Secondly,you were  booted out of your  cabinet seat by Jorane  Sutt, the same fellowwho'd rather  lose an eyeball than  see me in the  council. You don't thinkmuch of my chances, do you?""Not  much,"  agreed the  ex-Minister  of Education.  "You're a  Smyrnian.""That's no legal bar. I've had a lay education.""Well, come now. Since when does prejudice follow any law but its own. Now,how  about   your  own  man  ? this  Jaim  Twer?  What   does   he   say?""He spoke  about running me for council almost  a year ago," replied Malloweasily, "but I've outgrown him. He couldn't have pulled it off in any case.
Not enough depth. He's loud and forceful ?but that's only an expression ofnuisance  value.  I'm  off  to  put  over  a  real  coup.  I  need   you. ""Jorane Sutt is the cleverest politician on the planet and he'll be againstyou. I  don't claim to be able to outsmart him.  And don't think he doesn'tfight hard, and dirty.""I've got money.""Mat helps.  But it takes a lot to buy  off prejudice, you dirty Smyrnian.""I'll have a lot.""Well, I'll look into  the matter. But don't ever you crawl up on your hindlegs  and  bleat  that  I  encouraged  you  in  the  matter.  Who's  that?"Mallow  pulled  the corners  of  his  mouth down,  and  said, "Jorane  Sutthimself, I  think. He's early, and  I can understand it.  I抳e been dodginghim for  a month. Look, Jael, get into the next  room, and turn the speakeron low. I want you to listen."He helped the council member out of the room with a shove of his bare foot,then scrambled  up and  into a silk  robe. The synthetic  sunlight faded tonormal power.
The  secretary to the  mayor entered  stiffly, while the  solemn major-domotiptoed the door shut behind him.
Mallow  fastened his  belt and  said, "Take  your choice of  chairs, Sutt."Sutt barely cracked a  flickering smile. The chair he chose was comfortablebut he did not relax into it. From its edge, he said, "If you'll state yourterms to begin with, we'll get down to business.""What terms?""You  wish to  be coaxed?  Well, then,  what, for  instance, did you  do atKorell? Your report was incomplete.""I gave it to you months ago. You were satisfied then."Yes,"  Sutt rubbed his  forehead thoughtfully  with one finger,  "but sincethen your  activities have  been significant. We  know a good  deal of whatyou're doing,  Mallow. We know, exactly,  how many factories you're puttingup; in  what a  hurry you're doing it;  and how much it's  costing you. Andthere's  this palace  you have,"  he gazed  about him  with a cold  lack ofappreciation, "which set you  back considerably more than my annual salary;and a swathe you've been cutting ?a very considerable and expensive swathe?through the upper layers of Foundation society.""So? Beyond proving that you employ capable spies, what does it show?""It shows  you have  money you didn't  have a year  ago. And  that can showanything ? for instance, that a  good deal went on  at Korell that we knownothing of. Where are you getting your money?""My dear Sutt, you can't really expect me to tell you.""I don't.""I didn't  think you did. That's  why I'm going to  tell you. It's straightfrom the treasure-chests of the Commdor of Korell."Sutt blinked.
Mallow  smiled and continued.  "Unfortunately for  you, the money  is quitelegitimate. I'm a Master  Trader and the money I received was a quantity ofwrought iron  and chromite in exchange for a number  of trinkets I was ableto  supply him  with. Fifty  per cent  of the  profit is mine  by hideboundcontract with the Foundation.  The other half goes to the government at theend  of   the  year  when   all  good  citizens  pay   their  income  tax.""There   was  no  mention   of  any   trade  agreement  in   your  report.""Nor was  there any  mention of what I  had for breakfast that  day, or thename  of my  current mistress,  or any  other irrelevant  detail." Mallow'ssmile was fading into a sneer. "I was sent ?to quote yourself ?to keep myeyes open.  They were never. shut. You wanted to  find out what happened tothe captured  Foundation merchant ships. I never saw  or heard of them. Youwanted to find out  if Korell had nuclear power. My report tells of nuclearblasters in  the possession  of the Commdor's  private bodyguard. I  saw noother signs.  And the blasters I did see are relics  of the old Empire, andmay   be   show-pieces  that   do   not   work,  for   all  my   knowledge.
"So far,  I followed orders, but  beyond that I was,  and. still am, a freeagent. According  to the laws of  the Foundation, a Master  Trader may openwhatever  new markets  he can, and  receive therefrom  his due half  of theprofits. What are your objections? I don't see them."Sutt bent  his eyes carefully towards  the wall and spoke  with a difficultlack  of anger, "It  is the general  custom of  all traders to  advance thereligion with their trade.""I adhere to law, and not to custom.""There are times when custom can be the higher law.""Then appeal to the courts."Sutt raised somber eyes which seemed to retreat into their sockets. "You'rea Smyrnian after all.  It seems naturalization and education can't wipe outthe  taint in  the blood.  Listen, and  try to  understand, just  the same.
"This goes beyond money,  or markets. We have the science of the great HariSeldon to  prove that upon us depends the future  empire of the Galaxy, andfrom the course that leads to that Imperium we cannot turn. The religion wehave  is our  all-important instrument  towards that  end. With it  we havebrought the  Four Kingdoms under our control, even  at the moment when theywould have  crushed us.  It is the  most potent device known  with which tocontrol men and worlds.
"The  primary  reason for  the  development  of trade  and  traders was  tointroduce and  spread this  religion more quickly,  and to insure  that theintroduction of  new techniques and a  new economy would be  subject to ourthorough and intimate control."He paused for breath, and Mallow interjected quietly, "I know the theory. Iunderstand it entirely.""Do you?  It is  more than I expected.  Then you see, of  course, that yourattempt at t............