ce.

"There was always the political pressure, of course," said Cameron. "But
the real reason was simply our preoccupation with making bibliographies
of each others' papers. It's going to take a lot of leg work, something
in which our formal courses don't give us any basic training. Fothergill
understands that--it's why he pushed me so hard with the Foundation. And
Riley up there is capable of seeing it, too.

"I showed him that here was a complex of at least a hundred and ten
major planets, inhabited by a fairly homogenous, civilized people,
speaking from a technological point of view at least. And almost
overnight some force changed the entire cultural posture. I made him see
that identification of that force is of no small interest to us right
now. If it operated once, it could operate again--and would its results
be as happy a second time?

"Riley got the Foundation to kick through enough for you and me to make
a start. A preliminary survey is about all it will amount to, actually,
but if we show evidence of something tangible I'll get my degree, you'll
get your basic certification--and we'll both return in charge of a
full-scale inquiry with a staff big enough to really dig into things
next year.

"Now--about this matter of marriage which you didn't want me to speak
of--"

"Keep talking, Cam--you're doing wonderfully!"

* * * * *

They got married at once, even though there were several weeks of school
which had to be finished before they could leave. Among their friends on
the campus there were a good many whispered remarks about the insanity
of Joyce and Cameron in planning such a fantastic excursion, but Joyce
was certain there was as much envy as criticism in the eyes of her
associates. It might be true when they asserted that every conceivable
sociological factor or combination of factors could be found and
analyzed right here in the Solar System, but a husband who could finagle
a way to combine a honeymoon trip halfway across space with his graduate
research thesis was a rare specimen. Joyce played her advantage for all
it was worth.

Two weeks before departure time, however, Cameron was called to the
office of Professor Fothergill. As he entered he found a third man
present, wearing a uniform he recognized at once as belonging to the
Council Secretariat.

"I'll wait outside," he said abruptly as Fothergill turned. "I got your
message and came right over. I didn't kn