"Indeed，" said Lizalor stolidly. Then she said， more softly， "You have brought misfortune to me， already， for now that I have known you，Comporellian men will seem more sapless still. I will be left with an unappeasable longing. He Who Punishes has already seen to that."
Trevize hesitated， then said， "I do not wish you to change your mind on this matter， but I do not wish you to suffer needless apprehension，either. You must know that this matter of my bringing misfortune on you is simply superstition."
"The Skeptic told you that， I presume."
"I know it without his telling me."
Lizalor brushed her face， for a thin rime was gathering on her prominent eyebrows and said， "I know there are some who think it superstition. That the Oldest brings misfortune is， however， a fact. It has been demonstrated many times and all the clever Skeptical arguments can"t legislate the truth out of existence."
She thrust out her hand suddenly. "Good-bye， Golan. Get on the ship and join your companions before your soft Terminian body freezes in our cold， but kindly wind." "Good-bye， Mitza， and I hope to see you when I return."
"Yes， you have promised to return and I have tried to believe that you would. I have even told myself that I would come out and meet you at your ship in space so that misfortune would fall only on me and not upon my world but you will not return."
"Not so！ I will！ I would not give you up that easily， having had pleasure of you." And at that moment， Trevize was firmly convinced that he meant it.
"I do not doubt your romantic impulses， my sweet Foundationer， but those who venture outward on a search for the Oldest will never come back anywhere. I know that in my heart."
Trevize tried to keep his teeth from chattering. It was from cold and he didn"t want her to think it was from fear. He said， "That， too，is superstition."
"And yet，" she said， "that， too， is true."
28
It was good to be back in the pilot-room of the Far Star . It might be cramped for room. It might be a bubble of imprisonment in infinite space. Nevertheless， it was familiar， friendly，and warm.
Bliss said， "I"m glad you finally came aboard. I was wondering how long you would remain with the Minister."
"Not long，" said Trevize. "It was cold."
"It seemed to me，" said Bliss， "that you were considering remaining with her and postponing the search for Earth. I do not like to probe your mind even lightly， but I was concerned for you and that temptation under which you labored seemed to leap out at me."
Trevize said， "You"re quite right. Momentarily at least， I felt the temptation. The Minister is a remarkable woman and I"ve never met anyone quite like her. Did you strengthen my resistance， Bliss？"
She said， "I"ve told you many times I must not and will not tamper with your mind in any way， Trevize. You beat down the temptation， I imagine，through your strong sense of duty."
"No， I rather think not." He smiled wryly. "Nothing so dramatic and noble. My resistance was strengthened， for one thing， by the fact that is was cold， and for another， by the sad thought that it wouldn"t take many sessions with her to kill me. I could never keep up the pace."
Pelorat said， "Well， anyway， you are safely aboard. What are we going to do next？"