"Officers" (pp. 351-369) Summary

Next morning, dressed from the waist down, Seldon knocks on Venabili's door. She is dressed similarly, embarrassing him. She seems indifferent as she finishes drying her hair. He wants to talk about Wye Sector; specifically its Mayor, whom Hummin and Davan have both mentioned. Venabili knows only it is a large, populous sector near the South Pole. The excess heat generated all over Trantor is piped there for discharge into space. The melting of snow and ice that occurs in the process of piping accounts for Upperside weather. Whether Wye profits from this is unknown, but it wields great political power because a shutdown would instantly raise temperatures around the planet, while Wye could open itself to the polar air. The Mayor is said to be a recluse, a skilled political manipulator, but too old to fall...