“In Seldon’s Shadow”

On Trantor, Brother Day is being treated for his wounds while wide awake and screaming in pain—he doesn’t want to risk being put under and then replaced by a fresh Cleon clone—but he’s coherent enough to start lobbing accusations around the room, including at Brother Dawn, since he hates “the alliance, the marriage.” The what now? Before that sinks in, Day heaves himself up (still fully naked) and yells, “Somebody get me a damn blasted robe so my manhood isn’t flappin’ around!” He and Dawn return to the bedchamber, where Empire’s security force is in CSI mode. Turns out the assassins had no eyes; they were “Blind Angels.” After implying that his head Shadowmaster either had something to do with the attack or is just guilty for allowing it to happen, Day has him executed and sends the rest of the force to be interrogated. Then, he admits to Dawn that he felt fear during the attack—an unusual awareness for a Cleon.

The marriage, we ascertain, is so that Day can produce heirs rather than continue the genetic dynasty of Cleons—meaning Dawn is soon to be obsolete along with the entire concept of Empire. He’s not thrilled. “Having children won’t make you immortal,” Dawn reminds him. “Just the opposite. Children are meant to replace us.” Day thanks him for his honesty, then tells him Dawn and Dusk will both have their memories combed to see if they had anything to do with the attack.

In her dressing room, Demerzel is putting herself back together. When Day asks if their secret sexual relationship is “indecent,” she says “any gift that’s given freely out of love is never indecent.” Can a robot love, though? What’s Demerzel up to really? In his next scene with Day, after Dusk expresses his dismay over their “dating,” Day says she’s the one who initiated the relationship.