The Beggar King(2)

Daneel was so shocked by the absurdity of the situation that he actually let go of the beggar king and stepped back, all his moral codes and thoughts about what kind of man he was crashing down into ruin while he stared into the clear eyes of all the young newcomers.

He tried to tell himself that it could be that they were all brainwashed, and that the beggar king was still as rotten as they came. However, as he turned to the man, himself, he saw in his eyes genuine care and concern for the children who clearly loved him as a father, and that, more than anything, convinced him that things might not be as they seemed.

Even then, he kept saying to himself that somebody with children could also be evil. His thoughts waged a battle within his head, half intending to leap at the man, again, ignoring what the kids had said, and the other half urging him to drop everything and give the man a chance to explain.