In the months since he had returned to Dorlis with a hundred psychologists of various degrees of renown, he had felt himself pushed farther and farther from the center of things. There was room for him no longer. Except to answer questions on the actual state of things upon the robot world, which he alone had visited, he played no part. And even there he detected, or seemed to detect, anger that he should have gone, and not a competent scientist.
It was a thing to be resented. Yet, somehow, it had always been like that.
‘Pardon me?’ He had let Murry’s next remark slip.
The secretary repeated, ‘I say it’s surprising you’re not put to work, then. You made the original discovery, didn’t you?’
‘Yes,’ the albino brightened. ‘But it went out of my hands. It got beyond me.’
‘You were on the robot world, though.’
‘That was a mistake, they tell me. I might have ruined everything.’
Murry grimaced. ‘What really gets them, I guess, is that you’ve got a lot of first-hand dope that they didn’t. Don’t let their fancy titles fool you into thinking you’re a nobody. A layman with common sense is better than a blind specialist. You and I – I’m a layman, too, you know – have to stand up for our rights. Here, have a cigarette.’
‘I don’t sm – I’ll take one, thank you.’ The albino felt himself warming to the long-bodied man opposite. He turned the papers face upward again, and lit up, bravely but uncertainly.
‘1wenty-five years.’ Theor spoke carefully, skirting around urgent coughs.
‘Would you answer a few questions about the world?’
‘I suppose so. That’s all they ever ask me about. But hadn’t you better ask them? They’ve probably got it all worked out now.’ He blew the smoke as far from himself as possible.
Murry said, ‘Frankly, they haven’t even begun, and I want the information without benefit of confusing psychological translation. First of all, what kind of people-or things-are these robots? You haven’t a photocast of one of them, have you?’
‘Well, no. I didn’t like to take ‘casts of them. But they’re not things. They’re people!’
‘No? Do they look like-people?’
‘Yes – mostly. Outside, anyway. I brought some microscopic studies of the cellular structure that I got hold of. The Board Master has them. They’re different inside, you know, greatly simplified. But you’d never know that. They’re interesting – and nice.’
‘Are they simpler than the other life of the planet?’
‘Oh, no. It’s a very primitive planet. And . . . and,’ he was interrupted by a spasm of coughing and crushed the cigarette to death as unobtrusively as possible. ‘They’ve got a protoplasmic base, you know. I don’t think they have the slightest idea they’re robots.’
‘No. I don’t suppose they would have. What about their science?’
‘I don’t know. I never got a chance to see. And everything was so different. I guess it would take an expert to understand.’
‘Did they have machines?’
The albino looked surprised. ‘Well, of course. A good many, of all sorts.’
‘Large cities?’
‘Yes!’
The secretary’s eyes grew thoughtful. ‘And you like them. Why?’
Theor Realo was brought up sharply. ‘I don’t know. They were just likable. We got along. They didn’t bother me so. It’s nothing I can put my finger on. Maybe it’s because I have it so hard getting along back home, and they weren’t as difficult as real people.’
‘They were more friendly?’
‘N-no. Can’t say so. They never quite accepted me. I was a stranger, didn’t know their language at first – all that. But’ – he looked up with sudden brightness – ‘! understood them better. I could tell what they were thinking better. I – But I don’t know why.’
‘Hm-m-m. Well-another cigarette? No? I’ve got to be walloping the pillow now. It’s getting late. How about a twosome at golf tomorrow? I’ve worked up a little course. It’ll do. Come on out. The exercise will put hair on your chest.’
He grinned and left.
He mumbled one sentence to himself: ‘It looks like a death sentence’ – and whistled thoughtfully as he passed along to his own quarters.
He repeated the phrase to himself when he faced the Board Master the next day, with the sash of office about his waist. He did not sit down.
‘Again?’ said the Board Master, wearily.
‘Again!’ assented the secretary. ‘But real business this time. I may have to take over direction of your expedition.’
‘What! Impossible, sir! I will listen to no such proposition.’
‘I have my authority.’ Wynne Murry presented the metalloid cylinder that snapped open at a flick of the thumb. ‘I have full powers and full discretion as to their use. It is signed, as you will observe, by the chairman of the Congress of the Federation.’
‘So – But why?’ The Board Master, by an effort, breathed normally. ‘Short of arbitrary tyranny, is there a reason?’
‘A very good one, sir. All along, we have viewed this expedition from different angles. The Department of Science and Technology views the robot world not from the point of view of a scientific curiosity, but from the standpoint of its interference with the peace of the Federation. I don’t think you’ve ever stopped to consider the danger inherent in this robot world.’
‘None that I can see. It is thoroughly isolated and thoroughly harmless.’
‘How can you know?’
