‘But that wasn’t it, either,’ said Dr Calvin thoughtfully. ‘Oh, eventually, the ship and others like it became government property; the Jump through hyperspace was perfected, and now we actually have human colonies on the planets of some of the nearer stars, but that wasn’t it.’
I had finished eating and watched her through the smoke of my cigarette. ‘It’s what has happened’to the people here on Earth in the last fifty years that really counts. When I was born, young man, we had just gone through the last World War. It was a low point in history – but it was the end of nationalism. Earth was too small for nations and they began grouping themselves into Regions. It took quite a while. When I was born the United States of America was still a nation and not merely a part of the Northern Region. In fact, the name of the corporation is still ‘United States Robots—.’ And the change from nations to Regions, which has stabilized our economy and brought about what amounts to a Golden Age, when this century is compared with the last, was also brought about by our robots.’
‘You mean the Machines,’ I said. ‘The Brain you talked about was the first of the Machines, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes, it was, but it’s not the Machines I was thinking of Rather of a man. He died last year.’ Her voice was suddenly deeply sorrowful. ‘Or at least he arranged to die, because he knew we needed him no longer.-Stephen Byerley.’
‘Yes, I guessed that was who you meant.’
‘He first entered public office in 2032. Thu were only a boy then, so you wouldn’t remember the strangeness of it. His campaign for the Mayoralty was certainly the queerest in history—’
Francis Quinn was a politician of the new school. That, of course, is a meaningless expression, as are all expressions of the sort. Most of the ‘new schools’ we have were duplicated in the social life of ancient Greece, and perhaps, if we knew more about it, in the social life of ancient Sumeria and in the lake dwellings of prehistoric Switzerland as well.
But, to get out from under what promises to be a dull and complicated beginning, it might be best to state hastily that Quinn neither ran for office nor canvassed for votes, made no speeches and stuffed no ballot boxes. Any more than Napoleon pulled a trigger at Austerlitz.
And since politics makes strange bedfellows, Alfred Lanning sat at the other side of the desk with his ferocious white eyebrows bent far forward over eyes in which chronic impatience had sharpened to acuity. He was not pleased.
The fact, if known to Quinn, would have annoyed him not the least. His voice was friendly, perhaps professionally so.
‘I assume you know Stephen Byerley, Dr Lanning.’
‘I have heard of him. So have many people.’
‘Yes, so have I. Perhaps you intend voting for him at the next election.’
‘I couldn’t say.’ There was an unmistakable trace of acidity here. ‘I have not followed the political currents, so I’m not aware that he is running for office.’
‘He may be our next mayor. Of course, he is only a lawyer now, but great oaks—’
‘Yes,’ interrupted Lanning, ‘I have heard the phrase before. But I wonder if we can get to the business at hand.’
‘We are at the business at hand, Dr Lanning.’ Quinn’s tone was very gentle, ‘It is to my interest to keep Mr Byerley a district attorney at the very most, and it is to your interest to help me do so.’
‘To my interest? Come!’ Lanning’s eyebrows hunched low.
‘Well, say then to the interest of the U. S. Robot & Mechanical Men Corporation. I come to you as Director-Emeritus of Research, because I know that your connection to them is that of, shall we say, ‘elder statesman.’ You are listened to with respect and yet your connection with them is no longer so tight but that you cannot possess considerable freedom of action; even if the action is somewhat unorthodox.’
Dr Lanning was silent a moment, chewing the cud of his thoughts. He said more softly, ‘I don’t follow you at all, Mr Quinn.’
‘I am not surprised, Dr Lanning. But it’s all rather simple. Do you mind?’ Quinn lit a slender cigarette with a lighter of tasteful simplicity and his big-boned face settled into an expression of quiet amusement. ‘We have spoken of Mr Byerley-a strange and colorful character. He was unknown three years ago. He is very well known now. He is a man of force and ability, and certainly the most capable and intelligent prosecutor I have ever known. Unfortunately he is not a friend of mine—’
‘I understand,’ said Lanning, mechanically. He stared at his finger-nails.
‘I have had occasion,’ continued Quinn, evenly, ‘in the past year to investigate Mr Byerley-quite exhaustively. It is always useful, you see, to subject the past life of reform politicians to rather inquisitive research. If you knew how often it helped—’ He paused to smile humorlessly at the glowing tip of his cigarette. ‘But Mr Byerley’s past is unremarkable. A quiet life in a small town, a college education, a wife who died young, an auto accident with a slow recovery, law school, coming to the metropolis, an attorney.’
Francis Quinn shook his head slowly, then added, ‘But his present life. Ah, that is remarkable. Our district attorney never eats!’
Lanning’s head snapped up, old eyes surprisingly sharp, ‘Pardon me?’
‘Our district attorney never eats.’ The repetition thumped by syllables. ‘I’ll modify that slightly. He has never been seen to eat or drink. Never! Do you understand the significance of the word? Not rarely, but never!’
‘I find that quite incredible. Can you trust your investigators?’
‘I can trust my investigators, and I don’t find it incredible at all. Further, our district attorney has never been seen to drink-in the aqueous sense as well as the alcoholic-nor to sleep. There are other factors, but I should think I have made my point.’
Lanning leaned back in his seat, and there was the rapt silence of challenge and response between them, and then the old roboticist shook his head. ‘No. There is only one thing you can be trying to imply, if I couple your statements with the fact that you present them to me, and that is impossible.’
‘But the man is quite inhuman, Dr Lanning.’
‘If you told me he were Satan in masquerade, there would be a faint chance that I might believe you.’
‘I tell you he is a robot, Dr Lanning.’’
‘I tell you it is as impossible a conception as I have ever heard, Mr Quinn.’
Again the combative silence.
‘Nevertheless,’ and Quinn stubbed out his cigarette with elaborate care, ‘you will have to investigate this impossibility with all the resources of the Corporation.’’
‘I’m sure that I could undertake no such thing, Mr Quinn. You don’t seriously suggest that the Corporation take part in local politics.’’
‘You have no choice. Supposing I were to make my facts public without proof. The evidence is circumstantial enough.’’
‘Suit yourself in that respect.’
‘But it would not suit me. Proof would be much preferable. And it would not suit you, for the publicity would be very damaging to your company. You are perfectly well acquainted, I suppose, with the strict rules against the use of robots on inhabited worlds.’
‘Certainly!’ – brusquely.
‘You know that the U. S. Robot & Mechanical Men Corporation is the only manufacturer of positronic robots in the Solar System, and if Byerley is a robot, he is a positronic robot. You are also aware that all positronic robots are leased, and not sold; that the Corporation remains the owner and manager of each robot, and is therefore responsible for the actions of all.’
‘It is an easy matter, Mr Quinn, to prove the Corporation has never manufactured a robot of a humanoid character.’
‘It can be done? To discuss merely possibilities.’
‘Yes. It can be done.’
‘Secretly, I imagine, as well. Without entering it in your books.’
‘Not the positronic brain, sir. Too many factors are involved in that, and there is the tightest possible government supervision.’
‘Yes, but robots are worn out, break down, go out of order-and are dismantled.’
‘And the positronic brains re-used or destroyed.’
‘Really?’ Francis Quinn allowed himself a trace of sarcasm. ‘And if one were, accidentally, of course, not destroyed-and there happened to be a humanoid structure waiting for a brain.’
‘Impossible!’
