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spaceships or on enemy worlds. It could not grasp the distinction
between friendly humans and enemy humans.
"Of course, a robot could be told that the opposing spaceship
had no humans aboard. It could be told that it was an uninhabited
planet that was being bombarded. That would be difficult to manage.
A robot could see that its own ship carried humans; it would know its
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own world held humans. It would assume that the same was true of
enemy ships and worlds. It would take a real expert in robotics, such
as you, Dr. Leebig, to handle them properly in that case, and there are
very few suck experts.
"But a spaceship that was equipped with its own positronic
brain would cheerfully attack any ship it was directed to attack, it
seems to me. It would naturally assume all other ships were
unmanned. A positronic-brained ship could easily be made incapable
of receiving messages from enemy ships that might undeceive it. With
its weapons and defenses under the immediate control of a positronic
brain, it would be more maneuverable than any manned ship. With
no room necessary for crewmen, for supplies, for water or air
purifiers, it could carry more armor, more weapons and be more
invulnerable than any ordinary ship. One ship with a positronic brain
could defeat fleets of ordinary ships. Am I wrong?"
The last question was shot at Dr. Leebig, who had risen from his
seat and was standing, rigid, almost cataleptic with-what? Anger?
Horror?
There was no answer. No answer could have been heard.
Something tore loose and the others were yelling madly. Kiorissa had
the face of a Fury and even Gladia was on her feet, her small fist
beating the air threateningly.
And all had turned on Leebig.
Baley relaxed and closed his eyes. He tried for just a few
moments to unknot his muscles, unfreeze his tendons.
It had worked. He had pressed the right button at last. Quemot
had made an analogy between the Solarian robots and the Spartan
Helots. He said the robots could not revolt so that the Solarians could
relax.
But what if some human threatened to teach the robots how to
harm humans; to make them, in other words, capable of revolting?
Would that not be the ultimate crime? On a world such as
Solaria would not every last inhabitant turn fiercely against anyone
even suspected of making a robot capable of harming a human; on
Solana, where robots outnumbered humans by twenty thousand to
one?
Attlebish cried, "You are under arrest. You are absolutely
forbidden to touch your books or records until the government has a
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chance to inspect them-" He went on, almost incoherent, scarcely
heard in the pandemonium.
A robot approached Baley. "A message, master, from the master
Olivaw."
Baley took the message gravely, turned, and cried, "One
moment." His voice had an almost magical effect. All turned to look at
him solemnly and in no face (outside Leebig's frozen glare) was there
any sign of anything but the most painful attention to the Earthman.
Baley said, "It is foolish to expect Dr. Leebig to leave his records
untouched while waiting for some official to reach them. So even
before this interview began, my partner, Daneel Olivaw, left for Dr.
Leebig's estate. I have just heard from him. He is on the grounds now
and will be with Dr. Leebig in a moment in order that he may be put
under restraint."
"Restraint!" howled Leebig in an almost animal terror, His eyes
widened into staring holes in his head. "Someone coming here?
Personal presence? No! No!" The second "No" was a shriek.
"You will not be harmed," said Baley coldly, "if you co-operate."
"But I won't see him. I can't see him." The roboticist fell to his
knees without seeming aware of the motion. He put his hands
together in a desperate clasped gesture of appeal. 'What do you want?
Do you want a confession? Delmarre's robot had detachable limbs.
Yes. Yes. Yes. I arranged Gruer's poisoning. I arranged the arrow
meant for you. I even planned the spaceships as you said. I haven't
succeeded, but, yes, I planned it. Only keep the man away. Don't let
him come. Keep him away!"
He was babbling.
Baley nodded. Another right button. The threat of personal
presence would do more to induce confession than any physical
torture.
But then, at some noise or movement outside the field of sound
or vision of any of the others, Leebig's head twisted and his mouth
opened. He lifted a pair of hands, holding something off.
"Away," he begged. "Go away. Don't come. Please don't come.
Please--"
He scrambled away on hands and knees, then his hand went
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suddenly to a pocket in his jacket. It came out with something and
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