by Isaac Asimov
He turned to Fastolfe. “And what do you say, Dr. Fastolfe? Are you the only man who could have destroyed the robot?”
“Without leaving physical marks? I am, as far as I know. I don’t believe that Dr. Amadiro has the skill in robotics to do so and I am constantly amazed that, after having founded his Robotics Institute, he is so eager to proclaim his own incapacity, even with all his associates at his back – and to do so publicly.” He smiled at Amadiro, not entirely without malice.
The Chairman sighed. “No, Dr. Fastolfe. No rhetorical tricks now. Let us dispense with sarcasm and clever thrusts. What is your defense?”
“Why, only that I did no harm to Jander. I do not say anyone did. It was chance – the uncertainty principle at work on the positronic pathways. It can happen every so often. Let Dr. Amadiro merely admit that it was chance, that no one be accused without evidence, and we can then argue the competing proposals about settlement on their own merits.”
“No,” said Amadiro. “The chance of accidental destruction is too small to be considered, far smaller than the ‘chance that Dr. Fastolfe is responsible – so much smaller that to ignore Dr. Fastolfe’s guilt is irresponsible. I will not back down and I will win. Mr. Chairman, you know I will win and it seems to me that the only rational step to be taken is to force Dr. Fastolfe to accept his defeat in the interest of global unity.”
Fastolfe said quickly, “And that brings me to the matter of the investigation I have asked Mr. Baley of Earth to undertake.”
And Amadiro said, just as quickly, “A move I opposed when it was first suggested. The Earthman may be a clever investigator, but he is unfamiliar with Aurora and can accomplish nothing here. Nothing, that is, except to strew slander and to hold Aurora up to the Spacer worlds in an undignified and ridiculous light. There have been satirical pieces on the matter in half a dozen important Spacer hyperwave news programs on as many different worlds. Recordings of these have been sent to your office.”
“And have been brought to my attention,” said the Chairman.
“And there has been murmuring here on Aurora,” Amadiro drove on. “It would be to my selfish interest to allow the investigation to continue. It is costing Fastolfe support among the populace and votes among the legislators. The longer it continues, the more certain I am of victory, but it is damaging Aurora and I do not wish to add to my certainty at the cost of harm to my world. – I suggest – with respect – that you end the investigation, Mr. Chairman, and persuade Dr. Fastolfe to submit gracefully now to what he will eventually have to accept – at much greater cost.”
The Chairman said, “I agree that to have permitted Dr. Fastolfe to set up this investigation may have been unwise. I say ‘may.’ I admit I am tempted to end it. And yet the Earthman” – he gave no indication of knowing that Baley was in the room – “has already been here for some time –”
He paused, as though to give Fastolfe a chance for corroboration, and Fastolfe took it, saying, “This is the third day of his investigation, Mr. Chairman.”
“In that case,” said the Chairman, “before I end that investigation, it would be fair, I believe, to ask if there have been any significant findings so far.”
He paused again. Fastolfe glanced quickly at Baley and made a small motion of his head.
Baley said in a low voice, “I do not wish, Mr. Chairman, to obtrude, unasked, any observations. Am I being asked a question?”
The Chairman frowned. Without looking at Baley, he said, “I am asking Mr. Baley of Earth to tell us whether he has any findings of significance.”
Baley took a deep breath. This was it.
76.
“MR. CHAIRMAN,” HE began. “Yesterday afternoon, I was interrogating Dr. Amadiro, who was most cooperative and useful to me. When my staff and I left –”
“Your staff?” asked the Chairman.
“I was accompanied by two robots on all phases of my investigation, Mr. Chairman,” said Baley.
“Robots who belong to Dr. Fastolfe?” asked Amadiro. “I ask this for the record.”
“For the record, they do,” said Baley. “One is Daneel Olivaw, a humaniform robot, and the other is Giskard Reventlov, an older nonhumaniform robot.”
“Thank you,” said the Chairman. “Continue.”
“When we left the Institute grounds, we found that the airfoil we used had been tampered with.”
“Tampered with?” asked the Chairman, startled. “By whom?”
“We don’t know, but it happened on Institute grounds. We were there by invitation, so it was known by the Institute personnel that we would be there. Moreover, no one else would be likely to be there without the invitation and knowledge of the Institute staff. If it were at all thinkable, it would be necessary to conclude that the tampering could only have been done by someone on the Institute staff and that would, in any case, be impossible – except at the direction of Dr. Amadiro himself, which would also be unthinkable.”
Amadiro said, “You seem to think a great deal about the unthinkable. Has the airfoil been examined by a qualified technician to see if it has indeed been tampered with? Might there not have been a natural failing?” asked Amadiro.
“No, sir,” said Baley, “but Giskard, who is qualified to drive an airfoil and who has frequently driven that particular one, maintains that it was tampered with.”
“And he is one of Dr. Fastolfe’s staff and is programmed by him and receives his daily orders from him,” said Amadiro.
“Are you suggesting –” began Fastolfe.
“I am suggesting nothing.” Amadiro held up his hand in a benign gesture. “I am merely making a statement – for the record.”
The Chairman stirred. “Will Mr. Baley of Earth please continue?”
Baley said, “When the airfoil broke down, there were others in pursuit.”
“Others?” asked the Chairman.
“Other robots. They arrived and, by that time, my robots were gone.”
“One moment,” said Amadiro. “What was your condition at the time, Mr. Baley?”
“I was not entirely well.”
“Not entirely well? You are an Earthman and unaccustomed to life except in the artificial setting of your Cities. You are uneasy in the open. Is that not so, Mr. Baley?” asked Amadiro.
“Yes, sir.”
“And there was a severe thunderstorm in progress last evening, as I am sure the Chairman recalls. Would it not be accurate to say that you were quite ill? Semiconscious, if not worse?”
“I was quite ill,” said Baley reluctantly.
“Then how is it your robots were gone?” asked the Chairman sharply. “Should they not have been with you in your illness?”
“I ordered them away, Mr. Chairman.”
“Why?”
“I thought it best,” said Baley, “and I will explain – if I may be allowed to continue.”
“Continue.”
“We were indeed being pursued, for the pursuing robots arrived shortly after my robots had left. The pursuers asked me where my robots were and I told them I had sent them away. It was only after that that they asked if I were ill. I said I wasn’t ill and they left me in order to continue a search for my robots.”
“In search of Daneel and Giskard?” asked the Chairman.
“Yes, Mr. Chairman. It was clear to me that they were under intense orders to find the robots.”
“In what way was that clear?”
“Although I was obviously ill, they asked about the robots before they asked about me. Then, later, they abandoned me in my illness to search for my robots. They must have received enormously intense orders to find those robots or it would not have been possible for them to disregard a patently ifi human being. As a matter of fact, I had anticipated this search for my robots and that was why I had sent them away. I felt it all – important to keep them out of unauthorized hands.”
Amadiro said, “Mr. Chairman, may I continue to question Mr. Baley on this point, in order to show the worthlessness
of this statement?”
“You may.”
Amadiro said, “Mr. Baley. You were alone after your robots had left, were you not?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Therefore you have no recording of events? You are not yourself equipped to record them? You have no recording device?”
“No to all three, sir.”
“And you were ill?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Distraught? Possibly too ill to remember clearly?”
“No, sir. I remember quite clearly.”
“You would think so, I suppose, but you may well have been delirious and hallucinating. Under those conditions, it seems clear that what the robots said or, indeed, whether robots appeared at all would seem highly dubious.”
The Chairman said thoughtfully, “I agree. Mr. Baley of Earth, assuming that what you remember – or claim to remember – is accurate, what is your interpretation of the events you are describing?”
“I hesitate to give you my thoughts on the matter, Mr. Chairman,” said Baley, “lest I slander the worthy Dr. Amadiro.”
“Since you speak at my request and since your remarks are confined to this room” – the Chairman looked around; the wall niches were empty of robots –” there is no question of slander, unless it seems to me you speak with malice.”
“In that case, Mr. Chairman,” said Baley, “I had thought it possible that Dr. Amadiro detained me in his office by discussing matters with me at greater length than was perhaps necessary, so that there would be time for the damaging of my machine, then detained me further in order that I might leave after the thunderstorm had begun, thus making sure that I would be ill in transit. He had studied Earth’s social conditions, as he told me several times, so he would know what my reaction to the storm might be. It seemed to me that it was his plan to send his robots after us and, when they came upon our stalled airfoil, to have them take us all back to the Institute grounds, presumably so that I might be treated for my illness but actually so that he might have Dr. Fastolfe’s robots.”
Amadiro laughed gently. “What motive am I supposed to have for all this. You see, Mr. Chairman, that this is supposition joined to supposition and would be judged slander in any court on Aurora.”
The Chairman said severely, “Has Mr. Baley of Earth anything to support these hypotheses?”
“A line of reasoning, Mr. Chairman.”
The Chairman stood up, at once losing some of his presence, since he scarcely unfolded to a greater than sitting height. “Let me take a short walk, so that I might consider what I have heard so far. I will be right back.” He left for the Personal.
Fastolfe leaned in the direction of Baley and Baley met him halfway. (Amadiro looked on in casual unconcern, as though it scarcely mattered to him what they might have to say to each other.)
Fastolfe whispered, “Have you anything better to say?”
Baley said, “I think so, if I get the proper chance to say it, but the Chairman does not seem to be sympathetic.”
“He is not. So far you have merely made things worse and I would not be surprised if, when he comes back, he calls these proceedings to a halt.”
Baley shook his head and stared at his shoes.
77.
BALEY WAS STILL staring at his shoes when the Chairman returned, reseated himself, and turned a hard and rather baleful glance at the Earthman.
He said, “Mr. Baley of Earth?”
“Yes, Mr. Chairman.”
“I think you are wasting my time, but I do not want it said that I did not give either side a full hearing, even when it seemed to be wasting my time. Can you offer me a motive that would account for Dr. Amadiro acting in the mad way in which you accuse him of acting.”
“Mr. Chairman,” said Baley in a tone approaching desperation, “there is indeed a motive – a very good one. It rests on the fact that Dr. Amadiro’s plan for settling the Galaxy will come to nothing if he and his Institute cannot produce humaniform robots. So far he has produced none and can produce none. Ask him if he is willing to have a legislative committee examine his Institute for any indication that successful humaniform robots are being produced or designed. If he is willing to maintain that successful humaniforms are on the assembly lines or even on the drawing boards – or even in adequate theoretical formulation – and if he is prepared to demonstrate that fact to a qualified committee, I will say nothing more and admit that my investigation has achieved nothing.” He held his breath.
The Chairman looked at Amadiro, whose smile had faded.
Amadiro said, “I will admit that we have no humaniform robots in prospect at the moment.”
“Then I will continue,” said Baley, resuming his interrupted breathing with something very much like a gasp. “Dr. Amadiro can, of course, find all the information he needs for his project if he turns to Dr. Fastolfe, who has the information in his head, but Dr. Fastolfe will not cooperate in this matter.”
“No, I will not,” murmured Fastolfe, “under any conditions.”
“But, Mr. Chairman,” Baley continued, “Dr. Fastolfe is not the only individual who has the secret of the design and construction of Humaniform robots.”
“No?” said the Chairman. “Who else would know? Dr. Fastolfe himself looks astonished at your comment, Mr. Baley.” (For the first time, he did not add “of Earth.”)
“I am indeed astonished,” said Fastolfe. “To my knowledge, I am certainly the only one. I don’t know what Mr. Baley means.”
Amadiro said, with a small curling of the lip, “I suspect Mr. Baley doesn’t know, either.”
Baley felt hemmed in. He looked from one to the other and felt that not one of them – not one – was on his side.
He said, “Isn’t it true that any humaniform robot would know? Not consciously perhaps, not in such a way as to be able to give instructions in the matter – but the information would surely be there within him, wouldn’t it? If a humaniform robot was properly questioned, his answers and responses would betray his design and construction. Eventually, given enough time and given questions properly framed, a humaniform robot would yield information that would make it possible to plan the design of other humaniform robots. – To put it briefly, no machine can be of secret design if the machine itself is available for sufficiently intense study.”
Fastolfe seemed struck. “I see what you mean, Mr. Baley, and you are right. I had never thought of that.”
“With respect, Dr. Fastolfe,” said Baley, “I must tell you that, like all Aurorans, you have a peculiarly individualistic pride. You are entirely too satisfied with being the best roboticist, the only roboticist who can construct humaniforms – so you blind yourself to the obvious.”
The Chairman relaxed into a smile. “He has you there, Dr. Fastolfe. I have wondered why you were so eager to maintain that you were the only one with the know – how to destroy Jander when that so weakened your political case. I see clearly now that you would rather have your political case go down than your uniqueness.”
Fastolfe chafed visibly.
As for Amadiro, he frowned and said, “Has this anything to do with the problem under discussion?”
“Yes, it does,” said Baley, his confidence rising. “You cannot force any information from Dr. Fastolfe directly. Your robots cannot be ordered to do him harm, to torture him into revealing his secrets, for instance. You can’t harm him directly yourself against the protection of Dr. Fastolfe by his staff. However, you can isolate a robot and have it taken by other robots when the human being present is too ill to take the necessary action to prevent you. All the events of yesterday afternoon were part of a quickly improvised plan to get your hands on Daneel. You saw your opportunity as soon as I insisted on seeing you at the Institute. If I had not sent my robots away, if I had not been just well enough to insist I was well and to send your robots in the wrong direction, you would have had him. And eventually you might have worked out the secret of humaniform robots by some long – sustained analysis of D
aneel’s behavior and responses.”
Amadiro said, “Mr. Chairman, I protest. I have never heard slander so viciously expressed. This is all based on the fancies of an ill man. We don’t know – and perhaps can’t ever know – whether the airfoil was really damaged; and if it was, by whom; whether robots really pursued the airfoil and really spoke to Mr. Baley or not. He is merely piling inference on inference, all based on dubious testimony concerning events of which he is the only witness – and that at a time when he was half – mad with fear and may have been hallucinating. None of this can stand up for one moment in a courtroom.”
“This is not a courtroom, Dr. Amadiro,” said the Chairman, “and it is my duty to listen to everything that may be germane to a question under dispute.”
“This is not germane, Mr. Chairman. It is a cobweb.”
“Yet it hangs together, somehow. I do not seem to catch Mr. Baley in a clear – cut illogicality. If one admits what he claims to have experienced, then his conclusions make a kind of sense. Do you deny all this, Dr. Amadiro? The airfoil damage, the pursuit, the intention to appropriate the humaniform robot?”
“I do! Absolutely! None of it is true!” said Amadiro. It had been a noticeable while since he had smiled. “The Earthman can produce a recording of our entire conversation and no doubt he will point out that I was delaying him by speaking at length, by inviting him to tour the Institute, by inviting him to have dinner – but all that can equally well be interpreted as my stretching a point to be courteous and hospitable. I was misled by a certain sympathy I have for Earthmen, perhaps, and that’s all there is to that. I deny his inferences and nothing of what he says can stand up against my denial. My reputation is not such that a mere speculation can persuade anyone that I am the kind of devious plotter this Earthman says I am.”
The Chairman scratched at his chin thoughtfully and said, “Certainly, I am not of a mind to accuse you on the basis of what the Earthman has said so far. – Mr. Baley, if this is all you have, it is interesting but insufficient. Is there anything more you have to say of substance? I warn you that, if not, I have now spent all the time on this that I can afford to.”