Я, Робот
Evidence
"Andwhatisthat?"
"You’vegotsomethingtoeatinyourpurse."
SomethingcaughtintheschooledindifferenceofSusanCalvin’seyes.Shesaid,"Yousurpriseme,Mr.Byerley."
Andopeningherpurse,sheproducedanapple.Quietly,shehandedittohim.Dr.Lanning,afteraninitialstart,followedtheslowmovementfromonehandtotheotherwithsharplyalerteyes.
Calmly,StephenByerleybitintoit,andcalmlyheswallowedit
"Yousee,Dr.Lanning?"
Dr.LanningsmiledinarelieftangibleenoughtomakeevenhiseyebrowsappearbenevolentAreliefthatsurvivedforonefragilesecond.
SusanCalvinsaid,"Iwascurioustoseeifyouwouldeatit,but,ofcourse,inthepresentcase,itprovesnothing."
Byerleygrinned,"Itdoesn’t?"
"Ofcoursenot.Itisobvious,Dr.Lanning,thatifthismanwereahumanoidrobot,hewouldbeaperfectimitation.Heisalmosttoohumantobecredible.Afterall,wehavebeenseeingandobservinghumanbeingsallourlives;itwouldbeimpossibletopalmsomethingmerelynearlyrightoffonus.Itwouldhavetobeallright.Observethetextureoftheskin,thequalityoftheirises,theboneformationofthehand.Ifhe’sarobot,IwishU.S.Robotshadmadehim,becausehe’sagoodjob.Doyousupposethen,thatanyonecapableofpayingattentiontosuchnicetieswouldneglectafewgadgetstotakecareofsuchthingsaseating,sleeping,elimination?Foremergencyuseonly,perhaps;as,forinstance,topreventsuchsituationsasarearisinghere.Soamealwon’treallyproveanything."
