Я, Робот

           "Whatdoyousay?Ifyouhavealegitimatequestion,I’llanswerit."Heturnedtoaflankingguard."Bringthatmanuphere."

           Therewasatensinginthecrowd.Criesof"Quiet"startedinvariouspartsofthemob,androsetoabedlam,thentoneddownraggedly.Thethinman,red-facedandpanting,facedByerley.

           Byerleysaid,"Haveyouaquestion?"

           Thethinmanstared,andsaidinacrackedvoice,"Hitme!"

           Withsuddenenergy,hethrustouthischinatanangle."Hitme!Yousayyou’renotarobot.Proveit.Youcan’thitahuman,youmonster."

           Therewasaqueer,flat,deadsilence.Byerley’svoicepuncturedit."Ihavenoreasontohityou."

           Thethinmanwaslaughingwildly."Youcan’thitme.Youwon’thitme.You’renotahuman.You’reamonster,amake-believeman."

           AndStephenByerley,tight-lipped,inthefaceofthousandswhowatchedinpersonandthemillionswhowatchedbyscreen,drewbackhisfistandcaughtthemancrackinglyuponthechin.Thechallengerwentoverbackwardsinsuddencollapse,withnothingonhisfacebutblank,blanksurprise.

           Byerleysaid,"I’msorry.Takehiminandseethathe’scomfortable.IwanttospeaktohimwhenI’mthrough."

           AndwhenDr.Calvin,fromherreservedspace,turnedherautomobileanddroveoff,onlyonereporterhadrecoveredsufficientlyfromtheshocktoraceafterher,andshoutanunheardquestion.

           SusanCalvincalledoverhershoulder,"He’shuman."

           Thatwasenough.Thereporterracedawayinhisowndirection.

           Therestofthespeechmightbedescribedas"Spokenbutnotheard."