Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
Shallwebegin?We’llstartwiththeEasternRegion."
"Asyousay-"
TheEasternRegion
a-Area:7,500,000squaremiles
b-Population:1,700,000,000
c-Capital:Shanghai
ChingHso-lin’sgreat-grandfatherhadbeenkilledintheJapaneseinvasionoftheoldChineseRepublic,andtherehadbeennoonebesidehisdutifulchildrentomournhislossoreventoknowhewaslost.ChingHso-lin’sgrandfatherhadsurvivedthecivilwarofthelateforties,buttherehadbeennoonebesidehisdutifulchildrentoknoworcareofthat.
AndyetChingHso-linwasaRegionalVice-Co-ordinator,withtheeconomicwelfareofhalfthepeopleofEarthinhiscare.
Perhapsitwaswiththethoughtofallthatinmind,thatChinghadtwomapsastheonlyornamentsonthewallofhisoffice.Onewasanoldhand-drawnaffairtracingoutanacreortwoofland,andmarkedwiththenowoutmodedpictographsofoldChina.Alittlecreektrickledaslantthefadedmarkingsandtherewerethedelicatepictorialindicationsoflowlyhuts,inoneofwhichChing’sgrandfatherhadbeenborn.
Theothermapwasahugeone,sharplydelineated,withallmarkingsinneatCyrilliccharacters.TheredboundarythatmarkedtheEasternRegionsweptwithinitsgrandconfinesallthathadoncebeenChina,India,Burma,Indo-China,andIndonesia.Onit,withintheoldprovinceofSzechuan,solightandgentlethatnonecouldseeit,wasthelittlemarkplacedtherebyChingwhichindicatedthelocationofhisancestralfarm.
