Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
ItseemstheanswersVillafrancahaduseddidn’ttakeaccountoftheeffectofaheavyrainfallonthecontoursofthecut.-Orsomethinglikethat.I’mnotanengineer,youunderstand.
"Anyway,Villafrancaputupadevilofasquawk.HeclaimedtheMachine’sanswerhadbeendifferentthefirsttime.ThathehadfollowedtheMachinefaithfully.Thenhequit!Weofferedtoholdhimon–reasonabledoubt,previousworksatisfactory,andallthat–inasubordinateposition,ofcourse–hadtodothatmuch–mistakescan’tgounnoticed–badfordiscipline-WherewasI?"
"Youofferedtoholdhimon."
"Ohyes.Herefused.-Well,takeallinall,we’retwomonthsbehind.Hell,that’snothing."
Byerleystretchedouthishandandletthefingerstaplightlyonthedesk,"VillafrancablamedtheMachine,didhe?"
"Well,hewasn’tgoingtoblamehimself,washe?Let’sfaceit;humannatureisanoldfriendofours.Besides,Iremembersomethingelsenow-Whythehellcan’tIfinddocumentswhenIwantthem?Myfilingsystemisn’tworthadamn-ThisVillafrancawasamemberofoneofyourNorthernorganizations.MexicoistooclosetotheNorth!that’spartofthetrouble."
"Whichorganizationareyouspeakingof?’
"TheSocietyofHumanity,theycallit.HeusedtoattendtheannualconferenceinNewYork,Villafrancadid.Bunchofcrackpots,butharmless.-Theydon’tliketheMachines;claimthey’redestroyinghumaninitiative.SonaturallyVillafrancawouldblametheMachine.-Don’tunderstandthatgroupmyself.
