Я, Робот
Robbie
Naturally,shecan’tforgethim.NowifwemanagedtoconvinceherthatRobbiewasnothingmorethanamessofsteelandcopperintheformofsheetsandwireswithelectricityitsjuiceoflife,howlongwouldherlongingslast?It’sthepsychologicalattack,ifyouseemypoint."
"Howdoyouplantodoit?"
"Simple.WheredoyousupposeIwentlastnight?IpersuadedRobertsonofU.S.RobotsandMechanicalMen,Inc.toarrangeforacompletetourofhispremisestomorrow.Thethreeofuswillgo,andbythetimewe’rethrough,Gloriawillhaveitdrilledintoherthatarobotisnotalive."
Mrs.Weston’seyeswidenedgraduallyandsomethingglintedinhereyesthatwasquitelikesuddenadmiration,"Why,George,that’sagoodidea."
AndGeorgeWeston’svestbuttonsstrained."OnlykindIhave,"hesaid.
Mr.StrutherswasaconscientiousGeneralManagerandnaturallyinclinedtobeabittalkative.Thecombination,therefore,resultedinatourthatwasfullyexplained,perhapsevenover-abundantlyexplained,ateverystep.However,Mrs.Westonwasnotbored.Indeed,shestoppedhimseveraltimesandbeggedhimtorepeathisstatementsinsimplerlanguagesothatGloriamightunderstand.Undertheinfluenceofthisappreciationofhisnarrativepowers,Mr.Struthersexpandedgeniallyandbecameevermorecommunicative,ifpossible.
GeorgeWeston,himself,showedagatheringimpatience.
"Pardonme,Struthers,"hesaid,breakingintothemiddleofalectureonthephoto-electriccell,"haven’tyouasectionofthefactorywhereonlyrobotlaborisemployed?"
