Part 16 (1/2)

”See, how he understands. He shakes his head; he says it's on the house.”

”Let's try to tip him: Gog, here's fifty cents for you; no he won't take it.”

”He has no use for it, no taste for a gla.s.s of beer, I suppose.”

”What do you feed him, Dr. Scriven; a gla.s.s of electric juice for breakfast? Is he AC or DC or both?”

Scriven's leonine face beamed; the stunt had come off.

Lee on the other hand had paled. He hadn't said a word ever since Gog and Magog had trotted in. Now he took a silver dollar out of his pocket and beckoning to Magog he handed it to him. ”Magog, will you please break this in two for me?”

For a second the Robot stood without motion as if undecided what to do.

Then he took the piece between two steely fingers. Inside his breast one could hear the soft swoosh of the hydraulic pump; there was a sharp report as of a small calibre gun; two bent and broken pieces were politely handed back to Lee.

”Thank you, Magog,” Lee said. ”That's what I wanted to know.” From a corner of his eye he saw Oona and Scriven watching him with uneasy looks.

Into the sudden and shocked silence of the table, there fell the tinkling of a gla.s.s. On the other end of the table the great Scriven had arisen to deliver the little speech he had prepared.

”... I wished you would think of The Brain, not in terms of electronics, not in terms of dollars, but in terms of American lives.... Just think of what it would mean to American mothers if in the event of another war the mighty armour of our National Defense would go into battle without exposing the life of one of their boys. Give us the funds and we'll finish the job so that under the central control of The Brain our every plane, every s.h.i.+p, every tank will roar into action unmanned and fully automatic.

”And just as The Brain would be our impregnable s.h.i.+eld in war, so it is destined to carry the torch of progress in times of peace. Consider what it would mean to every citizen if we had automatic functioning and unerring direction by the Brain.

”Never again would there be cities without water, without electricity, without transportation due to crippling strikes, because The Brain would come to the rescue through its control over the essential services, and if necessary with an industrial reserve army of perfected Gogs and Magogs, kept for just such emergencies.

”... If in the past it has been true that trade follows the flag, thus today it is true that trade and prosperity follow in the wake of science and technology. In the invaluable services which it has rendered to science and technology and to our national safety as well, The Brain has already paid for itself. With the relatively small additional investment which is now being proposed, The Brain's net profits to the nation would be raised many times; never since the Louisiana Purchase has our national government made a sounder business deal. With your own eyes you have witnessed tonight what we have done, what we are doing and also how much more we would be able to do. Thus I confidently trust that with our nation's interest forever foremost in your minds you will support the cause of The Brain.”

There had been thunderous applause; at Oona's shouted order even Gog and Magog did some mighty clapping of their steely hands to the delight of the party.

And now that it was all over with and the reaction had begun to set in Scriven asked: ”Do you really think we put the idea over to them?”

”With this group? One hundred percent,” Oona rea.s.sured him. ”What do you think, Lee?”

Lee nursed himself out of his settee, every bone in his gaunt frame now was aching with weariness. ”I think,” he said hoa.r.s.ely, ”It was very convincing, as far as those people are concerned. I think I'm too tired to think. I think I better go now.”

”Was there anything the matter with Lee?” Scriven asked after he'd gone.

”No, I guess not. Why?”

”He acted sort of queer with that silver dollar; shouldn't have done it.

Almost spoiled the show.”

”He's been under a strain; we all were a little daffy by that time.”

Scriven nodded and as he did his eyelids closed. They remained closed.

Staring at him for a moment, Oona thought that in a stupor of exhaustion his features showed a strange similarity to a contented tiger dreaming of the blood he's drawn in a successful hunt.