[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Well, is this what you want, Dr.Mandamus?" asked Amadiro.Mandamus looked about, stunned.Finally, he managed to say, "Incredible!"They stood there, a solid regiment of human beings, with a little more lifeto them than so many statues might have showed, but with far less life thansleeping human beings would have displayed."They're standing," muttered Mandamus."They take up less room that way.Obviously.""But they've been standing about fifteen decades.They can't still be inworking order.Surely their joints are frozen, their organs broken down."Amadiro shrugged."Perhaps.Still, if the joints have deteriorated -and thatisn't out of the question, I suppose those can be replaced-if necessary.Itwould depend on whether there would be reason to do so.""There would be reason," said Mandamus.He looked from head to head.Theywere staring in slightly different directions and that gave them a somewhatunsettling appearance, as though they were on the point of breaking ranks.Mandamus said, "Each has an individual appearance and they differ in height,build, and so on.""Yes.Does that surprise you? We were planning to have these, along withothers we might have built, be the pioneers in the development of new worlds.To have them do so properly, we wanted them to be as human as possible, whichmeant making them as individual as Aurorans are.Doesn't that seem sensible toyou?""Absolutely.I'm glad this is so.I've read all I can about the twoprotohumaniforms that Fastolfe himself built Daneel Olivaw and Jander Panell.I've seen holographs of them and they seemed identical.""Yes," said Amadiro impatiently."Not only identical, but each virtually acaricature of one's conception of the ideal Spacer.That was Fastolfe'sromanticism.I'm sure that he would have built a race of interchangeablehumanoid robots, with both sexes possessing such ethereal good looks-or whathe considered to be that-as to make them completely inhuman.Fastolfe may be abrilliant roboticist, but he is an incredibly stupid man."Amadiro shook his head.To have been beaten by such an incredibly stupid man,he thought-and then he thrust the thought away.He had not been beaten byFastolfe, but by that infernal Earthman.Lost in thought, he did not hearMandamus's next question.Page 217 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Pardon me," he said with an edge of irritation."I said, 'Did you design these, Dr.Amadiro?""No, by an odd coincidence-and one that strikes me as possessing a peculiarirony-these were designed by Fastolfe's daughter Vasilia.She's as brilliantas he is and much more intelligent- which may be one reason why they never gotalong.""As I have heard the story concerning them-," began Mandamus.Amadiro waved him into silence."I have heard the story, too, but it doesn'tmatter.It's enough that she does her work very well and that there is nodanger that she will ever find herself in sympathy with someone who, despitethe accident that he is her biological father, is-and must remain foreveralien and hateful to her.She even calls herself Vasilia Aliena, you know.""Yes, I know.Do you have the brain patterns of these humanoid robots onrecord?""Certainly.""For each of these?""Of course.""And can they be made available to me?""If there's a reason for it.""There will be," said Mandwnus funnily."Since these robots were designed forpioneering activities, may I assume they are equipped to explore a world anddeal with primitive conditions?""That should be self-evident.""That's perfect-but there may have to be some modifications.Do you supposethat Vasilia Fast-Aliena would be able to help me with that-if necessary?Obviously, she would be best-acquainted with the brain patterns.""Obviously.Still, I don't know whether she would be willing to help you.Ido know that it is physically impossible for her to do so at the moment, sinceshe is not on Aurora."Page 218 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlMandamus looked surprised and displeased."Where is she, then, Dr.Amadiro?"Amadiro said, "You have seen these humaniforms and I do not wish to exposemyself to these rather dismal surroundings.You have kept me waiting longenough and you must not complain if I keep you waiting now.If you have anyfurther questions, let us deal with them in my office."Once in the office, Amadiro delayed things a while longer."Wait here forme," he said rather peremptorily and left.Mandamus waited stiffly, sorting out his thoughts, wondering when Amadirowould return-or if he would.Was he to be arrested or simply ejected? HadAmadiro grown tired of waiting for the point?Mandamus refused to believe that.He had gained a shrewd idea of Amadiro'sdesperate desire for evening an old score.It seemed evident that Amadirowouldn't get tired of listening as long as there seemed the slightest chancethat Mandamus would make revenge possible
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]