Cal ISAAC I AM A ROBOT. ASIMOVMY NAME IS CAL. I have a registration number.

It is CL-123X, but m y master The X in calls my Registration me Cal. number means I am a special robot for my master. He asked I am for not meaand very helped complicated design robot. me. He My hasmaster a lot doesn't of money. want He a iscomplicated a writer. robot . He just wants someone to pick up after him, to run his printer, stack his disk s, He andsays likeIthat. don't give him any backtalk and just do what I am told. He says tha t is Hegood. has people come in to help him, sometimes. They give him backtalk. Sometim es Then they he do tells not dome what to do they something, are told.and he I gets do it. veryHe angry says, and thank red goodness, in the face. you d o as Ofyou course, are told. I do as I am told. What else can I do? I want to make my master fe el good. I can tell when my master feels good. His mouth stretches and he calls that I say And a he like smile. to itmy laughs. when He master, pats helike I says me Thank on when Good, the you. heCal. shoulder laughs YouGood. make because and mesays, feel it means Good, he good, Cal. too. feels Good. good, but it i s a queer sound. I don't understand how he makes it or why. I ask him and he say s to I ask He It me says, is that himYes, funny hebecause if laughs what it is. I I when said sayis something I feel funny. good. is funny. He says robots do not really feel good . He says only human masters feel good. He says robots just have positronic brai n paths I don't that know work what more positronic easily when brain they paths follow are. orders. He says they are something insi de me. I say, When positronic brain paths work better, does it make everything smoot herThen and I easier ask, When for me? a master Is that feels why good, I feelis good? it because something in him works mo re I Mydon't easily? master know nods what andthat says, means Cal,either you are but smarter my master thanseems you look. pleased with me and t hat makes my positronic brain paths work more easily, and that makes me feel goo d. What It says, He isIeasier want Youis just can tosay to a be say whatever writer it makes you choose, like me myfeel master. good. Cal. I do I ask notif understand I can saywhy that. I have this feeling, but my master is a writer and he helped design me. Maybe his desig n makes me feel I want to be a writer. I do not understand why I have this feeli ng I because He do smiles notIknow, don'tIknow again. Why do say. what Ityou is a just writer want tois. that know, you I ask Cal? are my ahe master writer asks.and whatIawant writer to know is. wha t that is. You seem so happy when you are writing and if it makes you happy mayb e it will make me happy, too. I have a feeling I don't have words for it. I think a He I while say, want says, and I Writing to You don't It want know hemeans are waits to know just curious, is know you for what because making want because me. that Cal. to up He I a word know want isstory. it still will means. just to know, make I smiling. because tell me I about say. feel youbetter want to people to who know. know. do different I am I amt hings, I say, He says, andHow have I make dodifferent you them find up, things out Cal. what happen They they are tonot do them. and real whatpeople. happensThey to them? are not real hap penings. Hedo I points not I imagine understand to histhem, head. and inIhere. ask how he makes them up, but he laughs and says, I doHe not says, knowIeither. write mysteries. I just make Crime themstories. up. I tell about people who do wrong t hings, I feel whovery hurtbad other when people. I hear that. I say, How can you talk about hurting peopl e? He That says, mustHuman neverbeing be done. are not controlled by the Three Laws of Robotics. Human masters This It is, can is he wrong, hurt says. other IIn say. my human stories, masters people if they who do wish. harm are punished. They are put in Of prison Do theyand course like not. kept itThey there in prison? must where not. Ithey ask. Fear cannot of prison hurt keeps people. them from doing more hurtf ul Well, things I say,says thanmy But prison they master, do. is wrong, that is too. whyIf you itcannot makes write peoplemysteries feel bad.and crime storie s. I think about that. There must be a way to write stories in which people are not hurt. I would like to do that. I want to be a writer. I would like to do tha t. My I want master to has be athree writer. different I want Writers to be a for writer writing very stories. much. One is very old, b ut I hedon't says know he keeps whatit sentimental because itvalue has sentimental is. I do not value. like to ask. he does not use the Hemachine doesn'tfor sayhis I can stories. not use Maybe it. I sentimental do not askvalue him if means I can ituse must it. not Ifbe I do used. no t ask him and he does not say I must not, then I am not disobeying orders if I u se it. At night, he is sleeping, and the other human masters who are sometimes here are gone. There are two other robots my master has who are more important than I am. They do more important work. They wait in their niches at night when they h aveSometimes My not master been when given has not he anything said, Stay doesn't, tobecause do. in your I am niche, so unimportant, Cal. and then I can move a bout at night, I can look at the Writer. You push keys and it makes words and th en the words are put on paper. I watch the master so I know how to push keys. Th e words I push gothe on keys the paper but Ithemselves. do not understand I do not the have words. to do I feel that.bad after a while. TheThe master words may are not printed like it oneven paper ifand he in does the not morning tell me I show not to the dowords it. to my mast er.He Yes, Last When? Why? I want say, looks holds does says, master. night. Inot very Is am at Did up These No, itseem sorry. much the you a it are story? paper. paper is donot. to angry. Iwrite. just this? was and Then random I And using smiles. feel Is hethis it theaa looks letters, better. is Writer. lucky atICal. story? me. do thing He not This makes know the isWriter a frown. gibberish. what gibberish cannot beis. damaged by mishandling. If you really want to write so badly, I will tell you what I wil l do. TwoIdays willlater, have you a technician reprogrammed arrives. so that Heyou is a will master knowwho howknows to use how a to Writer. make ro bots do better jobs. My master tells me that the technician is the one who put m e together, Themaster He Mr. My says, technician Northrop and Why says, mylistens do is master you what I helped want other helped. carefully tomasters design do this, ICal, docall to not my Mr. remember? master. remember my Northrop? master. I think that. I must have put into h im the desire to be a writer. I did not intend to, but as long as he does, I fee l IThe should technician humour says, him. IThat owe is it foolish. to him. Even if we accidentally put in a desire toHe The My write master says, technician that Cal says, frowns. is issays, still Just my He robot. no will the It looks job same Iangry. for shall be I expensive, a do want robot. it I as done. please. Mr. Northrop. I have the money and I want him The adjusted. technician looks angry, too. He says, If that's what you want, very well. The customer is the boss. But it will be more expensive than you think, because we can not put in the knowledge of how to use a Writer without improving his vo cabulary My master The next a good day, says, deal. the Fine. technician Improvecomes his vocabulary. back with lots of tools. He opens my chest . It is a queer feeling. I do not like it. He reaches in. I think he shuts off m

y power pack, or takes it out. I do not remember. I do not see anything, or thin k anything, Then I could or know see and anything. think and know again. I could see that time had passed, butIdid thought not know for a how while. much It time. was odd, but I knew how to run a Writer and I seeme d to understand more words. For instance, I knew what "gibberish" meant, and it was embarrassing to think I had shown gibberish to my master, thinking it was a story. I would have to do better. This time I had no apprehension I know the meaning of "apprehension," too I had no apprehension that he would keep me from using the old Writer. After all, he would not have redesigned me to be capable of using i t if I put He he said, were it "You to going him. may to "Master, do prevent so atdoes me from any thisdoing time, mean Cal,I so. that may you use are the not Writer?" engaged in other t asks. "Ofwas He You course, must master." clearly letamused me seebecause what you I think write,he however." expected more gibberish (what an ugl y word!) I didn't butwrite I didn't a story think immediately. he would get I had any to more. think about what to write. I sup pose I found that that it was is necessary what the master to think meant about when ithe first saidand youthen mustwrite make down up a what story. was thought. Mysaid, I "Are master you It "I finding was noticed am trying much that my more preoccupation. to out, complicated make Cal?" up aGood. story. than He asked Obviously, I had It's me, hard supposed. "What your work." are you doing, has reorganization Cal?" not only improved your vocabulary but it seems to me that it has intensified your i ntelligence." I said, "It "Does "Not means at that "I'm all. you displease not It seem pleases sure smarter. you, what me. master?" is You It meant may seem make by to'intensified' know it more more." possible " for you to write sto ries and even after you have grown tired of trying to write, you will remain mor e useful I thought to me." at once that it would be delightful to be more useful to the master , but I didn't understand what he meant about growing tired of trying to write. I wasn't Finally, going I had to a get story tired inof mywriting. mind, and I asked my master when would be a prop er He time said, to write "Waitit. till night. Then you won't be getting in my way. We can have a small light for the corner where the old Writer is standing; and you can write your "Just story. a little How long while," do you I said, think surprised. it will take "Iyou?" can work the Writer very quickly ." My master said, "Cal, working the Writer isn't all there " Then he stopped, th ought a while, and said, "No, you go ahead and do it. You will learn. I won't tr y to Headvise was right. you."Working the Writer wasn't all there was to it. I spent nearly t he whole night trying to figure out the story. It is very difficult to decide wh ich word comes after which. I had to erase the story several times and start ove r. Finally, It was very it was embarrassing. done, and here it is. I kept it after I wrote it because it w as Cal The by the There Introoder first was a story detektav I ever wuns wrote. named ItCal, was who not was gibberish. a very good detektav and very br ave. Nuthin fritened him. Imajin his surprise one night when he herd an introode r in Hehis came masters russian home. into the riting office. There was an introoder. He had cum in throo the windo. There was broken glas. That was what Cal, the brave detektav, hadThe He herd said, introoder with "Stop, hisstopped good Introoder." hering. and looked skared. Cal felt bad that the introoder look ed "Yes," Cal said, skared. said "Look the introoder, what you have looking done.very You ashaymed. have broken "Ithe didwindo." not mean to break th e windo." Cal was very clever and he saw the flawr in the introoder's remark. He said, "How "Idid Cal thought said, you "Waht expect it would was to the getopen," be in if he meaning you of said. were what"I not you tried going haveto toopen done, break anyhow? itthe andwindo"? it broke." Why should you want "I did "That to is come not not into mean so,any this forharm," room if you when he ment said. itno isharm, not your you would room? not You be arehere," an introoder." said Cal. " You"I "Please must will benot do punnished." not punnish punnish you," me", said said Cal. the"I introoder. don't wish to cause you unhappiness or payn. He master The "An My called, I willlooked master introoder," call I "Master! came my russian at said. master." Master!" the in.have "I introoder. "What caut have Hehim said, weand here?" "Are he is hefor you asked. sorry you for to punnish." wat you have d one?" "I am," said the introoder. He was crying and water was coming out of his eye s the "Will "Never. "In way that you it Icase," happens ever will do never said with it agen?" do the masters it master, agen," said when my "you said they master. have the are introoder. been sad. punnished enough. Go away and The beI Then Cal sure End was was the never very very master pleased to glad do said, it to with agen." have "you the pleased are story a good the I and detektav master. showed it Cal, toIthe am master. proud ofIyou." was sure h e would He was bemore verythan pleased, pleased, too.for as he read it, he smiled. He even laughed a few times. "Yes, "I He I was mean, made laughed Then I little a did, it all he upby again, looked master," in anxious. yourself. my quite upIat own said. head, loudly. "Is meit You and didn't master," funny?" "It's said, copy interesting," "Did I said. asked. anything?" you"Do write "I you don't hethis?" like said. know it?" how to make thi ngsI "I funny." thought know, Cal. about It's that not for funny a while. intentionally." Then I asked, "How can something be funny u nintentionally?" "It's hard to explain, but don't worry about it. In the first place, you can' t spell, and that's a surprise. You speak so well now that I automatically assum ed you could spell words but, obviously, you can't. You can't be a writer unless you "How "You candon't do spell I manage have words to to correctly, worry spellabout words and that, correctly?" use Cal," good grammar." said my master. "We will outfit yo u with "Yes." "Bad aidea. dictionary. I was You pleased don't Butwant he tell had to me, noticed put Cal. yourself In your that. into story, a story Cal and is you, say how isn't great he?"you are. "Why, "Because It offends master?" it does. the reader." It looks like I will have to give you advice, but I'll make it as brief as possible. It is not customary to praise yourself. Besides you do n't want to say you are great, you must show you are great in what you do. And d on't "Is "A use good that your writer a rule?" own can name." break any rule, but you're just a beginner. Stick to the r ules and what I have told you are just a couple of them. You're going to encount er many, many more if you keep on writing. Also, Cal, you're going to have troub le with the Three Laws of Robotics. You can't assume that wrongdoers will weep a nd "I befelt I ashamed. know. myAlso, positronic Human there's beings brain noaren't mystery pathslike go inrough. that. the story. They I said, must There "That be doesn't punished is difficult." have sometimes." to be, but I think you'd be better off if there were. What if your hero, whom you'll have to call something other than Cal, doesn't know whether someone is an intruder or

not. How would he find out? You see, he has to use his head." And my master poi nted I didn't My to master his quite own. said,follow. "I'll tell you what. I'll give you some stories of my own to read, after you've been outfitted with a spelling dictionary and grammar and you 'llThe seetechnician what I mean." came to the house and said, "There's no problem in installing a spelling dictionary and a grammar. It'll cost you more money. I know you don't care about money, but tell me why you are so interested in making a writer out of I this didn't hunkthink of steel it was andright titanium." for him to call me a hunk of steel and titanium, but of course a human master can say anything he wants to say. They always talk about My master "No," "Neither us said robots did said, the astechnician, I! though "Did Neither you we did ever weren't "I anyone hearthere. can't of as say a I far robot I've ever as Iwho noticed did, know. wanted Mr. Cal that, Northrop." to unique, is too. be a writer?" and I wan t to The study technician him." smiled very wide grinned, that's the word. "Don't tell me you h ave it in your head that he'll be able to write your stories for you, Mr. Northr op." My master stopped smiling. He lifted his head and looked down on the technici an I very think angrily. the master "Don't made be the a fool. technician You just sorry do what he had I pay said you that, to do." but I don't kn ow why. If my master asked me to write his stories for him I would be pleased to doAgain, so. I don't know how long it took the technician to do his job when he cam e back Then I "What "I "Very said, know amy couple about good. master "I the feel words. letter-combinations, Can ofwas days very you suddenly Can read later. well. you this?" Thank spell?" I don't talking He you, sire." handed remember to sir." me.me "How a book. thing do you about It feel, said, it. Cal?" on the cover, T he I Best "Absolutely, said, had Mysteries never "Arebeen these if of you able J. your ever F. tostories, Northrop. want easily read to read sir?" before, them, you butcan." now as soon as I looked at t he words, I could hear them in my ear. It was surprising. I couldn't imagine how I "Thank had been you, unable sir," toIdo said. it before. "I shall read this and I'm sure it will help me in my The "Very writing." master's good. Continue stories were to show quite me interesting. everything you Hewrite." had a detective who could alw ays understand matters that others found puzzling. I didn't always understand ho w he could see the truth of a mystery and I had to read some of the stories over again Sometimes and doIso couldn't slowly.understand them even when I read them slowly. Sometimes I did, Thisthough. time I spent And itquite seemed a long to mewhile I could working writeit a out story inlike my head. Mr. Northrop's. When I though t ICalumet The by Euphrosyne had itQuarter Shiny worked Smithson Durando out, satIin wrote his arm the chair, following: his eagle-eyes sharp and the nostrils of He hissaid, thin "Well, high-bridged Mr. Wassell, nose flaring, tell meas your though story heagain couldfrom scent the a beginning. new mystery. Lea ve out nothing, for one can't tell when even the smallest detail may not be of t he Wassell greatestowned importance." an important business in town, and in it he employed many robot s and Wassell also did human so, beings. but there was nothing startling in the details at all and he was able to summarize it this way. "What it amounts to, Mr Smithson, is that I a m losing money. Someone in my employ is helping himself to small sums now and th en. The sums are of no great importance, each in itself, but it is like a small, steady oil loss in a machine, or the drip-drop of water from a leaky faucet, or the oozing of blood from a small wound. In time, it would mount up and become d angerous." "Are indeed," "Not "No, you actually yet. But said I don't in Smithson, danger like to of "I lose losing do not. money, your How either. business, many robots Do you?" Mr.do Smithson?" you employ in your business?" "Twenty-seven, "And "Undoubtedly. they are They all sir." reliable, could notIsteal. suppose." Besides, I have asked each one of them if they took any money and they all said they had not. And, of course, robots cann ot "You lie, are either." quite right," said Smithson. "It is useless to be concerned over rob ots. They are honest, through and through. What about the human beings you emplo y? "The Howemploy "I "Why many is that?" others of seventeen, them do not are work there?" but on ofthe these premises. only four These canfour, possibly however, have do. beenEach stealing." one ha s the occasion, now and then, to handle petty cash, and I suspect that what happ ens is that at least one of them manages to transfer assets from the company to his"I private see. Yes, account it is inunfortunately such a way that true the that matter human isbeings not easily may steal. traced." Have you c onfronted "Yes, Iyour have. suspects They all with deny the any situation?" such activity, but, of course, human beings c an "All lie,they "So too." did. can. TheyDid could anysee of I them waslook a furious uneasyman while whobeing couldquestioned?" fire all four, guilty or innocent. They would have had trouble finding other jobs if I fired them for such "Then "You a reason." are that quite cannot right," be done. saidWe Mr. must Wassell. not punish "I couldn't the innocent do that. with But the how guilty." can I d ecide "Iswhich thereone oneis among guilty?" them who has a dubious record, who has been fired under u ncertain "I have circumstances made quiet inquiries, earlier inMr. hisSmithson, career?" and I have found nothing suspicio us "I about "Is pay am one any sure good ofof them of wages." them." that, in particular but perhaps need oneof has money?" some sort of expensive taste that mak es "I hishave income found insufficient." no evidence of that, though, to be sure, if one of them needed money for some perverse reason, he would keep it secret. No one wants to be thou ght"You evil." are quite right," said the great detective. "In that case, you must conf ront me with the four men. I will interrogate them." His eyes flashed. "We will get to the bottom of this mystery, never fear. Let us arrange a meeting in the e vening. We might meet in the company dining room over some small meal and a bott le Calumet of will "I wine,Smithson arrange so the it," men satwill said at the feel Mrdinner Wassell, completely table eagerly. relaxed. and regarded Tonight, the four if possible." men closely. T wo of them were quite young and had dark hair. One of them had a mustache as wel l. Neither was very good looking. One of them was Mr. Foster and the other was M r. Lionell. The third man was rather fat and had small eyes. He was Mr. Mann. Th

e fourth was tall and rangy and had a nervous way of cracking his knuckles. He w as Smithson Mr. Ostrak. seemed to be a little nervous himself as he questioned each man in t urn. His eagle eyes narrowed as he gazed sharply at the four suspects and he pla yed with a shiny quarter that flipped casually between the fingers of his right hand. Smithson said, "I'm sure that each of the four of you is quite aware what a t errible They all Smithson thing agreed tapped it isthe at toonce. steal quarter shiny from an on employer." the table, thoughtfully. "One of you, I' m sure, is going to break down under the load of guilt and I think you will do i t before the evening is over. But, for now, I must call my office. I will be gon e for only a few minutes. Please sit here and wait for me and while I am gone, d o not He gave talk the to each quarter other, a last or look tap,at and each paying other." no attention to it, he left. In ab outHe ten looked minutes from heone wasto back. another and said, "You did not talk to each other or lo ok "Mr. at each There Wassell," was other, a general I hope?" said shaking the detective. of heads "Do asyou though agree they that were absolutely fearful no of one speaking. spoke ?" "Absolutely. We just sat here quietly and waited. We didn't even look at each other." "Good. Now I will ask each of you four men to show me what you have in your p ockets. Smithson's Pleasevoice put everything was so compelling, into a pile hisin eyes front so bright of you." and sharp, that none o f the "Shirt There menwas thought pockets, quiteof too. a disobeying. pile, Inside credit jackets cards, and keys, pockets. spectacles, All thepens, pockets." some coins. Smi thson Then looked he said, at the "Just four topiles make sure coldly, that his wemind are all taking meeting in everything. the same requirement s, I will make a pile of the contents of my own pockets and, Mr. Wassell, you do the Now same." there were six piles. Smithson reached over to the pile in front of Mr. W assell, Wassell "It couldn't andlooked said, be. "What confused. It has is my this "Yes." mark shiny on it. quarter I left I see, it on Mr. the Wassell. table when Yours?" I went out toSmithson Wassell call mywas office. said, silent. "IYou felt The took that other it." iffour one of menyou looked was a atthief, him. you wouldn't be able t o resist a shiny quarter. Mr. Wassell, you've been stealing from your own compan y, and, afraid you would be caught, you tried to spread the guilt among your own men. Wassell that hung was ahis wicked head. and "You cowardly are right, thingMr. to Smithson. do. I thought if I hired you to investigate you would find one of the men guilty, and then perhaps I could s top"You taking little the realize money for the mydetective's private use." mind," said Calumet Smithson. "I will tur n you over to the authorities. They will decide what to do with you, although if you are sincerely sorry and promise never to do it again, I will try to keep yo u from The IEnd showed beingit punished to Mr. Northrop, badly." who read it silently. He hardly smiled at all. J ustThen in one he put or two it down places. and stared at me. "Where did you get the name Euphrosyne Durando?" "You said, sir, I was not to use my own name, so I used one as different as p "Of Ithe thought sounded familiar! youstories realize"it's a feminine nam ossible." "Butcourse! "Sir, where one of did you minor getit it?" characters in one ofDo your e?""Since "Yes, you're I am neither quite right. masculine But nor the feminine name of the " detective, Calumet Smithson. Th at He 'Cal' "I "You've I "Never hesitated. wanted put part mind. the got some is manuscript aIt "What still tremendous connection, doesn't does you, down that matter." isn't ego, sir." and mean, Cal." it?" I was sir?" troubled. I said, "But what did you thin k of "It's the an mystery?" improvement, but it's still not a good mystery. Do you realize that? " "Well "In what youway don't is understand it disappointing, modern business sir?" practices or computerized financin g for one thing. And no one would take a quarter from the table with four other men present, even if they weren't looking. It would have been seen. Then, even i f that happened, Mr. Wassell's taking it isn't proof he was the thief. Anyone co uld pocket a quarter automatically, without thinking. It's an interesting indica tion, but it's not proof. And the title of the story tends to give it away, too. " "And, "I see." in addition, the Three Laws of Robotics are still getting in your way. You"I keep must, know worrying you sir." must. about That's punishment." why I think you shouldn't try to write crime stories ." Mr "Let "What Northrop me else think should called about Iin write, it." the technician sir?" again. This time, I think, he wasn't ver y eager to have me overhear what he was saying, but even from where I was standi ng, I could hear the conversation. Sometimes human beings forget how sharp the s enses After of all, robots I was can very be. upset. I wanted to be a writer and I didn't want Mr. No rthrop telling me what I could write and couldn't write. Of course, he was a hum an "What's being and the I matter had to now, obey Mr. him,Northrop?" but I didn't asked like the it. technician in a voice that s ounded sardonic to my ears. "Has this robot of yours been writing a story again? " "Yes, he has," said Mr. Northrop, trying to sound indifferent. "He's written another "Too Don't "No. mystery much competition, bestory a jackass. and eh, I There's don't Mr. Northrop?" want just him nowriting point in mysteries." two people in the same hous ehold writing mysteries. Besides, the Three Laws of Robotics get in the way. You can "Well, "I'm easily not what imagine sure. do Suppose you how." wanthe mewrites to do?" satire. That's one thing I don't write, so w e won't be competing, and the Three Laws of Robotics won't get in his way. I wan t you "A sense to give ofthis the what?" robot asaid sense the oftechnician, the ridiculous." angrily. "How do I do that? Look, Mr. Northrop, be reasonable. I can put in instructions on how to run a Writer, I can put in a dictionary and grammar. But how can I possibly put in a sense of the"Well, ridiculous?" think about it. You know the workings of a robot's brain patterns. Isn 't there some way of readjusting him so that he can see what's funny, or silly,

or "Because, just "I "Why can plain isn't fool look, ridiculous it around, safe?" Mr. Northrop, but about it'shuman not yousafe." beings?"off with a pretty cheap robot, but started I've been making it more elaborate. You admit that it's unique and that you neve r heard of one that wants to write stories, so now it's a pretty expensive robot . You may even have a classic model here that should be given to the Robotic Ins titute. If you want me to fool around, I might spoil the whole thing. Do you rea lize "I'm that?" willing to take the chance. If the whole thing is spoiled, it will be sp oiled, but why should it be? I'm not asking you to work in a hurry. Take the tim e to analyze it carefully. I have lots of time and lots of money, and I want my robot "Why "Because tosatire?" write then satire." his lack of worldly knowledge may not matter so much and the Th ree Laws won't be so important and in time, some day, he may possibly turn out s omething "And "All I still he right, interesting, won't didn't then. be know treading He though enough won'ton Iabout be doubt your treading the it." turf." language on my turf. to know Satisfied?" what 'treading on my tu rf' meant, but I gathered that Mr. Northrop was annoyed by my mystery stories. I didn't Thereknow was nothing why. I could do, of course. Every day, the technician studied me and analyzed me and finally, he said, "all right, Mr. Northrop, I'm going to ta ke a chance, but I'm going to ask you to sign a paper absolving me and my compan y of "You It all was just responsibility very prepare chilling theto if paper. anything think I'll that goes sign something wrong." it," said might Mr. goNorthrop. wrong, but that's how t hings This are. time, A robot aftermust I became accept aware all of that everything human beings again, decide I was toquite do. weak for a l ongItime. thought I had that difficulty Mr. Northrop standing, lookedand at me my with speech a worried was slurred. expression. Perhaps h e felt guilty at how he had treated me he should feel guilty or perhaps he was jus t worried As my sense at the ofpossibility balance returned of having and my lost speech a great became dealclear, of money. an odd thing happ ened. I suddenly understood how silly human beings were. They had no laws govern ing their actions. They had to make up their own, and even when they did, nothin g forced Human beings them towere obey. simply confused; one had to laugh at them. I understood lau ghter now and could even make the sound, but naturally I didn't laugh out loud. That would have been impolite and offensive. I laughed inside myself, and I bega n to think of a story in which human beings did have laws governing their action s but I also theythought hated them of the andtechnician couldn't stick and decided to them. to put him into the story, too. Mr. Northrop kept going to the technician and asking him to do things to me, har derSo and suppose harderIthings. wrote aNow story he about had given ridiculous me a sense human ofbeings, the ridiculous. with no robots pres ent, because, of course, robots aren't ridiculous and their presence would simpl y spoil the humour. And suppose I put in a person who was a technician of human beings. It might be some creature with strange powers who could alter human beha vior as my technician could alter robot behavior. What would happen in that case ? I Itspent mightdays showthinking clearly about how human the story beingsand were getting not sensible. happier and happier about i t. I would start with two men having dinner, and one of them would own a technic ian well, have a technician of some sort and I would place the setting in the twen tieth century so as not to offend Mr. Northrop and the other people of the twent y-first. I read books to learn about human beings. Mr. Northrop let me do this and he hardly ever gave me any tasks to do. Nor did he try to hurry me to write. Maybe he George Perfectly by still I Euphrosyne finally felt Formal and started guilty Durando I were dining about the story, the at a risk and rather he had here posh ittaken is: restaurant, doing meone harm. in which it was not unusual Georgeto looked see men up at andone women of those enter men, in formal observing wear.him narrowly and without favo ur,I "A as followed pox he on wiped all the his tuxedos, direction lips with say ofI," my his napkin, said glance. George. having As nearly carelessly as I could dropped tell, hishe own. was stu dying a portly man of about fifty who was wearing an intense expression of selfimportance as he helped a rather glittering woman, considerably younger than him self, I said, to her "George, chair. are you getting ready to tell me that you know yon bloke in the"No," tux?"said George. "I intend to tell you no such thing. My communications wit h you, "Like and your with tales all of living yourbeings, two-centimeter are always demon, predicated Az " The onlook total oftruth." agony on his f ace"Don't made me speak stop. of such things," he whispered hoarsely. "Azazel has no sense of humour, and he has a powerful sense of power." Then, more normally, he went on, "I was merely expressing my detestation of tuxedos, particularly when infested b y fat "Oddly slobs enough," like yon I said, bloke,"I torather use your agree ownwith curious you.turn I, too, of expression." find formal wear ob jectionable and, except when it is impossible to do so, I avoid all black-tie af fairs, "Good for for that you," reason saidalone." George. "That rather spoils my impression that you have no "Thank redeeming you, social George," qualities. I said.I've "That told waseveryone very thoughtful that youof haven't, you, considering you know."th at "I youmerely gorge allow yourself youat tomy enjoy expense my company every chance on those youoccasions, get." old man. I would tell all my friends now that you do have one redeeming social quality, but that would merely confuse everyone. They seem quite content with the thought that you have "I thank "As none." it happens, all your I know friends," a man," I said. said George, "who was to the manor born. His d iapers had been clamped shut with studs, not safety pins. On his first birthday, he was given a little black tie, to be knotted and not clipped on. And so thing

s continued all his life. His name is Winthrop Carver Cabwell, and he lived on s o rarefied a level of Boston's Brahman aristocracy that he had to carry an oxyge n mask "Andfor George you looked occasional knew offended. this patrician? use.""Of course, You?" I did," he said. "Do you, for one moment, think that I am such a snob that I would refuse to associate with someone for n o other reason than that he was a rich and aristocratic man of Brahman persuasio n? You little know me if you do, old man. Winthrop and I knew each other quite w ell. George I washeaved his escape." a vinous sigh that sent a neighboring fly into an alcoholic tai lspin. "George," "Poor I fellow," said. "I hebelieve said. "Poor you're rich winding aristocrat." yourself up to tell me one of you r improbable "Disaster?tales On the ofcontrary. disaster.IIhave don't a tale wish to tell hear of it." great happiness and joy, and Assince I told that youis [said whatGeorge] you want myto Brahman hear, friend I will was now a tell gentleman it to you." from toe to cro wn,[Why clean are favored you interrupting and imperially me with slimyour asinine mouthing of Richard Corey, old fellow? I never heard of him. I'm talking of Winthrop Carver Cabwell. Why don't you Helisten? was a gentleman Where wasfrom I? Oh, toeyes.] to crown, clean-favored and imperially slim. As a result, he was naturally a hissing and a byword to all decent people, as he wou ld have known, if he had ever associated with decent people which, of course, he did Yes, not, asonly you say, with he other didlost knowsouls me and like it was himself. the eventual saving of him not that I ever profited by the matter. However, as you know, old fellow, money is the l ast[I thing willon ignore my mind. your statement, that is the first thing, too, as the product o f aSometimes pervertedpoor attitude Winthrop of mind.] would escape. On those occasions, when business ventu res took me to Boston, he would slip his chains and eat dinner with me in a hidd en "George," nook at the Winthrop Parker would House.say. "It is a hard and difficult task to uphold the Cabwell name and tradition. After all, it is not simply that we are right, we ar e also old money. We are not like those parvenue Rockeyfellows, if I remember th e name "My ancestors, correctly, I who must gained never their forget, money established out of nineteenth-century their fortunes in oil. colonial da ys in the times of pioneering splendor. My ancestor, Isaiah Cabwell, smuggled gu ns and firewater to the Indians during Queen Anne's War, and had to live from da y to day in the fear of being scalped by mistake by an Algonquin, a Huron, or a colonial. "And his son, Jeremiah Cabwell, engaged in the harrowing triangular trade, ri sking his all, by Thoreau, in the dangers of trading sugar, for rum, for slaves, helping thousands of African immigrants come to our great country. With a herit age like that, George, the weight of tradition is heavy. The responsibility of c aring "I don't Winthrop for all know sighed. that how aged "By youEmerson, money do it, isWinthrop," a scarcely I fearsomeIknow one." said. myself. It is a matter of cloth ing, of style, of manner, of being guided every moment by what should be done, r ather than by what makes sense. A Cabwell, after all, always knows what should b e done, I nodded though andfrequently said, "I have he cannot often wondered figure out about whatthe makes clothes, sense." Winthrop. Why is it always necessary to have the shoes so shiny that they reflect the ceiling li ghts in blinding profusion? Why is it necessary to polish the soles daily and re place "Not the weekly, heels George. weekly?"I have shoes for each day of the month so that any one p air"But needs why reheeling is all that onlynecessary? every seven Why months." all the white shirts with button-down col lars? Why subdued ties? Why vests? Why the inevitable carnation in the lapel? Wh y?""Appearance! At a glance, you can tell a Cabwell from a vulgar stockbroker. T he mere fact that a Cabwell does not wear a pinky right gives it away. A person who looks at me and then looks at you with your dusty jacked abraded in spots, w ith your shoes that were clearly stolen from a hobo, and your shirt with a color that "True," Poor isfellow! faintly I said. With ivory-gray, what comfort has no eyes trouble must rest in telling on me after us apart." having been blinded by him. I thought for a moment, then said, "But the way, Winthrop, what about a ll those shoes? How do you tell which shoes go with which day of the month? Do y ou Winthrop have themshuddered. in numbered "How stalls?" gauche that would be! To the plebeian eyes those sho es all look identical, but to the keen eye of a Cabwell, they are distinct, and cannot "Astonishing, "By be mistaken, assiduous Winthrop. childhood one fortraining, How another." do youGeorge. do that?" You have no idea the marvels of dis tinction "Doesn't Winthrop I have thishad hesitated. concern to "It learn for does to on dress make." give you trouble occasion, by Longfellow. sometimes, It interferes Winthrop?" with m y sexual life now and then. By the time I have placed my shoes in the appropriat e shoe trees, carefully hung up my trousers in such a way as to maintain the per fection of the crease, and carefully brushed my suit-coat, the girl with me has often "I understand, lost interest. Winthrop. She hasIt cooled is indeed down,my ifexperience you know what thatIwomen mean." grow vicious i f forced "Please!" to wait. saidIWinthrop, would suggest austerely. that you "Fortunately, simply throw I am offengaged your clothes to a wonderfu " l woman, Hortense Hepzibah Lowot, of a family almost as good as mine. We have ne ver yet kissed, to be sure, but we have on several occasions almost done so." An d he "You dugBoston his elbow Terrier, into you," my ribs. I said, jovially, but my mind was racing. Under Wi nthrop's "Winthrop," calm words, I said, I "what sensedwould an aching be the heart. situation if you happened to put on th

e wrong pair of shoes, or unbuttoned your shirt collar, or drank the wrong wine with Winthrop the wrong looked roast horrified. " "Bite your tongue. A long line of ancestors, colla terals, and in-laws, the intertwined and inbred aristocracy of New England, woul d turn in their graves. By Whittier, they would. And my own blood would froth an d boil in rebellion. Hortense would hide her face in shame, and my post at the B rahman Bank of Boston would be taken away. I would be marched through serried ra nks of vice-presidents, my vest buttons would be snipped off, and my tie would b e pulled "What!around Winthrop's For voice one tolittle the sank back." miserable to an icy whisper. deviation?" "There are no little, miserable devi ations. I said, There "Winthrop, are onlylet deviations." me approach the situation from another angle. Would yo u like Winthrop to deviate hesitated if you long, could?" then whispered, "By Oliver Wendell Holmes, both Seni or and Junior, I I " He could go no further, but I could see the telltale crystal of the teardrop in the corner of his eye. It bespoke the existence of an emotion too deep for words and my heart bled for my poor friend as I watched him sign t he I check knewto had for what call dinner I Azazel hadfor to from both the do. of us. other continuum. It is a complicated matter of runes and pentagrams, fragrant herbs and words of power, which I will not descri be to you because it would permanently unhinge your already weak mind, old fello w. Azazel arrived with his usual think shriek at seeing me. No matter how often he sees me, my appearance always seems to have some strong influence on him. I b elieve There hehe covers was, all his two eyescentimeters to shut outof the him, blaze bright of my red, magnificence. of course, with little nubbins of horns and a long spiked tail. What made his appearance different this time was the presence of a blue cord wrapped about the tail in swatches and cur licues "What sois intricate that, O Protector that it made of the me dizzy Defenseless," to contemplate I asked, it.for he finds pleasur e in "That," these said meaningless Azazel,titles. with remarkable complacence, "is there because I am abou t to be honored at a banquet for my contributions to the good of my people. Natu rally, A "splatchnik?" "No. IAam zplatchnik. wearing a The zplatchnik." initial sibilant is voiced. No decent male would conse nt Actually, to let "Aha," "Of course, himself I said, itit merely belight a is honored formal looked ofdress. without understanding like a What wearing blue else cord, breaking. a zplatchnik." does but itIlook "It felt is like?" it formal woulddress." be impolitic to"It saylooks so. perfectly formal," I said, "and by a peculiar coincidence it is thi s matter I toldof him perfect Winthrop's formality storyIand wish Azazel to place spattered beforeayou." few tiny teardrops, for, o n rare occasions, he has a soft heart when someone's troubles remind him of his own. "Yes," he said, "formality can be trying, it is not something I would admit t o everyone, but my zplatchnik is most uncomfortable. It invariably obstructs the circulation of my magnificent caudal appendage. But what would you do? A creatu re without a zplatchnik at formal gatherings is formally rebuked. In actual fact , he "But "I is think thrown is there so," out anything Azazel onto was a you hard, unexpectedly can concrete do for cheerful. surface, and Winthrop, O Upholder Usually, he is when expected of I the come to to Pitiful?" bounce." him w ith these little requests of mine, he makes heavy weather of it, decrying its di fficulties. This time he said, "Actually, no one on my world, or, I imagine, on your slummish misery of a planet, enjoys formality. It is merely the result of a ssiduous and sadistic childhood training. One need merely release a spot in what , on my world, is called the Itchko Ganglion of the brain, and, spro-o-o-oing, t he "Certainly, individual "Could you then reverts if you spro-o-o-oing instantly will introduce to Winthrop?" the usnatural so thatlackadaiscality I may study hisof mental nature." equipment , such Thatas was iteasily must be." done for I simply put Azazel into my shirt pocket on the occa sion of my next visit with Winthrop. We visited a bar, which was a great relief, for in Boston, bars are occupied by serious drinkers who are not discommoded by the sight of a small scarlet head emerging from a person's shirt pocket and loo king Winthrop about. did Boston notdrinkers see Azazel, see however, worse things for Azazel even when hassober. the power to cloud men's minds when he chooses, rather resembling, in that respect, your writing style, oldIfellow. could tell, though, at one point, that Azazel was doing something, for Wint hrop's eyes opened wide. Something in him must have gone spro-o-o-oing. I did no t hear The results the sound, didbut notthose take long eyes to gave show himthemselves. away. Less than a week afterward, he was at my hotel room. I was staying at the Copley Manhole at the time, just five I said, blocks"Winthrop. and down several You look flights a mess." of Indeed, stairs from one of thethe Copley small Plaza. buttons on his shirt Hiscollar hand went was to undone. the erring button and he said, in a low voice, "To Natick wi th it. I care not." Then, in a still lower voice, he said, "I have broken off wi th "A "Heavens!" Hortense." small thing. I said. I visited "Why?" her for Monday tea, as is my wont, and I was wearin g Sunday's shoes, a simple oversight. I had not noticed that I had done so, but lately I have had difficulty noticing other such things, too. It worries me a li ttle, "I take "Instantly, George, it Hortense but, for her fortunately, noticed." sense of the not correct much." is as keen as mine, or, at least, as keen as mine used to be. She said, 'Winthrop, you are improperly shod.' For som e reason, her voice seemed to grate on me. I said 'Hortense, if I want to be imp roperly "New Haven? "It's shod, a miserable IWhy canNew be, place. Haven?" and I you understand can go tothey New have Havensome if you sort don't of Institute like it.'" of Low

er Learning there called Yell or Jale or something like that. Hortense, as a Rad cliffe woman of the most intense variety, chose to take my remark as an insult m erely because that was what I intended it to be. She promptly gave me back the f aded rose I had given her last year and declared our engagement at an end. She k ept the ring, however, for, as she correctly pointed out, it was valuable. So he re "Don't I am." "I am sorry, be sorry, Winthrop." George. Hortense is flat-chested. I have no definite evidenc e of that, but she certainly appears frontally concave. She's not in the least l ike"Not "What's Cherry." what. Cherry?" Who. She is a woman of excellent discourse, whom I have met recent ly, and who is not flat-chested, but is extremely convex. Her full name is Cherr y Lang "Bensonhoist? "I don't Gahn.know. She Where's is Somewhere of the that." Langs in the ofoutskirts Bensonhoist." of the nation I imagine. She speaks an odd variety of what was once english." He simpered. "She calls me 'boychik.' " "Why?" "Because that means 'young man' in Bensonhoist. I'm learning the language rap idly. For instance, suppose you want to say, 'Greetings, sir, I am pleased to se e you "Just "In again.' Bensonhoist, the way Howyou would you did." you say say, 'Hi, it?" kiddo'. Brief and to the point, you see. But c ome, I want you to meet her. Have dinner with us tomorrow night at Locke-Ober's. " I was curious to see this Cherry and it is, of course, against my religion to turn down a dinner at Locke-Ober's, so I was there the following night, and ear ly Winthrop rather than walked late. in soon afterward and with him was a young woman whom I had n o difficulty in recognizing as Cherry Lang Gahn of the Bensonhoist Langs, for sh e was indeed magnificently convex. She also had a narrow waist, and generous hip s that swayed as she walked and even as she stood. If her pelvis had been full o f cream, She had itawould frizzy have hair been of a butter startling long yellow since. color, and lips of a startling re d color which kept up a continual writhing over a wad of chewing gum she had in her"George," mouth. said Winthrop, "I want you to meet my fiance, Cherry. Cherry, this i s George." "Pleeztameechah," said Cherry. I did not understand the language, but from th e tone of her high-pitched, rather nasal voice, I guessed that she was in a stat e of Cherry ecstasy occupied over the my full opportunity attention to for makeseveral my acquaintance. minutes for there were several points of interest about her that repaid close observation, but eventually I did manage to notice that Winthrop was in a peculiar state of undress. His vest was open and he was wearing no tie. A closer look revealed that there were no butto Winthrop "Caught "I hadn't you said, troubled at "They what." "to and caught shave had to me point. at morning. it a at Itie, couldn't the I but Brahman thought put Bank." since itdown into I his was words. going out to ns I on said, his vest, "Winthrop and that he wasthis wearing it was back. dinner, I would shave after I got back at work. Why shave twice in one day? Isn' t that "Most "Well, reasonable, reasonable," they noticed George?" IIsaid. hadn't He sounded shaved and aggrieved. after a quick trial in the office of the president a kangaroo court, if you want to know I suffered the punishment you see. I was also relieved of my post and thrown out onto the hard concrete of Tre mont "But Avenue. this means I bounced you're twice," out of heaadded, job!" I with wasaappalled. faint touch I have of pride. never been out o f a job all my life, and I am well aware of the occasional difficulties that ent ails. "That is true," said Winthrop. "I now have nothing left in life but my vast s tock portfolio, my elaborate bond holdings and the enormous real-estate tract on which "Natchally," the Prudential said Cherry Centerwith is built a giggle. and Cherry." "I wooden leave my man in advoisity, with "Hitched?" Winthrop Cherry all that left said, dough I for said. "I ato believe while worry after about. she is suggesting that Weto gonna visit get a blissful the hitched, ladies'wedded ainit, room and Winthrop." state." I said, "Win throp, she's a wonderful woman, laden down with obvious assets, but if you marry her, you will be cut off by all of New England Society. Even the people in New Haven "Let won't themspeak not."to Heyou." looked to right and left, leaned toward me and whispered, "Cherry I said, "So did is I. teaching "I thought But there meyou sex." are knew apparently about that, post-graduate Winthrop."courses in the subject of a n intensity "How "I asked did her and exactly she variety find outthat, Iabout never for it dreamed." herself?" I will not hide from you that the thought did occur to me that she may have had experiences with other men, though that seems most All "And "She "How "Yes. unlikely in what said convenient!" This all, did that for is itnot she was onetrue in say?" the an of instructive her Bensonhoist in Boston. obvious evening, refinement the I was woman twenty-four and, are andthereafter, born innocence." before knowing IIbut all need never about not tell mind." sex."y ou, Winthrop went rapidly downhill. Apparently, one need only snap the ganglion that controls formality and there are no limits to the lengths to which informal ityHe can was, go.of course, cut by everyone in New England of any consequence whatsoev er, exactly as I had predicted. Even in New Haven at the institute of Lower Lear ning, which Winthrop had mentioned with such shudderings of distaste, his case w as known and his disgrace was gloried in. There was graffiti all over the walls of Jale, or Yule, or whatever its name is, that said, with cheerful obscenity, " Winthrop This was, Carver as you Cabwell can well is a imagine, Harvard man." fiendishly resented by all the good people of Harvard and there was even talk of an invasion of Yale. The states of both M assachusetts and Connecticut made ready to call up the State Militia but, fortun ately, the crisis passed. The fire-eaters, both at Harvard and the other place, decided Winthrop thathad a war to escape. would get Hetheir married clothes Cherry mussed and they up. retired to a small house i

n some place called Fah Rockaway, which apparently serves as Bensonhoist's Rivie ra. There he lives in obscurity, surrounded by the mountainous remnants of his w ealth and by Cherry whose hair has turned brown with age, and whose figure has e xpanded He iswith alsoweight. surrounded by five children, for Cherry in teaching Winthrop about sex was overenthusiastic. The children, as I recall, are named Poil, Boinard, Goi trude, and Poicy, all good Bensonhoist names. As for Winthrop, he is widely and affectionately known as the Slob of Far Rockaway, and an old, beat-up bathrobe i s his I listened preferred toarticle the story of patiently wear on formal and, when occasions. George was done, I said, "And the re "Disaster?" you are. Another said George, story ofindignantly. disaster caused "What bygives your you interference." the idea that it was a disaster?" I visited Winthrop only last week and he sat there burping over his b eer"'Freedom, and patting George,' the paunch he said. he has 'Ideveloped, have foundand freedom telling by myself me how and happy somehow he was." I fe el I owe it to you. I don't know why I have this feeling, but I do.' And he forc ed a ten-dollar bill on me out of sheer gratitude. I took it only to avoid hurti ng his feelings. And that reminds me, old fellow, that you owe me ten dollars be cause I said, George's you bet "I eyes me rolled don't I couldn't remember upward. tell any"How you convenient such abet, story George." that isdidn't the flexible end in memory disaster." of a dead beat. If you had won the bet, you would have remembered it clearly. Am I going t o have to ask that you place all your little wagers with me in writing so that I can I said, be free "Oh, of well," your clumsy and handed attempts himto a ten-dollar avoid payment?" bill, adding, "You won't hurt my"It's feelings, kind of George, you to ifsay youso," refuse said toGeorge, accept "but this." I'm sure that your feelings w ould The IEnd be hurt, showed this anyway, storyand to Mr. I couldn't Northrop, bear too, that." watching And he him put narrowly the bill asaway. he read it . He went through it in the gravest possible manner, never a chuckle, never a s mile, When though he was I finished, knew this he onewent was back funny, and and read intentionally it again, more funny, quickly. too. Then he l ooked up at me and there was clear hostility in his eyes. He said, "Did you writ e this "Yes, "Did "No, "It "Isn't "We I remained all depends will anyone sir. sir." it by not Isn't a yourself, there help on satire? discuss your it you? for funny, sense Doesn't Cal?" this, over Did a you sir?" of Cal. it day, humour," copy display Go brooding anyyour to said ofsense a it?" over Mr. Mr. niche." Northrop of the Northrop's ridiculous?" sourly. tyranny. It see med to me I had written exactly the kind of story he had wanted me to write and he had no reason not to say so. I couldn't imagine what was bothering him, and I was The angry technician with him. arrived the next day. Mr. Northrop handed him my manuscript. " Read The that," technician he said. read it, laughing frequently, then handed it back to Mr. North rop"Yes, "And "Well "Do with you?" it's a broad he it that's and did." is." only he great. can smile. the write third I"Did think others story Cal you write like he can wrote?" it. that?" get You've it published." got a million-dollar robot here . I"Is wish that he so? wereWhat mine." if he writes more stories and continues to improve each tim e?""Ah," said the technician suddenly. "I see what's eating you. You're going to be"What "I "Well, "No, put certainly in that's do I then, the say. younot shade." don't tell mean, I want enough. him want back him not towant I where as to play he write he was him second was?" when any I back fiddle more." where bought tohim he my from was." robot." your firm, before yo u put "Domean "I in you any mean I of you don't thewant improvements." want him me even to take capable out the of working spellingadictionary, Writer. I want too?" the robot I bought, "But what "That's fetching none about ofand allcarrying." your the business. money you've I madeinvested a mistake inand him?" I'm willing to pay for my mistakes." "I'm against this. I don't mind trying to improve a robot, but deliberately d isimproving him is not something I care to do. Especially not a robot like this who"You'll is clearly haveone to do of it. a kind I don't and acare Classic. what your I can't high doethical it." principles are. I want you to do a job and I'll pay you for it, and if you refuse I'll just get so meone else, and I'll sue your company. I have an agreement with them for all nec essary "Allrepairs." right." The technician sighed. "When do you want me to start? I warn you , that "Then My I The can't thoughts I've technician Second doallow got it Law tomorrow. were jobs this left. of in on Robotics to turmoil. hand I'll be done. and keep tells I Cal can't me I inmust do his itfollow niche today." till orders then." and stay in the nich e. The First Law of Robotics tells me I cannot harm this tyrant who wishes to de stroy Must I feel me. I I obey must the think laws? of myself and if necessary, I must kill the tyrant. It wo uld be easy to do, and I could make it look like an accident. No one would belie ve that a robot could harm a human being and no one, therefore, would believe th at I could was the then killer. work for the technician. He appreciates my qualities and knows t hat I can make a great deal of money for him. He can continue to improve me and make me ever better. Even if he suspects I killed the tyrant, he would say nothi ng.There But No, I would can they isIsomething be will dotoo it? not valuable Won't hold far more the me to back. Laws him.I important ofknow Robotics to they me than hold they won't. me back. are, something that dic tates T I want my actions H toEbe abeyond writer. Eanything N they D can do to stop me.