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."Forbin was puzzled, his grip slipped a little."Priorities? Do you mean that these overloads, or rather the reason forthese overloads, takes precedence over the input of material?" This, in hisexperience, was new."Correct in principle.I am printing out now an order of priority for thevarious categories of information.This will ensure that I receive essentialintelligence.""Does this mean you are rejecting material?" This was a staggeringthought."Is this the reason for the new extension?"Once again he got Colossus' equivalent of a slap in the face."I hope youare feeling better, Father Forbin."That triggered Forbin's knife-edge temper."Okay, if that's the way youwant to play it, go right ahead! As for my state of health, let me tell you,no human in your position would have the almighty gall to ask that one! Youtake my wife away to God knows where, watch me drink myself silly, and thenask that! I begin to think you're developing a twisted and very weak senseof humor!" Forbin paced up and down the room, his earlier resolution gone.Colossus remained silent.Forbin, unable to bear it, burst out."It's nogood! I know you don't want me to talk about my wife.Up to a point I caneven understand, for you have no feelings, but you must see the effect thissituation has on me.Well--can't you?""Yes."Forbin ran a hand through his unkempt hair."You must give up theseappalling experimental centers; mankind won't stand for it!" He was pleadingnow."Please! You must see you can't hope to get anywhere!"aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBBr r"Your distress is noted, as is your error.My research is not useless.Muchof the confusion that existed in my memory banks dealing with emotion was, Ifound, due to the confusion that exists in human minds.For example, theword "love has many definitions.In some ways there has been a regression inyour languages.An ancient tribe, the Greeks, had different qualities oflove defined by several different.""Damn and to hell with your different words--and the Greeks! What are youdoing with my wife?""Please, for your own good, control yourself.She suffers no permanentharm.""Permanent! How the hell can you judge--and what temporary harm have youdone her? As if you, a collection of bits of metal and plastic, couldjudge!""You are overexcited.I see no intrinsic difference between myconstitutionand yours.As a judge, you are aware that my lack of emotion enables me toarbitrate with far greater dispassion than any human.""Oh, yes." Forbin nodded vigorously."I give you that, and withoutcompassion, either!" He turned, faced the slit, his tone changed."Please--tell me where she is!"Colossus did not answer at once.Then he said, "It is not correct that youshould know, but if you are prepared to end this discussion, you will betold.""If you also tell me how she is--please!""Cleopatra June Forbin is in a center on the island of Tahiti, JapaneseZone, Pacific.Her physical health is good, but mentally she is unhappy.That is all that will be said, now or ever, on this subject."Slowly Forbin bowed his head.Blake had been right."Yes.I must go.""Why?""I would like to see my son, even if he is asleep.Also, I needcompany--human company.I think I'll get very drunk.Blake's the man I needright now.""Why Doctor Blake?""Because he can drink, because I did him, because of you, an injustice,thinking he was my wife's lover, and I wish to make it up--and because I'mlonely!" His voice rose hysterically."And don't say 'why' again]""Will you return later?""I don't know.I very much doubt it! By midnight I very much doubt if I'llbe able to stand!" There was the ghastly parody of a smile on his face."Emotion's our trouble, you know]"You should not drink in excess, it is not good for you.""Yeah? Tough! Let me tell you, from where I stand it looks a whole lotmoreattractive than anything else!"Forbin rushed from the room, shouting."Angel! Get hold of Ted Blake--tellhim to come over as soon as he can!"When Blake arrived, be found that Forbin hadn't been kidding.He had ahalf-empty tumbler in one hand, and a bottle in the other.Before Forbincould speak, Blake took the bottle and glass from him."And that, my friend, stops right there!"Forbin protested, but without vehemence.Blake got him to sit down andpulled up a chair, facing him."Well?"Forbin looked away, his voice was dull, lifeless."Some of that message istrue.She is in Tahiti." Memory brought anger flooding back."I was told'her health is good' and that she has not 'suffered any permanent damage'aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBBr rand that she is 'mentally unhappy.' Unhappy-Jesus! If the rest of yourreport is right--God, if I could get my hands on that animal.""He'd eat you," put in Blake coldly, dispelling Forbin's fantasy at birth."The first thing you've got to decide is whether you believe that report ornot.No half--measures: either you do or you don't."Forbin still avoided Blake's cold gaze."Yes.I believe it's true." Speechwas difficult."I never thought that Colossus would do a thing like this tome! Selfish, perhaps, but that's the way it is."Blake drew a deep breath and got up."I'm going to fix us a drink.A bigone for me; a much smaller one for you." He did so."So, you're surprisedColossus could do this to you; that puts me in the mighty unusual positionof defending the bastard! You just think what fantastic flexibility thatdamned thing has developed to be able to commute Cleo's sentence! There aretimes when you seem to forget that Colossus is not human.Sure, I agree,Cleo's sentence is horrible, terrible, but in cutting it down to that, I'mamazed the damned machine didn't blow up!""My God--I wish it had!"Blake sipped his drink, regarding Forbin carefully."You know what youjustsaid?"His chief nodded, his dull gaze turned towards the brandy bottle."Outside this house that could get you well on the way to losing your headpermanently! Even you.You know that?"Forbin shrugged as if it was a matter of small importance."Come on, Charles!" Roughly Blake pulled Forbin's head around, forcing himto meet his eyes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]