Robots and Empire (Page 89)

Mandamus was a little concerned that the thin, transparent gloves he always wore might be noted or that his nose plugs would be remarked upon, but neither event took place. No restrictions were placed on his travels around the City or to other Cities. He had enough money for that and money spoke loudly on Earth (and, to tell the truth, even on Spacer worlds).

He grew accustomed to having no robot dog his heels and when he met with some of Aurora’s own humanoid robots in this City or that, he had to explain to them quite firmly that they must not dog his heels. He listened to their reports, gave them any instructions they seemed to require, and made arrangements for further robot shipments out-of-City. Eventually, he found his way back to his ship and left.

He was not challenged on his way, out, any more than he had been on his way in.

"Actually," he said thoughtfully to Amadiro, "these Earthpeople are not really barbarians."

"Aren’t they, though?"

"In their own world, they behave in quite a human fashion. In fact, there is something winning in their friendliness."

"Are you beginning to regret the task you’re engaged in?"

"It does give me a grisly feeling as I wander among them thinking that they don’t know what is going to happen to them. I can’t make myself enjoy what I’m doing."

"Of course you can, Mandamus. Think of the fact that once the job is done, you will be sure of a post as the head of the Institute before very much time has elapsed. That will sweeten the job for you."

And Amadiro kept a close eye on Mandamus thereafter.

59

On Mandamus’s third trip, much of his earlier uneasiness had worn off and he could carry himself almost as though he were an Earthman. The project was proceeding slowly but dead center along the projected line of progress.

He had experienced no health problems on his earlier visits, but on this third one – no doubt due to his overconfidence – he must have exposed himself to something or other. At least, for a time he had an alarming drippiness of the nose, accompanied by a cough.

A visit to one of the City dispensaries resulted in a gamma globulin injection that relieved the condition at once, but he found the dispensary more frightening than the illness. Everyone there, he knew, was likely to be ill with something contagious or to be in close contact with those who were ill.

But now, at last, he was back in the quiet orderliness of Aurora and incredibly thankful to be so. He was listening to Amadiro’s account of the Solarian crisis.

"Have you heard nothing of it at all?" demanded Amadiro.

Mandamus shook his head. "Nothing, sir. Earth is an incredibly provincial world. Eight hundred Cities with a total of eight billion people – all interested in nothing but the eight hundred Cities with a total of eight billion people. You would think that Settlers existed only to visit Earth and that Spacers did not exist at all. Indeed, the news reports in any one City deal about ninety percent of the time with that City alone. Earth is an enclosed, claustrophilic world, mentally as well as physically."

"And yet you say they are not barbarian."

"Claustrophilia isn’t necessarily barbarism. In their own terms, they are civilized."

"In their own terms! – But never mind. The problem at the moment is Solaria. Not one of the Spacer worlds will move. The principle of noninterference is paramount and they insist that Solaria’s internal problems are for Solaria alone. Our own Chairman is as inert as any other, even though Fastolfe is dead and his palsied hand no longer rests on us all. I can do nothing by myself – until such time as I am Chairman."

Mandamus said, "How can they suppose Solaria to have internal problems that may not be interfered with when the Solarians are gone?"

Amadiro said sardonically, "How is it you see the folly of it at once and they don’t? – They say there is no hard evidence that the Solarians are totally gone and as long as they – or even some of them – might be on the world, there is no right for any other Spacer world to intrude uninvited."

"How do they explain the absence of radiational activity?"

"They say that the Solarians may have moved underground or that they may have developed a technological advance of some sort that obviates radiation leakage. They also say that the Solarians were not seen to leave and that they have absolutely nowhere to go to. Of course, they were not seen leaving because no one was watching."

Mandamus said, "How do they argue that the Solarians have nowhere to go to? There are many empty worlds."

"The argument is that the Solarians cannot live without their incredible crowds of robots and they can’t take those robots with them. If they came here, for instance, how, many robots do you suppose we could allot to them – if any?"

"And what is your argument against that?"

"I haven’t any. Still, whether they are gone or not, the situation is strange and puzzling and it is incredible that no one will move to investigate it. I’ve warned everyone, just as strenuously as I can, that inertia and apathy will be the end of us; that as soon as the Settler worlds become aware of the fact that Solaria was – or might be – empty, they would have no hesitation in investigating the matter. Those swarmers have a mindless curiosity that I wish we had some share in. They will, without thinking twice, risk their lives if some profit lures them on."

"What profit in this case, Dr. Amadiro?"

"If the Solarians are gone, they have, perforce, left almost all their robots behind. They are – or were – particularly ingenious roboticists and the Settlers, for all their hatred of robots, will not hesitate to appropriate them and ship them to us for good Space credits. In fact, they have announced this.