Caliban

“Spacer society,” Donald went on, “relies on robots, trusts robots, believes in robots. Spacers could not function if they had no faith in robots. For even if we are merely machines, merely tools, we are enormously powerful ones. If we were perceived as dangerous “-and Donald’ s voice quavered as he even suggested the idea-”if we were so perceived, we would be worse than useless. We would be mistrusted. And who but a lunatic would have faith in a powerful tool that could not be trusted? Thus, Spacers need their faith that robots are utterly reliable.”

“I’ve thought about that,” Welton admitted. “I’ve observed your culture, and thought about it. Settlers and Spacers may be rivals in some abstruse, long-term struggle none of us shall ever live to see the results of-but we are also all human beings, and we can learn from each other.

“Of course we came here hoping to convince at least some of you to do without robots. There is no point in pretending otherwise. I have come to see that we are not going to convert any of you. We Settlers could no more wean you away from robots than we could convince you to give up breathing. And I have concluded it would be wrong of us to try.”

“I beg your pardon?” Kresh said.

Tonya turned to Donald, stared into his expressionless glowing blue eyes. She reached and touched his rounded blue head. “I, personally, have concluded that we ca

“Why would you care if we survive?” Kresh asked. “ And why should I believe you do?”

Welton turned toward Kresh and raised her eyebrow. “We are here trying to pull your climate back from the edge of collapse. I have spent the last year in this sun-baked city of yours rather than back home. That should lend some credence to my claims of sincerity,” she said with a hint of amusement. “ As to why we should care about your culture-would it not strike you as the height of arrogance to assumeyours was the only right way to live? There is value, and merit, in diversity. It may well be that the Settler and Spacer cultures together will accomplish things that neither could do by itself.”

Kresh grunted noncommittally. “That’s as may be,” he said. “But I am no philosopher, and I believe we have covered all the ground we are going to regarding the Fredda Leving case. Perhaps I can send Donald around sometime and the two of you could discuss the whichness of why together.”

Tonya Welton either missed his sarcasm, which seemed unlikely, or chose to ignore it. She smiled and turned back to Donald. “If you’d ever like to come by,” she said, addressing the robot directly, “I’d be delighted.”

“I look forward to the opportunity, Lady,” Donald said.

Kresh clenched his teeth, not quite sure which of the three of them-Donald, Welton, or he himself-had most succeeded in infuriating Alvar Kresh.

ARIEL’S eyes came to light, glowing yellow. She stepped down from her niche and crossed the room to where her mistress sat. Ariel took up the seat Donald had used.

“Well, Ariel, what did you think of that?” Tonya asked.

“I believe it may be easier to get Alvar Kresh to listen than to direct him. I am not a skilled judge of such things, but I do not think he was in the least bit impressed by your arguments regarding the possibility of a-a-robot assailant. Nor do I think he was entirely convinced that I was indeed dormant.”

“Let’ s get something straight, Ariel. You may not be a judge of human psychology in general, but you know more aboutSpacer psychology than I ever will. I doubt I’ll ever understand them completely. You were built by them, designed by them, meant to fit into their world. You are the only product of that world I can trust to be loyal to me. You can stand next to me, watching and listening, whilethey ignore you completely.That’s why I value your opinion.”

“Yes, ma’am. I appreciate all that. But might I ask-if they all ignore me, anyway, why did you order me to simulate dormancy?”

“An insurance policy. Kresh was here as a cop, not a Spacer. If you were an even slightly active presence in the room, that could draw his attention to you. If I ordered you out, and you were missing, he might notice that absence, andthat would draw attention to you. Besides, I wanted you listening.

“By telling him I let you go dormant whenever you choose, I drew his attention to me, to the eccentric Settler who treated her robot like an equal. If he thought aboutyou, it would likely occur to him that you had been with me whenever I visited Leving Labs. I donot want you in the hands of Spacer robopsychologists. I’m not the most skilled person in ordering robots. They might easily find ways of getting you to speak about the things I have ordered you not to discuss.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I understand more fully now. But I must say once again, I do not think he was much impressed by your idea of a robot committing the attack.”

“Good. I did not expect him to accept the idea. All I wanted to do was muddy the waters.”

“Ma’am?”

“I want him worrying about side issues, blind leads. I want to slow him down.”

“Ma’am, I am afraid I do not understand.”

“I need time, Ariel. You know as well as I do that I need time to find things out for myself. I have, ah-interests-Iwish to protect. “

Tonya Welton rose, crossed the room, and began pacing back and forth, her actions at last betraying the nervousness Ariel had known was there. “I have interests to protect,” she said again.“He is in hiding, Ariel,” Tonya said, and there was no need for her to speak the man’s name. “He won’t even accept messages fromme. Thatproves something is wrong. He is in danger, and that danger could only increase if his co

ALVAR Kresh was glad to get out of Welton’s office, to put it mildly. As the elevator arrived at ground level, and he no longer had to hold his claustrophobia in check, he found himself breathing a sigh of relief, and felt his spirits suddenly rise. His anger seemed to fade away into the blessedly open skies.

“I fear our visit was not especially productive,” Donald said. “Madame Welton did not offer much in the way of useful information or insight, and I do not see what she learned from us that she could not have learned by our sending a data transmission. Nor can I see why our presence was needed at the Ironhead riot. Your deputies handled that without any need of your expertise.”

“Donald, Donald, Donald,” Kresh said as they walked across the parkland toward their aircar.” And you call yourself a student of human nature. That meeting had nothing at all to do with the exchange of information. Human beings very often are not talking about what they are talking about.”

“Sir?”

“We were there not to assist in countering the Ironhead demonstration, but towitness it, and to get the clear message that the Leving case could make such encounters worse. If the populace of Hades gets the idea that Settlers are attempting to discredit robots by staging attacks that seem to be committed by robots, the Ironheads won’t be able to handle all the new recruits.”

“But what concern is that of yours?”

“I am in charge of keeping the peace, for one thing. But bear in mind that she chose to meet us onher turf. Up here, on the surface, the air is still smoky, and we’re near enough the perimeter of Settlertown that the air smells of desert again. Down below, all was serene and quiet, and the air was sweet. Another clear message: The Settlers have no reason to fear the rioters. The Settlers can hunker down in their artificial cave. But the citizens of Hades have no such option. And yet the current plans for terraforming all rely on the Settlers. In short, Tonya Welton was telling us we need her far more than she needs us,” Alvar Kresh said as they reached the aircar.