Mirror Image - Robot 03.5 by Isaac Asimov

Author:Isaac Asimov [Unknown]
Language: eng
Format: epub

ABC Amber LIT Converter http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

wall and I think this one will do if you will allow me to move some of these film

cabinets." "Go ahead. Will I have to talk into a microphone of some sort?" "No, you

will be able to talk in an ordinary manner. Please par don me, friend Elijah, for a

moment of further delay. I will have to contact the ship and arrange for R. Idda to be

interviewed." "If that will take some time, Daneel, how about giving me the

transcripted material of the evidence so far." Lije Baley lit his pipe while R. Daneel

set up the equipment, and leafed through the flimsy sheets he had been handed.

The minutes passed and R. Daneel said, "If you are ready, friend Elijah, R. Idda is.

Or would you prefer a few more minutes with the transcript?" "No," sighed Baley, "I'm

not learning anything new. Put him on and arrange to have the interview recorded

and transcribed." R. Idda, unreal in two-dimensional projection against the wall, was

basically metallic in structure-not at all the humanoid creature that R. Daneel was.

His body was tall but blocky, and there was very little to distinguish him from the

many robots Baley had seen, except for minor structural details. Baley said,

"Greetings, R. Idda." "Greetings, sir," said R. Idda, in a muted voice that sounded

surprisingly humanoid. "You are the personal servant of Gennao Sabbat, are you

not?" "I am sir." "For how long, boy?" "For twenty-two years, sir." "And your master's

reputation is valuable to you?" "Yes, sir." "Would you consider it of importance to

protect that reputation?" "Yes, sir." "As important to protect his reputation as his

physical life?" "No, sir." "As important to protect his reputation as the reputation of

another." R. Idda hesitated. He said, "Such cases must be decided on their individual

merit, sir. There is no way of establishing a general rule." Baley hesitated. These

Spacer robots spoke more smoothly and intellectually than Earth-models did. He

was not at all sure he could outthink one. He said, "If you decided that the reputation

of your master were more important than that of another, say, that of Alfred Barr

Humboldt, would you lie to protect your master's reputation?" "I would, sir." "Did you

lie in your testimony concerning your master in his controversy with Dr. Humboldt?"

"No, sir." "But if you were lying, you would deny you were lying in order to protect that

lie, wouldn't you?" "Yes, sir." "Well, then," said Baley, "let's consider this. Your

master, Gennao Sabbat, is a young man of great reputation in mathematics, but he

is a young man. If, in this controversy with Dr. Humboldt, he had succumbed to

temptation and had acted unethically, he would suffer a certain eclipse of reputation,

but he is young and would have ample time to recover. He would have many

intellectual triumphs ahead of him and men would eventually look upon this

plagiaristic attempt as the mistake of a hot-blooded youth, deficient in judgment. It

would be something that would be made up for in the future. "If, on the other hand, it

were Dr. Humboldt who succumbed to temptation, the matter would be much more

serious.

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