empty?” Baley wasn’t sure why he was pounding away at this one point, but the planet’s population was one of the few hard facts he had learned about it and there was little else he could ask about.
Daneel said, “The planet is not empty. It is parceled out into estates, each of which is supervised by a Solarian.”
“You mean each lives on his estate. Twenty thousand estates, each with a Solarian.”
“Fewer estates than those, Partner Elijah. Wives share the estate.”
“No Cities?” Baley felt cold.
“None at all, Partner Elijah. They live completely apart and never see one another except under the most extraordinary circumstances.”
“Hermits?”
“In a way, yes. In a way, no.”
“What does that mean?”
“Agent Gruer visited you yesterday by trimensional image. Solarians visit one another freely that way and in no other way.”
Baley stared at Daneel. He said, “Does that include us? Are we expected to live that way?”
“It is the custom of the world.”
“Then how do I investigate this case? If I want to see someone——”
“From this house, Partner Elijah, you can obtain a trimensional view of anyone on the planet. There will be no problem. In fact, it will save you the annoyance of leaving this house. It was why I said when we arrived that there would be no occasion for you to feel it necessary to grow accustomed to facing the outdoors. And that is well. Any other arrangement would be most distasteful to you.”
“I’ll judge what’s distasteful to me,” said Baley. “First thing today, Daneel, I get in touch with the Gladia woman, the wife of the murdered man. If the trimensional business is unsatisfactory, I will go out to her place, personally. It’s a matter for my decision.”
“We shall see what is best and most feasible, Partner Elijah,” said Daneel noncommittally. “I shall arrange for breakfast.” He turned to leave.
Baley stared at the broad robotic back and was almost amused. Daneel Olivaw acted the master. Ifhis instructions had been to keep Baley from learning any more than was absolutely necessary, a trump card had been left in Baley’s hand.
The other was only
R
. Daneel Olivaw, after all. All that was necessary was to tell Gruer, or any Solarian, that Daneel was a robot and not a man.
And yet, on the other hand, Daneel’s pseudo humanity could be of great use, too. A trump card need not be played at once. Sometimes it was more useful in the hand.
Wait and see, he thought, and followed Daneel out to breakfast.
Baley said, “Now how does one go about establishing trimensional contact?”
“It is done for us, Partner Elijah,” said Daneel, and his finger sought out one of the contact patches that summoned robots.
A robot entered at once.
Where do they come from, Baley wondered. As one wandered aimlessly about the uninhabited maze that constituted the mansion, not one robot was ever visible. Did they scramble out of the way as humans approached? Did they send messages to one another and clear the path?
Yet whenever a call went out, one appeared without delay.
Baley stared at the robotic newcomer. It was sleek, but not glossy. Its surface had a muted, grayish finish, with a checkerboard pattern on the right shoulder as the only bit of color. Squares in white and yellow (silver and gold, really, from the metallic luster) were placed in what seemed an aimless pattern.
Daneel said, “Take us to the conversation room.”
The robot bowed and turned, but said nothing.
Baley said, “Wait, boy. What’s your name?”
The robot faced Baley. It spoke in clear tones and without hesitation. “I have no name, master. My serial number”—and a metal finger lifted and rested on the shoulder patch—“is ACX-2745.”
Daneel and Baley followed into a large room, which Baley recognized as having held Gruer and his chair the day before.
Another robot was waiting for them with the eternal, patient nonboredom of the machine. The first bowed and
Daneel said, “The planet is not empty. It is parceled out into estates, each of which is supervised by a Solarian.”
“You mean each lives on his estate. Twenty thousand estates, each with a Solarian.”
“Fewer estates than those, Partner Elijah. Wives share the estate.”
“No Cities?” Baley felt cold.
“None at all, Partner Elijah. They live completely apart and never see one another except under the most extraordinary circumstances.”
“Hermits?”
“In a way, yes. In a way, no.”
“What does that mean?”
“Agent Gruer visited you yesterday by trimensional image. Solarians visit one another freely that way and in no other way.”
Baley stared at Daneel. He said, “Does that include us? Are we expected to live that way?”
“It is the custom of the world.”
“Then how do I investigate this case? If I want to see someone——”
“From this house, Partner Elijah, you can obtain a trimensional view of anyone on the planet. There will be no problem. In fact, it will save you the annoyance of leaving this house. It was why I said when we arrived that there would be no occasion for you to feel it necessary to grow accustomed to facing the outdoors. And that is well. Any other arrangement would be most distasteful to you.”
“I’ll judge what’s distasteful to me,” said Baley. “First thing today, Daneel, I get in touch with the Gladia woman, the wife of the murdered man. If the trimensional business is unsatisfactory, I will go out to her place, personally. It’s a matter for my decision.”
“We shall see what is best and most feasible, Partner Elijah,” said Daneel noncommittally. “I shall arrange for breakfast.” He turned to leave.
Baley stared at the broad robotic back and was almost amused. Daneel Olivaw acted the master. Ifhis instructions had been to keep Baley from learning any more than was absolutely necessary, a trump card had been left in Baley’s hand.
The other was only
R
. Daneel Olivaw, after all. All that was necessary was to tell Gruer, or any Solarian, that Daneel was a robot and not a man.
And yet, on the other hand, Daneel’s pseudo humanity could be of great use, too. A trump card need not be played at once. Sometimes it was more useful in the hand.
Wait and see, he thought, and followed Daneel out to breakfast.
Baley said, “Now how does one go about establishing trimensional contact?”
“It is done for us, Partner Elijah,” said Daneel, and his finger sought out one of the contact patches that summoned robots.
A robot entered at once.
Where do they come from, Baley wondered. As one wandered aimlessly about the uninhabited maze that constituted the mansion, not one robot was ever visible. Did they scramble out of the way as humans approached? Did they send messages to one another and clear the path?
Yet whenever a call went out, one appeared without delay.
Baley stared at the robotic newcomer. It was sleek, but not glossy. Its surface had a muted, grayish finish, with a checkerboard pattern on the right shoulder as the only bit of color. Squares in white and yellow (silver and gold, really, from the metallic luster) were placed in what seemed an aimless pattern.
Daneel said, “Take us to the conversation room.”
The robot bowed and turned, but said nothing.
Baley said, “Wait, boy. What’s your name?”
The robot faced Baley. It spoke in clear tones and without hesitation. “I have no name, master. My serial number”—and a metal finger lifted and rested on the shoulder patch—“is ACX-2745.”
Daneel and Baley followed into a large room, which Baley recognized as having held Gruer and his chair the day before.
Another robot was waiting for them with the eternal, patient nonboredom of the machine. The first bowed and
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