Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Speaker

Early the next morning, Bailey opened his eyes and found that the morning light had illuminated the entire bedroom.He was relieved.The storm has passed, and it's another bright morning. Then he found Daniel standing beside the bed, with Giscard standing behind him. "It's a pleasure to meet you two. I thought last night I'd never see you both!" Belley yelled cheerfully. "Did you sleep well, Ilya friend," Daniel asked. "Very well, Daniel! I have to meet with Dr. Fastolfer, Dr. Armandillo and the Speaker this morning, yes? Will there be anyone else besides the three of them?"

"Yes, friend Ilya, I know about it. I think there are only three of them, and no one else." "That's fine," Bayley said. "Please tell me about the Speaker. As far as I know, he has no real power, just an honorary position." Daniel said, "Friend Ilya, I'm afraid I—" Giscart interjected: "Sir, I know more about the politics of Aurora than Daniel does. Because I've been around a lot longer than he is. If you'll allow me, I'd like to answer your questions." "Oh, of course! Come on, Guiscart." "In the early days of the Aurora government, sir," Giscart began to explain methodically, as if the tapes stored in his brain were beginning to play. "It is stipulated that the ruling palace only performs ceremonial duties. He meets important guests from other planets, convenes and presides over the council. In the event that the two factions vote the same, the speaker can vote to break the deadlock. Later, the speaker can On major issues of security, disputes are resolved through private channels outside the parliament. Official votes by members of parliament are only a form of fulfillment based on a tacit agreement.

"The key figure in settling disputes is the speaker himself. He does not intervene in disputes, and his powers, though practically zero in theory, are considerable in practice. So as speaker, he strives to remain neutral. As long as he succeeds in remaining neutral , he has the right to settle disputes." "You're saying the Speaker is going to listen to me, Dr. Fastolfer and Dr. Armandillo before making a decision?" Belley said. "It's entirely possible. But it's also possible that he can't make a ruling for a while, and needs to hold further hearings and carefully consider it over and over again."

"Then, if the Speaker makes a decision, must Dr. Armandillo or Dr. Fastolfer obey?" "You don't have to obey absolutely. There are often some people who don't accept the speaker's decision. As you know, Dr. Fastolfer and Dr. Armandillo are stubborn people. But most members will support the speaker's decision. At this time , no matter what the speaker decides, the disadvantaged party will be in the minority." "Surely so, Guiscart?" "Certainly. The Speaker's term is 30 years, renewable once. If the result of the vote rejects the Speaker's decision, the Speaker must resign. This would create a crisis in the government, and the Parliament must elect a new one despite differences of opinion. Speaker. Therefore, very few members are willing to take such a big risk. The possibility of parliament vetoing the speaker’s decision is almost zero.”

"So," Bailey said gloomily, "everything depends on this morning's meeting." "It may well be so." "Thank you, Giscart!" Bailey was taken into a small dining room.Breakfast was set on the table.After a while, Jiadia came in, looking very happy. They ate and talked lightly.Jiadia said: "You were too tired last night. Are you still talking in your sleep?" "How do you know, Cadia?" Bale asked in amazement. "Because I don't worry about you, I visited you a few times when you fell asleep at night. Once I heard you muttering in your sleep!"

Bailey remembered something.When he was half asleep and half awake, he always felt that he had thought of the key to solving the problem, but it was vague and fleeting.Last night, I thought of something again, but I couldn't think of anything after I was able to. "Do you remember what I said, Jadia?" Bailey asked eagerly. "I can't remember, Ilya. Is it important?" Jadia asked puzzled. "This is very important, Jiadia, very important!" "Let me see, let me see—oh, I just catch one line, you seem to say 'he got there first.' Yes, you said, 'he got there first.'"

"'He got there first.' Did I say that?" "Yes, I remember that. I think, you mean, Guiscart went there first and found you." "'He got there first.' 'He got there first.'—I won't forget it now. Thank you, Cadia!" said Baley to Cadia, having finished his hasty breakfast: "I have to go first, I have to make some preparations for this morning's meeting." Accompanied by Daniel and Guiscart, Bailey walked to Fastolfer's house.The morning sun in Aurora is bright and the air is fresh! Bailey asked, "What's the speaker's name, Daniel?"

"I don't know, friend Ilya. I've heard him mentioned a few times, but only 'Speaker', never by his first name." Giscart said: "His name is Rutilan Hodder, sir. But never his first name, only his title." "How old is he?" "Very old, sir. Thirty-one years old," said Giscart.He seems to know everything. "Are you in good health?" "He is in good health, so far as I know, sir." "What character traits?" Giscart didn't know how to answer for a moment. "It's hard for me to answer, sir. He's in his second term. Everyone thinks he's done a good job, and he's been an excellent Speaker.

Bailey found Fastolfer waiting for him at the door of his house. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Dr. Fastolfer," Bayley said. "I'm very glad to see you too, Mr. Baley. I am deeply shocked by what happened to you last night. The storm last night was indeed very big!" "Then you already know what happened last night?" "Daniel and Giscart keep me informed," Fastolfer said, ushering Bailey in the door. As soon as Bailey sat down, he cut to the chase and said, "Dr. Fastolfer, I have limited time. I need to ask a few questions first."

"Please," Dr. Fastolfer was always polite. "I heard that you put the study of the function of the human brain at the top of your list, and—" "Let me tell you, Mr. Bailey.—And, say that I will do anything to study the function of the human brain; say that I am very cold, disregarding the law and morals; say that I can do anything for the sake of work." "yes." "Who told you that, Mr. Bailey?" asked Fastolfer. "Does it matter?" "Perhaps it doesn't matter. But it's not hard to guess who. It was my daughter Vasilia who told you that. I'm absolutely sure it was her!"

"Maybe," Bailey said. "What I want to know is, do you think she's right?" Fastolfer smiled miserably. "Do you want me to be honest? To a certain extent, this accusation against me is correct. I do think that my job is supreme. I do sometimes do anything to get my job done. I will disregard the usual code of conduct and ethics, if anything gets in the way of my work - but the truth is, I can't do that, and I don't allow myself to. People accuse me of 'killing' Yandl because I This can shed further light on the functioning of the human brain. Of course I deny this allegation! That is not the case. I did not 'kill' Yandell." Bailey said: "You suggested using a mind detector on me to detect the thoughts that occur in my sleep. But you don't want to use it on yourself, do you?" Fastolfer nodded and said: "Yes, using psychological detectors is indeed dangerous to the human brain, but it can discover facts. As for my reluctance to use it, it is not just because of the danger. They are trying to use psychological detectors to discover The secret of making humanoid robots in my head. I must not let them know this!" "Excellent, Dr. Fastolfer, thank you," Bayley said. "It's okay," Fastolfer said. "Is the Speaker coming soon?" Baley asked. "In a moment. Dr. Armandillo will be in a moment, too." "Just the four of us?" Bailey asked. Fastolfer said: "It's really just three people: the Speaker, Dr. Armandillo and I. We are two parties to the dispute, and the Speaker is the mediator. You, as the fourth party, Mr. Bailey, are only allowed to be present. Speaker You can be ordered to leave at any time. So, I hope you don't offend the speaker." "I'll do my best, Dr. Fastolfer." "Try to be as polite as possible, pay attention to etiquette, don't hurt others, speak with reason, and don't speak unless you are invited to speak." "Why didn't you tell me these things earlier?" Bailey was a little displeased. "I'm sorry, I feel that all these are the norms of daily behavior for us Aurora people, and it's natural, so I didn't pay attention to it." Fastolfer said apologetically. Bailey murmured, "You also have a point." Fastolfer suddenly raised his head and said, "There is the sound of ground traffic vehicles outside. I think the speaker and Armandillo are here." "Are they coming together?" Bailey asked. "Of course! Armandillo suggested a meeting at my house, so he could go and accompany the speaker. That way he could have a few words with the speaker beforehand." "It's not fair," Bailey said. "Can't you stop him from doing it?" "I don't want to stop him. In fact, Armandillo is also taking a certain risk. His words may annoy the Speaker!". "Why? Is the Speaker easily annoyed?" "No, no, the speaker is the best speaker in over 50 years. But he has to follow the legal process, no preconceptions allowed. Armandillo is not too bright sometimes. Well, I have to meet them , Mr. Bailey. You sit still." Bailey had to sit and wait for their arrival. The speaker is very short in stature, and Amandiro is about 30 centimeters taller than him. But he is mostly short-legged.After sitting down, the height is about the same as everyone.He looked tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a condescending majesty. His head is also very large, but his face is full of wrinkles, and it seems that he is indeed very old.His hair was gray and a little bald on the top of his head. His voice is deep and firm, befitting of who he is. Fastolfer welcomed them with great decorum.They greet each other and serve them drinks and refreshments.They exchanged pleasantries without even looking at Bailey. After the chatter was over and the three of them were seated, Fastolfer introduced Bailey to the speaker.Bailey sat in a corner, a little further away from the three of them. Belley said: "Mr. Speaker, hello!" He nodded again and said: "Dr. Armandillo, we have met." The Speaker did not respond to Bailey's greeting.He spread his palms on his knees and said, "Let's get started. The meeting should be as short as possible. "First of all, I must emphasize that we are not going to talk about the misconduct of this earthling - or may have misconduct for the time being, but directly deal with the key issues. In dealing with the key issues directly, we also leave Jan The Jandell case. The Yandell case should be dealt with in a civil court. This is a matter of property rights and compensation for damages, not a criminal matter. Besides, Yandell is Fastolfer's property, so there is no question of compensation or non-compensation. question, since he has the right to dispose of his own property. "The key to the problem is the development and colonization of the Milky Way. Should Aurora develop and colonize alone, or should Aurora unite with other universes and worlds, or let the people on earth develop and colonize. Dr. Amandiro and ' The planet faction' thinks that Aurora should do it alone, while Dr. Fastolfer thinks that the earthlings should do it. "If we can solve this problem, then the Yandell case can be settled in a civil court. As for the behavior of the earthlings, it doesn't matter, we just let him return to the earth. "Therefore, I would first ask Dr. Armandiro if you could accept Dr. Fastolfer's point of view in order to compromise; I would also ask Dr. Fastolfer if you could accept Dr. Dr.'s point of view, in order to agree." After he finished speaking, he waited for their answer. Dr. Amantillo said: "I'm sorry, Mr. Speaker. I stand by my point of view: Earthlings cannot leave Earth. The colonization and colonization of the galaxy should be done by Aurora alone. I am willing to make a little compromise, that is, we can unite other universes To colonize and colonize the world together, if doing so narrows our differences." "I see," said the Speaker. "Dr. Fastolfer, are you willing to give up your views on this matter?" Dr. Fastolfer said: "Dr. Armandillo's compromise is not of much substantive significance, Mr. Speaker. I am willing to make a greater compromise. Why can't spacers and earthlings jointly develop and colonize the Milky Way? The Milky Way The vast expanse can be jointly developed by both parties. I am very willing to accept this arrangement.” "It's not really a compromise," Amanti Roman said. "There is no doubt about it. The earth's population is 8 billion, which is more than half of the total population of the entire universe. The life of the earth people is short, and they can quickly replace the people they lost in the process of pioneering. They don't value it as much as we do. Individual lives. They will sacrifice their lives, and soon they will swarm the galaxy like insects, and we may be just getting started. Giving Earthlings a fair chance, in effect, gives them the entire galaxy - which in itself is not Fair. Earthlings must be confined to Earth!" "What do you think, Dr. Fastolfer?" asked the Speaker. Dr. Fastolfer sighed and said, "My point is on the record, and I don't think I need to repeat it. Dr. Armandillo is going to use humanoid robots to colonize new worlds, and then colonize the Aurora. But He has no humanoids as yet. He cannot make humanoids. Even if he succeeds in making humanoids, his plan cannot be realized. Unless Dr. Amantilo agrees that earthlings also participate in the development and colonization of the galaxy cause, otherwise there would be no room for compromise.” "So there's no compromise," Armandillo said. The speaker's face was displeased. "One of you has to give in. I don't want Aurora to disagree on such an important issue." He watched Armandiro indifferently, unable to see whether he agreed or disagreed. "You're trying to use the Yandel affair as an argument against Dr. Fastolfer, aren't you?" "Yes," Armandillo said. "It's all a matter of sentiment. You said that Dr. Fastolfer destroyed Yandell to show that humanoids were imperfect, and thus to prove that your plans to colonize the galaxy with humanoids were unrealistic, did you?" ?” "Quite so! That's exactly what he's for—" "It's slander!" Dr. Fastolfer retorted. "It's defamation if I can't substantiate my opinion. But, I can substantiate my opinion," Armandiro said. "It may be a matter of sentiment, but it is also a fact. Do you understand, Mr. Speaker? My point of view will prevail. But if it is not stated, it may not be easy for people to understand. I suggest that you persuade Dr. Fastolfer to abandon his own Viewpoint, in order to save Aurora from falling into the crisis of division, and not to shake Aurora's leading position in the universe world." "How do you prove that Dr. Fastolfer destroyed Yandell?" "By his own admission, he is the only one who can put Yandel into a permanent stupor. You know that too." "I know that," said the Speaker. "But I wanted to hear you say it, to say it to me in private. Now you did." The Speaker turned to Fastolfer. "What do you think, Dr. Fastolfer? Are you the only one who can put Yandel into permanent stupor?" "Yes, if you don't use force to strike, as far as I know, Dr. Amandiro does not have this ability. Although Dr. Amandiro established the Institute of Robotics and gathered a group of elite roboticists." He said to Oman Tilo smiled, of course with contempt. The Speaker sighed. "Stop playing with words, Dr. Fastolfer. How do you defend yourself?" "All I can say is that I didn't destroy Yandell. I didn't accuse anyone. It was just an accident—for some reason, the positron circuit shorted out. It could have happened. Amanti Dr Lo should admit that this possibility is entirely possible. If there is no evidence, no one should be charged. In this way, we can further discuss the concept of colonizing and colonizing the galaxy." "No," said Armandiro. "The possibility of an accident is too remote to be considered. The possibility of Dr. Fastolfer destroying Yandell himself is far greater. Therefore, it is not possible to rule out Fastolfer's criminal conduct." Responsible approach. I cannot support Fastolfer's views. My views are correct. Mr. Speaker, I think the only reasonable course of action is to force Fastolfer to admit his failure. This is done in order to maintain The unity of our planet!" Fastolfer immediately said: "This involves the question I asked Mr. Bailey, the earthman, to investigate." Amandiro also immediately said: "I objected to this suggestion from the very beginning. The earthlings may be good at investigation work, but he is not familiar with Aurora, so there is no possibility of any results. He will make Aurora the leader of the universe except for making lies." You are a laughing stock, what else can you do? There have been many reports on this matter in the ultra-wave TV news in various universes. The relevant video has been sent to your office." "I noticed that too," said the speaker. "In Aurora, gossip is all over the place now," Armandiro pressed on. "If I allow the investigation to continue, it will be done for purely selfish reasons. It will cost Dr Fastolfer more and more popular, and it will cost him more and more votes in Parliament. Inquiry The longer I go on, the more certain I am of victory, but it will tarnish Aurora's image. I do not wish to jeopardize our planet for my own victory. I solemnly propose that you immediately order the investigation to cease, Mr. Speaker, and persuade Dr. Stolfer accepts the verdict with the grace of a gentleman. Otherwise, he will cause even greater losses to himself!" The speaker said: "It appears that I might have been unwise to agree to Dr. Fastolfer's suggestion to conduct an investigation. I said 'maybe'. I would like to end this investigation too. But, that earthling" - he As if unaware that Bale was in the room—"Been in Aurora for days—" He stopped and looked at Stolfer.Fastolfer immediately took up the conversation, "This is the third day of the investigation, Mr. Speaker." "Then," said the Speaker, "it would be just to hear how the investigation is progressing before I order it closed." Bailey began to speak, his voice not high, but measured and polite. "Mr. Speaker, I certainly don't want to comment if I'm not asked. Now, would you like me to say something about the progress of the investigation?" The Speaker frowned.Without looking at Bailey, he said, "Now, I want to ask Mr. Bailey, the Earthman, to talk about the progress of the investigation." "Mr. Speaker," Baley began. "Yesterday afternoon, I investigated Dr. Armandillo. I was rewarded for his full cooperation. When I left with my assistant—" "Your assistant?" the Speaker asked. "I was accompanied by two robots throughout the investigation, Mr. Speaker," Bailey said. "Fastolfer's robot?" Armandillo asked. "I'm asking this question for the record." "The records can be documented," Bailey said. "One is Daniel Olivo, a humanoid robot; the other is Giscart Livantrov, an old-fashioned non-humanoid robot." "Thank you," said the Speaker. "Please continue talking!" "Not long after we left the Institute of Robotics, we found that the ground transportation vehicle was destroyed." "Destroyed?" the Speaker asked in surprise. "Who destroyed it?" "We don't know, but this happened in the Institute of Robotics. We were invited to the Institute, so the people in the Institute should have known of our arrival. From this, it can be imagined that someone in the Institute must have sabotaged Our traffic car. In the same way, without Dr. Armandillo's instructions, it is impossible for anyone to dare to destroy the traffic car." Amandiro said: "It seems that you have given a great possibility to the impossible. Has a qualified technician inspected the ground transportation vehicle and proved that someone damaged it? Is it possible that it was natural damage? " "No, sir," said Bailey, "Giscart is a qualified driver, and he has been driving this car. He insists that it was vandalism." "He's Fastolfer's robot, programmed by Fastolfer and taking orders from Fastolfer every day," Armandiro said. "Do you think—" began Fastolfer. "I don't think anything." Armandillo held up a hand in a generous gesture. "I'm just pointing out the facts for the record." The speaker bowed in his seat and said, "Please continue to speak, the earthling Bailey." "When the car was driving for a certain distance, we realized that someone was following us," Bailey said. "Is someone following you?" the speaker asked. "It was the other robots. When they arrived, my two robots went first." "Wait a minute," Armandillo said. "How was your health at the time?" "very bad." "Very bad? You are an Earthling. You are not used to living in the outdoor natural environment. You are only suitable for living in the man-made environment of the dungeon. Am I right?" Amantilo asked. "Exactly, sir." "At that time, the storm was coming, and it was storming outside. I think Mr. Speaker must also remember the storm last night. Therefore, you must feel very uncomfortable, and you can even say a little dazed, almost unconscious, don't you?" "It was really hard for me," Bailey had to admit. "Then why did your robot leave you?" the Speaker suddenly asked sharply. "You are not in good health, how can they leave you?" "I ordered them to leave, Mr Speaker." "why?" "I think it's the best policy," Bailey said. "If you will allow me, I will explain." "Please continue." "We were indeed being followed. The robots following us arrived shortly after my robot left. The robots asked me where your two robots were. I told them I sent them away. After this, They asked me if I was fine. I said I was fine. That's when they left me to search for my two robots." "Search for Daniel and Giscart?" asked the Speaker. "Yes, Mr. Speaker. I can see clearly that they have received strong orders: search for my robot." "How did you see that?" "Although I was obviously unwell at the time, they first asked where my robot was, and then asked me if I was in good health. In the end, regardless of my obvious physical discomfort, they left me and went to search for the robot. It can be seen that they were ordered to search for the robot so strongly that they could ignore someone who was obviously unwell. In fact, I expected that they were coming for my robot. So I first put Daniel and Guiscart is gone. I don't think they should fall into the hands of strangers." "Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a few questions about the incidents mentioned by Mr. Bailey in order to prove that his account is completely absurd and flimsy," Amantillo said. "please." Armandillo said, "Mr. Bailey, after your two robots are gone, you are the only one left, aren't you?" "Yes, sir." "Then you can't have the whole thing on tape, can you? Because you don't have recording equipment." "No, sir." "And you're unwell, aren't you?" "Yes, sir." "You're out of your mind, maybe you can't remember what happened, are you?" "No, sir, I remember very well." "That's your own idea. But it's entirely possible that you're drowsy and hallucinating. In that case, it's doubtful what you said about the robots, or even whether there were any. It's not is that clear?" The speaker pondered for a while and said, "I agree. Mr. Bailey, the earthling, you think you remember it clearly, so how do you explain the events you described?" "I have concerns, Mr Speaker," Bailey said. "I am afraid that I may be thought to be slandering the esteemed Dr. Armandillo." "I asked you to say it, and we were the only ones present"—the chairman scanned the entire room, not even a robot was in the room—"so there is no question of defamation or not, unless you intend to maliciously attack .” "In that case, Mr. Speaker," Belley said, "I believe that Dr. Armandillo's delay in my stay at the Institute of Robotics may have been deliberate, so that he could have time to have my traffic wrecked, And deliberately made me leave the Institute after the storm. That way, he could imagine that I would definitely feel unwell on the way. He has told me several times himself that he has studied the social conditions of the earth. Therefore, he knows full well that the storm will The effect on me. In my opinion, it is part of his plan to send robots to track us. So that when our transport vehicle breaks down, he can take us back to the institute together. On the surface he can take care of me, but in fact He can get Dr. Fastolfer's robot." Armandiro smiled slightly. "What is my motive for doing this? Mr. Speaker, you see, his words are based on assumptions. This is a crime of defamation in any court in Aurora!" The Speaker asked sternly, "Mr. Bailey, Earthman, can you provide any evidence for your hypothesis?" "Just a series of reasoning, Mr. Speaker." The Speaker stood up and said, "Let me go for a walk, so that I may consider each of you carefully. I shall be back soon." Fastolfer happened to come face to face with Bailey. (Dr. Armandillo looks at them both absently, as if nothing in front of him concerns him.) Fastolfer whispered, "Have you no other stronger evidence?" "I think there is, just give me a chance to speak. But the speaker doesn't seem to like me speaking much," Bailey said. "No, but you've screwed things up so far. I wouldn't be surprised if he calls the meeting over as soon as he gets back." Bailey lowered his eyes and looked at his shoes.At this time, the speaker came in.After he sat down, he gave the Earthman a stern look. He said, "Mr. Bailey, Earthman?" "Yes, Mr. Speaker." "I guess, you're wasting my time. But I don't want people to think I'm taking sides. So I give everyone a chance to speak. Can you talk about Dr. Armandillo's motivations? Why would he Committing to the almost insane actions you accuse?" "Mr. Speaker," Baley continued. "There is a motivation—and a perfectly reasonable one. His motivation is based on the fact that if Dr. Armandiro and his Institute of Robotics cannot develop humanoid robots, he will plans for humans to colonize and colonize the galaxy. So far he has not succeeded in developing a humanoid robot, nor will he. Ask him if he would allow the Legislative Council to visit his research institute to see if he succeeds in developing Humanoids. If he insists that they have successfully produced humanoids on the assembly line, or even, if he just says, they have drawn up the blueprints for building humanoids—or just gets proof, say they Having at least solved the theoretical problem of making humanoid robots, and agreed to announce all this to the committee, I don't have to say anything more. I have to admit that my investigation has been fruitless." He waited for the speaker's response with bated breath. . The Speaker looked at Armandiro.At this moment the smile of the master of robotics disappeared. "I admit that we don't have the capability to make a humanoid robot yet," Armandiro said. "Then I'll go on," Bailey said, taking a deep breath. "Dr. Armandillo will be able to obtain all relevant information if he asks Fastolfer for advice. But Dr. Fastolfer will not provide any cooperation in this regard." "No, I will never cooperate with Dr. Armandillo on this," Fastolfer responded. "But, Mr. Speaker," Belley went on, "Dr. Fastolfer is not alone in knowing the secrets of designing and building humanoid robots." "It's not just him?" the speaker asked. "Then who else? Even Fastolfer himself was deeply surprised by your words, Mr. Bailey." (For the first time, the speaker did not use the word "earthling" for Bailey.) "I was really taken aback," Fastolfer said. "As far as I know, I'm the only one who can design and build a humanoid robot. I don't understand what Mr. Bailey means." Armandillo pursed his lips and said, "I suspect that Mr. Belle may not understand his own words." Bailey felt as if he were under siege.He looked at this and then at that.He knew that no one was on his side. He said, "The fact is that any humanoid robot knows that he himself cannot provide the means of design and manufacture-but he himself contains all the information about design and manufacture. Isn't this obvious? If someone Ask a humanoid robot the right questions, and he will provide all the information from which new humanoid robots can be designed and manufactured—in short, any mechanical structure that has been carefully studied has nothing to do with design. It's a secret." Fastolfer seemed to have a sense of enlightenment, and he couldn't help being shocked. "I understand you, Mr. Bailey, and you are quite right. It never occurred to me myself." "Dear Dr. Fastolfer," said Belley, "I must tell you frankly that you, like all Aurora, have a special sense of personal pride. You consider yourself the most eminent roboticist , is the only roboticist who can build a humanoid robot, and indulge himself in it. Then you will also be blind to the most obvious truth." The Speaker smiled in relief. "He's caught on to your weakness, Dr. Fastolfer. I've always been baffled by your insistence that you alone have the power to destroy Yandall. It seems you'd rather be politically damaged and don't want to tarnish your reputation." Fastolfer was visibly annoyed. At this time, Armandiro frowned and said, "What does this have to do with the issue we are discussing?" "Of course there is," Bailey said, visibly boosted in confidence. "You can't force Dr. Fastolfer to reveal any secrets. Your robot can't hurt him, torture him, persecute him to make him give up secrets. You can't hurt him yourself, because he has his own The robot is protected. But you can isolate a robot and let other robots capture him. At this time, although there is someone nearby, this person is not able to take appropriate action to prevent your action plan due to physical discomfort. Yesterday's incident The whole point is that you hit upon a plan to capture Daniel. You sensed your opportunity when I insisted on coming to see you at the Institute. If I hadn't insisted that my two robots go first, they might have It falls into your hands. At last you will gain the secrets of designing and building a humanoid robot. If you carefully analyze Daniel's mechanical structure and response." Amantillo said: "Mr. Speaker, I protest that such a vicious slander is unheard of, and it is utter nonsense. We don't know—perhaps it's impossible to know—whether their ground transportation vehicles were actually damaged? If It was really destroyed, so who did it? It is impossible for us to know whether there is a robot tracking Mr. Bailey and talking to him. Witness. Moreover, he was frightened to death and deranged. Everything he said could not be established in court." "This is not a court, Dr. Armandillo," said the Speaker. "My duty is to hear all opinions on the matter." "These have nothing to do with the issues we are discussing, Mr. Speaker. This is an unfounded inference." “但这推论听起来有点道理，我不认为贝莱先生的逻辑是毫无根据的。如果贝莱先生确实有过如他所说的遭遇，那他的结论是有一定的道理的。阿曼蒂罗博士，你是否否认他所有的指控——破坏交通车，追踪贝莱先生，企图抓获类人机器人等？” “我否认，我断然否认！他没有一句话是有根据的。”此时，他脸上一直挂着的笑容完全消失了。“地球人可以放我们整个谈话的录音，并会毫不犹豫地指出，说我谈话冗长，说我邀请他参观研究院，说我请他留下来吃晚饭。而所有这一切，他可以指责我是为了故意拖延时间。但是，所有这一切也可以解释为我的好客和好意。也许，我太同情地球人了，因此，好心反而不得好报，真是可悲之至！我否认他的推理，他的话没有一句经得起推敲的！我的声誉可以证明，地球人的这些无端的指责是不可能成立的。我决不像他所兑那样是个恶毒的阴谋家！” 议长摸了摸下巴，沉思着说：“当然，我不会仅仅依据这个地球人的话来指控你的——贝莱先生，如果你要说的话就是这些，那倒挺有意思的，但根据不足。你还有什么实质性的话要说吗？你如果没有什么实质性的话要说，我就不想再浪费我的时间了！” 贝莱说：“还有一个问题我想谈谈，议长先生。你也许听说过嘉迪娅·德尔马拉——或叫嘉迪娅·索拉里亚。但她只喜欢称自己嘉迪娅。” “是的，贝莱先生，”议长说。“我听说过她。我也看过超波太空剧。你们俩是剧中的主角呢！” “她与类人机器人扬德尔有关；他们生活在一起至少好几个月了。事实上，到后来，扬德尔成了她的丈夫。” 议长开始是不悦地看着贝莱。听到这里，眼光突然变得严厉起来，他瞪着贝莱问：“你说扬德尔是她的什么？” “她的丈夫，议长先生。” 法斯托尔弗站起身来，又坐了下去，显出一副迷茫的样子。 议长严厉他说：“那是非法的。更糟的是，这太荒唐了。机器人不可能使她怀孕。他们不可能生孩子。只有允许生孩子，男人和女人才可结为夫妻关系。这一点我想地球人也是知道的。” 贝莱说：“我知道，议长先生。而且，我相信，嘉迪娅也知道。但她说的'丈夫'，并非就法律意义而言的，她只是就情感而言。她把扬德尔当作丈夫看待。她对他的感情就像对丈夫的感情一样。” 议长转身问法斯托尔弗：“你知道这事吗，法斯托尔弗博士？扬德尔是你的机器人啊！” 法斯托尔弗博士显然大为尴尬。他说：”我只知道嘉迪娅很喜欢扬德尔。我不怀疑她会利用杨德尔满足她的性欲。至于这种不合法的事，我以前一无所知。刚刚贝莱先生提到了我才知道。” 贝莱说：“她是索拉里亚人，她脑子里'丈夫'的概念，不同于奥罗拉人的概念。” “那当然不一样。”议长说。 “但她对别人从未提起过此事，议长先生。她从未跟任何奥罗拉人提起过此事。她只是在前天才告诉我，因为她希望我能把事情调查清楚。如果她不知道我是地球人的话，她也决不会用'丈夫'一词，因为，她知道，只有地球人才能理解她'丈夫'一词的含意。奥罗拉人是绝对不会理解的。” “很好，”议长说。“算她是这么回事吧。你要谈的就是这件事吗？” “是的，议长先生。” “那样的话，此事与我们讨论的问题毫无关系，我们根本不必考虑！” “议长先生，有一个问题我必须问一下。只有一个问题。没几句话，先生。问完我就结束我的谈话。”贝莱急切之情溢于言表，因为这是最后的一次赌注了！ 议长犹豫了一下说：“同意你提最后一个问题。” “好的，议长先生。”贝莱真想高声叫喊，但他克制住了自己。他既没有提高嗓音，也没有用手指点阿曼蒂罗，只是平静地问：“阿曼蒂罗博士，你怎么知道扬德尔是嘉迪娅的丈夫？” “什么？”议长扬起白眉，大为震惊。“谁说他知道此事？” 既然议长问了问题，贝莱当然可以继续讲话了。“问他自己吧，议长先生。” 贝莱又一次低声说：“问他自己吧，议长先生。他似乎有点坐立不安了。” 议长说：“这是怎么回事，阿曼蒂罗博士？你知道机器人杨德尔是嘉迪娅丈夫这件事吗？” 阿曼蒂罗张口结舌，动了动嘴唇，可又说不出话来。他始而脸色煞白，继而又涨得通红。他说：“他这种毫无意义的指控，真令我大吃一惊，议长先生。我对此事一无所知。” “我可以解释一下吗，议长先生？非常简单扼要地解释一下，行吗？”贝莱问。 “你最好解释清楚。”议长严肃他说。“如果你能解释，我乐意听听。” “议长先生，”贝莱说。“昨天下午，我与阿曼蒂罗博士谈过话。因为他想让我等到暴风雨来临之后再走，他就显得特别健谈，因而谈话也就更加随便。在谈到嘉迪娅时，他顺便提到了扬德尔，并说他是嘉迪娅的丈夫。我感到奇怪，他怎么会知道呢？” “是这样吗，阿曼蒂罗博士？”议长问。 阿曼蒂罗仍站在那儿，好像罪犯站在法官面前一样。他说：“不管是否是事实，此事与我们争论的问题无关。” “也许没什么关系，”议长说。“但我看到你对这个问题反应如此强烈，不禁令我吃惊。这不能不使我怀疑，贝莱先生提的问题也许有点道理。看来，你们两个都心照不宣，而我却仍蒙在鼓里呢！所以，我也希望了解一下事实真相。你到底知道还是不知道扬德尔与这个索拉里亚女人之间的不正常关系？” 阿曼蒂罗喉头有点哽噎了，他说：“我不可能知道此事。” “这不能算是对问题的回答，”议长说。“这只能算是遁辞。” “在他回答之前，”贝莱说，这时，他看到议长因这一道德问题而大为恼怒，更感到有把握了。“我想，我应该提醒阿曼蒂罗博士，我们的谈话都有录音，因为谈话时吉斯卡特在场。如果需要，我们可以让他一字一句地重复我们的谈话，并用我们自己的声音和语气。一句话，谈话都已录音了。当然，我如果不提醒他这一事实，那就显得我太不公正了。” 阿曼蒂罗立即大发雷霆。“议长先生，机器人吉斯卡特是由法斯托尔弗博士设计、制造并编制程序的，他自诩为当今最杰出的机器人学家。并且是我的死敌。难道我们能相信他的机器人的录音吗？” 贝莱说：“也许你亲自听一下录音再作出判断为好，议长先生。” “也许我应该听一下。”议长说。“阿曼蒂罗博士，我到这儿来，不是让别人来摆布我的。但是，我们暂且可以把听录音的问题搁一搁。不管录音里怎么说，阿曼蒂罗博士，你是否想声明，你不知道那个索拉里亚女人把扬德尔看作自己的丈夫的事，或者说，你根本没有提起过此事。你的话将录下来，请记住——因为你们两人都是议会议员，所以没有机器人在场。但是，我们整个谈话都已录下来了，我有自己的录音设备。”说着，他拍了拍自己的胸口的口袋。“明确回答吧，阿曼蒂罗博士。知道，还是不知道？” 阿曼蒂罗几乎绝望了，“议长先生，坦率地说，我已记不起我的话了，因为，昨天的谈话有时是比较随便的。如果我真的提到此事——或不承认我提到过此事——那可能是别人在闲聊时和我说起，嘉迪娅非常爱她的机器人，把他看作自己的丈夫一样。” 议长说：“你和谁闲聊过此事？是谁告诉你的？” “暂时我不能说。” 贝莱说：“议长先生，如果阿曼蒂罗博士说出谈过此事的任何人，我们就可以追问这个人，看看到底是谁说的。” 阿曼蒂罗说：“议长先生，我希望你能考虑到对我们机器人学研究院的社会影响，如果有人真的提到过此事的话。” 议长说：“我希望你也能考虑这个问题，阿曼蒂罗博士。请赶快回答我们的问题，免得我们采取极端措施。” “请等一下，议长先生。”贝莱以尽可能缓和的口气说。“还有一个问题。” “怎么？还有问题？”议长看着贝莱，明显表现出不悦的样子。 "what is the problem?" “为什么阿曼蒂罗博士力图否认他知道扬德尔与嘉迪娅之间的关系呢？他说，此事与我们争论的问题无关。既然如此，他就完全可以承认嘛！我想指出，此事与我们正在讨论的问题完全有关。阿曼蒂罗博士也知道，如果他承认他知道此事，这等于承认他有犯罪行为！” 阿曼蒂罗大吼道：“我对此提出抗议！我要求向我道歉！” 法斯托尔弗博士不露声色地笑了，贝莱则严肃地紧闭嘴巴。他已把阿曼蒂罗逼向了极端。 议长的脸涨得绯红，感情冲动。他说：“你要求？你要求？你对谁要求？我是议长。在作出决定之前，我一定得听取各方面的意见。我要听听这个地球人对你的行为所作出的解释。如果他诽谤了你，他将受到惩罚。这一点你可以放心！但是你，阿曼蒂罗，无权对我提出要求。继续说下去，地球人。有什么说什么，但你说话要自己小心。” 贝莱说：“谢谢，议长先生。事实上，嘉迪娅确实把她与扬德尔的秘密告诉了一个奥罗拉人。” 议长打断了贝莱的话：“噢，是谁？别给我玩太空剧的把戏了。” 贝莱说：“我不想玩什么把戏。我将直言不讳，议长先生。我说的那个奥罗拉人就是扬德尔自己。他是个机器人，但他是奥罗拉的居民，因此可以看作奥罗拉人。嘉迪娅在感情冲动时必然会这样称呼他：'噢，我的丈夫。'刚才阿曼蒂罗博士承认，关于嘉迪娅与扬德尔的夫妻关系是听别人说的。因此，符合逻辑的推理是，他是从扬德尔那儿听说的。现在，阿曼蒂罗博士愿不愿意作出声明，在扬德尔作为嘉迪娅的机器人这段时间里，他从未与扬德尔谈过话。此话将录音备考。” 有两次阿曼蒂罗张了张嘴巴，可两次都说不出一句话来。 “是啊，”议长说，“在此期间你有没有与扬德尔谈过话，阿曼蒂罗博士？” no answer. 贝莱低声说：“如果他与扬德尔谈过话，那就可以说，此事与我们争论的问题完全有关。” “我已经明白了，贝莱先生，此事一定与我们争论的问题有关。好吧，阿曼蒂罗博士，我再次问你——谈过，还是没有谈过。” 阿曼蒂罗又冒火了。“这个地球人这样说有何根据？他能不能放一下我与扬德尔谈话的录音？他有没有证人看到过我和扬德尔在一起？他所说的一切除了自己的推论外，还有什么实质性的东西呢？” 议长转身看看贝莱。贝莱说：“议长先生，如果我手头没有证据，那阿曼蒂罗博士就没有必要犹豫否认他曾与扬德尔有过接触，即使录音也无所谓。但他不敢否认。事实是，在我调查过程中，我曾与瓦西丽亚·艾琳娜博士谈过话。她是法斯托尔弗博士的女儿。我也曾与一位奥罗拉青年谈过，他叫桑蒂里克斯·格里米恩尼斯。在与这两个人的谈话中，都很明显地可以看出，瓦西丽亚博士怂恿格里米恩尼斯向嘉迪娅求爱。但在格里米恩尼斯与嘉迪娅的相处中，他从未见到过扬德尔。谈话有录音可查，议长先生。” 议长干巴巴他说：“这我会做的。但即使如你所言，这又说明什么问题呢？” 贝莱说：“我刚才曾提到过，如果不能从法斯托尔弗博士那儿获得制造类人机器人的秘密，那么就只能从丹尼尔身上获取。同样，在扬德尔被毁之前，也可从扬德尔身上获取。丹尼尔一直呆在法斯托尔弗博士身边，阿曼蒂罗博士当然难以接近他。但扬德尔在嘉迪娅身边，她不可能懂得要保护扬德尔秘密的重要性。 “那么，有没有这种可能，即在嘉迪娅外出散步时——正如嘉迪娅和格里米恩尼斯两人都谈到的，他们经常一起散步，但从不带扬德尔，因而格里米恩尼斯也从未见过扬德尔，这一点上面已提到过了——在嘉迪娅与格里米恩尼斯一起外出散步时，阿曼蒂罗博士趁机接近扬德尔，当然可能是通过立体电视会见的。他这样做是为了研究类人机器人反应，对他进行各种试验，然后再把会见从扬德尔的记忆库中抹去，这样就不会留下他会见扬德尔的证据了，扬德尔也无法把阿曼蒂罗会见他的事报告嘉迪娅。很可能他已获得了他所需要的资料。然后，他把注意力又集中到丹尼尔身上。他相信，只要再作几次观察和试验，他就能成功地制造出类人机器人。因此，他想抓住丹尼尔。这就是我刚才告诉尔们的我们昨晚遭遇的真相。” 议长说话了，声音几乎像耳语一样低：“看来，这一切都有了合理的解释。我几乎不得不相信了。” “还有最后一点，说完后我就再也没有什么别的好说了，”贝莱说。“在阿曼蒂罗博士对扬德尔进行盘问和试验期间，他不小心——可能完全不是故意的——使扬德尔进入了永久性呆滞状态，以至'杀害'了扬德尔。这种可能性是完全难以排除的。” 阿曼蒂罗发疯似地叫喊起来：“不，不，绝对不可能！我对扬德尔所做的一切决不可能使他进入永久性呆滞状态！” 法斯托尔弗说话了。“我同意阿曼蒂罗博士的看法，议长先生。我也认为，阿曼蒂罗博士不可能使扬德尔进入永久性呆滞状态。但是，议长先生，他刚才的话等于承认他自己曾与扬德尔接触过，并对他进行了盘问和试验。因此，贝莱先生的分析基本上是正确的。” 议长点了点头。“我不得不同意你的看法，法斯托尔弗博士——阿曼蒂罗博士，你可以坚持否认你所做的一切，这就迫使我进行彻底全面的调查，不管其结果如何对你都可能是大为不利的。因此，我建议，你最好不要逼迫我们这么做，否则将有损于你在议会的地位，也可能有损于奥罗拉统一局面。 “就我所知，在扬德尔事件之前，法斯托尔弗博士在议会里获得大多数议员的支持——尽管在关于开拓和殖民银河系的问题上，他并没有获得绝大多数议员的支持。你把毁坏扬德尔的责任归咎于法斯托尔弗，就完全有可能把大多数议员争取到你一边来，然后你可以获得大多数议员的支持。但现在，法斯托尔弗博士完全可以把局面改变过来。如果他愿意，他就可以把毁坏扬德尔的责任归咎于你，并可以控告你诬告了他——这样做你就全完了。 “如果我不进行干预，阿曼蒂罗博士和法斯托尔弗博士会互相指责，永无休止。这样，我们的议会和公众舆论就会陷入分裂和混乱的局面——这将对我们奥罗拉造成无可估量的损失！ “那样的话，即使最后法斯托尔弗博士胜利了，但胜利的代价也是十分惨重的！因此，作为议长，我要进行干预，使议员们支持法斯托尔弗博士，并对你，阿曼蒂罗博士和你的'星球派'施加压力，要你尽可能以君子的风度承认法斯托尔弗博士的胜利——这也是为了整个奥罗拉的利益！” 法斯托尔弗说：“我并不需要什么压倒一切的胜利，议长先生。我再一次表示妥协，让奥罗拉、其他宇宙世界和地球，都享有开拓和殖民银河系的自由。同时，我乐意参加机器人学研究院，并且我有关设计和制造类人机器人的秘密贡献出来，以感谢阿曼蒂罗博士所作出的下列妥协：即永远放弃对地球进行报复的一切思想，并把这点写入条约中去，条约由我方与地球政府共同签署。” 议长点点头说：“这才是政治家的风度。阿曼蒂罗博士，你是否同意？” 阿曼蒂罗这时才坐了下来，沮丧失败之情已在脸上表露无遗。他说：“我并不是追求个人的权力，也并非要获得胜利的满足。我追求的是奥罗拉的最高利益。我深信，法斯托尔弗博士的计划将意味着奥罗拉的灭亡。然而，在目前情况下，我无法推翻这个地球人的论点。”——他很快而又狠毒地瞥了贝莱一眼——“因此，我不得不接受法斯托尔弗博士的建议——但我仍然要求在议会上发言，并重申我对法斯托尔弗博士的计划的看法。” “我们当然会同意你在议会上发言，”议长说。“法斯托尔弗博士，请同意我的要求，尽快让这个地球人离开奥罗拉。如果让地球人以胜利者的姿态出现，奥罗拉人一般是不会太高兴的。” “你说得完全正确，议长先生。贝莱先生将尽快回地球——我感谢他，而且，我相信，议长先生，你也一定感谢他。” “是的，”议长不得不同意。“他使我们奥罗拉免于分裂，就这一点，我也要感谢他。——谢谢你，贝莱先生。”