Reedeth had lowered himself into his chair again. He gave a wary nod.
“I do have to confess that I’m not happy about the system I work under,” he said. “Whether you, Prof, or anyone, can produce something better, though.”
“Me, I’m old and tired, and reduced to teaching a handful of not overly bright students not even in the country of my birth,” Conroy sighed. “But I think I might conceivably be able to shift a dead weight off the minds of the next generation, who will have to clear up the mess we leave behind. I’d like to try, anyhow, and what I’m proposing is this. During the past few days, it looks as though not just one but a whole complex of curious and questionable events have taken place here, which combined will furnish Flamen with what he wants. Excuse me,” he added to the spoolpigeon. “But as I said, the case of your wife on its own isn’t enough. On the other hand, maybe if we took everything towe might come up with a concerted attack. Let’s start with something which most people will find very strange-no disrespect, Miss Clay, but people do still mostly look on pythonesses with suspicion. How about this matter of calling in a pythoness and then acting on her oracles?”
“We didn’t,” Reedeth said. “Not exactly. As I said, it was what the automatics told us about the oracles which convinced us.”
“Us?”
“Me and my colleague Ariadne Spoelstra. It was her idea to invite Miss Clay to perform here.”
“And Mogshack approved?”
“Of course. Though I understand he needed a lot of persuading.”
“Good, there’s our first line of approach. Here’s our second.” Conroy turned to Madison. “I seem to be apolofor my own phrasing every minute or two, don’t I? But I’ve got to say that I’m sure people outside this hospital are going to be astonished to learn you were servicing the automatics here for several months while you were still officially a mental patient. And I’m certhat you don’t feel too kindly disposed towards the man who kept you in long after you should have been discharged.”
Madison turned one hand over as though spilling wafrom its cupped palm. He said, “Servicing the autois the job I’m good at, Mr. Conroy.”
“You’re not kidding,” Reedeth said. He seemed to have recovered his self-possession. “What you did to this desketary of mine is almost unbelievable. And, come to think of it, I never thanked you.”
“Yes, that’s a point I was coming to,” Conroy said. “You’ve told us about this desketary and how it’s been modified-can you give us some examples of its new behavior?”
“I just did,” Reedeth countered. “All this is being kept confidential, and it’s just as well!”
“That’s a negative kind of demonstration. How about a positive one? How about something which will prove that the entire resources of the Ginsberg cybernetic complex can be tapped through this single input? As I understand it, that’s what you’re claiming.”
“I don’t think there’s any doubt of it!” Reedeth ex”I never thought I could-” He stopped ab
“Never thought what?”
A faint beading of sweat had suddenly appeared on Reedeth’s forehead. “I never thought I’d be able to make inquiries through my desketary about Dr. Mogshack himself,” he muttered. “But I guess that’s kind of an internal point, not one which visitors would appreciate.”
“I appreciate it,” Conroy said with some grimness. “I have a clear impression of what it must be to work unyour boss, even though I’ve escaped that misfortune so far. I still want that demonstration, though. Hmmm! That’s an idea.” He turned to Flamen. “The automatics here are notoriously among the most advanced and elaborate in the world. Do you happen to have a probon your mind they could solve for you?”
“Now just a-” Reedeth began, but Flamen had reinstantly.
“Sure I do,” he said. “Doctor, do regular vu-transmisform part of the environment of your patients which your automatics take into consideration?”
“Oh, naturally,” Reedeth said, a trifle puzzled. “As they go to green, we phase our patients back to the outworld, and vushows play a key role in the process.”
“My God,” Conroy said very softly; Flamen disrethe comment