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Ego Machine - Henry Kuttner · Neural Network

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  Speaker 1: Part one of The Ego Machine by Henry Kuttner. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Reading by Greg Marguerite, Part one of
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the Ego Machine by Henry Cutner. When a slightly mad
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: robot drunk on ac wants you to join an experiment
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  Speaker 1: in optimum ecology, don't do it. After all, who wants
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: to argue like Disraeli? Your live like Ivan the Terrible
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Chapter one. Nicholas Martin looked up at the robot across
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  Speaker 1: the desk. I'm not going to ask you what you want,
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: he said, in a low, restrained voice. I already know.
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  Speaker 1: Just go away and tell Saint cyr I approve. Tell him,
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  Speaker 1: I think it's wonderful putting a robot in the picture.
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  Speaker 1: We've had everything else by now except the rock cats,
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  Speaker 1: but clearly a quiet little play about Christmas among the
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  Speaker 1: Portuguese fishermen on the Florida coast must have a robot only?
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: Why not six robots? Tell him, I suggest a Baker's dozen.
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  Speaker 1: Go away was your mother's name, Helena glinsk The robot
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  Speaker 1: asked it was not. Martin said, ah, then she must
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  Speaker 1: have been the great hairy one. The robot murmured. Martin
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  Speaker 1: took his feet off the desk and sat up slowly.
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  Speaker 1: It's quite all right, the robot said, hastily. You've been
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  Speaker 1: chosen for an ecological experiment, that's all. But it won't hurt.
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  Speaker 1: Robots are perfectly normal forms where I come from, so
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  Speaker 1: you needn't shut up, Martin said, robot. Indeed, you, you,
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  Speaker 1: bit player, This time Saint Cyr has gone too far.
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  Speaker 1: He began to shake slightly all over with some repressed
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  Speaker 1: but strong emotion. The intercom box on the desk caught
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  Speaker 1: his eye and he stabbed a finger at one of
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  Speaker 1: the switches. Get me, miss Ashby right away. I'm so sorry,
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  Speaker 1: the robots said, apologetically. Have I made a mistake? The
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: threshold fluctuations in the neurons always upset my mnemonic norm
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: when I temporize. Isn't this a crisis point in your life?
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  Speaker 1: Martin breathed hard, which seemed to confirm the robot's assumption. Exactly,
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  Speaker 1: It said, the ecological imbalance approaches a peak that may
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  Speaker 1: destroy the life form. Unless now, either you're about to
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: be stepped on by a mammoth locked in an iron mask,
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  Speaker 1: assassinated by hell. It's or is this Sanskrit? I'm speaking?
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: He shook his gleaming head. Perhaps I should have got
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  Speaker 1: off fifty years ago, but I thought sorry, goodbye, he
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: added hastily, as Martin raised an angry glare. Then the
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  Speaker 1: robot lifted a finger to each corner of his naturally
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  Speaker 1: rigid mouth and moved his fingers horizontally in opposite directions,
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  Speaker 1: as though sketching in apologetic smile. No, don't go away,
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Martin said, I want you right here, where the sight
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: of you can refuel my rage in case it's needed.
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  Speaker 1: I wish to God I could get mad and stay mad,
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  Speaker 1: he added, plaintively, gazing at the telephone. Are you sure
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  Speaker 1: your mother's name wasn't Helena Klinsk, the robot asked, It
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: pinched thumb and forefinger together between its nominal brows, somehow,
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: giving the impression of a worried frown. Naturally, I'm sure,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: Martin snapped, You aren't married yet, then, to Anastasia Zacharina Koshkina,
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  Speaker 1: not yet, or ever, Martin replied succinctly. The telephone rang
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  Speaker 1: He snatched it up. Hello, Nick, said, Erika Ashby's calm voice,
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  Speaker 1: something wrong. Instantly the fires of rage went out of
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  Speaker 1: Martin's eyes, to be replaced by a tender rose pink glow.
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  Speaker 1: For some years now he had given Erica, his very
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: competent agent, ten percent of his take. He had also
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: longed hopelessly to give her approximately a pound of flesh
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  Speaker 1: the cardiac muscle. To put it in cold, unromantic terms,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: Martin did not. He put it in no terms at all,
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  Speaker 1: since whenever he tried to propose marriage to Erica, he
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  Speaker 1: was taken with such fits of modesty that he could
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  Speaker 1: only babble, oh, green fields well. Erica repeated, something wrong, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: Martin said, drawing a long breath. Can Saint Cyr make
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  Speaker 1: me marry somebody named Anastasia Zacharina Koshkina. What a wonderful
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  Speaker 1: memory you have, the robot put in, mournfully. Mine used
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  Speaker 1: to be before I started temporizing. But even radioactive neurons
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  Speaker 1: won't stand. Nominally, You're still entitled to life, liberty, et cetera.
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  Speaker 1: Erica said, But I'm busy right now, Nick, Can it
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  Speaker 1: wait till I see you? When didn't you get my message,
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  Speaker 1: Erica demanded, of course not, Martin said angrily, I've suspected
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  Speaker 1: for some time that all my incoming calls have to
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  Speaker 1: be cleared by Saint Cyr. Somebody might try to smuggle
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: in a word of hope, or possibly a file. His
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  Speaker 1: voice brightened, planning at jailbreak. Ugh, this is outrageous, Erica said.
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  Speaker 1: Someday Saint Cyri going to go too far, Not while
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: he's got d D behind him, Martin said gloomily. Some
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: at studios would sooner have made a film promoting atheism
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  Speaker 1: than offend their top box office star D. D. Fleming.
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  Speaker 1: Even Tolliver Watt, who owned some at lock Stock and Barrel,
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  Speaker 1: spent wakeful nights because Saint Cyr refused to let the
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  Speaker 1: lovely d D sign a long term contract. Nevertheless, what's
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: no fool, Erica said, I still think we could get
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  Speaker 1: him to give you a contract release, if we could
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  Speaker 1: make him realize what a rotten investment you are. There
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  Speaker 1: isn't much time, though, why not? I told you? Oh,
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: of course you don't know. He's leaving for Paris tomorrow morning.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: Martin moaned. Then I'm doomed, he said, they'll pick up
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  Speaker 1: my option automatically next week, and I'll never draw a
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  Speaker 1: free breath again. Erica, do something I'm going to Erica said,
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  Speaker 1: that's exactly what I want to see you. Ah, she
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  Speaker 1: added suddenly, Now I understand why Saint Cyr stopped my message.
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  Speaker 1: He was afraid, Nick. Do you know what we've got
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  Speaker 1: to do? See what? Nick hazard unhappily. But Erica, see
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  Speaker 1: what alone? Erica amplified, not if Saint Cyr can help it,
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  Speaker 1: Nick reminded her, exactly. Naturally, Saint Cyr doesn't want us
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  Speaker 1: to talk to Watt privately. We might make him see reason.
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  Speaker 1: But this time, Nick, we've simply got to manage it somehow.
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  Speaker 1: One of us is going to talk to Watt while
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  Speaker 1: the other keeps Saint Cyr at bay. Which do you choose? Neither,
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: Martin said promptly, Oh, Nick, I can't do the whole
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  Speaker 1: thing alone. Anybody'd think you were afraid of Saint Cyr.
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  Speaker 1: I am afraid of Saint Cyr. Martin said, nonsense. What
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  Speaker 1: could he actually do to you? He could terrorize me.
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  Speaker 1: He does it all the time, Erica, he says, I'm
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: indoctrinating beautifully. Doesn't it make your blood run cold? Look
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  Speaker 1: at all the other writers. He's indoctrinated. I know. I
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: saw one of them on Main Street last week, delving
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  Speaker 1: into garbage cans. Do you want to end up that way?
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  Speaker 1: Then stand up for your rights, ah, said the robot,
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  Speaker 1: wisely nodding. Just as I thought a crisis point, shut up,
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  Speaker 1: Martin said, no, not you, Erica. I'm sorry, so am I?
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  Speaker 1: Erica said tartly. For a moment, I thought you'd acquire
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  Speaker 1: a backbone if I were somebody like Hemingway. Martin began,
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: in a miserable voice. Did you say Hemingway? The robot inquired,
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  Speaker 1: Is this the Kinsey Hemingway era? Then I must be
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  Speaker 1: right you are Nicholas Martin. The next subject, Martin Martin,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: let me see. Oh yes, the Israeli type. That's it.
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: He rubbed his forehead with a grating sound. Oh my,
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  Speaker 1: poor Dora on thresholds now. I remember Nick, can you
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: hear me? Erica's voice inquired, I'm coming over there right away.
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  Speaker 1: Brace yourself. We're going to beard Saint Cyr in his
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  Speaker 1: den and convince what you'll never make a good screenwriter. Now,
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  Speaker 1: But Saint Cyr won't ever admit that, Martin cried. He
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  Speaker 1: doesn't know the meaning of the word failure, he says,
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  Speaker 1: So he's going to make me into a screenwriter or
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  Speaker 1: kill me. Remember what happened to Ed Cassidy, Erica reminded
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  Speaker 1: him grimly, Saint Cyr didn't make him into a screenwriter. True,
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  Speaker 1: poor old Ed Martin said, with a shiver. All right, then,
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  Speaker 1: I'm on my way. Anything else, yes, Martin cried, drawing
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  Speaker 1: a deep breath, Yes there is. I love you madly,
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  Speaker 1: but the words never got past his glottis, opening and
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  Speaker 1: closing his mouth noiselessly. The cowardly playwright. Finally he clenched
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  Speaker 1: his teeth and tried again. A faint, hopeless squeak vibrated
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  Speaker 1: the telephone's disk. Martin let his shoulders slump hopelessly. It
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  Speaker 1: was clear he could never propose to anybody, not even
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  Speaker 1: a harmless telephone. Did you say something? Erica asked, Well, goodbye.
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  Speaker 1: Then wait a minute, Martin said, his eyes suddenly falling
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  Speaker 1: once more. Upon the robot. Speechless on one subject only,
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  Speaker 1: he went on rapidly, I forgot to tell you what
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  Speaker 1: and the nest fowling Saint Cyr have just hired a
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  Speaker 1: mock up phony robot to play in Angelina, No weell,
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  Speaker 1: but the line was dead. I'm not a phony, the
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  Speaker 1: robot said. Hurt, Martin fell back in his chair and
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  Speaker 1: stared at his guest with dull, hopeless eyes. Neither was
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  Speaker 1: King Kong, he remarked, don't start feeding me some line.
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  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr told you to pull. I know he's trying
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  Speaker 1: to break my nerve. He'll probably do it too. Look
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  Speaker 1: what he's done to my play already? Why Fred Waring?
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  Speaker 1: I don't mind Fred Wearing in his proper place there
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  Speaker 1: he's fine, but not in Angelina. No, well, not as
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  Speaker 1: the Portuguese captain of a fishing boat, manned by his
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  Speaker 1: entire band, accompanied by Dan Daly singing napoly To de
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  Speaker 1: Dee fleming in a mermaid's tail. Self stunned by this recapitulation,
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  Speaker 1: Martin put his arms on the desk, his head in
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  Speaker 1: his hands, and, to his horror, found himself giggling. The
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  Speaker 1: telephone rang. Martin groped for the instrument, without rising from
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  Speaker 1: his semi recumbent position. Who, he asked, shakily, who, Saint Cyr?
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  Speaker 1: A horse bellow came over the wire. Martin sat bolt upright,
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  Speaker 1: seizing the phone, desperately with both hands listen, he cried,
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  Speaker 1: Will you let me finish what I'm going to say?
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  Speaker 1: Just for once? Putting a robot in Angelina Noel is simply,
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  Speaker 1: I do not hear what you say a heavy voice.
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  Speaker 1: Your idea stinks. Whatever it is, be at Theatre one
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  Speaker 1: for yesterday's rushes at once, but wait, Saint Cyr belched
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  Speaker 1: and hung up. Martin's strangling hands tightened briefly on the telephone,
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  Speaker 1: but it was no use. The real stranglehold was the
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  Speaker 1: once Saint Cyr had around Martin's throat, and it had
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  Speaker 1: been tightening now for nearly thirteen weeks, or had it
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  Speaker 1: been thirteen years? Looking backward, Martin could scarcely believe that
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  Speaker 1: only a short time ago he had been a free man,
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  Speaker 1: a successful Broadway playwright, the author of the hit play
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  Speaker 1: Angelina Noel. Then had come Saint Cyr, A snob at heart,
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  Speaker 1: the director loved getting his clutches on hit plays and
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  Speaker 1: name writers some at studios. He had roared at Martin
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  Speaker 1: would follow the original play exactly and would give Martin
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  Speaker 1: the final ok on this script, provided he signed a
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  Speaker 1: thirteen contract to help write the screen treatment. This had
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: seemed too good to be true, and was Martin's downfall
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: lay partly in the fine print, and partly in the
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: fact that Eric Ashby had been in the hospital with
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: a bad attack of influenza at the time. Buried in
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  Speaker 1: legal verbiage was a clause that bound Martin to five
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  Speaker 1: years of servitude with Summit. Should they pick up his
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: option next week. They would certainly do just that, unless
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: justice prevailed. I think I need a drink, Martin said,
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  Speaker 1: unsteadily or several He glanced toward the robot. I wonder
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  Speaker 1: if you'd mind getting me that bottle of scotch from
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  Speaker 1: the bar over there. But I am here to conduct
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  Speaker 1: an experiment in optimum ecology, said the robot. Martin closed
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  Speaker 1: his eyes. Pour me a drink, he pleaded, Please. Then
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  Speaker 1: put the glass in my hand, will you. It's not
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  Speaker 1: much to ask, after all, we're both human beings, aren't we. Well, no,
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  Speaker 1: the robot said, placing a brimming glass in Martin's groping fingers.
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  Speaker 1: Martin drank. Then he opened his eyes and blinked at
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  Speaker 1: the tall highball glass in his hand. The robot had
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  Speaker 1: filled it to the brim with scotch. Martin turned a
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  Speaker 1: wondering gaze on his metallic companion. You must do a
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  Speaker 1: lot of drinking yourself, he said, thoughtfully, I suppose tolerance
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  Speaker 1: can be built up. Go ahead, help yourself, take the
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  Speaker 1: rest of the bottle. The robot placed the tip of
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  Speaker 1: a finger above each eye and slid the fingers upward,
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  Speaker 1: as though raising his eyebrows, inquiringly, go on, have a jolt,
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  Speaker 1: Martin urged, Or don't you want to break bread with me?
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Under the circumstances? How can I? The robot asked, I'm
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  Speaker 1: a robot. His voice sounded somewhat wistful. What happens? He inquired?
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: Is it lubricatory or a fueling mechanism? Martin glanced at
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  Speaker 1: his glass. Fueling, he said, tersely, high octane. You really
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: believe in staying in character, don't you? Why not? Oh,
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: the principle of irritation, the robot interrupted, I see, just
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: like fermented mammoth's milk. Martin choked. Have you ever drunk
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: fermented mammoth's milk? He inquired? How could I, the robot asked,
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  Speaker 1: But I've seen it done. He drew a straight line
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  Speaker 1: vertically upward between his invisible eyebrows, managing to look wistful.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, my world is perfectly functional and functionally perfect,
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: but I can't help finding temporalizing up fascinate. He broke off.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: I'm wasting time space. Uh now, mister Martin, would you
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: be willing to oh, have a drink? Martin said, I
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  Speaker 1: feel hospitable. Go ahead indulge me, will you? My pleasures
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  Speaker 1: are few, and I've got to go to be terrorized
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: in a minute. Anyhow, if you can't get that mask off,
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: I'll send for a straw. You can step out of
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: character long enough for one jolt, can't you. I'd like
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  Speaker 1: to try it, the robots said pensively. Ever since I
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: noticed the effect fermented mammot's milk had on the boys,
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: it's been on my mind rather quite easy for a human.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, technically it's simple enough, I see now. The
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: irritation just increases the frequency of the brain's Kappa waves,
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: as with boosted voltage. But since electrical voltage never existed
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: in pre robot times, it did, Martin said, taking another drink.
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  Speaker 1: I mean it does. What do you call that a mammoth?
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: He indicated the desk lamp. The robot's jaws dropped that.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: He asked in blank amazement. Why why then, all those
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: telephone poles and dynamos and lighting equipment I noticed in
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: this era are powered by electricity? What did you think
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: they were? Howured by, Martin asked coldly, slaves, the robot said.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: Examining the lamp, he switched it on, blinked, and then
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  Speaker 1: unscrewed the bulb voltage. You say, don't be a fool,
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  Speaker 1: Martin said, you're overplaying your part. I've got to get
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  Speaker 1: going in a minute. Do you want a jolt or
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: don't you well, the robot said, I don't want to
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: seem unsociable. This ought to work, so, saying he stuck
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: his finger in the lamp socket. There was a brief
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: crackling flash. The robot withdrew his finger, he said, and
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: swayed slightly. Then his fingers came up and sketched a
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: smile that seemed somehow to express delighted surprise, he said,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: and went on rather thickly integral between plus and minus, infinity,
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: absum and toy. Martin's eyes opened wide with shopped horror.
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  Speaker 1: Whether a doctor or a psychiatrist should be called in
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: was debatable, but it was perfectly evident that this was
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: a case for the medical profession, and the sooner the better,
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: perhaps the police too. The bit player in the robot
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: suit was clearly as mad as a hatter. Martin poised indecisively,
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: waiting for his lunatic guest either to drop dead or
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: spring at his throat. The robot appeared to be smacking
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: his lips with faint clicking sounds. Why that's wonderful, he said,
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: ac too. Ye, you're not dead, Martin inquired shakily, I'm
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: not even alive. The robot murmured, the way you'd understand it,
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: that is ah, thanks for the jolt. Martin stared at
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: the robot with the wildest dawning of surmise. Why, he gasped,
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: Why you're a robot? Certainly, I'm a robot. His guests said,
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: what slow minds you pre robots had. Mine's working like
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: lightning now, he stole a drunkard's glance at the desk lamp.
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: I mean, if you've counted the cappawaves of my radio
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: atomic brain now, you'd be amazed how the frequencies increased,
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: he paused, thoughtfully, he added, moving quite slowly, like a
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: man under water. Martin lifted his glass and drank whiskey.
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: Then cautiously, he looked up at the robot again. He said, paused, shuddered,
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: and drank again. That did it. I'm drunk, he said,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: with an air of shaken relief. That must be it.
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: I was almost beginning to believe. Oh, nobody believes I'm
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: a robot at first, the robot said, You'll notice I
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: showed up in a movie lot where I wouldn't arouse suspicion.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: I'll appear to Ivan Vassilovitch in an alchemist's lab and
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: he'll jump to the conclusive that I'm an all automaton,
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: which of course I am. Then there's Eager on my list.
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: I'll appear to him in his shaman's hut and he'll
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: assume I'm adevil a matter of echeological logic. Then you're
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: a devil, Martin inquired, seizing on the only plausible solution. No, no, no,
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: I'm a robot. Don't you understand anything. I don't even
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: know who I am now, Martin said, For all I know,
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: I'm a fawn and you're a human child. I don't
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: think this Scotch is doing me as much good as
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: i'd Your name is Nicholas Martin, the robot said patiently,
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: and mine is eniac eniac eniac, the robot corrected, capitalizing
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: eniac gamma the ninety third, so saying, he unslung a
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: sack from his metallic shoulder and began to rummage out
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: length upon length of what looked like red silk ribbon
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: with a curious metallic luster. After approximately a quarter of
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: a mile of it had appeared, a crystal football helmet emerged.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: Attached to its end, a gleaming red stone was set
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: on each side of the helmet, just over the temporal lobes.
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: You see, the robot explained, indicating the jewels. Now you
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: just set it on your head like this. Oh no,
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: I don't, Martin said, withdrawing his head with the utmost rapidity.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Neither do you, my friend, what's the idea? I don't
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: like the looks of that gimmick. I particularly don't like
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: those two red garnets on the sides. They look like eyes.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: Those are artificial eclogite, the robot assured him. They simply
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: have a high dielectric constant. It's merely a matter of
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: altering the normal thresholds of the neuron memory circuits. All
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: thinking is based on memory. You know the strength of
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: your associations, The emotional indices of your memories channel your
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: actions and decisions, and the ecologizer simply changes the voltage
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: of your brain. So the threat altered? Is that all
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: it does? Martin asked suspiciously. Well, now, the robot said,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: with a slight air of evasion. I didn't intend to
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: mention it, but since you ask, it also imposes the
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: master matrix of your character type. But since that's the
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: prototype of your character in the first place, it will
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: simply enable you to make the most of your potential
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: ability hereditary and acquired. It will make you react to
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: your environment in the way that best assures your survival.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Not me, it won't, Martin said firmly, because you aren't
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: going to put that thing on my head. The robot
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: sketched a puzzled frowned Oh, he said, after a pause.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: I haven't explained yet, have I. It's very simple. Would
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: you be willing to take part in a valuable socio
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: cultural experiment for the benefit of all mankind? No, Martin said,
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: But you don't know what it is yet, the robots said, plaintively.
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: You'll be the only one to refuse after I've explained
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: everything thoroughly. By the way, can you understand me all right?
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Martin laughed hollowly. Natch, he said, good, The robots said,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: believed that may be one trouble with my memory. I
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: had to record so many languages before I could temporalize
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: Sanskrit's very simple, but medieval Russians confusing. And as for Eager, however,
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: the purpose of this experiment is to promote the most
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: successful pro survival relationship between man and his environment. Instant
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: adaptation is what we're aiming at, and we hope to
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: get it by minimizing the differential between individual and environment.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: In other words, the right reaction at the right time. Understand,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: of course not, Martin said, what nonsense you talk? There are,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: the robots said, rather wearily. Only a limited number of
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: character matrices possible, depending first on them the arrangement of
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: the genes within the chromosomes, and later upon environmental additions.
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: Since environments tend to repeat like societies, you know, and
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: organizational pattern isn't hard to lay out along the Caldecooz
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: time scale. You follow me so far by the Caldocooz
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: time scale. Yes, Martin said, I was always lucid, The
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: robot remarked, a little vainly, narishing a swirl of red ribbon.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: Keep that thing away from me, Martin complained, Drunk, I
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: may be, but I have no intention of sticking my
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: neck out that far. Of course you'll do it, the
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: robot said firmly. Nobody's ever refused yet. And don't bicker
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: with me, or you'll get me confused, and I'll have
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: to take another jolt of voltage. Then there's no telling
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: how confused I'll be. My memory gives me enough trouble
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: when I temporalize. Time travel always raises the synaptic delay threshold.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: But the trouble is it's so variable. That's why I
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: got you mixed up with Ivan at first, but I
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: don't visit him till after I've seen you. I'm running
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: the test chronologically, and nineteen fifty two comes before fifteen seventy.
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: Of course it doesn't, Martin said, tilting the glass to
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: his lips. Not even in Hollywood does nineteen fifty two
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: come before fifteen seventy. I'm using the Kaldecoo's time scale,
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: the robot explained, but really only for convenience now, do
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: you want the ideal ecological differential or don't you because
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: here he flourished the red ribbon again, peered into the helmet,
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: looked narrowly at Martin and shook his head. I'm sorry,
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: the robot said, I'm afraid this won't work. Your head's
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: too small, not enough brain room. I suppose this helmet's
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: for an eight and a half head, and yours is
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: much to my head is eight and a half, Martin protested,
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: with dignity. Can't be, the robot said, cunningly, if it were,
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: the helmet would fit. And it doesn't too big. It
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: does fit. Martin said, that's the trouble with arguing with
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: pre robots. Species Eniac said, as to himself, low, brutish, unreasoning,
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: No wonder when their heads are so small. Now, mister Martin,
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: he spoke, as though to a small, stupid, stubborn child,
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: try to understand this helmet size eight and a half.
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: Your head is unfortunately so very small that the helmet
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: wouldn't fit. Blast it, cried the infuriated Martin. Caution, quite
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: lost between scotch an annoyance. It does fit. Look here. Recklessly,
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: he snatched the helmet and clapped it firmly on his head.
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: It fits perfectly, I heard, the robot acknowledged, with such
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: a gleam in his eye that Martin, suddenly conscious of
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: his rashness, jerked the helmet from his head and dropped
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: it on the desk. Eniac quietly picked it up and
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: put it back into his sack, stuffing the red ribbon
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: in after it with rapid motions. Martin watched, baffled until
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Eniac had finished, gathered together the mouth of the sack,
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: swung it on his shoulder again, and turned toward the door. Goodbye,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: the robot said, and thank you for what Martin demanded.
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: For your cooperation, the robot said, I won't cooperate. Martin
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: told him flatly, it's no use. Whatever full treatment it
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: is you're selling, I'm not going to. Oh, you've already
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: had the ecology treatment, Eniac replied blandly. I'll be back
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: tonight to renew the charge. It lasts only twelve hours
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: what Eniac moved his forefingers outward from the corners of
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: his mouth, sketching a polite smile. Then he stepped through
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: the door and closed it behind him. Martin made a faint,
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: squealing sound like a stuck but gagged pig. Something was
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: happening inside his head. Chapter two, Nicholas Martin felt like
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: a man suddenly thrust under an ice cold shower, No,
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: not cold, steaming hot, perfumed too. The wind that blew
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: in from the open window bore with it a frightful
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: stench of gasoline, sagebrush paint, and from the distant commissary
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: ham sandwiches. Drunk, he thought frantically, I'm drunk or crazy.
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: He sprang up and spun around wildly. Then, catching sight
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: of a crack in the hardwood floor, he tried to
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: walk along it, because if I can walk a straight line,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: he thought, I'm not drunk, I'm only crazy. It was
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: not a very comforting thought. He could walk it, all right,
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: He could walk a far straighter line than the crack,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: which he saw now was microscopically jagged. He had, in fact,
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: never felt such a sense of location and equilibrium in
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: his life. His experiment carried him across the room to
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: a wall mirror, and as he straightened to look into it,
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: suddenly all confusion settled and ceased. The violent sensory perceptions
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: leveled off and returned to normal. Everything was quiet. Everything
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: was all right. Martin met his own eyes in the mirror.
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: Everything was not all right. He was stone cold, sober,
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: the scotchy head drunk might as well have been spring water.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: He leaned closer to the mirror, trying to stare through
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: his own eyes into the depths of his brain, for
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: something extremely odd was happening in there. All over his brain,
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: tiny shutters were beginning to move, some sliding up till
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: only a narrow crack remained, through which the beady little
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: eyes of neurons could be seen peeping, some sliding down,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: with faint crashes revealing the agile, spidery floes of still
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: other neurons scuttling for cover, altered thresholds, changing the yes
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: and no reaction time of the memory circuits with their
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: key emotional in decease and associations. Huh. The robot. Martin's
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: head swung toward the closed office door, but he made
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: no further move. The look of blank panic on his face.
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: Very slowly, quite unconsciously, began to change. The robot could
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: wait automatically. Martin raised his hand as though to adjust
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: an invisible monocle behind him. The telephone began to ring.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: Martin glanced at it, his lips curved into an insolent smile.
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Flicking dust from his lapel with a suave gesture, Martin
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: picked up the telephone. He said nothing. There was a
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: long silence, then a hoarse voice shouted, Hello, Hello, Hello,
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: are you there you Martin? Martin said, absolutely nothing at all.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: You keep me waiting. The voice bellowed me, Saint Cyr,
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: now jump the brushes are Martin? Do you hear me?
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: Martin gently laid down the receiver on the desk. He
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: turned again toward the mirror regarded himself critically frowned. Dreary,
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: he murmured, distinctly, dreary, I wonder why I ever bought
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: this necktie. The softly bellowing telephone distracted him. He studied
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: the instrument briefly, then clapped his hands sharply together an
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: inch from the mouthpiece. There was a sharp, anguished cry
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: from the other end of the line. Very good, Martin murmured,
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: turning away, that robot has done me a considerable favor.
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: I should have realized the possibilities sooner. After all, a
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: super machine such as Eniac would be far cleverer than
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: a man who is merely an ordinary machine, yes, he added,
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: stepping into the hall and coming face to face with
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Tony Lamatta, who was currently working for Summit on loan,
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: man is a machine and woman here he gave Miss
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: Lamatta a look of such arrogant significance that she was
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: quite startled. And woman a toy Martin amplified as he
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: turned toward Theatre I, where Saint Cyr and Destiny awaited him.
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: Summitt Studios, out doing even MGM, always shot ten times
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: as much footage as necessary on every scene. At the
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: beginning of each shooting day, this confusing massive celluloid was
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: shown in Saint Cyr's private Projection Theater, a small but
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: luxurious domed room furnished with lie back chairs and every
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: other convenience. Though no screen was visible until you looked up.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: Then you saw it on the ceiling. When Martin entered,
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: it was instantly evident that ecology took a sudden shift
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: toward the worse, operating on the theory that the old
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: Nicholas Martin had into it. The theater, which had breathed
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: an expensive air of luxurious confidence, chilled toward him. The
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: nap of the Persian rug shrank from his contaminating feet.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: The chair he stumbled against, and the half light seemed
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: to shrug contemptuously, and the three people in the theater
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: gave him such a look as might be turned upon
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: one of the larger apes, who had, by sheer accident,
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: got an invitation to Buckingham Palace. D. D. Fleming, her
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: real name was impossible to remember, besides having not a
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: vowel in it, lay placidly in her chair, her feet
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: comfortably up, her lovely hands folded, her large, liquid gaze
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: fixed upon the screen where D. D. Fleming, in the
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: silvery meshes of a technicolor mermaid, swam phlegmatically through seas
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: of pearl colored mist. Martin groped in the gloom for
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: a chair. The strangest things were going on inside his brain,
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: where tiny style still moved and read justed, until he
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: no longer felt in the least like Nicholas Martin. Who
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: did he feel like? Then? What had happened? He recalled
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: the neurons whose beady little lies he had fancied he
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: saw staring brightly into as well as out of his
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: own or had he The memory was vivid, Yet it
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: couldn't be, of course, the answer was perfectly simple and
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: terribly logical. Eniac Gamma the ninety third had told him,
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: somewhat ambiguously, just what his ecological experiment involved. Martin had
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: merely been given the optimum reactive pattern of his successful prototype,
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: a man who had most thoroughly controlled his own environment,
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: and Eniac had told him the man's name, along with
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: several confusing references to other prototypes like an Ivan who
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: and an unnamed eager. The name for Martin's prototype was,
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: of course, Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. Martin had a vivid
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: recollection of Geordie Charles playing the role clever, insolent, eccentric
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: in dress and manner, exuberant, suave, self controlled with a
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: strongly perceptive imagination. No no, no, DeeDee said, with a
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: sort of calm impatience. Be careful, Nick, some other chair please,
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: I have my feet on this one, said ral Saint Cyr,
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: protruding his thick lips and snapping the fingers of an
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: enormous hand as he pointed to a lowly chair against
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: the wall behind me. Martin, sit down, sit down, out
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: of our way. Now, pay attention. Study what I have
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: done to make something great out of your foolish little play.
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: Especially note how I have so cleverly ended the solo
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: by building two five cumulative pratfalls. Timing is all he finished.
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: Now Silence for a man born in the obscure little
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: Balkan country of Mixolydia, Raoul Saint Cyr had done very
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: well for himself in Hollywood. In nineteen thirty nine, Saint Cyr,
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: growing alarmed at the imminence of war, departed for America,
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: taking with him the print of an unpronounceable Mixoldian film
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: he had made, which might be translated roughly as The
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: Pores in the Face of the Peasant. With this he
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: established his artistic reputation as a great director, though if
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: the truth were known, it was really poverty that caused
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: the Poors to be so artistically lighted, and simple drunkenness
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: which had made most of the cast act out one
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: of the strangest performances in film history. But critics compared
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: the Poors to a ballet and praised inordinately the beauty
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: of its leading lady, now known to the world as
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: d D Fleming. Dee Dee was so incredibly beautiful that
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: the law of compensation would force one to expect incredible
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: stupidity as well. One was not disappointed. Dee Dee's neurons
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: didn't know anything. She had heard of emotions, and under
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr's bullying could imitate a few of them. But
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: other directors had gone mad trying to get through the
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: semantic block that kept Dede's mind a calm, unruffled pool,
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: possibly three inches deep. Saint Cyr merely bellowed. This simple,
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: primordial approach seemed to be the only one that made
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: sense to summits great investment and top star. With this
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: whip hand over, the beautiful and brainless d D. Saint
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: Cyr quickly rose to the top in Hollywood. He had
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: undoubted talent. He could make one picture very well. Indeed,
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: he had made it twenty times already, each time starring
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: d D and each time perfecting his own feudalistic production unit.
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: Whenever anyone disagreed with Saint Cyr, he had only to
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: threaten to go over to MGM and take the obedient
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: d D with him, for he had never allowed her
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: to sign a long term contract, and she worked only
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: on a picture to picture basis. Even Tolliver Watt knuckled
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: under when Saint Cyr voiced the thread of removing de
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: dey sit down, Martin Tolliver Watt said he was a tall, lean,
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: hatchet faced man who looked like a horse being starved
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: because he was too proud to eat hay. With calm
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: detached omnipotence, he inclined his gray shot head a millimeter
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: while a faintly pained expression passed fleetingly across his face.
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: High Ball, please, he said. A white clad waiter appeared
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: noiselessly from nowhere and glided forward with a tray. It
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: was at this point that Martin felt the last styles,
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: readjusting his brain and entirely on impulse, he reached out
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: and took the frosted highball glass from the tray. Without
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: observing this, the waiter glided on and presented Watt with
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: a gleaming salver full of nothing. Watt and the waiter
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: regarded the tray, then their eyes met. There was a
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: brief silence here, Martin said, replacing the glass much too weak.
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: Get me another, please. I'm reorienting toward a new phase,
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: which means a different optimum, he explained to the puzzled
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Wat as he readjusted a chair beside the great man
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: and dropped into it. Odd that he had never before
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: felt at ease during rushes. Right now he felt fine,
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: perfectly at ease. Relaxed. Scotch and soda for mister Martin,
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: Watt said, calmly, and another for me, so so so so,
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: Now we begin, Saint Cyr cried impatiently. He spoke into
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: a hand microphone. Instantly, the screen on the ceiling flickered
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: noisily and began to unfold a series of rather ragged
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: scenes in which a chorus of mermaids danced on their
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: tails down the street of a little Florida fishing village.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: To understand the full loathsomeness of the fate facing Nicholas Martin,
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: it is necessary to view a Saint Cyr production. It
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: seemed to Martin that he was watching the most noisome
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: movie ever put upon film. He was conscious that Saint
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: Cyr and Watt were stealing rather mystified glances at him
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: in the dark. He put up two fingers and sketched
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: a robot like grin. Then, feeling sublimely sure of himself,
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: he lit a cigarette and chuckled aloud. You laugh, Saint
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: Cyr demanded, with instant displeasure. You do not appreciate great art?
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: What did you know about it? Eh? Are you a genius? This,
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: Martin said, urbainly is the most noisome movie ever put
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: on film. In the sudden, deathly quiet which followed, Martin
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: flicked ashes elegantly and added, with my help, you may
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: yet avoid becoming the laughing stock of the whole continent.
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: Every foot of this picture must be junked. Tomorrow, bright
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: and early. We will start all over. And Wat said,
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: we're quite confident to make a film out of Angelina
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: Noel Martin. It is artistic, Saint Cyr shouted. And it
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: will make money too, Bah money, Martin said, cunningly. He
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: flicked more ash with a lavish gesture. Who cares about money?
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: Let's summit worry. Watt leaned forward to peer searchingly at
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: Martin in the dimness, Raoul, he said, glancing at Saint Cyr,
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: I understood you were getting your your new writers whipped
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: into shape. This doesn't sound to me as if yes, yes, yes, yes,
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr cried excitedly, whipped into shape exactly a brief delirium,
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: May Martin, you feel well? You feel yourself Martin laughed
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: with quiet confidence, never fear. He said, The money you
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: spend on me is well worth what I'll bring you
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: in prestige. I quite understand the confidential talks were not
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: to be secret from what, of course, what confidential talks?
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: Bellowed Saint Cyr, thickly growing red. We need to keep
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: nothing from what need we, Martin went on, imperturbably. You
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: hired me for prestige, and prestige you'll get if you
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: can only keep your big mouth shut long enough. I'll
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: make the name of Saint Cyr glorious for you. Naturally,
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: you may lose something at the box office, but it's
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: well worth. But Jur's cook, roared Saint Cyr in his
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: native tongue, and he lumbered up from the chair, brandishing
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: the microphone in an enormous, hairy hand. Deftly, Martin reached
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: out and twitched it from his grasp. Stop the film,
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: he ordered, crisply. It was very strange. A distant part
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: of his mind knew that normally he would never have
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: dared behaved this way, but he felt convinced that never
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: before in his life had he acted with complete normality.
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: He glowed with a giddy warmth of confidence that everything
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: he did would be all right, at least while the
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: twelve hour treatment lasted. The screen flickered hesitantly, then went blank.
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: Turn on the lights. Martin ordered the unseen presence beyond
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: the mic softly, and suddenly the room glowed with illumination,
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: and upon the visages of Watt and Saint Cyr he
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: saw a mutual dawning uneasiness begin to break. He had
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: just given them food for thought, but he had given
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: them more than that. He tried to imagine what moved
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: in the minds of the two men below the suspicions
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: he had just implanted. Saint Cyr's was fairly obvious. The
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: mix oldian licked his lips no mean task, and studied
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: Martin with uneasy, little bloodshot eyes. Clearly Martin had acquired
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: confidence from somewhere. What did it mean? What secret sin
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: of Saint Cyr's had been discovered to him? What flaw
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: in his contract that he dared behave so defiantly? Tolliver
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: Watt was a horse of another color. Apparently the man
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: had no guilty secrets, but he too looked uneasy. Martin
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: studied the proud face and probed for inner weaknesses. Watt
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: would be a harder not to crack, but Martin could
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: do it. That last underwooter sequence, he now said, pursuing
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: his theme pure trash. You know it'll have to come out.
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: The whole scene must be shot from underwater. Shut up,
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr shouted violently. But it must, you know, Martin
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: went on, or it won't jibe with the new stuff
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: I've written. In fact, I'm not at all certain that
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: the whole picture shouldn't be shot underwater. You know, we
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: could use the documentary technique. Raoul Watt said, suddenly, what's
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: this man trying to do? He's trying to break his contract?
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: Of course, Saint Cyr said, turning ruddy. It is the
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: bad phase all my writers go through before I get
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: them whipped into shape in Mixolydia. Are you sure he'll
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: whip into shape? What asked to me? This is now
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: a personal matter, Saint Cyr said, glaring at Martin. I
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: have spent nearly thirteen weeks on this man, and I
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: do not intend to waste my valuable time one another.
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: I tell you, he is simply trying to break his contract.
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: Tricks tricks, tricks are you, what, asked Martin coldly. Not now,
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: Martin said, I've changed my mind. My agent insists I'd
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: be better off away from Summit. In fact, she has
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: the curious feeling that I and Summit would suffer by
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: a missalliance. But for the first time, I'm not sure
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: I agree. I begin to see the possibilities even in
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: the tripe Saint Cyr has been stuffing down the public's
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: throat for years. Of course, I can't work miracles all
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: at once. Audiences have come to expect garbage from Summit.
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: They've even been conditioned to like it. But we'll begin
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: in a small way to re educate them with this picture.
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: I suggest we try to symbolize the existential hopelessness of
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: it all by ending the film with a full four
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: hundred feet of sea scapes, nothing but vast heaving stretches
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: of ocean. He ended on a note of complacent satisfaction,
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: a vast heaving stretch of Raoul Saint Cyr rose from
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: his chair and advanced upon Martin outside. Outside, he shouted
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: back to your cell, you double crossing, vermin aye, Raoul
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr commanded outside, before I rip you limb from
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: limb Martin spoke quickly. His voice was calm, but he
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: knew he would have to work fast. You see what
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: he said, clearly, meeting Watt's rather startled gaze. Doesn't dare
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: let you exchange three words with me for fear I'll
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: let something slip. No wonder, he's trying to put me
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: out of here. He's skating on thin ice these days,
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: goaded Saint Cyr rolled forward in a ponderous lunch. But
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: Watt interposed, it was true, of course, that the writer
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: was probably trying to break his contract. But there were
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: wheels within wheels here. Martin was too confident, too debonair.
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: Something was going on which Watt did not understand. All right, Raoul,
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: he said, decisively, Relax for a minute, I said, Relax.
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: We don't want Nick here suing you for assault and battery,
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: do we. Your artistic temperament carries you away sometimes. Relax
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: and let's hear what Nick has to say. Watch out
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: for him, tolliver, Saint Cyr cried, warningly. They're cunning, these creatures,
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: cunning his rats. You never know. Martin raised the microphone
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: with a lordly gesture, ignoring the director. He said commandingly
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: into the Mic put me through to the commissary the bar. Please, yes,
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: I want to order a drink, something very special. A
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: ah a Helena Glinsk Hello, Erica Ashby's voice said from
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: the door, Nick, are you there? May I come in?
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: The sound of her voice sent delicious chills rushing up
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: and down Martin's spine. He swung round Mike in hand
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: to welcome her, but Saint Cyr, pleased at this diversion,
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: roared before he could speak. No, no, no, no, go
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: go at once, whoever you are out. Erica, looking very brisk,
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: attractive and firm, marched into the room and cast at
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: Martin a look of resigned patience. Very clearly she expected
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: to fight both her own battles and his. I'm want
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: business here, she told Saint Cyr coldly. You can't part
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: author an agent like this, Nick, and I want to
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: have a word with mister watt Ah, my pretty creature.
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: Sit down, Martin said, in a loud, clear voice, scrambling
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: out of his chair. Welcome. I'm just ordering myself a drink.
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: Will you have something? Erica looked at him with startled suspicion. No,
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: and neither will you? She said? How many have you had? Already, Nick,
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: if you're drunk at a time like this, and no
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: shilly shalllying, Martin said blandly into the mic. I want
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: it at once, do you hear a Helena Glinsk? Yes,
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: perhaps you don't know it. Then listen carefully. Take the
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: largest napoleon you've got. If you haven't a big one,
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: a small punch bowl will do. Fill it half full
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: with ice cold ale. Got that, and three jiggers of
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: krem dement Nick, are you mad? Erica demanded, revolted, and
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: six jiggers of honey. Martin went on placidly, stir, don't shake,
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: never shake, a Helena Glinsk, keep it well chilled, and
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: miss Ashby, we are very busy, Saint Cyr In importantly
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: making shooting motions toward the door. Not now, sorry you interrupt,
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: go at once. Better add six more jiggers of honey.
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: Martin was heard to add contemplatively into the mic, and
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: then send it over. Immediately, drop everything else and get
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: it here within sixty seconds. There's a bonus for you
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: if you do. Okay, good, see to it. He tossed
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: the microphone casually at Saint cyr. Meanwhile, Erica had closed
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: in on Tolliver Watt. I've just come from talking to
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: Gloria Eden, she said, and she's willing to do a
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: one picture deal with some and if I okay it.
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: But I'm not going to okay it unless you released
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: Nick Martin from his contract. And that's flat. Watt showed
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: pleased surprise. Well we might get together on that, he
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: said instantly, for he was a fan of miss Eden's
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: and for a long time had yearned to start her
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: in a remake of Vanity Fair. Why did you bring
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: her along? We could have nonsense, Saint Cyr shouted, Do
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: not discuss this matter yet, Tolliver, She's down at Laguna,
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: Erica explained, Be quiet, Saint Cyr. I want a knock
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: at the door, interrupted her. Martin hurried to open it, and,
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: as he had expected, encountered a waiter with a tray.
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: Quick work, he said, urbainly, accepting the huge, coldly sweating
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: Napoleon in a bank of ice. Beautiful, isn't it? Saint
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: Cyr's booming shouts from behind him drowned out whatever remark
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: the waiter may have made, as he received a bill
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: from Martin and Withdrew looking nauseated. No, no, no, no,
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr was roaring, Tolliver. We can get Gloria and
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: keep this writer too. Not that he's any good, but
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: I have already spent thirteen weeks training him in the
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr approach. Leave it to me. In mix Olydia,
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: we handle Erica's attractive mouth was opening and shutting, her
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: voice unheard in the uproar. Saint Cyr could keep it
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: up indefinitely, as was well known in Hollywood. Martin's side
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: lifted the brimming Napoleon and sniffed delicately as he stepped
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: backward toward his chair. When his heel touched it, he
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: tripped with the utmost grace and savoir faire, and very
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: deftly emptied the Helena glinsk Ale honey cremdamente ice and
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: all over Saint Cyr's capacious front. Saint Cyr's bellow broke
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: the microphone. Martin had composed his invention carefully. The nauseous
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: brew combined the maximum elements of wetness, coldness, stickiness, and pungency.
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: The drenched Saint Cyr, shuddering violently as the icy beverage
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: deluged his legs, snatched out his handkerchief and mopped in vain.
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: The handkerchief merely stuck to his trousers, glued there by
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: twelve jiggers of honey. He reeked of pepper. I suggest
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: we adjourn to the Commissary, Martin said, fastidiously, in some
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: private booth. We can go on with this discussion, away
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: from the the rather overpowering smell of peppermint in mixolydia.
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr gasped, slashing in his shoes as he turned
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: toward Martin. In Mixolydia, we throw to the dogs. We
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: boil in oil wheat, and next time, Martin said, please
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: don't joggle my elbow when I'm holding a Helena Glinskoe.
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: It's most annoying. Saint Cyr drew a mighty breath, rose
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: to his full height, and then subsided. Saint Cyr at
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: the moment, looked like a keystone cop after the chase sequence,
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: and knew it even if he killed Martin now, the
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: element of classic tragedy would be lacking. He would appear
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: in the untenable position of Hamlet, murdering his uncle with
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: custard pies. Do nothing until I return, he commanded, and
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: with a final glow there at Martin plunged moistly out
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: of the theater. The door crashed shut behind him. There
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: was silence for a moment, except for the soft music
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: from the overhead screen, which Dee Dee had cause to
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: be turned on again so that she might watch her
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: own lovely form flicker in dimmed images through pastel waves
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: while she sang a duet with Dan Day about sailors,
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: mermaids and her home in far Atlantis. And now, said Martin,
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: turning with quiet authority to Watt, who was regarding him
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: with a baffled expression. I want a word with you.
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: I can't discuss your contract till Raoul gets back, Watt said, quickly. Nonsense,
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: Martin said, in a firm voice. Why should Saint Cyr
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: dictate your decisions without you? He couldn't turn out a
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: box office success if he had to. No, be quiet Erica,
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: I'm handling this, my pretty creature. Watt rose to his feet. Sorry,
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: I can't discuss it, he said. Saint Cyr pictures make money,
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: and you're an inexperience. That's why I see the true
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: situation so clearly. Martin said. The trouble with you is
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: you draw a line between artistic genius and financial genius.
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: To you, it's merely routine. When you work with the
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: plastic medium of human minds, shaping them into an ideal audience,
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: you are an ecological genius. Tolliver Watt, the true artist
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: controls his environment, and gradually you, with a master's consummate skill,
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: shape that great mass of living breathing humanity into a
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: perfect audience. Sorry, Watt said, but not brusquely. I really
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: have no time. Your genius has gone long enough unrecognized,
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: Martin said, hastily, letting admiration ring in his golden voice.
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: You assume that Saint cyr is your equal. You give
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: him your own credit titles. Yet in your own mind
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: you must have known that half the credit for his
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: pictures is yours. Was fidious, non commercial, was Michelangelo. Commercialism
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: is simply a label for functionalism, and all great artists
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: produce functional art. The trivial details of Ruben's masterpieces were
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: filled in by assistance, were they not? But Ruben's got
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: the credit, not his hirelings. The proof of the Pudding's obvious.
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: Why cunningly gaging his listener, Martin here broke off, why
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: Watt asked, sit down. Martin urged, I'll tell you why
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr's pictures make money, but you're responsible for their
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: molding into the ideal form, impressing your character matrix upon
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: everything and every one at sum At Studios. Slowly, Watt
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: sank into his chair about his ears. The hypnotic bursts
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: of Disraeli and Rotomontade thundered compellingly. For Martin, had the
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: man hooked with unerring aim. He had, at the first
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: try discovered Watt's weakness, the uncomfortable feeling in a professionally
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: arty town that money making is a basically contemptible business.
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: Disraeli had handled tougher problems in his day. He had
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: swayed parliaments. Watt swayed, tottered, and fell. It took about
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: ten minutes all in all. By the end of that time,
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: dizzy with eloquent praise of his economic ability, Watt had
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: realized that while Saint Cyr might be an artistic genius,
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: he had no business interfering in the plans of an
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: economic genius. Nobody told Watt what to do when economics
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: were concerned. You have the broad vision that can balance
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: all possibilities and show the right path with perfect clarity,
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: Martin said, glibly, very well you wish Eden? You feel,
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: do you not that I am unsuitable material? Only geniuses
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: can change their plans with instantaneous speed. When will my
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: contract release be ready? What said Watt in a swimming
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: glorious days Oh of course, hum, your contract released? Well now,
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr would stubbornly cling to past errors until summit
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: goes broke. Martin pointed out, only a genius like Tolliver
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: Watt strikes when the iron is hot, when he sees
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: a chance to exchange failure for success. A Martin for
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: an Eden, hm. Watt said, yes, very well. Then his
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: long face grew shrewd very well, you get your release
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: after I've signed Eden. There you put your finger on
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: the heart of the matter, Martin approved, after a brief
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: moment of somewhat dashed thought, miss Eden is still undecided.
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: If you left the transaction to somebody like Saint Cyr's say,
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: it would be botched. Erica, you have your car here,
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: how quickly could you drive to Oliver Watt to Laguna.
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: He's the only person with the skill to handle this situation.
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: What sit you? Oh? Yes, of course, Nick, we could
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: start right away, but Watt said. The Disraeli matrix swept
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: on into oratorical periods that made the walls ring. The
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: Golden Tongue played arpeggios with logic, I see, the dazed
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: Watt murmured, allowing himself to be shepherded toward the door. Yes, yes,
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: of course. Then suppose you drop over to my place tonight, Martin.
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: After I get the Eden signature, I'll have your release prepared. Hm,
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: functional genius. His voice fell to a low, crooning mutter,
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: and he moved quietly out of the door. Martin laid
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: a hand on Erica's arm as she followed him. Wait
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: a second, he said, Keep him away from the studio
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: until we get the release. Saint Cyr can still out
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: shout me any time, but he's hooked we nick, Erica said,
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: looking searchingly into his face. What's happened till you tonight?
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: Martin said, hastily, hearing a distant bellow that might be
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: the voice of Saint Cyr approaching. When I have time,
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: I'm going to sweep you off your feet. Do you
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: know that I've worshiped you from afar all my life?
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: But right now, get w out of the way. Hurry.
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: Erica cast a glance of amazed bewilderment at him as
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: he thrust her out of the door. Martin thought there
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: was a certain element of pleasure in the surprise. Where
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: is Tolliver? The loud, annoyed roar of Saint Cyr made
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: Martin WinCE. The director was displeased. It appeared because only
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: in costumes could a pair of trousers be found large
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: enough to fit him. He took it as a personal affront.
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: What have you done with Tolliver? He bellowed, louder please,
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: Martin said, insolently, I can't hear you. D D. Saint
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: Cyr shouted, whirling toward the lovely star, who hadn't stirred
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: from her rapturous admiration of d D in technicolor overhead?
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: Where is Tolliver? Martin started? He had quite forgotten d D.
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: You don't know, do you? D D? He prompted, quickly
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: shut up. Saint Cyr snapped, answer me you. He added
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: a brisk polysyllable and mix oldion with the desired effect.
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: D D wrinkled her flawless brow. Tolliver went away. I
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: think I got it. Mixed up with the picture. He
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 1: went home to meet Nick Martin, didn't he see Martin? Interrupted, relieved,
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: no use, expecting d D two, But Martin is here,
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr shouted, think think was the contract release in
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: the rushes? D D asked, vaguely, a contract release? Saint
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: Cyr roared, what is this? Never? Will I permit it? Never? Never? Never?
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: D D answer me? Where has what gone? He went
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: somewhere with that agent, Dee Dee said, or was that
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: in the rushes too? But where where? Where? They went
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: to Atlantis? Dede announced, with an air of faint triumph. No,
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: shouted Saint Cyr. That was the picture. The mermaid came
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: from Atlantis, not what Tolliver didn't say he was coming
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: from Atlantis. D D murmured, unruffled. He said he was
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: going to Atlantis. Then he was going to meet Nick
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: Martin at his house tonight and give him his contract release.
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: When Saint Cyr demanded, furiously, think de de what time
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 1: did d D Martin said, stepping forward with suave confidence.
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: You can't remember a thing, can you? But Deedy was
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: too subnormal to react even to a Disraeli matrix. She
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: merely smiled placidly at him. Out of my way, you writer,
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: roared Saint Cyr, advancing upon Martin. You will get no contract.
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: Release you do not waste Saint Cyr's time and get
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: away with it. This I will not endure. I fix
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: you as I fixed ed Cassidy. Martin drew himself up
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: and froze Saint Cyr with an insolent smile, his hand
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: toyed with an imaginary monocle. Golden periods were hanging at
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: the end of his tongue. There only remained to hypnotize
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr as he had hypnotized want. He drew a
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: deep breath to unleash the floods of his eloquence, and
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr, also too subhuman to be impressed by urbanity,
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: hit Martin a cloud on the jaw. It could never
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: have happened in the British Parliament and of Part one
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: of The Ego Machine by Henry Cutner. Part two of
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: The Ego Machine by Henry Cutner. This LibriVox recording is
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Reading by Greg Marguerite, Part two
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 1: of The Ego Machine by Henry Cutner, Chapter three, When
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: the robot walked into Martin's office that evening, he or
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: it went directly to the desk, unscrewed the bulb from
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: the lamp, pressed the switch, and stuck his finger into
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 1: the socket. There was a crackling flash. Eniac withdrew his
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: finger and shook his metallic violently. I needed that, he sighed,
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: I've been on the go all day. By the Countercoot's
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: timescale paleolithic, neolithic, technological, I don't even know what time
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: it is. Well, how's your ecological adjustment getting on? Martin
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: rubbed his chin thoughtfully badly. He said, tell me, did
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: Disraeli as Prime minister ever have any dealings with the
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: country called Mixo Lydia. I have no idea, said the robot.
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: Why do you ask? Because my environment hauled back and
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 1: took a poke at my jaw, Martin said shortly, Then
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: you provoked it. Eniac countered a crisis. A situation of
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: stress always brings a man's dominant trait to the four
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: and Disraeli was dominantly courageous. Under stress, his carriage became insolence,
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: but he was intelligent enough to arrange his environment so
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: insolence would be countered on the semantic level mixo lydia.
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: I place it vaguely some billions of years ago when
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 1: it was inhabited by giant white apes. Or oh, now
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: I remember. It's an insisted medieval survival, isn't it. Martin nodded,
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: so is this movie studio. The robot said, Your trouble
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: is that you've run up against somebody who's got a
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: better optimum ecological adjustment than you have. That's it. This
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: studio environment is just emerging from medievalism, so it can
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: easily slip back into that plenum when an optimum medievalist
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: exerts pressure. Such types cause the dark ages. Well, you'd
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: better change your environment to a neo technological one where
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: the Disraeli matrix can be successfully pro survival. In your era,
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: only a few archaic social insistments like this studio are feudalistic,
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: So go somewhere else. It takes a feudalist to match
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: a feudalist. But I can't go somewhere else. Martin complained,
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: not without my contract release. I was supposed to pick
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: it up tonight, but Saint Cyr found out what was happening,
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: and he'll throw a monkey wrench in the works if
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: he has to. Knock me out again to do it.
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: I'm due at Watt's place now, but Saint Cyr's already there.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: Spare me the trivia, the robots said, raising his hand.
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: As for this Saint Cyr, if he's a beat evil
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 1: character type, obviously he'll knuckle under only to a stronger
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: man of his own kind. How would Disraeli have handled this,
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: Martin demanded. Disraeli would never have got into such a
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: situation in the first place, the robot said, unhelpfully. The
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: ecologizer can give you the ideal ecological differential, but only
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: for your own type, because otherwise it wouldn't be your optimum.
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: Disraeli would have been a failure in Russia in Ivan's time.
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: Would you mind clarifying that, Martin asked, thoughtfully. Certainly, the
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: robot said with great rapidity. It all depends on the
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: threshold response time of the memory circuits in the brain.
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: If you assume the identity of the basic chromosome pattern,
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: the strength of neuronic activation varies in inverse proportion to
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: the quantitative memory factor. Only actual experience could give you
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: Disraeli's memories, but your reactivity thresholds have been altered until
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: perception and emotional indices approximate the Disraeli ratio, Oh, Martin said,
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: But how would you say, assert yourself against a medieval
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: steam shovel by plugging my demountable brain into a larger
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: steam shovel, Eniac told him. Martin seemed pensive. His hand rose,
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: adjusting an invisible monocle, while a look of perceptive imagination
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: suddenly crossed his face. You mentioned Russia in Ivan's time,
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: he said, Which Ivan would that be? Not? By any chance?
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: Ivan the Fourth very well adjusted to his environment, he
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 1: was too. However, enough of this chit chat. Obviously you'll
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 1: be one of the failures in our experiment. But our
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: aim is to strike an average. So if you'll put
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: the ecologizer on your that was Ivan the Terrible, wasn't it,
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: Martin interrupted, Look here, could you impress the character matrix
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: of Ivan the Terrible on my brain? That wouldn't help
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: you a bit, the robot said, Besides, it's not the
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: purpose of the experiment now one moment. Disraeli can't cope
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: with a medievalist like Saint Cyr on his own level.
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: But if I had Ivan the Terrible's reactive thresholds, I'll
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: bet I could throw a bluff that might do the trick.
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: Even though Saint Cyr's bigger than I am, He's got
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: a veneer of civilization. Now wait, he trades on that.
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: He's always dealt with people who are too civilized to
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 1: use his own methods. The trick would be to call
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: his bluff, and Ivan's the man who could do it.
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: But you don't understand. Didn't everybody in Russia tremble with
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: fear at Ivan's name? Yes, in very well, Then Martin
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: said triumphantly. You are going to impress the character matrix
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: of Ivan the Terrible on my mind, and then I'm
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: going to put the bite on Saint Cyr the way
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: Ivan would have done it. Disraeli's simply too civilized. Size
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: is a factor, but character's more important. I don't look
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 1: like Disraeli, but people have been reacting to me as
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 1: though I were. George Arlis down to the spit curl.
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: A good big man can always lick a good little man.
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: But Saint Cyr's never been up against a really uncivilized
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: little man, one who'd gladly rip out an enemy's heart
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: with his bare hands. Martin nodded briskly. Saint Cyr will
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: back down. I've found that out, but it would take
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 1: somebody like Ivan to make him stay all the way down.
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: If you think I'm going to impress Ivan's matrix on you,
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: you're wrong. The robot said. You couldn't be talked into it,
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: I said, Eniac, am a robot, semantically adjusted. Of course,
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: you couldn't talk me into it. Perhaps not, Martin reflected,
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: But Disraeli, hm Man, is a machine. Why Disraeli was
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: the one person in the world ideally fitted for robot coercion?
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: To him, men were machines, and what was Eniac. Let's
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: talk this over. Martin began absently pushing the desk lamp
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 1: toward the robot, and then the golden tongue that had
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: swayed Empires was loosed. You're not going to like this,
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: the robot said, dazedly. Some time later, Ivan won't do it. Oh,
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: you've got me all confused. You'll have to EyePrint a.
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: He began to pull out of his sack, the helmet,
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: and the quarter mile of red ribbon. To tie up
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: my bonny gray brain, Martin said, drunk with his own rhetoric,
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 1: put it on my head. That's right. Ivan the Terrible. Remember,
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: I'll fix Saint Cyr's mix o Lydian wagon differential depends
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 1: on environment as much as on heredity, the robot muttered,
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: clapping the helmet on Martin's head, though naturally, Ivan wouldn't
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: have had the Zardum environment without his particular heredity involving
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: Helena glinsk There. He removed the helmet. But nothing's happening,
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 1: Martin said, I don't feel any different. It'll take a
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: few moments. This isn't your basic character pattern. Remember, as
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: Disraeli's was, enjoy yourself while you can. You'll get the
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 1: Ivan effects soon enough. He shouldered the sack and headed
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: uncertainly for the door. Wait, Martin said, uneasily, Are you
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: sure be quiet? I forgot something, some formality now I'm
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: all confused. Well, I'll think of it later or earlier,
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: as the case may be. I'll see you in twelve hours,
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: I hope. The robot departed. Martin shook his head tentatively
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: from side to side. Then he got up and followed
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: Eniac to the door. But there was no sign of
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: the robot, except for a diminishing whirlwind of dust in
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: the middle of the corridor. Something began to happen in
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: Martin's brain. Behind him, the telephone rang. Martin heard himself
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: grasp with pure terror, with a sudden, impossible, terrifying, absolute certainty,
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: he knew who was telephoning assassins. Yes, mister Martin, said
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: Tolliver Watts butler to the telephone. Miss Ashby is here.
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: She is with mister Watt and mister Saint Cyr at
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: the moment. But I will give her your message. You
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: are detained, and she is to call for you. Where
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: the broom closet on the second floor of the Writer's building,
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: Martin said, in a quavering voice. It's the only one
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: near a telephone with a long enough cord, so I
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: could take the phone in here with me. But I'm
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: not at all, sir, that I'm safe. I don't like
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 1: the looks of that broom on my left, Sir. Are
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: you sure you're Tolliver wants Butler, Martin demanded, nervously. Quite sure, mister,
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: mister Martin. I am, mister Martin, cried Martin, with terrified defiance.
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: By all the laws of God and man, mister Martin,
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: I am, and mister Martin, I will remain in spite
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: of all attempts by rebellious dogs to depose me from
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: my rightful place. Yes, sir, the broom closet, you say, sir,
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: the broom closet immediately, but swear not to tell another
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: soul no matter how much you're threatened. I'll protect you
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: very well, sir. Is that all? Yes? Tell Miss Ashby
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: to hurry hang up now the line may be tapped.
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: I have enemies. There was a clique. Martin replaced his
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: own receiver and furtively surveyed the broom closet. He told
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: himself that this was dulous. There was nothing to be
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 1: afraid of. Was there true? The broom closet's narrow walls
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: were closing in upon him alarmingly while the ceiling descended.
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: Panic stricken, Martin emerged from the closet, took a long breath,
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: and threw back his shoulders. Not a thing to be
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: afraid of, he said, who's afraid? Whistling. He began to
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: stroll down the hall toward the staircase, but midway a
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: goraphobia overcame him, and his nerve broke. He ducked into
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 1: his own office and sweated quietly in the dark until
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: he had mustered up enough carriage to turn on a lamp.
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: The Encyclopedia Britannica, in its glass fronted cabinet, caught his
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: eye with noiseless haste. Martin secured Italy to Lord and
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: opened the volume at his desk. Something obviously was very,
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 1: very wrong. The robot had said that Martin wasn't going
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: to like being Ivan the Terrible. Come to think of it,
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: but was Martin wearing Ivan's character matrix? Perhaps he'd got
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: somebody else's matrix by mistake, that of some arrant coward,
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: or maybe the mad Tzar of Russia had really been
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: called Ivan. The terrified Martin flipped the rustling pages nervously.
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: Ivan Ivan Here it was, son of Helena glinsk married
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 1: Anastasia Zacharina Koshkina. Private life, unspeakably abominable, memory, astonishing energy, indefatigable,
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: ungovernable fury, great natural ability, political foresight, anticipated the ideals
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: of Peter the Great. Martin shook his head. Then he
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: caught his breath at the next line. Ivan had lived
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: in an atmosphere of apprehension, imagining that every man's hand
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: was against him, just like me. Martin murmured, But but
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: there was more to Ivan than just cowardice. I don't
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: understand differential, the robot had said, depends on environment much
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: as on heredity, though naturally Ivan wouldn't have had the
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 1: tzardom environment without his particular heredity. Martin sucked in his
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: breath sharply. Environment does make a difference, no doubt. Ivan
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: the Fourth had been a fearful coward, but heredity plus
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: environment had given Ivan the one great weapon that had
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 1: enabled him to keep his coward as a recessive trait.
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: Ivan the Terrible had been tzar of all the rushes.
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: Give a coward a gun, and while he doesn't stop
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 1: being a coward, it won't show in the same way.
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: He may act like a violent, aggressive tyrant instead. That,
• 1:17:38
  Speaker 1: of course, was why Ivan had been ecologically successful in
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 1: his specialized environment. He'd never run up against many stresses
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: that brought his dominant trait to the foe. Like Disraeli,
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: he had been able to control his environment so that
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 1: such stresses were practically eliminated. Martin turned green. Then he
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: remembered Erica could Erica to keep Saint Cyr busy somehow
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 1: while he got his contract released from wat As long
• 1:18:05
  Speaker 1: as he could avoid crises. He could keep his nerve
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: from crumbling. But there were assassins everywhere. Erica was on
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: her way to the lot by now, Martin swallowed he
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: would meet her outside the studio. The broom closet wasn't safe.
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: He could be trapped there like a rat. Nonsense, Martin
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: told himself, with shivering firmness, This isn't me. All I
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 1: have to do is get a grip on myself. Come now,
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: buck up to jour la das. But he went out
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: of his office and downstairs, very softly and cautiously. After all,
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: one never knew, and when every man's hand was against
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: one quaking the character matrix of Ivan, the Terrible stole
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: toward a studio gate. The taxi drove rapidly toward bel air.
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 1: But what were you doing up that tree, Erica demanded.
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: Martin shook violently. A ware wolf, he chattered, and a
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: vampire and a ghoul. And I saw them, I tell
• 1:19:11
  Speaker 1: you there. I was at the studio gate, and they
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: all came at me in a mob. But they were
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: just coming back from dinner. Erica said, you know, Summit's
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: doing a night shooting on Abbott and Costello. Meet everybody,
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: Karloff wouldn't hurt a fly. I keep telling myself that,
• 1:19:30
  Speaker 1: Martin said, dully, but I was out of my mind
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: with guilt and fear. You see, I'm an abominable monster.
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: But it's not my fault. It's environmental. I grew up
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: in a brutal and degrading condition. Oh oh, look, he
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: pointed toward a traffic cop ahead the police traders even
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: in the palace guards, Lady, is that guy nuts? The
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: cabby demanded, mad or sane? I am Nicholas Martin, Martin announced,
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: with an abrupt, de volte face. He tried to stand
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: up commandingly, bumping his head, screamed assassins, and burrowed into
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: a corner of the seat, panting horribly. Erica gave him
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: a thoughtful, worried look. Nick, She said, how much have
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 1: you had to drink? What's wrong? Martin shut his eyes
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: and lay back against the cushions. Let me have a
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 1: few minutes, Erica, he pleaded, I'll be all right as
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: soon as I recover from stress. It's only when I'm
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: under stress that Ivan you can accept your contract release
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 1: from what can't you? Surely you'll be able to manage that,
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 1: of course, Martin said, with feeble bravery. He thought it
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 1: over and reconsidered, if I can hold your hand, he suggested,
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 1: taking no chances. This disgusted Erica so much that for
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: two miles there was no more conversation. Within the cab,
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 1: Erica had been thinking her own thought. You've certainly changed
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: since this morning, she observed, threatening to make love to me,
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: of all things, as if I'd stand for it. I'd
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: like to see you try. There was a pause. Erica
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 1: slid her eyes sideways towards Martin. I said, I'd like
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: to see you try, She repeated, Oh you would, would you?
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: Martin said, with hollow valor. He paused. Oddly enough, his
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: tongue hitherto frozen stiff on one particular subject in Erica's presence,
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: was now thoroughly loosened. Martin wasted no time on theory.
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: Seizing his chance before a new stress might unexpectedly arise,
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: he instantly poured out his heart to Erica, who visibly softened.
• 1:21:46
  Speaker 1: But why didn't you ever say so before? She asked,
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 1: I can't imagine. Martin said, Then you'll marry me? But
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 1: why were you acting so? Will you marry me? Yes?
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: Erica said, and there was a pause. Martin moistened his lips,
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: discovering that somehow he and Erica had moved close together.
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: He was about to seal the bargain in the customary manner,
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: when a sudden thought struck him and made him draw
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: back with a little start. Erica opened her eyes, Uh,
• 1:22:21
  Speaker 1: said Martin. I just happened to remember. There's a bad
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 1: flu epidemic in Chicago. Epidemic spread like wildfire. You know
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: why it could be in Hollywood by now, especially with
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 1: the prevailing westerly winds. I'm damned if I'm going to
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 1: be proposed to and not kissed. Erica said, in a
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 1: somewhat irritated tone. You kiss me, but I might give
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: you the bubonic plague. Martin said, nervously, kissing spread's germs.
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: It's a well known fact. Nick Well, I don't know
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: when did you last have a cold? Erica pulled away
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 1: from him and went to sit in the other corner. Uh,
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 1: Martin said, after a long silence, Erica, don't talk to me,
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: you miserable man. Erica said, you monster you. I can't
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: help it. Martin cried wildly. I'll be a coward for
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: twelve hours. It's not my fault. After eight tomorrow morning,
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: I'll I'll walk into a lion cage if you want.
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: But tonight i'm as yellow as i'm in the terrible.
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: At least let me tell you what's been happening, Erica
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 1: said nothing. Martin instantly plunged into his long and improbable tale.
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: I don't believe a word of it, Erica said. When
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 1: he had finished, she shook her head sharply. Just the same.
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: I'm still your agent, and your career is still my responsibility.
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: The first and only thing we have to do is
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 1: get your contract released from Tolliver Watt, and that's all
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 1: we're going to consider right now, do you hear? But
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr I'll do you all the talking. You won't
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 1: have to say a word. If Saint Cyr tries to
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: bully you, I'll handle him. But you've got to be
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: there with me, or Saint Cyr will make that an
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: excuse to postpone things again. I know him. Now, I'm
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: under stress again, Martin said wildly. I can't stand it.
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 1: I'm not the Tsar of Russia, lady, said the cab driver,
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: looking back. If I was you, i'd sure as hell
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: break off that engagement. Heads will roll for this, Martin said, ominously.
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 1: By mutual consent, agree to terminy. Yes, Watt said, of
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 1: fixing his name to the legal paper that lay before
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: him on the desk. That does it. But where in
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 1: the world is that fellow Martin? He came in with you?
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 1: I'm certain did he? Erica asked rather wildly. She too
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: was wondering how Martin had managed to vanish so miraculously
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: from her side. Perhaps he had crept with lightning rapidity
• 1:24:59
  Speaker 1: under the carp She forced her mind from the thought
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: and reached for the contract release. What was folding? Wait,
• 1:25:07
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr said, his lower lip jutting. What about a
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: clause giving us an option on Martin's next play? Watt paused,
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 1: and the director instantly struck home, whatever it may be,
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: I can turn it into a vehicle for d d
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 1: ay d d. He lifted a sausage finger at the
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 1: lovely star, who nodded obediently. It's going to have an
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 1: all male cast, Erica said, hastily, And we're discussing contract releases,
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: not options. He would give me an option if I
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: had him here, Saint Cyr growled, torturing his cigar. Horribly.
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: Why does everything conspire against an artist? He waved a vast,
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: hairy fist in the air. Now I must break in
• 1:25:49
  Speaker 1: a new writer, which is a great waste. Within a fortnight,
• 1:25:52
  Speaker 1: Martin would have been a Saint Cyr writer. In fact,
• 1:25:55
  Speaker 1: it is still possible, I'm afraid not, Raoul, Watt said, resignedly.
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: You really shouldn't have hit Martin at the studio today,
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 1: But but he would not. Dare charge me with as
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 1: salt in mix olydia. Why hello, Nick, Dee Dee said,
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: with a bright smile. Why are you hiding behind those curtains.
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 1: Every eye was turned toward the window draperies, just in
• 1:26:20
  Speaker 1: time to see the white, terrified face of Nicholas Martin
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 1: flip out of sight like a scared chipmunk's. Erica, her
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 1: heart dropping, said hastily, Oh that isn't Nick. It doesn't
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: look like him a bit. You made a mistake, Dee Dee,
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: did I? Dede asked, perfectly, Willing to agree certainly, Erica said,
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: reaching for the contract release in Watt's hand. Now, if
• 1:26:45
  Speaker 1: you'll just let me have this, I'll stop, cried Saint
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 1: Cyr In a bull's bellow head sunk between his heavy shoulders.
• 1:26:53
  Speaker 1: He lumbered to the window and jerked the curtains aside. Ha,
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: the director said, in a minister voice. Martin, it's a lie,
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 1: Martin said, feebly, making a desperate attempt to conceal his stress.
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 1: Triggered panic, I've abdicated. Saint Cyr, who had stepped back
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: a pace, was studying Martin carefully. Slowly, the cigar in
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: his mouth began to tilt upwards. An unpleasant grin widened
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 1: the director's mouth. He shook a finger under Martin's quivering nostrils. You,
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 1: he said, tonight, it is a different tune ey to day.
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 1: You were drunk. Now I see it all valorous with
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: pots like they say, nonsense, Martin said, rallying his courage
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: by a glance at Rica, who say nobody but you
• 1:27:43
  Speaker 1: would say a thing like that. Now, what's this all about?
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: What were you doing behind that curtain? Watt asked, I
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: wasn't behind the curtain, Martin said, with great bravado. You
• 1:27:57
  Speaker 1: were all of you. I was in front of the curtain.
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: Can I help it if the whole lot of you
• 1:28:02
  Speaker 1: conceal yourselves behind curtains in a library like like conspirators?
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: The word was unfortunately chosen. A panicky light flashed into
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 1: Martin's eyes. Yes, conspirators, he went on nervously. You think
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: I don't know, Ah, well I do. You're all assassins,
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 1: plotting and planning. So this is your headquarters? Is it
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: all night? Your higher dogs have been at my heels,
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 1: driving me like a wounded caribou too. We've got to
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 1: be going, Erica said, desperately. There's just to catch the
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: next carib the next plain east. She reached for the
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 1: contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
• 1:28:40
  Speaker 1: He turned his chair toward Martin. Will you give us
• 1:28:44
  Speaker 1: an option on your next play? He demanded. Of course
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 1: he will give us an option, Saint Syr said, studying
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: Martin's air of bravado with an experienced eye. Also, there
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 1: is to be no question of a charge of assault,
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 1: for if there is, I will beat you. So it
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: is in mixolydia. In fact, you do not even want
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 1: to release from your contract, Martin. It's all a mistake.
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: I will turn you into a Saint Cyr writer and
• 1:29:10
  Speaker 1: all will be well. So now you will ask Tolliver
• 1:29:14
  Speaker 1: to tear up that release, will you not? Ha? Of
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: course you won't nick, Erica cried, say so, there was
• 1:29:23
  Speaker 1: a pregnant silence. Watt watched with sharp interest. So did
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: the unhappy Erica, torn between her responsibility as Martin's agent
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: and her disgust at the man's abject cowardice. Dee Dee
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: watched too, her eyes very wide and a cheerful smile
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 1: upon her handsome face. But the battle was obviously between
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: Martin and Raoul Saint Cyr. Martin drew himself up desperately.
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 1: Now or never, he must force himself to be truly terrible.
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 1: Already he had a troubled expression, just like Ivan. He
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: strove to look sinister too, and enigmatic smile played arou
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 1: on his lips. For an instant he resembled the mad
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: Czar of Russia, except of course, that he was clean
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: shaven with contemptuous regal power. Martin stared down the mix Oldian,
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: you will tear up that release and sign an agreement
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: giving us option on your next play, too, ha Saint
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: Cyr said, but a trifle uncertainly. I'll do as I please.
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 1: Martin told him, how would you like to be eaten
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 1: alive by dogs? I don't know, Raoul, Watt said, let's
• 1:30:32
  Speaker 1: try to get this settled, even if do you want
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: me to go over to Metro and take Deedy with me,
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr cried, turning toward Watt, he will sign, and
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 1: reaching into an inner pocket for a pen. The burly
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 1: director swung back toward Martin. Assassin, cried, Martin, misinterpreting the gesture.
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: A gluting smile appeared on Saint Cyr's revolting features. Now
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: we have him, Tolliver, he said, with heavy triumph, and
• 1:31:03
  Speaker 1: these ominous words added the final stress to Martin's overwhelming burden.
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: With a mad cry, he rushed past Saint Cyr, wrenched
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 1: open a door, and fled. From behind him came Erica
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: Valkyrie's voice, Leave him alone. Haven't you done enough already?
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: Now I'm going to get that contract released from you
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 1: before I leave this room, Tolliver Watt, and I warn you,
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr if you But by then Martin was five
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 1: rooms away and the voice faded. He darted on hopelessly,
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 1: trying to make himself slow down and return to the
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 1: scene of battle. The pressure was too strong. Terror hurled
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 1: him down a corridor, into another room and against a
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 1: metallic object, from which he rebounded to find himself sitting
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: on the floor, looking up at Eniac Kamma the ninety third. Ah,
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: there you are, the robot said, I've been searching all
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 1: over space time for you. You forgot to give me
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: a waiver of responsibility when you talked me into varying
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: the experiment. The authorities would be in my gears if
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: I didn't bring back an eye printed waiver. When a
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 1: subject scratched by variants with a frightened glance behind him,
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: Martin rose to his feet. What he asked confusedly, Listen,
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: you've got to change me back to myself. Everyone's trying
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 1: to kill me. You're just in time. I can't wait
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: twelve hours. Change me back to myself. Quick. Oh I'm
• 1:32:30
  Speaker 1: through with you, the robot said, callously. You're no longer
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 1: a suitably unconditioned subject after that last treatment you insisted on.
• 1:32:39
  Speaker 1: I should have got the waiver from you then, but
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: you got me all confused with Disraeli's oratory. Now Here,
• 1:32:46
  Speaker 1: just hold this up to your left eye for twenty seconds.
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 1: He extended a flat, glittering little metal disk. It's already
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: sensitized and filled out. It only needs your EyePrint fix it,
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 1: and you'll never see me again, mart and shrank away.
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: But what's going to happen to me? He quavered, swallowing,
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 1: how should I know? After twelve hours the treatment will
• 1:33:10
  Speaker 1: wear off and you'll be yourself again. Hold this up
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: to your eye now, I will, if you'll change me
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: back to myself, Martin haggled. I can't. It's against the rules.
• 1:33:22
  Speaker 1: One variance is bad enough even with a filed waiver,
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 1: but two. No. To hold this up to your left eye. No,
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: Martin said, with feeble firmness. I won't. Eniac studied him. Yes,
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 1: you will, the robot said, finally, or I'll go boo
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 1: at you. Martin paled slightly, but he shook his head
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 1: in desperate determination. No, he said doggedly. Unless I get
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: rid of Ivan's matrix right now, Erica will never marry me,
• 1:33:53
  Speaker 1: and I'll never get my contract released from What all
• 1:33:56
  Speaker 1: you have to do is put that helmet on my
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: head and change me back to myself. Is that too
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 1: much to ask, certainly of a robot, Eniac said stiffly. No,
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: more shilly shally. It's lucky you're wearing the Ivan matrix
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: so I can impose my will on you put your
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: EyePrint on this. Instantly, Martin rushed behind the couch and hid.
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: The robot advanced menacingly, and at that moment pushed to
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 1: the last ditch. Martin suddenly remembered something. He faced the robot. Wait,
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: he said, you don't understand. I can't I print that thing.
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: It won't work on me. Don't you realize that it's
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: supposed to take the EyePrint of the rod and cone
• 1:34:37
  Speaker 1: pattern of the retina. The robot said, so, so how
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: can I do that unless I can keep my eye
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: open for twenty seconds? My perceptive reaction thresholds are ivans,
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 1: aren't they. I can't control the reflex of blinking. I've
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: got a coward's synapses, and they'd forced me to shut
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: my eyes tight the second that gimmick got too close
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: to them. Hold them open, the robot suggested, with your fingers.
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 1: My fingers have reflexes too, Martin argued, moving toward a sideboard.
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: There's only one answer. I've got to get drunk. If
• 1:35:12
  Speaker 1: I'm half stupefied with liquor, my reflexes will be slow.
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: I won't be able to shut my eyes. And don't
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 1: try to use force either, if I dropped dead with fear,
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 1: how would you get my EyePrint? Then? Very easily, the
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 1: robot said, I'd pry open your lids. Martin hastily reached
• 1:35:30
  Speaker 1: for a bottle on the sideboard and a glass, but
• 1:35:33
  Speaker 1: his hand swerved aside and gripped instead a siphon of
• 1:35:36
  Speaker 1: soda water. Only Eniac went on the forgery might be detected.
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 1: Martin fizzled the glass full of soda and took a
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: long drink. I won't be long getting drunk, he said,
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: his voice thickening. In fact, it's beginning to work already.
• 1:35:54
  Speaker 1: See I'm cooperating. The robot hesitated. Well, hurry up about it,
• 1:36:01
  Speaker 1: he said, and sat down. Martin, about to take another drink,
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: suddenly paused, staring at Eniac. Then, with a sharply indrawn breath,
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: he lowered the glass. What's the matter now, the robot asked,
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 1: drink your What is it? It's whiskey, Martin told the
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: inexperienced automaton. But now I see it all. You've put
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: poison in it. So that's your plan, is it? Well?
• 1:36:27
  Speaker 1: I won't touch another drop, and now you'll never get
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: my EyePrint. I'm no fool cog almighty, the robot said, rising,
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: you poured that drink yourself? How could I have poisoned it? Drink?
• 1:36:41
  Speaker 1: I won't, Martin said, with a coward stubbornness, fighting back
• 1:36:45
  Speaker 1: the growing suspicion that the drink might really be toxic.
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: You swallow that drink, Eniac commanded, his voice beginning to
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 1: quiver slightly. It's perfectly harmless, then prove it, Martin's said, cunningly.
• 1:37:01
  Speaker 1: Would you be willing to switch glasses? Would you drink
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 1: this poisoned brew yourself? How do you expect me to drink?
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 1: The robot demanded, I he paused, All right, hand me
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: the glass, he said, I'll take a sip. Then you've
• 1:37:16
  Speaker 1: got to drink the rest of it. Aha, Martin said,
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: you betrayed yourself that time. You're a robot. You can't drink, remember,
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: not the same way that I can. Anyhow. Now I've
• 1:37:27
  Speaker 1: got you trapped, you assassin. There's your brew, He pointed
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: to a floor lamp. Do you dare drink with me
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 1: now in your electrical fashion? Or do you admit that
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: you're trying to poison me? Wait a minute, what am
• 1:37:39
  Speaker 1: I saying? That wouldn't prove a of course it would,
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 1: the robot said hastily. You're perfectly right, and it's very
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: cunning of you. We'll drink together, and that will prove
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: your whiskey's harmless. So you'll keep on drinking til your
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 1: preflex is slowed down. See well, Martin began uncertain, certainly,
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: but the unscrupulous robot unscrewed a bulb from the floor lamp,
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: pulled the switch, and inserted his finger into the empty socket,
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: which caused a crackling flash there. The robot said, it
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: isn't poisoned. See you're not swallowing it. Martin said, suspiciously,
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 1: you're holding it in your mouth. I mean your finger.
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 1: Eniac again probed the socket. Well, all right, perhaps, Martin said,
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: in a doubtful fashion, but I'm not going to risk
• 1:38:31
  Speaker 1: your slipping of powder in my liquor, you trader. You're
• 1:38:35
  Speaker 1: going to keep up with me, drink for drink until
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 1: I can I print that gimmick of yours, or else
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: I stop drinking. But does sticking your finger in that
• 1:38:43
  Speaker 1: lamp really prove my liquor isn't poisoned? I can't quite.
• 1:38:47
  Speaker 1: Of course it does, the robot said, quickly, I'll prove it.
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: I'll do it again, pH powerful d c isn't it? Certainly?
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: It proves it. Keep drinking now, his gaze watchfully on
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: the robot, Martin lifted his glass of club soda, cried
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: the robot some time later, sketching a singularly loose smile
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: on its metallic face best fermented mammoth's milk I ever tasted.
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 1: Martin agreed, lifting his tenth glass of soda order. He
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 1: felt slightly queasy and wondered if he might be drowning
• 1:39:25
  Speaker 1: mammoth's milk, asked Eniac, thickly, what year is this? Martin
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 1: drew a long breath. Ivan's capacious memory had served him
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: very well so far. Voltage, he recalled, increased the frequency
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: of the robot's thought patterns and disorganized ENIAC's memory, which
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 1: was being proved before his eyes. But the crux of
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 1: his plan was yet to come. The year of the
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 1: Great Hairy One, of course, Martin said briskly. Don't you
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 1: remember then, you? Eniac strove to focus upon his drinking companion.
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 1: You must be the mammoth slayer. That's it, Martin cried,
• 1:40:06
  Speaker 1: Have another jolt, What about giving me the treatment? Now?
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: What treatment, Martin looked impatient. You said you were going
• 1:40:15
  Speaker 1: to impose the character matrix of Mammoth Slayer on my mind.
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 1: You said that would ensure my optimum ecological adjustment in
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 1: this temporal phase, and nothing else would, did I But
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 1: you're not Mammoth Slayer, Eniac said, confusedly. Mammoth Slayer was
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 1: the son of the Great Hairy One. What's your mother's name,
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: the Great Hairy One, Martin replied, at which the robot
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: grated its hand across its gleaming forehead. Have one more jolt,
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 1: Martin suggested, like this, Eniac asked, obeying. I keep feeling
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 1: I've forgotten something important. Martin adjusted the crystal helmet on
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: his skull. Now, he commanded, give me the character matrix
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: of Mammoth's Layer, son of the Great Hairy One. Well,
• 1:41:06
  Speaker 1: all right, Eniac said, dizzily. The red ribbon swirled. There
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 1: was a flash from the helmet. There. The robot said,
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: it's done. It may take a few minutes to begin functioning,
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 1: but then for twelve hours you'll wait. Where are you going?
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 1: But Martin had already departed. The robot stuffed the helmet
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: and the quarter mile of red ribbon back for the
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: last time. He lurched to the floor lamp, muttering something
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 1: about one for the road. Afterward, the room lay empty,
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 1: a fading murmur said nick Erica gasped, staring at the
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 1: figure in the doorway. Don't stand like that, you frighten me.
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 1: Everyone in the room looked up abruptly at her cry.
• 1:41:51
  Speaker 1: And so we're just in time to see a horrifying
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: change take place in Martin's shape. It was an illusion,
• 1:41:58
  Speaker 1: of course, but an alarming one. His knees slowly bent
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 1: until he was half crouching. His shoulders slumped as though
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: bowed by the weight of enormous back and shoulder muscles,
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 1: and his arms swung forward until their knuckles hung perilously
• 1:42:12
  Speaker 1: near the floor. Nicholas Martin had at last achieved a
• 1:42:16
  Speaker 1: personality whose ecological norm would put him on a level
• 1:42:20
  Speaker 1: with Raoul Saint Cyr. Nick Erica quavered. Slowly, Martin's jaw
• 1:42:26
  Speaker 1: protruded till his lower teeth were hideously visible. Gradually, his
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: eyelids dropped until he was peering up out of tiny,
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 1: wicked sockets. Then, slowly, a perfectly shocking grin broadened mister
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 1: Martin's mouth. Erica he said throatily mine, and with that
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 1: he shambled forward, seized the horrified girl in his arms,
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 1: and bit her on the ear. Oh, Nick, Erica murmured,
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: closing her eyes. Why didn't you ever? No, no, no, Nick,
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 1: stop it. The contract released. We've got to Nick. What
• 1:43:04
  Speaker 1: are you doing? She snatched at Martin's departing form, but
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: too late For all his ungainly and unpleasant gait. Martin
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: covered the ground fast, Almost instantly, he was clamoring over
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 1: Watt's desk as the most direct route to that startled
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: tycoon Deedy looked on a little surprised. Saint Cyr lunged
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 1: forward in mixolydia. He began ha so he picked up
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 1: Martin and threw him across the room. Oh you beast,
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 1: Erica cried, and flung herself upon the director, beating at
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: his brawny chest. On second thought, she used her shoes
• 1:43:43
  Speaker 1: on his shins with more effect. Saint Cyr, no gentleman,
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 1: turned her around, pinioned her arms behind her, and glanced
• 1:43:51
  Speaker 1: up at Watt's alarmed cry Martin, what are you doing?
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 1: There was reason for the inquiry. Apparently unhurt by Saint
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 1: Cyr's toss Martin had hit the floor, rolled over and
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: over like a ball, knocked down a floor lamp with
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 1: a crash, and uncurled with an unpleasant expression on his face.
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 1: He rose crouching bandy, legged his arms swinging low, a
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 1: snarl curling his lips. You take my mate the pithecanthropic,
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 1: mister Martin inquired, throatily, rapidly, loosing all touch with the
• 1:44:28
  Speaker 1: twentieth century. It was a rhetorical question. He picked up
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: the lamp stand. He did not have to bend to
• 1:44:35
  Speaker 1: do it, tore off the silk shade as he would
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 1: have peeled foliage from a tree limb, and balanced the
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 1: weapon in his hand. Then he moved forward, carrying the
• 1:44:45
  Speaker 1: lamp standard like a spear, I said, Martin. Kill. Then
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 1: he endeavored with the most admirable single heartedness to carry
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 1: out his expressed intention. The first thrust of the blunt
• 1:44:59
  Speaker 1: improvised spear rammed into Saint Cyr's solar plexus and drove
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: him back against the wall with a booming thud. This
• 1:45:06
  Speaker 1: seemed to be what Martin wanted. Keeping one end of
• 1:45:09
  Speaker 1: his spear pressed into the director's belly, he crouched lower,
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 1: dug his toes into the rug and did his very
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: best to drill a hole in Saint Cyr. Stop it,
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 1: cried Watt, flinging himself into the conflict. Ancient reflexes took over.
• 1:45:26
  Speaker 1: Martin's arms shot out. Watt shot off in the opposite direction.
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: The lamp broke. Martin looked pensively at the pieces, tentatively
• 1:45:35
  Speaker 1: began to bite one, changed his mind and looked at
• 1:45:38
  Speaker 1: Saint Cyr instead. The gasping director, mouthing threats, curses and objections,
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 1: drew himself up and shook a huge fist at Martin. I,
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: he announced, shall kill you with my bare hands. Then
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 1: I go over to MGM. With deedy in mix oglydia.
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 1: Martin lifted his own fists towards his face. He guarded them,
• 1:46:01
  Speaker 1: He unclenched them slowly while a terrible grin spread across
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 1: his face. And then, with every tooth showing, and with
• 1:46:09
  Speaker 1: the hungry gleam of a mad tiger in his tiny
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: little eyes, he lifted his gaze to Saint Cyr's throat.
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 1: Mammoth Slayer was not the son of the great Hairy
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 1: One for nothing. Martin sprang, so did Saint Cyr in
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 1: another direction, screaming with sudden terror, For after all, he
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 1: was only a medievalist. The feudal man is far more
• 1:46:33
  Speaker 1: civilized than the so called man of Mammoth Slayer's primordially
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 1: direct era. And as a man recoils from a small
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: but murderous wildcat, so Saint Cyr fled in sudden civilized
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: horror from an attacker who was literally afraid of nothing.
• 1:46:50
  Speaker 1: He sprang through the window and shrieking, vanished into the night.
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: Martin was taken by surprise when Mammothslayer leaped at an enemy.
• 1:46:59
  Speaker 1: The enemy he leaped at him too, and so Martin's
• 1:47:02
  Speaker 1: head slammed against the wall with disconcerting force. Dimly, he
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: heard diminishing terrified cries. Laboriously, he crawled to his feet
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 1: and set back against the wall, snarling quite ready. Nick
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: Erica's voice called Nick, it's me, stop it, stop it.
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: Dee dee hmm, Martin said, thickly, shaking his head kill.
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 1: He growled softly, blinking through red rimmed little eyes at
• 1:47:31
  Speaker 1: the scene around him. It swam back slowly into focus.
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: Erica was struggling with Dee Dee near the window. You
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: let me go, Dee Dee, cried, where Raoul goes I
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: godde pleaded a new voice. Martin glanced aside to see
• 1:47:48
  Speaker 1: Tolliver Watt crumpled in a corner, a crushed lampshade, half
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 1: obscuring his face. With a violent effort, Martin straightened up.
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: Walking upright seemed unnatural somehow, but it helped submerge Mammoth
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 1: Slayer's worst instincts. Besides, with Saint cyr, Gone's dresses were
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 1: slowly subsiding, so that Mammoth Slayer's dominant trait was receding
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 1: from the active foreground. Martin tested his tongue cautiously, relieved
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 1: to find he was still capable of human speech. Huh,
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 1: he said, er ah wa. Watt blinked at him anxiously
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 1: through the lampshade. Er release, Martin said, with a violent effort,
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: contract release, gimme Watt had carriage. He crawled to his feet,
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: removing the lampshade. Contract release. He snapped, you madman, don't
• 1:48:43
  Speaker 1: you realize what you've done. Dee Dee's walking out on me.
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 1: D d don't go. We will bring Raoul back. Raoul
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 1: told me to quit. If he quit, Dee Dee said, stubbornly.
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 1: You don't have to do what Saint Cyr tells you,
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 1: Erica said, hanging on to the struggling star. Don't I,
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 1: Dede asked, astonished, Yes, I do. I always have. Dee Dee,
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 1: Watt said, frantically, I'll give you the finest contract on earth,
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 1: a ten year contract. Look here it is. He tore
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 1: out a well creased document. All you have to do
• 1:49:18
  Speaker 1: is sign and you can have anything you want. Wouldn't
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 1: you like that? Oh? Yes, Dede said, but Raoul wouldn't
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 1: like it. She broke free from Erica Martin. Watt told
• 1:49:30
  Speaker 1: the playwright frantically, get Saint Cyr back. Apologize to him.
• 1:49:34
  Speaker 1: I don't care how, but get him back. If you don't,
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 1: I I'll never give you your release. Martin was observed
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 1: to slump slightly, perhaps with hopelessness, then again perhaps not.
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry. Dee Dee said, I liked working for you, Tolliver,
• 1:49:52
  Speaker 1: but I'd have to do what Raoul says. Of course,
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: and she moved toward the window. Martin had slumped further
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 1: down till his knuckles quite brushed the rug. His angry
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: little eyes, glowing with baffled rage, were fixed on Dede. Slowly,
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 1: his lips peeled back, exposing every tooth in his head. You,
• 1:50:13
  Speaker 1: he said, in an ominous growl. Dee Dee paused, but
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 1: only briefly. Then the enraged roar of a wild beast
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: reverberated through the room. You come back, bellowed the infuriated
• 1:50:26
  Speaker 1: mammoth Slayer, and with one agile bound sprang to the window,
• 1:50:29
  Speaker 1: seized Dede and slung her under one arm, wheeling. He
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 1: glared jealously at the shrinking wat and reached for Erica.
• 1:50:38
  Speaker 1: In a trice, he had the struggling forms of both
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: girls captive, one under each arm. His wicked little eyes
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: glanced from one to the other. Then, playing no favorites,
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 1: he bit each quickly on the ear. Nick Erica cried,
• 1:50:53
  Speaker 1: how dare you mine? Mammoth Slayer informed her hoarsely. You
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 1: I am, Erica said, But that works both ways. Put
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 1: down that hussy you've got under your other arm. Mammoths
• 1:51:08
  Speaker 1: Layer was observed to eye d D doubtfully well. Erica said, tartly,
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 1: make up your mind, both, said the uncivilized playwright. Yes no,
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 1: Erica said, yes. D D breathed an entirely new tone
• 1:51:28
  Speaker 1: limp as a dishrag. The lovely creature hung from Martin's
• 1:51:31
  Speaker 1: arm and gazed up at her captor with idolatrous admiration.
• 1:51:36
  Speaker 1: Oh you hussy, Erica said, what about Saint cyr him.
• 1:51:42
  Speaker 1: De d said scornfully, he hasn't got a thing. That's sissy.
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 1: I'll never look at him again. She turned her adoring
• 1:51:49
  Speaker 1: gaze back to Martin. Hah, the latter grunted, tossing Dede
• 1:51:55
  Speaker 1: into Watt's lap. Yours keep her, he grinned, approvingly. Erica
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 1: strong she better. Both Watt and Dee Dee remained motionless,
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 1: staring at Martin. You, he said, thrusting a finger at
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 1: Dee Dee. You stay with him. Hah, he indicated. Wat
• 1:52:16
  Speaker 1: DeeDee nodded in slavish adoration. You signed contract nod. Martin
• 1:52:22
  Speaker 1: looked significantly into Watt's eyes. He extended his hand the
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: contract release. Erica explained, upside down. Give it to him
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: before he pulls your head off. Slowly, Watt pulled the
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: contract release from his pocket and held it out, but
• 1:52:38
  Speaker 1: Martin was already shambling toward the window. Erica reached back
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 1: hastily and snatched the document that was a wonderful act,
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 1: she told Nick as they reached the street, put me down,
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: now we can find a cab. Some no act. Martin growled,
• 1:52:56
  Speaker 1: real till tomorrow. After that, he shrugged. But tonight, Mammoth Slayer,
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 1: he attempted to climb a palm tree, changed his mind
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: and shambled on, carrying the now pensive Erica. But it
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: was not until a police car drove past that Erica screamed,
• 1:53:16
  Speaker 1: I'll bail you out tomorrow, Erica told Mammoth Slayer. Struggling
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 1: between two large patrolmen, her words were drowned in an
• 1:53:24
  Speaker 1: infuriating bellow. Thereafter, events blurred to solidify again for the
• 1:53:30
  Speaker 1: irate Mammothslayer only when he was thrown in a cell,
• 1:53:33
  Speaker 1: where he picked himself up with a threatening roar, I kill,
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: he announced. Seizing the bars, ah two in one night,
• 1:53:45
  Speaker 1: said a bored voice, moving away outside. Both in bell
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 1: are too, think they're popped up. We couldn't get a
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 1: coherent story out of either one. The bars shook. An
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 1: annoyed voice from one of the bunks said to shut up,
• 1:53:59
  Speaker 1: and at that there had been already enough trouble from
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: nincom poops without here, it paused hesitated and uttered a shrill,
• 1:54:08
  Speaker 1: sharp piercing cry. Silence prevailed momentarily in the cell block
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 1: as Mammoth Slayer, son of the Great Hairy One, turned
• 1:54:18
  Speaker 1: slowly to face Raoul Saint cyr And of Part two
• 1:54:28
  Speaker 1: of the Ego Machine and of the Ego Machine by
• 1:54:33
  Speaker 1: Henry Kutner