"Hey, what's the matter?" "Confusion," said the machine. "Of course," it went on in a stronger voice, "the unusual nature of the symptoms need not prove entirely baffling to a competent therapeutic machine. A symptom, no matter how bizarre, is no more than a signpost, an indication of inner difficulty. And all symptoms can be related to the broad mainstream of proven theory. Since the theory is effective, the symptoms must relate. We will proceed on that assumption." "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" asked Caswell, feeling lightheaded. The machine snapped back, its pilot light blazing. "Mechanotherapy today is an exact science and admits no significant errors. We will proceed with a word-association test." "Fire away," said Caswell. "House?" "Home." "Dog?" "Cat." "Fleefl?" Caswell hesitated, trying to figure out the word. It sounded vaguely Martian, but it might be Venusian or even-- "Fleefl?" the Regenerator repeated. "Marfoosh," Caswell replied, making up the word on the spur of the moment. "Loud?" "Sweet." "Green?" "Mother." "Thanagoyes?" "Patamathonga." "Arrides?" "Nexothesmodrastica." "Chtheesnohelgnopteces?" "Rigamaroo latasentricpropatria!" Caswell shot back. It was a collection of sounds he was particularly proud of. The average man would not have been able to pronounce them. "Hmm," said the Regenerator. "The pattern fits. It always does." "What pattern?" "You have," the machine informed him, "a classic case of feem desire, complicated by strong dwarkish intentions." "I do? I thought I was homicidal." "That term has no referent," the machine said severely. "Therefore I must reject it as nonsense syllabification. Now consider these points: The feem desire is perfectly normal. Never forget that. But it is usually replaced at an early age by the hovendish revulsion. Individuals lacking in this basic environmental response--" "I'm not absolutely sure I know what you're talking about," Caswell confessed. "Please, sir! We must establish one thing at once. You are the patient. I am the mechanotherapist. You have brought your troubles to me for treatment. But you cannot expect help unless you cooperate." "All right," Caswell said. "I'll try." Up to now, he had been bathed in a warm glow of superiority. Everything the machine said had seemed mildly humorous. As a matter of fact, he had felt capable of pointing out a few things wrong with the mechanotherapist. Now that sense of well-being evaporated, as it always did, and Caswell was alone, terribly alone and lost, a creature of his compulsions, in search of a little peace and contentment. He would undergo anything to find them. Sternly he reminded himself that he had no right to comment on the mechanotherapist. These machines knew what they were doing and had been doing it for a long time. He would cooperate, no matter how outlandish the treatment seemed from his layman's viewpoint.