"I wish I could agree," I said. "But you see our concern is for society
as a whole, rather than with a small minority that benefit from the
apathy and ignorance of the majority. For your satisfaction, and that
of a few others, you may be right. Frankly, dear Jokan, though you're
very very lovely to look at, your mind is ugly and warped. And I would
rather see you dead."
I sprang and reached for her. She screamed once, before the robots came
in and lumbered for me. I remember mumbling about the monotony of the
robot act; as she eluded me, and I eluded them. And I kept on trying to
grab Jokan. It was an obsession with me.
A quick glance revealed Draken cowered down in his corner, his old
child's face twisted in stunned horror.
My only intention at that moment was to get my hands around Jokan's
perfect neck just one more time. It was a mad, fanatical urge now. I
hated her. I hated her with a blind madness.
The robots weren't nearly as dexterous as they should have been.
Physical encounter was undoubtedly alien to their primary purpose.
This place of Draken's was bigger, with a few articles in it, than the
laboratory had been. There were pneumatic chairs and couches and ray
lamps and vitamin globes. I ducked, sprawled, ran and careened in and
out of these rooms and around the strange looking fixtures. I, close
on Jokan's sandaled heels, and the robots close on mine. It might even
seem more or less a comical scene in retrospect, but--
Then I saw that silver sphere of Draken's, hanging in the air about
four feet from the floor, smooth, mysterious, but very suggestive. As I
ran back past Draken, I yelled at him.
I doubt if Draken understood my words, he was so stricken with horror,
but he grasped my meaning, and somehow managed to stagger onto his
quavering legs and tottered wild-eyed toward the sphere.
But Jokan understood my meaning, too. And through some telepathic
direction I still don't understand, she guided the robots onto poor
Draken. Draken never had a chance.
I don't think he even comprehended conflict. He could neither fight
back, nor try to escape. It seemed that violence, either offensive or
defensive, was beyond his understanding. That was why he could not
bring himself to pull the master switch that would have accomplished
his desired destruction of Mohln. That was also the reason why the
robot was able to take him into its inexorable metal arms and crush him
into something not far removed from pulp.
His delicate, deep pocketed eyes looked beseechingly into mine, once.
Then the tremendous pressure bulged them horribly and unconsciously at
me. His bony arms flapped and waved spasmodically and blood spurted
from his small almost invisible ears and equally minute nose. Then
his whole frail body seemed to crack through the middle and deflate.
At another telepathic command from Jokan, the robot's arms raised and
unbent, and the body of Draken thudded on the inlaid floor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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