"Oh, sort of, I suppose. For a little while. Once you got used to the
whole place without one single machine that could think or do even the
simplest little thing by itself. So, well, almost like being savages. Do
you think it would be safe for Bennie? We can't watch him all the time,
you know."
"People used to manage in the old days. And remember those people, the
Burleys, who were staying up there?"
"That queer, crazy bunch who went there for a vacation when the Camp was
first opened and then just stayed? Honestly, Ben! Surely you're not
thinking of--"
"Oh, nothing like that. Just a vacation. Only--"
Only those queer, peculiar people, the Burleys had seemed so relaxed and
cheerful. Grandma and Ma Burley cleaning, washing, cooking on the
ancient electric stove; little Donnie, being a nuisance, poking at the
keys on his father's crude, manual typewriter, a museum piece; Donnie
and his brothers wasting away childhood digging and piling sand on the
beach, paddling a boat and actually building a play house. It was mad.
People playing robots. And yet, they seemed to have a wonderful time
while they were doing it.
"But how do you keep staying here?" he had asked Buck Burley, "Why don't
they put you out?"
"Who?" asked Buck. "How? Nobody can sell me on leaving. We like it here.
No robot can force us out. Here we are. Here we stay."
* * * * *
They pulled into the Guest-ville ramp. Bennie was fussy; the nursery
Nana was strange to him. On impulse, Betty took him in to sleep in their
room, ignoring the disapproving stares of both the Nana and the Roboy
with their things.
They were tired, let down. They went to bed quietly.
In the morning Betty was already up when Ben stumbled out of bed. "Hi,"
she said, nervously cheerful. "The house Nanas all had overload this
morning and I won't stand for any of those utility components with
Bennie. So I'm taking care of him myself."
Bennie chortled and drooled vita-meal at his high-chair, unreprimanded.
Ben mustered a faint smile and turned to go dial a shave, cool shower
and dress at Robather.
That done, he had a bite of breakfast. He felt less than top-sale, but
better. Last night _had_ gone well. The Old Man would give them a
pre-paid vacation clearance to any resort in the world or out. Why
gloom?
He rubbed Bennie's unruly hair, kissed Betty and conveyed over from
Guest-ville to office.
Message-sec, in tone respect-admiration A, told him the Old Man was
waiting for him. Susan, the human receptionist in the outer office,
favored him with a dazzling smile. There was a girl who could sell; and
had a product of her own, too.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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