The gray haired man stepped into the breach. He gave us all a thorough going over, but concentrated on MacKinney and me. He seemed to think it peculiar that neither of us could give any reason for Ballard's being alone with Edith. I was sure I knew, but no one would have believed me so I made no attempt to enlighten him. "Well, I guess that's all we can do now," he said at last. "Someone from the local police will have to be notified and brought in after they get security clearance." He turned to go. "Wait a minute," MacKinney said, "we're all overlooking one thing." "What's that?" "There was an eye witness to this crime," he said, and I stared at him in consternation. I didn't know he knew. I thought I was the only one who knew. "What do you mean," the agent demanded angrily. "Edith saw it. Edith, the computer." "Are you nuts?" the agent demanded. "You forget that Edith was turned off," Thompson said. "But Mr. Thompson, Edith's not like most cybernetic machines. She's so far advanced, that I'm not sure we understand her completely. She can't really be turned off. She has a distinct personality and that new circuit--" Of course Edith had a personality of her own! She had more charm, more intelligence, more understanding than most women. "--well--she'd be able to tell us who killed Ballard." "That's ridiculous," I said, badly frightened. "A machine can't be a witness to murder." The security officer looked dubious and shook his head. "I guess we'll have to leave that up to the coroner at the inquest." "But they can't ask questions like that of Edith," I protested. "She's--she's too important to the national defense to have some country coroner asking her silly questions about the murder of a man who deserved to die anyway." I had to prevent this. I had to get around this eye witness business. Thompson looked at me levelly. "MacKinney may be right, Green. The coroner may very well want to talk to Edith and there's no reason we should object if Security gives him clearance." "But Mr. Thompson, our work--it'll be interrupted." "We'll have to take that chance. And I think Washington will agree." "But--" Couldn't they see that there wasn't any question of spying here. Couldn't they understand that Ballard had just gotten what he had coming. I couldn't let them question Edith. At least not until I had a chance to talk to her alone. "And Green--because of your rather strange behaviour, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stay in your quarters until the inquest. MacKinney will handle your work with Edith until then." I was shocked and really frightened now. I wouldn't get to talk to her, wouldn't get a chance to tell her what to say. I protested, but Thompson was firm, so firm that he placed a guard outside my door to make sure I didn't leave.