Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 44 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION standing about my brother thought none the less of me for what I had done. James was in his corner when I returned. “James,” I called over to him. “Need I any longer go through the farce of switching you on when I require a service?’ “No, sir—it was never necessary.” “Good! Then here is a general instruction. The at- tempt made on my life last night was inspired by my brother. I have just killed the man who arranged it, but there will be others. We may have more burglars. My land car may be tampered with. Food may be poisoned. You are to prevent any of these things happening. Since last night I am assuming that you are capable of acting on a general order of this sort, and of devoting yourself to the task of ensuring that I stay alive. Am I right?” “Yes, sir,” the robot said. “Then you must be with me always—day and night.” “Sir,” the robot interrupted, “in order that a general in- struction be carried out ef- fectively, you must leave it as a general instruction; that is 18 when it is ready,” to say, you must not qualify it with orders in detail.” I felt myself to have been rebuked. “Very well,” Lagreed, “but even you are no magi- cian; you must be advised as to the circumstances.” “Certainly I require in- formation in order to make an assessment of your situa- tion. Will you, therefore, give me an order to visit the libraries, to have information on current events, and to be present while you have con- versations with influential persons?” “T will arrange all that,” I assured him, “and when you have collected your informa- tion, and assessed my chances of survival, I shall be happy to have your report—shall we say in a month’s time?” “A report will be rendered the robot told me. There was. never any sort of emotion in his now resonant but still mech- anical voice, and any sort of emotion that I thought I detected came in truth from my own imagination. On this occasion my imagination detected a sort of frostiness. For some weeks James soaked up information con- cerning myself and my cir- cumstances. He began at the commicloooks.«comn