AREN’T HUMANS LUCKY?
inform
you,
an
experimental pen with a
large store of ink in
another dimension. To all
intents
and
purposes
everlasting.
And
you
broke into the reservoir
when you snapped the
pen in two."
Perlock's brow wrinkled
in thought. He went
through what he could
remember of the previous
day's
horror.
"What
happened after that?"
"The
Luggoni
and
Saggermakker
Home
Help began to clean the
room with a powerful,
patented cleanser and it
failed
to
distinguish
between you and your
surroundings, Sir. Then,
realizing that you were
in pain it placed bandages
about you, but rather
indiscriminately
I'm
afraid."
67
deducing
from
your
screams that you were in
some kind of distress I
took the liberty of calling
the hospital, and when the
robots were sent round
door would not let them
in.
He
thought
they
looked very rough. They
were indeed rough, Sir.
They broke door down
and he fell on your legs.”
Perlock sat back, at a
loss as to what he could
say. Eventually, when he
had digested all he had
been
told
he
leaned
forward.
"What's
that
strange noise? Are you
malfunctioning?"
he
asked the secretary.
The secretary moved the
camera so that it was
directed onto the floor.
"It's door, Sir. I think it's
fatal."
The memory returned.
"And I fractured my legs
when I ran into what I
believe was the chair.”
The camera showed the
door on the floor, eyestalks twisted peculiarly.
Perlock's name-plate was
buckled and weird groans
issued from the grill.
"Oh,
no,
Sir.
That
happened later. You see,
"Call maintenance, will
you.
You
have
my