61
AREN’T HUMANS LUCKY?
Help. "It's making me
nervous. I think I'll give
it a look now."
He was about to stand up
when the secretary spoke
again,
"There
are
messengers
from
BiK
waiting outside, Sir.
I
will ask them in."
Before Perlock could
say anything the door
said, "Just a moment, telltale secretary to my
beloved master, I think
that job enters into my
domain."
"You're more pleasant
when you are sulking,
door. Now don't be so
pompous,"
said
the
secretary. "I think you
will find that it is the
secretary’s job to decide
who comes in or not."
Perlock
felt
like
screaming.
He
was
trying to control himself
enough to speak.
"If that is true, little
secretary, then what is
my function?"
"Why,"
secretary,
said
the
"to open, of
course, when
who to let in."
I
decide
The door fell silent for a
moment
then
began
mumbling, "I'm sure that's
not right. I shall look it up
in
my
conditions
of
employment."
"Shall I open the door
now,
Sir,"
secretary.
asked
the
Perlock parted his lips
quickly, trying to get a
word in while he had the
chance, but the door
shouted,
"Ah
hah,
secretary robot, you have
to ask our kind master
who to allow in. You have
no
control.
You
are
merely
a
go-between,
relaying the appropriate
information to me. I think
...”
"Damn what you think,"
yelled Perlock, twitching
below his left eye. "Let the
messenger in. Don't you
realise
BiK
are
my
largest clients?"
"If I may be allowed to
make a comment, oh
dream of a master, which
may
possibly
be