The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ask a Foolish Question, by Robert Sheckley

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Title: Ask a Foolish Question

Author: Robert Sheckley

Release Date: October 11, 2010 [EBook #33854]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASK A FOOLISH QUESTION ***

Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced Science Fiction Stories 1953. Extensive
research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this
publication was renewed.

_It's well established now that the way you put a question
often determines not only the answer you'll get, but the
type of answer possible. So ... a mechanical answerer,
geared to produce the ultimate revelations in reference to
anything you want to know, might have unsuspected
limitations._

_Ask A Foolish Question_

_by_ ROBERT SHECKLEY

* * * * *

[Illustration]

Answerer was built to last as long as was necessary--which was quite
long, as some races judge time, and not long at all, according to
others. But to Answerer, it was just long enough.

As to size, Answerer was large to some and small to others. He could
be viewed as complex, although some believed that he was really very
simple.

Answerer knew that he was as he should be. Above and beyond all else,
he was The Answerer. He Knew.

Of the race that built him, the less said the better. They also Knew,
and never said whether they found the knowledge pleasant.

They built Answerer as a service to less-sophisticated races, and
departed in a unique manner. Where they went only Answerer knows.

Because Answerer knows everything.

Upon his planet, circling his sun, Answerer sat. Duration continued,
long, as some judge duration, short as others judge it. But as it
should be, to Answerer.

Within him were the Answers. He knew the nature of things, and why
things are as they are, and what they are, and wh