nd swore. "It will,
sir. Give us a few hours. We had seven total rejects, so I doubt the
tapes are at fault. More like a synaptic overload. Transferrals are
okay, so I want to try it with a stepped-up synaptic check; that'll
alleviate any overload without drain on the minor selective, which is
better than setting up complete new correlation-grams."

It was too much for Mandleco. Grinding a fist in his palm, he stared
into the matrix and muttered, "Unprecedented. Absolutely unprecedented!
Arnold, I just can't understand _why_--"

"Happened pretty suddenly," Beardsley intruded. His voice was low and
laden with meaning. "Almost as if it had gone berserk! And little
wonder, if you ask me...."

Mandleco turned quickly. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"Well ... how would _you_ feel if you had just been handed the news, out
of the blue, that someone you loved had been brutally murdered? ECAIAC
reacted, is all. She must have regarded Carmack as a father--"

* * * * *

Arnold looked up in amazement. "Beardsley, will you stop that crazy
nonsense!"

"Nonsense?" Beardsley appeared hurt. "Why--you said yourself that you
wanted me and ECAIAC to become great friends!" He appealed to Mandleco.
"That's what he said, sir, and he even took pains to introduce me and
all, and--"

"It was in the nature of a joke, sir!" Arnold's voice rose an octave. "A
private little joke, and he's trying to make it appear--"

"Stop it, stop it!" Mandleco thundered. "Arnold--you get that new unit
installed on the double! Put your best men on it. That's an order!
Beardsley, I'm glad you had the presence of mind to contact me.
Commendable, most commendable."

Arnold scowled, hit Beardsley with an accusing look.

"Above all," said Mandleco, "not a word of this must leak! _Damn_ it,
why should this have to happen _now_? Public confidence will be
undermined if they think ECAIAC is--is--"

"Not infallible?" suggested Beardsley.

"Exactly. You hear me, Arnold? Not a word of this must get out!"

"I'm sure it won't," Arnold glared venomously at Beardsley, "if you'll
just keep _him_ away from the tele-stats."

* * * * *

The Minister of Justice walked away, still muttering something about
public confidence and political repercussions. Beardsley kept pace
beside him until they were across the room. Then he spoke, timidly at
first.

"Pardon me, sir, but--I'd like to ask you something." His voic