d another for
me, but I don't intend to leave, anyway."

"You will be killed then."

"Come, now, Professor Tomlin. You know better than that."

"If someone else can't, then perhaps I can."

"Fine!" The robot replied jovially. "That's just what I want you to do.
Oppose me. Give me a real test of your ability. If you find it
impossible to kill me--and I'm sure you will--then I doubt if anyone
else will be able to."

Prof. Tomlin lit a cigaret and puffed hard at it. "The trouble with
you," he said, eying the humanoid evenly, "is that your makers forgot to
give you a conscience."

"Needless baggage, a conscience. One of your Fifth Order failings."

"You will leave here...."

"Of course. Under the circumstances, and because of your attitude, you
are of very little use to me now, Professor Tomlin."

The robot walked down the steps. People attracted by the police car made
a wide aisle for him to the street.

They watched him as he walked out of sight.

* * * * *

That night there was a mass meeting in the university's Memorial
Gymnasium, attended by several hundred men. They walked in and silently
took their seats, some on the playing floor, others in the balcony over
the speaker's platform. There was very little talking; the air was
tense.

On the platform at the end of the gym were Mayor Harry Winters, Chief of
Police Sam Higgins, and Prof. Ansel Tomlin.

"Men," the mayor began, "there is loose in our city a being from another
world whom I'm afraid we took too lightly a few days ago. I am speaking
of the humanoid--George of Zanthar. It is obvious the machine means
business. He evidently came in with one purpose--to prepare Earth for
others just like him to follow. He is testing us. He has, as you know,
killed two men. Richard Knight, who may have erred in attacking the
machine, is nonetheless dead as a result--killed by a force we do not
understand. A few minutes later Sergeant Gerald Phillips of the police
force was killed in the performance of his duty, trying to arrest the
humanoid George for the death of Mr. Knight. We are here to discuss what
we can do about George."

He then introduced Prof. Tomlin who told all he knew about the blue man,
his habits, his brain, the experiences with him for the past two and a
half weeks.

"If we could determine the source of his power, it might be possible to
cut it off or to curtail it. He might be rendered at least temporarily
helpl