ng in it even after
he had discovered that his talents lay in the robot design field.

"Ardan!" he said sharply.

At the other end of the office, the robot assistant ceased his work
for a moment. "Yes, sir?"

"Come here a minute; I want you to look at something."

"Yes, sir."

The robot's segmented body was built very much like Dodeth's own,
except that instead of the twelve pairs of legs that supported
Dodeth's body, the robot was equipped with wheels, each suspended
separately and equipped with its individual power source. Ardan rolled
sedately across the floor, his metallic body gleaming in the light
from the low ceiling. He came to a halt in front of Dodeth's business
bench.

Dodeth handed Ardan the thin data booklet. "Scan through that."

Ardan went through it rapidly, his eyes carefully scanning each page,
his brain recording everything permanently. After a few seconds, he
looked back up at Dodeth. "A new species."

"Exactly. Did you notice anything odd about their appearance?"

"Naturally," said Ardan. "Since their like has never been seen before,
it is axiomatic that they would appear odd."

_Fry it!_ Dodeth thought. He should have known better than to ask a
question like that of Ardan. To ask it to determine what might be
called second-order strangeness in a pattern that was strange in the
first place was asking too much of a robot.

"Very well, then. Make an appointment for this evening with Yerdeth
Pell. I would like to see him at his home if it is convenient."

"Yes, sir," said the robot.

* * * * *

Evening was four work-periods away, and even after Yerdeth had granted
the appointment, Dodeth found himself fidgeting in anticipation.

Twice, during the following work periods, Wygor came in with more
information. He had gone above ground with a group of protection
robots, finally, to take a look at the new animals himself, but he
hadn't yet managed to obtain enough data to make a definitive report
on the strange beasts.

But the lack of data was, in itself, significant.

Dodeth usually liked to walk through the broad tunnels of the main
thoroughfares, since he didn't particularly care to ride robot-back
for so short a distance, but this time he was in such a hurry to see
Yerdeth that he decided to let Ardan take him.

He climbed aboard, clamped his legs to the robot's sides, and said:
"To Yerdeth Pell's."

The robot said "Yes, sir," and rolled out to the