later we still couldn't decide what to do. When I said why
didn't we just report the incident to Minor Planets, Min was afraid they
might cancel the stopover agreement for not keeping better watch over
their servos. And when Min suggested we turn the girl over to the
Missing Robots Bureau, I reminded her the mech's identification had been
filed off and it might take years to trace her.

"Maybe we could put her together," I said, "and make her tell us where
she belongs."

"Bill, you _know_ they don't build compulsory truth monitors into robots
any more, and besides we don't know a thing about atomic electronics."

I guess neither of us wanted to admit it but we felt mean about turning
the mechs in. Back on Earth you never give robots a second thought but
it's different living out in space. You get a kind of perspective I
think they call it.

"I've got the answer, Min," I announced one day. We were in the Renting
Office watching TV on the Martian Colonial channel. I reached over and
turned it off. "When this Frank Nineteen gets back from the rock belt,
we'll tell him we know all about the girl mech. We'll tell him we won't
say a thing if he takes the girl's parts back to Earth where he got
them. That way we don't have to report anything to anybody."

Min agreed it was probably the best idea.

"We don't have to be nasty about it," she said. "We'll just tell him
this is a respectable spotel and it can't go on any longer."

When Frank checked in at the Io with his cargo I don't think I ever saw
a happier mech. His relay banks were beating a tattoo like someone had
installed an accordion in his chest. Before either of us could break the
bad news to him he was hotfooting it around the wheel toward 22A.

"Maybe it's better this way," I whispered to Min. "We'll put it square
up to both of them."

We gave Frank half an hour to get the girl assembled before we followed
him. He must have done a fast job because we heard the girl mech's
vibrahum unit as soon as we got to 22A:

"Darling, have you really been away? I don't remember saying good-bye.
It's as if you'd been here the whole time."

"I hoped it would be that way, Elizabeth," we heard the big servo say.
"It's only that your memory tape hasn't recorded anything in the three
weeks I've been in the asteroids. To me it's been like three years."

"Oh, Frank, darling, let me look at you. Is your DX potential up where
it should be? How long since you've had a thorough