"Henry Kuttner (as Lewis Padgett) - The Twonky UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

УSure. Well?Ф
Kerry took out a cigarette. The console walked across the room, picking up a match book on the way, and politely held the flame. Then it went back to its place against the wall.
Fitzgerald didnТt say anything. After a while he took a cigarette from his pocket and waited. Nothing happened.
УSo?Ф Kerry asked.
УA robot. ThatТs the only possible answer. Where in the name of Petrarch did you get it?Ф
УYou donТt seem much surprised.Ф
УI am, though. But IТve seen robots beforeЧ Westinghouse tried it, you know. Only thisЧФ Fitzgerald tapped his teeth with a nail. УWho made it?Ф
УHow the devil should I know?Ф Kerry demanded. УThe radio people, I suppose.Ф
Fitzgerald narrowed his eyes. УWait a minute. I donТt quite understandЧФ
УThereТs nothing to understand. I bought this combination a few days ago. Turned in the old one. It was delivered this afternoon, andЧФ Kerry explained what had happened.
УYou mean you didnТt know it was a robot?Ф
УExactly. I bought it as a radio. And . . . and. . . the damn thing seems almost alive to me.Ф
УNope.Ф Fitzgerald shook his head, rose, and inspected the console carefully. УItТs a new kind of robot. At leastЧФ he hesitated. УWhat else is there to think? I suggest you get in touch with the Mideastern people tomorrow and check up.Ф
УLetТs open the cabinet and look inside,Ф Kerry suggested.
Fitzgerald was willing, but the experiment proved impossible. The presumably wooden panels werenТt screwed into place, and there was no apparent way of opening the console. Keny found a screw-
driver and applied it, gingerly at first, then with a sort of repressed fury. He could neither pry free a panel nor even scratch the dark, smooth finish of the cabinet.
УDamn!Ф he saidlinally. УWell, your guess is as good as mine. ItТs a robot. Only I didnТt know they could make Сem like this. And why in a radio?Ф
УDonТt ask me,Ф Fitzgerald shrugged. УCheck up tomorrow. ThatТs the first step. Naturally IТm pretty baffled. If a new sort of specialized robot has been invented, why put it in a console? And what makes those legs move? There arenТt any casters.Ф
УIТve been wondering about that, too.Ф
УWhen it moves, the legs lookЧrubbery. But theyТre not. TheyТre hard as . . . as hardwood. Or plastic.Ф
УIТm afraid of the thing,Ф Kerry said.
УWant to stay at my place tonight?Ф
УN-no. No. I guess not. TheЧrobotЧcanТt hurt me.Ф
УI donТt think it wants to. ItТs been helping you, hasnТt it?Ф
УYeah,Ф Kerry said, and went off to mix another drink.
The rest of the conversation was inconclusive. Fitzgerald, several hours later, went home rather worried. He wasnТt as casual as he had pretended, for the sake of KerryТs nerves. The impingement of something so entirely unexpected on normal life was subtly frightening. And yet, as he had said, the robot didnТt seem menacingЧ Kerry went to bed, with a new detective mystery. The radio followed
him into the bedroom and gently took the book out of his hand. Kerry instinctively snatched for it.
УHey!Ф he said. УWhat the devilЧФ
The radio went back into the living room. Kerry followed, in time to see the book replaced on the shelf. After a bit Kerry retreated, locking his door, and slept uneasily till dawn.
In dressing gown and slippers, he stumbled out to stare at the console. It was back in its former place, looking as though it had never moved. Kerry, rather white around the gills, made breakfast.
He was allowed only one cup of coffee. The radio appeared, reprovingly took the(second cup from his hand, and emptied it into the sink.
That was quite enough for Keny Westerfield. He found his hat and topcoat and almost ran out of the house. He had a horrid feeling that the radio might follow him, but it didnТt, luckily for his sanity. He was beginning to be worried.
During the morning he found time to telephone Mideastem. The salesman knew nothing. It was a standard model combinationЧthe latest. If it wasnТt giving satisfaction, of course, heТd be glad toЧ УItТs 0. K.,Ф Kerry said. УBut who made the thing? ThatТs what
I want to find out.Ф
УOne moment, sir.Ф There was a delay. УIt came from Mr. LloydТs department. One of our foremen.Ф
УLet me speak to him, please.Ф
But Lloyd wasnТt very helpful. After much thought, he remembered that the combination had been placed in the stock room without a serial number. It had been added later.
УBut who made it?Ф
УI just donТt know. I can find out for you, I guess. Suppose I ring you back.Ф
УDonТt forget,Ф Kerry said, and went back to his class. The lecture on the Venerable Bede wasnТt too successful.

At lunch he saw Fitzgerald, who seemed relieved when Kerry came over to his table. УFind out any more about your pet robot?Ф the psychology professor demanded.
No one else was within hearing. With a sigh Kerry sat down and lit a cigarette. УNot a thing. ItТs a pleasure to be able to do this myself.Ф He drew smoke into his lungs. УI phoned the company.Ф
УAnd?Ф
УThey donТt know anything. Except that it didnТt have a serial number.Ф
УThat may be significant,Ф Fitzgerald said.
Kerry told the other about the incidents of the book and the coffee, and Fitzgerald squinted thoughtfully at his milk. УIТve given you some psych tests. Too much stimulation isnТt good for you.Ф
УA detective yarn!Ф
УCarrying it a bit to extremes, IТll admit. But I can understand why the robot acted that wayЧthough I dunno how it managed it.Ф He hesitated. УWithout intelligence, that is.Ф
УIntelligence?Ф Kerry licked his lips. УIТm not so sure that itТs just a machine. And IТm not crazy.Ф