"Murray Leinster - A Logic Named Joe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

of is that whatever is Joe will be suspicious. But what I'm askin' is strictly logical. And logics can't lie.
They gotta be accurate. They can't help it.
"A complete logic capable of the work required," says the screen, "is now in ordinary family use
inтАФ"
And it gives me the Korlanovitch address and do I go over there! Do I go over there fast! I pull up
the Maintenance car in front of the place, and I take the extra logic outta the back, and I stagger up the
Korlanovitch fiat and I ring the bell. A kid answers the door.
"I'm from Logics Maintenance," I tell the kid. "An inspection record has shown that your logic is apt
to break down any minute. I come to put in a new one before it does."
The kid says "O.K.!" real bright and runs back to the livin'-room where JoeтАФI got the habit of callin'
him Joe later, through just meditatin' about himтАФis runnin' somethin' the kids wanna look at. I hook in the
other logic an' turn it on, conscientious making sure it works. Then I say:
"Now kiddies, you punch this one for what you want. I'm gonna take the old one away before it
breaks down."
And I glance at the screen. The kiddies have apparently said they wanna look at some real cannibals.
So the screen is presenting a anthropological expedition scientific record film of the fertility dance of the
Huba-Jouba tribe of West Africa. It is supposed to be restricted to anthropological professors an'
post-graduate medical students. But there ain't any censor blocks workin' any more and it's on. The kids
are much interested. Me, bein' a old married man, I blush.
I disconnect Joe. Careful. I turn to the other logic and punch keys for Maintenance. I do not get a
services flash. I get Maintenance. I feel very good. I report that I am goin' home because I fell down a
flight of steps an' hurt my leg. I add, inspired:
"An' say, I was carryin' the logic I replaced an' it's all busted. I left it for the dustman to pick up."
"If you don't turn 'em in," says Stock, "you gotta pay for 'em."
"Cheap at the price," I say.
I go home. Laurine ain't called. I put Joe down in the cellar, careful. If I turned him in, he'd be
inspected an' his parts salvaged even if I busted somethin' on him. Whatever part was off-normal might
be used again and everything start all over. I can't risk it. I pay for him and leave him be.
That's what happened. You might say I saved civilization an' not be far wrong. I know I ain't goin' to
take a chance on havin' Joe in action again. Not while Laurine is livin'. An' there are other reasons. With
all the nuts who wanna change the world to their own line o' thinkin', an' the ones that wanna bump
people off, an' generally solve their problemsтАФ Yeah! Problems are bad, but I figure I better let sleepin'
problems lie.
But on the other hand, if Joe could be tamed, somehow, and got to work just reasonableтАФ He could
make me a coupla million dollars, easy. But even if I got sense enough not to get rich, an' if I get retired
and just loaf around fishin' an' lyin' to other old duffers about what a great guy I used to beтАФ Maybe I'll
like it, but maybe I won't. And after all, if I get fed up with bein' old and confined strictly to
thinkingтАФwhy I could hook Joe in long enough to ask: "How can a old guy not stay old?" Joe'll be able
to find out. An' he'll tell me.
That couldn't be allowed out general, of course. You gotta make room for kids to grow up. But it's a
pretty good world, now Joe's turned off. Maybe I'll turn him on long enough to learn how to stay in it.
But on the other hand, maybeтАФ




Dear Charles


To: CHARLES FABIUS GRANVER,