"03 - Time Streams" - читать интересную книгу автора (McGough Scott)

and patted his shoulder once again. "You were right about

Master Malzra's 'social disinclinations,' that he likes

machines better than people. What you didn't seem to

recognize is that he got flustered in dealing with you."

The silver man's response was sullen. "I recognized that

all too clearly."

"Yes," Barrin said, "but that means he doesn't think of

you as a machine, not any longer. To him, you are becoming a

person."

As the probe and the students filed out of the

laboratory, Barrin drew Urza to a wall of sketches. There,

in diagrams of lead and ink, the silver man was detailed,

inside and out.

"Well, you were right," Barrin said quietly. "Xantcha's

heart was the key. Her affective and intellectual cortexes

must be intact, as you had thought. We can be thankful that

none of her memories remain, or her personality-apparently.

Still, I have to wonder about the wisdom of placing what

amounts to a Phyrexian matrix into the head of your most

powerful and advanced creation. I could have achieved the

same effect with an animation spell-"

The master waved off the comment. "I wanted to achieve

sentience through purely mechanical means. Besides, there is

nothing Phyrexian about the heart crystal anymore. There is

not even anything of Xantcha left in it-just enough of a