Gregory looked up, puzzled. "Yet thou art but a robot, or so thou wouldst have us believe. How canst thou know good from bad?"
"Be mindful of my programming, children. To me, anything is 'good' if it is conducive to human life, liberty, or happiness, and anything is 'bad' if it is inimical to that life or happiness, or threatens liberty."
"Yet strong drink would thereby be 'good,' " Geoffrey said.
"I spoke of happiness, Geoffrey, not pleasure."
Geoffrey shook his head. "I ken not the difference."
"Nor did my second owner. But even acknowledging the difficulties of his situation, I could not condone his behavior.''
" 'Tis a wonder he did not scrap thee!"
"He did not have the opportunity; for the chief of the fugitives secured his own safety, and that of his friends, by the simple expedient of abandoning the miner on a small asteroid, with a sufficiency of food, water, and shelter—and a beacon to summon assistance."
"Why, how cruel!"
"Not really; there was no doubt of a rescue well before the miner's supplies ran out."
Geoffrey frowned. "Then why abandon him in so unlikely a place. Why not take him to a town?"
"Because, if they had taken him to Ceres, the authorities would have arrested them. But if they marooned him, it would take several days for the rescue to arrive, which guaranteed their being able to vacate the vicinity safely."
"Wherefore did they not slay him out of hand?" Geoffrey demanded.
"Geoffrey!" Cordelia protested.
But Fess admitted, "There was some sentiment in favor of such an action—but the fugitives' leader suggested the more humane alternative."
"Only 'suggested?' " Geoffrey questioned. "Had he no authority, then?"
"I do not know," Fess mused, "for the issue never arose. None of them contradicted him, when he spoke of action."
"Thou dost mean they did not think to disobey." Geoffrey scowled. "Is this admirable?"
"It is," said Fess, "when the commands are right."
"But thou dost tell me naught!" Geoffrey cried. "Am I to disobey, or not?"
"The issue is unclear, Fess," Gregory agreed.
"You must decide for yourselves, children, and decide each case as it arises, not seek to abdicate your power of decision by imposing an inflexible rule."
"Then give us a rule that is flexible," Magnus suggested.
"Your parents have already done so."
The children looked at each other, puzzled.
"Doth he toy with us?" Geoffrey asked.
"Nay," said Gregory, "for 'tis not in his nature."
"His nature is to be loyal to his owner," Magnus said, "and that owner is Papa."
Cordelia turned to stare at the back of Fess's head, beginning to feel angry. "Hast thou sold us, then?"
"I have not," Fess answered, "and if you consider, you will find it so. If you seek to know whether or not to obey, I can only tell you the answer I have gained by experience: 'Obey, but be true to your programming.' "
Geoffrey frowned. "What use is that to a flesh-and-blood person? What programming have we, to be true to?"
"You will have to discover that for yourself, Geoffrey;" Fess answered. "That is a part of what adolescence is for."
The children stared at him, trying to decide whether or not to be outraged.
Then Magnus smiled. "Yet thou didst not know this when thou didst first awake, didst thou?"
"I did not have subroutines for resolving conflicts between my program and the daily problems I encountered, no. But my program does allow for development of such subroutines."
"And thou didst form these subroutines by contemplation of the events of which thou hast but now told us, didst thou not?"
"That is an accurate statement, yes."
"Then thou didst have an adolescence!" Cordelia crowed.
"A period equivalent to human adolescence, yes. I am glad it pleases you to discover that, Cordelia."
"Oh, we ever seek to learn from they who have gone o'er the road before us," Magnus said airily. "From whom didst thou learn to resolve such conflicts as these, Fess?"
The robot was silent a moment, then said slowly, "I worked out my subroutines from principles contained in my basic program, Magnus. However, I did incorporate some concepts from one human being, who professed ideas that formed perfect loops, comparing present events to past events, enabling one to discern similarities and contrasts, and thereby judge the appropriate action to be taken."
"And that person was?"
"The leader of the fugitives."
"Thy third owner?" Magnus stared. "How came he to have so great an impact on thee?"
"Principally by the brilliance of his mind, Magnus—though he would have disclaimed such a statement. And the effects of his ideas were no doubt enhanced by his being the first of my owners to be a good human being."
"I can credit that, from what thou hast said." Magnus frowned. "Who was he, this chief fugitive, this paragon?"
"His name was Tod Tambourin, and he was scarcely a paragon, though certainly, at heart, a very good man."
"Tod Tambourin!" Cordelia stared, aghast. "Dost thou mean this 'Whitey the Wino' of whom thou hast but now told us? He who aided his granddaughter out of the agony of her parents' death?"
"The same," Fess confirmed.
Gregory frowned. "Yet how doth he come to be the namesake of that other 'Tod Tambourin' thou hast taught us of, in our schoolroom?"
"By the easiest of means—he was not the namesake, but the same man."
Geoffrey's mouth dropped open, flabbergasted. "That Tod Tambourin? That weakling man of pen and ink? Him whom thou dost say was the greatest poet of the Terran sphere?"
"That is not merely my opinion, children, but the consensus of Terran critics—and he was scarcely a weakling."
"Yet 'tis he whose verses thou hast made us con by heart," Geoffrey objected, "whether we would or no."
"Wast thou so reluctant, then?" Magnus jibed.
Geoffrey frowned. "Not with 'The Rebels and the Admiral,' nay, nor with his 'Foc'sle Ballads.' Yet for his 'Decline and Fall of Liberty,' I've little use."
"Nor I," Cordelia agreed, "yet I shall ever treasure his 'Young Wife's Rejoicing' and 'The Dandy's Courtship.' "
"Thou wouldst," Geoffrey scoffed.
"Every person who has read his verses has a favorite, children," Fess said quickly, forestalling mayhem, "though they frequently know not who wrote them. Yes, my third owner was Tod Tambourin. He gave me as a wedding present to his granddaughter, Lona, and I have served her family ever since."
Magnus stared at Fess. "Thou dost not mean that we are of the blood of Tod Tambourin!"
"You should not be so surprised," Fess chided. "Have you not found that, when your heart is light, you cannot keep from singing?"
The children looked at one another in amazement.
"But enough now, your parents call."
"More, Fess. More of Tod Tambourin!" Cordelia pleaded. But the great horse shook his head, and led them toward Rod and Gwen, who waited under the shading tree.
Chapter 4
They came up the long, winding road to the castle just as the sun slipped below the horizon—and, though they had traveled east from their home, the road had wound its way around and around up the mountain, so that, as they looked up at the castle, the sunset was behind it—a blood-red sunset, making the castle appear black and ominous, brooding above them.
Cordelia shivered. "It doth watch us, Papa."
"Just an illusion, dear." Rod squeezed her against him—to hide his own shiver. "It's the angle of view. A pile of stones can't watch—it has no eyes to see with."
"Yet it doth, Papa." Magnus's voice broke on the word, somewhat spoiling the effect of his tone—but he ignored it, frowning up at the castle with a scowl as dark as its own. "There is summat held there within those stones, that doth mark our approach."
This time Rod let go of Cordelia to hide his shiver. There might indeed be a presence in the castle—on a planet where virtually everyone was a potential esper, you couldn't rule out anything. He glanced at Geoffrey, and even his hardening warrior-child was frowning, drawn-in and truculent, glaring at the castle as though it were an attacker—and Gregory was wide-eyed and pale.