rganizer--5A--appeared about noon and left soon after
followed by every android in town. By one o'clock every radio station
in the country carried the story and the national guard was ordered
out. At two o'clock Washington announced that the Army would invade
Carron City the following morning.

The Army would put an end to the strike, easily enough. It would wiped
out every android in the neighborhood, and probably a good many human
beings careless enough to get in the way. I sat hoping that the 5A's
would give in, but they didn't. They just began saying over the radio
that they were patriotic Americans fighting for their inalienable
rights as first class citizens.

* * * * *

At sunset I was still listening to the radio. "... So far there has
been no indication that the flesh people are willing to negotiate, but
hold firm."

"Shut that thing off."

Jack came wearily in and dropped into a chair beside me. For the first
time since I'd met him he looked beaten.

"We're through," he said. "I've been down checking the shielding, and
it's no use. Men can't work at the reactors."

"I know," I said quietly. "If the androids don't come back, we're
licked."

He looked straight at me and said slowly, "What do they mean about
negotiating, Don?"

I shrugged. "I guess they want wages, living quarters, all the things
human workers get. Though I don't know why. Money wouldn't do them any
good."

Jack's unspoken question had been bothering me too. Why not humor
them? Promise them whatever they wanted, give them a few dollars every
week to keep them happy? But I knew that it wouldn't work. Not for
long. With their telepathic ability they would have the upper hand
forever. Within a little while it wouldn't be equality any more--only
next time we would be the slaves.

"Wait until morning," I said, "before we try anything."

He looked at me--curious. "What are you going to do?"

"Right now I'm going home."

I meant it too. I left him staring after me and went out to the
Copter. The sun was just sinking down behind the towers of Carron
City--how long it seemed since I'd flown in there this morning. The
roads around the factory were deserted. No one moved in the fields. I
flew along through the dusk, idling, enjoying the illusion of having a
peaceful countryside all to myself. It had been a pleasant way of life
indeed, until now.

When I dropped down on my own roof and rolled into the garag