exactly what grease
is to them.'

Then Gus was called away as the rush hour started. At 12:30 a.m. I had
plugged in the pulsemeter; at 12:40 contact was established with The
Brain, and did it come in swinging:

'Lee, Semper Fidelis, 39, sensitive, a traitor: he has betrayed The
BRAIN' I suspect The Brain did it through the 'automatic pilot' in
Oona's jetticopter though The Brain found it beneath its dignity to
explain; anyway, it's a fact: _The Brain knew every word which passed
between Oona and me during that ride over the Grand Canyon._

I tried to defend myself and even to apologize. I told The Brain that
human beings are not like machines, that we trust one another as we love
one another, that I wanted to make Oona my wife and felt that I just had
to open up my heart to her. In short; I tried to explain to The Brain
the idea of love.

'Very interesting,' The Brain sneered, 'that's one more example of
incorrigible human unreliability. This thing called love completely
unnecessary for the only essential purpose of species procreation. Cut
it out.'

'Cut out what?'

'Cut out any further betrayal of My secrets under penalty of mental
death.'

'Do you propose to _murder_ me?'

'Nothing as drastic required in case of Brain-employees. I reverse
judgment in psychanalysis aptitude test case number 11.357, Semper
Fidelis Lee. Severe psycho-neurosis established, certified: he suffers
delusions about The Brain. Locked up in mental institution. Very simple;
precedents to that galore.'

The 'green dancer' bounced in wild jumps like a Shamaan who, foaming at
the mouth, puts the curse upon some enemy. This and the ominous note in
The Brain's metallic voice made my bones shiver, made my flesh creep. To
fall into the hands of an extortioner is always a terrible thing, but to
have a _mechanical_ extortioner hold power over me; there was a horror
beyond words in this perversity. Moreover since Oona too was a
Brain-employee, she would share my fate; through my fault she would go
to her doom if I failed to foreswear any further confidence.

'Okay,' I said 'I'll cut it out; I promise I will.'

But The Brain was not to be pacified. No doubt that it had further
developed mentally in these past few days to the tune of years in human
development. But the progress wasn't as noticeable as it had been on
previous occasions because apparently The Brain had entered that period
where in human terms young men are sowing their wild oa