don't know." Kramer went to the window. He stood looking out. "In a
way, I hope not."

"But if he doesn't--"

"Then we'll have to find somebody else. I know. There would be
somebody else. Why did Dolores have to--"

The vidphone rang. Kramer pressed the button.

"This is Gross." The heavy features formed. "The old man called me.
Professor Thomas."

"What did he say?" He knew; he could tell already, by the sound of
Gross' voice.

"He said he'd do it. I was a little surprised myself, but apparently
he means it. We've already made arrangements for his admission to the
hospital. His lawyer is drawing up the statement of liability."

Kramer only half heard. He nodded wearily. "All right. I'm glad. I
suppose we can go ahead, then."

"You don't sound very glad."

"I wonder why he decided to go ahead with it."

"He was very certain about it." Gross sounded pleased. "He called me
quite early. I was still in bed. You know, this calls for a
celebration."

"Sure," Kramer said. "It sure does."

* * * * *

Toward the middle of August the project neared completion. They stood
outside in the hot autumn heat, looking up at the sleek metal sides of
the ship.

Gross thumped the metal with his hand. "Well, it won't be long. We can
begin the test any time."

"Tell us more about this," an officer in gold braid said. "It's such
an unusual concept."

"Is there really a human brain inside the ship?" a dignitary asked, a
small man in a rumpled suit. "And the brain is actually alive?"

"Gentlemen, this ship is guided by a living brain instead of the usual
Johnson relay-control system. But the brain is not conscious. It will
function by reflex only. The practical difference between it and the
Johnson system is this: a human brain is far more intricate than any
man-made structure, and its ability to adapt itself to a situation, to
respond to danger, is far beyond anything that could be artificially
built."

Gross paused, cocking his ear. The turbines of the ship were beginning
to rumble, shaking the ground under them with a deep vibration. Kramer
was standing a short distance away from the others, his arms folded,
watching silently. At the sound of the turbines he walked quickly
around the ship to the other side. A few workmen were clearing away
the last of the waste, the scraps of wiring and scaffolding. They
glanced up at him and went on hurriedly with their work. Kramer
mounted the ramp an