The Project Gutenberg EBook of Arm of the Law, by Harry Harrison

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Title: Arm of the Law

Author: Harry Harrison

Release Date: June 22, 2009 [EBook #29204]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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_How could a robot--a machine, after all--be involved in something
like law application and violence? Harry Harrison, who will be
remembered for his THE VELVET GLOVE (Nov. 1956) and his more recent
TRAINEE FOR MARS (June 1958) tells what happens when a police robot
hits an outpost on Mars._

arm
of
the
law

_by ... Harry Harrison_

At one time--this was before the Robot
Restriction Laws--they'd even allowed
them to make their own decisions....

It was a big, coffin-shaped plywood box that looked like it weighed a
ton. This brawny type just dumped it through the door of the police
station and started away. I looked up from the blotter and shouted at
the trucker's vanishing back.

"What the hell is that?"

"How should I know?" he said as he swung up into the cab. "I just
deliver, I don't X-ray 'em. It came on the morning rocket from earth is
all I know." He gunned the truck more than he had to and threw up a
billowing cloud of red dust.

"Jokers," I growled to myself. "Mars is full of jokers."

When I went over to look at the box I could feel the dust grate between
my teeth. Chief Craig must have heard the racket because he came out of
his office and helped me stand and look at the box.

"Think it's a bomb?" he asked in a bored voice.

"Why would anyone bother--particularly with a thing this size? And all
the way from earth."

He nodded agreement and walked around to look at the other end. There
was no sender's address anywhere on the outside. Finally we had to dig
out the crowbar and I went to work on the top. After some prying it
pulled free and fell off.

That was when we had our first look at Ned. We all would have been a lot
happier if it had been our last look as well. If we had just put the lid
back on and sh