ir department. Nothing ever wears out."

"Perhaps not, but it becomes defective and has to be replaced."

"Defective parts are a result of wear. Since nothing wears out, no
repair is necessary. Occasionally an autobath is damaged, but then it
doesn't work at all, even if the damage is slight. It has to be
replaced."

That was what he thought, but it was better to be sure. "This is
hypothetical," he said. "Suppose there was an accident in an autobath.
Is there an alarm system which would indicate that something was wrong?"

The robot was smooth and positive. "Your question is basically
misleading, according to our statistics. In eight hundred and forty one
million plus installations, on all the inhabited planets of the Solar
System, there has never been one accident.

"The autobath is run by a small atomic motor and is not connected in any
way to an outside power source. There are plumbing connections, but
these are not suitable for the transmission of a signal. To answer your
question specifically: There is no alarm system of any kind, local or
general, nor is there any provision for someone else to attach one."

"Thanks," said Jadiver, and cut the screen.

He was nearly certain now. One check remained.

* * * * *

He flipped on a switch and walked out of the room to the hall and stood
there listening. He could hear nothing. He came closer to the door and
there was still no sound. He pressed his ear against the juncture of the
door and jamb. Not the slightest noise.

He winced when he opened the door. The music he had switched on was
deafening. He hurried inside and turned it off. He had known his
apartment was sound-proofed. Just how good that soundproofing was, he
hadn't tested until now.

The so-called accident had happened in the autobath. The unit couldn't
signal that anything was wrong. No one passing in the hall could hear
his yells.

The evidence indicated that no accident could happen in the
autobath--yet it had.

Logically, he should have died in that accident that couldn't
happen--yet he hadn't.

What did they want? And was it the police? In the hospital he had been
sure--certain, too, of what they were attempting. Now the facts wouldn't
fit.

Tiredness came back, reinforced by doubt. His skin itched--probably from
nervous tension. He finally fell into an uneasy sleep with the help of a
sedative.

* * * * *

In the morning, t