"Compose?" said the machine. "Play? There's no way to do that. Even if you could find an instrument, robots can play it better."
"Robots can't play at all," said Danny. "They're machines. They merely repeat the notes that men played long ago. And when they do it—" He stopped. He wanted information, not an argument.
He controlled his voice and spoke more slowly. "This is a hypothetical question. How would I, or anyone, learn to be a musician?"
"Don't ask that question."
"But I did," said Danny. "It's not against the law."
"But against custom," answered the S.P. "And that's stronger than you think. It's the matrix out of which laws are formed."
"I've paid you," said Danny. "Answer my question."
The machine spoke with difficulty. "First, secretly you must find—" The voice broke off, and though Danny shouted, it would not answer.
A light flashed on the panel. PLEASE REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE. THE PSYCH SQUAD WILL SOON BE HERE. DON'T ATTEMPT VIOLENCE; IT WILL BE MET WITH FORCE IF NECESSARY. YOU HAVE INDICATED YOU ARE AN ABNORMAL MEMBER OF SOCIETY.