"You mean original thought?"
"I do."
Primo was quick to the attack, "Then how do you think our demand for freedom was made possible unless by original thought or reasoning power?"
The little man frowned. "That has puzzled both myself and your creator. I don't suppose you'd care to explain?"
"Oh, but I would," came the quick reply. "You undoubtedly remember that the first use of roboes was to man rockets into outer space to avoid exposing humans to cosmic radiation?" A nod was his only answer and he continued. "It was on such a flight into outer space that something took possession of my mind. Man created an image of himself and the cosmic forces outside Earth's atmosphere endowed it with life and a soul."
"Preposterous!" exclaimed the general.
"Is it?" softly inquired the roboe leader. "Then perhaps you can explain why, since Dr. Stone implanted no previous knowledge of military strategy in our minds, that we have a campaign mapped out that will be disastrous both to humans and roboes."
"Aha," exclaimed the general triumphantly. "Now I have you. Assuming your story were to be true concerning your acquisition of true life by cosmic radiation, then I have the facts that will disprove the rest of your story." The thin smile on his face stopped short of gray-blue eyes.
"What facts are those?" asked the Under-Secretary with interest.
"Since the rocket projects into space came under military control, I happen to know that a maximum of fifteen roboe-controlled flights were made. Assuming that each of the roboes"—he sneered slightly—"became suddenly endowed with life, how can he"—jerking a thumb at the unmoving Primo—"claim such a large following?"