They sat at facing student desks, and chatted about old times. But Jerry was impatient to get to the point of his visit, and he blurted out:
"Professor Coltz, something's been bothering me. It bothered me from the moment I heard the Delegate speak. I didn't know what it was until last night, when I dug out my old college notebooks. Thank God I kept them."
Coltz's eyes were suddenly hooded.
"What do you mean, Jerry?"
"There was something about the Robot's speech that sounded familiar—I could have sworn I'd heard some of the words before. I couldn't prove anything until I checked my old notes, and here's what I found."
He dug into his coat pocket and produced a sheet of paper. He unfolded it and read aloud.
"'It's my belief that peace is the responsibility of individuals, of nations, and someday, even of worlds ...' Sound familiar, Professor?"
Coltz shifted uncomfortably. "I don't recall every silly thing I said, Jerry."
"But it's an interesting coincidence, isn't it, Professor? These very words were spoken by the Delegate from Venus."
"A coincidence—"