"That is correct, sir," said McGuire.
"Idiot machine!" said Vivian Deveraux angrily.
I shut up and did some more thinking. Talking only made my throat hurt.
Nobody could argue impressively with McGuire except Daniel Oak, and as far as McGuire was concerned Mr. Oak was keeping an impressive silence.
"Maybe I could write out the orders," I said.
"Nope," said Videnski. "He can read, but information coming in that way isn't counted as orders, not even from you. We should have installed a teletyper, too, but this is a little late for thinking of that."
"McGuire," I whispered, "what sort of proof would be needed to show you that this is the voice of Daniel Oak?"
"I'm sorry, sir," McGuire said after a moment, "but that information is not in my banks."
"Maybe somebody could imitate Dan's voice," Vivian said hopefully. Videnski and Felder shook their heads in unison.
"No dice," Videnski said rumblingly. "It not only has to sound like Oak, it has to come from Oak."