“You mean,” she asked, “something like astrophysics?”
“No. That’s exactly what I don’t mean. I’m perfectly well aware that it isn’t possible to test astrophysical theories directly. Nobody has been able to build a star in the lab so far.
“But it is possible to test the theories of astrophysics analogically by extrapolating on data that can be tested in a physics lab.
“What I’m talking about is a system that Snookums, simply because he is what he is, cannot test or experiment upon, in any way whatsoever. A system that has, in short, no connection with the physical world whatsoever.”
Leda Crannon thought it over. “Well, assuming all that, I imagine that it would eventually ruin Snookums. He’s built to experiment, and if he’s kept from experimenting for too long, he’ll exceed the optimum randomity of his circuits.” She swallowed. “If he hasn’t already.”
“I thought so. And so did someone else,” said Mike thoughtfully.
“Well, for Heaven’s sake! What is this system?” Leda asked in sudden exasperation.
“You’re close,” said Mike the Angel.
“What are you talking about?”
“Theology,” said Mike. “He was pumped full of Christian theology, that’s all. Good, solid, Catholic theology. Bishop Costin’s mathematical symbolization of it is simply a result of the verbal logic that had been smoothed out during the previous two thousand years. Snookums could reduce it to math symbols and equations, anyway, even if we didn’t have Bishop Costin’s work.”