“You said you were scared,” Mike said. “What are you scared of?”
“I’m scared to death of that damned machine.”
Great love, chameleon-like, hath turned to fear,
And on the heels of fear there follows hate.
Mike quoted to himself—he didn’t say it aloud.
“The only reason anyone would have to fear Snookums,” he said, “would be that he was uncontrollable. Is he?”
“Not yet. Not completely. But I’m afraid that knowing that he’s been filled with Catholic theology isn’t going to help us much.”
“Why not?”
“Because he has it so inextricably bound up with the Three Laws of Robotics that we can’t nullify one without nullifying the other. He’s convinced that the laws were promulgated by God Himself.”
“Holy St. Isaac,” Mike said softly. “I’m surprised he hasn’t carried it to its logical conclusion and asked for baptism.”
She smiled and shook her head. “I’m afraid your logic isn’t as rigorous as Snookums’ logic. Only angels and human beings have free will; Snookums is neither, therefore he does not have free will. Whatever he does, therefore, must be according to the will of God. Therefore Snookums cannot sin. Therefore, for him, baptism is both unnecessary and undesirable.”