"I am," said Sutton.

"You do not belong to any bona fide religion that prohibits killing?"

"I presume I could classify myself as a Christian," said Sutton. "I believe there is a Commandment about killing."

The robot shook his head. "It doesn't count."

"It is clear and specific," Sutton argued. "It says, 'Thou shalt not kill.' "

"It is all of that," the robot told him. "But it has been discredited. You humans discredited it yourselves. You never obeyed it. You either obey or you forfeit it. You can't forget it with one breath and invoke it with the next."

"I guess I'm sunk then," said Sutton.

"According to the revision of the year 7990," said the robot, "arrived at by convention, any male human under the age of one hundred, sound in mind and body, and unhampered by religious bonds or belief, which are subject to a court of inquiry, must fight a duel whenever challenged."

"I see," said Sutton.

"The history of dueling," said the robot, "is very interesting."