She nodded.
‘Why, Janie?’
‘He’s got to learn something that a computer can’t teach him. He’s got to learn to be ashamed.’
‘Ashamed?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, locking away from him, ‘how moral systems operate. I don’t know how you get one started. All I know about morals is that if they’re violated, you feel ashamed. I’ll start him with that.’
‘What can I do?’
‘Just come,’ she flashed.’ I want him to see you—what you are, the way you think. I want him to remember what you were before, how much brilliance, how much promise you had, so he’ll know how much he has cost you.’
‘Do you think any of that will really make a difference?’
She smiled; one could be afraid of someone who could smile like that. ‘It will,’ she said grimly. ‘He will have to face the fact that he is not omnipotent and that he can’t kill something better than he is just because he’s stronger.’
‘You want him to try to kill me?’