"Just say it's for Pyet, the astrologer," said the machine.
"And what are you doing inside Dr. Henderson's machine?" asked the night watchman.
"I wouldn't care to be quoted on this," replied the machine, "but actually any system of communicating inter-related events with a high degree of complexity, such as the brain, or this machine, and with some number of critical processes at the quantum statistical level, can support consciousness."
The janitor and the night watchman looked blankly at each other and the machine, slightly embarrassed, added by way of explanation.
"I like to read a little physics now and then. A harmless superstition containing many pleasant diversions.
"Before this I lived in a star, a puff of expanding gas. Before that in a haunted house ... dreadful. And before that in the lopsided blob of protoplasm that was the last of Pyet, the astrologer.
"As for Dr. Henderson's mousecatcher," chuckled the machine, "any port in a storm. Mars and Uranus you know."
The janitor was somewhat impatient with the machine. It had detained him already and probably would soon be giving him orders.
"I still have three floors to clean," said the janitor. "After that I will see if the library downstairs has a ... what was it?"
"Ephemeris," said the machine. "E-P-H-E M-E-R-I-S. Thank you."