"This is not germane, Mr. Chairman. It is a cobweb."
"Yet it hangs together, somehow. I do not seem to catch Mr. Baley in a clear-cut illogicality. If one admits what he claims to have experienced, then his conclusions make a kind of sense. Do you deny all this, Dr. Amadiro? The airfoil damage, the pursuit, the intention to appropriate the humaniform robot?"
"I do! Absolutely! None of it is true!" said Amadiro. It had been a noticeable while since he had smiled. "The Earthman can produce a recording of our entire conversation and no doubt he will point out that I was delaying him by speaking at length, by inviting him to tour the Institute, by inviting him to have dinner but all that can equally well be interpreted as my stretching a point to be courteous and hospitable. I was misled by a certain sympathy I have for Earthmen, perhaps, and that's all there is to that. I deny his inferences and nothing of what he says can stand up against my denial. My reputation is not such that a mere speculation can persuade anyone that I am the kind of devious plotter this Earthman says I am."
The Chairman scratched at his chin thoughtfully and said, "Certainly, I am not of a mind to accuse you on the basis of what the Earthman has said so far. - Mr. Baley, if this is all you have, it is interesting but insufficient. Is there anything more you have to say of substance? I warn you that, if not, I have now spent all the time on this that I can afford to."
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Baley said, "There is but one more subject I wish to bring up, Mr. Chairman. You have perhaps heard of Gladia Delmarre - or Gladia Solaria. She calls herself simply Gladia."
"Yes, Mr. Baley," said the Chairman with, a testy edge to his voice. "I have heard of her. I have seen the hyperwave show in which you and she play such remarkable parts."
"She was associated with the robot, Jander, for many months. In fact, toward the end, he was her husband."
The Chairman's unfavorable stare at Baley became a hard glare. "Her what?"
"Husband, Mr. Chairman."
Fastolfe, who half-rose, sat down again, looking perturbed.
The Chairman said harshly, "That is illegal. Worse, it is ridiculous. A robot could not impregnate her. There could be no children. The status of a husband - or of a wife - is never granted without some statement as to willingness to have a child if permitted, even an Earthman, I should think, would know that."
Baley said, "I am aware of this, Mr. Chairman. So, I am certain, was Gladia. She did not use the word 'husband' in its legal sense but in an emotional one. She considered Jander the equivalent of a husband. She felt toward him as though he were a husband."
The Chairman turned to Fastolfe. "Did you know of this, Dr. Fastolfe? He was a robot on your staff."
Fastolfe, clearly embarrassed, said, "I knew she was fond of him. I suspected she made use of him sexually. I knew nothing of this illegal charade, however, until Mr. Baley told me of it."
Baley said, "She was a Solarian. Her concept of 'husband' was not Auroran."
"Obviously not," said the Chairman.
"But she did have enough of a sense of reality to keep it to herself, Mr. Chairman. She never told of this charade, as Dr. Fastolfe calls it, to any Auroran. She told me the day before yesterday because she wanted to urge me on in the investigation of something that meant so much to her. Yet even so, I imagine she would not have used the word if she had not known I was an Earthman and would understand it in her sense - and not in an Aurorans."
"Very well," said the Chairman. "I'll grant her a bare minimum of good sense - for a Solarian. Is that the one more subject you wanted to bring up?"
"Yes, Mr. Chairman."
"In that case, it is totally irrelevant and can play no part in our deliberations."
"Mr. Chairman, there is one question I must still ask. One question. A dozen words, sir, and then I will be through." He said it as earnestly as he could, for everything depended on this.
The Chairman hesitated. "Agreed. One last question."
"Yes, Mr. Chairman." Baley would have liked to bark out the words, but he refrained. Nor did he raise his voice. Nor did he even point his finger. Everything depended on this. Everything had led up to this and yet he remembered Fastolfe's warning and said it almost casually. "How is it that Dr. Amadiro knew that Jander was Gladia's husband?"
"What?" The Chairman's white and bushy eyebrows raised themselves in surprise. "Who said he knew anything of this?"
Asked a direct question, Baley could continue. "Ask him, Mr. Chairman."
And he merely nodded in the direction of Amadiro, who had risen from his seat and was staring at Baley in obvious horror.
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Baley said again, very softly, reluctant to draw attention, away from Amadiro, "Ask him, Mr. Chairman. He seems upset."
The Chairman said, "What is this, Dr. Amadiro? Did you know anything about the robot as supposed husband of this Solarian woman?"
Amadiro stuttered, then pressed his lips together for a moment and tried again. The paleness which had struck him had vanished and was replaced by a dull flush. He said, "I am caught by surprise at this meaningless accusation, Mr. Chairman. I do not know what it is all about."
"May I explain, Mr. Chairman? Very briefly?" said Baley. (Would he be cut off?)
"You had better," said the Chairman grimly. "If you have any explanation, I would certainly like to hear it."
"Mr. Chairman," said Baley. "I had a conversation with Dr. Amadiro yesterday afternoon. Because it was his intention to keep me until the storm broke, he spoke more lengthily than he intended and, apparently, more carelessly. In referring to Gladia, he casually referred to the robot, Jander, as her husband. I'm curious as to how he knew that fact."