All of the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.





















COPYRIGHT, 1953, 1954, BY ISAAC ASIMOV ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES
TO MY WIFE, GERTRUDE, AND MY SON,

DAVID
Contents




CONVERSATION WITH A COMMISSIONER 13


2 ROUND TRIP ON AN EXPRESSWAY 25


3 INCIDENT AT A SHOE COUNTER 37
4 INTRODUCTION TO A FAMILY 45

5 ANALYSIS OF A MURDER 59

6 WHISPERS IN A BEDROOM 71


7 EXCURSION INTO SPACETOWN 79
8 DEBATE OVER A ROBOT 91
9 ELUCIDATION BY A SPACER 103
10 AFTERNOON OF A PLAIN-CLOTHES MAN 115
11 ESCAPE ALONG THE STRIPS 129
12 WORDS FROM AN EXPERT 141
13 SHIFT TO THE MACHINE 153
14 POWER OF A NAME 167
15 ARREST OF A CONSPIRATOR 179
16 QUESTIONS CONCERNING A MOTIVE 189
17 CONCLUSION OF A PROJECT 201
18 END OF AN INVESTIGATION 211
Chapter 1

CONVERSATION WITH A COMMISSIONER




Lije Baley had just reached his desk when he became aware of
R. Sammy watching him expectantly.
The dour lines of his long face hardened. "What do you want?"
"The boss wants you, Lije. Right away. Soon as you come in." "All right."
R. Sammy stood there blankly.
Baley said, ~I said, all right. Go away!"
R. Sammy turned on his heel and left to go about his duties. Baley wondered irritably why those same duties couldn't be done by a man.
He paused to examine the contents of his tobacco pouch and make a mental calculation. At two pipefuls a day, he could stretch it to next quota day.
Then he stepped out from behind his railing (he'd rated a railed corner two years ago) and walked the length of the common room.
Simpson looked up from a merc-pool file as he passed. "Boss wants you, Lije."
"I know. R. Sammy told me."
A closely coded tape reeled out of the merc-pool's vitals as the small instrument searched and analyzed its "memory" for the desired information stored in the tiny vibration patterns of the gleaming mercury surface within.
"I'd kick R. Sammy's behind if I weren't afraid I'd break a leg," said Simpson. "I saw Vince Barrett the other day."
"Oh?"
"He was looking for his job back. Or any job in the Department. The poor kid's desperate, but what could I tell him. R. Sammy's doing his job and that's all. The kid has to work a delivery tread on the yeast farms now. He was a bright boy, too. Everyone liked him."
Baley shrugged and said in a manner stiffer than he intended or felt, "It's a thing we're all living through."
The boss rated a private office. It said JULIUS ENDERBY on the clouded glass. Nice letters. Carefully etched into the fabric of the glass. Underneath, it said COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, CITY OF NEW YORK.

Baley stepped in and said, "You want to see me, Commissioner?" Enderby looked up. He wore spectacles because his eyes were sensitive and couldn't take the usual contact lenses. It was only after one got used to the sight of them that one could take in the rest of the face, which was quite undistinguished. Baley had a strong notion that the Commissioner valued his glasses for the personality they lent him and suspected that his eyeballs weren't as sensitive as all that.
The Commissioner looked definitely nervous. lie straightened his cuffs, leaned back, and said, too heartily, "Sit clown, Lije. Sit down,"
Baley sat down stiffly and waited.
Enderby said, "HoG's Jc~si~ \nd the bo~ ?"
F FIG" Said Baler, hollowl, "J n.t ~nc. ,\nd :onr f'nni ~
"Fine," echoed Enderby. "Just fine."
It had been a false start.
Baley thought: Something's wrong with his face.
Aloud, he said, "Commissioner, I wish you wouldn't send R. Sammy out after me."
"Well, you know how I feel about those things, Lije. But he's been put here and I've got to use him for something."
"It's uncomfortable, Commissioner. He tells me you want me and then he stands there. You know what I mean. I have to tell him to go or he just keeps on standing there."
"Oh, that's my fault, Lije. I gave him the message to deliver and forgot to tell him specifically to get back to his job when he was through."
Baley sighed. The fine wrinkles about his intensely brown eyes grew more pronounced. "Anyway, you wanted to see me."
"Yes, Lije," said the Commissioner, "but not for anything easy."
lie ctood up turned awa", and walked ~ the wall behind his deck. I I t~.II( }1('LI ~l1i ~ ~ ~'Fflt,'ct t(h an I a se~f~oa of the ~tII
C"., ~parrnt.

ikI~\ T;I,iiL.I at IL IiReI)CL ~ ~ ~ Ii~hit.