Mechanical Dreams: The Ego Machine & Where the World is Quiet. Henry Kuttner

robot said cunningly. "If it were, the helmet would fit, and it doesn't. Too big."

      "It does fit," Martin said.

      "That's the trouble with arguing with pre-robot species," Eniac said, as to himself. "Low, brutish, unreasoning. No wonder, when their heads are so small. Now Mr. Martin—" He spoke as though to a small, stupid, stubborn child. "Try to understand. This helmet's size eight and a half. Your head is unfortunately so very small that the helmet wouldn't fit—"

      "Blast it!" cried the infuriated Martin, caution quite lost between Scotch and annoyance. "It does fit! Look here!" Recklessly he snatched the helmet and clapped it firmly on his head. "It fits perfectly!"

      "I erred," the robot acknowledged, with such a gleam in his eye that Martin, suddenly conscious of his rashness, jerked the helmet from his head and dropped it on the desk. Eniac quietly picked it up and put it back into his sack, stuffing the red ribbon in after it with rapid motions. Martin watched, baffled, until Eniac had finished, gathered together the mouth of the sack, swung it on his shoulder again, and turned toward the door.

      "Good-bye," the robot said. "And thank you."

      "For what?" Martin demanded.

      "For your cooperation," the robot said.

      "I won't cooperate," Martin told him flatly. "It's no use. Whatever fool treatment it is you're selling, I'm not going to—"

      "Oh, you've already had the ecology treatment," Eniac replied blandly. "I'll be back tonight to renew the charge. It lasts only twelve hours."

      "What!"

      Eniac moved his forefingers outward from the corners of his mouth, sketching a polite smile. Then he stepped through the door and closed it behind him.

      Martin made a faint squealing sound, like a stuck but gagged pig.

       Something was happening inside his head.