"You heard me on the phone. Franklin accidentally died. That's all you
have to know."
He carried Peony out and locked her in a cage. She was too sleepy to
protest, and she was dozing when the police came.
Chief Miler strode about the three rooms like a man looking for a
burglar at midnight. He nudged the body of the neutroid with his foot.
"What's this, Norris?"
"The deviant we were about to destroy. I finished her with a wrench."
"I thought you said there weren't any deviants."
"As far as the public's concerned, there aren't. I couldn't see that it
was any of your business. It still isn't."
"I see. It may become my business, though. How'd the blast happen?"
Norris told him the story up to the point of the detonation. "The light
over the door was loose. Kept flickering on and off. Franklin reached
up to tighten it. Must have been a little gas in the socket. Soon as he
touched it--wham!"
"Why was the door open with the gas on?"
"I told you--we were checking the intakes. If you close the door, it
starts the automatics. Then you can't get it open till the cycle's
finished."
"Where were you?"
"I'd gone to cut off the gas again."
"Okay, stay in the house until we're finished out here."
* * * * *
When Norris went back in the house, his wife's white face turned slowly
toward him.
She sat stiffly by the living room window, looking sick. Her voice was
quietly frightened.
"Terry, I'm sorry about everything."
"Skip it."
"What did you do?"