They came down in a small valley, bounded by greenrolling hills, cut by a narrow stream, and holding a smallclean lake and several stands of spring-green trees.

"Why have we come here?" asked Mordel.

"Because the surroundings are congenial," said Prost"I am going to try another medium: oil painting; and Iam going to vary my technique from that of pure representationalism."

"How will you achieve this variation?"

"By the principle of randomizing," said Frost. "I shallnot attempt to duplicate the colors, nor to represent theobjects according to scale. Instead, I have set up a random pattern whereby certain of these factors shall be atvariance from those of the original."

Frost had formulated the necessary instruments afterhe had left the desert. He produced them and beganpainting the lake and the trees on the opposite side ofthe lake which were reflected within it.

Using eight appendages, he was finished in less thantwo hours.

The trees were phthalocyanine blue and towered likemountains; their reflections of burnt sienna were tinybeneath the pale vermilion of the lake; the hills werenowhere visible behind them, but were outlined inviridian within the reflection; the sky began as blue inthe upper righthand corner of the canvas, but changedto an orange as it descended, as though all the trees wereon fire.

"There," said Frost. "Behold."

Mordel studied it for a long while and said nothing.

"Well, is it art?"

"I do not know," said Mordel. "It may be. Perhapsrandomicity is the principle behind artistic technique. Icannot judge this work because I do not understand it. Imust therefore go deeper, and inquire into what lies behind it, rather than merely considering the techniquewhereby it was produced.

"I know that human artists never set out to create art,as such," he said, "but rather to portray with their techniques some features of objects and their functions whichthey deemed significant."

" 'Significant'? In what sense of the word?"

"In the only sense of the word possible under the circumstances: significant in relation to the human condition, and worthy of accentuation because of the mannerin which they touched upon it."

"In what manner?"

"Obviously, it must be in a manner knowable only toone who has experience of the human condition."

'There is a flaw somewhere in your logic, Mordel, andI shall find it."

"I will wait."

"If your major premise is correct," said Frost afterawhile, "then I do not comprehend art."

"It must be correct, for it is what human artists havesaid of it. Tell me, did you experience feelings as youpainted, or after you had finished?"

"No."

"It was the same to you as designing a new machine,was it not? You assembled parts of other things you knewinto an economic pattern, to carry out a function whichyou desired."

"Yes."

"Art, as I understand its theory, did not proceed insuch a manner. The artist often was unaware of many ofthe features and effects which would be contained withinthe finished product. You are one of Man's logical creations; art was not."

"I cannot comprehend non-logic."

"I told you that Man was basically incomprehensible."

"Go away, Mordel. Your presence disturbs my processing."

"For how long shall I stay away?"

"I will call you when I want you."

After a week. Frost called Mordel to him.

"Yes, mighty Frost?"

"I am returning to the North Pole, to process and formulate. I will take you wherever you wish to go in thishemisphere and call you again when I want you."

"You anticipate a somewhat lengthy period of processing and formulation?"

"Yes."

"Then leave me here. I can find my own way home."

Frost closed the compartment and rose into the air,departing the valley.

"Fool," said Mordel, and swivelled his turret oncemore toward the abandoned painting.

His keening whine filled the valley. Then he waited.

Then he took the painting into his turret and wentaway with it to places of darkness.

Frost sat at the North Pole of the Earth, aware of everysnowflake that fell.

One day he received a transmission:

"Frost?"

"Yes?"

"This is the Beta-Machine."

"Yes?"

"I have been attempting to ascertain why you "is'tedBright Defile. I cannot arrive at an answer, so I chose toask. you."

"I went to view the remains of Man's last city."

"Why did you wish to do this?""Because I am interested in Man, and I wished toview more of his creations."

"Why are you interested in Man?"

"I wish to comprehend the nature of Man, andI thought to find it within His works."

"Did you succeed?"

"No," said Frost- "There is an element of non-logicinvolved which I cannot fathom."

"I have much free processing time," said the BetaMachine. "Transmit data, and I will assist you."

Frost hesitated.

"Why do you wish to assist me?"

"Because each time you answer a question I ask itgives rise to another question. I might have asked youwhy you wished to comprehend the nature of Man, butfrom your responses I see that this would lead me into apossible infinite series of questions. Therefore, I elect toassist you with your problem in order to learn why youcame to Bright Defile."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Yes."

"I am sorry, excellent Beta-Machine. I know you aremy peer, but this is a problem which I must solve bymyself."

"What is 'sorry'?"

"A figure of speech, indicating that I am kindly disposed toward you, that I bear you no animosity, that Iappreciate your offer."

"Frost! Frost! This, too, is like the other: an open field.Where did you obtain all these words and their meanings?"

"From the library of Man," said Frost.

"Will you render me some of this data, for processing?"

"Very well, Beta, I will transmit you the contents ofseveral books of Man, including The Complete Unabridged Dictionary. But I warn you, some of the booksare works of art, hence not completely amenable to logic.'*

"How can that be?"

"Man created logic, and because of that was superiorto it."

"Who told you that?"

"Solcom."

"Oh. Then it must be correct.""Solcom also told me that the tool does not describethe designer," he said, as he transmitted several dozenvolumes and ended the communication.

At the end of the fifty-year period, Mordel came tomonitor his circuits. Since Frost stili had not concludedthat his task was impossible, Mordel departed again toawait his call.

Then Frost arrived at a conclusion.

He began to design equipment.

For years he labored at his designs, without once producing a prototype of any of the machines involved. Thenhe ordered construction of a laboratory.

Before it was completed by his surplus builders anotherhalf-century had passed. Mordel came to him.

"Hail. mighty Frost!"

"Greetings, Mordel. Come monitor me. You shall notfind what you seek."

"Why do you not give up. Frost? Divcom has spentnearly a century evaluating your painting and has concluded that it definitely is not art. Solcom agrees."

"What has Solcom to do with Divcom?"

"They sometimes converse, but these matters are notfor such as you and me to discuss."

"I could have saved them both the trouble. I know thatit was not art."

"Yet you are still confident that you will succeed?"

"Monitor me."

Mordel monitored him.

"Not yet! You still will not admit it! For one so mightilyendowed with logic, Frost, it takes you an inordinateperiod of time to reach a simple conclusion."

"Perhaps. You may go now."

"It has come to my attention that you are constructinga large edifice in the region known as South Carolina,Might I ask whether this is a part of Solcom's false rebuilding plan or a project of your own?"