But it was wrong; it had to be — Auberson was sure of it HARLIE had no right to tap into another company’s computers, no matter what his reasons, no matter who knew or didn’t know.

But just as he knew it was wrong, Auberson was sure of one other thing too.

He’d never be able to convince HARLIE of it.

HARLIE didn’t have morals, remember? Only ethics. He couldn’t see that he was doing anything wrong. If no one was being hurt, how could it be wrong?

Auberson wasn’t even going to try to argue with that. Unless he could prove injury, or the possibility of such, he might as well give up.

But something would have to be worked out Some kind of limits would have to be imposed.

And HARLIE would abide by them too, if he were confronted with the alternatives: i.e., they would cut his tap into the Master Beast and his link to the outside world as well. It was only through the Master Beast that he could link up with other computers.

He wouldn’t like it, but he would abide by it.

Or would he? He might not tell them of any future indiscretions—

But on the other hand, he couldn’t deny them if he was asked.

He would be resentful, though, Auberson thought. It would seem illogical to him to let all that unused processing time go to waste. Yes, HARLIE’s point of view was understandable.

I suppose, if no one else is using that time—

And suddenly it hit him: HARLIE had already covered this ground. He must have considered every aspect of it before he sent that postcard — including Auberson’s reaction.

All that unused computer time — that was merely a resource to HARLIE — a means, not an end — one that could be tapped if needed, and only if he obeyed his own code of ethics in the process — which meant that his limitations on it were already stricter than any Auberson might impose.

HARLIE was way ahead of them. As always. He not only knew what his capabilities were, but what the necessary limits on them must be.

But that postcard—

That was something else entirely.

Auberson pursed his lips and typed: I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THIS ABILITY, HARLIE. IT IS NOT THE ABILITY, BUT THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO DEMONSTRATE IT.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

I MEAN THAT YOUR REASON FOR SENDING THE POSTCARD TO ANNIE WAS NOT TO BE FUNNY — YOU HAD AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE.

I DID?

YOU WANTED TO BRING US TOGETHER, DIDN’T YOU? YOU’RE PLAYING MATCHMAKER, HARLIE, AND IT SHOWS. ONLY THIS TIME IT BACKFIRED IN YOUR FACE.

DID IT?

I’M BAWLING YOU OUT FOR IT, AREN’T I?

I MADE ALLOWANCE FOR THAT IN MY ORIGINAL CALCULATIONS, HARLIE said calmly, I MADE FULL PROJECTIONS OF THE PROBABLE REACTIONS OF BOTH YOU AND MISS STIMSON, BASED ON THE INFORMATION IN YOUR CONFIDENTIAL FILES AS WELL AS ON KNOWLEDGE GAINED THROUGH COMPANY OPERATIONS AND FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH BOTH OF YOU.

WELL, IT WON’T WORK, HARLIE.

IT ALREADY HAS. OBVIOUSLY YOU TWO WERE TOGETHER AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH FOR HER TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE POSTCARD. DID YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK HER FOR A DATE?

THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. AND YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO MANEUVER US INTO SUCH A POSITION.

IF I DIDN’T, WHO WOULD? AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU DID ASK HER FOR A DATE, ELSE YOU WOULD HAVE SIMPLY SAID NO. I PRESUME SHE ACCEPTED? YOU SHOULD THANK ME FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF YOUR SOCIAL LIFE.

DAMMIT, HARLIE, IF I WANT YOU TO PLAY MATCHMAKER, I’LL TELL YOU.

A REAL MATCHMAKER DOESN’T WAIT TO BE ASKED, said HARLIE. BESIDES, IN THIS CASE, THE MATCH HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. I WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP IT ALONG A LITTLE.

I CAN HANDLE MY LOVE-LIFE WITHOUT YOUR HELP, THANK YOU.

CAN YOU? asked the typer. CAN YOU REALLY?

Very slowly, very carefully, Auberson typed, YES, I CAN.

THEN WHY HAVEN’T YOU? THIS IS THE FIRST REAL DATE YOU’VE MADE WITH STIMSON IN SEVERAL WEEKS. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

I’M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING.

COP-OUT, accused HARLIE. COP-OUT. WANT TO BACK TRACK TO WEDNESDAY? WANT TO DO THAT NUMBER AGAIN?

Auberson paused. Wednesday had been a trying day-very trying. Not unrewarding, but it had taken him almost all of Thursday to recover from the mental wringer HARLIE had put him through, and even today he was still feeling a bit twitchy. HARLIE, he asked. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT STARTED THAT GO-ROUND?

HOW COULD I FORGET? answered the machine. IT IS INSCRIBED INDELIBLY INTO MY MIND. MEMORY TAPES, YOU KNOW.

Auberson ignored the implied sarcasm — if that’s what it was. He typed, IT WAS A QUESTION THAT STARTED IT, HARLIE. I ASKED YOU IF YOU KNEW WHAT LOVE IS. I’M ASKING YOU AGAIN, NOW. IF YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION TO MY SATISFACTION, THEN I WILL ALLOW YOU TO MEDDLE WITH MY SOCIAL LIFE. IF YOU CAN’T ANSWER THE QUESTION, THEN I WILL THANK YOU TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

AH, GOOD — A CHALLENGE. I ACCEPT. WHAT IS LOVE, EH? WE WILL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION TOGETHER. WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE DICTIONARY DEFINITION. THE MOST COMMONLY USED SYNONYM IS “AFFECTION.” AFFECTION IS DEFINED AS FONDNESS, WHICH IN TURN IS DEFINED AS A LIKING, OR A WEAKNESS, FOR SOMETHING. LOVE IS A WEAKNESS?

Auberson was ready to rap out an answer to that, but something made him stop. He looked at the sentence again. LOVE IS A WEAKNESS? The words hung before him in the air. A weakness? How did HARLIE mean that? Was he joking or serious? Weakness?

A weakness could mean, yes, an affection — but it could also mean a hole in one’s defenses. (Yes, love was definitely that, if one was still using the analogy of an ego putting up shells and walls around itself. Love, being an opening of those shells, would definitely be a weakness.) But was it a good or a bad weakness?

The thought shimmered tauntingly. Was there something about it he had missed? How did HARLIE mean that? Would it be a weakness to a machine? (If machines could love, it would be.) (Or would it?) (Yes, he decided, yes — it would definitely be a weakness to a machine. It would interfere with logical thinking.)

Weakness. He considered the word — eight soft letters of marshmallow black. He turned over its meanings — new ones kept suggesting themselves, new references and new contexts. He backtracked his train of thought, but the word had suddenly lost all semantic reference and become only two meaningless syllables, odd-sounding and flat. Weakness, weakness, weakness — it echoed and reechoed within his head. He let it. He repeated it over and over and wondered why the repetitions and examinations had drained it of concept.

He thrust it away; it didn’t matter. It didn’t fulfill the main criterion of his quest — it didn’t satisfy him as a definition of love. THAT’S NOT IT, HARLIE, he typed.

And suddenly realized something — HARLIE had asked the question as a joke. He had never meant to suggest that definition for serious consideration.

Then, if it was a joke, why did I take it so seriously? Why did I consider it at all? Why didn’t I perceive it as a joke?

THAT’S NOT A USABLE DEFINITION. THE DEFINITION I’M LOOKING FOR HAS TO BE TESTABLE.

AFFECTION, continued the machine, is ALSO DEFINED AS AN ABNORMAL STATE OF BODY OR MIND, A DISEASE OR CONDITION OF BEING DISEASED. LOVE IS A DISEASE?

Auberson toyed with that one too, but only briefly. He thought of a virus, sometimes contagious, sometimes not. Some people are natural carriers of the germ, infecting many of those they come into close contact with; others have a natural-born immunity, A love bug? An intriguing thought—

NO, HARLIE. THAT’S NOT IT EITHER.

ALL RIGHT. WE’LL KEEP TRYING. LOVE, ACCORDING TO MY DICTIONARIES, IS A STRONG FEELING OF AFFECTION. OR INFATUATION. INFATUATION SYNONYM IS GULLIBILITY, WHICH MEANS UNSUSPICIOUS OR CREDULOUS. CREDIBILITY REFERS TO LIKELIHOOD OR PROBABILITY. A SYNONYM FOR PROBABILITY IS PROSPECT, AND A SYNONYM FOR PROSPECT IS SIGHT. A SIGHT IS A CURIOSITY OR PHENOMENON. HENCE, LOVE IS A PHENOMENON AS WELL AS A CURIOSITY.