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Show this by memo to the Information Service Secretary: his immediate superior, Chu, and the Exalted Board of Managers. Depending on whether it was his fault or someone else's he would have to key in anywhere from one to ten twenty-screen reports for everyone and run them out in hardcopy. He would then have to appear at the next Exalted Board of Manager's meeting with a full-blown research study on the incident with probable causes fully outlined and ten alternative preventions for future study. He would also need to select at least three new sets of software. To this would have to be added an appendix of the necessary guidelines. Then there would be the inevitable signatures on the coversheet. . . . By the mass! thought the assistant deputy in agony, why had someone else not discovered this problem? Then his face cleared: Aye, and aye indeed! He would but follow the example of older and wiser Bauercrats and e'en ignore the problem! He slapped his knee as though with a sudden thought and laughed. "Great Saint Ida," he said, swinging around in his chair. "The Governor must needs have its little joke." He waved his hand toward the aisle. "What say ye to giving it up and going on?" "The Governing Computer makes jokes?" asked Visitor Householder wonderingly. They began again to walk down the aisle. The young assistant deputy smiled nervously. "Aye, aye," he said. "That's but another one of its many abilities.. .keeps us full awake!" He combed back his bangs with his fingers and laughed. "You don't think you should report that back there?' "Nay, nay: " the young man said, looking at the Visitor sideways. 290 |