"They call it viewing on Solaria," said Baley.
"And here, too, in informal conversation, but TVC more formally. That takes care of much communication. Finally, Aurorans are fond of walking and it is not unusual to walk several kilometers for social visiting or even for business meetings where time is not of the essence."
"And we have to get somewhere that's too far to walk, too close for air-cars, and trimensional viewing is not wanted so we use a ground-car."
"An airfoil, more specifically, Partner Elijah, but that qualifies as a ground-car, I suppose."
"How long will it take to reach Vasilia's establishment?"
"Not long, Partner Elijah. She is at the Robotics Institute, as perhaps you know."
There were some moments of silence and then Baley said, "It looks cloudy near the horizon there."
Giskard negotiated a curve at high speed, the airfoil tipping through an angle of some thirty degrees. Baley choked back a moan and clung to Daneel, who flung his left arm around Baley's shoulders and held him in a strong viselike grip, one hand on each shoulder. Slowly, Baley let out his breath as the airfoil righted itself.
Daneel said, "Yes, those clouds will bring precipitation later in the day, as predicted."
Baley frowned. He had been caught in the rain once once - during his experimental work in the field Outside on Earth. It was like standing under a cold shower with his clothes on. There had been sheer panic for a moment when he realized that there was no way in which he could reach for any controls that would turn it off. The water would come down forever! - Then everyone was running and he ran with them, making for the dryness and controllability of the City.
But this was Aurora and he had no idea what one did when it began to rain and there was no City to escape into. Run into the nearest establishment? Would refugees automatically be welcome?
Then there was another brief turn and Giskard said, "Sir, we are in the parking lot of the Robotics Institute. We can now enter and visit the establishment that Dr. Vasilia maintains on the Institute grounds."
Baley nodded. The trip had taken something between fifteen and twenty minutes (as nearly as he could judge, Earth time) and he was glad it was over. He said, rather breathlessly, "I want to know something about Dr. Fastolfe's daughter before I meet her. You did not know her, did you, Daneel?"
Daneel said, "At the time I came into existence, Dr. Fastolfe and his daughter had been separated for a considerable time. I have never met her."
"But as for you, Giskard, you and she knew each other well. Is that not so?"
"It is so, sir," said Giskard impassively.
"And were fond of each other?"
"I believe, sir," said Giskard, "that it gave Dr. Fastolfe's daughter pleasure to be with me."
"Did it give you pleasure to be with her?"
Giskard seemed to pick his words. "It gives me a sensation that I think is what human beings mean by 'pleasure' to be with any human being."
"But more so with Vasilia, I think. Am I right?"
"Her pleasure at being with me, sir," said Giskard, "did seem to stimulate those positronic potentials that produce actions in me that are equivalent to those that pleasure produces in human beings. Or so I was once told by Dr. Fastolfe."
Baley said suddenly, "Why did Vasilia leave her father?"
Giskard said nothing.
Baley said, with the sudden peremptoriness of an Earthman addressing a robot, "I asked you a question, boy."
Giskard turned his head and stared at Baley, who, for a moment, thought the glow in the robot's eyes might be brightening into a blaze of resentment at the demeaning word.
However, Giskard spoke mildly and there was no readable expression in his eyes when he said, "I would like to answer, sir, but in all matters concerning that separation, Miss Vasilia ordered me at that time to say nothing."
"But I'm ordering you to answer me and I can order you very firmly indeed - if I wish to."
Giskard said, "I am sorry. Miss Vasilia, even at that time, was skilled in robotics and the orders she gave me were sufficiently powerful to remain, despite anything you are likely to say, sir."
Baley said, "She must have been skilled in robotics, since Dr. Fastolfe told me she reprogrammed you on occasion."
"It was not dangerous to do so, sir. Dr. Fastolfe himself could always correct any errors."
"Did he have to?"
"He did not, sir."
"What was the nature of the reprogramming?"
"Minor matters, sir."
"Perhaps, but humor me. Just what was it she did?"
Giskard hesitated and Baley knew what that meant at once. The robot said, "I fear that any questions concerning there programming cannot be answered by me."
"You were forbidden?"
"No, sir, but the reprogramming automatically wipes out what went before. If I am changed in any particular, it would seem to me that I have always been as changed and I would have no memory of what I was before I was I changed."
"Then how do you know the reprogramming was minor?"
"Since Dr. Fastolfe never saw any need of correcting what Miss Vasilia did - or so he once told me - I can only suppose the changes were minor. You might ask Miss Vasilia, sir."
"I will," said Baley.
"I fear, however, that she will not answer, sir."
Baley's heart sank. So far he had questioned only Dr. Fastolfe, Gladia, and the two robots, all of whom had overriding reasons to cooperate. Now, for the first time, he would be facing an unfriendly subject.