THE COSMIC COMPUTER

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still around? Well, I suppose so; it was all through the Third Force
during the War. Lord only knows how these rumors start among troops. We
never contradicted it; it was good for morale.'"

They had started walking again, and were out on the Mall; the sky was
flaming red and orange from high cirrus clouds in the sunset light. They
stopped by a dry fountain, perhaps the one from which he had seen the
dust blowing. Rodney Maxwell sat down on the edge of the basin and got
out two cigars, handing one to Conn, who produced his lighter.

"Conn, they wouldn't have believed you /and/ Foxx Travis," he said.
"Merlin's a religion with those people. Merlin's a robot god, something
they can shove all their problems onto. As soon as they find Merlin,
everybody will be rich and happy, the Government bonds will be redeemed
at face value plus interest, the paper money'll be worth a hundred
Federation centisols to the sol, and the leaves and wastepaper will be
raked off the Mall, all by magic." He muttered an unprintability and