THE COSMIC COMPUTER

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it was. They could see no way out. If Merlin said that Merlin had to be
destroyed, that was it. Merlin was infallible. Conn hated the thought of
destroying that machine with his whole being, not because it was an
infallible oracle, but because it was the climactic masterpiece of the
science he had spent years studying. To destroy it was an even worse
sacrilege to him than it was to the Merlinolators. And Rodney Maxwell
was thinking of the public effects. What the Travis statement had
started would be nothing by comparison.

"You know, we can keep the destruction of Merlin a secret," Conn said.
"It'll take some work down at the power plant, but we can overload all
the circuits and burn everything out at once." He turned to Shanlee. "I
don't know why you people didn't think of that."

Shanlee looked at him in surprise. "Why, now that you mention it,
neither do I," he admitted. "We just didn't."