Plainclothesman Baley was not there, so Gladia Delmarre viewed . She had called to apologize.
"Plainclothesman Baley is not here. I believe he left the mansion."said Daneel.
It was true, after all.
Gladia looked surprised.
"Left the mansion?"she asked, looking confused.
It was obvious she had not expected it.
"I can find out his whereabouts, if you wish me, too."
"Yes, please. Would you, ?"
She seemed anxious to speak to Partner Elijah. Of course, he was much more pliable than Daneel himself.
"However, would you please ask the three robots in this room to allow me to leave, and help search for Partner Elijah."
If he was to help, he would have to leave the room, and only could order them to let him leave right now.
Gladia's eyebrows went up. Couldn't he order the robots himself?she wondered. But of course, she thought contemptuously, smiling. As an Auroran, he probably didn't know exactly how to handle robots, and he probably did not feel as comfortable around them. He wasn't as used to them as one as a Solarian was.
"Of course, ,"she said, and turned her attention to the three robots.
Klorissa Cantoro was asleep, when a robot entered, and woke her to say that she had a call. At this hour!she thought. She said she would accept contact. She sat up in bed, as the image of a man she didn't know appeared before her. Klorissa was still young, so she didn't know all adult Solarians just yet. She may have viewed him before, but may have forgotten. Still, to call at such an hour!
Then she saw that of course that she hadn't seen him! He was an Earthman! An Earthman on Solaria! Skies above! Just where was it all coming to! And he wanted to see. She viewed the paper signed by Corwin Attlebish. He had permission to see, all right. Well, what was more filth in this filthy job, anyway, she thought, as she got out of bed.
She looked up at Baley's image in surprise, when he said she may dress in privacy, after they were done viewing. Well, there wasn't anyone else, was there? She smiled to herself, shaking her head. The boss was finicky, too, she remembered. Very formal. A very good Solarian. She washed up, dressed, and sat while a robot did her hair. The Earthman would be arriving just after breakfast, and she went out to meet him.
Klorissa felt increasingly uncomfortable as the Earthman approached, until they were at least twenty feet apart, she could not bear any closer. She moved out of the way, as he asked to be let indoors. Right!she remembered. Earthmen didn't like the open, she really couldn't see why. One thing was that they were perverted, another…oh, well, she shrugged. They were just Earthman. They were just odd. More than odd, actually, perverted as well, but she would rather not think about that.
As they were saw the room where the embryos were kept, and wanted to know who operated on the mothers and such, Klorissa didn't know whether she should be feeling…uneasy? Flattered? It certainly was flattering that someone would take this much interest in her work. No one ever did, of course. She didn't really want it. It was a filthy job no one on Solaria could ever want. But it was an important job, and had to be done, but a disgusting and filthy job just the same. The Earthman didn't seem to think so. He only seemed to make her feel perverted herself. Perhaps she should undergo a gene analysis after this. And maybe take a bit of time to recover from such a thing, as she felt increasingly uncomfortable, and even embarrassed.
Telling him about how they ran the farm, she asked hesitantly, if he would like to see the younger children. She figured he wouldn't mind. He didn't, and at least outside, not only could they be further apart, but wouldn't have to be in the same room, she thought feeling a little sick.
Had he come all this way to just see children?she wondered, feeling amused. There was nothing to investigate about the boss's murder. It had been Gladia Delmarre. No one else, of course. Who would see him, except for his wife? Inconceivable. Yet, he now seemed to accuse her.