"What?"exclaimed Valeria. "You can't take anything from this ship! Ariel is mine! And besides, you can't say I stole anything, because there was no one there! Everyone fled!"

"I am aware of that."he said.

"Then if you are, then why are saying I stole anything?"

"Because you must not have robots."

"Why not?"

"Madam, that is not a man. It is a robot."said Ariel.

Valeria turned.

"What do you mean? Of course it's a man."

"No, it is a humaniform robot."

"A what?"

"A robot build to look like a human being."

Valeria looked confused.

"What do you mean, a robot build to look like a human being?"

"Such robots were build, madam."

Valeria looked even more confused.

"You're confusing me, Ariel."

"Your robot is right. I am a robot. I am Robot Daneel Olivaw."

"Well, you're confusing me even more, because you can't possibly give me orders, then."

"I obey the Zeroth Law above all the other Laws. And what you are doing will greatly harm humanity, by my allowing you to take the robot with you."

"I'm not hurting anyone!"demanded Valeria.

"You are hurting yourself, however, with the robot, you will be hurting all humanity, therefore, I must take it back to Aurora, and it must be deactivated."

"Why!"

"You yourself said that Aurora was abandoned. Do you know why?"

"They fled."

"The Spacers were a long lived society, with robots to do all the unpleasant tasks. They colonized only Fifty Worlds, no more. And they died out."

"What does that have to do with this?"

"The Spacers were completely dependent on robot labor."

"So?"

"I promised not to let that happen again. I must take this robot, and make sure no one ever goes near the Spacer worlds."

"And how do I know you weren't just send by someone to come and take the robot? I won't let that happen until you prove to me that what you're saying is true. I mean, you could just be making all that up, about the Spacers or whatever."

"He is right, madam."said Ariel.

"But you, you were alive back then. He wasn't. He could be brand new."

"I am not new. I am the first of the humaniform robots, constructed by Dr.Fastolfe and Dr.Sarton."

"I've never heard of either."

"Robotics is a forgotten science."

Valeria shrugged.

"I don't care how old you say you are. I don't believe you. Why should I?"

"You will believe me. If I tell you everything I have seen while I have been functioning."he said. "I will tell you everything. You must know everything, if you are to understand."