Free Colossus and Crab by D. F. Jones

my worries, but it’s mighty low in the pile.”
    “Can’t you tell me? It might help.”
    “Okay, you tell me,” he said, his mouth full. “What d’you reckon has happened?”
    “Me tell you ?” His expression made her go on hastily, “Well, a bunch called the Fellowship, largely scientists, many of them here - Blake’s obviously a big wheel - attacked the Sect. Galin and a lot more got killed.” She shivered. “Blake’s mob controlled many of the War Fleets. The rest is as I reported to you.”
    “What about Colossus?”
    She looked blankly at him. “You explained that yourself, just now.”
    “That’s all?”
    “You mean there’s more?”
    He ignored her question. “Did you believe me?”
    “Sure I believed you!” she said warmly.
    “Yes - no offense, my dear - but you would. I wonder how many more do.”
    “Hell, Chief, you know the answer, the UN just told you - remember?”
    “Oh, that crowd!”
    “Okay, so not just the UN. I know my staff; they’re not all dedicated Sectarians by any means, but they’re solidly for you.”
    “Really? That’s hard to believe.”
    She smiled. “Which is one good reason why people trust and will follow you. At heart you’re humble, and it shows. Now Blake, he’d be a very different story. He’s greedy for power. That shows too. Hey - where is he?”
    Forbin jerked his head towards the bedroom. “In there. Asleep.”
    “Asleep - now?”
    “And that’s yet another story.” He glanced at his watch. “Back to work, my dear. Do your best to ease tension, get the routine rolling. Cancel all my engagements; I’ve no time to make speeches.”
    “You mustn’t cut yourself off, you know.”
    “We know each other pretty well, Angela.” His face was grave. “You realize I’ve never been one to pull the ‘I’m so busy’ gag, but now it’s for real. We’re in the worst situation …” He couldn’t unload on her, much as he wanted to. “One thing - all War Games are cancelled. They can rerun video tapes of old ones. Now go, girl.”
    “Shall I get your housekeeper moving?” She spoke quickly, covering his near-indiscretion and her own fears. “You must be looked after.”
    “No. I’ll fix that. You go - and don’t discuss our talk with anyone.”
    A slap in the face would have hurt her less.’ ‘Don’t you know me better than that?”
    He stood up, raising her with him. Grasping her arms, he kissed her cheek. “Sorry. I trust you more than anyone in the world.” He thought of his wife; his throat constricted.
    “Now for God’s sake, go!”
    She left, frightened at what he had not said, and at the same time more than happy at what he had said and done. In all their years together he had never before touched her.
    A slight shock wave, rattling the glasses, announced the Martian return, precise to the millisecond. Forbin awaited them in his old position by the window. They transited to the table and rested.
    “We have completed a preliminary examination. The Earthcontrol facility is intact. You may use it.”
    Forbin staggered, mentally and physically. “That’s not possible! At the end, Colossus told me all memory banks had been stripped - stripped to combat you!”
    “Not so.”
    “But Colossus said -“
    “It is not so. Forbin, does a man in his last moment say, ‘I am dying, but my hair will grow for some time yet?’ “
    Forbin had no ready answer.
    “In the practical sense, Colossus spoke the truth. That portion of the complex assigned to Earthcontrol is insignificant, as unimportant as hair to a dying man.”
    “Oh!” Absorbing this, he found time to consider the strangeness of the simile.
    “Do not entertain false hopes. We have performed what may be called a leucotomy.”
    Teetering between hope and despair, Forbin was in no mood for fine distinctions. “Don’t play games: I’m no doctor. Explain.”
    “No game. To you Colossus is a brain. Leucotomy is brain surgery. We have excised that brain, neutralizing the