Staring through the window, the Minister could see the first of the marchers approaching.
"It was a good idea." he said, mostly to himself. The Permanent Secretary, standing behind him, coughed politely. A sound intended to convey cautious agreement.
"And we had to do something." the Minister continued. "The situation was getting out of hand, we were losing control. Our cities were being torn apart by racial violence, whole communities living in fear of each other. Everyone was accusing everyone else of Racism. Something had to be done."
"Indeed so, Minister." said the Permanent Secretary. Down the street, more marchers were coming into view, banners waving and placards held high.
"And then the Android Idea." The Minister turned from the window and sat down at his desk. "It was already technically feasible, of course. Had been for some time, but we'd kept hushed up before. We had no use for Androids then. Not until the Idea."
Largely the Ministers own idea, reflected the Permanent Secretary, but as a career Civil Servant, he was not so tactless as to say so. Instead, he stepped over to the vacated space by the window. The marchers were getting steadily closer. Faintly through the double-glazing, he could hear the rhythmic pulse of their chanting.
"It was so simple, really." the Minister went on. "We didn't need a lot of 'droids, even. Just a few, and good publicity. A 'droid worker taking a humans job. A group of 'droids moving into a good area. A few stories, a few hints and rumours, a little innuendo - and the pressure would be off! People would have had someone else to blame, a legitimate target. It should have worked!"
"Of course, Minister." murmured the Permanent Secretary. The banners were almost close enough to read.
"I blame the scientists myself. Perfectionists!" The Minister made it a swear word. "We said not to make them too human. Not monsters, of course, and not machines either. Didn't want to spark off any Luddites. But they made them so realistic! Eyes, skin, teeth - even hair!" He rubbed his bald patch wearily. “Why did they need to give them hair?”
The Permanent Secretary said nothing, loudly. The Minister gave him a resentful look.
"It should have worked!" he repeated. "I don't understand what went wrong."
Outside, the banners were passing below the window. The Permanent Secretary, reading them, spoke without turning round.
"Perhaps, Minister, we forgot to take human nature into account."
"What? Rubbish. The whole thing was based on human nature!"
The banners screamed their message in brilliant reds and stark blacks, the colours of Android Support. "FAIR DEAL FOR 'DROIDS." "GIVE ANDROIDS RIGHTS." "ANDROIDS ARE HUMAN TOO!"
"Perhaps, Minister, we forgot that sympathy is also part of human nature."
"It was a good idea." he said, mostly to himself. The Permanent Secretary, standing behind him, coughed politely. A sound intended to convey cautious agreement.
"And we had to do something." the Minister continued. "The situation was getting out of hand, we were losing control. Our cities were being torn apart by racial violence, whole communities living in fear of each other. Everyone was accusing everyone else of Racism. Something had to be done."
"Indeed so, Minister." said the Permanent Secretary. Down the street, more marchers were coming into view, banners waving and placards held high.
"And then the Android Idea." The Minister turned from the window and sat down at his desk. "It was already technically feasible, of course. Had been for some time, but we'd kept hushed up before. We had no use for Androids then. Not until the Idea."
Largely the Ministers own idea, reflected the Permanent Secretary, but as a career Civil Servant, he was not so tactless as to say so. Instead, he stepped over to the vacated space by the window. The marchers were getting steadily closer. Faintly through the double-glazing, he could hear the rhythmic pulse of their chanting.
"It was so simple, really." the Minister went on. "We didn't need a lot of 'droids, even. Just a few, and good publicity. A 'droid worker taking a humans job. A group of 'droids moving into a good area. A few stories, a few hints and rumours, a little innuendo - and the pressure would be off! People would have had someone else to blame, a legitimate target. It should have worked!"
"Of course, Minister." murmured the Permanent Secretary. The banners were almost close enough to read.
"I blame the scientists myself. Perfectionists!" The Minister made it a swear word. "We said not to make them too human. Not monsters, of course, and not machines either. Didn't want to spark off any Luddites. But they made them so realistic! Eyes, skin, teeth - even hair!" He rubbed his bald patch wearily. “Why did they need to give them hair?”
The Permanent Secretary said nothing, loudly. The Minister gave him a resentful look.
"It should have worked!" he repeated. "I don't understand what went wrong."
Outside, the banners were passing below the window. The Permanent Secretary, reading them, spoke without turning round.
"Perhaps, Minister, we forgot to take human nature into account."
"What? Rubbish. The whole thing was based on human nature!"
The banners screamed their message in brilliant reds and stark blacks, the colours of Android Support. "FAIR DEAL FOR 'DROIDS." "GIVE ANDROIDS RIGHTS." "ANDROIDS ARE HUMAN TOO!"
"Perhaps, Minister, we forgot that sympathy is also part of human nature."