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So ya don t know anything about brains.
The doctor sat tall behind a wide desk. His face was smooth and narrow, and in repose fell naturally
into an expression of arrogance. No better example in all the world could have been found of the epitome
of everything Gurlick hated in his fellow-man. The doctor was archetype, coda, essence; and in his
presence Gurlick was so unreasonably angry as almost to forget how to cringe.
I didn t say that, said Langley. He looked at Gurlick steadily for a moment, openly selecting a course
of action: Throw him out? Humor him? Or study him? He observed the glaring eyes, the trembling
mouth, the posture of fear-driven aggressiveness. He said, Let s get something straight. I m not a
psychiatrist. Aware that this creature didn t know a psychiatrist from a CPA, he explained, I mean, I
don t treat people who have problems. I m a physiologist, specializing on the brain. I m just interested in
how brains do what they do. If the brain was a motor, you might say I am the man who writes the manual
that the mechanic studies before he goes to work. That s all I am, so before you waste your own time and
mine, get that straight. If you want me to recommend somebody who can help you with whatev
You tell me, Gurlick barked, you just tell me that one thing and that s all you got to do.
What one thing?
Exasperated, adding his impatience with all his previous failures to his intense dislike of this new
enemy, Gurlick growled, I tole ya. When this got no response, and when he understood from the
doctor s expression that it would get no response, he blew angrily from his nostrils and explained, Once
everybody in the world had just the one brain, see what I mean. Now they s all took apart. All you got to
tell me is how to stick em together again.
You seem to be pretty sure that everybody how s that again? had the same brain once.
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Gurlick listened to something inside him. Then, Had to be like that, he said.
Why did it have to be?
Gurlick waved a vague hand. All this. Buildin s. Cars, cloe s, tools, lectric, all like that. This don t git
done without the people all think with like one head.
It did get done that way, though. People can work together without thinking together. That is
what you mean, isn t it all thinking at once, like a hive of bees?
Bees, yeah.
It didn t happen that way with people, believe me. What made you think it did?
Well, it did, thass all, said Gurlick positively.
A startled computation was made among the stars, and, given the axiom which had proved
unalterably and invariably true heretofore, namely, that a species did not reach this high a level of
technology without the hive-mind to organize it, there was only one way to account for the doctor s
incredible statement providing he did not lie and Gurlick, informed of this conclusion, did his best to
phrase it. I guess what happened was, everybody broke all apart, they on their own now, they just don t
remember no more. I don t remember it, you don t remember it, that one time you and me and everybody
was part of one great big brain.
I wouldn t believe that, said the doctor, even if it were true.
Sure not, Gurlick agreed, obviously and irritatingly taking the doctor s statement as a proof of his
own. Well... I still got to find out how to stick em all together again.
You won t find it out from me. I don t know. So why don t you just go and
You got a machine, it knows what you re thinkin , said Gurlick suddenly.
I have a machine which does nothing of the kind. Who told you about me, anyway?
You show me that machine.
Certainly not. Look, this has been very interesting, but I m busy and I can t talk to you any more.
Now be a good
You got to show it to me, said Gurlick in a terrifying whisper; for through his fogbound mind had
shot his visions (she s in the water up to her neck, saying, Hello, Handsome, and he just grins, and she says,
I m coming out, and he says, Come on then, and slowly she starts up toward him, the water down to her
collarbone, to her chest, to ) and a smoky curl of his new agony; he had to get this information, he must.
The doctor pressed himself away from his desk a few inches in alarm. That s the machine over there.
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