William Campbell Gault

“ These robots were coming up in the world, getting too big for their britches. Nick Nolan would show this Alix his place.
Nick was the champ, a man, made in His image. He butted and thumbed and gouged and heeled. His favorite target was the groin. But he was a man. Oh, yes, he was a man. A champion among men.
Manny came in. His real title was Manuel 4307, but robots like to forget the numbers. He was Manny, Alix's manager and number one second. A deft and sharp and able robot, Manny. ”

“ Not human? They feed us Bach and Brahms and Beethoven and Shakespeare and Voltaire in our incubation period, don't they? And all the others I've forced myself to forget. Does this—this soul come from somewhere outside the system? ”

“ Nick's manager came over to inspect the bandages on Alix's hands, and then went back to his corner with Manny to inspect those on the battered hands of the champ.
Alix's hands were clean lined, no breaks, no lumps. Alix was a scientific hitter, and his protocol was better than the natural product.
He watches the sparrows, Manny had said. A signal, Joe had said. I wish somebody would give me a signal, Alix thought. It's too big for me.
The introductions, the numbers not blurred. The instructions, and Willie saying, "Clean tonight, Nick. I know you well, Nick. But this one is touchy, remember." ”

“ Civil, not in the people's hearts. You think those races don't know it? We were talking of their God, Alix. Well, the robots have one, too. His name is Alix 1340."
"Manny, you've gone crazy."
"Have I? Joe Nettleton's one of us, Alix. This was his scheme, and the four men who run the switch at the personnel center; they're ours, too. Top robots. Their I.Q.'s all crowding two hundred. We've got the brains, Alix, and the man power. We've got the combined venom of a billion non-whites. ”

“ Alix circled to his left, away from Nick's left, and put his jab easily to Nick's nose.
There are sportswriters, Alix knew, who talked of a right hook, but a man would need to be a contortionist to throw it. ”