He said, "Elge has been disposed of. The erasure is complete and the ash disseminated."

A life ending in failure was the most heinous crime of all as far as the Cyclan was concerned. To be punished with total erasure. Not for the late cyber prime the reward of having his brain incorporated with others, forming the massive complex of Central Intelligence. There, sealed, fed with nutrients, tended and protected he would have resided, alive and aware, a mind released from the hampering confines of the body. The goal for which every cyber strove. One Elge had lost.

"He was mad," said Thern from where he sat close to Dekel. "Insane. We can but hope his investigations did nothing to aggravate the deterioration of the units under study."

Boule said, "Should we countermand the order not to destroy them?"

Avro realized the question was aimed at himself. Without hesitation, for to hesitate was to admit indecision, he said, "No. Elge's reasoning at the time the decision was made remains sound. Isolated as they are, the units are as safe as they can be made. Much can be learned from them. Destroyed, they are valueless."

"Yet the problem remains."

And would always remain until the cause of the affliction which turned some of the massed brains insane had been discovered and eliminated.

Icelus, recently elevated to the Council, said, "Your conclusions?"

Was that a test? Every move he had made, every word he had spoken since Elge had been deposed had been a test. Now, to repeat the obvious would be to prove himself inefficient. To ensure that not now or later would he ever gain higher authority than he held at this moment.