The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - [4]

116 Burkholder looked at the captain attentively and saw a strong man with a blond beard and clear blue eyes.

117 "All right," he said. "You will do everything that is needed."

"Yes, sir."

118 "Have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet."

"Miller!" shouted Burkholder.

119 A very big man came up to them.

"What is your name?" Burkholder asked the captain.

"Christian, sir."

120 Burkholder turned to Miller.

121 "Christian will live in your trailer. Show him where it is and take him to the kitchen. Then go back to work."

122 Burkholder went away. The big man led the captain to a small trailer. Inside there were two beds.

123 "Leave your bag," said Miller, "and I'll show where to eat."

124 "Have you been working long here?" asked Christian.

125 "I started yesterday."

126 So the big man could not tell him much, Christian thought. Well, at least he was here: now he must see what he could discover.

127 He did not see the Brains until evening. In the evening they came from a large trailer. They were all dressed in grey. They moved without paying attention to the people around. They had small bodies and very big heads. They were short: not more than four feet in height. They looked very unpleasant.

128 Looking at the Brains, he decided: "Fox must be right, after all."

- 8 -

129 At around 10 o'clock the show was over, and the public left the Fair. Christian went to the kitchen, took his supper and sat on one of the benches.

130 Soon two small girls came in. One of them sat down beside Christian and began to talk.

131 "You are new, aren't you?"

132 "Started today, miss." Only now Christian realized that she was not a child, but a very small grown-up woman.

133 "I'm Jo," she said, laughing. "You need not feel awkward. We are different only outside; inside we are just like anybody else"

134 She had soft dark hair and wore a pink dress.

135 "You are a sailor, aren't you? Tell us about the sea - I'm sure you've had lots of adventures."

136 "You won't believe me," replied Christian. "Once I was shipwrecked on a rock in the middle of the ocean, and every night mermaids brought me food and sang me to sleep. Another time I was swallowed by a whale, but I had my knife with me, so I cut a hole in the side of the whale and escaped."

Jo laughed.

137 "Don't tell me about the sharks," she said. "I shan't believe that if you don't show me your wooden leg!"

138 Christian looked round.

139 "I don't see the Brains," he said. "I suppose they eat something."

140 "Not with us," said Jo with contempt. "they are too high to mix with the rest of us. They are not true dwarfs, not like Mabel and me."

141 "If the Brains are not dwarfs," said Christian, "what are they?"

142 "I don't know. None of us like them very much. They never leave their trailer, except for their act. But they are clever... and cruel!"

143 She shuddered.

144 "I wonder if they went out last night," said Christian.

145 "I don't think so," said Jo. "It seems that they are afraid of the dark - at least they keep the door of their trailer locked all night, and the lamps burning."

146 Soon Christian said good-night to Jo and walked to the trailer where he and Miller slept. When he came, Miller was preparing to go out.

147 "I'll come late," Miller said. "But don't worry, I shan't make noise."

148 Christian was glad to hear it, because he wanted to go out himself to watch the Brains; so he would not have to explain anything to Miller.

- 9 -

149 Christian spent almost all night watching the Brains' trailer, but in vain: they did not leave it.

150 In the evening of the next day, when the show was over, Christian was standing at the back of the large tent and waiting for the Brains. It was cold and it was raining. When they came out, he said:

151 "Typical English weather, this."

152 The Brains did not answer. Christian tried again.

153 "I suppose," he said, "the climate is warm in the place you come from."

154 When they were standing close to him, he could see individual differences in them. One had a more pointed chin than the others; the second had his ears flat against the skull; the third had a scar on his nose.

155 "It is true that we are used to an even temperature," said the Brain with the scar.

156 He spoke with a strange accent.

157 "What country it is?" asked the captain.

158 He received no answer. All three Brains were silent. Looking down at them, Christian saw that each had a belt at his waist; and in each belt there was a large black crystal with some strange engraving on it.

159 He stretched out his hand to touch the nearest crystal and exclaimed: "I've never seen anything like these before!"

160 Their reaction was immediate. All three Brains jerked away from him, as from something dangerous.

161 "Keep your hands off," one of them said angrily. "You must not touch!"

162 "Sorry," said Christian. He was intrigued.

163 They looked at him a moment, then quickly walked to their trailer. The captain remained standing there, wondering: what the devil was that all about?

- 10 -

164 Kurt Lawrence looked at the clock again. It was now past midnight, and Grace was not yet home. He thought: "She's seeing too much of Stacey..."