The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - [5]

165 He tried to concentrate on his work. He was a tall man with brown hair, younger than he looked. His work was nearly finished. He had worked out a new method of launching rockets. It was a big step forward.

166 He looked at the clock again. Twenty minutes past midnight. Where was Grace now? He decided that in future he would devote more time to his wife.

167 He returned to his table to work out final details. When at last he finished, it was one o'clock. He heard someone at the door of the house. He opened the door of his room and went along the corridor, calling:

168 "Grace? Is that you, Grace?"

169 Kurt Lawrence did not know it then, but his worries were almost over...

- 11 -

170 Three cars stopped at the entrance to the Burkholder Fair. Four men in plain clothes got out of each car. They found Burkholder and explained what they wanted. The owner of the Fair did not like the idea, but he had no choice.

171 In ten minutes, everyone who worked at the Fair, was inside the large tent. The men in plain clothes were questioning them. Meanwhile, other men were searching the tents and trailers.

172 Christian was questioned, too. Miller, to his surprise, was with the people who asked the questions.

173 Afterwards, Miller took Christian aside and said, "I must now introduce myself."

174 He showed Christian his card; very simply it said that he was an operative of Military Intelligence.

175 "So you see," said Miller, "that we haven't ignored the theories of your friend Fox. Now we have something important to discuss. I know that you have been watching the Brains. Well, did you see them yesterday between midnight and two a.m.? Did they leave their trailer?"

176 "Another murder?" asked Christian.

177 "Yes, the seventh - a man named Kurt Lawrence. He worked with rockets. He was murdered, and some important papers disappeared at the same time."

178 "I can't help you," Christian said slowly. "I watched their trailer again, but I didn't see the Brains at all. A lamp was burning in the trailer - I think they were inside."

179 "H-m." Miller sat down on a chair and waved a large hand. "Make yourself comfortable - nobody will disturb us."

180 The captain sat down and put a cigar between his lips.

181 "The trouble is," said Miller, "that now I have declared my position. So I can't remain here." He looked thoughtfully at Christian. "Will you stay on here? They don't suspect you - and I shall be glad if you help."

182 "I'll do anything I can," said the captain.

183 "I'd like to see the murder weapon," said Miller. "Do you know the strangest thing about the Brains? They have no past!"

184 "What do you mean?"

185 "I mean that the Brains appeared suddenly, out of nowhere. Before that, no one had seen or heard of them. They have no past. Maybe they just dropped from the sky..."

Christian thought of Fox's theory.

- 12 -

186 It was a few days later, in the evening, when the show was over and the public had gone. It was late, the stars were shining brightly in a frosty sky. Christian was alone. He was doing some work on the territory, when he heard a loud scream from the direction of the Brains' trailer. He ran.

187 He came to where the Brains' trailer stood, and in the light of the moon saw the Brains and Jo. They had the dwarf-woman between them. The Brain with the flat ears held her by her dark long hair; the second Brain held a piece of cloth to her mouth; and the third cruelly twisted her arms.

188 Still running, Christian shouted: "Stop that, you devils - leave her alone!"

189 The Brains were too busy to hear him. He seized one of them - the one with the scar on the nose - and threw him aside.

190 The other two Brains turned to him, releasing Jo, who fell to the ground. The Brain with the scar stood up and ran up to Christian. He was shaking with rage.

191 "I'll teach you to interfere!" he shouted.

192 He was ready to attack Christian, when Victor, the Brain with the flat ears, who seemed to be their leader, said quietly:

"Waldo!"

193 This one word sounded as a command. The Brain with the scar stopped at once. All three looked coldly at the captain, then turned and marched into their trailer.

194 Christian bent over Jo and said:

"It's all right, Jo, they've gone."

She opened her eyes.

"Hello, Sailor! It's good that you came. Thank you!"

195 Christian helped her to get up. Her face was pale. She laughed.

196 "That's what I get for not minding my own business," she said. "Seeing that they know all the answers, I decided to ask them who did the murders. They did not answer me; just stood there and looked at me as if I were some insect. I did not like their look. Then one of them seized me by the hair. 'Little girls must not ask questions,' he said, 'we'll have to teach you a lesson.' Waldo started twisting my arm, and I screamed. Then you came up."

She smiled a little.

"Thanks again."

197 Christian walked with her to her trailer. At the door he stopped and said: "Jo, you must not go near the Brains. They are dangerous. And don't ask any more questions."

198 She looked up at him.