The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - [8]

Christian pointed his gun at them.

247 "You know why I am here," he said. "Speak - and remember that I can shoot you."

Suddenly Victor, the leader of the Brains, raised his hand. He was holding his murder weapon in it..

248 Christian jumped to his feet, quick as lightning, caught Victor by his hand and pressed it hard. The weapon fell to the floor, and Christian kicked it under the bed. He pointed his automatic at the Brains again.

"All right-speak!"

249 The Brains were standing and looking at him. Then Victor said quietly: "We must leave."

250 "You are not going to leave..." Christian did not finish.

251 Each Brain touched the black crystal at his waist - and disappeared. The captain was alone in the trailer, not believing his eyes. It was impossible...

252 Fox was right. They could not be human.

253 He put his hand under the bed and took out the weapon of the Brains. It was made of some hard metal.

254 It was very important to send the weapon to Miller's chief as quickly as possible. Military Intelligence must understand who their enemies were: beings who could disappear into nothing. But he did not know if the people in Military Intelligence would believe him...

255 Christian walked up and down the trailer, thinking. Then he sat down at the table and wrote an account of what had happened at the Cross Keys, how he had got the Brains' weapon, and how the three Brains had disappeared before his eyes.

256 He smoked one of his black cigars while he was reading what he had written. Then he put his account and the weapon into a cardboard box and left the trailer. In the darkness of the night he walked noiselessly to Jo's trailer. He knocked, and Jo opened the door.

257 "Can you take this package to Fox?" he asked in a low voice. "Tell him to send it to Miller's chief. Tell him also that I shall be hiding at Girton: he knows that I have friends there.

258 "I'll go now," said Jo. "Good luck, Sailor."

259 Christian went to the place where he had left his bicycle and rode off. Early in the morning, when it was still dark, he arrived at the village of Girton.

260 He got into his friends' house through the back door. It was quiet in the house, and breakfast was prepared on the table. Christian ate, then lay down on the bed which had been prepared for him.

261 It was late when he woke. Bright sun was shining in through the window.

On the table there was a newspaper. He read:

DECAPITATION AT CAMBRIDGE

262 The headless corpse of Professor Duval was found early this morning in his private study. Duval, one of the world's famous mathematicians and a lecturer at the University of Cambridge, was working on a new theory of the space-time continuum. His papers have been lost...

- 16 -

263 "Come in," the Old Man said. "Please sit down, Doctor Fox."

264 Fox looked with interest at the chief of Military Intelligence. The Old Man pushed a box of cigarettes towards him.

265 "Help yourself, Doctor. First of all I must thank you for bringing us the weapon -"

266 Fox interrupted:

267 "Christian got that weapon for you. Don't you think it is time to clear him of the suspicion of the murder?"

268 "That is really a matter for the police, but I believe his story. I think I will be able to help." The Old Man looked through some papers. "I have here a report on this weapon. It is a decapitator; and a new kind of energy is used in it. I have no details, but a group of scientists are working on it. The fingerprints on the weapon show that it has been used by somebody with very small hands."

269 "The Brains!" exclaimed Fox.

270 "Probably. As you know, the Brains have disappeared completely - my men are watching the Fair, and they haven't seen them. I don't think they will come to the Fair again."

271 "We must get one of those crystals," said Fox. "Lawrence worked with rockets. Duval worked out a new theory for the space-time continuum. Do you see what we are up against? These murders aren't going to stop - you can be sure that the Brains have more than one decapitator. It is an interplanetary affair. The earth is fighting for the right to go out into space..."

272 The Old Man looked grim.

273 "If you are right," he said, "the position is serious. What have we got? An invasion by beings from another world who can disappear at will and who have a deadly weapon - deadlier than ours. We must find them. If only we knew where to start looking -"

274 "They have a spaceship which is hidden somewhere," said Fox. "Find the ship and you will find the Brains. I advise you to check all unidentified flying objects which appear in the sky."

275 "I'll do that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must see the Prime Minister immediately."

276 Fox said quickly: "And Christian? Will you clear him?"

277 "Yes. I'll speak with the Home Secretary. Later, I should like to meet the captain personally."

278 Fox walked along the corridor and left the building of Military Intelligence. He heard the voice of a newsboy:

279 "Another decapitation! The maniac strikes again! Special!"

280 Fox bought a newspaper. It told of an Italian scientist who had been found dead in his laboratory. Fox had a feeling that the real trouble was only just starting. First Britain, now Italy...