‘It’s not my wish,’ said Gillian. ‘The gun stays on. I will not jeopardize the safety of my people.’
‘Nor I mine,’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.
‘You are outnumbered, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do,’ said Gillian. ‘Would you fight all my troops?’
Wa-Ka-Mo-Do looked around the green-clad humans, their guns swinging in his direction.
‘I think I would,’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, blades extending at his hands and feet.
One of the humans did something, and the strange gun raised its head, turning round to face Wa-Ka-Mo-Do. They stood, gazing at each other. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do stared up into the round eye of the barrel.
‘Shall I tell them to arm it?’ asked Gillian, coolly.
To think was to move. He reached out, caught the human woman, pulled her before him, wrapped an arm around the middle of her soft body, placing her between himself and the gun.
‘Tell them,’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.
They stood there, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do and Gillian, the female gun looking down at them, the slow tolling of bells pulsing in a night filled with the orange glow of burning, surrounded by bars of smoke, the stars cold above them. The human faltered first.
‘Turn it off,’ she said.
Simrock walked up to the leading animal.
‘Hello. Are you Ruth?’
The animal smiled.
‘I am! You must be Simrock! And who are your friends?’
‘This is Melt, and here comes Karel now.’
Karel came forward, looking at the animal in astonishment. She was female, he knew it. She looked so like a robot woman. Her pink animal body was stuffed inside a padded silver thing that enveloped her body. Now he was close to her he could see animal eyes behind the dark glasses that covered half her face, he noted the white grease smeared around the rim of her mouth. It was bright but cold up here, and he wondered if these animals were at the limits of their tolerance.
‘What are you doing here?’ asked Melt, suspicion hard in his voice. ‘Where are the rest of you?’
‘Melt, what’s the matter with you?’ said Karel. The animals unnerved him, the way they walked like robots, but so did Melt’s attitude. He had never seen the robot so angry before.
‘There are just the three of us,’ said Ruth, answering Melt. She wore something over her head. A little light flickered as she spoke. ‘I’m Ruth Powdermaker. The guy with the big feet is Brian Kovacs and the pretty young woman is Jasprit Begum.’ The two other animals smiled as their names were mentioned. The male one waved a hand in greeting. ‘We’re .’
Karel heard the sound of the word as it emerged from her mouth, wet and hissing.
‘I’m sorry, there seems to be no robot equivalent. We study groups of people.’
‘Did you make that talking machine?’ said Karel.
‘Never mind that,’ interrupted Melt. ‘Where are your weapons?’
‘Here,’ said Ruth, patting a holster at her side. ‘Plus, Brian’s got a rifle packed away on board the ship. But they’re only for our own protection. We’re not part of the group on the plain. We’re here purely for research.’
‘Research into what?’
‘Life here on this planet. Contact with humans will change your society. It’s already happening. We want to try and capture all that we can about conditions before we arrived. That’s why we’re up here. Plus, there are so many of the Spontaneous here.’
They all looked at Simrock.
‘How were you speaking to him?’ asked Karel.
‘I hear her voice,’ said Simrock. ‘Like when I was below the ground.’
The animal called Jasprit was carefully examining Simrock’s head. What was she looking for?
‘And is that normal?’ asked Ruth. ‘Is that what you all experience?’
She was gazing at Karel.
‘Hearing voices?’ he said. ‘No. Only the Spontaneous can do that.’
‘Is that right, Melt?’ asked Jasprit. She was smaller than the other two, her body a darker colour. Her eyes were dark and bright. Melt looked at her with undisguised hostility.
‘I don’t know anything about the Spontaneous. And I don’t know anything about the three of you, either. Karel, I think we should go. Now.’
‘Why?’
‘Look at this place. These buildings. And then these humans turn up here.’ Karel had never heard the word before, but Melt said human in the same way he might say rust. ‘I say we go. Now.’
‘The buildings!’ said Brian with the big feet. ‘They’re strange, aren’t they? Not at all like the other ones we’ve seen here. Why is that do you suppose?’
‘Why do you keep asking all these questions?’
‘Melt!’ Karel looked at the big robot in astonishment. ‘What’s the matter with you?’
‘These animals. Don’t trust them.’
‘You’re suspicious. I can understand that,’ said Ruth. ‘Have you met humans before, Melt? We’re not all the same, you know. We’re not like those down on the plain.’
‘You mentioned that before,’ said Karel. ‘What do you mean, the ones on the plain?’
‘There is a big robot state to the south of these mountains. It controls the southern part of this continent. Do you know of it?’
‘Artemis!’ said Karel.
‘Of course he knows Artemis, Ruth.’ Brian stepped forward, and Karel noted the cloth panelling that covered him was streaked with grease and oil. ‘He’s wearing the body of one of their soldiers. Are you part of that state, Karel?’
‘Me? No. They destroyed my home. Have you heard of Turing City?’
‘Turing City? No. Where is that located? If I showed you a map, could you tell me? I’ll just be a moment?’