The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - страница 10
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...
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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...
Where next? He wondered.
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281 From the window of his office on the sixty-fourth floor Michael Brant had a very good view of downtown Manhattan. But he was not looking through the window. He was sitting with his back to the window. He was a fat man with rings on his fingers and a big cigar between his teeth.