The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - страница 2

28 The curtain went up, and the people saw three men who were sitting on the stage.

29 The Brains looked very much alike. Each was a dwarf, dressed in a suit of grey colour. What attracted everybody's attention at once was their heads. They were very big, quite out of proportion to their little bodies.

30 The Brains looked down at the people, without smiling.

31 Burkholder said: "Ask your questions, please. You have only half an hour"

32 There was a pause. A lady at the back of the tent whispered to her neighbour: "I don't like the look of them at all!"

33 Indeed, there was something evil in the Brains; it seemed they were devoid of all humanity.

34 At last a schoolboy asked:

"Is space really empty?"

35 "No," answered the Brain in the centre. "The space is only relatively empty. There is a lot of dust and gas between the stars. Also many types of radiation."

36 After that more questions were asked:

37 "Is a sea-horse a fish?"

38 "What is the capital of Pakistan?"

39 "Who wrote 'The Count of Monte Cristo'?"

40 "Are there such things as ghosts?"

41 The Brains answered the questions in turn. The half-hour passed quickly, and the curtain fell.

42 Miller was a big man with short hair and a soft voice. He never hurried. When he reached his office, he was called to the Old Man. He walked along the corridor, knocked at the door and entered.

43 "Sit down, Miller," said the Old Man.

Miller sat down.

44 "I want you to make an investigation," said the Old Man. "I have a report from the police. The report concerns these murders. Have you read about them?"

45 "I've read the newspapers," said Miller.

46 "All the victims have been beheaded. No heads have been found; the neck of each beheaded body was cauterized. It is supposed that the heads were totally destroyed. Of course, we are interested to know what sort of weapon was used."

Miller nodded.

47 "The murders," went on the Old Man, "look like the work of one man or one organization..."

He paused.

48 "Now they have a report from a certain Doctor Fox. He thinks that the murderer is connected with the Burkholder Fair. It is now at Reading. I want you to go to Reading and see what you can find."

"Who is this Fox?" asked Miller.

49 "An unusual person. He is a scientist who has an opinion of his own on everything. He writes a lot for the newspapers on such subjects as flying saucers and teleportation."

"Is that all?" asked Miller.

"I think so," said the Old Man.

Miller stood up.

50 "I'll send a report as soon as I have something."

"All right," said the Old Man. "And, Miller, - don't lose your head."

51 The motor yacht Sea Mist lay in a quiet and peaceful part of the Thames. She was a good ship, her paint was spotless and her metal parts well polished. Everything about her pointed to the fact that her owner was a good sailor and proud of his ship.

In the long cabin Captain Christian sat reading the day's newspapers and smoking a thin black cigar. He was a tall man, well-dressed; he had a blond beard and sea-blue eyes. As he turned the pages of the newspaper, the light of the lantern shone on the headline:

52 GIRL SCIENTIST NEW VICTIM OF STRANGE MURDERER

53 Lovely Margaret Greenways, research biologist, is a new victim of the killer. Her body was found early this morning, beheaded, as all the victims of this madman.

54 Miss Greenways has been working on a secret method to improve the quality of potatoes.

55 As usual, the head was not found - the fifth murder of this kind. When will the police make an arrest? The public have a right to...

56 Christian remembered the newspaper articles about the other murders of this kind:

57 A headless body... the neck cauterized.

58 He put the newspaper aside, stood up, put on a cap and went upstairs. He felt he needed fresh air.

59 When he was on desk, he heard the sound of a motorcycle. Soon he saw a telegraph boy riding towards him.

The young man stopped his motorcycle and called:

"Captain Christian?"

60 "That's me." Christian took the telegram and read it quickly. "No reply," he said.

61 The young man rode away, and Christian started the diesel of his yacht and headed it up the Thames. Standing at the wheel, he re-read the telegram from his old friend: