The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - страница 8

222 When he came to the Fair, he parked the car and got out of it. It was dark. Only one light was seen in the distance - it came from the Brains' trailer. Christian walked towards it.

223 The door was locked. The captain took a piece of wire out of his pocket, worked with it a little, and the door opened. The captain stepped in, holding his gun ready.

224 He stopped, disappointed. The trailer was empty.

225 Christian looked angrily around. Where were the Brains now? He could not wait for them. He was sure that the owner of the Cross Keys had raised an alarm and the police were looking for him. And the first place where they would come would be the Fair.

226 He had to get away before the police came. It was absolutely necessary for him to remain in freedom until he could prove his innocence. There was nothing else to do, Christian decided: he must disappear.

He went quickly and silently to his own trailer and packed his bag. He looked under the pillow where he had left his gun: as he expected, there was nothing there. There was no doubt that the Brains had framed him for Miller's murder.

He was thinking where to go. He could not go to his yacht: he was sure that the police would visit it. He could not go to Fox - the police knew that they were friends, so, of course, they would come to Fox's place, too. He had friends who would be ready to hide him, but he wanted to remain near the Fair - that was his only chance to get at the Brains. And the Fair was leaving for Cambridge in the morning - Burkholder had decided to find a new place for it after the visit of Military Intelligence.

So Christian decided to go to Cambridge and hide there, waiting for his chance.

He took his bag and left his trailer. He went to the kitchen. There he took an empty bag and put into it some foodstuffs which he could find. Putting the bag on his shoulder, he left the kitchen.

The police knew the number of Miller's car, so he could not use it. He walked quickly along the path. In the bright light of the moon he saw a workman's bicycle near the fence. Without hesitation he got on it and, leaving the Fair, rode off in the direction of Cambridge.

He travelled the whole night, and with the first light of day he decided to stop and find a place to hide. He stopped at a deserted crossroads and looked around. Through the trees growing along the road he saw a field and a river in the distance. Near the river he noticed the ruins of a deserted boat-house.

He lifted his stolen bicycle on his shoulder and crossed the field to the river. He approached the ruins of the boathouse. Tall grass growing around the door showed that nobody was using the house.

He opened the door and frightened away a rat, which quickly ran into the darkness. He saw a flight of stairs which led to a loft, and he climbed up carrying the bicycle with him. He found himself in a small room with a little window, which gave him a clear view of the approaches to the house. So if some people were coming to the house, he would see them.

Christian was satisfied. He sat down on the floor and ate some cold bacon and bread and cheese. The whole morning he was looking out of the window, but saw nobody. In the afternoon he slept a few hours.

When night fell, he set off again, and in the morning he was near Cambridge.

On the wall of a newspaper stall there was a newspaper. Christian stopped his bicycle and looked through the front page. There was a photograph of him and a text under it:

The police are looking for Captain Arthur Christian to interview him in connection with the shooting at Reading.

Christian is tall, blond, blue-eyed, with a short beard.

He is armed. The police think he may be near Cambridge.

Christian was alarmed. He decided that he must find a hiding-place at once. He could not remain in the streets during the day.

227 He rode on again. Soon he saw a large poster:

BURKHOLDER'S FAIR

228 There was a picture of the Brains and a text in red letters:

Five pounds will be given to anyone who asks a question which the Brains cannot answer.